2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

Pages: 400 pages

Length: 1 month (March)

Participants: Rebecca, Krysti, Joan, Jan

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

This one has been on my tbr for a loonnnggg time. I've put it on about three annual challenges and then changed the book to something else and I never read it. I always hear that it is a great book. It's on the books you must read lists a lot and I always think that I really need to get to it. I bought the book several years ago. with a gift card or something.

i have made a stack on my book cart for the ones i agreed to read for march. This is one i to picked up i think at goodwill several years ago i loved the author other works so i hope this one is just as good.

I read this book late last year and LOVED IT.
If anyone is like me and likes to pair your reads with some ambience music, haha I listened to this while I read and flew through it :)

https://youtu.be/M0HJoU0zczY?si=39XCh...

Hope you all enjoy!

I've had this one for a while, but I haven't read it because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype. I loved The Starless Sea though, so fingers crossed that I love this one too.

This was recommended to me after I liked the Starless Sea too, so I'm excited to give it a go.

This is one of my all time favourite books! Hope you enjoy it!

I don’t get the Miranda reference (when naming the daughter and then suggested as fake names to annoy her). Can someone explain?

Hector's stagename is Prospero. This is a reference to one of Shakespeare's plays, The Tempest, in which there is a character called Prospero who is a powerful sorcerer and has a daughter named Miranda. That is why Hector calls Celia Miranda. I hope that makes sense

I read to part one today

I am part way through part 3 I have about 50, pages left and I be at part 4 so I might do those after I have dinner.

Finished that was an emotional ride.

I've read the first several chapters. At this point it seems very ominous and intriguing. I think this is just the book I'm in the mood for on a rainy Saturday.

I've completed the first part.

(view spoiler)[I guess I was confused that Marco wasn't working with his original man in the gray suit for the magic. I guess he's different than Chandresh. (hide spoiler)]

Just started part 3.

(view spoiler)[ I'm not sure why I'm not loving this book. All the elements are there, and yet I'm finding it slow. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the challenge, what is happening to the circus members, how Bailey fits in, what is going on with the twins. . . and yet I'm finding it a little hard to care. Almost like I want to know the answers, but it's a bit of a slog for me to want to get there.

I'm also confused why Marco knew immediately that Celia was his opponent, but she didn't know it was him for a long time after? Anyone catch why it worked that way?

I love all the descriptions of the different tents and acts at the circus. (hide spoiler)]

I'm slowly reading part II. They are certainly making a big build up of it all. I'm hoping it gets to the point where I can't put it down. I think the writing is pretty and this may sound weird but I think my book copy is really pretty - print and all.

I completed Part II and I agree with you Krysti

(view spoiler)[ I love the world that she has built and the imagination. Characters aren't as built up as the world is and I think that's the problem. I'm not sure why Marco caught on faster except for maybe when he was watching her show he caught on. I'm guessing he was able to tell it was real and not fake. That's the only thing I can think of.

Finally towards the end of Part II I feel like I know the characters a little better.

I'm enjoying reading it but I thought it would have been one of those books that you couldn't put down so I'm a little surprised at the pace of it. Although her writing style is very pretty. (hide spoiler)]

I completed Part III

(view spoiler)[Things are getting interesting with Isobel lifting the charm. Were we supposed to know that she initially had a charm over the circus? Did I miss something or did they not explain that?

I'm really kind of interested in Bailey, Widget and Poppet. I feel like Bailey is going to meet back up with them somehow. I guess we'll see.

This isn't a book that I can't put down but it keeps me interested enough to keep reading it. (hide spoiler)]

I finished it. Here are my thoughts.

(view spoiler)[I really liked the world building of the circus and the mystery of it. The characters for me weren't that well defined and I didn't really feel the bond between Marcus and Celia. I liked Bailey's story a lot. But I was also kind of annoyed that there was a good end to it. I was waiting for something more sinister to happen. I guess the circus is going to continue.

I didn't like it as much as I thought I was going to. But I loved the imagination of the circus itself.

I ended up rating it 3 stars (hide spoiler)]