Posted November 29, 2011

Did you know that the Chicago Public Library lends eBooks for your nook, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPad and other compatible devices? We do! You can find our eBook offerings in our downloadable media catalog. You only need a Chicago Public Library card in good standing, a compatible device or computer with an Internet connection, and the free software (depending on the device you are using).

If you need some help getting started, visit our downloadable media catalog landing page with information regarding our collection, as well as tips and information about upcoming classes. We also recommend using the "My Help" section in the upper left-hand corner of the downloadable media catalog, which will provide customized instructions about using the collection with your compatible device.

If you're considering purchasing an eBook reader this holiday season and are wondering what devices are compatible with our collection, take a look at OverDrive's Device Resource center. If you have any additional questions regarding our collection, come to one of our upcoming eBook events or email us at overdrivesupport@chipublib.org.

Caught Reading on the CTA: Blue Line Edition

Posted November 15, 2011

We're at it again. Keeping an eye on what folks are reading on their daily commutes. George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series is still going strong. We spotted copies of both the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings, and the fourth, A Feast for Crows. Another title still making the rounds is one that has become a Chicago classic, Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City. With the news breaking late last year that Leonardo DiCaprio has gotten his hands on the film rights, we're sure to see this title in circulation for some time to come. Now here are a few more books Blue Line riders are enjoying:

Colonization: Aftershocks by Harry Turtledove
Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Likeness by Tana French
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King by Reymundo Sanchez
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

Spotlight on Local Book Reviews

Posted November 10, 2011

It's been a while since we shared what books our favorite local reviewers are plugging, so here's a round-up of titles that caught our interest.

Julia Keller over at the Chicago Tribune really sold us on the "brilliant" new Hemingway biography by Paul Hendrickson, Hemingway's Boat. If you think there are already enough Hemingway biographies, think again. Keller assures that this biography tells us "new and crucial things about Hemingway," which cleverly uses his beloved boat, Pilar, as a focal point.

A positive review of Condoleezza Rice's memoir No Higher Honor recently ran in the Chicago Sun Times. Glenn Kessler states that Rice offers "unexpected candor about her tenure as national security adviser in Bush's first term and as secretary of state." Kessler also notes that Rice's book is "in many ways…the first serious memoir of the Bush presidency." Those interested in Rice's life should also check out Extraordinary, Ordinary People about both of her parents and her early life in Birmingham, Alabama.

Jonathan Messinger at Time-Out Chicago tells us that Jeffrey Eugenides's The Marriage Plot was worth the 10 year wait. Madeline Hanna, a literature student at Brown – in particular, Victorian literature – is graduating and finds herself in a bit of a love triangle. On one end is Leonard Bankhead, her on-and-off boyfriend, and on the other end Mitchell Grammaticus, a friend who's hopelessly in love with her. In this "oddly refreshing conventional novel," Eugenides is "a master of small, telling character detail," notes Messinger. The critics have been pouring accolades on this one, and we can't wait to pick it up.

Book Talk

Posted November 8, 2011

Our One Book, One Chicago program has wrapped up for this season, but that doesn't mean you can't still join your fellow Chicagoans in reading great books. Did you know that Adult Book discussions are held throughout the city at various library locations year-round?

There are discussions aimed at Mystery lovers, Fantasy and Science-Fiction enthusiasts, Great Books connoisseurs and even some for foreign language readers. The Harold Washington Library Center is also a great place for subject specific book groups. Our Social Science and History Department hosts a discussion, as do our Business, Science and Technology Department and the Literature and World Language Department. Or, maybe you love reading and love talking about what you're reading but want a little more flexibility. Why not check out What Are You Reading? A neighborhood social and book chat?

Do you want to start a book group of your own? You can also visit our Especially for Book Groups page for tips on how to do just that. There are resources listed to help you find engaging picks for your group or how to get a discussion going once you've all read the book. We also link to websites with more tips as well as full lists of programs for book lovers throughout the Chicago Public Library system.

We'll leave you with a sampling of the various books up for discussion in the coming weeks.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall - Brighton Park Branch
The Company We Keep by Mary Monroe - Legler Branch
Fortunate Sone by Walter Mosley - Daley, Richard M.-W Humboldt Branch
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - Near North Branch
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Ronsay - Mount Greenwood Branch
Total Eclipse of the Heart by Zane - Greater Grand Crossing Branch

Tom Brokaw

Posted November 1, 2011

Join us next Monday, November 7, 2011 for an event with journalist Tom Brokaw. He will discuss and sign his new book, The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation About America, in which Brokaw offers advice about how we can revitalize our nation and recapture the American Dream. Kirkus Reviews notes that it’s an “ever-upbeat message from the well-connected yet modest veteran journalist.” (Registration is required.)