*Water for Elephants*

This is the books original cover, I take no credit for this photo.

So on top of wanting to do a ton of traveling this summer another thing on my to-do list is to read a ton of books! After I read History of a Suicide: my sister's unfinished life. By Jill Bialosky, I read the newly released blockbuster Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen! Unfortunately I did see the movie before I read the book but I also did that with Twilight and it did not change my reading experience what-so-ever. I finished the book in 3 days time because I was on vacation relaxing and reading. I really enjoyed Water for Elephants as it made me fall in love with the 1930's circus life. Sara Gruen is a truly talented author and picked a subject which has not been fully explored in many novels as I've come to find out while searching for another circus novel to read. Not only is this an easy novel to follow along with but it is an extremely vivid read at the same time. The photos of real life circuses within the books pages also add a unique edge to the novel.  You switch back and fourth between Old "ninety or ninety-three" year old Jacob Jankowski's current living situation in an assisted living home and his memories from the 1930's when he walked away from school, joined a circus, and found the love of his life. In comparing the Movie and the book i'd say they did a marvelous job. Though they did leave out a few characters that is to be expected with movies because of the time frames they need to complete the story line within. The book and movie are definite must reads and must see's but i'd recommend reading it first unless you want to picture Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon in your mind, instead of letting your imagination create its own characters.

Screen Shot from the Movie.