The Museum of Extraordinary Things

[TossDaily]

I read this for my book club this week and was surprised how much I loved it.

I keep thinking about it and was amazed to find many of the events and characters depicted were real.

Anyone else read it? It's one of those books I want to tell everyone to read.

I read it, but a few years ago. It was gripping, but also quite sad.

It was sad - but a happy ending for the main characters.

I keep thinking about the little babies in the incubators.

It was her finding out about her mum at the end that got me. It was a while ago, now I think I should read it again!

I've thought about it a lot and I think what impresses me the most is that every character is not what they seem. Everyone is misunderstood, or is labouring under a false impression of someone or something.

That must have been hard to pull off without it seeming forced - and yet, it's a truth about life. We're all doing that, all the time.

A really thought-provoking book, I thought.

I liked it as well. I got it very cheap on Kindle and wasn't expecting much but it was very rich in detail and character. That father - what an awful, awful man!

Oh, the bit where he makes her perform for men in the tank...

I googled it and so much of it was true! The two fires, the babies in the incubator, the guy who pretended he was psychic and even the lion tamer with one hand were all real!

I really enjoyed it but then I love Alice Hoffman’s books.

She’s a fantastic writer.

I love Alice Hoffman. This book made me really interested in Coney Island and the theme parks. Can’t believe what scale they were built on!