This sweeping, beautiful story, set in San Francisco in the early 20th century, has so much going for it — childhood longings, world travels, magicians, pirates, famous literary figures, and some of the sharpest story and dialogue I've read in ages. There's a reason this book was hugely, hugely popular and successful, and I truly wish it had never come to an end.

This fantastic, fascinating book not only gives a lush, well-researched history of magic but also the intersection of magic and spiritualism, as well as the history of specific illusions... for example, an entire chapter is devoted to the genesis of levitation and the various methods and tricks used by magicians to produce the effect over the years. Not only does this reveal all the secrets, it shows a reverence and well-researched love of magic. If you're at all interested in magic, you'll probably find this book as absolutely engrossing as I did.

This REMARKABLE book takes a look at nearly every postcard issued at Disneyland, with photos of lost attractions and mood-setting scenes you'll find nowhere else.

This is two interwoven stories that take place around the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago... that of a serial killer, and Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair. What's absolutely incredible about this page-turner is that it reads like a novel, yet it's non-fiction and every single word of dialogue is actually from that real person (the author went through reams of each character's personal notes, letters, testimony, etc.). That alone is quite an accomplishment, and the stories are engrossing and fascinating. This book definitely cemented my belief that the world needs more World's Fairs. :-)

If you enjoyed "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," you'll love this novel— it tells a very similar reverse-aging story (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away!) but frankly, I found it much more emotionally powerful and resonating than that film. I though it was a deep, moving look at a very unusual love story... but one that stuck with me.

Not only does this entertaining book trace the history of the big players in the chocolate biz, but a lot of smaller chocolate companies that you'll recognize. There's tons of fun stuff in this book and a lot of surprises — for example, who knew that corporate security (and espionage) is ENORMOUS in the chocolate industry? Companies are super-secretive and there's a lot of cloak-and-dagger stuff going on... for chocolate!

This hilarious, vivid book will immediately squash any fantasies you may have about buying and operating a Carribean Island resort! :-)

Lynda Parker from Brisbane, QLD, Australia says: