Water for Elephants

"Water for Elephants" is one of my favorite books that I have read in the past few years.  I was a little late of the WFE bandwagon and only read it after I discovered there was a movie coming, but it was an EXCELLENT read.  I loved Sara Gruen's narrative style and descriptions of depression era American life.  Maybe since I used to be an entertainer, I identified a lot with the circus folk and their train-living lifestyle.  I raced through the book and was equally excited about the film.

I got a chance to see it last night with my great friend Darcy.  We have a tradition of reading books and then watching the films together.  We have seen/read Atonement, The Time Traveler's Wife, My Sister's Keeper, The Lovely Bones, and many more I am not remembering right now.  But it is a tradition I look forward to.

I enjoyed the movie, but it was no where near as memorable to me as the novel.  I have a lot of reasons why, but since this is "primarily" a blog about clean eating and working out...I'll refrain! :)

I do want to share some highlights of the night:


1. Spending time with my best friend.
2. Silently playing words with friends for about 15 minutes.  It's all about being scholarly.

What has 6 letters and starts with TH?

3. The fact that we BOTH snuck our own healthy snacks into the theatre. I brought sliced apples dusted with cinnamon and Darcy brought green bean chips.
4.  Me falling UP the stairs of the theatre on the way back from the bathroom.
5.  These guys below.

Seriously?

So why am I sharing all this?

I happen to think that intellectual health is closely tied to overall health and well-being.  I think challenging your mind through reading, thoughtful discussion, or a scrabble game on your phone is key to longevity. Seriously....Words with Friends...good stuff!  (Although I still discount the validity of certain words like HAJ, DI, ZA, MIS, ect..)

Your brain needs a workout too and there is a plethora of research that supports that. So lift a weight or lift a book...both are good for you!

What's the last great book that you read?

Love and paper cuts,

Carissa & Kyle