From the Bookshelf of 2025 Reading Challenge…

The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)

T.J. Klune

Start date: September 1, 2025

Finish date: September 30, 2025

Discussion: November 2025 Group Read

Why we're reading this: September 2025 Group Read
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November 2025 Group Read

The Travelling Cat Chronicles: Pre-Reading Discussion
By Winter , Group Reads · 4 posts · 23 views

last updated Oct 26, 2025 02:27PM

The Travelling Cat Chronicles: Reviews by 2025 Reading Challengers
By Winter , Group Reads · 1 post · 14 views

last updated Oct 20, 2025 05:58AM

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What Members Thought

Aug 09, 2021 Barbara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, young-adult, lgbt, fantasy, 2021-reads

The audiobook was the right choice for reading this book. It's not easy to classify but I chose to label it YA and fantasy. It is a story about not fitting in, and finding community and family in other ways when you are "different". The two adult characters fit this description - one a bureaucrat who is middle-aged, and gay. The other adult is the caretaker and manager of a home for children and youth who are 'magical beings'. It is a sweet story about acceptance, and seeing the humanity in peop ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2021 Ashley Fritch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What a beautiful book! Reading it truly made my heart happy!

3 likes · Like · see review

May 24, 2021 Ketutar Jensen rated it it was amazing

So sweet! All the homophobic a-holes miss a wonderful love story :-)
I love the children. All of them are amazing, wonderful kids, and I'm filled with love to my adoptive children. I can't wait for sequel, of all the adventures of this unusual family, and how they rescue all the children of the world :-)
I love it that not everyone is nice. Not everyone learns anything. Because there are people like that in the world, and the world is still a nice place, and the people who love us are what matters ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 05, 2022 Jennifer Lynn rated it it was amazing

I just loved this book! The characters were so well written and I fell in love with each one of them. The writing style reminded me a lot of A Series of Unfortunate Events. So much so that I actually looked up TJ Klune to see if he was a pseudonym for Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler. (spoiler - he's not) The story is so much more than a gay love story or an allegory on the Canadian Sixites Scoop as some have claimed or even a political commentary on racism, although I think this is what the author ...more

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Apr 17, 2022 Meg rated it liked it

Honestly this took 3 attempts to get through. I listened to it very reading a paper copy and was so disjointed by the ridiculous voices for the characters that I had a really hard time focusing on anything else.

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Dec 06, 2021 Sharon rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021

I really didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I found it quite.....charming. ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Erin rated it really liked it

An ebullient 4.5 stars (that I can't quite round up)! What a wonderful, heartfelt, beautifully imagined allegory for life, love, and finding oneself. I loved it. I recommend it. I can't wait to read it with my kid. ...more

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Feb 18, 2021 Jennie Brueck rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book and the lessons taught in it about how teaching people to have good values and to learn to govern themselves despite what labels others may put on them.

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