Reading list update

46. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. It’s a novel about train circus life in the 1930’s. Fabulous. Read a real live review here, then go buy it, check it out, trade for it - however you get your hands on it, you’ll be glad you did. (cross-posted in regular blog)

47. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. Story of a doctor in the 50's whose wife gives birth to twins - a healthy boy, and a girl with Down's Syndrome. He gives the girl away to be institutionalized - but tells his wife that the girl died. The nurse who helped deliver the babies, unable to leave the girl in an instituion, raises her instead. I enjoyed this book (though not as much as Water for Elephants).

48. Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won The Girl by Debra Garfinkle. I read this book because it was recommended for me on Amazon.com, and I usually enjoy their recommendations. I didn't realize until about halfway through that it's a Young Adult novel. Regardless, it was a funny story, and I thought it was a nice break from the heavier novels. It's the journal of a 14-year old high school freshman, dealing with his parent's divorce and a nerdy reputation. I liked it (check it out, don't buy it).

Out of the three, Elephants is a must-read. Absolutely.

Making my way

Friday Weigh-In: Down 1.8 pounds this week. Total of 17.2 pounds lost, and 12.8 remaining to my current goal.

Also, finished book 45: The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer. Very interesting concept here: a baby boy is born looking like a 70-year old man. As he grows older, he looks younger. Basically, his body ages in reverse, while his mind ages normally. At the end of his life, he has the mind of an old man, living in the body of a young boy. The story is set in San Francisco at the turn of the Twentieth Century. The premise is more interesting than the book itself, I thought. It was okay, but I wish I had spent my time reading Water for Elephants, or at least a Marian Keyes novel.