From the Bookshelf of Romance Readers Reading Challenges…

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

Finish date: December 19, 2010

Discussion: Monthly Challenges

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What Members Thought

Feb 09, 2008 Avigail rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars

06.01.09:
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What a terrific read! Water for Elephants has been lauded as a "great pick for summer", but this book is so much more. It has a depth and a substance to it that you don't usually find in your typical "beach read". It's obvious that the author did her research into the time period (post-Depression America), and the subject matter (traveling circuses). According to the author's note at the end of the book, many of the compelling anecdotes in the story were based upon real events, ...more

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Jun 13, 2009 Stormy rated it really liked it

Shelves: at-the-library, challenge-books, contemporary-fiction

Sometimes I wonder if I'm damaged. I have read a number of unappealing books in the last 4 months. I start to think that my taste is very narrow and I am quite judgmental. Maybe unfairly so.

And then I encounter a book like Water for Elephants. The book grabbed me from the first page and the end was wonderful. It is wholly different than anything I've read in the last decade. And I loved it.

I recently complained about foreshadowing - this is the first time I can remember that it was used well. I ...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Ruth rated it really liked it

very good. its interesting how this book gets so many high and low reviews. I thought it was very well written ( at least it came over very well as an audio book,)

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Jun 29, 2008 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: love-story

It was a look into circus life. It was a shame about his parents' accident though. I was thinking -- didn't he have any relatives? He didn't even go to their funerals? But they didn't have money. What happened to their bodies? I guess that's what grief does to ya.
It was a good story. The circus life has to better than what he told, eh? Everybody has to look out for themselves? Watch your backs? I could go on but then I'd be giving out a lot of the story. ...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Larissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

I would never have thought of reading this on my own. This is a perfect example of why I like goodreads. I am throughly enjoying the book and in two days am almost done with it.

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