From the Bookshelf of 2025 Reading Challenge…

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

Start date: September 1, 2020

Finish date: September 30, 2020

Discussion: September 2025 Group Read

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of -14 topics — 187 comments total

September 2025 Group Read

The House in the Cerulean Sea: Pre-Reading Discussion
By Winter , Group Reads · 7 posts · 30 views

last updated 9 hours, 25 min ago

The House in the Cerulean Sea: Reviews by 2025 Reading Challengers
By Winter , Group Reads · 4 posts · 25 views

last updated Sep 14, 2025 10:27AM

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

1 like · Like · see review

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

Like · see review

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

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

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

Like · see review

May 07, 2008 Suvi rated it liked it

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

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

Like · see review