Greetings humans! It’s Friday afternoon and after a long week, all my Mommy wants to do is hop on the couch and start reading. I told her we first need to connect to you guys so that she can just get in a bit of a better mood. I do this for my own well-being you know.
Seeing that she doesn’t know what to read yet, we’ve decided to do our first Connect Five hosted by the BookDate. Mommy’s been eying this for quite some time, but Fridays are usually just hectic and we hardly open the computer on Fridays. Connect Five is really very easy, just pick 5 books that are connected in some or other way. Theme, cover, genre, author – you name it. Well, I hope I understand it correctly… I’m sure the lovely Kathryn will quickly guide me in the nicest possible way if we are having the cat by the tail today.
It’s been more than a month since Mommy and Daddy had been on holiday and went walking with the elephants. After the numerous posts that she shared after their holidays, I’ve told you that it won’t be the last of the elephants. For today, Mommy would like to share her 5 favorite elephant books. Nope, this is not figuratively speaking (big chunky books), these are books with real, big, chunky elephants.
I know we should only feature five books, but may I please start with my favorite little, big-eared elephant? Mommy says every time a child takes this book out from the library, her heart makes a whistle and she lifts ever so slightly into the air.
1. Circles in a Forest by Dalene Matthee I am picking this one first, because she can go on and on about it. Good grief, you would think these elephants are more important than me. If you’ve missed her Wednesday Wisdom from Circles in a Forest post, I gladly attach the link.
The Knysna Forest: a primal world of strange beauty and hidden dangers, of secrets shrouded beneath the canopy of towering trees, where, for centuries, the only sounds were the songs of birds and the trumpeting of the magnificent elephants…. until man arrived to claim for himself the rare wood of the trees, and the rarer ivory of the elephants’ tusks.
2. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult The book that broke my Mommy’s heart, but strangely enough – it also glued all the little pieces back together to let the light shine in again. “Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let the light in.” And the cat. They will let the cat in as well.
For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe she was abandoned, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice’s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts.
3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Who hasn’t read this one yet? I wish we could have a pet elephant named Rosie.
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski’s ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out—orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive “ship of fools.” It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn’t have an act—in fact, she couldn’t even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air.
The first is the case of a drowned boy, whose suspicious death no one seems to want solved. And the second is a baby elephant. As his search for clues takes him across the teeming city of Mumbai, from its grand high rises to its sprawling slums and deep into its murky underworld, Chopra begins to suspect that there may be a great deal more to both his last case and his new ward than he thought. And he soon learns that when the going gets tough, a determined elephant may be exactly what an honest man needs…
5. Elephants can remember by Agatha Christie Okay, maybe this one is more on the figurative side. I’ve chosen this one, because my Mommy is one of those people with the elephant memories. Don’t know how she does it. Names, dates, what’s where in the grocery shop, things Daddy did wrong – it can sometimes be a bit uncanny.
Hercule Poirot stood on the cliff-top. For here, many years earlier, there had been a tragic accident – the broken body of a woman was discovered on the rocks at the foot of the cliff. This was followed by the grisly discovery of two more bodies – a husband and wife – shot dead. But who had killed whom? Was it a suicide pact? A crime of passion? Or cold-blooded murder? Poirot delves back into a crime committed 15 years earlier and discovers that, when there is a distinct lack of physical evidence, it’s just as well that ‘old sins leave long shadows.’
This story is part of Agatha Christie’s murder in retrospect series, a collection of stories which look at a crime several years after the fact, piecing together testimonials and witness reports to finally uncover the truth. This time we see Mrs Oliver’s goddaughter, attempting to find out the truth about her deceased parents – who killed whom?
Book Blogger Hop
It does appear as if we will have time to quickly do a Book Blogger Hop as well today. It’s been months… The Book Blogger’s hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. Every week, there will be a prompt featuring a book related question. It’s hosted by Ramblings of a coffee addicted writer and he guess he hops around like a bunny due to all the caffeine. Hence his name.
Today’s question: Have you ever started reading a book and suddenly realized you’ve already read it?
My Mommy says she’s got three words to answer that question – Mary Higgins Clark. Mommy says they have grown up with those three words (I strongly suspect it’s someone’s name) and my Auntie Hannelize still loves her books. Mommy reads them as well, because she always buys them for Auntie Hannelize and then her curiosity just about kills me. But as soon as she starts reading it, she remembers she has read it before. Her elephant memory doesn’t stretch as far as all the plotlines she’s read in her life.
This isn’t our photo, we’ve borrowed it from a lovely lady who has a super cool blog. So glad we’ve stumbled upon Elizabeth’s blog. Have a look at this post if you are looking for a Mary Higgins Clark book you can’t miss and hopefully won’t forget:
Off the shelf.
Maybe we’ll read a Mary Higgins Clark this weekend. Will go and see what’s left on the shelves.
What are you reading this weekend? Have fun and stay safe!
Lots of Love,
Elza
Aw Dumbo! He is such a sweetie, he reminds me of holidays in Florida!
I love the elephant theme in your Connect Five! I haven't read any of the books mentioned, but I think I might have Water for Elephants on my TBR shelf. Yep, there it is right there nestled between The Monsters of Templeton and Homegoing. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra sounds like something I would really like. It's been ages since I read a Mary Higgins Clark book. I used to devour them as soon as they came out. That was years ago though. I should revisit her work. I also was reading her daughter Carol's mysteries for awhile there too. I hope you have a great weekend!
Water for Elephants are one of those books that is just soo easy to read, but it still has a lasting impact.
I also read Mary Higgins Clark when I was about 20 years younger, but still grab one every now and then. My sister loves her books and I think she seriously only needs like one or two.
Hope you had a great weekend!
There's been a time or two that I'll see a book that's on sale and think, "Oh, that sounds really good," and I'll go check it out on Goodreads and see that I've already read it. I just have to laugh at myself when that happens, lol. Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
Hi Ashley! I know! It does happen to me as well… I never go into a bookshop, especially a secondhand bookshop without my phone and Goodreads open and ready to assist this cluttered mind.
Luckily we always have space for new books!
Great choices of books! Happy reading.
Hi there Beverley! Thanks so much! Hope you are doing well!!
Happy you are having a good weekend with some great reads.
I looked for Circles in the Forest after your Wednesday Wisdom post but none of the libraries I have access to own it! I'll have to look on Amazon or somewhere.
I had to get my mom to make me a list of all the Louis L'Amour books my dad owns. L'Amour wrote hundreds of books, I swear! And my dad must own 2/3 of them. That makes avoiding duplicates almost impossible. Luckily she took the time to list them all for me. That's made gift-giving much easier.
Hi Jen! You might struggle to find Circles in a Forest yes. I have two copies and would gladly send one to you, but unfortunately, they are both in Afrikaans. How's your Afrikaans??!! LOL!!
My grandpa also read Louis L'Amour and I remember there were always stacks of them in the garage! The good old days of those little paperbacks. Wonder if it is every going to come back..
Have a good weekend Jen.
Oops I don't know what happened there! Trying again! Great connect with the elephants. I love Dumbo – who doesn't! Have just put Leaving Time on my TBR. Not sure about Water for Elephants – nearly every one I follow on Goodreads has read it I see or marked it to read so shows how big it is.
Hi Kathryn! Leaving Time is a wonderful book. But not everyone likes it. There is quite a bit of research in there. I hear through the Grapevine that Jodie Picoult's new one also has a lot of research in. YEA!! Can't wait to read it. But not everyone likes it.
Water for Elephants is an easy read, but really nice!
I'm so glad you could stop by, hope you will have a wonderful weekend.
Kathryn Trask
can't go wrong with mary higgins clark. i met her once and got a signed copy of one of her books and a poster that i swiped outside the store she was appearing at. 🙂
sherry @ fundinmental
I know! Mary Higgins Clark is always a sure win. You can read it in one sitting and don't have to think very hard. I do mean that in the nicest way.
I wish I could have a signed copy of one of her books for my sister. She would love it!
I could definitely see that with Mary Higgins Clark books. I love the connect 5 reads❤️ Happy reading!
I've told my sister she needs to make me a list of all the books she does have by Mary Higgins Clark so that I can stop buying them!