BOOKS, BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS and elephants, too

I am surrounded by books to read. I recently finished the BEST book I have read in a long time. It is "Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen. It is fiction, but laced with some true events and facts. This book is SO good. It is definitely a "must read."

I was so fascinated by the behaviour of the elephant, that I checked out two more elephant related books from the library. I am now reading "Jumbo - The Greatest Elephant In The World" by Paul Chambers. I am almost finished it. It is full of interesting facts, figures, stories and photos and illustrations of this famous elephant who was with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The word "jumbo" meaning large was derived from this elephant's name.

I also have waiting for me:

1. "The Circus At The Edge Of The Earth (Travels With The Great Wallenda Circus)" by Charles Wilkins.

2. "Modoc - The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived" by Ralph Helfer. (I don't know who was the greater - Jumbo or Modoc).

3. "D" Is For Deadbeat" by Sue Grafton. (I am working my way through the alphabet with this author.)

4. "The Diary of a Nobody" by George and Weedon Grossmith. (This was first published in 1892 and is about a timeless comic character in English fiction.)

5. "My Best Friend's Girl" by Dorothy Koomson (This was loaned to me by a friend who loved it.)

6. "Riding Lessons" by Sara Gruen.

I have finished reading "Slow Waltz In Cedar Bend" which was on my Spring Reading 2008 Challenge list. This was a good book, even though I did not really like the two main characters. The author, Robert James Waller, also wrote "The Bridges of Madison County" which I did not read, but saw the movie. Slow Waltz is similar in that it tells an interesting love story. It is worth reading.

I am also reading "Ida Mae Tutweiler's Traveling Tea Party", but I think I have read it before.

It is a beautiful day here in coastal Delaware. Two days ago we were besieged by very high winds and rain. Tree limbs and leaves are everywhere. You should have seen the ocean yesterday -- the roughest and highest waves I have seen for a long time.

"THREE TO GET DEADLY"

I just finished Janet Evanovich's "Three To Get Deadly." I am waiting for the library to let me know when the first book in the series of Stephanie Plum's "bond enforcer" adventures comes in. I want to try to read these books in sequence. It probably doesn't matter, but I would rather do that.

I sat up late the other night to finish the book and found myself laughing out loud till tears ran down my face. One of my favorite quotes from the book, because I so identify with it:

"I woke up feeling guilty about the junk food binge, so for penance I cleaned the hamster cage, rearranged the jars in the refrigerator and scrubbed the toilet. I looked for ironing, but there was none. When something needs to be ironed I put it in the ironing basket. If a year goes by and the item is still in the basket I throw the item away. This is a good system since eventually I end up only with clothes that don't need ironing."

"Aunt Dimity and the Duke"

I have just started reading a series of books centered around "Aunt Dimity" by Nancy Atherton. This is the second in the series -- I am still waiting for my library to get the first. As Literary Feline discusses in her latest blog, I guess I like to read series of books by the same author. I have read all in Jan Karon's Mitford series, all in James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux's mysteries and all in Cara Black's Amy Leduc's mysteries.

As the end plate describes "Aunt Dimity and the Duke":

Emma Porter is forty, fat and frumpy -- and a passionate amateur gardener. When her longtime lover dumps her for a younger woman, Emma escapes the cloying sympathy of family and friends by setting out on a summer-long driving tour of England's glorious gardens."

I am halfway through this book and it promises to be one that will happily lead me into another mystery world series.

I will keep you apprised!

Library Books

Here we are - another day in Paradise (lol). I am looking forward to a call from the library to tell me that the books I put on hold have arrived. Two of them are the Cara Black mysteries I have been immersed in; one is the latest by James Lee Burke; one is by James (I think) Cozzens which I just learned has characters in it based on some partners in an old small town law firm I used to work in. The trouble with getting library books is that I often have to keep renewing them,but I am so greedy I want them all right away. I have been reading books from the library lately because not only is it cheaper, I don't accumulate tons of books I may never read again. My basement is full of boxes of books that are moldering away since our last move.

Well, that is the start of my day. Will write more later.

UPDATE: 10:10 p.m. The end of a nice day. The library had one of the Cara Black mysteries I requested ("Murder in the Bastille") so I picked it up and started to read it tonight. After work today my friends and I went to an opening at the local art league -- wine and free yummy hor d'oeuvres. Met a lady who owns another gallery and also gives belly dancing lessons. I took them about thirty years ago when all the young mothers were doing it. If I can talk my friends into it, maybe we'll all take lessons.