Water for Elephants

This is a page-turner if there ever was one. So much going on in this book–a fascinating account of circus life in Depression-era America, for which a lot of really excellent research was done, and a sometimes deeply saddening account of aging in America as we do it now, in nursing homes and “assisted living.” The circus chapters really sparkle; they are action-packed yet still wholly believable. It's not the deepest book ever (some of the characters lack a little depth), but I'm totally willing to forgive that because after all the excitement, I wasn't hoping for a happy ending, but got one anyway :)