Chicago in the 1890s was a place for dreams. Daniel Hudson Burnham was one of the architects that dreamt of bringing the world to Chicago for a World’s Fair to celebrate Columbus’s discovery of the New World. Henry H Holmes, on the other hand, dreamt of bringing death to pretty young ladies attending the fair. Both of their stories are told and intertwined by Larson with his deft storytelling and extensive research. This book bounced between these and other major players of the World’s Colombian Exposition, but I did not find that distracting. Instead, it was a very smart way to allow readers to have a rest from the trickery and death of Holmes so they are not overwhelmed by him.
My favorite bit about this book was learning a lot about the challenges and wonders of the Fair, including the creation of the original Ferris Wheel that stood 264 feet in the air and allowed for 2160 people to ride at any given time. Of course, I was also fascinated with the story of Holmes and his self-designed “castle”/hotel that had airtight rooms, a crematorium, and multiple other macabre mysteries.
I recommend this book for anyone interested in American History or just like a well told story. Holmes’s story and methods are told in a manner of fact fashion and is not gory. You can find our copy in the Large Print section of the library. It’s call number is LP 364.15 LAR.
Gwendolyn Gray lives in a predictable, gray world. Everyone wears gray uniforms, the sky is always overcast & cloudy, everyone conforms to the social norm and no one has any imagination. No one, that is, except Gwendolyn. Not only can Gwendolyn imagine the world as a different, more colorful place, but sometimes the things she imagines come to life like an emerald green leaf and a pair of bright birds. This unique trait of Gwendolyn’s gets her in trouble, as you can imagine, and she gets to meet pirates and dirigible captains and scary creatures that try to erase her and everything else that has a spark of creativity in them.
Three strangers from very different backgrounds travel the United States together in America for Beginners by Leah Franqui. Pival is the rich Indian widow who booked a trip to California via New York, Las Vegas and many other American cities in between. Satya is her tour guide, although this is his first tour and doesn’t know much more about America and the sights they’re seeing than Pival. Rebecca is the female companion hired for the tour at Pival’s request. Each of them is running from suffocation, shame, or fear in their lives; until, without realizing it, they all start running towards something more.
This classic novel takes place during the French Revolution. An English nobleman is rescuing French aristocrats from the gallows under the noses of those who want to execute them. Sir Percy Blackeney is known for his realistic disguises and for the small red flower, a scarlet pimpernel, left as a signature after of his rescues. He appears to all to be a fop, dandy and fool, and this disguise suits his purpose well. His wife, Marguerite, was a famous actress on the French stage. She is accosted by the French Envoy to help him unmask the Pimpernel – if she does not help him, her brother faces the guillotine. After doing so, she realizes who the Scarlet Pimpernel is, and she sails to France to warn Sir Percy before he is snared in a neck-severing trap.
Picnic season will be here (eventually) and what could be more perfect than impressing your friends and family with a lovely cake? Beautiful Bundts by Julie Anne Hession has many options for a show-stopping cake! Do you like Boston Cream Bundt? Take a look at the recipe on page 100. Maybe Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bundt is more your speed. Page 148 is your stop. There are savory recipes as well like Southwestern Mac & Cheese Bundt (p 246) or Crispy Parmesan Hash Brown Bundts (p 262).
What happens when a beauty queen and a school librarian are twins and the beauty queen has an allergic reaction that makes her entire face swell up? You guessed it, the librarian helps her out and takes her place for the preliminaries of a national pageant. Oh, and she falls for one of the judges!