Posted July 28, 2011

Next weekend Grant Park will be teeming with music fans for Chicago’s Lollapalooza, one of the most popular fests of its kind in the country. Chicagoans and out-of-towners will descend in droves to catch their favorite acts including Cold Play, Foo Fighters, Cee-Lo and Eminem. If you don’t have your ticket yet, you’re out of luck: weekend passes and single day tickets are sold out. You still have the option, however, of listening to Lollapalooza music all weekend long in your home. Or, if you’re one of the lucky fans with a ticket, you may just want to warm-up for the fest. We’ve selected some of our favorite albums from this year’s artists to help you along:

Friday, August 5:

Transition by Ryan Leslie
Cape Dory by Tennis
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Dye It Blonde by Smith Westerns
All Eternals Deck by The Moutain Goats
The People's Key by Bright Eyes
Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles

Saturday, August 6:

Pala by Friendly Fires
Diamond Eyes by Deftones
Gorilla Manor by Local Natives
The Lady Killer by Cee-Lo
Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li
Circuital by My Morning Jacket
March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland by Beirut

Sunday, August 7:

Belong by Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Bake Sale by Cool Kids
Move Like This by The Cars
Crazy for You by Best Coast
Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys
4X4=12 by Deadmau5
Man on the Moon II by Kid Cudi

Summertime in Chicago

Posted July 26, 2011

It's so easy to let summer slip by without taking full advantage of the warmer weather. You daydream about getaways all winter long, but then when summer arrives there's always an excuse handy to sidetrack you. But we're here to help. No need to take an expensive long-distance trip when there's so much in our own backyard to enjoy. There are lots of budget-friendly ways to break up the routine, whether it's local hiking or biking or excursions to nearby locales.

We've gathered a list of recent guidebooks that can help you make the most of the rest of your summer. Enjoy!

Biking
Where to Bike Chicago: Best Biking in City and Suburbs by Greg Borzo
Best Bike Rides Chicago: The Greatest Recreational Rides in the Metro Area by Ted Villaire

Hiking
Best hikes near Chicago by Adam Morgan
Moon Take a Hike Chicago: Hikes Within Two Hours of the City (more copies on order)
Easy hikes close to home. Chicago: including the collar counties and northwest Indiana by Ted Villaire

Walking
Walking Chicago : 31 tours of the Windy City... by Ryan Ver Berkmoes
24 great walks in Chicago by Max Grinnell

Day/Weekend Trips
Day trips from Chicago: Getaway Ideas for the local traveler by Elisa Drake
Great Escapes Chicago: Weekend Getaways, Nature Hideaways, Day Trips, Easy Planning, Best Places to Visit

Man of Mystery

Posted July 21, 2011

As you may or may not know, our One Book, One Chicago program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall. We're all very excited about this! As we approach the announcement of our latest One Book selection we've got some fun stuff lined up, starting with a little guessing game. There's a certain man of mystery floating around. You might spot him on the train or at the library or on a button (yes! there are buttons!). This guy is at the heart of our new book pick. Can you guess who he is? Get in on the action by checking out the One Book, One Chicago blog, facebook page or flickr group. You can also follow One Book on Twitter @1book1chicago.

So keep your eyes peeled and your camera phones at the ready. When you spot our guy, snap a picture and share it with us and your fellow Chicagoans. We can't wait to see where he'll pop up!

Spotlight on Local Book Reviews

Posted July 19, 2011

It's been a while since we've checked out what our favorite local presses are recommending, so here's a round-up of recent well-reviewed titles:

The Chicago Tribune has good things to say about Alice LaPlante's debut, Turn of Mind, set in Chicago. In this literary thriller, Dr. Jennifer White's friend Amanda is found murdered with her fingers severed from her hand. Dr. White, a retired hand surgeon suffering from dementia, cannot recall if she was involved in the murder. The Chicago Tribune describes it: "More than a formulaic police procedural, or a mystery told from the observer or detective's point of view, the story is told in the first-person voice of the suspect herself, who reveals her brilliant but ever-shifting mind throughout the investigation."

Another debut novel getting some buzz is Ten Thousand Saints, a coming-of-age story about Jude, the adopted son of hippie parents, and a portrait of 1980s counterculture set in New York's Lower East Side. The novel "is a whirling dervish of a first novel — a planet, a universe, a trip. As wild as that may sound, wonder of wonders, the book is also carefully and lovingly created, taking the reader far into the lives and souls of its characters and bringing them back out again, blinking in the bright light," notes Susan Salter Reynolds.

The Chicago Sun-Times recommends best-selling author Sapphire's (Precious) new novel. The Kid is the story of Precious' son, Abdul Jones, and will certainly be provocative. The Chicago Sun-Times states that the novel "is a greatly textured story, varying from mood to mood, line to line, devoted to encompassing the deceptions, placations and terrors of Abdul's mental landscape."

The Chicago Reader has an interesting interview with Bonnie Jo Campbell. Her new novel, Once Upon a River, has been getting excellent reviews. Booklist, in a starred review called the novel "A dramatic and rhapsodic American odyssey." It's the story of the journey of Margo Crane, a scrappy teenager living in rural Michigan, after her father's death. Campbell's short-story collection, American Salvage, was a finalist for both a National Book Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award.

Alex Kotlowitz

Posted July 14, 2011

Alex Kotlowitz will be the keynote speaker for this year's DePaul Summer Writing Conference which kicks off on Friday at the Cindy Pritzker auditorium at the Harold Washington Library Center.

Kotlowitz is an award-winning journalist who has been published in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Granta and The Wall Street Journal. He has also penned numerous works of non-fiction including There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America which won the Carl Sandburg award. In addition to his writing for print, Mr. Kotlowitz has been a contributor to public radio's This American Life. He is also the co-producer of the new documentary The Interrupters, which has received good early reviews and is scheduled for release later this year.

Nutrition and Healthy Eating

Posted July 12, 2011

Trying to eat healthier? Looking to add more nutrients to your diet? Wondering about organic, local or gluten-free foods? The Chicago Public Library has the resources to help you make nutritious choices. Our new Nutrition and Healthy Eating page is the latest addition to our Popular Topics resources. This guide will help you find information of all kinds (databases, websites, books) on a variety of related topics, whether it's learning to prepare and consume healthier foods, fighting obesity or simply understanding modern concepts of healthy nutrition. The guide also includes links to information on food allergies and other special dietary needs. As always, if you need further assistance in finding information, ask a librarian. We're here to assist you.

Pitchfork Music Festival

Posted July 5, 2011

Chicago has plenty of live music to offer residents and tourists in the summer. Start by checking out what Millennium Park has to offer in the music department. Later this summer, musicians and fans alike will descend on the city for the very popular Lollapalooza festival, and jazz lovers will gather in Grant Park for the Jazz Fest. Next weekend, the young but very popular Pitchfork Music Festival, organized by Pitchfork Media, will commence in Union Park. It’s a great event for those looking to listen to indie bands, hip hop artists, and edgy DJ’s at a fest that is a bit more intimate than Lollapalooza. We’ve selected some of our favorite music by this year’s Pitchfork acts available at the Chicago Public Library:

Pilot Talk by Curren$y
Under the Bushes, Under the Stars by Guided by Voices
Middle Cyclone by Neko Case
James Blake by James Blake
Everything in Between by No Age
Kaputt by Destroyer
Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes
Before Today by Ariel's Pink Haunted Graffiti
Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter
Zonoscope by Cut Copy