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The Devil in the White City
The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America | Erik Larson
Erik Larsonauthor of #1 bestseller IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTSintertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.From the Trade Paperback edition.
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IndoorDame
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Pickpick

Skating in just under the wire with my #AAM selection. What a fabulous read! Thank you so much to all the Littens who recommended it! I bought a physical copy of it around the time it was first published, but had no patience for nonfiction back then & didn‘t make it very far into the story. I‘ve always meant to go back to it, & I‘m so glad I finally did! This was informative & exciting, it won‘t be my last Eric Larson. #Booked2023 #AboutAMonster

Cinfhen Excellent choice - loved this Larson ❣️ 2d
Suet624 Larson‘s books are all 🔥🔥 2d
lynneamch Of the many Larson's I've read, this one is the best, by far. 1d
57 likes3 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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I finished this today for #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Soubhiville Great! 2w
57 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BarkingMadRead
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Got some reading for #authoramonth on the plane, this book has me gasping every other page, so many connections! I‘m loving it!

CSeydel I loved this one too! 3w
KathyWheeler This is one of my favorite books. 3w
TiredLibrarian Great book - enjoy! 3w
See All 6 Comments
bio_chem06 If you ever make it to Chicago, they have a tour specifically tied to the book. It‘s great 3w
BarkingMadRead @bio_chem06 a friend of mine told me about this, so very cool! I definitely want to do it now! 3w
paper.reveries Really enjoyed the Holmes excerpts but found the historical chapters longwinded. Glad you're liking it!!! 6d
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Texreader
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Pickpick

The 1893 World Fair in Chicago sounds amazing and I would have loved to have visited the White City! The devil, on the other hand, was an atrocious mass serial killer who fooled just about everyone. How could I have not known about either? What an incredible book to fill a huge gap in knowledge of American history and to make it infinitely interesting. I‘m so glad I finally had a reason to finally read Erik Larson! #authoramonth

dabbe I LOVED this book, too! I spent at least a month after still looking up photos of the exhibition online (there's quite a few out there). So much I didn't know--even about the Ferris Wheel! 😃 3w
Texreader @dabbe Same! The Ferris wheel! Who knew? I‘ll have to look up photos. Wouldn‘t it have been marvelous to have gone and experienced it? With my luck I would‘ve ended up in Holmes‘ hotel. 😉 3w
Cheshirecat913 Really enjoyed this book too! And was totally creeped out. I looked up pictures of the world fair right afterwards as well. It sounded so amazing, I would have loved to see it. 3w
KathyWheeler I recommend this book all the time. I loved it. I expected the serial killer part to be interesting, but I was truly surprised about how interesting the White City part was. I expected to bored by it, but I was anything but bored. 3w
Larkken The descriptions of the white city had me totally entranced when I read this too. Would love to do some touristing to see what is left of it sometime! 3w
69 likes1 stack add5 comments
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IndoorDame
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IN CHICAGO AT THE END of the nineteenth century amid the smoke of industry and the clatter of trains there lived two men, both handsome, both blue-eyed, and both unusually adept at their chosen skills. #FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

dabbe Oh, how I loved this book! 💙💚💙 4w
IndoorDame @dabbe it‘s awesome so far!!! 4w
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Caroline2
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For anyone doing #authoramonth #99pkindledeal

Soubhiville Great! I‘ll try to remember to tag everyone this afternoon. 1mo
59 likes1 comment
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LitsyEvents
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repost for @Soubhiville:

Happy May! Time to pull out our Erik Larson books for #AuthorAMonth. What are you planning to read?

#AuthorAMonth is a no-pressure, no-commitment Litsy challenge. The goal is to celebrate the works of a particular author each month. Authors were chosen through polls by Litsy participants. Read as many as you like, skip months when needed, it's entirely up to you!

LitsyEvents more details on the original post: https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2582418 1mo
Teresereading Hi when I went to complete April, form was blank? Do I need to refill previous months? 4w
LitsyEvents @Soubhiville, please see comment above. 3w
Soubhiville Hi @Teresereading you‘ll need to go through your Google documents to your previous form to keep editing it, or keep your latest response in your email to edit as needed. If you open a new form it won‘t know you have previously started one. 3w
28 likes4 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Starting my #authoramonth selection for May! @Soubhiville

Soubhiville Enjoy! 1mo
dabbe Oh, how I loved this one! Can't wait to read what you think of it! 😊 1mo
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Texreader
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Who can imagine working in a place with these amenities…in the 1880s (not a typo)!?!

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Texreader
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On my shelf forever now, I‘m so glad Erik Larson is our #authoramonth for May. It‘s pretty long so I‘m getting a head start on it now. If I‘m lucky I‘ll be able to fit in the second book by him I own.

TheBookHippie I love this book! Enjoy! 1mo
dabbe Great book! Can‘t wait to read what you think of him! 1mo
staci.reads I loved this one! It was my first Eric Larson and none of his others have quite lived up. 1mo
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Trace
Mehso-so

Felt like reading two different books at once.

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dabbe
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🖤🤍🖤 2mo
Eggs Great book!🤗👏🏻🤩 2mo
57 likes2 comments
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JuliaTheBookNerd
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The only #TrueCrime book I own 😬

#MarchMagic 💚💰🌈🍀

#BookNerd 🤓📚💙

ShelleyBooksie Beautiful shelves 3mo
Amiable That‘s a great book! 3mo
Eggs This is such a great book 🥶😳 3mo
hefau If you like Bioshock, you may be surprised to know that the makers took some inspiration from this book. 2mo
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IndoorDame
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I‘m not really a #TrueCrime fan, but this is on that‘s been on my TBR for ages. #MarchMagic @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Leftcoastzen Mine too! 3mo
Lcsmcat My irl book club read this, and everyone liked it. What was interesting to me was we were split on _why_ we liked it. Some were all about the crime part and found the history part boring, and some found the history fascinating and were less interested in the crime. It made for very interesting discussion. 3mo
Eggs It‘s a great book 🙌🏻🙌🏻 (edited) 3mo
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dabbe I devoured the whole thing and thoroughly enjoyed both parts, then spent at least one whole week looking up everything I could find on the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. In fact, they still have a website with a TON of pictures! https://chicagology.com/columbiaexpo/ 3mo
IndoorDame @dabbe awesome! 3mo
Chrissyreadit I did enjoy this book. 3mo
IndoorDame @Chrissyreadit @Lcsmcat @Eggs @dabbe Wow! So many rave Litten reviews! I‘m moving this up my TBR. Thank you 🖤 3mo
71 likes7 comments
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DcSunshine
Pickpick

I came for the murder mystery/ true crime element but I found myself far more interested in the history and story of the architecture. I don‘t know why I waited so long to read this.

RamsFan1963 I'm with you. I found the construction of the World's Faire much more interesting than the serial killer parts. 5mo
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Frasdawg
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Mehso-so

I was looking forward to this book but was a little disappointed. I felt the book was more about the development of the World‘sFair and not as much about H. H. Holmes(which is why I bought it). I found his chapters interesting and wanting more, but VERY short. Learned some neat historical facts, so was not a complete loss.

RamsFan1963 @Frasdawg Funny, I was the exact opposite. I found the creation of the World's Faire endlessly fascinating and felt dragged down by the chapters dealing with H.H. Holmes and his house of horrors. Serial killers don't interest me I guess. 6mo
Frasdawg I found the Fair more interesting while it was operating. The first part kinda dragged on for me, but the second half was much better! 6mo
14 likes2 comments
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dabbe
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Pickpick

I can see myself on the top of Ferris's wheel right now! I found this book to be fascinating; I never knew so much went into a world's fair, and what they had to do in the 1800s and what they had to endure is beyond staggering. Larson is a masterful storyteller with intense research to support his story. Larson does take some liberties with Holmes's story, but his theories make sense with all of the research he gathered.

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Cosmos_Moon
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Pickpick

My most recent audio… this was so good, and when I googled to look up some pictures, it looks like Scorsese making a movie with Keanu Reeves and Leonardo DiCaprio. I can‘t wait… I bet it will be so good! Psychotic murderer loose along with history of the construction of the Chicago World‘s Fair.

RamsFan1963 Who's playing the serial killer, Reeves or DeCaprio? 7mo
Cosmos_Moon @RamsFan1963 I think DiCaprio, and Reeves is playing the architect. 7mo
Cosmos_Moon @RamsFan1963 ooh, according to this GQ article Keanu is out. https://www.gq.com/story/devil-in-the-white-city-development-hell-todd-field-kea... They say the production is cursed, sort of like 7mo
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Livyer
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Pickpick

(April review)⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book is not an easy read if you go in blind. The first few chapters were unbearable. I was not gonna give up so decided to do some research on the side to have a better understanding of what I was reading about. Well I went down the rabbit hole of "unrelated" topics..Tartarians, Rewriting of History, conspiracy theories... And more by the end I was in love, is not for everyone but i would recommend it.

RedCurly I have this for a few months now but I still haven't start to read. It seems heavy 7mo
Livyer @RkaVlgyi It is, I like finishing my books in 1to 4 days, this one took me almost two weeks. I had to take a break from reading afterwards too but i still think it was worth it. 7mo
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Eggs
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This NF account proves that the most insidious evil is perpetrated by real people…

#Evil #OminousOctober @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😱🖤☠️ 7mo
LKK526 @eggs. I read this book when it first came out and was absolutely riveted by the story. He is one of my favorite authors and have read everything he has written. 😀👍 7mo
Eggs @LKK526 Me too! He‘s amazing 7mo
LKK526 @eggs. I nagged my husband into reading it and he loved it too 7mo
58 likes4 comments
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JoeMo
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This is my favorite work by Larson to this point. You have the wonder of the World‘s Fair and everything that went into planning for the event contrasted by the evil deeds of H.H. Holmes who left so many unfortunate victims in his wake.

#scarathlondailyprompt #victim #scarathlon #teammonstermash @StayCurious

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booklover3258
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Bailedbailed

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/BObPm0FZDKA

Enjoy!

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Eggs
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🙌🏻📚 8mo
56 likes2 comments
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JuliaTheBookNerd
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I love watching true crime shows but I‘m not a big true crime reader 😬 This was the only true crime book I found in my library.

#TrueCrime 🩸#ArtfulAugust 🖌🖼🎨

#BookNerd 💙📚🤓

Eggs Great pick! 9mo
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Eggs
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Two of my favorite #truecrime stories - the devil one is chilling 🥶🫣😱

#artfulaugust @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

peaknit @JenReadsAlot and I did a Devil in the White City tour in Chicago, crazy to think this is based on a true story! I‘m looking forward to this movie or series, it should be creepy. 9mo
JenReadsAlot @peaknit That was so fun! I didn't know this was going to be a show. 9mo
Eggs @Tonton thanks for link-❤️Keanu❤️ 9mo
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Bklover
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From Book Riot

Well, this ought to be interesting! Wonder who will play Holmes? I may have to pull this out for a reread. It was sooo good!!

Cinfhen Ohhhhh!! I loved this book!!! You sent me a copy many moons ago!!!!! Im excited for this adaptation 🥰 9mo
vivastory I sort of wish Reeves was playing Holmes. I can't recall him ever playing a villain before. 9mo
AmyG Oh wow. I am excited for this, too. 9mo
See All 6 Comments
Bklover @Cinfhen Me too Cindy! 😘 9mo
suvata @Bklover me three 9mo
LauraJ Fingers crossed that they do the book justice 🤞🏼 9mo
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Jedi_Bruno
Pickpick

Loved it! The main story is the building of the Chicago World‘s Fair along with the story of the serial killer H H Homes in the backdrop. Both stories fascinating. Very fun and approachable read.

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LoverOfLearning
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Loved the dualing timelines of this story and the realism and the chillingness of the writing.

An excellent historical fiction novel that is now being made into a TV show..... maybe with Keanu Reeves. Uhm yes please. 😏

#letterD #alphebetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

KathyWheeler I love this book — I came for the serial killer aspect but stayed for the architecture story. I didn‘t expect that at all. 10mo
LoverOfLearning @KathyWheeler perfect way to describe this book! 10mo
60 likes2 comments
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Bklover
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#alphabetgame #letterD

Still in the number one spot- five ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What‘s your D @DarkMina @robinb @CrowCAH @CoffeeNBooks 😉

Cinfhen Great choice!!! 10mo
JenReadsAlot This would have been my 2nd pick! 10mo
robinb Thanks for the tag @Bklover ! 🤗 10mo
See All 9 Comments
CrowCAH Thanks for the tag; I‘ll make a post! 10mo
Bklover @Cinfhen ❤️❤️. 10mo
Bklover @JenReadsAlot it‘s a good one!😊 10mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 🖤📚 10mo
CoffeeNBooks Thanks for the tag! 10mo
DarkMina Great choice! 10mo
69 likes2 stack adds9 comments
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yoavshai
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#BookCoverChallenge
Day 263.
Here I will note 365 books (or as many as I will have before I get tired) that have shaped my taste in literature. No explanations, no reviews. Just the cover of the book.
I do not challenge anyone. You are all welcome to take part.

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behudd
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Incredible having a book club discussion with author Erik Larson (writer of Devil in the White City & many more) hosted by Sharon McMahon (@sharonsaysso). Amazing!

marleed I saw him live on the Tuesday prior to the Covid shutdown (he flew from NYC to Chicago to Kansas City). On the way there my friend and wondered if the other heard of a possible pandemic. In the crowded, sold out room, Erik sat on stage and was incredibly aware of what his audience was not. No hand shaking or book signing. I think I should annotate in my book that it would have been signed if not for a raging pandemic! 13mo
behudd @marleed he talked about that book tour stop last night! Cool you got to see him in person! 13mo
marleed @behudd Haha. It had to be memorable for him. It was very apparent that he was freaked out a bit in the Chicago airport and worried about his wife (who could have imagined how incredibly true this concern was!) about his wife working in the NYC hospitals. 13mo
29 likes3 comments
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wanderinglynn
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Pickpick

Clearly, Larson throughly researched this book. He provides a clear contrast between the last years of the 19th century, the world‘s fair, and this serial killer.

Overall, not my cup of tea as I did think it got bogged down with details at times. But worth reading.

#bookspin

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I started this one physically but it was very detail heavy. I shifted to this on audio and it felt less clunky. 14mo
MicrobeMom @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I agree 100%. I think this his best book. 14mo
wanderinglynn @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick it is very detail heavy. I ended up skimming those sections. 14mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 13mo
87 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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JuliaTheBookNerd
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#Fair 🍿🥜 #SavvySettings 💚🍀

#BookNerd 🤓💙📚

Eggs Great book! 1y
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lynneamch
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The White City is the Columbian Exposition designed by leading Gilded Age architects for the 1893 World''s #Fair in Chicago. The Devil is Dr. Henry H. Holmes, who designs a nearby hotel with a dissection table, a gas chamber, and a crematorium. Yikes! These true stories are woven into Larson's best. Pic of Holmes Medical Museum above The Book Exchange in Foley, AL is NOT about the same man. #SavvySettings @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

jlhammar Love Erik Larson! Fantastic book. 1y
Eggs Love Erik Larson books 📚 🥰 1y
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Cheshirecat913
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Pickpick

This is my 2nd book by Larson and I will completely read anything by him. His ability to write a compelling narrative laced with well researched history is magnificent.

I would have loved to seen the Chicago World Fair. It sounded like such a visual feast. I quite enjoyed reading about how it came about. The other side of the story, was chilling to know a man like Holmes stalked the world.

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UnicornHorn89
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Larkken
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Pickpick

I started this for #scarathlon last month, and am only now finishing it. So interesting! Larson is as great as expected at bringing this rather complicated time in Chicago history to life. It‘s been on my TBR for a while, and I‘m glad I finally went for it! H. H. Holmes is as creepy as thought he might be 🔪 and now I want to do some touristing and see what‘s left from the Chicago World Fair 🏨🏛

EmilyRose If you visit Chicago after reading this, I should connect you with my sister. She LOVES the Chicago World's Fair and could probably recommend cool or little-known things to do and see 2y
Larkken @EmilyRose that sounds like so much fun! I may just do that 🤩 2y
31 likes2 comments
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TheSpineView
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Linsy 🖤🤍 2y
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Just.Linds
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Book haul🎉 did you know Amazon has stores that are called Amazon 4 star??? They have amazing deals regardless (like buy 2 get 1 50% off) but if you‘re a prime member it‘s an extra 30% off. I was V excited this am, also finally picked up devil in the white city which I‘ve heard rave reviews on

BookishMarginalia Love the bookmarks! 2y
Just.Linds @BookishMarginalia so agree!! I asked for extras😂🤷🏼‍♀️ 2y
15 likes2 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
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Elisabeth, I realized yesterday when I walked by it that I never took that photo I promised you. So here it is! This historical marker sits outside of my local Acme grocery store. 😱

Leftcoastzen Wow, Interesting! 2y
Nute Your entire home state is a history lesson, Ms. Michele. So cool! (edited) 2y
eanderson This is seriously so interesting! Thank you for posting this. All the history and HH Holmes... he was nuts. 2y
See All 7 Comments
LeahBergen Cool! 2y
MicheleinPhilly @eanderson I frequently make jokes about bringing back executions when the store is particularly crowded. 😬 2y
vivastory This is awesome! 2y
TrishB Very cool 👍🏻 2y
59 likes7 comments
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Eggs
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Murders, motives and madness surrounded the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago. The eponymous “devil” (H. H. Holmes) was a cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death.
#manipulates #maycharacters @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds creepy!!! 📚🖤 2y
Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yeah true crime!! 2y
Crazeedi This was an excellent book, love the author 2y
Eggs @Crazeedi yes ❣️❣️ 2y
71 likes1 stack add4 comments
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SkeletonKey
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Current audiobook. Some true crime this morning.

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Annie1215
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Pickpick

I finally finished! This one has been a slow burn for me - a few chapters every night all month for #lmpbc

Some parts about the fair went on too long but the content was fantastic and so often I couldn‘t believe it was real. I need a full book on H.H. Holmes now! A great pick!

And luckily this gives me a THIRD bingo for #bookspinbingo this month!

I‘ll be mailing this out this weekend @Bookishlie

TheAromaofBooks Fabulous progress!!! 2y
emz711 So spooky! I watched a doc on hh holmes but it wasn't great. We'll just have to wait for this movie to come out. Do you know who's playing him? 2y
Annie1215 @emz711 I don‘t! But I‘d be so in to this 2y
Annie1215 @emz711 Omg! Will definitely watch lol 2y
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AmyK1
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Pickpick

This was really interesting and I loved reading more about Chicago‘s history. Some of the planning of the World‘s Fair was a bit boring but the chapters about Holmes and his activities were...disturbing and hard to put down. Overall this was a really good read.

Suet624 Larson never disappoints. 2y
Crazeedi One of my favorite Larson books 2y
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AmyK1
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“How easy it was to disappear: A thousand trains a day entered or left Chicago.”

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

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Annie1215
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Committing to this as my “before bed book” to get it done for #lmpbc

I have to get through this and A Tale of Two Cities for read-alongs and I‘m hoping to get through an additional 3 before the end of the month.

Here‘s hoping my work load allows 🤞🏻😬

melissajayne Be prepared to being creeped out in sections; you might want to read it not just before you go to bed... 2y
Ephemera This is an excellent book. So interesting and informative about the Exposition. 2y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I enjoyed this on audio. I hope you like it! 2y
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jphogan94
Pickpick

Great read, especially if you‘re interested in learning more about Chicago history and architecture. The dichotomy of one man‘s life committed to building and another‘s to destroying was powerful.

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rsteve388
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Pickpick

I did it! I finished another book in 2020! Before the stroke of midnight. This book was interesting and the author does a great job of ensuring the reader stays enticed in the story by leaving little clues as to what will happen next. Overall an enjoyable read. I'll be mailing this on Saturday. #LMPBC #TrueCrime.

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AmyK1
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My day after Christmas thrift shopping #bookhaul.

Gissy Nice haul!📚📚💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚 2y
AmyK1 @Gissy Thanks! 2y
marleed I read Long Petal of the Sea and Shanghai Girls both in 2020 - and really liked them. 2y
49 likes3 comments