Big Tops, Murder, Elephant Tails, etc.

Who knew books could actually be captivating? I devoured Water for Elephants like a child with cotton candy. And now I have a stomach ache too.

The sweet sounds of the circus came to life in Sara Gruen's novel. I literally did not want to put it down. Perhaps it was the setting, 1930's prohibition America, that sucked me in. Or the protagonist who skipped out on his final exams to jump a train to nowhere. Just that kind of recklessness that lead to exciting, unforgettable stories.

Reading each scene was like watching a movie -- rich, fully detailed descriptions of the sounds and smells of the wandering circus life. The crooked ringleader, the performers, the working men. All the drama and politics behind the scenes of what appeared to be a flawless show.

Books like this make me wish I lived in an era where hopping on a train and going with the wind would land out interesting stories like this one.

The best part of the book: the anecdotes, especially the ones involving the circus animals. An elephant stealing tanks of lemonade; toothless wildcats; impossible performances -- all real stories. Read and wish you were apart of the greatest show on earth!

The Selfish Bastards at Wuthering Heights

This, however, was an excellent novel.
And yes, I did finally finish reading it. Yay me.

To begin, the book was impossibly confusing, what with Hindley and Hareton and Heathcliff -- I couldn't keep the characters straight. And of course, there's Hareton and Hareton and Catherine and Catherine. It was much too much too keep up with.

So I drew a family tree. Which drew a nice wind.

Then I sailed on the breeze that blew me through the book with minor pitstops on the way.

I must say, the infatuation of the characters with the other characters is so melodramatic...like a soap opera. Ah, the soap opera of the 1800s -- Wuthering Heights. I saw a sign on a table at the bookstore today that was labeled "Undying Love." Surprisingly, the beloved novel was nowhere in sight! Someone at the bookstore has yet to brush up on their classics.

Haunting and thrilling, though somewhat dry at particular points, this cautionary tale of lovers that could never be will make you want to strangle the characters to death.