Book of the Week

Any one who knows me knows I LOVE to read. I am typically reading two books at a time, a fun one and an "intellectual" one. I have to admit I am partial to girly, romance novels, but over the years those have slowly been replaced by what most people would consider literature.

Since I have read a lot of books, some good, some not, I have decided to have a book of the week. With that said, the honor of being the first book of the week is...

 Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

This might be one of my all time favorite books. I know it is a big statement, but this book has the perfect mix of romance, history and mystery. Set in Chicago during the years surrounding the 1893 World’s Fair, it follows the lives of Daniel Burnham, the architect who designed and build the Fair, and H.H. Holmes, a mysterious newcomer in search of work. Although the book has two fairly separate plots, I never felt disconnected from one when I was reading about the other. Larson does an incredibly job of weaving a well-written and vivid fictional plot into the bones of what could have been a boring history book. His writing transports you to the quickly expanding city of Chicago at the turn of the century. I felt as if I was part of the excited crowds at the Fair and part of the lives of Daniel Burnham and H.H. Holmes. 

For anyone who enjoys historical fiction splashed with some mystery and romance this book is for you.