Published by  Llewellyn Publications
Released September 8, 2013
360 pages
Where I got it: E-galley received from publisher via NetGalley

Description (from Goodreads):

From Resurrection Mary and Al Capone to the Murder Castle of H. H. Holmes and the funeral train of Abraham Lincoln, the spine-tingling sights and sounds of Chicago’s yesteryear are still with us . . . and so are its ghosts.

Seeking to find out what we really know about the ghastly past of this famously haunted metropolis, professional ghost hunter and historian Adam Selzer pieces together the truth behind Chicago’s ghosts, and brings to light never-before-told first accounts. Take a history tour like no other of the famous and not-so-famous haunts around town. Sometimes the real story is far different from the urban legend–and most of the time it’s even gorier.

I lived in Chicago for an academic year, but didn’t make it off of the University of Chicago campus very often. Reading The Ghosts of Chicago made me wish I’d have explored the city more, or at the very least, taken a tour. Author Adam Selzer is a tour guide for haunted Chicago tours, and while I doubt he was in operation while I was attending classes there, I think I would have really enjoyed taking one of his tours. I got the next best thing, though: this book.

Selzer takes the reader through Chicago’s neighborhoods and historic spots, bringing to light ghosts both real and legendary. I learned about the history of Chicago through his description, and he explains how the city grew and how streets and neighborhoods changed over time. I have little doubt that he’s actually done some research on the physical locations, working to pinpoint historic addresses that have long since changed.

Selzer’s interest in ghost hunting seems to mirror my own. I’m not interested in things like K2 meters or orb photographs. I don’t need to use technology to tell me a place is creepy. Rather, I’m interested in doing what Jeff Belanger calls “legend tripping,” or visiting spots where legends and stories have developed. I care about the history and the stories people tell. Adam Selzer’s book really scratched that itch for me.

The Ghosts of Chicago works as a combination of ghost stories, history, and travel guide. You don’t need to be familiar with Chicago to read and enjoy it, and if you’re going to visit, you may want to have this book on hand to look up some interesting spots (or, if you’re not into ghosts, to know where to avoid!).

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Published by Fox Chapel Publishing
Released August 1, 2011
128 pages
Where I got it: Digital review copy from publisher via NetGalley
Rating: 4 stars

The world’s first exhibition of Steampunk art was held at The Museum of History of Science at the University of Oxford from October 2009 to February 2010.  It was a success and drew large crowds of visitors to the museum.  This catalog is the result of that exhibition, now in a form where it can be owned, admired, and instructive to those who were not able to make it to the actual event.

In The Art of Steampunk, Donovan attempts to give a summary definition of Steampunk in this catalog, which is meant to appeal to both Steampunk enthusiasts and the layman who knows nothing of the genre and is experiencing it for the first time through the exhibition.  We also get a short history of the genre, and samples of work and bios of many of the artists currently creating Steampunk art.

The typography and page layout of this book really worked to compliment the art shown in the photographs, which made the catalog much more appealing to readers and evocative of the idea of steampunk.  Nothing can replace the experience of viewing these 3-dimensional art pieces up close and in person, but the photographs still portray enough of the pieces to leave you with a sense of wonder and appreciation for the art.

My recommendation?  Have this on hand for when you need a point of reference while reading Westerfeld’s Leviathan or Pullman’s The Golden Compass.  Or just keep it on your coffee table to tickle the imagination of guests.

Published by University Press of Colorado
Released October 15, 2009
200 pages
Where I got it: Academic library where I work
Rating: 3 stars

There’s been quite a bit of buzz about the so called Mayan Apocalypse, rumored to take place on December 21, 2012.  As the date draws nearer, more and more sites appear discussing the event on the internet, and the theories of what this means for mankind grow stranger and stranger.  Understandably, all of this chatter can really frighten those who read it and don’t know what to make of it all.  This serves as the impetus for Aveni’s book: a young man, disturbed by the 2012 hype, begins an email correspondence to find out what the Mayans really thought.

Aveni gives his expert opinion.  He’s both and astronomer and a Mayan researcher, and his expertise in both fields is very apparent as you read the book.  To be honest, this was a little bit of a drawback for me, since although he tries to write for the layman, it still came across as over my head.  I took astronomy in college, but still struggled a bit when it came to the astronomy heavy chapter (although, to be fair, I struggled with it in college as well).  The best chapter for me was when Aveni summed up the many other times humans have predicted the impending end of the world.

Aveni largely thinks that the people who are spouting the Mayan apocalypse are getting it wrong.  The astronomy doesn’t hold up, and the Mayan research is sketchy at best.  There are just too many areas where we don’t know enough to make a real judgement call about what the Maya meant or knew.  So chill, Aveni thinks we’ll be okay.

Published by HarperOne
Released March 1, 2009
292 pages
Where I got it: The academic library where I work
Rating: 4 stars

This isn’t my first exposure to Ehrman’s work.  I previously listened to his Great Courses cds entitled “The Historical Jesus,” where some of the issues raised in this book were also brought up.  I should also be upfront by saying that I was not raised in a religious household–quite the opposite.  I enjoy learning about religion and the Bible from a historical and literary perspective.  This book would be a good introduction for people like me: it isn’t too heavy, is written in easy going prose, and touches on a variety of historical and literary aspects of the Bible, enabling an interested person to continue to seek further information.

I can see why a deeply fundamental Christian would not like this book.  Ehrman calls into question much of what is now considered to be the orthodoxy Christian viewpoint, and tries to dissect why so many of those who attend seminary and learn about the Bible’s contradictions go to their parishioners and say nothing of it.  He shows that the Bible isn’t the word of God, straight from His mouth to the page, but a document that was written after the fact, over a long period of time, by differing Christian sects with differing ideas of what it actually means to be a Christian.

I really appreciated that Ehrman writes as an expert for the non-expert general reader class.  His arguments are clear, even if they sometimes gloss over the fine details, in order to deliver the big picture to readers.  The Bible is one of the most important works ever written, so I recommend this book to anybody who would like a better understanding of it, whether Christian or not.