The Iroquois Theatre opened on November 23, 1903 in Chicago, Illinois. The capacity of the theatre was 1,602 people, sitting at three different viewing levels. There were 700 seats on the floor, over 400 seats on the first balcony, and 500 seats on the second balcony. The theatre was widely applauded as being one of the most beautiful and sophisticated theatres in the country, though it had some major design flaws that would become glaringly obvious in the wake of the disaster. One major issue was the one entrance, with doors that opened to the inside. Flammable construction materials and decor were also a great concern, even before the disaster. There were also no sprinklers, telephones, or fire alarms, all of which we take for granted now. On December 30, 1903, a fire broke out in the theatre. It is widely accepted that a light malfunction caught the muslin curtains, which then spread rapidly due to the construction and materials used for the set and other decor. Panic ensued, causing a stampede toward the exit, and many people were trampled or injured in their attempt to escape. Ultimately, 602 people died and 250 more were injured. 

This book is currently available on Audible Plus, which is where I got my copy. I have a massive backlog of books on Audible that I am trying to get through for this year's reading challenge, and I am so grateful that I can listen while I am at work. This book was around six hours long, which I was able to complete in one shift at work. If you are interested in the physical book, it is less than 300 pages. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. The author did a great job of researching all of the facts, and providing detailed descriptions of the theatre. One thing that struck me in particular was the fact that this expensive, beautiful building did not even survive a full month before catastrophe struck. The investigation in the aftermath of the fire was absolutely infuriating to me, and I caught myself making faces in my computer screen multiple times. Whenever I read books like this, it really makes me realize how far fire safety has come and how much we take for granted in that regard. This was a really good book if you are into this type of topic.

 This book features several historical true crime cases from all across America over the years. Each case is briefly discussed, leaving time for multiple cases to be highlighted. Despite the fact that there are multiple cases featured in this book, each one is packed with enough details that you get a really good concept of the case. In fact, there were a couple mentioned that I am looking forward to researching more in the future. If you like brief true crime stories in the vein of the collections by Ann Rule, this might be something for you to look into.

I bought this book on Audible, and started it several days ago at work and finished up today while working on laundry. The listening time for this book is listed at 8 hours, but I believe mine was a little less because I listen at a little bit faster of a speed. If you are interested in a physical copy, it is less than 300 pages. Harold Schechter is one of my favorite crime writers. I prefer his books that focus on a single person, but I bought this one simply because he wrote it. I have nothing negative to say about this book, as it was written in his typical style that made reading enjoyable. There were plenty of facts and evidence in the book that the author did his normal level of exceptional research on. I appreciated that there were cases I had never heard of in this book, because I love to learn. I have two more by this author that I am looking forward to getting to. 

Robert Leroy Anderson was an American murderer and rapist. He was convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of two women: Larisa Dumansky and Piper Streyle. Prior to his crimes against these two women, Anderson and some friends often discussed committing sadistic crimes against women, and attempted to perpetrate them together. Anderson's friend and cell mate testified against him, alerting police to the whereabouts of substantial evidence and giving them insight into Anderson's crimes. I do not want to spoil this book for those who are wishing to read it, but I will say GOOD RIDDANCE to this guy. He fits the profile of a person who would have continued to commit heinous acts against women, probably with increasing frequency. 

This book is currently available on Audible Plus, which is where I got this copy from. It was approximately five hours long, which was perfect for me to listen to during my regular shift at work. The story was told in a factual way, and carried on at a decent pace. I much preferred this book to a book that I had previously read by this author (Gitchie Girl). If you are in the market for a quick true crime book, this one is 199 pages, or a five hour listen. It wasn't bad at all.

This is the personal memoir of Tchicaya Missamou, a Congolese native who became a child solider at the age of eleven. People often do not think about children having to become involved in Civil Wars in various countries, or those that have to work in laborious jobs to help their families or themselves, especially people in the United States and other Western countries. The things that this author endured before he left his homeland were shocking and like something out of a movie. His life once he made it to the United States was also very interesting. This person has certainly lived a LIFE. 

I thought this book was really engaging. To be honest, I didn't expect a lot from it. I had bought it used and it was in the miscellaneous military history section, but I think I would not have shelved it that way if I would have been in charge of the shelving. At any rate, it was a good book to finish off the 2023 Reading Challenge year with.  

This book is meant to discuss the friendship and rivalry of two literary greats: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Unfortunately, this book was about as dry as kindling in July, and there was no real substance to it. I have read other books about both of these people that were well researched and written in an engaging way...this one did not do it for me. I got it for a good price and it did help me meet my reading challenge goal, but that is about all I have to comment on this book. If you wish to try it, I hope you enjoy it. 

 Search and Rescue dogs are a pretty common thing to see in these days and times. Dogs are used in many different capacities in this particular field. There are bomb sniffing dogs, drug sniffing dogs, cadaver dogs, etc. Learning about the dogs that are chosen for these jobs, their training, and some of the situations they have worked in was really interesting to me. I really liked this book. 

 The United States Chemical Warfare Service was officially created on June 28, 1918. Dabbling and discussion about this had taken place as far back as the American Civil War, but with chemical warfare being utilized during World War I, the government got more serious about it. This Service was responsible for formulating various chemical weapons, training people how to use them, and implementing protective measures against other chemical attacks. I have never heard of this Service, later renamed the Chemical Corps, and I am certain a lot of other people haven't as well. This is a very interesting and important part of Unites States defense and warfare, and if you are interested in either of those things, I would strongly suggest picking up this book. It was very well written and I learned a great deal from it. 

 This book discusses the replica of the HMS Bounty that was caught in Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. The crew attempted to avoid Hurricane Sandy as it charged up the Atlantic coast, but they were unable to. The ship was caught up in rough seas and terrible conditions, ironically in the area that is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. (Morbid...) The description of the conditions that the crew and the rescuers faced were harrowing and anxiety inducing to read.

When I bought this book, I thought this was about a very old ship and a completely different hurricane of the same name. I got this out of the disaster section of my favorite local used bookstore for a dollar, and I didn't really pay attention. I was quite shocked to learn this was a modern ship and modern hurricane. At any rate, the story was certainly dramatic. The author did a great job writing about the event in a way that was educational and also very entertaining. I always feel a little strange saying that I enjoy books with morbid content, but I really did enjoy this one. 

 This is book three in the American Revolution series by Nathaniel Philbrick. I love this author, and have enjoyed all of the books that I have been able to read thus far. Philbrick's level of research and attention to detail make his work both educational and engaging. I appreciate that he is able to find a nice marriage between facts and the story, so that one doesn't get lost in details. If you haven't read anything by this author, you should. If you are interested in US History, his books, and this series, are great. 

 Henrietta Lacks was born Loretta Pleasant in Virginia in 1920. At some point, people began calling her Henrietta, though no one can say why for sure. She was one of ten children, though her mother died in childbirth on the last one. Her father was unable to care for so many children, and divided them up between relatives. Henrietta wound up living with her grandfather in what was a slave cabin with her first cousin, who she later ended up marrying. Henrietta complained of feeling a knot in her stomach, and was told she was pregnant. (She was.) The knot never seemed to go away, and after a difficult childbirth, she went to Johns Hopkins to see a doctor in January 1951, as that hospital was one of the only ones that would treat Black patients. She was diagnosed with cancer and received treatment, however samples of tissue were taken from her body without her knowledge or consent, and those samples are still used today in research. (They are known as the HELA line.) The treatment was ultimately unsuccessful, and Henrietta died in August 1951. An autopsy revealed the cancer had spread throughout her body.

Henrietta's swiped cells have been used to study cancer in general, as well as treatments for cancer. The cells form an immortal line, meaning they can be reproduced at a fast rate in a laboratory setting, allowing for continued research. These cells have been invaluable to cancer research, as well as other things. The polio vaccine was created after using these cells in research. These cells have been used in cloning research, all types of cosmetics and other medical treatments, and a host of other things. Thanks to several calls and inquiries, the family of Henrietta found out that her cells were being used in this way and that they were taken from her without her consent. This is a common theme, especially among Black people, where people are used for medical purposes without due knowledge or consent being given...and certainly without receiving recognition or fair compensation. (Medical Apartheid is a fantastic book on this subject if you are interested in medical history.) In more recent years, a tombstone was erected for her, historical markers, and other means of recognition and compensation.

This book was great. It was recommended many times on a nonfiction book page that I am part of on Facebook. I actually got this book at a library sale a long time ago, and decided I needed to get to it this year. I had never heard of this woman, which is a complete shame, and I am glad to learn about her. So many medical advancements have been made, largely in part to her swiped cells. She has done so much to further the scientific community and people's understanding of the human body, and she never even knew she did that. Learning about her and writing this review and suggesting this book to other people is a small way to recognize her, but it is what I am able to offer. If you are into medical history or are looking for something to read about the Black community, this is a great book for that...I also strongly suggest Medical Apartheid again for the same reasons.