The Book Pile: Water For Elephants
There's nothing groundbreaking here, and the prose is good but not amazing, but the story caught me from the first chapter and never let go.
In the Q&A at the back of the version I read, author Sara Gruen says she meticulously researched the world of the traveling circus before writing the first word and I believe her. The world in these pages is alive, every detail is vibrant, and proves to be an elegant wrapper for the gritty mystery that unfolds.
Water for Elephants is a simple, fun read that is mysterious enough to make it interesting all the way through.