Off the Shelf: April and May 2011

Since the last month has been pretty full, I’ve decided to combine both reads from April and May into one post. I enjoyed both books thoroughly and am happy to recommend them for some summer reading. Anyone else out there making lists of books to read by the pool or beach?

April’s “Off the Shelf” is a book by an author I always find entertaining. I’m often found giggling in my bed at night as I read his books, much to the annoyance of my husband who is trying to sleep. The author is Bill Bryson who is coincidentally the Chancellor of Durham University but will sadly be stepping down after this year.  The book is called The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.

This book is a memoir of Bryson’s early childhood growing up in 1950′s America. In many ways, it’s a commentary on life in the 50′s in small town America. Per usual, Bryson fills his memoir with historical facts concerning this decade as well as witty anecdotes from his childhood.

Both of my parents were born in the 50′s, so I feel as though I got a glimpse into their childhood when I read this book. There is a lot I don’t know about this decade so not only was the book fun to read, but also a good history lesson for those of us born, um, several decades later.

May’s “Off the Shelf” is a beach read through and through, at least in my opinion. Does everyone know what I mean by this? I mean a book that I give props to keeping me interested in but am turning a very blind eye to the quality of the writing.  It’s the kind of work you can read by the pool and occasionally throw down to jump in the water because it doesn’t take much to divert your attention. At least, that’s exactly what I did while reading this on our babymoon in southern France (more on that later!).

The books is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. After seeing previews on TV for the upcoming film, I decided to read the book before watching it. I am, after all, a Reese Witherspoon fan and I love period pieces.

This novel tells the story of a young man, Jacob Jankowski, who jumps a circus train days after finding out his parents died in a car crash, leaving him without an inheritance and any motivation to finish his 4th year of Veterinary Sciences at Cornell. He gets a job working for the circus as a vet and subsequently falls in love with the animal trainer’s wife.

I have never read a book about circuses, especially in the 1930′s, so I found that to be the most interesting element of the book.  Jacob finds himself surrounded by a lot of problems he has to face, the biggest one being in love with another man’s wife, so at times it was a page-turner. On the other hand, the book was a little sappy or cliche. If you haven’t read it, I’d put it on your summer list!

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