...and then this happens!

I had all these scrapbooking plans, right?? I printed my photos; I cleaned off my desk (by moving the crap to the other table... haha!) so I have a 12x12 space to work in; I have my paper trimmer ready to go; I have the layout ideas sketched out; I have my scrapping "mojo" at the ready... and then this happens:

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson: Larson's newest novel about living in Berlin during the first years of Hitler's reign, told from the point of view of two characters: William Dodd (America's first ambassador to Hitler's regime) and Dodd's daughter, Martha. Not a lighthearted summer read, I know, but I've become interested in how the people of Germany got "sucked into" the ideas that Hitler espoused, and how he went from being a failed artist and student to the leader of the Third Reich.

I put my name on the list for this book at the library about a month ago, as soon as I heard about it. When I did, I was probably about 15th out of 25 to 30 (? I don't remember exactly, but the list was long); I figured I had plenty of time to wait for it... but, yesterday, out of the blue, it was ready for me to pick up! So, for the next three weeks I will be immersed in 1930s Berlin... maybe less than that, if it's really good, although I can't stay up reading till 1 or 2 am anymore and still be wide awake for work at 5 am... :D

Then again, this book might be a dud, although I hope not. I really liked the other book by Larson that I read, though, which was The Devil in the White City. It was set during the time of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and was also two stories entertwined: the story of Daniel Burnham (the architect responsible for building the fair) and H. H. Holmes (a serial killer who killed somewhere between 27 and 200 people during the time of the fair). An odd combination, to be sure-- not light reading at all, but I found it very interesting.

Hopefully I can still sneak a bit of time in between chapters to exercise my scrapping mojo, and I'll definitely let you know how the book is!