For Love or Corn

I am reading (and, so far, thoroughly enjoying) Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. I kept looking at the author's name thinking it was familiar. Finally, I realized that Gruen is the last name of Nancy Drew's housekeeper, Hannah. Now I am revealing just how long I've been a bookworm =) Anyway, I wanted to share this hilarious quote from Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill (trying to cover my behind here for copyright stuff). This is the thoughts of 90 or 93 year old Jacob:

"Sometimes I think that if I had to choose between an ear of corn or making love to a woman, I'd choose the corn. Not that I wouldn't love to have a final roll in the hay - I am a man yet, and some things never die - but the thought of those sweet kernels bursting between my teeth sure sets my mouth to watering. It's fantasy, I know that. Neither will happen. I just like to weigh the options, as though I were standing in front of Solomon: a final roll in the hay or an ear of corn. What a wonderful dilemma. Sometimes I substitute an apple for the corn."

I laughed out loud the first time I read this. It cracks me up every time I read it. I particularly like the substitution thought. You can tell he's really thought about it rather seriously! Love it!

In other book news, I finished The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. It is in the juvenile fiction section of the library, and, as I put in my sidebar while I was reading it, touted as a Native American Laura Ingalls Wilder-type story. It was a nice read. The author uses some of the tribe's language and provides a glossary at the end of the book complete with phonetic pronunciations (all of which I appreciated). Also, I found that they have this book on CD at my local library, so I have requested it. It will be great to hear the correct pronunciations. Also, there is a follow up book, The Game of Silence. I plan to read it in the near future! I enjoy reading juvenile fiction sometimes (even re-reading my old favorites). I feel like it relaxes me somehow to read about life from a child's perspective.

I am thinking of trying out the book club sponsored by the local library. They have two meeting times (during the day and in the evening). I go to the library so often, I've made friends with one of the librarians, whom I asked about the book clubs. She attends (or maybe leads?) the evening one, so I think I'm going to try that one. To be honest, I am hoping to find a book club to possibly join. Well, maybe...sometimes I think I get carried away with all the things I think I want to do. I mean do I really have time for more book clubs? but they're only once a month (or less) you know? Maybe I just want to get out more? Anyway, the first book is American Pastoral by Philip Roth. We'll see how it goes.