From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1)

Helene Wecker

Start date: November 12, 2013

Finish date: November 20, 2013

Discussion: Books of the Month

Why we're reading this: To get to the discussion CLICK HERE.
You nominated, we voted and this is the book the Adult Paranormal/Urb…more
[close] To get to the discussion CLICK HERE.
You nominated, we voted and this is the book the Adult Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction/Fantasy category

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 167 topics — 23,695 comments total

Books of the Month

* Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez - Nov 25 Theme BOM - South America (starts 16 Nov)
By Moderators of… , Challenger-in-Chief · 21 posts · 74 views

last updated Nov 08, 2025 01:33PM

* A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett - Nov 25 Adult / Non-Fiction BOM (starts 2 Nov)
By Moderators of… , Challenger-in-Chief · 89 posts · 91 views

last updated 18 minutes ago

showing 10 of 102 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jul 29, 2015 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magical-realism

Although this book was long, it was so well written and so subtly constructed that I found I simply couldn't put it down. I was drawn in to the story immediately. At first I wondered where some of the apparently unconnected threads fit in, but as the story developed it became clear and everything came together in the end. What I loved about it was that it wasn't just a fantasy story, it was a musing on faith, on consequences and on life. I loved how the two vastly different characters of the Gol ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2013 Rachel N. rated it really liked it

Chava is a golem created to be a mans wife but her master dies shortly after awakening her and she's left to fend for herself in New York. Ahmed is a jinni trapped in a copper flask for a thousand years until he is inadvertently released by a tinsmith. This is the story of how these two creatures deal with their lives in New York and how their lives ultimately end up entwined. I loved all the details of the characters and how everything came together in this story. A great debut novel. ...more

Like · see review

Mar 15, 2019 Cora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, djinn, historical-fantasy, audible, new-york-city, 19th-century, award-winner, debut, new-york-state

This was a wonderfully atmospheric book that really brought turn of the century New York City alive. I loved how it focused on the immigrant communities, especially some of the communities that I don't see represented as often in historical fiction. I liked how the author chose to focus on mythical beings that you do not see often in fantasy novels, but that are a prominent part of the cultures of the groups represented. I also really liked how "real" she made them. Despite the fact that they we ...more

Like · see review

Aug 08, 2013 Tfalcone rated it really liked it

Absolutely enjoyed this magical tale of golem and jinni that was allegorical of any human religions or humans of different belief systems coming together. Great depth of characters, great sense of history and the immigrant experience.

Like · see review