From the Bookshelf of 2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge…

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

Start date: September 1, 2020

Finish date: September 30, 2020

Discussion: November 2025 Group Read

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Showing 2 of -14 topics — 177 comments total

November 2025 Group Read

The Travelling Cat Chronicles: Pre-Reading Discussion
By Winter , Group Reads · 4 posts · 25 views

last updated Oct 26, 2025 02:27PM

The Travelling Cat Chronicles: Reviews by 2025 Reading Challengers
By Winter , Group Reads · 1 post · 16 views

last updated Oct 20, 2025 05:58AM

showing 10 of 219 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Nov 11, 2018 Michelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-goal-2018

What a great book about the circus. I can't believe it took me so long to read this book. I have been hearing good things about this book for a long time, so glad I finally decided to find out for myself. ...more

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Jun 27, 2007 Lisa rated it did not like it

A noncommittal summer read. OK writing, though I continue to struggle with what I feel is an inflated sense of what "good writing" consists of . . . I think that the majority of "Bestseller List" contemporary fiction is either a) so well written that its genius lies beyond my powers of detection, or b) not. :) (see: The Kite Runner)

UPDATE: the book club take on this book ranged from "Hrm" to "Yawn." We found the Depression-era setting interesting, but the characters flimsy and unmemorable. No id ...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, lotsa-buzz, womens-day, historical-fiction, book-club-read, carnivals-and-circuses

I never would have read this if it wasn't chosen by the book club I just joined. I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it is. Only problem I'm having (and it might not be one that everyone would have) is that I STRONGLY associate depression-era travelling circuses with the HBO show Carnivale, so I keep picturing the characters from that show as I read, and I really do NOT think that is the image the author is striving for.

Update: Absolutely LOVED this book. Ms Gruen is just a wonderful wonderful ...more

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May 07, 2008 Suvi rated it liked it

Shelves: 2000s, _north-america, novels, circus, historical

For a while now I've had this growing infatuation towards circus life, during the 1920s and 1930s in particular. I was kind of hesitant about buying this one because the quality of bestsellers have been less than pleasing to say the least. But I want to gulp everything concerning the subject so I definitely don't regret my purchase. The story itself is somewhat entertaining but I'm still convinced there are real gems out there which dig into the life style even deeper. ...more

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