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The circus comes to town right next door to 93 year old Jacob Jankowski’s nursing home setting off a string of memories.  When Jacob was 21 his parents were killed in a car accident and he ended up running off and joining the circus.  Jacob’s memories give the readers a behind-the-scenes peek at the greatest show on earth.  Like any workplace the circus Jacob works for is full of politics, a pecking order, backstabbing and fighting.  When Jacob falls in love with his boss’s wife, he learns that the circus he joins has dark secrets.

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This is the first book I’ve ever read that involves the circus.  It is not the circus I remember going to.  Gruen does a great job researching the circuses that travelled the country on trains back in the 1920’s and 1930’s.  This story has great twists and turns and chracters to root for.  Guren does a great job describing the acts, I was able to picture the acts in my mind easily.  Although the story has some dark parts, it is a fun book to read.

Water for Elephants

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The Awakening by Kate Chopin

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By all appearances Edna Pontellier has a great life in New Orleans: two beautiful little boys, a doting husband, a large house and summers spent at a resort. But one summer, while at the resort, Edna discovers her this really isn’t the life she wants. She is befriended by a single man who awakens in her desires she long ago buried deep inside. Once these feelings begin to surface, Edna begins to look for the life she wants to live. Unfortunately for her, what she wants is frowned upon by the society and time in which she lives. So she is stuck as she attempts to figure out who she is and who the rest of the world wants her to be.

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The minute I started reading this book I figured at the plot: married woman meets single man, falls in love, realizes she no longer wants to be married with children and so on. However, I couldn’t get over how tame the story is. There are no steamy love scenes, no sneaking around. However, when I looked at the date this was written (1899) I began to realize how this story, so reserved by today’s standards, would have been scandalous in its day. Kate Chopin’s Edna was ahead of her time in trying to find her own place in the world. Although this story may seem simple and sweet, it is complicated and sordid and makes me glad I was born 70+ years later. You will relate to Edna’s quest to “find herself” and understand the struggles she goes through.

The Awakening

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How many of you have heard the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors? Heck, there’s even a musical about Jacob’s favorite son and his many brothers. The Red Tent offers a different view of this famous family. Back in their day, when women were menstruating, giving birth or sick they were sent to the red tent. This was a place only for women (and their infant sons who still needed mom’s constant care). Through the eyes of Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter, we see the women’s perspective and it is a far different tale than we are taught growing up. Through it all, we see the bonds of sisterhood and that even in the days were women were subjugated, they could still embody strength, independence and femininity.

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WOW. That’s the best word for this book. This is a story about feminism way before it’s time. Of women who are strong and independent without rocking the boat. This is also a story about the great friendships and bonds that women have together. Honestly, it made me almost wish we modern girls had a place like that where we could go for a few days each month. After you read this book you will feel empowered as a woman.

The Red Tent

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This series began with a single book, Full House, back in 1989 written by Janet Evanovich under the name Steffie Hall. Evanovich and her good friend, Charlotte Hughes, teamed up to make the book better and create a series from it. Fully of quirky but lovable characters, this series is funny and off the wall. Each book in the series comes with its own mystery, love story and slightly off center plot. There is no main character central to each book; rather they are all interconnected and take turns in the spotlight. This series is full of fun and laughs.

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Evanovich is most known for her Stephanie Plum series, and this series is right up there. You can see similarities in the writing style. This series is a definite read for those who enjoy the lighter, funnier and sexier side of life. I was pleasantly surprised to find this series after I became hooked on the Stephanie Plum series. These are the perfect books to curl up on the couch with, along with some ice cream!!

Full House

Full Tilt

Full Speed

Full Blast

Full Bloom

Full Scoop

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Is there any scientific way to tell if someone will become a serial killer? Are their brains wired differently? Is there a biological reason they behave this way? Is it because of something that happened to them? These are the types of question Helen Morrison, M.D. has been searching for. In this book she details her interviews with some of the most well known serial killers. Through her years of research she has developed answers to these and many more questions. This book is a fascinating look into the mind of a serial killer. It will enlighten and frighten you.

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Have you ever wondered what the difference is between guys and men? Have you ever wondered why guys act the way they do? Have you ever wondered if you were a guy? Then this is the book for you. With a bit of humor, Dave Barry outlines everything that ever perplexed you about guys. From they guy’s role in history to the domestic side of guys, this book will have you doubled over in laughter as you recognize the guys in your life in this book. A definite must read.

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There are currently 9 books in this delightful series set in the African country of Botswana. In the first book, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Precious Ramotswe inherited a large sum of money when her father passes away. Mma Ramotswe using her inheritance and armed with a book on private detection, she opens The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Each book in the series is filled with intriguing mysteries Mma Ramotswe is hired to solve. Along the way we see her personal life grow as her business prospers. And each book offers a uniquie look at the culture and way of life in Botswana.

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This is a fun series. it is great to have a woman as the lead character, and she’s a detective as well. Mr. Smith was born in Africa and lived in Botswana so he has first hand knowledge of the culture he incorporates into the story. The stories are fun, the other characters are great and every book will give you something to chuckle about and something to think about.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective

Tears of the Giraffe

Morality for Beautiful Girls

The Kalahari Typing School for Men

The Full Cupboard of Life

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

Blue Shoes and Happiness

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

The Miracle at Speedy Motors

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This book shows how every science and history book SHOULD be written. In A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson attempts to tackle the history of the world in an interesting way. I say interesting, but keep in mind the subject matter is still kind of dry (especially the science part). So, although Bryson writes well, this is not a page turner. I tried to read a chapter a day and some days that was hard. The book is full of interesting facts, handy for those who play trivia games. I recommend this book highly, but plan on it taking awhile to get through.

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Eleanor’s father dies and making her the Duchess of Aquitaine. She is quickly forced into a marriage with the prince of France, Louis VII rather than her childhood love, Baron Rancon. Louis is a religious fanatic who attempts to keep Eleanor under lock and key, but the harder he tries to hold her down, the more she rebels. She finally convinces the Church, the Pope and Louis to give her an annulment so that she may be with her true love, Baron Rancon.

Instead, Eleanor finds herself thrust again into a political marriage to Henry II of England. Henry is much stronger and cunning than Louis was and proves a match for Eleanor. When she backs her sons in a rebellion for the throne, Henry has Eleanor thrown into prison for seventeen long years.

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If you visit this site often you will find that I read a lot of historical fiction. I can’t help it, I love it. And this book has a lot to love. Eleanor is portrayed as a strong, intelligent and independent woman who is trapped by the political plays of the men around her. I couldn’t help but admire her courage and refusal to back down. In addition to a strong character, this book has a love story, politics and power plays and treachery all wrapped into one. This is a delicious book you won’t want to put down.

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The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is one of the books listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. It is not a book I would have ever picked up on my own but now I can cross it off my list and continue on with my quest.

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The main character, Alec Leamas is an agent for the British version of the CIA. In the book they refer to it as the Circus. He was in charge of agents in East Berlin spying on the Praesidium during the cold war. It is now the early 1960s and Leamas’ entire team has been killed by the enemy. After years of service he is tired of the job and ready to call it quits, when he is offered one last job. It’s a job he cannot refuse and so he sets out to accomplish what, for him, will be his crowning achievement without blowing his cover.

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I like suspense, but I’ve never really been into spy novels. The writing in this is kind of dry, but the plot is superb. It has everything I would expect from a spy novel, and keeps you guessing until the very end. It also seems very real life; I could almost believe I was reading a true account and not fiction. I highly recommend this book.

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