Forest Park by Don Corrigan and Holly Shanks

Forest Park by Don Corrigan and Holly Shanks - 128 pages

At 1,293 acres, Forest Park exceeds the size of New York's Central Park by nearly 500 acres, and within are lakes, hills, wetlands, woodlands, and bountiful recreational opportunities. Within a few decades of its 1876 opening, Forest Park became the host for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, as well as the 1904 Summer Olympics. Known as the "Heart of St. Louis," the park features amazing attractions, such as the Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, The Muny, and the Saint Louis Science Center. Millions of Americans have come to Forest Park for world-class festivities and for celebrations of heroes, from Lewis and Clark to explorers of outer space. Today, the park continues to host remarkable events, including Fair St. Louis, Earth Day, Shakespeare in the Park, and LouFest.

I always enjoy reading about hometown history, but it's especially great when there's tons of old photos to bring you back in time and help you feel nostalgic!

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Bones of Faerie by  Janni Lee Simner, 256 pages
Book 1 of the series

The war between humans and Faerie has changed the modern world. Gone are all the conveniences of life. The world is unfriendly with trees and plants that attack and kill. Any trace of magic is evil and must be destroyed, or so teen Liza has been taught by her fanatical father. She witnessed him carrying her newborn sister to the wilderness, leaving her to die, all because she was born with silver hair. Her mother left soon after -- considered tainted by magic. When magic presents itself in Liza, she flees from her home in terror knowing her father and the villagers will kill her for it. Her only hope is to find her mother. Joined by others possessing magical gifts, Liza soon comes to realize the world is not as evil as she first thought it to be. Can it the gap between faerie and humans be healed?

Backstab: A Francesca Vierling Mystery by Elaine Viets

Backstab: A Francesca Vierling Mystery by Elaine Viets 309 pages published in 1997

I don't know why I haven't read an Elaine Viets book before, but it was a mistake to have waited this long. Her wit and humor coupled with her knowledge of the St. Louis area and culture make this book a fun read.

This book is the first of a series that introduces Francesca Vierling, a reporter for the local St. Louis City Gazette. As a reporter, the web of local sources is very important to her. When her sources as well as her friends start turning up dead, the deaths hit her professionally as well as personally. When she begins to check into how the deaths are connected, she puts herself in the cross-hairs of a killer.