Although February 14th is better associated with Valentine’s Day, today we also celebrate George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., inventor of the Ferris Wheel. Most of us have taken a spin on a ferris wheel. Maybe it was a small local fair ferris wheel or one to the bigger wheels like the “High Roller” in Las Vegas? 

When perusing the shelves at the library and bookstores, I feel like I frequently see Ferris Wheels on the covers of books. So I did my research using Goodreads.com to discover a list of 208 books with Ferris wheels on the cover. Looking over the list of books, I discover there are really only three types of books with Ferris wheels on the cover, the thriller, the horror or the romance. Interesting.

The horror and thriller books have creepy, rusted, abandoned Ferris wheels on the cover. If that is not the case, they have the Ferris wheel out of focus, maybe hinting at the idea of drug use. The romance covers have a non-threatening, usually hand-drawn Ferris wheel, promoting the idea of romance. Why these extremes? 

Why do we associate the Ferris wheel with fear? Is it the height? Is the perfect place for a murder at a carnival? Or is it the idea that briefly we have relinquished control and are vulnerable? 

The same with the romance books — what screams romance about a ferris wheel. Is it the idea that briefly you may have someone’s undivided attention? Or is it the ability to escape from the world and all the stresses that get in the way of love? 

Much to my dismay, I have only read one book on Goodreads list of 208 books. I swear I have read more books with Ferris wheels. I see them all the time. 

But on this day, I recommend:

Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls

Nic Farrell left Cooley Ridge ten years ago shortly after her best friend Corrine disappeared without a trace. She returns to care for her ailing father, but she finds herself thrust into the middle of an investigation. Police are taking a second look into the night Corrine disappeared to better understand the recent disappearance of Annaleise, another local girl. Someone in the original group seems to have something to hide. 

Happy reading.