My book group met last night to discuss Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants (resources). It was a really good discussion (fueled by excellent brownies)and many were impressed by the amount of research Gruen had done and how she had woven that into the fabric of the story. Some wondered what she had written before this book and I mentioned her two previous novels. We also voted on our new book and it was a heated session. The candidates were:
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen
It came down to Devil in the White City and The Emperor's Children in the final round, where we found ourselves with what looked like an unbreakable tie. We postponed final voting until we discussed Water (and everyone had a chance to have a little more wine) and by our final vote, we landed on The Emperor's Children. All the resources for The Emperor's Children can be found in my first post about the book. I'm really looking forward to this one.
I will be interested to hear what you think of the Emperor's Children. It is a little unsettling, as the characters are our age almost exactly. I have some comments, but I will wait to you read it.
Posted by: Kate | September 21, 2007 at 10:07 AM
Just found your blog through Bluestalking Reading and love it! I have Water for Elephants languishing on my hulking stacks. I meant to read it right after I bought it, but I suppose that's the kiss of death for any bibliophile worth their salt. I'm glad it was a good choice for your book club!
Posted by: Andi | September 21, 2007 at 02:38 PM