Why I Picked 'Elephants'

I'm burying Jenny's call-out for feedback on "Persuasion" with this post, so be sure to check out the next entry and let her know what you think: to Austen or not to Austen?

On to the business at hand. I chose Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants" (2006) for our March meeting based on a recommendation from my friend Jamie, who lives in Dallas and who encouraged me to start this book club. She has a club of her own, and that group read "Elephants" and liked it. So it was an easy pick, especially since I had to make one quickly after bumping "Kabul Beauty School" on the fly.

If you think it's too late to start reading it now, take heart: I haven't started either! I just got the book Friday and somehow keep putting it off. I'm going on a week-long trip next week -- counting on that for some prime reading time. (Plus: Remember, you don't have to read or finish the book to come to the meeting!) UPDATE, Feb. 25: I finished the book! A quick read, and I'm kind of a slow reader.

If you're still on the fence about it, here's some critical feedback: Out of the 1,107 customer reviews on Amazon.com (that's a lot!), 723 gave it five stars, 232 gave it four (out of five).

And praise from book reviews:

"So compelling, so detailed and vivid, that I couldn’t bear to be torn away from it for a single minute.” — Chicago Tribune

“Gruen unearths a lost world with her rich and surprising portrayal of life in a traveling circus in the ’30s. An emotional tale that will please history buffs — and others.” — People

“[This] sprightly tale has a ringmaster’s crowd-pleasing pace.” — Entertainment Weekly

“You’ll get lost in the tatty glamour of Gruen’s meticulously researched world, from spangled equestrian pageantry and the sleazy side show to an ill-fated night at a Chicago speak-easy.” — The Washington Post

Hope you can make it! Lemme know via Evite or e-mail.