Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Goodreads.com describes this book as follows:

An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons. When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

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After reading this book, I enjoyed this as a purely fiction novel, but had some irritations with the books story line.

While the narration takes place in the 1930's era of the Great Depression and Prohabition, I felt that some of the character dialog seemed too "21st century". It also left me wondering how much of the fighting, "redlighting", and drunken escapades really happened in a travelling circus.

Also, the female character Marlena seemed dull and predictable. I read several other reviews of this book, and this seems to be a common opinion. I think that in general, women were very non-contriversial and proper in the 1930's, but one would think that have a female "lead" character in a circus, you could make the excuse that she could be more daring. Just me I guess...

Overall, it was a quick read, and entertaining...which is why we read, right?

Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood by Julie Gregory

The website http://www.goodreads.com/ gives the synopsis like this: "From early childhood, Julie Gregory was continually X-rayed, medicated, and operated on; in the vain pursuit of an illness that was created in her mother's mind. Munchausen by proxy (MBP) is the world's most hidden and dangerous form of child abuse, in which the caretaker (almost always the mother) invents or induces symptoms in her child because she craves the attention of medical professionals. Many MBP children die, but Julie Gregory not only survived, she escaped the powerful orbit of her mother's madness and rebuilt her identity as a vibrant, healthy young woman."

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For me, this book was a little disappointing. More than following the issues of Munchausen by Proxy, the author reveals more about the emotional and physical abuse she and her younger brother received from her mother and father. Her parents also deceived the system and fostered children and veterens for extra money. This is the second book that I've read in the last few months that has talked about the very inappropriate placing of foster children in homes. It seems that more investigating needs to be done in this foster homes before children are placed.

I was expecting more detail (and I guess more Munchausen issues) then was given. Her mother had MANY issues (anger management, shopaholoic, etc.) that all played a part in the authors abuse. There were quite a few unanswered questions for me as well.

Overall, I would give this book 2 1/2 stars.

Happy reading!!!