1) The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson.
I have a difficulty pinning down my favorite book, but this one just might be it. This is an intriguing story chronicling the creation of the 1892 Chicago World's Fair, artfully woven together with the story of H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who used the Fair to lure women to his hotel to kill them. Historically fascinating and beautifully told, this story never fails to captivate me.
2) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Told from the point of view of a young boy whose father was killed in 9/11, this story chronicles the quest of this brilliant and spunky kid who sets out across NYC to complete the final adventure he believes his father left behind.
3) The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.
Although this book is the inspiration for the '80s movie of the same name, it does not do this story justice. This is not simply a coming-of-age children's story; it's complex and beautiful and often tragic. Each time I've read it, I find myself dreaming of the land of Fantastica long after the book is closed.
4) The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel.
In this interesting twist on a memoir, the author tells the story of a young woman who came of age in Manhattan in the 1930s. This tale comes to light when the author finds the young woman's diary in an old trunk in the dumpster behind her apartment building. The quest to return the diary the young woman, who would now be in her nineties, becomes just as much of a passion to the author as the story itself.
(All book images courtesty of BarnesandNoble.com.)
i must read that first book, buying it from amazon as soon as i get off work!
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