Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman, 449 pages

This book covered Nellie Bly's (famous 1800's girl reporter) attempt to travel around the world in 75 days or less, beating Jules Verne's 80 days trip. What made it even more fascinating is the fact that just hours after Nellie set off, a second female writer was sent to try in the opposite direction. This book covered both of their trips, the reaction of the American people, and the hype stirred up by Nellie's newspaper, The World. I've read about Nellie Bly before, but this was a well-done coverage of one of her most famous publicity stunts, and it gave me a new longing to re-read 'Around the World in 80 Days' by Verne. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

The Formula for Murder by Carol McCleary, 336 pages

I've been a fan of Nellie Bly for a long time. She wasn't afraid to try to make her own way as a reporter in a man's world, and had a lot of adventures, including traveling around the world to try to beat Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days challenge. So I was excited to see this murder mystery that featured not only Nellie Bly, but also Oscar Wilde (another literary favorite), Arthur Conan Doyle, and H.G. Wells. This was a enjoyable read, and I will be eagerly picking up the first two books that I managed to miss somehow.