AKA Bookshelf: Water For Elephants

 

Monday is here! We are so ready to start off a new week with a great book review. We have both been doing a lot more reading since our commutes have started to include public transportation. I picked up Water For Elephants at a garage sale in the Fall since I had heard the movie was fantastic and because it was only 25 cents. 

This book did not disappoint. The author, Sara, completely encapsulated you in the world of a 1930's traveling circus. The sights, smells, and sounds felt so real. The story is about a young man named Jacob (played by Robert Pattinson in the film) who joins the circus at the veterinarian. He falls in love with one of the performers, Marlena (played by the always fabulous Resse Witherspoon). It is a great story filled with memorable characters and an easy-to-follow plot line. 

I am excited to watched the movie and bumped it up on my Netflix queue! 

I definitely recommended this book for a quick easy read to bring to the beach or on vacation! 

Any other good books out there that I should read? Let us know in the comments! 

-A

AKA Bookshelf: The Circle

I've had my eye on the novel The Circle by Dave Eggers for quite awhile. Admittedly I have my own conspiracies about large corporations and I was excited to see a novel explore the idea and darkness behind a large scale tech company.

The book explores a Google like company, but one that surpasses Google in size, scope, earnings and influence. The main character is introduced as an unhappy, listlessly working post grad. I could definitely identify with parts of her as I imagine many recent post grads could. She gets a mediocre job but at the dream company; The Circle. Things are looking up for Mae as she starts her job for one of the most coveted employers in the world.

The longer Mae works at The Circle however the more we discover about the company. The pressures, the surveillance and the expectations of both the employees and the public involved with the company. The heat gets turned up and everyone's privacy diminishes.

I enjoyed the book but not as much as I had hoped or expected I would. Because I have my own ideas about these large companies I had a narrative I was hoping the book would follow. So in some ways I was setting myself up for failure. Eggers was writing the story not me.

We follow Mae down the rabbit hole but not in the way I was hoping. I felt like Eggers was going to take it further. We were beginning with such an exaggerated company that I was hoping the whole story would be over the top. In ways the story went overboard but in the end I felt like the book needed more and at the same time needed editing. The book is about 500 pages but there are some things introduced yet barely explored.

Although I was a bit disappointed with the book I still recommend it as an intriguing read and as an interesting reflection on current society and our relationship with technology as well as where that relationship can go.

-K

AKA Reads

We both love to read!

Reading can be the perfect thing to do before you fall asleep at night, or the most amazing Sunday afternoon activity.

We are both currently re-reading the Harry Potter series, as we are both huge Harry Potter fans. It has been really fun to re-read and rediscover the series.  Its fun to find and discuss all the new links we've found and all the details we might have missed or forgotten since we were reading them as kids, as well as revisit some of the major differences between the books and movies.

Ashley is currently in a book club with one of our close friends and it has been a great way for them to read different styles of books and to keep each other motivated and on track with their reading. We thought it would be a fun idea to do with each other and anyone elsewho wants to join in!

Click on the books above to check out what we have been reading recently

(and where you can purchase the books in the East Bay!)

So grab a book and a friend and spend some time away from a screen (as I type and you read via a screen). Its really nice to read for yourself, rather than school or work. It can be a free vacation and great for relaxation if you let it. Revisit old books like we are and keep fining new favorites!

Let us know what your reading!

-A&K