Review: Water for Elephants

Meeting Destination:  Santa Monica Pier for carnival-esque shenanigans.

Please remember that one member of Babes for Books, Jr. is allergic to cats, so as much as I love creating a menu for our meetings, we still cannot accommodate an in-house gathering. Therefore the menus are for you, my readers...all 13 of you.

We ate at a nearby pub with an array of food that can be considered "slop" (so appropriate).  It also did not serve ice, so the plastic cups filled with lukewarm water really engaged us in the "water for elephants" frame of mind. 

Water for Elephants rated high among us.  Its visual imagery struck a chord with all of our imaginations and the tender theme tugged gently at our heart strings.  Jacob's re-telling of his journey as a young man swept us through both the history of vintage circus' and of the struggles entering manhood.  Jacob's development of relationships between workers and the animals is unique to other books I've personally read.

I also read the screenplay, which is currently being filmed, and am excited for what could possibly be a great adaptation; a very seldom and what appears to be a trying occurrence.  (I once started a "Movie Book Club" and began with The Other Boleyn Girl, one of my most beloved books; one of my most loathed movies...the club only lasted one meeting because we agreed movies taint books therefore the meetings would all be much the same).  Unfortunately, Robert Pattinson is playing Jacob and I am saddened by this choice because I hoped for someone with more depth.  However, Christoph Waltz as the tyrant animal trainer is so SPOT ON I can hardly contain myself.

After filling ourselves with grub and discussing an incredible book, we partook in arcade fun.  Our mission: win enough tickets to redeem a prize that represents us.  All hail our mascot:

Our next pick is Mennonite in Little Black Dress: A Memoir Going Home.  There are already talks of Amish Cuisine and of course all adorning little black dresses to wherever we shall meet. 

And the read goes on,

Danielle