It's been a few months since we checked in with our favorite local book critics. Here's a look at what they're reading:

Over at the Chicago Tribune Jessica Garrison reviews the newest installment of Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski series, Breakdown, noting that fans will not be disappointed and stating "the dialogue is sharp, the satire of politics and media institutions downright biting, and the descriptions hilarious."

At the Chicago Sun Times' William Landay's newest offering, Defending Jacob, is being compared to Scott Turow's Presumed Innocence. It sounds like a winner to us.

Jonathan Messinger, over at Time Out Chicago recommends Blueprints of the Afterlife by Ryan Boudinot, a "very funny" post-apocalytic novel that "pitch-perfectly" condemns "corporate callousness."

And finally, Mara Shalhoup at the Chicago Reader hasn't really made up her mind about Murakami's 1Q84. She is only about a third of the way through the door-stopper, but notes it "is still clunkier than almost all of his preceding novels when it comes to things like language, character, and plot." Perhaps there is a "masterpiece waiting" in the last two-thirds of it.

Charles Dickens Bicentennial, 1812-2012

Posted February 7, 2012

What the Dickens! The lovable Boz was born 200 years ago this very day, and the world is a far better place for it. More than likely, you've read one of his novels or stories in school (chances are it was A Tale of Two Cities) or seen one of the many adaptations of his novels. Oprah Winfrey selected a pair of his novels for her final book club selection, certainly a classic way to end. If you haven't read one of his novels, you can't go wrong with Oliver Twist, David Copperfield or Great Expectations. If you've already tackled these in school, consider Bleak House, which many regard as his greatest masterpiece. Then, of course, there's A Christmas Carol, which is (happily) inescapable each Christmas season.

Chicago Public Library will host an advance screening of the first part of the forthcoming Masterpiece Classic adaptation of Great Expectations. Meanwhile, to tide you over until then, consider one of our many interesting books about Charles Dickens himself:

Girl in a blue dress: a novel inspired by the life and marriage of Charles Dickens by Gaynor Arnold
Becoming Dickens: The Invention of a Novelist by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst
The last Dickens: a Novel by Matthew Pearl
What Jane Austen ate and Charles Dickens knew: from fox hunting to whist: the facts of daily life in nineteenth-century England by Daniel Pool
Drood: a novel by Dan Simmons
Charles Dickens by Michael Slater
Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley
The man who invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas carol rescued his career and revived our holiday spirits by Les Standiford
Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin

National Book Critics Circle Finalists

Posted January 31, 2012

The National Books Critics Circle list of finalists was announced recently and we're impressed. We recommend you check out every single finalist for fiction this year, if you have the time. There are a few heavyweights, a short story collection, and a debut author who could certainly pull off a win. Who will it be?

Jeffery Eugenides's The Marriage Plot, a "story about being young, bright and lost," according to Ron Charles of the Washington Post, is certainly a frontrunner. Alan Hollinghurst's The Stranger's Child "uses a ‘love in wartime' narrative to explore the deep and wildly complicated connections between memory and what passes for history," according to Publishers Weekly. We've heard great things about Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision, a short story collection which Booklist recommends for fans of Alice Munro and Andre Dubus. Dana Spiotta's Stone Arabia, a book that explores a brother/sister relationship, is a "clever meditation on the feedback loop between life and art," according to Kakutani at the New York Times. And finally, Teju Cole's Open City is an "intelligent and panoramic first novel" about a Nigerian immigrant living in New York City says Publishers Weekly. We'll have to wait until March to find out the winner.

Here are some of the other nominees:

Nonfiction:
A World On Fire by Amanda Foreman
The Information by James Gleick
To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild
Liberty's Exiles by Maya Jansoff
Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan

Autobiography:
One Hundred Names for Love by Diane Ackerman
Memory Place by Mira Bartok
It Calls You Back by Luis J. Rodriguez
Harlem is Nowhere by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts
Revolution by Deb Olin Unferth

Biography:
Love and Capital by Mary Gabriel
George F. Kennan by John Lewis Gaddis
Hemingway's Boat by Paul Hendrickson
Malcolm X by Marable Manning
Deng Xiaoping by Ezra Vogel

Twinkie, Deconstructed

Posted January 26, 2012

Recent news stories about Hostess filing for bankruptcy have cited the classic Twinkie snack as a symbol of the company's fortunes. The snack has long fascinated people and even been the subject of urban legends about how long they can remain edible. And critics like author Michael Pollan have spoken out about the way such foods factor into our diets. One recent book on the subject comes to mind in light of this recent news and has in fact been cited in some of the coverage, and its subtitle really says it all: Twinkie, deconstructed : my journey to discover how the ingredients found in processed foods are grown, mined (yes, mined), and manipulated into what America eats by Steve Ettlinger. Whether you're a twinkie fan or critic, if you're interested in learning more about the foods we eat, consider checking out this book or other books about the food industry.

Based on the Book

Posted January 24, 2012

This Friday One for the Money comes to the big screen. The movie is based on the first book in the bestselling Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Katherine Heigl will star as Stephanie Plum and if the movie is anywhere near as popular as the books, then this one is going to be a blockbuster. Fans of the popular Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins will have to wait a few more months but can also look forward to seeing the first installment of the popular series in theaters in March.

Here are some other books that inspired films this season:

Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher by Hugo Young
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
My Week With Marilyn by Colin Clark

Catherine the (still) Great

Posted January 19, 2012

A couple of recent books prove the enduring fascination we have with royalty - and Catherine the Great in particular. Born a German princess, she was a strong leader with a keen interest in European culture, and she quickly deposed her husband, the weak Peter III and was Empress of Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796. With such a history to work with, is it any wonder the Pulitzer-winning historian Robert K. Massie (Peter the Great) has had a huge success with his recent biography, Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman? Publishers Weekly said, "Massie once again delivers a masterful, intimate, and tantalizing portrait of a majestic monarch."

And now a brand-new novel about the life of Catherine promises to keep interest in the Empress at full boil: The Winter Palace: a novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak. Booklist magazine proclaims the "brilliant, bold historical novel of eighteenth-century Russia is a masterful account of one woman's progress toward absolute monarchical rule.... This superb biographical epic proves the Tudors don't have a monopoly on marital scandal, royal intrigue, or feminine triumph." A sequel is already in the works for this planned trilogy about the life of Catherine. Fiction inspired by fact? or History told as grippingly as fiction? You're in luck, whichever you choose.

Eat Right in 2012

Posted January 12, 2012

Speaking of New Year's resolutions, January is a common time for people to resolve to make changes to their diet and lifestyle. With the holiday feasting behind for many of us, it makes sense to tighten that belt and find our discipline, last seen when we were raking the Fall leaves. For the past few years, the magic words in dieting have been "vegan" and "raw" and "carb" (for or against) and more recently "paleo." Additionally, publishers have also stepped up and paid more attention to specialty topics such as gluten-free and diabetes diets. Check our catalog for hundreds of the most recent dieting books. Below we list just a sample of books the library offers.

Also, be sure to check out the terrific Nutrition and Healthy Eating page put together by our staff of librarians.

Why we get fat and what to do about it by Gary Taubes
The Mayo Clinic diabetes diet
20 years younger: look younger, feel younger, be younger! by Bob Greene
The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf
The now eat this! diet by Rocco DiSpirito
Vegan for life by Jack Norris
Choose to lose: the 7-day carb cycle solution by Chris Powell
Diet rehab: 28 days to finally stop craving the foods that make you fat by Mike Dow
The Dash Diet Action Plan by Marla Heller (on order)
Hungry girl 300 under 300 by Lisa Lillien
Feed your face : younger, smoother skin and a beautiful body in 28 delicious days by Jessica Wu

Reading Resolutions for the New Year

Posted January 10, 2012

Stuck in a reading rut? Are you enjoying what you read? Are you getting what you want out of you reading time? Sure, it's arbitrary to think about all this now in January, but it can be a nice idea to take a step back and evaluate your course. The library offers hundreds of carefully selected self-help books that can be of use in evaluating those big life goals, but here we'll just focus on reading habits. But keep in mind that many experts recommend setting specific goals if you really want to change your behavior.

An easy challenge to set yourself is to select a number of books to read in a year. One challenge we like that's made some news in the book world is to read 12 books in 2012. For busy adults, that's a good basic challenge and easy to remember. Of course you might prefer to aim lower or higher, depending on your needs. Goodreads, a free social networking site for reading, offers a nice program you can use that makes it easy to keep track. Set your goal at the start of the year, add books as you read them, and check the counter for your progress.

Meanwhile, there are lots of interesting challenges floating around the internet. Additionally, here are some more ideas to consider as you set yourself new goals. Have a happy new year of reading!

• Try a new author
• Try a genre you don't normally read (mystery, literary, romance, science fiction, etc.) or subject (science, psychology, economics, the arts)
• Read more fiction / nonfiction (if you tend to read one or the other)
• Start a reading project (read the winners of an award; books from a favorite publisher or author; take on a series you've always wanted to read)
• Read a book you've long wanted to read, perhaps something classic or a long book or one requiring concentratrion
• Keep a list of the books you read
• Be more social with your reading - join book discussions in person or online, discuss books with friends on sites like Facebook, Google+, Twitter
• Re-read an old favorite
• Plan not to plan - burned by past resolutions? some are happiest reading by whim
• Read some of those books you have lying around your home but haven't read yet
• No time for or interest in books? Resolve to read a newspaper or magazine; or use a service like Instapaper to manage reading online articles

Best Music of 2011

Posted January 5, 2012

2011 was a fantastic year for the ladies in music. According to Billboard, the top-selling albums of the year were Adele's 21, Taylor Swift's Speak Now and Lady Gaga's Born This Way. It's likely you heard Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" at least a couple dozen times and you've probably heard "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People nearly as much. What else happened in music in 2011? We saw two of hip-hop's biggest stars make an album together, Britney Spears made a bit of a comeback, and troubled songstress Amy Winehouse died. And what great music came out of 2011? We persued a number of best of the year lists and found ten albums that we recommend you check out.

Bon Iver by Bon Iver
Let England Shake by P.J. Harvey
Strange Mercy by St. Vincent
Whokill by tune-yards
Undun by Roots
Wild Flag by Wild Flag
Father, Son, Holy Ghost by Girls
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming by M83
Bad As Me by Tom Waits
Kaputt by Destoyer

There were several debut novels that made a big splash in the book world this year. Reviewers were blown away by the talent of these emerging authors. We had a baseball saga, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, which quickly climbed to the top of the bestsellers list. There was also the sobering novel by Amy Waldman, The Submission, which reimagines the aftermath of 9/11. We were introduced to a quirky, alligator-wrestling 13-year-old in Karen Russell's first full-length outing, Swamplandia! And let's not forget about Erin Morgenstern's genre blending, magical delight, The Night Circus.

So, before you say goodbye to 2011, why not check out one of these or the many other impressive debuts available at the library?

The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Sly Company of People Who Care by Rahul Bhattacharya
The Taker by Alma Katsu
This Burns My Heart by Samuel Park
We the Animals by Justin Torres

Christopher Hitchens 1949-2011

Posted December 20, 2011

The New York Times broke the news Thursday night that Christopher Hitchens had passed. In Hitchens's obituary, the New York Times called him "a slashing polemicist in the tradition of Thomas Paine and George Orwell." Of his accomplishments, the New York Times wrote, "Armed with a quick wit and a keen appetite for combat…[Hitchens] was a master of the extended peroration, peppered with literary allusions, and of the bright, off-the-cuff remark."

Born in 1949 in England, Hitchens was an irreverent, brilliant journalist, literary critic and prolific author and may be best known for being an outspoken atheist. His most recent book, Arguably: Essays, which Vanity Fair called "his finest essays to date," found its way to some of the best books of the year lists. Check out more of Hitchens's work here.

Book Covers of 2011

Posted December 15, 2011

A month after Thanksgiving, is it too late to be thankful? Surely not. So thanks to the designers who draw our attention to books and who continue to add a bit of luxury to the experience of reading. Once again we looked around at which book covers other bloggers are celebrating, picked some standouts and added a bunch of our own favorites. They range from the effective series branding of Jo Nesbo's latest to the whimsical design for local writer Rebecca Makkai's debut novel (which features a librarian as a character) to the latest Michael Lewis cover, which humorously expresses how everyone has been feeling lately, to the classic beauty of Caroline Kennedy's poetry anthology. As always, though, we add the caveat that this batch only scratches the surface of the hundreds of great book designs this year.

Best Nonfiction of 2011

Posted December 13, 2011

It is nearing the end of 2011 and it's about that time when we take a look back at the year's best. We perused several best books of the year lists and gathered some of this year's best nonfiction:

1861: A Civil War Awakening by Adam Goodheart
Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
Blood, Bones, & Buttter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
Blue Nights by Joan Didion
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, 1934-1961 by Paul Hendrickson
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson
Townie: A Memoir by Andre Dubus III

Fa, la, la, la, la

Posted December 8, 2011

This season the Harold Washington Library Center is happy to present a series of Holiday Concerts in the Grand Lobby. There are still a few left. If you need a break from the holiday shopping or from your work day stop by and enjoy the music.  

We've also put together a sampling of the many wonderful holiday albums we have available in our collection:

Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi
Christmas by Michael Bublé
Christmas Anthology: 1942-1955 by Bing Crosby
The Christmas Aretha by Aretha Franklin
Christmas in the Heart by Bob Dylan
Christmas with the Rat Pack by Frank Sinatra
Glee: The Music; The Christmas Album
Joy of Christmas by Leonard Berstein
Merry Christmas II You by Mariah Carey
Swingin’ Christmas by various artists
Under the Mistletoe by Justin Bieber
A Very She & Him Christmas by She & Him

Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Dad!

Posted December 6, 2011

Two recent autobiographies from major American actors depart from the usual addiction and fame issues to pay tribute to some impressive parents.

Actress Diane Keaton's just-published bestselling memoir Then Again apparently spends as much time paying tribute to her inspiring mother as it does dishing any kind of dirt. Janet Maslin of the New York Times describes the book like so: "Diane Keaton's book about her life is not a straight-up, chronological memoir. It's a collage that mixes Ms. Keaton's words with those of her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton Hall, who died in 2008. Since Ms. Hall left behind 85 scrapbooklike journals, a huge and chaotic legacy, there is every reason to expect that Ms. Keaton's braiding of her own story with her mother's in Then Again will be a rambling effort at best. Instead it is a far-reaching, heartbreaking, absolutely lucid book about mothers, daughters, childhood, aging, mortality, joyfulness, love, work and the search for self-knowledge. Show business too."

But Keaton does also discuss her relationships with Woody Allen, Warren Beatty, and Al Pacino, subjects that many of her fans will want to know more about.

Coincidentally, actor John Lithgow also recently published a memoir (Drama: An Actor's Education) that pays tribute to his father, the illustrious father Arthur Lithgow, an actor, director and producer of the theater who was a kind of Johnny Appleseed of theater who contributed to the regional theater scene in the US and founded more than one Shakespeare festival. And it's John's pre-fame theater career in London and New York that he focuses on here. His parents were powerful and enthusiastic storytellers, and Lithgow describes the wonderful exposure he had to storytelling as a child, an influence he treasures to this day. Publishers Weekly called the book "clever and heartfelt" and Library Journal declared it a "necessary gift for theater students."

Reality Check

Posted December 1, 2011

We've seen a surge in books by reality television stars. Fans are tuning in to watch their lives unfurl on the small screen so it's no wonder that they are eager to pick up their stories in print. Are you up to date on who's who in the world of reality television? Let us fill you in! Surely you've heard of the Kardashians. This is a family affair. We've got the three sisters: Kim, Kourtney and Khloé, a brother who just finished a stint on Dancing with the Stars, and then there's mom, Kris, with her husband, Bruce Jenner, in tow. With six seasons of Keeping up with the Kardashians and a seventh in the works this clan is going strong. You can read more about them in Kardashian Konfidential by Kourtney, Kim and Khloé. There's also Kris Jenner : --and all things Kardashian by mom. Finally, the girls have also gotten into the fiction business with Dollhouse.

These ladies aren't the only celebs penning memoirs. We've got several from some of the current and former Real Housewives. Bethenny Frankel started out as a Real Housewife of New York City, but has since moved on to her own shows including: Bethenny Getting Married and Bethenny Ever After. You can read more from her in her latest book, A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life. Another NYC housewife, Jill Zarin, shared insights with Secrets of a Jewish Mother: Real Advice, Real Stories, Real Love. Real Housewives of New Jersey star Danielle Staub, put it all out there in The Naked Truth: A Memoir. Rounding out the housewives we've got Real Housewives of Atlanta's Nee Leakes's Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life from a Real Housewife.

A few more budding writers cropped up from the reality tv world including the ex-Mrs. Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards, who starred in her own show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated. She wanted to set some things straight with her tell-all The Real Girl Next Door. And speaking of exes, Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend has made a name for herself first in The Girls Next Door and then in her own show, Kendra. She decided to put her story down on paper with Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails and Getting My Sexy Back. Are you more of a Jersey Shore fan? Well, we've got not one, but two books from Snooki. A non-fiction title, Confessions of a Guidette and also a novel entitled A Shore Thing. This lady is busy! Perhaps she was taking a cue from former reality darling of The Simple Life Nicole Richie, who has written two novels: Priceless and The Truth about Diamonds.

Phew! That's a lot of reality! These titles are no doubt as addictive as the shows that have made these ladies household names.

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.)

Slant Magazine just put out a list of The 25 Best Horror Films of the Aughts. It's an interesting selection in that it pulls from a wide range of movies, including some that, while frightening in their way, might not be traditionally billed as horror films. For example: David Cronenberg's A History of Violence or David Lynch's Inland Empire. Still, there were plenty that fit the bill exactly, like: Guillermo del Toro's The Orphanage or Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell. You can check out the full list at Slant Magazine. We've also compiled a list of hair-raising flicks from the last couple of years. Why not kick off your Halloween weekend with one of these bone-chilling picks?

Crazies (remake of George A. Romero's 1973 film of the same name)
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
I Saw the Devil
Insidious
The Last Exorcism
Let Me In (remake of the Swedish film Let the Right One In)
Monsters
My Soul to Take
A Nightmare on Elm Street (remake of Wes Craven's 1984 film of the same name)
Red Riding Hood
Scream 4
The Wolfman

Chicago Humanities Fest 2011

Posted October 25, 2011

The 2011 Chicago Humanities Fest is just around the corner. There will be a number of excellent author events you should consider attending.

Chicago hip-hop artist Common will be talking about his new book and the history of hip-hop with Adam Bradley on Saturday, November 5, 2011. Publishers Weekly called Common’s memoir, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, a “candid, no nonsense biography.” At the event, “Common will delve into his artistic influences and the technological milestones that have marked rap’s quick rise to prominence.” Also on Saturday, November 5, 2011, Sylvia Nasar, author of the bestselling A Beautiful Mind, will be discussing her new book, Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius. According to Publishers Weekly, the book offers a “broad sweep of modern economic history.”

On Sunday, November 6, 2011, check out Joshua Foer’s lecture, Feats of Memory, about his book Moonwalking with Einstein: “In conversation with WBEZ Re:sound host Gwen Macsai, Foer recounts ancient memorization techniques, elaborate memory palaces, and today’s reliance on electronic memory.” Also on Sunday, November 6, consider joining Jonathan Franzen (Freedom) and Isabel Wilkerson (The Warmth of Other Suns) as they receive the Heartland Prize for their work.

Here are some other author events worth checking out:

Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel on November 5, 2011.
David Grossman, author of To the End of the Land on November 13, 2011.
Umberto Eco, author of The Prague Cemetery on November 13, 2011.
Daniel Sinker, author of The F****ing Epic Twitter Quest of @MayorEmanuel on November 13, 2011.

Book Awards Update

Posted October 20, 2011

Julian Barnes won the Booker Prize Tuesday night, after having been nominated three times before for the award, which covers just about all of the English speaking world except the United States and hence often serves American readers as a great introduction to new voices. Barnes's novella, The Sense of an Ending, has been called "a sort of psychological detective story." Anita Brookner, reviewing the book for The Telegraph, said, "His reputation will surely be enhanced by this book. Do not be misled by its brevity. Its mystery is as deeply embedded as the most archaic of memories." (Originally slated to be published later, the novella has been rushed into print, and our first copies should arrive very soon.)

The National Book Award finalists were also recently announced. In the fiction category, The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht stands out as probably the most well-known of the crop so far. We're also pleased to note that they nominated Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, a novel we're promoting this month among other recommendations. We've listed fiction and nonfiction below, but also check out the full list, including the poetry and young people's literature categories online.

Meanwhile, both awards have stirred up a fair amount of controversy and discussion over the purpose of literary awards. The Guardian sums up the story for the Booker, and Salon wrote about the larger issues. Earlier, Salon's Laura Miller questioned whether the National Book Awards were becoming so loftily literary as to be irrelevant, and then yesterday one of the NBA critics fired back with a lively defense. It's good to see this kind of passion about books, and we're looking forward to reading the books and judging for ourselves.

National Book Award nominees - Fiction
The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Binocular Vision by Edith Pearlman
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

National Book Award nominees - Nonfiction
The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism by Deborah Baker
Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution by Mary Gabriel
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss

One Book, One Chicago Event: Martin Amis with John Barron

Posted October 18, 2011

Our celebration of ten years of the One Book, One Chicago program is still going strong. Tonight we welcome famed British novelist Martin Amis to the Harold Washington Library Center for a very special event.* Amis, who once said that the publication of Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March marked the end of the search for "the great American novel," will be in conversation with Sun-Times publisher John Barron discussing his great admiration for Bellow as well as their friendship. This is a one of a kind night. Don't miss out!

*Registration:
Seating is limited and registration is required. To register, go to chicagopubliclibrary1b1c.eventbrite.com. If you do not have computer access, please call (312) 747-8191.

Don't Miss This: 1991

Posted October 13, 2011

We are going back 20 years to take a look at some cultural gems of 1991.

1991 was a watershed year for music. It was the year Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten were released, and grunge became a household word. Fans who want to remember the musical history should check out the recently published Everybody Loves Our Town: The Oral History of Grunge by Mark Yarm.

It was the year that Disney released Beauty and the Beast, the first animated feature to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was also a good year for thrillers. The Silence of the Lambs starring Jodie Foster as well as the remake of Cape Fear starring Robert DeNiro were both released that year.

South African author Nadine Gordimer was awarded that Nobel Prize for Literature, and famed children’s author Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991. Readers of popular fiction might be seen with a copy of The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy, Posession by A.S. Byatt or Needful Things by Stephen King, which were all bestsellers that year.

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Posted October 11, 2011

Fall is here, and Chicago's cultural season has kicked into high gear, which means there are more opportunities than any one person could squeeze into a single schedule. Just for example, the new season of the Lyric Opera has started. The Chicago Sun Times recently covered the opening night, and the Tribune previewed Lyric's 57th season. The company has a new general director, opera superstar Renee Fleming is the company's creative consultant, and the company has freshened up its marketing to be more inviting to younger audiences.

The season begins this month with The Tales of Hoffmann, based on the classic short stories of author E.T.A. Hoffmann, and check out the Tribune's preview for descriptions of each opera.

Want to brush up on these operas before you go? Not sure which to see? Too busy to make it? We've got recorded performances, including DVDs and music CDs, freely available for you to borrow and luxuriate at home with. Just click on a title below to start your search, then refine using the format buttons (such as "music" to find CDs).

Lyric Opera's 2011-2012 Season
The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach)
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky)
Ariadne Auf Naxos (Strauss)
The Magic Flute (Mozart)
Aida (Verdi)
Show Boat (Kern and Hammerstein)
Rinaldo (Handel)

Happy Haunting

Posted October 6, 2011

Are you brainstorming for a costume idea for the annual Halloween bash? Do you need to whip up a costume for your kid? Or are you the brave soul hosting a spooky soiree? Maybe you just want to deck out your house to welcome trick-or-treaters. Whatever you have in mind, we've got you covered.

Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor: 50 Projects to Sew & Craft
Extreme Halloween: The Ultimate Guide to Making Halloween Scary Again by Tom Nardone
Extreme Pumpkins II: Take Back Halloween and Freak Out a Few More Neighbors by Tom Nardone
FamilyFun Tricks and Treats ed. by Deanna F. Cook and the Experts at FamilyFun Magazine
Halloween: A Grown-up's Guide to Creative Costumes, Devilish Decor & Fabulous Festivities by Joanne O'Sullivan
Halloween Celebrations: Everything You Need for a Fabulous Halloween Party… ed. by Morgana De Ville
Halloween Costumes
Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts: 225 Inspired Projects for Year-round Celebrations ed. by editors at Martha Stewart Living
Paper Crafts for Halloween by Randel McGee

Caught Reading: Red Line Edition

Posted October 4, 2011

Recently, we’ve been noting what fellow commuters are immersed in on their way to work. We spied quite a few nonfiction titles, including Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned by John Farrell, which Booklist called a "completely engaging portrait" and The New York Times called "engrossing." We also caught you engaged in The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression. Others were enjoying baseball books, including The Complete Game: Reflections of Baseball, Pitching and Life on the Mound by Ron Darling and Moneyball by Michael Lewis, which has been adapted into a film starring Brad Pitt.

What other great books did we catch you reading?

Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
End of the Affair by Graham Greene
Room by Emma Donoghue
Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
Faith by Jennifer Haigh

Excited about the fall book season? If not, you should be. This season sees the return of many beloved authors along with some exciting new voices, so be sure to clear some time in your busy schedule to read.

There is a lot of great fiction heading our way. Highlights include Neal Stephenson's Reamde, On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry, The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides (his first novel in nearly a decade), The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje, When She Woke by Hillary Jordan (author of the excellent Mudbound), The Forgotten Waltz, the latest from Booker winner Anne Enright, Zone One by Colson Whitehead, The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco and Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea.

And to name just some of the nonfiction highlights, consider the latest from emerging superstar writer Michael Lewis, Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, a memoir by Chicago's own Roger Ebert, Life Itself: A Memoir, Dava Sobel's A More Perfect Heaven and Joan Didion's Blue Nights.

Lastly, here's a sampling of titles we think you'll particularly enjoy:

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
This debut novel about baseball has already won fans among readers and critics, who praise its intelligence.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This debut about circuses, love and magic has been called the next Time Traveler's Wife, and Audrey Niffenegger herself has praised it.

The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate
Family and the challenges of modern African American identity are among the themes of the book club-friendly latest from acclaimed novelist Southgate.

It Calls You Back by Luis Rodriguez
A new memoir from the poet and author of Always Running.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean
The most famous dog in American entertainment history gets his due treatment in the overdue latest from Orchid Thief author Orlean.

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Already a worldwide smash, the latest novel from Murakami is likely to take his fame to the next level.

Saul Bellow: Letters

Posted September 22, 2011

Please join us at the Harold Washington Library Center this Sunday for what is sure to be an enlightening One Book, One Chicago program. Benjamin Taylor, editor of Saul Bellow: Letters, will be in conversation with Bellow's widow, Janis Freedman-Bellow. They will discuss their collaboration in putting together this most welcome collection. They will be joined by Bellow scholar, Jonathan Wilson. If you're joining your fellow Chicagoans in reading Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March, this will surely enrich your reading experience!

Back to High School

Posted September 20, 2011

It’s back to school time! We decided to take a look back at high school and adolescence through some of our favorite novels; some with humor, some with heartbreak and some with horror.

I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle
Dorky Denis Cooverman declares his love for the popular cheerleader, Beth Cooper, in his graduation speech. Find out what happens next in this novel that "celebrates and mercilessly satirizes all things teen with razor-sharp humor," according to Booklist.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Midwestern girl Lee Fiora tries to navigate the posh East Coast boarding school she’s attending on scholarship in Prep. Kirkus notes the novel is "Teenaged years served up without sugar: a class act."

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
This classic graphic novel follows best friends Enid and Rebecca recently graduated from high school. Clowes, the Villiage Voice states, "spells out the realities of teen angst as powerfully and authentically as Salinger did in The Catcher in the Rye for an earlier generation."

Old School by Tobias Wolff
The narrator, a boy on scholarship, enters an elite prep school with strong literary traditions in hopes of becoming a writer. "Wolff…has written a marvelous novel with resonance for old and young alike. His storytelling is economical, his prose is elegant, and his meditations are utterly timeless," notes Booklist.

Carrie by Stephen King
Carrie, an alienated teenager with telekinetic powers, takes revenge on the bullies who brutalize her at school. This early Stephen King novel was frequently challenged in schools and libraries. Read it for Banned Books week.

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Skippy does die in Skippy Dies, an entertaining novel that follows a group of young men at a Catholic school in Dublin. Booklist calls it "hilarious" and "heartbreaking".

Crossing California by Adam Langer
Crossing California is set in 1979 in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. "Langer depicts diverse households…as he chronicles the comings-of-age of a group of smart-mouthed, free-spirited, and creative teens," notes Booklist.

Election by Tom Perrotta
Who will win the election for student body president? Will it be the opportunistic, attractive go-getter Tracy Flick? Or perhaps Paul Warren, the popular football player; or will his sister, Tammy, come out ahead. Will Mr. McAllister be the real victim in this darkly comic novel by Tom Perrotta? Find out.

Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
15 year-old Benji is spending the summer at his family’s beach house in the predominantly African-American Sag Harbor in this hilarious, nostalgic book about coming of age in the 80s. Vanity Fair said "By acknowledging that adolescence’s indignities are universal, and that the search for self is endless, Sag Harbor brings this truth home."

Happy Birthday, One Book One Chicago

Posted September 15, 2011

Our citywide book discussion is ten years old, and we couldn't be more proud. To celebrate we're reading that quintessential Chicago novel, The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow. (Audio versions are also available.) You may recognize the famous first sentence, which begins, "I am an American, Chicago born...."

It's an epic treatment of the life of a young man, born humbly, who embarks on a restless, soul-searching quest to find his place in the world, and though he's of an immigrant family, Augie has a classic sense of the American dream and imposes no limits on himself. The novel also gives us an intriguing look at the rough-and-tumble Chicago of the 1930s, as Augie struggles (and occasionally glides) his way through various jobs, projects and relationships. This is the kind of masterpiece that makes you want to pick up a pen to highlight a great passage, then find you've highlighted most of the book.

Our staff has created a highly useful guide to assist you, and there are scads of terrific programs and events to attend.

Please join us in discussion of Augie in person and on Twitter, where the gang started reading ten pages a day on September 1st.

Thank you to our generous sponsors and partners for their continued support, and thank you for your continued participation in this decade-long conversation!

D.I.Y. Film Fest: Panic in the Streets

Posted September 13, 2011

Steven Soderbergh's Contagion was tops at the box office this past weekend. The film centers on a lethal virus that reaches pandemic proportions and kills within days. With an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, it's no surprise that crowds are rushing out to catch this latest disaster flick. We've put together a list of movies you might enjoy if you've caught the end of days bug.

12 Monkeys
28 Days Later
Andromeda Strain
Blindness
Children of Men
Crazies (2010)
I Am Legend
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (1978 version)
Panic in the Streets
Seventh Seal see also Criterion edition

The 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Posted September 6, 2011

With the anniversary of 9/11 just around the corner, one way libraries are recognizing the anniversary is through the September Project, a commemorative project in remembrance of September 11, 2001. Libraries will feature book displays, organize community book readings, screen films, and more, exploring topics including freedom, justice, democracy, and community. The events of 9/11 have also impacted art, including fiction. In anticipation of the 10th anniversary, we've created a list of novels that touch on the events of September 11, 2001.

The Submission by Amy Waldman
Falling Man by Don DeLillo
The Good Life by Jay McInerney
A Disoder Peculair to the Country by Ken Kalfus
Extremely Loud and Incredily Close by Johnathan Safran Foer
A Fortunate Age by Joanna Smith Rakoff
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Moshin Hamid
A Day at the Beach by Helen Schulman
Exit Ghost by Philip Roth
The Future of Love by Shirley Abbott
The Zero by Jess Walters
The Whole World Over by Julia Glass
Home Boy by H.M. Naqvi
Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Just as they did with Thrillers last year, NPR recently polled their listeners for their favorite Science Fiction and Fantasy books of all time. The results are in. Note that they excluded young adult books (such as the Harry Potter series) and horror books because they plan to make those topics for future Summer polls. That being said, it's a wonderful list. We're quite happy to see that recent our Spring 2011 One Book One Chicago selection, Neverwhere, made the cut, as did several other books by Neil Gaiman. It's no surprise that Tolkien and Martin, whose books have been adapted recently into popular movies and tv series, ranked high. But we're also happy to see some of our recent favorites on the list, such as Watchmen, The Name of the Wind, World War Z, The Road, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Way of Kings, The Eyre Affair, and Anathem.

Especially if you are in a book group, there's a response well worth checking out over at Booklist magazine. Science Fiction and Fantasy aficionado Neil Hollands whittled that list of 100 titles down to 49 titles which he recommends for book groups/newbies: titles that can be finished in a month by most readers, whose themes are good for discussion, and that are standalone reads or kick off series that end satisfyingly.

Here are the top ten titles, but be sure to check out the full list. Happy reading.

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert [first book in series: Dune]
A Song Of Ice And Fire Series by George R. R. Martin [first book in series: A Game of Thrones]
1984 by George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov [first book in trilogy: Foundation]
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Chicago River 1999-2010

Posted August 23, 2011

If you're downtown looking for something to do, head over to the Harold Washington Library Center. We currently have an exhibit of the Chicago River on display on the ground floor down the Congress Corridor. With 28 black and white photographs by Richard Wasserman you can learn about the history of the river and see the evolution of one of our city's most distinctive features.

To read more about the Chicago River you can check out The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways by David M. Solzman or The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History by Libby Hill. You can also check out more photos of the river in Jonathan Genzen's The Chicago River: A History in Photographs. Or take a virtual tour of the river with the DVD of Chicago by Boat: The New River Tour hosted by Geoffrey Baer.

The exhibit closes September 2nd so hurry over!

Philip Levine, Poet Laureate

Posted August 18, 2011

The Library of Congress recently chose Philip Levine to succeed W.S. Merwin as Poet Laureate. The choice seems an apt one, especially given the times, since much of Levine's poetry centers on working-class Detroit. Born in 1928 in Detroit to Jewish immigrant parents, Levine began his working life in an auto factory before finding a home in poetry. In a profile of the poet, The Los Angeles Times writes: "Informed by his personal experience working in factories, Levine's poetry focuses on the moments and textures of the day-to-day life of the working class." Philip Levine was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Simple Truth; he also received the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award – twice.

Listen to Philip Levine read his poems "They Feed They Lion" and "What Work Is," along with commentary by Edward Hirsch, and watch as Levine recalls life in the factory, both at the Poetry Foundation's web site. We also recommend checking out the poet's profile from the Academy of American Poets. And of course, delve into Philip Levine's poetry at the Chicago Public Library.

May the Force Be With You...Always

Posted August 16, 2011

The Chicago Tribune's recent profile of the Midwest Garrison of the 501st Legion, a group of Star Wars enthusiasts who dress as imperial stormtroopers at charity functions as well as events such as this past weekend's Wizard World Chicago Comic Con in Rosemont, got us thinking about the continued success of the Star Wars novels. They continue to hit the bestseller lists with a frequency that would impress Master Yoda himself. (And where better to get comprehensive coverage of this publishing phenomenon than the Wookieepedia?)

The books explore times and characters of the Star Wars universe that 10 George Lucases and 10 Industrial Light and Magic companies would never be able to keep up with. The newest book in this ongoing series is Ascension, the eighth novel in the Fate of the Jedi series, featuring Luke Skywalker and his son Ben. And just last month we saw the publication of Choices of One, written by beloved science fiction scribe Timothy Zahn. It's a story set before the events of the movie The Empire Strikes Back. So the film series may be finished, but Star Wars lives on. For more Star Wars novels, consult our online catalog.

Celebrating L.A. Banks

Posted August 11, 2011

The extremely popular writer L.A. Banks died this month, at far too young an age, after battling cancer. Her fans will miss her greatly. Banks was a highly successful writer of diverse genres known especially for her romances (as Leslie Esdaile) and fantasies. Bestselling author Tananarive Due recently gave a lovely brief interview to NPR in remembrance of Banks in which her work was compared to that of Charlaine Harris.

Looking to catch up on Banks's work? Here we've listed two of her most popular series. Also note that she started a new series more recently, beginning with Surrender the Dark. The sequel, Conquer the Dark, comes out late next month.

Vampire Huntress Legend
Minion
The Awakening
The Hunted
The Bitten
The Forbidden
The Damned
The Forsaken
The Wicked
The Cursed
The Darkness
The Shadows
The Thirteenth

Crimson Moon
Bad Blood
Bite the Bullet
Undead On Arrival
Cursed to Death
Never Cry Werewolf
Left for Undead

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Posted August 9, 2011

Fans of Muriel Barbery's literary sleeper sensation The Elegance of the Hedgehog will be happy to know that a film adaptation (called simply The Hedgehog) is coming to theaters soon, scheduled to hit Chicago in September. The novel tells the story of the eccentric residents of a Parisian apartment building, focusing on a gruff concierge and a precocious yet despondent twelve year old girl, a tale of outsiders discovering common cause.

Fans of the book may be interested to read Barbery's first novel, Gourmet Rhapsody, also set in the same apartment building but focusing on the character of a dying food critic.

Also, you could check out other books from Barbery's publisher, Europa Editions, which specializing in bringing good European novels to the American market in English translation. One of the publisher's biggest hits has been the much-lauded Jane Gardam's Old Filth, the story of a lawyer whose nickname is an acronym standing for "Failed in London, Try Hong Kong." And the publisher's latest hit is Alina Bronsky's The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine, the story of an enjoyably conniving grandmother. You can find further books from this quirky publisher in our catalog.

Scandinavian Crime: Still Hot and Here to Stay

Posted August 4, 2011

Many fans of Scandinavian crime fiction have long finished Steig Larsson's Millenium Trilogy and have recently bid farewell to Kurt Wallander in Mankell's final installment, The Troubled Man, but the Nordic noir phenomena is far from over. Scandinavian crime fiction is still hot, and publishers are on top of it, publishing plenty of titles to sate American readers. Here is a sampling of some of the summer's best:

Jo Nesbo is arguably the new darling of Scandinavian Crime. The Snowman, his fifth Harry Hole title to be translated into English, received glowing reviews, and it seems readers agree. Stories featuring serial killers are always popular, but Nesbo's book appears to be the cream of the crop and demand for the title is high. Kirkus called the book's opening "one of the creepiest in recent memory" and a Library Journal reviewer stated that, "This is simply the best detective novel this reviewer has read in years."

The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler, the pseudonym for a husband-wife author team, may be the Scandinavian crime debut of the season. In hopes of resolving a harrowing crime, a hypnotist is called in to talk to a boy found at the scene. Janet Maslin stated The Hypnotist would be "the summer's likely Nordic hit." Booklist asserted that it belongs on "every international crime fan's reading list."

And there's more! Check out Kjell Eriksson's The Hand That Trembles, the fourth in his Inspector Ann Lindell series, about the mysterious disappearance of a local politician, which Kirkus called a "challenging and rewarding mystery."

The fourth installment of the Inspector Van Veeteren series, The Inspector and Silence by Hakan Nesser, involving a dead girl and secretive cult, was called "taut and compelling" by Booklist.

Bad Intentions, the seventh installment in Karin Fossum's series, features Inspector Sejer investigating a suspicious suicide and its possible connection to a missing person case. Library Journal called Fossum "one of Nordic noir's most skilled practitioners."

Finally, don't skip Asa Larsson's fourth Rebecka Martinson novel, Until Thy Wrath Be Past, which Booklist praised: "The supernatural elements are worked seamlessly into a complex and engaging mystery, resulting in a thoroughly compelling reading experience."

If You Liked The Help

Posted August 2, 2011

The much anticipated movie adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's runaway bestseller The Help is set to come out next week. Emma Stone is cast in the lead role of Skeeter, a young recent grad and aspiring writer who returns to her hometown and embarks on a writing project in which she conducts a series of interviews with local black maids. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer play Aibileen and Minny, her willing subjects. Rounding out the supporting cast is a bevy of acclaimed actresses including: Sissy Spacek, Cicely Tyson, Mary Steenburgen and Allison Janney.

If you enjoyed The Help and would like to read more fiction with a Southern setting and strong female characters check out some of these titles:
The Air Between Us by Deborah Johnson
Freshwater Road by Denise Nicholas
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Four Spirits by Sena Jeter Naslund
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg

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

Woody Allen's movie Midnight in Paris is currently in theaters and is surprising many by becoming the long-working director's biggest hit in a quarter-century. Why? We think it might have something to do with the romance of Americans in Paris, a major theme of some recent hits in print, too.

Consider Paula McClain's The Paris Wife, which proved to be one of the biggest hits of early 2011. It tells the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley Richardson. Library Journal called it early: "Colorful details of the expat life in Jazz Age Paris, combined with the evocative story of the Hemingways' romance, result in a compelling story that will undoubtedly establish McLain as a writer of substance." Booklist called it "an unsentimental tribute to a woman who acted with grace and strength as her marriage crumbled," and Kirkus simply called it a "pleasure to read." Readers agreed, to say the least.

More recently, famed historian David McCullough published The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, 1830-1900, and readers can't get enough. (Are you seeing a pattern?) Rather than the usual focus on the 1920s, McCullough freshens things up with a look at Paris several decades before that. Kirkus raved: "A gorgeously rich, sparkling patchwork, eliciting stories from diaries and memoirs to create the human drama McCullough depicts so well." And if that isn't enough for you, we've pulled together a list of more books on the topic. Enjoy!

Lunch in Paris: a love story, with recipes by Elizabeth Bard
Bohemian Paris: Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, and the birth of modern art by Dan Franck
Americans in Paris: life and death under Nazi occupation by Charles Glass
Americans in Paris: a literary anthology ed. by Adam Gopnik
A Moveable Feast: the restored edition by Ernest Hemingway
The autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
Two lives: Gertrude and Alice by Janet Malcolm
The Beat Hotel: Ginsberg, Burroughs, and Corso in Paris, 1958-1963 by Barry Miles
And the show went on: cultural life in Nazi-occcupied Paris by Alan Riding
Paris noir: African Americans in the City of Light by Tyler Stovall

Fourth Sparks and Grill Marks

Posted June 28, 2011

The 4th of July is just around the corner. Many of us will be breaking out the grill and having friends over to celebrate. We have plenty of books that can help your summertime festivities be the most talked about of the season.

Chicago's own award-winning chef Rick Bayless's Fiesta at Rick's has many great recipes that are sure to wow your crowd. He starts with a variety of twists on the tried and true cookout favorite – guacamole, including a toasted pumpkin seed guacamole and a tomato and bacon guacamole. Yum! To further liven up the party there are plenty of recipes for tasty libations- everything from mojitos and margaritas to tamer "soft" drinks are included.

Need ideas for the grill? Rick's got you covered with a whole chapter entitled "Live-Fire Cooking, Fast and Slow." The recipes range from the hardcore Oaxacan-style lamb pit barbecue to the simpler grilled pork tacos al pastor.

For more tips and recipes for your next summer gathering check out some of the titles below:

Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book by Chris Lilly
The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining by Cheryl and Bill Jamison
The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up: Grilling, Tailgating, Picnicking, and More by Jamie and Bobby Deen
Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons by Gary Wiviott with Colleen Rush
Porch Parties: Breezy Drinks and Easy Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining by Denise Gee
Weber's Time to Grill by Jamie Purviance

Poetry Foundation

Posted June 23, 2011

The Poetry Foundation will be having the long-awaited Open House at its new facility this weekend, and there will be readings by poets such as Elizabeth Alexander, Sandra Cisneros, Billy Collins, Robert Hass, Edward Hirsch, and Kay Ryan. Many events are at capacity, with wait lists available. Garrison Keillor will dedicate the new site.

Recently, Poetry Foundation president John Barr and Poetry editor Christian Wiman were ranked at numbers one and ten, respectively, on New City's annual "Lit 50" survey of the Chicago literary scene. (Of course, we're proud that the Library came in at number two, represented by our Commissioner.) Thanks to a large donation back in 2002, the foundation has also created quite a stir in the poetry world, and the Tribune recently reported on recent controversies. Strange to think of poetry making such waves, but that sounds like a good thing.

Book Beats: Summer Reading Program

Posted June 21, 2011

This year's summer reading program for adults is in full swing. We're rockin' the music theme this year. We have many great related titles in both fiction and nonfiction to suit all readers. You can check out the resource guide for an expanded list of recommended reads as well as a list of events and programs throughout the city that celebrate the diverse musical talent the city has to offer.

Fiction
Nashville Chrome by Rick Bass
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Beautiful Maria of My Soul by Oscar Hijuelos
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
The Piano Teacher by Janice Lee
You Don't Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem

Nonfiction
Chinaberry Sidewalks by Rodney Crowell
The Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones:Sound Opinions on the Great Rock 'n' Roll Rivalry by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot
Decoded by Jay-Z
Life by Keith Richards
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
Talking to Girls about Duran Druan: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut by Rob Sheffield

Don't Miss This: 1990

Posted June 9, 2011

We're taking a look back at the year 1990 to see what gems we can dig up.

In 1990, Oscar Hiljuelos was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love about two brothers who immigrate to America in 1949 with dreams of becoming mambo stars. Publishers Weekly noted that "Hijuelos's pure storytelling skills commission every incident with a life and breath of its own." The novel was later adapted into a film. We also recommend checking out Hijiuelos's Beautiful Maria of My Soul, a return of sorts to The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.

Bonnie Raitt took home a Grammy for Album of the Year for Nick of Time, which took a spot on Rolling Stone's 500 Best Albums of All Time list. It was also the year that Sinead O'Connor released I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got that also made Rolling Stone's 500 Best Albums list. The album included the chart topper "Nothing Compares 2 You," which was originally written by Prince in the 1980s for the funk band The Family.

Also that year, Driving Miss Daisy took home the Academy Award for Best Picture. Originally a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the playwright Alfred Uhry adapted Driving Miss Daisy for the screen with impressive results. Denzel Washington took home the Best Actor Award for Glory, the first of two Oscars he would eventually win. And the popular movies Ghost and Pretty Woman were released.

Beach Reads

Posted June 7, 2011

There are so many excellent titles to look forward to this summer: a new title by Jennifer Weiner, a new Stephanie Plum installment, and a new Benjamin Black title, all of which would make great companions to a lazy day at the beach. We've combed the reviews of forthcoming titles for some recommendations for all types of readers.

For those who lean towards the literary, we recommend Ann Patchett's forthcoming State of Wonder, which received starred reviews from both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Pharmacologist Marina is sent to the Amazon to research a colleague's death in this novel, which Kirkus noted is "Thrilling, disturbing and moving in equal measures—even better than Patchett's breakthrough Bel Canto." With praise like that, it is sure to be a winner.

If fast-paced science fiction is more your thing, we recommend that you pick up Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson. Set in the near future, it's a chilling look at the destructive potential of artificial intelligence. Booklist called it a "frenetic thriller" and noted that Wilson "is skilled in combining cutting-edge technology with gripping action scenes."

We think that Conqusitadora by Esmerelda Santiago should find a place in the beach bags of historical fiction fans. Ann Cubillas, an adventurous young Spanish women inspired by her Conquistador ancestors, goes to Puerto Rico with her husband to run a sugar plantation in this epic that Publishers Weekly called a "Puerto Rican Gone With the Wind."

Have a hankering for some psychological suspense? We recommend picking up Before I Go to Sleep, a debut novel getting some serious buzz. Christine, an amnesiac, begins to wonder who she can trust in this page-turner. It's been called a "pulse-pounding thriller," "chilling" and "compellingly hypnotic" and received several starred reviews. We suspect some readers might finish it in one sitting.

And finally, for those who enjoy a little quirkiness in their stories, we suggest The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, a fictional account of the life of Lavinia "Vinnie" Warren Bump, the wife of Tom Thumb and a popular P.T. Barnum attraction. Publishers Weekly calls Vinnie an "effervescent narrator with a love of life and a grand story worth the price of admission."

Printers Row Lit Fest

Posted June 2, 2011

Sunny days are forecasted for this weekend. Why not head outdoors and check out the Printers Row Lit Fest? Booksellers will be out on and around Dearborn, from Congress to Polk. There will also be plenty of author events and the like for both adults and kids.

We are happy to be hosting several noteworthy programs at the Harold Washington Library Center. Some highlights include former One Book, One Chicago author Colm Tóibín on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. On Sunday at 3:00 p.m. we expect a good crowd for an event with writer Terry McMillan. Other programs to look forward to include: Marcus Sakey in conversation with Sean Chercover on Saturday and a Midwest Paranormal panel with Laurell K. Hamilton, Christina Henry and Chloe Neill on Sunday.

You can find the full schedule for Saturday and Sunday online. For more information, be sure to see the Printers Row FAQ.

With warm weather right around the corner, it's time to take a look at some of the books that inspired upcoming summer movies. Earlier this month, Something Borrowed opened starring Kate Hudson and based on the novel by Emily Giffin. Everything Must Go, an indie film starring Will Ferrell, is based on the short-story “Why Don't You Dance” by Raymond Carver (included in his anthology Where I'm Calling From). And we know many of you are looking forward to the film adaptation of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

Here are some other summer movies based on books:

Submarine based on the coming-of-age novel by Joe Dunthorne.
Mr. Popper's Penguins based on the beloved children's book by the same name and starring Jim Carey.
One Day starring Anne Hathaway based on the romantic and amusing novel by David Nicolls.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2 based on the final installment of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
Sarah's Key based on Tatiana's De Rosnay's historical novel about the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup during the Nazi occupation of France.

D.I.Y. Film Fest: Sidney Lumet

Posted May 12, 2011

Director Sidney Lumet died last month, and it was quite a loss. The New York Times called him "a director who preferred the streets of New York to the back lots of Hollywood and whose stories of conscience...became modern American film classics." He was also talented at adapting great plays for the big screen. Three of his films are still so wildly popular that they chart on the Internet Movie Database's constantly updated Top 250 Movies poll, based on the ratings of the popular site's users. Those three are 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network. But there are many more classics to be found in Lumet's filmography, which includes a great variety of films.

Lumet worked with some of the greatest actors of his time, including Al Pacino, William Holden, Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger, Paul Newman, River Phoenix, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The cast of Murder on the Orient Express is ridiculously, opulently star-studded: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Vanessa Redgrave, etc. Feeling less than enchanted with the crop of movies currently in theaters? Consider spending some time with Lumet and company.

More great films directed by Sidney Lumet
The Fugitive Kind (1960)
The Iceman Cometh (1960)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)
Fail-Safe (1964)
The Pawnbroker (1964)
Serpico (1973)
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Equus (1977)
The Verdict (1982)
Running on Empty (1988)
Find Me Guilty (2006)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Top Cookbooks

Posted May 10, 2011

The James Beard Foundation Book Awards were announced last Friday night at an event hosted by Emmy Award winning Ted Allen and Top Chef’s Gail Simmons. The top prize for Cookbook of the Year went to Oaxaca al Gusto, an Infinite Gastronomy by Diana Kennedy. Another top honor went to Harold McGee as his tome, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, was inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame. You can find those and more winning titles at the Chicago Public Library:

American Cooking: Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas
Baking and Dessert: Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-grain Flours from Amaranth to Teff by Kim Boyce
General Cooking: The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century by Amanda Hesser
International: Stir-frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories by Grace Young
Healthy Focus: The Simple Art of EatingWell Cookbook by Jessie Price & the EatingWell Test Kitchen
Reference and Scholarship: Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes by Mark Bitterman
Single Subject: Meat: A Kitchen Education by James Peterson
Writing and Literature: Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg

I Was a Dancer

Posted May 5, 2011

Please join us on Monday, May 9, 2011 at the Harold Washington Library Center at 6pm for an event with dancer and author Jacques d'Amboise. d'Amboise will discuss and sign his recently published memoir, I Was a Dancer. d'Amboise was the principal dancer at the New York City Ballet where George Balanchine choreographed work especially for him. The New York Times called the memoir, "highly engaging" and Kirkus noted that in the book d'Amboise maps "out the complex evolution of ballet in America."

Dance enthusiasts should also check-out Jennifer Homans' history of ballet, Apollo's Angels, which made the New York Times' Best Books of 2010 list.

Mental Health Awareness

Posted May 3, 2011

May is Mental Health Month, and Chicago Public Library has created a guide to free resources that are available for coping with such common challenges as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, grief, schizophrenia, and suicide. There will be some excellent free programs as well, including one on children and depression and another on the potential downside of modern technology.

Mental Health America has also put together a useful site that lists "10 Tools to Live Your Life Well." Their common sense suggestions under each tool are terrific. Want to help? Consider spreading the word online. Mental Health America shares some easy ways to do your part.

The nominees for the Hugo awards were announced last week. This prize for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy has been around since 1953. The very first Hugo for best novel went to The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester. Last year there was a tie for best novel. Fans simply couldn't decide between China Mieville's City and the City and Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl. (Browse the list on our web site.)

Another interesting piece of trivia about the Hugo surrounds the history of its trophy. While the trophy always features a finned Hugo rocket, the rest of the design varies from year to year. You can see photos of all the past trophies at the official Hugo site. We're partial to the design from 2007.

Now on to the nominees! We have listed those for best novel below. You can find the complete list on the 2011 World Science Fiction Convention, dubbed Renovation, website. The popular publishing blog, GalleyCat, posted a "mixtape" of sorts for many of the nominees. It’s a compilation of free samples of works by these writers. What a great place to start if you’re looking to dip your toes in the world of sci-fi and fantasy.

Who knows? You may gain a vested interest when the winners are announced on August 20th, 2011 at the Hugo Awards ceremony at Renovation in Reno, Nevada.

All Clear by Connie Willis
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald
Feed by Mira Grant
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin

Poetry Fest 2011

Posted April 26, 2011

Please join us this Saturday, April 30, 2011 for Poetry Fest, a free daylong festival of poetry readings, workshops, performances and discussions at the Harold Washington Library Center. This year we will welcome Nikki Giovanni at 2 p.m. in the Pritzker Auditorium for a reading and book signing. Giovanni is the author of more than 30 books for adults and children, including Black Feeling, Black Talk, her first book of poetry published in 1968. Her autobiography, Gemini, was a finalist for the National Book Award. One of Oprah Winfrey's 25 "Living Legends," Giovanni received the Langston Hughes Medal for Poetry and was also the recipient of the 2007 Carl Sandburg Literary Award presented each year by Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Library Foundation.

The Royal Wedding

Posted April 21, 2011

With Britain's royal wedding just more than a week away, Prince William and Kate Middleton aren't the only ones with a party to finish planning. For those of us not among the 1,900 on the guest list, we'll need to make our own festivities. Here in Chicago, royal watchers and wedding buffs will toast the lovebirds at watch parties and events (most in the afternoon and evening of Friday, April 29).

For folks who can't wait that long to start celebrating the soon-to-be newlyweds, television coverage on this side of the pond starts before dawn. While the hour may seem altogether undignified, it wouldn't be a proper English party without tea, scones and clotted cream. Find recipes for tea, crumpets and other essentials.

To get in the mood for the nuptials, you can brush up on the couple's romance with William and Kate: The Love Story or William & Kate: A Royal Love Story. And, of course, you mustn't attend the wedding without a hat. Find inspiration for your ensemble in Hats: An Anthology, The Century of Hats: Headturning Style of the Twentieth Century and Hats: Status, Style and Glamour.

Parallel Universes

Posted April 19, 2011

Please join us at the Harold Washington Library Center this Wednesday at 6 pm as we continue our celebration of the spring One Book, One Chicago selection, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Acclaimed theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss will discuss how scientists are exploring the possibility of parallel universes using Neverwhere and its otherworldly setting of London Below as a starting point. With his earlier works including The Physics of Star Trek, Krauss is no stranger to unveiling the science in pop culture. He also recently shed light on the work of another renowned physicist in Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science. With such a knowledgeable speaker this is sure to be an engaging and fascinating event.

Caught Reading on the CTA: Brown Line Edition

Posted April 14, 2011

It's been a while since we've noted what you're reading on your daily commute. We've noticed a lot of you with e-readers, but nearly as many still toting the old-fashioned book (which makes it much more convenient for us to catch what you are reading). We were pleased to see you immersed in a graphic novel, The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames and illustrated by Dean Haspiel, and intrigued when we spotted a copy of Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz. We noticed popular new titles like The Paris Wife by Paula McLain and Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, along with titles that are likely to provide great fodder for discussion such as Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier by Edward L. Glaeser.

Here are a few other books we caught you reading recently:

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Lauren Hillenbrand
Swamplandia by Karen Russell
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Civil War Sesquicentennial

Tuesday April 12, 2011

One hundred and fifty years ago this week, the American Civil War began. This momentous anniversary is being observed with various programming throughout the nation, including right here at Chicago Public Library. Don't miss the terrific new exhibit, In Service to the Union: Civil War Artifacts, on display now at the Harold Washington Library Center. And check out our Civil War digital collections online without leaving the comfort of your living room. Looking for something to read about this awe-inspiring time in our history? Looking for more information on the topic? Be sure to check out our Popular Topics page on the Civil War, along with the accompanying recommended reading list.

And we should mention at least a couple of the very newest standouts in this evergreen publishing niche. First, America Aflame: How the Civil War Created a Nation by David Goldfield has received outstanding attention. Kirkus called it, "Not just a reappraisal of the Civil War, but an exemplary cultural study of 19th-century America." Meanwhile, Publishers Weekly praised it in a starred review as "an ambitious, engrossing interpretation with new things to say about a much-studied conflagration." Then there's The Civil War: a Concise History by Louis P. Masur. If you just want to get an overview of the war and not sign up to reenact battles in full costume, consider this new history, which Booklist praises as "an immaculate overview that quickly gets to the heart of the matter." Rest assured, there are lots more exciting new titles coming this year on the topic as citizens reflect once again on where we've been and how far we've come.

Evening of Modern Fairy Tales

Posted April 7, 2011

Please join us tonight at the Harold Washington Library Center* for the first of many events to celebrate our latest One Book, One Chicago selection, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. This evening authors Lydia Millet and Kate Bernheimer will delight our audience with readings of modern fairy tales and conversations about the form.

Lydia Millet's most recent novel, How the Dead Dream, received rave reviews. Publishers Weekly gave it exceptionally high praise: "Millet proves no less lyrical, haunting or deliciously absurd in her brilliant sixth novel … Millet's latest unfolds like a beautiful, disturbing dream." Her most recent work, Love in Infant Monkeys: Stories, was equally acclaimed and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Kate Bernheimer is founder and editor of the Fairy Tale Review and the author of a collection of eight fairy tales entitled Horse, Flower, Bird. She is also the editor of the anthology My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, a collection of new fairy tales by contemporary writers including Neil Gaiman.

These ladies clearly know their stuff when it comes to the monstrous and magical. It's sure to be an evening of wonderful storytelling and conversation!

*Please note that while that online registration is now closed, there is still plenty of space available. Come on down!

Farewell, Wallander

Posted April 5, 2011

With The Troubled Man, Henning Mankell leaves readers with the last installment of the Kurt Wallander series, which is so popular that it is currently translated into 45 languages. It has also been adapted for screen, most recently in the BBC's Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh. The mystery series started over two decades ago, and American readers have been enjoying it since the English translation of Faceless Killers in 1997. The Troubled Man is the tenth installment, and fans are both excited – it been nearly a decade since the last full-length Wallander book – and saddened that this is farewell for the Inspector.

The all-too-human, often gloomy detective was created by Henning Mankell, who recently noted, "I don't even particularly like the man…He's not someone I'd invite to dinner." Ironic, since both the author himself and his fans have, indeed, spent quite a bit of time with him; but really, Wallander's flaws are part of his appeal. In the final book, Mankell has said that Wallander "is not actually solving a case. The case is himself." On some level, that statement seems true of all Wallander books, which are both gripping police procedurals and an exploration of the protagonist: his relationships, his drinking, his health. Here Wallander, now into his sixties, is excited by the birth of his granddaughter, struggling with his memory, and finding himself pulled into solving the disappearance of his daughter's father-in-law. We are confident that The Troubled Man will live up to fans' expectations: It has received starred-reviews from both Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and The Guardian has stated that "The Troubled Man is a first-rate whodunnit. But it's also a quiet, considered and respectful farewell; a meditation on a life honestly if imperfectly lived."

Last week fans mourned the passing of one of Hollywood's most legendary leading ladies, Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor was known for her iconic movie roles, but she was equally famous for her numerous off-screen romances. Although, she wed eight times it was her tumultuous love affair with actor Richard Burton that really made headlines. The two stars actually walked down the aisle twice and maintained a relationship even after their second divorce. This dynamic romance is the subject of the recently published book by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century.

Visit the library to read more about Taylor's life and loves in the many biographies in the library's collections. You can also check out some of her spectacular and award winning performances, including some with Burton.

Biographies:
Elizabeth by J. Randy Taraborrelli
How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood by William J. Mann
Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor by C. David Heymann
A Passion for Life: The Biography of Elizabeth Taylor by Donald Spoto

Films:
National Velvet, 1944
Father of the Bride, 1950
A Place in the Sun, 1951
Giant, 1956
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1958
Butterfield 8, 1960
Cleopatra, 1963
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966

New Books Spotlight: How to Write a Sentence

Posted March 29, 2011

Stanley Fish, formerly a Dean at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is a noted and influential scholar, and his recent book How to Write a Sentence: and How to Read One has clearly caught the attention of readers who enjoy thinking about language. NPR covered the book. Slate recently reviewed the book, featured some of Fish's favorite sentences, then took submissions from Slate readers for their favorite sentences. All the picks are enjoyable and fascinating. Also, Fish's publisher shares his "Top 10 Sentences of All Time" (click on Extras). All this attention being given to the humble little sentence, the building block of stories, novels, histories and more; it's reminiscent of another book that received a surprisingly passionate response a few years back.

Plant a Garden

Posted March 24, 2011

Spring is slowly poking its head out and so are a few green shoots, a welcome sight after a long and memorable winter. It's also a reminder that the time has come to start planning and planting your garden. If you don't think growing food is geared for the urban set, think again. You need as little as three square feet of land, or simply some containers, to plant a vegetable or herb garden. There are also opportunities to get a plot at one of the many community gardens in the city. Check out the Chicago Park District or GreenNet's community garden listings to find one in your neighborhood. And the Chicago Public Library offers materials that will guide you through the process of planning and caring for your garden. Check out some of our great vegetable and herb gardening books:

Garden Anywhere: How To Grow Gorgeous Container Gardens, Herb Gardens, Kitchen Gardens and More, Without Spending a Fortune by Alys Fowler
Incredible Edibles: 43 Fun Things to Grow in the City by Barrie Murdoch
The Beginner's Guide to Edible Herbs by Charles W.G. Smith
One Magic Square: The Easy, Organic Way to Grow Your Own Food On a 3-Foot Square by Lolo Houbein
The New Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour
Homegrown: A Growing Guide for Creating a Cook's Garden by Marta Teegan
The Complete Herb Book by Penelope Hobhouse
Talking Dirt: The Dirt Diva's Down-To-Earth Guide To Organic Gardening by Annie Spiegelman
Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardeners by Barbara Pleasant

The Long Red Carpet

Posted March 22, 2011

Four great actors took home Oscars last month for some exceptional new films. All four clearly still have long careers ahead of them, but each of them also has an impressive resume, which gets you wondering: which of their earlier films are worth catching up with?

Over the years Colin Firth has distinguished himself in many fine films such as Shakespeare in Love and The English Patient. He's probably best known for his role in Bridget Jones's Diary, as well as last year's A Single Man, but he's been acting in film since 1984, and the performance his long-term fans probably treasure most is as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.

Though she's the youngest of the group, Natalie Portman's career began long before the new Star Wars movies. A child actor, her feature debut was in The Professional in 1994. Since then she's been in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's Mars Attacks, the literary adaptation Cold Mountain and the indie smash Garden State. But at this date, it seems most people have forgotten about her youthful supporting performance in Michael Mann's Heat, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Surprisingly, Christian Bale has been acting in films for almost as long as Colin Firth. He's well-known these days for playing the part of Batman, as well as starring in many other big hits such as Public Enemies and The Prestige. He maintains a cult following for his starring role in American Psycho and started a reputation for immersing himself in his roles to the point of altering his physical appearance in movies such as The Machinist. But he started acting very young, and he was already an excellent actor when he starred in the haunting Empire of the Sun. A few years later he played an uncharacteristically romantic part in Little Women.

Melissa Leo, too, has been acting since the early 1980s, but she has labored in relative obscurity compared to this year's other winners. After starting in All My Children, she continued to work in tv and lesser known films for many years until more recently garnering acclaim in a supporting part in 21 Grams, then a starring role in Frozen River that put her front and center for awards consideration. She was also terrific in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, a gritty borderland tale directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones.

Blogging Moms

Posted March 17, 2011

Heather Armstrong was hailed as queen of the mommy bloggers in the New York Times Sunday Magazine a couple of weeks back. For those not in the know, Armstrong is the woman behind Dooce.com, a personal blog she started in 2001. While she had a strong following before motherhood, it seems that sharing this new stage of her life really put her on the map. The article explores the popularity of mommy blogs and particularly the phenomenon of Dooce.com, which is speculated to be a million dollar business. It has also garnered Armstrong the No. 26 slot on Forbes list of the Most Influential Women in the Media because of her huge social media presence. This busy mom of two shares the ins and outs of her days with her family and is not shy about giving her readers all the gory details. Perhaps it is that candidness that has won her such a loyal following.

Armstrong has also done some more traditional writing. You can check out her book, It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita which chronicles her struggle with postpartum depression.

Curious about the mommy blogger trend? You can find many more on Babble’s list of Top 50 Mom Blogs, 2010.

2011 National Book Critics Circle Awards

Posted March 15, 2011

Last week the winners of National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced. The winners are chosen by critics and honor the "best literature published in English" in a number of categories. The fiction prize was awarded to Jennifer Egan for A Visit from the Good Squad which the Chicago Tribune called "edgy" and "groundbreaking," and Entertainment Weekly noted was "frequently dazzling." Egan beat out some formidable competition including Jonathan Franzen's Freedom. The other nominees in fiction were To The End of the Land by David Grossman, Comedy in a Minor Key by Hans Keilson, and Skippy Dies by Paul Murray.

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson took the prize for nonfiction. Will Wilkerson's book become the definitive text of the Great Migration? It's certainly possible. Publisher Weekly noted, "The drama, poignancy, and romance of a classic immigrant saga pervade this book, hold the reader in its grasp, and resonate long after the reading is done." The other nominees in nonfiction were Nothing to Envy by Barabara Demick, Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne, Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans, and The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

Check out the nominees and winners in other categories here.

Neverwhere, everywhere at Chicago Public Library

Posted March 3, 2011

Yesterday the One Book One Chicago program announced its 20th selection, and it's one of the most exciting picks yet: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is a groundbreaking and bestselling author who combines classic elements of English fantasy with modern settings and sensibilities. He's also just about the closest thing to a rock star we've ever found in the world of books.

Neverwhere tells the story of an ordinary young man who stops to help an injured girl and finds his life transformed. Suddenly, the people around him can no longer see him as he finds himself in an alternate universe: London Below, a magical world where "The things and the people that fall through the cracks go." While a traditional fantasy starts with a map of a land of mountains and forests populated by wizards and elves, Gaiman's novel starts with a map of the London Underground. That gives you a sense of the way Gaiman turns the genre on its head in this classic of urban fantasy, a novel that's dazzlingly suspenseful, imaginative and engaging.

Be sure to check out the full guide for listing of the many exciting events planned for this special book discussion, including visits with Gaiman himself and several other exciting authors, as well as a staged reading and workshops.

Don't Miss This: 2000

Posted March 1, 2011

We're taking a look back once again. While the year 2000 doesn't seem so long ago, a lot has happened and we bet you've forgotten about some of these little gems.

Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This collection of stories went on to be one of our very own One Book, One Chicago selections. Lahiri was hailed by critics for her original voice and her ability to provide both a window into Indian and American cultures as well as glimpse into what happens when those cultures intersect and at times collide.

At the movies Gladiator took home the Academy Award for Best Picture. Russell Crowe also took home the Best Actor Oscar for his role as General Maximus Decimus Meridius. The film has gone on to make many best-of lists. With award winning costume design and visual effects this movie is a feast for the eyes and is often praised for its enthralling battle scenes. It is not to be missed for entertainment value alone.

In music Santana took home the Best Album of the Year Grammy for Supernatural. Beck won the Best Alternative Music Performance award for Mutations. The Best New Artist award went to Christina Aguilera.

Please join us next Thursday, March 3, 2011 for Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas in Conversation with Eric Ferguson. Grant Achatz, the chef and owner of the award-winning restaurant Alinea, and his business partner/co-author Nick Kokonas will discuss and sign their new book Life, On the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat. For those who want to try their hand at Achatz's astounding creations, we recommend checking out his cookbook Alinea.

We also recommend taking a look at the intriguing profile of Achatz recently published by the Chicago Tribune. In it you'll find out quite a bit about Achatz (whose name rhymes with rackets), including details about his new restaurant opening this spring, Next. Dining at Next promises to be quite an experience: tickets will be sold online and the menu will change every 3 months focusing on a particular geographic location and time period (such as Sicily, 1949). As for Achatz, it appears his profile will only rise with the new project and the plans to adapt Life, On the Line into a feature film.

Mark Hertsgaard

Posted February 22, 2011

Please consider joining us Thursday, February 24 at 6p.m. in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium of the Harold Washington Library Center as we welcome author Mark Hertsgaard who will be discussing his book Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth. While some may be content debating the causes of climate change, Hertsgaard's book focuses on how others are rolling up their sleeves and making plans to deal with it. Publishers Weekly calls the book "readable, passionate" and "surprisingly optimistic."

Among other things, the well-reviewed book discusses efforts underway in cities such as Seattle, New York and our very own Chicago, and Hertsgaard will, in fact, be joined on stage by the Commissioner of Chicago's Department of Environment. You can get a sense of Hertsgaard's take on Chicago's efforts by reading an online excerpt. Another excerpt covers west Africa. It should be an engaging and informative evening.

Presidents Day

Posted February 17, 2011

If you ask someone whom we are honoring on Presidents Day you might be surprised at the response you get. Some will say we are celebrating George Washington's birthday. Others will say we are celebrating both Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays. And a third contingent would argue we are honoring all U.S. presidents. So what is the real answer?

Well, that's a bit tricky. Washington's Birthday used to be celebrated on February 22nd. Then in 1968 there was the passage of the Uniform Holidays Bill that was meant to move several federal holidays to designated Mondays rather than fixed calendar dates. This moved the celebration of George Washington's birthday to the third Monday in February. Many proponents of the Uniform Holiday Bill also proposed combining Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays and renaming the holiday Presidents Day, but that was never officially passed. Still, it is left to state and local governments to decide what name they use for the holiday. So the easy answer is that the official federal holiday is Washington's Birthday, but depending on what part of the country you live in you may be raising a glass to more than one dead president.

Now that we've made that clear as mud we'd like to direct your attention to the latest biography on the man who started it all: George Washington. Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life has been reviewed everywhere and topped many of last year's lists of top non-fiction books. Booklist hails it as, “a vastly enlightening, overwhelmingly engaging treatment of a great man.” The New York Times says, “Washington … is vivid and well paced . . . Most readers will finish this book feeling as if they have actually spent time with human beings.” What more can one ask for in a biography than for the subject to be brought to life?

53rd Grammy Awards

Posted February 15, 2011

The 2011 Grammys were not without spectacle and surprise: You have likely already heard that Lady Gaga arrived in egg and indie darlings Arcade Fire managed to walk away with the Album of the Year Award for The Suburbs! Chicago was well-represented with Buddy Guy taking the award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Living Proof and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's recording of Verdi's Messa Da Requiem led by Riccardo Muti received the award for Best Classical Album. We were surprised and pleased to see jazz artist Esperanza Spalding beat out Justin Bieber for Best New Artist. But the night arguably belonged to Lady Antebellum; the country trio left with five Grammys. Here are a few more winners we recommend checking out:

Pop Vocal Album: Crazy Love / Michael Buble
Alternative Album: Brothers / Black Keys
Latin Jazz: Chucho's Steps / Chucho Valdes & the Afro-Cuban Messengers
Traditional Gospel Album: Downtown Church / Patty Griffin
Americana Album: You Are Not Alone / Mavis Staples
Traditional Folk Album: Genuine Negro Jig / Carolina Chocolate Drops
Traditional World Music: Ali and Toumani / Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate
Latin Pop Album: Paraiso Express / Alejandro Sanz
R&B Album: Wake Up!/ John Legend & the Roots
Rock Album: The Resistance / Muse

Oscar

Posted February 10, 2011

Catching up on those Oscar nominated films in anticipation of the awards on Sunday Feb. 27? This year many of the top nominations are already on dvd, and it's an unusually high-quality crop of movies.

Are you one of those sourpusses (excuse us, purists) who dislikes the inclusion of ten films in the top category? There's a simple solution: look at the Directing category. Voila! You can pretend the field never widened, and you better believe the Best Picture winner will be one of these five. Look at the Editing category, also useful in predicting the winner, and you'll see that True Grit drops out, bringing the real competition down to four. The King's Speech seems poised for its coronation, but don't count out The Social Network just yet.

Below are this year's most honored films, with major nominations in parentheses. They are linked to the catalog when available on dvd.

Best Picture nominees:
Black Swan (Best Picture, Best Actress, Director)
The Fighter (Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, two noms for Supporting Actress)
Inception (Best Picture)
The Kids Are All Right (Best Picture, Best Actress, Supporting Actor)
The King's Speech (Best Picture, Best Actor, Director, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress)
127 Hours (Best Picture, Best Actor)
The Social Network (Best Picture, Best Actor, Director)
Toy Story 3 (Best Picture, Animated Feature Film)
True Grit (Best Picture, Best Actor, Director, Supporting Actress)
Winter's Bone (Best Picture, Best Actress, Supporting Actor)

Other films with top nominations:
Animal Kingdom (Supporting Actress)
Biutiful (Best Actor, Foreign Language Film)
Blue Valentine (Best Actress)
Dogtooth (Foreign Language Film)
Exit through the Gift Shop (Documentary Feature)
Gasland (Documentary Feature)
How to Train Your Dragon (Animated Feature Film)
The Illusionist (Animated Feature Film)
In a Better World (Foreign Language Film)
Incendies (Foreign Language Film)
Inside Job (Documentary Feature)
Outside the Law (Foreign Language Film)
Rabbit Hole (Best Actress)
Restrepo (Documentary Feature)
The Town (Supporting Actor)
Waste Land (Documentary Feature)

D.I.Y. Film Fest: Snowbound

Posted February 8, 2011

It's been a while since Chicago was hit with so much snow. Rather than let the weather bring you down, why not embrace it by watching one of these films filled with wintry goodness?

Doctor Zhivago
The Empire Strikes Back
Fargo
Frozen River
Into the Wild
Let the Right One In
Misery
The Shining
Stranded: I've Come from a Plane that Crashed on the Mountains
The Thing
30 Days of Night
Winter's Bone

Spotlight on Local Book Reviews

Posted February 1, 2011

We have been perusing the local presses again and here’s what caught our interest:

The Chicago Tribune recently reviewed The Killing of Crazy Horse by Thomas Powers about the life and death of the famed warrior. It also provides an interesting overview of the culture of the Plains Indians. The Chicago Tribune states, that the book is both “skillfully written” and “meticulously researched.” Other recent popular nonfiction covering Native American history include Empire of the Moon by S.C. Gwynne and The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick.

The Chicago Sun-Times had accolades for Swamplandia! by Karen Russell noting that the talent that she showed in her short story collection St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves “has turned into mastery in her debut novel, Swamplandia!” We are really looking forward to this quirky novel about Ava, a young alligator wrestler, and her family set in the Everglades during the Depression.

Finally, Time Out Chicago gave a glowing review to Long, Last Happy by Barry Hannah. Hannah, a writer from Mississippi, passed away last year. Long, Last Happy is a collection of his stort stories published posthumously. Fans of short fiction should take note: “if you turn to literature to tell you a good story, that has something to say about the human heart, and that surprises you with language’s beauty...Hannah is your writer.”

We realize that January is not quite over, but we're going to jump to March for a minute. That's right. We're looking ahead at March Madness, but not the basketball kind. We're talking about the Seventh Annual Tournament of Books. Why are we talking about this now? We are just so excited that the line-up of titles that will compete in this lively literary contest has been announced! That gives us all a head start on our reading!

But let's back up a minute to bring everyone up to speed on what the heck we're talking about. We'll let The Morning News, the creators of the tournament, explain: "Each spring we take sixteen of the most celebrated novels of the previous calendar and seed them into a competitive bracket—the kind you see in the N.C.A.A. basketball championship. Seventeen judges are enlisted throughout several rounds of competition, with each arbiter considering two books and advancing one. In this way, a pool of 16 books becomes eight, eight becomes four, four becomes two, and two becomes one, The Rooster, Champion Book of the Year." You can find more details including the list of judges, an explanation of how the contenders are chosen and an explanation of the Zombie round by going to the announcement page.

This year's competition will kick-off on March 7th. Without further ado here's the list:

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Nox by Anne Carson
Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky
Room by Emma Donoghue
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Next by James Hynes
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Model Home by Eric Puchner
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne
Savages by Don Winslow

If you liked True Grit...

Posted January 20, 2010

The movie True Grit, a western adpated from the novel by Charles Portis (and previously adapted as a John Wayne film), is currently a surprise hit at the box office. In fact, they say it's the biggest hit of the illustrious Coen Brothers' careers (by far). So chances are good that many people are (re-)discovering the joys of the western, a beloved American genre that can be traced at least as far back as 1823 with the writings of James Fenimore Cooper.

Looking for more good western movies to watch? A couple years ago the American Film Institute compiled a list of the ten greatest westerns. Now is as good a time as any to explore our great film heritage.

AFI Top Ten Westerns

1. The Searchers. Director: John Ford. 1956
2. High Noon. Director: Fred Zinnemann. 1952
3. Shane. Director: George Stevens. 1953
4. Unforgiven. Director Clint Eastwood. 1992
5. Red River. Director Howard Hawks. 1948
6. The Wild Bunch. Director: San Peckinpah. 1969
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Director: John Foreman. 1969
8. McCabe & Mrs Miller. Director: Robert Altman. 1971
9. Stagecoach. Director: John Ford. 1939
10. Cat Ballou. Directed by Elliot Silverstein. 1965

Collected Works

Posted January 13, 2011

As we prepare to set in for the long winter ahead of us we expect that curling up with a good book will become the norm. While this is a perfect time to get lost in a sweeping novel, we also find it's an ideal time to immerse ourselves in the works of a single writer. Luckily for us there have been a number of collected works published recently.

Long, Last, Happy: New and Selected Stories collects the late Barry Hannah's writing. Library Journal notes, "Though working in the Southern gothic tradition of William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor, Hannah is ultimately unlike either of them, with a wilder, more darkly comic edge, a Southern and an American original."

Another collection set to hit our shelves any day now is Gryphon: New and Selected Stories by Charles Baxter. Booklist notes that the stories "showcase Baxter's first-rate talents in the form: sophisticated humor, exact writing style, plots at once ordinary and extraordinary, and in common with all masters of the form, wizardry at the fetching opening line." And Kirkus Reviews raves, "The uncanny power of Baxter's work derives from his knowledge of our secret selves as well as our surface ones."

Not to be outdone, several women authors have recently published great collections. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis is praised by Booklist: "Whatever the focus, Davis' incisive, rightfully celebrated stories snap us awake with their topsy-turvy yet dead-on perspective." Equally well received is Nadine Gordimer's Life Times: Stories, 1952-2007. Library Journal highly recommends the collection, noting "…these powerful and serious stories span the career to date of a critically acclaimed, prize-winning author." Another noteworthy collection is Anne Beattie: The New Yorker Stories, which Library Journal calls "… a fine collection of stories about characters whose failures to connect with others become Beattie's success as she astutely and wittily plumbs the depths of human relations."

And there you have it. Plenty of wonderful stories to carry you through the coming months.

MLK Day

Posted January 11, 2011

Next Monday will mark the 25th anniversary of the federal holiday honoring civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., and Chicago Public Library will be closed. Reflecting on the legacy of MLK would be a great way to spend the day, and many cultural institutions in Chicago will be celebrating. The DuSable Museum is hosting a Dr. King Celebration with activities and performances throughout the day. We also recommend checking out DuSable's exhibit, "Tracing the Civil Rights Movement 1848-1968," for a rich look at the long history of the movement. The Chicago History Museum will be commemorating MLK Day with many activities, including a performance of The MLK Project: the Fight for Civil Rights by the Writers' Theater. Also, the Chicago Children's Museum will be hosting I Have a Dream, Dr. King, an open mic for children in the afternoon. Many choose to remember King by serving their communities on the holiday; check out the MLK Day website for opportunities to serve.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. King and the civil rights movement, we highly recommend checking out Taylor Branch's Pulitzer Prize-winning King era trilogy covering the years 1954-1968. It includes Parting the Waters, Pillar of Fire and At Canaan's Edge. We also recommend the recently published Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides, a gripping study of King's assassination, and Freedom Summer by Bruce Watson about the summer of 1964 when hundreds of students went to Mississippi to register black voters.

Resolutions to Read

Posted January 6, 2011

I always meant to read... Ever find yourself starting a sentence that way? For some reason, the turning of the calendar is like the waving of a magic wand when it comes to inspiring changes of habit. And lots of New Year's resolutions involve reading. For example, several writers and readers shared their personal resolutions with the LA Times.

But you don't have to tackle War and Peace (really! it's ok!) in order to accomplish something with your reading. Stuck in a reading rut? It happens to all of us. This year, challenge yourself to read something out of your comfort zone: are you a fantasy fan? Try a mystery. A literary fiction fan? Try a romance. A current events and news junkie? Try a book of humor. A classics nut? Try a biography. Essays, true crime, science fiction, westerns, how to, short stories - there are all kinds of books to read.

Shake up the old routine. Here are some suggestions how:

Read more books. Step it up! Pick a goal of a certain number of books and go for it. And there are all kinds of reading challenges you can sign up for online. ("Sorry, honey, I can't take out the garbage. I've got that reading challenge to work on.") Salon lists some of the more offbeat choices.

Read fewer books. Here's a thought: read slower, in longer chunks of time, and more appreciatively. You've heard of the slow food movement? How about slow reading?

Read a book in translation. The late Stieg Larsson's books have got many people thinking about all the great books originally published in languages other than English.

Read a book in a foreign language. Studying a language? Brushing up for travel? They say immersion is the best way to learn.

Read an award winner. We have many awards listed on our web site, and there are many more.

Read a book you always 'meant' to read. Reading shouldn't be like schoolwork. It really is ok not to read the famous old classics. But it's also great sometimes to read something that your grandparents (or theirs) also might have read. Oprah Magazine recently talked to several authors who admit which books they've long meant to read, and they got some excellent advice on how to approach a difficult book.

Read a book just for fun. Put your serious reading aside and try something fun and fluffy. Harry Potter helped make it ok for adults to enjoy books for pure storytelling magic. Recapture the thrill of wondering, what happens next?

Lastly, read the way you want to. Paper, ebooks, audiobooks: there have never been more choices in how you choose to read. Don't let anyone tell you their way of reading is better than yours. (The environmental debate is, as always, more complicated than it seems.) So take some time before the frenzy of the routine takes over again and reflect: what do you want to read?

Caught Reading: O'Hare Airport Edition

Posted January 4, 2011

While we were away for the holidays we took note of what our fellow travelers were perusing. We spotted some no-brainers like the third and final installment in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and David Sedaris' latest, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary. But we also spied a few surprises across the aisles such as, The Zookeeper's Wife, Diane Ackerman's non-fiction WWII story of how the director of the Warsaw Zoo and his wife aided 300 Jews during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Below are a few more titles that were making the rounds:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The City & the City by China Mieville
A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice
Ghost Wars by Steve Coll
Oil: Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century by Tom Bower
The Shack by William P. Young
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder

As we come to the end of the year and we reflect on the best the world of literature had to offer, we would like to take a moment to welcome all the fresh voices who debuted their first novels in 2010.

There were some that caught early buzz and garnered impressive reviews including Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. This debut tells the story of the retired Pettigrew and the unexpected romance that develops between him and the Pakistani woman who owns the village shop where he buys his tea. Library Journal was particularly lavish with its praise stating, "This irresistibly delightful, thoughtful, and utterly charming and surprising novel reads like the work of a seasoned pro. In fact, it is Simonson's debut. One cannot wait to see what she does next."

Another title that caught our eye was The Imperfectionists, a novel about the very timely subject of the dying newspaper industry. Publishers Weekly noted, "…there are more than enough sublime moments, unexpected turns and sheer inky wretchedness to warrant putting this on the shelf next to other great newspaper novels."

Finally we'd like to spotlight Bloodroot, a title that hit a few top debut lists. The novel, set in Appalachia, follows three generations of women in the Lamb family from the Depression era to the modern day. Booklist raved, "This stunning debut novel is a triumph of voice and setting." Kirkus Reviews agreed noting, "Pitch-perfect voices tell a story loaded with lyric suffering and redemption."

Interested in more debuts? You can find all of Booklist's Top 10 First Novels (listed below) at the Library:

Anthill by Edward O. Wilson
Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa
Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Born under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield
Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne
Rich Boy by Sharon Pomerantz
Ruby’s Spoon by Anna Lawrence Pietroni

The Year in Music

Posted December 21, 2010

So what did 2010 have to offer in the way of music? Quite a bit. Let's take a look:

LCD Soundsystem's This Is Happening takes the #1 spot on Paste's list, followed up by Janelle Monae's The ArchAndroid at #2. And yes, Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy did make an appearance at #4. One place where Paste diverges from other "best of" lists is with their #10 pick of Frightened Rabbits' The Winter of Mixed Drink noting that "A cardiac pulse animates many of the songs, a mightily thwacking unison at the core of all the kaleidoscopic embellishment. Sprightly rhythms still canter through the drafty corridors."

The British publication NME made a bold #1 pick: Hidden by These New Puritans. In reviewing the album, NME called the band's sophomore effort "brilliant" and noted that the band was "living up to their name and dragging a fresh clarity of sound into the world."

Rolling Stone's top spot goes to Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy followed up by the Black Key's Brothers. They had a unique #3 pick with The Union, a collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell produced by T-Bone Burnett, noting that it's "filled with shining steel guitar, chortling brass and gospel-time choirs."

The album that moved Spin the most was My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West (no surprise there: despite his prima donna antics, Kanye is a critics' darling and he deserves the accolades). But their #2 album was a more novel pick: Deerhunter's Halcyon Digest. Spin noted its "expansive warmth" and said that the album's "mournful rapture radiates like the beacon the Atlanta band always imagined."

Kanye West and LCD Soundsystem take the #1 and #2 spots over at Pitchfork, with Deerhunter dropping in at #3. The #4 spot went to Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty by Big Boi, half of the Outkast duo, stating that it "sounds like a right-album-at-the-right-time classic, it sounds like something lesser artists are going to keep catching up to half a decade from now."

And finally, we'll share the top album from our favorite critics, Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis of WBEZ's Sound Opinions: Both Kot and DeRogatis agreed that Janelle Monae's ArchAndroid was the best album of 2010. Writing about the album in the Chicago Tribune, Kot noted that "The Atlanta singer's boundary-busting debut album has ambition to burn. It's a self-empowerment manifesto couched inside a futuristic "emotion-picture" about an android's battle to overcome oppression – got all that? The music is equally adventurous, touching on everything from lounge jazz to hard funk. A star is born." We agree.

Book Covers of 2010

Posted December 16, 2010

Once again we're amazed at the rich bounty of stunning, clever, beautiful and outrageous book covers we spotted this year. Having looked over (and borrowed from) some other bloggers' lists of the year's highlights, we know this should only be considered a small sampling of the year's many highlights. After all, there were so many excellent covers this year. Some of the covers below reward close scrutiny (for example, the subversive Half Empty or the portrait of the prison librarian created entirely with 'date due' stamps on Running the Books). For a closer look at any of the following, click on the cover to go to the book record, then click on the cover again for an enlargement.

D.I.Y. Film Fest: Holiday Films

Posted December 14, 2010

The holidays are upon us. What better time to take a break from the daily grind and curl up with a good movie? You can find many holiday favorites at the library. There are the true classics like the 1935 A Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim and the family favorite Miracle on 34th Street. Then there are the more modern classics: A Christmas Story and Home Alone. And what would the season be without Jimmy Stewart running down the streets of Bedford Falls yelling Merry Christmas in It's a Wonderful Life? You can find these and many other holiday hits, new and old, at the library.

Bad Santa
A Christmas Tale
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Family Stone
Four Christmases
Joyeux Noel
Love Actually
Nothing Like the Holidays
George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
Scrooged
This Christmas
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Edmund Morris

Posted December 9, 2010

Please join us on Tuesday, December 14 for a discussion and book signing with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edmund Morris at the Harold Washington Library Center. His recently published book, Colonel Roosevelt, is the last volume in his critically-acclaimed trilogy on President Theodore Roosevelt. Janet Maslin at the New York Times has stated that the work "deserves to stand as the definitive study of its restless, mutable, ever-boyish, erudite and tirelessly energetic subject." And John Barron at the Chicago Sun-Times concedes that it is probably "impossible to write a bad book about Theodore Roosevelt. Morris has written a great one." The first two titles in the trilogy, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex, are equally illuminating. We also recommend checking out Morris' biographies on Ronald Reagan and Beethoven.

The Great (Jewish) American Novel

Posted December 7, 2010

There is an amazingly rich tradition of American Jewish writing that extends from legends such as Bernard Malamud and Chicago's Saul Bellow to the present day with writers such as Allegra Goodman and Jonathan Safran Foer. This year (especially this season), we've seen a number of impressive novels published by Jewish authors who are unabashedly serious in their literary ambitions, including new works from major writers such as Philip Roth and Elie Wiesel.

Like Adam Levin's The Instructions, Joshua Cohen's Witz: the Story of the Last Jew on Earth is a sprawling novel that takes up sweeping themes. Library Journal notes that the young author Cohen has "certainly outdone himself in this epic, a postapocalyptic whirlwind of a novel that features Benjamin Israelien, the world's final Jewish man." Nicole Krauss's latest, Great House, a finalist for the 2010 National Book Awards, concerns a group of characters variously connected together by a single writing desk. The New York Times wrote: "Here [Krauss] gives us her tragic vision pure. It is a high-wire performance, only the wire has been replaced by an exposed nerve, and you hold your breath, and she does not fall."

Cynthia Ozick, a passionate admirer of Henry James, has written a new novel, Foreign Bodies, that is a kind of playful re-working of James's The Ambassadors, and critics have been generally enthusiastic. Salon praises the author's "prose of arresting vigor and clarity" and the Times calls it "an absorbing achievement." Though not American, it's also worth mentioning that (Israeli) author David Grossman's To the End of the Land has been quietly gathering some of the strongest reviews of the season. A critic writing for the Guardian declared it "without question one of the most powerful and moving novels I have read." There's certainly been plenty of great writing recently for all literary fiction lovers to enjoy. Following is an extended list of recent highlights:

Witz: the Story of the Last Jew on Earth by Joshua Cohen
Great House by Nicole Krauss
The Instructions by Adam Levin
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick
An American Type by Henry Roth
Nemesis by Philip Roth
The Sonderberg Case by Elie Wiesel
The Marriage Artist by Andrew Winer

Around the World With Mysteries: Moscow

Posted December 2, 2010

In our latest tour of the world in search of mysteries we've come to a stop in Moscow. One of the long running series to feature the Russian city as a backdrop is Stuart M. Kaminsky's Inspector Rostnikov series. Kaminsky, a native of Chicago, had written sixteen novels featuring Rostnikov before his death last year. The last entry, A Whisper to the Living, has the Inspector on the hunt for a serial killer who has amassed 40 victims. Booklist gave it a starred review noting, "Kaminsky captures Rostnikov's mix of cop bleakness and Russian romantic sensibility."

Another detective who calls Moscow home is Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko. If the name rings a bell for movie buffs it could be because the first entry in the series, Gorky Park, was made into a feature film back in the 80s starring William Hurt as Renko. The titular park is an amusement park in Moscow where Renko is called in after the discovery of three mutilated corpses. In the latest installment of the series, Three Stations, we find Renko investigating the death of a young prostitute who he believes has been murdered.

A debut that received a lot of praise earlier this year is William Ryan's The Holy Thief. By all accounts this promises to be the start of a thrilling new series featuring Capt. Alexei Korolev of the Moscow Militia's Criminal Investigation Division. Ryan has drawn comparisons to Tom Robb Smith who penned Child 44. Set in 1930s Moscow, Ryan's first outing had Publishers Weekly hailing it for its impeccable period detail and calling it "a series to watch very closely."

Finally, for those just looking to dip their toes into the darker side of Moscow we suggest Moscow Noir. Part of Akashic's noir series, this anthology presents 14 Russian authors writing in a style that is not traditional in Russia, but they nonetheless deliver the goods. Publishers Weekly notes, "Story after story offers haunting images."

It's that time again when we look back at the year in publishing and sum up the best that 2010 had to offer. We perused several best-of-the-year lists to find out which nonfiction books the critics deemed worthy. We noticed that many critics selected Just Kids by Patti Smith, which recently won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot made it onto numerous lists, as did The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. So what other great nonfiction books did the critics recommend? Check out some of these:

Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship by Gail Caldwell
Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddartha Mukherjee
Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif Batuman
War by Sebastian Junger
Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens
The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood by Jane Leavy
The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches From the Fault Line Between Christianity and Islam by Eliza Griswold
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
Packing For Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
The Wave: In Pursuit of Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey
Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol. 1 by Mark Twain
Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds by Lyndall Gordon
Life by Keith Richards

Tell-Alls

Posted November 18, 2010

We've noticed a surge in celebrity memoirs of late. The queen of talk herself, Oprah, seems to have a revolving door of big names stopping by to discuss their books. Just recently she talked with Portia de Rossi about Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, her revealing account of her struggle with eating disorders. She then had Ricky Martin on to talk about Me, his memoir that covers everything from his childhood and early music career to his sexuality and his life as a father. After the in-depth interview she had with music mogul Jay-Z last year, we expect she will be having him on soon to discuss his just published memoir, Decoded. Now what we'd really like to see is Keith Richards having a chat with Ms. Winfrey about his recent tell-all, Life.

Hip Ron Charles Handicaps the National Books Awards for Fiction

Posted November 16, 2010

We revisit totally hip book reviewer Ron Charles to get his take on the “Academy Awards of American publishing,” the National Book Awards. Haven’t read all the nominees yet? Don’t worry, because Ron will break it down for you in a quick, hilarious fashion. Before he makes any judgments on Parrot and Olivier, he’d like to see Peter Carey’s birth certificate. After all, it is the National Book Awards. And he’s not sure that he’s willing to tackle all 600 plus pages of one surprise finalist, but he’ll feign having read it. Does the book about a mysterious desk have a chance? Perhaps, but Charles puts his money on Shriver’s “powerful critique of our broken health care system.” We’ll find out if he’s right this evening.

As for the worthy nonfiction nominees, here they are:

Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, 9-11, Iraq by John W. Dower
Just Kids by Patti Smith
The Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade by Justin Spring
Every Man In This Village Is a Liar: An Education In War by Megan K. Stack

The Pacific

Posted November 11, 2010

The sensational 10-part HBO miniseries The Pacific arrives on dvd this week. A kind of companion to Band of Brothers, which focused on the experience of the European Theater of Operations during World War II, the new miniseries focuses on the Pacific Theater and was likewise produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, among others. Unable to find one single book to adapt that summed up the whole experience, writer Bruce McKenna and his team based their script on several books, primarily on Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie and With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene Sledge. Audiences were so fascinated by these stories that both books rocketed into the bestsellers charts earlier this year.

Additonally, Hugh Ambrose (son of Band of Brothers author Stephen Ambrose) penned a companion book to the television miniseries, The Pacific. Want to explore the topic further? Other tie-ins include Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone by James Brady; A Glorious Way to Die: the Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato, April 1945 by Russell Spurr; and Islands of the Damned: a Marine at War in the Pacific by R.V. Burgin. Also, two more books by Robert Leckie have received attention: Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II and Strong Men Armed: the United States Marines against Japan. And the library has many more resources at your disposal for this historical topic.

The Walking Dead

Posted November 9, 2010

AMC's much anticipated, much talked about new series premiered last week. For those out of the loop, The Walking Dead is based on the comic book series of the same title. The story centers around a small town cop, Rick Grimes, who wakes up from a coma after being shot in the line of duty. He finds himself in an abandoned hospital that looks like a war zone with many casualties and some disturbing sounds coming from a chained up corridor. Grimes manages to find his way home only to discover his wife and son are gone. He's then rescued from an attack by a "walker" by a father and son who have survived by hiding out in a nearby home. They fill him in on what's happened to his town. Apparently it's been taken over by the undead. Now Grimes is on a mission to track down his family. Can he get to them before the walkers do?

If you're a fan of horror flicks in general and zombies in particular, the show airs Sundays on AMC. If you want to check out the comic before you commit, you can find copies at the library. So far we'd say it's reminiscent of 28 Days Later. These zombies are seriously scary. Too much? Do you prefer your zombies on the lighter side? Then check out Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland for a few laughs.

Spotlight on Local Book Reviews

Posted November 4, 2010

We've been checking out books plugged by our favorite local presses, and we'd like to share what we found:

Of local interest, the Chicago Reader has a short feature about Royko in Love, a touching collection of letters between Mike Royko and his wife, Carol, edited by his son, David Royko. Michael Miner spoke with David for the article and states that the "letters burn with the passion and obsession of the moment." And several Chicago outlets are spotlighting local author Adam Levin and his book the The Instructions: Chicagoist lists it as one of the must-reads for fall and has an interview with Levin. It was featured in Time Out Chicago's fall books preview. Christopher Borelli at the Chicago Tribune called it "bold, fast, funny and ambitious," and Levin is featured in this month's Chicago Magazine. Better pick it up; it looks like all the cool kids will be discussing this one!

Both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times ran positive reviews of a recently published biography of an iconic American artist entitled Grant Wood: A Life by R. Tripp Evans. The creator of the very famous painting "American Gothic" was not just a simple Midwestern artist but also a closeted homosexual, a topic that earlier biographers excluded. The Chicago Tribune's Art Winslow states that the book is a "dramatic reinterpretation of the artist's life and work," while the Chicago Sun Times' Michael Harris notes that "Evans provides Wood and his work with layers upon layers of depth, creating a portrait of a fully realized, three-dimensional man whose work and life is terribly fascinating and distinctly American." The Chicago Sun Times also recently featured a glowing review of Driving on the Rim, the story of a small-town doctor, by Thomas McGuane. In describing McGuane, Lloyd Sachs states "that no living American novelist provides greater pleasure — sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, page by page — than this Montana icon."

If you remember the franchise began with Marty, played by the very young Michael J. Fox, being sent back to 1955 in Doc Brown's DeLorean time machine. In the process he changes history by getting in the way of his mom and dad's first meeting. In order to put everything back to normal and insure his existence when he returns to 1985 he must make sure they meet and fall in love. In the sequel we once again see Marty and Doc trying to set things right after Biff Tannen, same bad guy from the first movie, steals the DeLorean in order to go back in time and change the course of his life. Finally, in the third installment we are taken to the Old West where Doc Brown has been living after being trapped there at the end of the second film. He's in danger and it's up to Marty to save him and once again correct the timeline. Confused? Intrigued? Nostalgic? Then perhaps it's time to revisit this sci-fi classic.

Bone-chilling Reads

Posted October 26,2010

With Halloween upon us, it's an ideal time to pick up a chilling book and settle in for a haunting night of reading. Luckily, there are a variety of titles to choose from to suit your taste. John Ajvide Lindquvist, author of Let the Right One In, which was adapted into an excellent film, has traded vampires for zombies in his recently published Handling the Undead. Or try Pride, Prejudice and Zombies or Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter for a comic spin on the zombie theme. Vampire fans should check out the popular novel The Passage by Justin Cronin, which has drawn comparisons to The Stand by Stephen King (and being compared to the master is about as good as it gets for a horror writer).

Also noteworthy is the second volume of Guillermo del Toro and Ted Hogan's vampire trilogy, The Fall, which Booklist praises for its "taut pacing and macabre fight scenes." If you're in the mood for a classic, why not get acquainted with literature's best known vampire, Dracula. For genetics gone gory, we recommend Ancestor by Scott Sigler, called "tremendously entertaining" by Booklist. And fans of "darkly funny" genre-bending suspense fiction should pick up Johathan Cabal the Necromancer. Looking for more? Consult Thrillers: A Hundred Must Reads to whet your reading appetite and enjoy essays about more thrilling reads.

Booker Surprise

Posted October 21, 2010

Nothing like an upset to get your attention, and that's just what it was last week when Howard Jacobson took this year's Booker prize over such other favorites as Emma Donoghue's Room and Tom McCarthy's C. The choice was a surprise not just because it went to an older writer (The Finkler Question is the 68 year old author's 11th novel), and not just because the novel deals with the relatively underexamined British Jewish experience, but because the novelist is a comic writer. (Or at least that's been a point of discussion.) What kind of comedy? Jacobson has described himself as the "the Jewish Jane Austen," further elaborating, "I bring the ways of Jewish thinking into the English novel." Sounds wonderful. Interestingly, the winner wasn't even officially submitted by its publisher. Neither was Room.

At the moment, we're still waiting to receive the prize-winning book. The publisher has been rushing more copies to print. Meanwhile, you might also check out one of Jacobson's earlier acclaimed books. The Act of Love's erotic storyline drew comparisons to Philip Roth. His previous novel, Kalooki Nights, also received exceptional praise and was longlisted for the Booker. Booklist magazine gushed, "Jacobson's prose is pure pleasure - concise, markedly insightful, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny - and his message, ultimately, is a heartbreaker. An exceptional novel." The author's Roots Schmoots, which the author wrote after visiting Jewish communities around the globe to explore what it means to be Jewish, also sounds enjoyable. Well done, Mr. Jacobson!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted October 19, 2010

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What better way is there to increase awareness than through books? Whether you're looking for answers to medical questions or personal accounts there is no shortage of information out there. You'll find a list of available titles below, but first we'd like to highlight a couple of relevant recent and upcoming books.

One organization that has become synonymous with breast cancer research is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Now you can read about how this grassroots network started in Nancy Brinker's memoir, Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer. In it she shares the story of her life with her sister and how her sister's battle with breast cancer led her to found Susan G. Komen for the Cure. According to Kirkus Reviews it's a "touching, inspiring look behind the scenes at the founding of one of the most famous nonprofit organizations in the world."

A forthcoming title that may be of interest is The Emperor of All Maldies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Publishers Weekly has given it a starred review noting, "Mukherjee's debut book is a sweeping epic of obsession, brilliant researchers, dramatic new treatments, euphoric success and tragic failure, and the relentless battle by scientists and patients alike against an equally relentless, wily, and elusive enemy." Sounds like a fascinating read. It will be out next month.

100 Questions and Answers About Breast Cancer by Zora Brown and Karl Boatman
After the Cure: The Untold Stories of Breast Cancer Survivors by Emily K. Abel and Saskia Subramanian
Cancer Is a Bitch: Or, I'd Rather Be Having a Midlife Crisis by Gail Konop Baker
The Everything Health Guide to Living with Breast Cancer: An Accessible and Comprehensive Resource for Women by Lucia Giuggio Carvalho and James A. Stewart
Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer: A Survivor's Guide for When Treatment Ends and the Rest of Your Life Begins by Marisa C. Weiss and Ellen Weiss
Lopsided: How Having Breast Cancer Can Be Really Distracting by Meredith Norton
Positive Results: Making the Best Decisions When You're at High Risk for Breast or Ovarian Cancer by Joi L. Morris and Ora Karp Gordon
Pretty is What Changes: Impossible Choices, the Breast Cancer Gene and How I Defied My Destiny by Jessica Queller

Mario Vargas Llosa

Posted October 14, 2010

Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa won this year's Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first Spanish-language writer to win since Octavio Paz received the prize in 1990. The New York Times noted that Vargas Llosa "is one of the most celebrated writers of the Spanish-speaking world, an anti-totalitarian intellectual whose work covers the range of human experience, whether it is ideology or eros." The Daily Beast has provided a handy cheat sheet with answers to your musings, such as why he won: although he was given slim odds, "he's been talked about as Nobel material for years" and it has been suggested that his conservative politics prevented the left-leaning committee from choosing him sooner.

If you are wondering where to start, the cheat sheet suggests both The War of the End of the World, noting it's a "masterful fable," and Feast of the Goat, a fictional account of the dictatorship of Trujillo and possibly his most popular work. Michiko Kakutani at The New York Times recommends both of those "harrowing narratives" as well, but she argues that the two "towering achievements of his career" are Feast of the Goat and Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, which "focuses on the private world of romance and creativity" and which William Boyd adapted into a script for film. Boyd recalls meeting Vargas Llosa in 1989 and notes that Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter is probably his favorite Vargas Llosa novel and perhaps the leitmotif of his fiction: "Vargas Llosa has continually celebrated the sexual and amatory electricity between men and women – that ticking clock that animates almost all of us, whether to delightful or disastrous effect, or both." Count also among his fans author Jane Smiley, who once cheekily remarked of The War of the End of the World that it was "the book War and Peace wanted to be."

Bravo, Mr. Vargas Llosa!

Ron Charles, Hip Book Reviewer

Posted October 12, 2010

The Booker Prize will be announced tonight. We already mentioned the finalists last month, but since then Washington Post reviewer (and National Book Critics Circle winner) Ron Charles covered the finalists in one of his surprisingly funny video reviews. Have you seen the "totally hip video book reviewer" in action? His videos have actually been something of a viral sensation, at least in book-loving circles. They're entertaining and topical while managing to review books in under a "minute" (well, according to Charles's special clock, at any rate). Following is a list of the Ron Charles video reviews we could find online so far.

On the 2010 Booker Prize finalists
Ape House by Sara Gruen - video review
Before you Suffocate your own Fool Self by Danielle Evans - video review
By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham - video review
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen - video review
My Hollywood by Mona Simpson - video review

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted October 7, 2010

Hispanic Heritage Month began in mid-September and continues through mid-October. There’s still plenty of opportunity to celebrate at various locations. We also think it is a perfect opportunity to promote some of the wonderful new literature emerging from the Spanish-speaking world and from Latino writers in the U.S. Interestingly enough, the literary magazine Granta will be coming out with its first Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists issue later this year. Visit their website for a sneak peek of the list of young writers, which was announced last week. Meanwhile, here are several great books to help celebrate this month.

The Armies by Evelio Rosero
Beautiful Maria of My Soul by Oscar Hijuelos
The Invisible Mountain by Carolina De Robertis
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
The Lady Matador’s Hotel by Cristina García
Monseiur Pain by Roberto Bolaño
Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo

Tony Curtis: 1925-2010

Posted October 5, 2010

Tony Curtis died this past Wednesday at the age of 85 in his Nevada home. Born in the Bronx to Hungarian Jewish parents, he changed his name from Bernard Schwartz after signing with Universal Studios in 1948. Possessing good looks and charm, Curtis quickly became a star. The late 1950’s will likely be remembered as his heyday, with unforgettable roles in Some Like It Hot and The Sweet Smell of Success, an Oscar nomination for Defiant Ones, and a memorable performance in Spartacus. He married fellow actress Janet Leigh (Psycho), and the handsome couple was Hollywood royalty; one of their children is actress Jaime Lee Curtis. The couple divorced in 1962, and he married five more times. Even after his career declined in the ’60s, he continued to work as an actor. Tony Curtis was cast in more than 100 films over his lifetime, but it’s those few iconic performances that he will always be remembered for. Check out Curtis’ memoir, American Prince, for the story in his own words.

This year’s MacArthur Fellowship awards (often called “genius grants”) have been announced. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation bestows these awards on talented individuals working in diverse areas of the arts and sciences, but they usually include a writer or two. Hungry as we always are for reading suggestions, it seems like a good idea to compile a list of recent winners. Those MacArthur people seem to have quite literary taste, and the acclaimed writers they’ve chosen have generally won many other prizes as well. The following is a list of fiction writers who have won this prestigious award in the last decade. Before we get to that list, however, let’s especially congratulate two of this year’s winners with local ties: director David Cromer, who has roots in Chicago and has done much of his most acclaimed work in the area; and archaeologist Shannon Lee Dawdy. Way to go, David and Shannon!

Yiyun Li (2010)
Deborah Eisenberg (2009)
Edwidge Danticat (2009)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2008)
Stuart Dybek (2007)
George Saunders (2006)
Jonathan Lethem (2005)
Aleksandar Hemon (2004)
Edward P. Jones (2004)
Lydia Davis (2003)
Angela Johnson (2003)
Colson Whitehead (2002)
Andrea Barrett (2001)

Based on the Book

Posted September 28, 2010

As the weather turns cool we’re looking ahead to fall movies inspired by books. Never Let Me Go, based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, opened last week. Ishiguro is probably best known for The Remains of the Day, which was also adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Another movie set to open any day now is Let Me In. This is the American remake of the Swedish vampire sleeper hit Let the Right One In. Both films are based on the novel by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist, originally translated to English as Let Me In. We have to say we enjoyed the original film, but we are excited to see Richard Jenkins of The Visitor take the role as "the father" in the new version. And with that we leave you with a few more current and upcoming films based on books.

Now Playing:
The American based on A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth
Eat, Pray, Love based on the memoir Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

October:
Freakonomics: The Movie (documentary) based on the bestselling book Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
The Social Network based on The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich
It’s Kind of a Funny Story based on the young adult novel of the same title by Ned Vizzini

November:
Fair Game based on the book by Valerie Plame Wilson Fair Game: My Life As a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf based on the play of the same name by Ntozake Shange

Fall Books

Posted September 23, 2010

It’s shaping up to be another big fall season with lots to look forward to, including the first in a new series by Janet Evanovich, plus new books by John Grisham, Ken Follett, Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris, John le Carre, Salman Rushdie, and Michael Cunningham, plus a Waiting to Exhale sequel from Terry McMillan. Also, Tatiana De Rosnay follows up her word-of-mouth sensation Sarah’s Key with a new novel, and likewise Sara Gruen has her first new novel since her huge hit Water for Elephants. You can bet each of these books will be big bestsellers, but while readers love new work by long-time favorites, they also want to know which new authors to check out. So on the list of some of the season’s highlights below, we’ve tried to include some up-and-comers you may not be familiar with.

We look forward to Daphne Kalotay’s first novel, which tells a story of ballerinas during Soviet era Russia, and we’ve heard exciting things about Adam Levin’s mammoth novel being published by McSweeney’s. We’re looking forward to the latest from Dennis Lehane as well as Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand. Nicole Krauss’s new novel is sure to be one of the landmark literary events of the year, and early buzz has been strong for Brock Clarke’s Exley, whose title refers to a classic novel with an established cult following. And this list would be incomplete without mentioning that Emma Donoghue’s Booker-nominated (and likely winner) Room is already a smash hit. So there you go. Consider yourself officially clued in on fall’s big books.

September
Room by Emma Donoghue
A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shange

October
Great House by Nicole Krauss
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
Exley by Brock Clarke
How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu
Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation by Steven Johnson

November
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
The Instructions by Adam Levin
Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Marley and his Army

Posted September 21, 2010

John Grogan’s Marley and Me was a phenomenal bestseller that tapped into a huge, previously underappreciated market for memoirs about pets, and in the five years since then we’ve seen many more books follow in his footsteps, er, pawprints. This year alone there have been many fine additions to this swelling litter of a genre, with many more scheduled for release this Fall. And J. R. Ackerley’s 1956 book My dog Tulip has recently gained popularity because it’s been adapted into an animated film that recently opened in NY and LA.

Dogs have dominated this genre, but they are certainly not the only animals to serve as muses to their masters. Cats such as library mascot Dewey and blind Homer have had a share of the spotlight, too, as well as birds (such as 2008’s Wesley the owl by Stacey O’Brien) and other animals. So, rolling your eyes? Think you’ve had enough? Think again. Dewey’s book was such a hit that there’s a sequel coming soon, and we’re betting that once you hear the story of Oogy and some of these other critters, your resistance will melt away. Honestly, it seems some of these animals have more compelling stories than half the human subjects of contemporary biographies.

Lastly, just to get you in the mood, let’s follow our list with the latest viral sensation from Chicago rock band OK GO. (“White Knuckles” can be found on the CD Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.)

Recent Dog Memoirs
Through a Dog’s Eyes by Jennifer Arnold
Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search-And-Rescue Dog by Susannah Charleson
Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills by Carol Bradley
The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant
Marcus of Umbria: What an Italian Dog Taught an American Girl about Love by Justine Van Der Leun
One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Afghanistan by Pen Farthing
Soul of a Dog: Reflections on the Spirits of the Animals of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz

Cats and Other Animals
Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper
Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa
Cleo: the cat who mended a Family by Helen Brown
An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Jeff Guidry

Coming Soon
Dewey’s Nine Lives by Vicki Myron (on order)
Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Laurence M Levin (on order)
You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam (on order)
Small Furry Prayer by Steven Kotler (on order)
Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog by Stanley Coren (on order)

David Rakoff

Posted September 16, 2010

Please join us Tuesday, September 28 at the Harold Washington Library Center at noon for an event with David Rakoff. A regular contributor to This American Life and bestselling author of Don’t Get Too Comfortable and Fraud, Rakoff will discuss and sign his new book of essays, Half Empty. The Chicago Tribune has stated that "Rakoff’s strength is the turn of phrase that deftly and wittily dissects its subject at a stroke." Like his friend David Sedaris, David Rakoff has perfected the sidesplitting autobiographical essay, so be prepared to double over with laughter.

Audrey Niffenegger

Posted September 14, 2010

Local author Audrey Niffenegger will read from and sign her latest work, The Night Bookmobile, this Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Harold Washington Library Center. Niffenegger is best known for her bestselling debut novel The Time Traveler’s Wife which Publishers Weekly called, "a soaring love story illuminated by dozens of finely observed details and scenes." Her highly anticipated second novel, Her Fearful Symmetry, was released last year to great praise from Booklist: "Niffenegger tells a gorgeously rendered, utterly bewitching, and profoundly unnerving tale of the mysteries of selfhood and death and the way love can be both a radiant and malevolent force." Now the talented author and artist has published her first graphic novel. Originally serialized in the British daily newspaper The Guardian, it tells the story of a woman who comes upon a mysterious disappearing bookmobile that contains every book she has ever read. Those interested in perusing more of Niffenegger’s art work should check out her novels-in-pictures, The Three Incestuous Sisters and The Adventuress.

Man Booker Prize 2010 shortlist

Posted September 9, 2010

On Tuesday, the shortlist for the prestigious Man Booker Prize was announced. One title that we were surprised to learn didn’t make it from the longlist was David Mitchell’s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. A few others that didn’t make the cut but are getting buzz nevertheless include Skippy Dies by Paul Murray and The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas.

And onto the shortlist: Peter Carey, who has already captured two Bookers, is competing for an unprecedented third for his novel Parrot and Olivier in America. Emma Donoghue’s Room is told from the perspective of a 5 year-old who has lived his entire life in one room. Library Journal raves: “Gripping, riveting, and close to the bone, this story grabs you and doesn’t let go.” The Long Song by Andrea Levy also made the list. Her novel is set in Jamaica during the final years of slavery, and Kirkus called it a “subtly observed, beautifully written, structurally complex novel.” Tom McCarthy’s C, which Booklist notes “takes readers on a literary roller-coaster ride,” has also made the cut. Two shortlist nominees that have not yet been released in the United States are The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson and In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, a fictional account of the life of Thomas Cromwell, picked up the prize last year. This year’s Booker award will be presented on October 12, 2010.

In other literary award news there was a tie for the Hugo Award in the Best Novel category between The City and the City by China Miéville and The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi.

One Book, One Chicago: A Mercy

Posted September 2, 2010

The latest One Book, One Chicago selection is Toni Morrison’s most recent novel, A Mercy. Set in late 17th century America the story centers on Florens, a young slave girl who was given up by her mother in hopes that she would have a better life. Please join us at the Harold Washington Library Center for the opening event on Tuesday, September 7th at 6:00 pm. Dwight McBride, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Professor of African American Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies will present a lecture on the importance of Toni Morrison not only as a novelist but as a leading American intellectual. There will also be a short performance from the opera Magaret Garner, for which Morrison wrote the libretto, presented with help from the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera. As an added bonus free copies of A Mercy will be given to the first 385 attendees.

You can also find Toni Morrison’s other novels in our collections:

The Bluest Eye, 1970
Sula, 1974
Song of Solomon, 1977
Tar Baby, 1981
Beloved, 1987
Jazz, 1992
Paradise, 1998
Love, 2003

Considered one of the most romantic cities in the world, Venice also has a seamy underside — at least in mystery fiction. One of mystery’s most popular police commissioners, Commissario Guido Brunetti, works in and around Venice, and was created by Donna Leon, an American who’s lived in Venice for 25 years and undoubtedly knows her setting well. Brunetti is a cynic about the corrupt environment in which he works, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to solve the case or from enjoying a pleasant home life with his wife, Paola, and their children. The Washington Post has stated that “Brunetti is a marvel: smart, cultured and dedicated to his work.” Going strong now for nearly 20 years, the series started in 1992 with Death at Le Fenice in which Comissario Brunetti tries to solve the murder of a German conductor during the intermission of La Traviata. In the recently published A Question of Belief, Brunetti wants to escape the oppressive Venetian summer heat by heading to the mountains with his family, but he must first he tie up a few cases. If you haven’t already, we recommend picking up this very popular and entertaining series.

Another American author who has spent ample time in Venice is Edward Sklepowich. His Venetian mystery series features Urbino Macintyre, an American expatriate and amateur sleuth. There are nine installments in the series. In the most recent, Veils of Venice, Urbino tries to unravel the murder of his friend Contessa Barbara’s cousin, Olimpia. Publishers Weekly noted that “Sklepowich dramatically juxtaposes the splendor of Venice against the dark deed of murder.”

For historical fans, check out Beverle Graves Myers’ unique series set in the 18th century and featuring a castrato sleuth, Tito Amato. The series, which according to Publishers Weekly brings “18th century Venice to vivid life,” has five installments. The series started with Interrupted Aria, in which a prima donna is poisoned during a performance; when Tito’s friend Felice is jailed, Tito is determined to prove his innocence.

The Pen is…More Lucrative than the Sword?

Posted August 26, 2010

Forbes recently published a list of the world’s highest-paid authors. Most authors, of course, don’t make a great living, and it would be extremely unwise to take up writing as a way to make a fortune. Surely the greatest reward comes from connecting with an audience. But it’s nice to daydream, and the list is certainly interesting as evidence that these authors are all extremely popular. Of course, many of them are also quite prolific, none more so than the man at the top of the list, who hits the bestsellers lists regularly several times a year.

James Patterson was profiled back in January in the New York Times Magazine. From that article: “Since 2006, one out of every 17 novels bought in the United States was written by James Patterson. He is listed in the latest edition of Guinness World Records, published last fall, as the author with the most New York Times bestsellers, 45, but that number is already out of date: he now has 51 — 35 of which went to No. 1.” And that was only as of January. Interestingly, Patterson compares his brand to that of Crest toothpaste. Make of that what you will. Meanwhile, here’s the complete Forbes list. Surely Suzanne Collins and the estate of Stieg Larsson can’t be far behind.

James Patterson
Stephenie Meyer
Stephen King
Danielle Steel
Ken Follett
Dean Koontz
Janet Evanovich
John Grisham
Nicholas Sparks
J.K. Rowling

Down by the Schoolyard

Posted August 24, 2010

With the kids heading back to school it’s easy to get into a “hit the books” mentality. Before you put summer fun behind you, we thought we’d put in a plug for continuing to make time for play as we head into fall.

In David Elkin’s The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children, he advocates for more unstructured play for children. He stresses its developmental importance at all levels of childhood and adolescence and asserts that it leads to more well-adjusted kids who are more likely to succeed academically. In Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn—and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less we find three more psychologists promoting more play and less academic rigor for today’s kids. Play, in their opinion, is what fosters creativity and independent thinking, two skills they say will help them fare better in our changing world. Expanding on that theory we have Daniel H. Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. He argues that the future belongs to those right-brained creative types. And finally, we have Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan who advocate for play for everyone. In Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul they present similar findings that indicate that play develops creativity and empathy, promotes fairness and overall makes for happier individuals.

The True Chicago Story

Posted August 19, 2010

A successful play, musical and movie, Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two attractive Jazz Age women on trial for murdering their lovers, who charm the jury and the public. This scandalous and intriguing story wasn’t something cooked up in a creative writing class: Maurine Watkins, the original playwright, covered the true story for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter. Chicago was a violent place in the 1920s, and apparently beautiful women were in on the act: Beulah Annan, “the prettiest murderess,” and Belva Gaertner, described as “most stylish,” helped usher in the era of the celebrity criminal. There were no entertainment news networks or gossip blogs to fill the public in on the lurid details, but the sensational stories in the newspapers did a pretty decent job. The real story Watkins covered is now told in Douglas Perry’s recently published The Girls of Murder City: Fame, Lust and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago, which Booklist notes is is “a well-researched, fast-paced story” and Kirkus describes as “consistently entertaining.”

Here are a few other new Chicago-related books:

Get Capone by Jonathan Eig
The Wagon and Other Stories by Martin Preib
Angel of Death Row by Andrea D. Lyon
Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams
Chicago Television edited by Daniel Berger and Steve Jajkowski
A Game of Character by Craig Robinson
For You, I am Trilling These Songs by Kathleen Rooney
Family Affair by Sam Giancana and Scott M. Burnstein

Franzen Fever

Posted August 17, 2010

Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections whose long-anticipated follow-up Freedom will be published at the end of the month, graces the cover of the latest issue of Time magazine. They say he’s the first living novelist to be on the cover since Stephen King was featured 10 years ago. (A couple years before that, Time’s cover featured Toni Morrison, whose A Mercy is the Library’s fall One Book One Chicago selection.) The Observer’s books editor does a nice job contextualizing the Time article.

So will Freedom live up to such great expectations? It’s too soon to say, but advance reviews are starting to come in. New York Magazine’s Sam Anderson writes that it’s “a reminder both of why everyone got so excited about Franzen in the first place and of the undeniable magic — even today, in our digital end-times — of the old-timey literary novel.” Esquire declares: “It measures up.” And in the New York Times, Michiko Kakutani calls Franzen’s new novel “his most deeply felt novel yet.” But NPR’s Alan Cheuse has a dissenting opinion. Well, unanimous praise is boring, right? Meanwhile, if you’re a Jonathan Franzen fan who’s read all his novels and need something more, consider Christina Stead’s The Man Who Loved Children, which Franzen championed recently. (Update: Franzen breaks “the curve.”)

Don’t Miss This: 1960

Posted August 12, 2010

It’s time once again for a trip down memory lane. This time we’ll stroll through 1960. In January of that year Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts announced his candidacy for president. Later in the year he went on to participate in the first televised presidential debate against his opponent Richard M. Nixon. It was also the year of the famous sit-ins at the segregated Woolworth’s counter in Greensboro, N.C. Now let’s see what was happening in the world of literature, music and film.

Harper Lee published her award-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The National Book Award went to Philip Roth for Goodbye, Columbus, while the Pulitzer went to Allen Drury’s Advise and Consent. In genre writing the Hugo for excellence in science fiction and fantasy went to Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.

The Oscar for best picture of 1960 went to The Apartment starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray, while the Golden Globe for the best picture went to Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. Other popular films of the year included Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and the original Ocean’s 11.

Elvis made news in music with his return from a stint in the U.S. Army. He also released two chart-toppers, “It’s Now or Never” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” It seems Elvis’s much publicized draft notice also inspired the story that went on to become the hit Broadway musical released that same year, Bye Bye Birdie.

D.I.Y. Film Fest: Summer Movies

Posted August 10, 2010

The end of summer is nearing, and we’ve been thinking about our favorite summer-themed films. We’ve covered camp, vacation, summer jobs and love — all common to the summer experience — but there are also a few surprises on the list. So turn on the fan or the AC, and enjoy one of the last hot days this season indoors with a movie.

The Parent Trap (1961)
The original Parent Trap starring Haley Mills is a classic that both adults and kids can enjoy. Two girls meet at summer camp and realize they are identical twins of divorced parents. They switch places to spend time with the parent they never knew and concoct a plan to get them back together.

Adventureland (2009)
After graduating college, James (Jesse Eisenberg) plans on going to Europe for the summer before heading to grad school but instead finds himself with a job at a local amusement park, Adventureland.

The Endless Summer (1966)
This documentary follows two surfers who, in a quest for an endless summer, travel across the world searching for the perfect wave.

Dirty Dancing (1987)
Vacationing at a resort with her family, Baby (Jennifer Grey) falls in love and has an affair with the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), in this romance.

Stand By Me (1986)
Based on a short story by Stephen King, a writer recalls a memorable summer when he and his friends set out on an adventure to locate the body of a missing boy.

Say Anything (1989)
The popular but unremarkable Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) tries to win the heart of valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye) during the summer after their high school graduation in this romantic film.

Do the Right Thing (1989)
On the hottest day of the summer, racial tensions boil over in an ethnically diverse Brooklyn neighborhood.

On Golden Pond (1981)
Elderly couple Ethel (Katherine Hepburn) and Norman (Henry Fonda) are at their summer home on Golden Pond when their daughter, Chelsea, shows up with her boyfriend and his teenage son. When Chelsea and her boyfriend leave for Europe, the teenager and Norman form an unlikely bond in this heartwarming film.

Vacation (1983)
The Griswolds’ cross-country drive to Wally World doesn’t go exactly as planned in this classic summer comedy.

The Graduate (1967)
Recent college graduate Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) is seduced by an older woman, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). The situation becomes untenable when he falls for her daughter.

Rear Window (1954)
After breaking his leg, professional photographer Jefferies (James Stewart) finds himself confined to his apartment in a wheelchair. Spending the hot summer days and nights spying on the apartment complex residents, he begins to suspect one of murder. Grace Kelly co-stars as his girlfriend, Lisa, in this Hitchcock film.

Summertime (1955)
Middle-aged, independent Jane Hudson (Katherine Hepburn) fulfills her dream by traveling to Venice and, to her surprise, discovers love.

Jaws (1975)
A Great White shark descends upon the waters of a small resort town in New England and threatens the residents.

American Graffiti (1973)
A group of friends spend their last night cruising the neighborhood before heading to college in this nostalgic look at the 1960s.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Posted August 3, 2010

It’s coming! August 13! And Scott Pilgrim fans could not be more excited. The feature-length movie based on the long-running comic will hit theaters next week. Directed by Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame, this comic brought to life is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Let’s bring the uninitiated up to speed. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a young ne’er-do-well living life, playing in a rock band when he meets dream girl, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). All is right with the world until he discovers that in order to win her heart he must battle her seven evil exes.

The series created by Bryan Lee O’Malley began in 2004 with Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life. It’s now in its sixth and final volume, Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour (available this month and on order for the Library). If you haven’t read any of these fine volumes or you’ve fallen behind, now’s the perfect time to check them out.

This year is shaping up to be an excellent one for literary biographies. Just this past week, the New York Times Book Review’s front page featured reviews of two: A Great Unrecorded History: A New Life of E.M. Forster, which Colm Tóibín states is “well-written” and “intelligent,” and The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham, which David Leavitt describes as a biography that “does not so much give us a new Maugham as add shadings to the old one.” The authors lived during the same time period and both had romantic relationships with other men, which is explored along with their lives and work. Another contemporary of Forster and Maugham who is the subject of recent biographical treatment is Evelyn Waugh. Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead by Paula Byrne is as much about the man as the people who inspired his popular novel Brideshead Revisited. Kirk Davis Swineheart at the Chicago Tribune calls Byrne’s biography “utterly captivating” and a “brisk read.”

But it isn’t just the male novelists who are piquing our interest. The Talented Miss Highsmith, a biography of Patricia Highsmith, author of the Tom Ripley novels, was recently awarded a Lambda Literary Award. Library Journal states it’s an “imaginative, definitive Highsmith biography, great for literature students, Highsmith fans and mystery readers.” There is also Martin Stannard’s critically acclaimed biography of Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Finishing School. Publishers Weekly notes, “Stannard has dug deeply, and with keen and sympathetic insight. His prose is graceful and assured, his literary judgments discerning, and his biography is as definitive as we can expect to find.” And finally, Pearl Buck in China: Journey to the Good Earth by Hilary Spurling is worth noting: Booklist says that Spurling “matches factual rigor with enthralling insights in this brilliantly contextualized and beautifully crafted portrait of a unique cultural interpreter.”

Here are a few more recent titles worth checking out:

Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Headed West and Became Mark Twain by Roy Morris Jr.
Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews by Sam Weller
Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace by David Lipsky
Anton Chekhov: A Brother’s Memoir by Mikhail Chekhov
Wolf: The Lives of Jack London by James L. Haley
Tillie Olsen: One Woman, Many Riddles by Panthea Reid
Theodor Seuss Geisel by Donald E. Pease
The Mystery of Lewis Carroll by Jenny Woolf

Thrilling News

Posted July 27, 2010

Need some more ideas for beach reading? You’re in luck. The International Thriller Writers (ITW) recently announced the winners of the 2010 Thriller Awards. Lisa Gardner took top honors for best hardcover novel for her book The Neighbor. Tom Piccirilli scored in the paperback original category for The Coldest Mile, and Jamie Freveletti won for best first novel for Running From the Devil.

Ken Follett was presented a special Thriller Master award “in recognition of his legendary career and outstanding contributions to the thriller genre.” Although he is perhaps better known to readers today as the author of grand historical epics such as The Pillars of the Earth, which was chosen as an Oprah Book Club selection and has recently been adapated into a television miniseries, Follett is also the author of many outstanding thrillers, such as the WWII spy novel The Eye of the Needle, the colonial era A Place Called Freedom and the more recent bio thriller Whiteout, just to name a few. The ITW has also published some incredibly successful anthologies of short stories such as Thriller and Thriller 2, well worth checking out, and on their informative website they also offer a free email newsletter if you’re interested in keeping up with the latest bestselling thrillers.

Made for TV

Posted July 22, 2010

TNT’s newest series, Rizzoli & Isles, based on the novels by Tess Gerritsen, premiered last week to high ratings. Set in Boston, this latest police procedural introduces us to no-nonsense homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and her brainy colleague and best friend, medical examiner Maura Isles. The pilot was based on the first two titles in Gerritsen’s popular crime series of the same name, The Surgeon and The Apprentice. Gerritsen is following the adaptation of her books closely, recapping the episodes on the show’s website. She had the following to say about the first episode: “In just 45 minutes, this episode captured the darkness of my stories. It also managed to add humor and, weirdly enough, charm.” The latest installment in the series is Ice Cold, but for those who want something to tide them over, Gerrittsen is publishing a short story on the show’s site. Every week you can find a new entry in the story, “Freaks.”

You can find plenty more books that have been adapted into TV shows on our shelves. Read about everyone’s favorite serial killer, Dexter, by picking up the book that started it all, Jeff Lindsay’s Darkly Dreaming Dexter. If you enjoy the forensic science of Bones, check out Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan series that began with Deja Dead. On the flip side, there’s the Nikki Heat series that begins with Heat Wave, which actually spun off from the television series Castle. And let’s not forget about HBO’s wildly popular True Blood, adapted from Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series, which started with Dead Until Dark. Finally, if you want to be ahead of the curve, pick up the first in George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, A Game of Thrones, which is slated to be an HBO series in 2011.

Spotlight on Local Book Reviews

Posted July 20, 2010

So what books have our favorite critics been plugging? We took a look, and here’s what we found:

There were a number of books by local authors reviewed. Laurence Gonzales’ Lucy was reviewed by both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, and critic Donna Seaman recently spoke with Gonzales on WBEZ’s 848. In this sci-fi thriller, Jenny, an anthropologist, brings teenager Lucy from the Congo to Chicago. But Lucy isn’t just a normal girl: she’s “humanzee,” a hybrid half-human, half-ape. Budasi at the Chicago Sun-Times states Lucy “posed some big questions that readers will think about long after turning the last page.” Smith at the Chicago Tribune echoes this stating the book “raises disquieting political and moral dilemmas not easily resolved,” and goes on to call it “beach reading with bite.”

A native of West Rogers Park, author Adam Langer’s most recent novel, Thieves of Manhattan, is about Ian Minot, a struggling writer with a day job at a coffee shop. As Ian toils to get his work published, he watches his girlfriend Anya easily get the success he craves after which she leaves him for a bestselling memoirist. A desperate Ian then plots his revenge. Randy Michael Signor at the Chicago Sun Times says the book is a “wicked attack on the publishing world” and praises Langer’s clever use of language. Kirk Davis Swinehart at the Chicago Tribune calls the book “hysterically funny.”

Also of note is Furious Love, which chronicles the tumultuous relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and, according to the Chicago Tribune, “reads like a Shakespearean drama.” New City recommends David Means’ new collection of short stories, The Spot, stating that Means “proves he’s a writer capable of consistently bold storytelling.” And Jonathan Messinger at Time Out Chicago recommends fantasist China Miéville’s Kraken noting that Miéville has provided “a nuanced, highly imagined critique of the zeitgeist, dressed up in a crackerjack story.”

Harvey Pekar, 1939-2010

Posted July 15, 2010

Harvey Pekar died this week. The famed underground comics writer and curmudgeon was played by Paul Giamatti in the excellent movie American Splendor, an adaptation of his long-running comic book. Highlights of the long-running series were collected in Best of American Splendor. Various media have reported that, thankfully, Pekar was working up until the end. The online Pekar Project is running some tributes but also reports that his book Cleveland, a personal history of the Midwestern artist’s hometown, is scheduled for release next year.

Pekar gained some measure of notoriety for his confrontational appearances on the David Letterman show in the 1980s. New York Magazine has posted a clip. And Publishers Weekly has a heartfelt tribute. The Library also has many other fine books by Pekar in the collection.

American splendor. Another day
American splendor. More American splendor
The Beats: a Graphic History
Our Cancer Year
The Quitter
Students for a Democratic Society: a Graphic History

Caught Reading on the CTA: Brown Line Edition

Posted July 13, 2010

It’s time once again for us to share what we’ve noticed on our daily commutes: reading, and lots of it. It seems our fellow commuters love the written word as much as we do. We’ve seen you perusing magazines, newspapers and increasingly we’ve spied you using E-readers. Of course, it’s much harder to catch a glimpse of what you’re enjoying without the handy book covers, but we did manage to note one tech savvy passenger scrolling his way through Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.

Until we hone our E-book spying skills we’ll stick to surreptitiously glancing at the various print titles you’re toting around. Not surprisingly we’ve seen a few copies of Stieg Larsson’s bestseller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. We’ve also seen some classics including: Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The one title that did catch us by surprise was One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School by Scott Turow, a lesser-known title by the bestselling author. We’d also like to note that even the youngest commuters are joining in the reading fun. We spotted a youngster deeply engrossed in the young adult hit Eragon by Christopher Paolini. It warmed our heart.

Below is a smattering of other titles spotted on the Brown Line:

Daemon: A Novel by Daniel Suarez
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Kraken: An Anatomy by China Miéville
The Love Song of A. Jerome Minkoff, and Other Stories by Joseph Epstein
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet: A Novel by David Mitchell

Extra Lives

Posted July 8, 2010

Tom Bissell’s new book, Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter, may not be rocking the bestsellers charts, but it’s one of those many interesting books of the year worth noting. Bissell is a video game addict who decided that video games need and deserve the kind of thoughtful criticism usually reserved for literature and the arts, and his book has got people talking.

“Video games have created what must be the biggest generation gap since rock ’n’ roll,” writes Chris Suellentrop of The New York Times, suggesting that while people of all ages love rock, it may be that what defines old fogies today is the failure to understand the appeal of video games. Suellentrop also discusses the highly controversial blog post by film critic Roger Ebert entitled “Video Games Can Never Be Art.” Also picking up on this question of whether video games can be art (or whether they can tell a story), Jonathan V. Last of the Wall Street Journal says the most interesting part of the book is the material about Jonathan Blow, “a videogame designer and a sort of philosopher of the medium” who designed a game about time travel called Braid that arguably approaches the level of art. Writing for The Los Angeles Times, Abigail Deutsch raises the point that in video games, the player becomes as much a storyteller as the game designers.

Dwight Garner of the New York Times contrasts the book negatively with critic Leslie Fiedler’s classic defense of comic books in 1955, saying Bissell fails to make the case for video games as meaningful cultural expression, but Dan Zigmond of the San Francisco Chronicle says the book is a helpful look at modern video gaming, especially if you haven’t kept up with them since the early days of Pac-Man and Space Invaders. And from most accounts, Bissell’s chapters on particular games he loves are infectious in their enthusiasm. Craig Morgan Teicher, writing for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, usefully reminds us that Steven Johnson’s Everything Bad Is Good for You, a 2005 bestseller, also made a case for the benefits of video game playing. The book has also received thoughtful attention from The Boston Globe and the Christian Science Monitor, among other media outlets.

W.S. Merwin, Poet Laureate

Posted July 6, 2010

W.S. Merwin, a giant in the poetry world, was chosen as the 17th poet laureate of the United States. The relatively reclusive 82-year-old lives on a former pineapple plantation in Maui. He told NPR that his mother read poetry to him as a child and that he was “captivated” by it. “As soon as I could make a pencil make letters and words on the page, I tried to write little poems,” he noted. Dana Gioia, a poet and a former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts said Merwin was “an inevitable choice” for Poet Laureate. “He has created a distinctive style. His poetry is lyrical, elliptical and often slightly mysterious.” The New York Times recently published a short profile of Merwin calling him an “elegant poet” and “an exacting nature poet, a fierce critic of the ecological damage humans have wrought.” His most recent collection, The Shadow of Sirius, received the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Bravo, Mr. Merwin. Check out more of W.S. Merwin’s books here.

20 Under 40

Posted July 1, 2010

The New Yorker’s Summer Fiction issue recently came to our attention. In it the editors published a list of 20 under 40, writers that is. That’s right. They chose to highlight “…20 young writers who capture the inventiveness and the vitality of contemporary American fiction.” The last time they decided to compile such a list, back in 1999, it included the likes of Michael Chabon, Jonathan Franzen, Junot Díaz, Jhumpa Lahiri and David Foster Wallace. Clearly, this magazine knows a thing or two about who’s hot and who’s going to be hot.

The updated list is also quite impressive. Included are both male and female writers of diverse backgrounds ranging from those who have a few books under their belts to newcomers. You can read about the selection process and Q&As with the authors online. Excerpts of some of their work are also linked, and more will appear in future issues. Below we leave you with the complete list along with a sampling of their work available at the Chicago Public Library.

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Children’s Hospital by Chris Adrian
Lost City Radio by Daniel Alarcón
Natasha and Other Stories by David Bezmozgis
Ms. Hempel Chronicles by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum
Then We Came to the End: A Novel by Joshua Ferris
Everything Is Illuminated: A Novel by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Dissident by Nell Freudenberger
Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Vagrants: A Novel by Yiyun Li
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu
American Rust by Philipp Meyer
All the Living by C. E. Morgan
Téa Obreht (her first novel will be published in 2011)
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer
St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and Other Stories by Karen Russell
The End by Salvatore Scibona
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower

In 1980, 36 restaurants participated in the first Taste of Chicago, which was a one-day event. This popular festival has certainly grown over the years. This year’s Taste of Chicago commenced this past Friday in Grant Park and will run through the evening of July 4. Take a look the City of Chicago’s Tourism site for a brief history of the event, an interactive map, an entertainment schedule and participating restaurants.

Chicago is famous for its food, both its fine dining and ballpark fare. Grant Achatz’s restaurant Alinea, which features his creative cuisine in the tradition of molecular gastronomy, was recently ranked seventh (last year it ranked 10th) in the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and was also named the Best Restaurant in North America. Want to know what it takes to create some of the world’s best food? Check out Alinea. We recommend that only the very ambitious actually try these recipes; for the rest of us, the beautiful pictures and descriptions will suffice.

But Achatz is a chef among great company in the Windy City. Another Chicago chef and restaurateur, Rick Bayless, has pushed Mexican food into the realm of haute cuisine. Bayless is the author of a number of great cookbooks. His most recent, Fiesta at Rick’s, will be available in July. And Charlie Trotter, who is surprisingly self-taught, founded Charlie Trotter’s, a staple of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, in 1987. Check out some of his cookbooks. Charlie Trotter is not only famous for his food but also for his unappetizing suggestion that fellow Chicago chef Rick Tramonto’s (of Tru) liver might make a nice treat. Intrigued? For a full account, check out The Foie Gras Wars by Mark Caro of the Chicago Tribune. Tramonto has authored some excellent cookbooks as well.

If you are more inclined to eat a Chicago hot dog than pâté, we recommend Never Put Ketchup on a Hot Dog or Street Food Chicago. For those attempting to recreate the taste of Chicago’s Greektown at home, we suggest The Partheon. And fans of the Chicago Diner’s vegetarian and vegan fare should check out The Chicago Diner Cookbook. If you’d like to delve more into Chicago food, check out the WTTW program Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History. Or if you want to create your own Taste of Chicago, here are some additional Chicago-related cookbooks:

Chicago Cooks: 25 Years of Food History with Menus, Recipes and Tips from Les Dames D’escoffier edited by Carol Mighton Haddix
Harry Caray’s Resturant Cookbook by Jane & Michael Stern
The Chicago Tribune Good Eating Cookbook edited by Carol Mighton Haddix
Celebrate Chicago: A Taste of Our Town by Junior League of Chicago
Ethnic Chicago Cookbook edited by Carol Mighton Haddix
A Cook’s Guide to Chicago by Marilyn Pocius
The ¡Salpicion! Cookbook by Priscila Satkoff
Noteworthy: A Collection of Recipies From the Ravinia Festival edited by Joan Freehling
Kitchen Life by Art Smith
New American Table by Marcus Samuelsson
Talk With Your Mouth Full: The Hearty Boys Cookbook by Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh
Gale Gand’s Bruch by Gale Gand

Summer Books

Posted June 24, 2010

This season, rather than overwhelm you with lots of long lists of forthcoming titles, we thought we’d just pick some of the most promising and intriguing titles to whet your appetites with. Of course, there will be new books from popular bestselling authors such as Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, Jennifer Weiner, Kathy Reichs and many more. We’re as excited about those books as everyone, but they don’t pose much of a challenge to us as forecasters.

Summer officially started this week, and since we’re well into June it’s clear what this month’s hits are. Justin Cronin’s The Passage, the first book in an exciting post-apocalyptic vampire trilogy, has surely been the most publicized novel of the season. And Aimee Bender’s novel sounded like a hit from the moment we first heard about it. Few surprises remain in June, but predicting the successes of July and August requires a crystal ball we wish we had.

Hilderbrand, Goodman and Roach have strong track records. Gonzales’ Crichton-esque novel and Fortier’s historical puzzler about the real-life Romeo and Juliet both have great advance word of mouth. Racculia’s excitingly reviewed debut sounds like a breakout hit just waiting for the buzz to find it, and Capuzzo’s title alone sounds fascinating. Lastly, we’re burning with curiosity to learn whether Mona Simpson and Jonathan Franzen will succeed again after taking a decade off from publishing fiction. For more leads, as always, check our Coming Soon pages.

June
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis
The Passage by Justin Cronin
How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley

July
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
Lucy by Laurence Gonzales
This Must Be the Place by Kate Racculia

August
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
Juliet by Anne Fortier
The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve the World’s Most Perplexing Cold Cases by Michael Capuzzo
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
My Hollywood by Mona Simpson

Well Done

Posted June 22, 2010

Anthony Bourdain’s latest, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, is already climbing the New York Times bestseller list. It’s currently at No. 2. Star of the long-running television series No Reservations, Bourdain first made a splash in the book world with Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

Ten years have passed since that searing expose on the restaurant world thrilled foodies and casual readers alike. Bourdain has not wasted a moment of it. Not only has he been eating his way around the world for his show, he’s also offered up more tales and adventures in print, first in A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal and then in The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps and Bones.

The no-holds-barred chef also cooked up No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach, a book that critics agree is more than a companion piece to his hit series. Library Journal notes: “He is right to insist that the book is not merely a companion to the series; through 400 stunning photographs, it does far more … The text accompanying the photos is tinged with all the characteristic Bourdain hallmarks: humor, wit, sarcasm, salty language, innate curiosity and, above all, his intrepid spirit and lust for adventure.”

And lest he be accused of not walking the walk, the bad boy chef showed us his cooking chops with Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking. Les Halles is the famed New York City restaurant where he served as executive chef for many years.

Mr. Bourdain will be at the Harold Washington Library Center on Thursday, June 24 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss and sign his latest ode to food and cooking. Please join us. It’s sure to be a lively event!

Art-Rageous Fiction

Posted June 17, 2010

You’re invited to take part in our annual Summer Reads for Adults! With this year’s art theme, consider checking out a book that will deepen your understanding of art and artists. For suggestions, take a look at the program’s bibliography of both fiction and nonfiction art-related titles. And consider attending one or more of the Summer Reads for Adults events, which include film screenings, gallery talks and other programs.

On that note, there has certainly been much fiction inspired by artists (real and fictional), the creative process, works of art and other art-related themes. The following is list of art-rageous fiction that we recommend:

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
This classic biographical novel of Michelangelo was published in 1961. Stone was known for writing biographical novels, such as one about Vincent Van Gogh; he spent years researching Michelangelo, including his correspondence, and the Renaissance movement in Italy. It is a well-researched and engaging story of an unparalleled artist and the power of creativity.

Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
Told chronologically, this story follows the history of a Vermeer painting through the lives of the people who are changed by it. Another penetrating novel that revolves around the Dutch painter Vermeer is Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. And Vreeland has written several fictional accounts of art and artists, including The Passion of Artemisia and Luncheon of the Boating Party.

The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd
Kidd makes his living primarily as the creator of book cover art, and he’s arguably prolific. View a sampling of his covers here or check out Chip Kidd. He is also the author of the very funny art school satire The Cheese Monkeys. Set in the 1950s, it follows a budding artist through his first year of college.

Holy Skirts by Rene Steinke
Steinke’s novel is a fictional account of the minor Dadaist poet and performance artist Baroness Else von Freytag-Loringhoven. The German-born artist known for being uninhibited and outrageous ended up in New York as Marcel Duchamp’s model. For those interested in delving more into her unorthodox life, try the biography Baroness Elsa by Irene Gammel.

Theft by Peter Carey
Carey’s Theft is a piercingly funny book about the art world. Michael “Butcher” Boone rose above his working-class roots to become a world-famous Australian painter, but after a series of bad turns he finds his fortunes diminished. There is also the problem of his brother, Hugh, and the mysterious Marlene, who draws the two into an art theft scheme.

Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell
Many artists have been inspired by muses. Cowell’s recently published Claude and Camille is a fictional account of their love affair and marriage. It offers an escape into the world of the struggling Impressionists and the romance of Monet’s life. If the book inspires you to see some of the work Monet created, check out Monet or head over to the Art Institute to see some of his work in person.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
Chabon’s adventurous novel about Sammy and Josef, two cousins writing comic books during the 1930s, incorporates history, the creative process and the art of escape. For an engaging look at the cultural history of comics and the paranoia surrounding them in the 1950s, take a look at The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu.

Reading at the Beach All Summer Long

Posted June 15, 2010

The phrase “beach read” likely makes you think of romances, thrillers or breezy novels, and certainly those types of books are fantastic to pack in your bag for a day in the sun. But we know that some of you prefer an irreverent memoir or a collection of short stories to bring along on a day trip to the lakefront or on your summer vacation. So we’ve perused some of the recent summer books and beach reads recommended by critics and noticed a few excellent titles we never expected to see on a summer reading list. Take a look!

Janet Maslin from the New York Times recently recommended a number of beach-chair-worthy reads, including Arm Candy by Jill Kragman for fans of chick lit and The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer for espionage lovers. Publishers Weekly noted that Steinhauer’s “adept characterization of a morally conflicted spy makes this an emotionally powerful read.”

Teresa Budasi at the Chicago Sun-Times decided to focus on Chicago fiction writers for this summer: those inclined to tote a book of stories to the beach should check out The Love Song of A. Jerome Minkoff and Other Stories by Joseph Epstein, about which Budasi notes, “Chicago references abound in these stories — so much so that you might recognize the forty-something checkout clerk at the Dominick’s on Broadway, or the fifty-something best friends having lunch at Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville.” Or, if you like a fast-paced thriller, try Die Twice by Andrew Grant. “Rogue agents, biological weapons and plenty of shoot-’em-up action keep the pages turning,” writes Budasi.

NPR has a number of summer reading lists for fiction. Bookslut’s Michael Schaub recommends Parrot and Oliver in America by Peter Carey for historical fiction, which he notes “is the book version of both a buddy comedy and a road trip movie.” One recommended by Alan Cheuse that we look forward to reading is Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad. And a few booksellers chose Brady Udall’s The Lonely Polygamist as a great summer read. It’s “a family drama with stinging turns of dark comedy,” notes Publishers Weekly.

Entertainment Weekly featured some appealing summer reading, including the debut Girl in Translation, a “fresh and new” immigration story by Jean Kwok, and Sebastian Junger’s newest, War, a combat narrative about the war in Afghanistan. Also recommended by EW and others is the much-buzzed The Passage by Justin Cronin, which is likened to Stephen King’s The Stand.

Jonathan Messinger over at Time Out Chicago has a great list of titles. He notes The Long Song is a great summer read: “Every summer, among the blockbuster movies, there’s a more nuanced, quieter Oscar contender slipped in. The Long Song is that for books.” Lovers or even haters of Christopher Hitchens might try his new memoir Hitch-22. And finally a book noted by Messinger, along with nearly every other critic, is The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender about a girl who can taste emotions in the food she eats.

Nothing but Respect

Posted June 9, 2010

Between Hawks fever and speculation on the future of the Bulls, Chicago teams are dominating the sports headlines these days. Just this week it was announced that Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau will be the next head coach of the Bulls. That’s certainly good news for us. After all, the Celtics are currently going head-to-head with the Lakers for their second ring in three years. Even better news is all the talk of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James possibly joining the Bulls next season. Chicago fans are certainly enthused about the prospect. Some have gone so far as to launch a campaign. It includes the site sendlebrontochicago.com and a huge billboard at Grand and LaSalle that reads: “Chicago Wants LeBron Unfinished Business…” The local media has also made its case.

Are you pulling for LeBron to join us? You can brush up on Mr. James by checking out the recent documentary More Than A Game, which chronicles the inspiring story of LeBron’s high school team, a team that turned out not one, but five NBA superstars. And you can read more about James by picking up Shooting Stars. Co-written with Buzz Bissinger (of Friday Night Lights fame), the book delves into the same period in James’s budding career.

Not too long ago LeBron had the following kind words to say about our fair city: “They like their basketball here and the way I play… Going back to 1984 when Jordan was doing what he was doing, they’ve seen greatness. For them to respect the way I play the game, I respect that.” Hmm, sounds promising.

If you find you’re among those caught up in the basketball frenzy as the playoffs are heating up, check out the titles below:

The Art of a Beautiful Game: A Thinking fan’s tour of the NBA by Chris Ballard
The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy by Bill Simmons
The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam
The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith
More Than A Game by Phil Jackson and Charley Rosen
When the Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson with Jackie MacMullan

Go Chicago Blackhawks!

Posted June 8, 2010

The Blackhawks continue to electrify the city of Chicago with their sensational success on the ice. The local television ratings have been sizzling, so we know many of you have been watching along with us. As we gear up for game five of the Stanley Cup finals tomorrow night, we’d like to point out some books from our collections about the team and their sport. Go Blackhawks!

One Goal: Chicago’s Resurgent Blackhawks / forewords by Bobby Hull and Pat Foley
Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks / Brian McFarlane
Hockey Chicago Style: the History of the Chicago Blackhawks / by Paul Greenland
The official Rules of Ice Hockey
The Physics of Hockey / Alain Hache
Hockey Plays and Strategies
The ultimate Prize: the Stanley Cup / Dan Diamond, James Duplacey, Eric Zweig
Stanley Cup Fever: More than a Century of Hockey Greatness / Brian McFarlane

The Girl Who Wasn’t Afraid of Subtitles

Posted June 3, 2010

Meanwhile, the original movie adaptation (Hollywood is of course working on a remake) has been distributed in the United States by Chicago’s own Music Box Films, an offshoot of the popular northside theater that’s shown a remarkable knack for importing films made in other countries and languages. Their success has been especially notable at a time when other distributors of arthouse films have been dropping like flies. The DVD for Dragon Tattoo will be out in early July, around the same time that the movie adaptation of The Girl Who Played with Fire (book two of the trilogy) hits theaters, with Hornet’s Nest to follow later this year.

While you’re waiting for those films, why not check out some of the other DVDs Music Box has released? Following is a list of titles already out and in the collection.

Music Box Films on DVD
Cloud 9
Il Divo
North Face
OSS 117
Tell No One
Tuya’s Marriage
Seraphine
Shall We Kiss?

Sounds of Summer

Posted June 1, 2010

The hot weather we were treated to this past weekend had us digging through our CD collection to find some classic summer tunes. It also got us wondering what we could add to our rotation for the coming months. We came across this list, The 50 Best Summer Albums compiled by eMusic.com after polling their community. Of course, what constitutes a “great summer album” is fairly subjective. Still, it was fun to look through and see what folks picked.

Interestingly enough there are some bands that made it on the list more than once. It seems there’s a consensus of sorts that The Pixies, The New Pornographers, Belle and Sebastian, Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Arcade Fire and Creedence Clearwater Revival scream summertime.

Below is a sampling of the top 50 titles, by rank, that you can find at the Chicago Public Library.

#1 Doolittle / Pixies
#4 Green River / Creedence Clearwater Revival
#7 Slanted and Enchanted / Pavement
#11 Electric Version / The New Pornographers
#16 If You’re Feeling Sinister / Belle and Sebastian
#18 Gimme Fiction / Spoon
#28 Boys and Girls in America / The Hold Steady
#29 Armchair Apocrypha / Andrew Bird
#35 The Greatest / Cat Power

We are approaching the end of May and of National Bike Month, but you’ll have time throughout the summer and fall to see the city on two wheels. If you are interested in commuting by bike, consider participating in Bike to Work week from June 12 through June 18. The Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance has information on biking to work, including tips and tricks for commuting and using your bike with public transportation. The Chicago Public Library can help you get started as well: The Bike to Work Guide and The Art of Urban Cycling provide good information about city commuting. Knowing a little about how your bike works and how to make minor repairs is helpful too; try the Bike Repair Manual for guidance. Also, we recommend that bike enthusiasts take a look at the recently published The Bicycle Diaries by musician David Byrne, who recounts his experience cycling near home and around the world by bringing his folding bike with him on tour.

Speaking of tours, on July 3 the annual Tour de France race will commence. Participants will spend three grueling weeks covering over 2,000 miles. Seven-time tour winner Lance Armstrong plans on riding with Team RadioShack this year. Comeback 2.0 is a pictorial diary covering Lance’s return to cycling in 2009. For those who want to know more about the race itself, we recommend The Tour de France Companion: A Nuts, Bolts and Spokes Guide to the Greatest Race in the World. If you’re interested in the history of the storied event which began in 1903, check out The Tour de France: A Cultural History or The Tour de France: The Illustrated History.

Eliza Doolittle Day

Posted May 20, 2010

Today is Eliza Doolittle Day. Well, almost. Doolittle is a character in George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, the story of a poor London flower girl who is taken up as a pet project by professor Henry Higgins, who imagines that with a little work on her accent and grammar he can transform her into a lady who can pass for a duchess. The play was adapted into the fine Lerner and Loewe musical, My Fair Lady. According to that musical’s song “Just You Wait:” “One evening the King will say Eliza, old thing / I want all of England your praises to sing / Next week on the 20th of May / I proclaim Eliza Doolittle Day.” Seems an appropriate day to consider her origins.

Shaw’s play is based on the ancient Pygmalion myth, best known from Ovid’s telling, which has inspired many other artists and writers as well. Richard Powers’s Galatea 2.2 is one example; John Updike’s collection Trust Me also includes a story named “Pygmalion.” More recently, Bridie Clark’s novel The Overnight Socialite was described by Kirkus as a “contemporary retelling of Pygmalion set among the cutthroat Social Register crowd.” A 2008 book, The Pygmalion Effect: From Ovid to Hitchcock, which looks at the myth’s impact in art and literature, gives further evidence of the myth’s enduring impact. We look forward to seeing what other myths continue to inspire today’s writers and artists.

A Year in the Life

Posted May 18, 2010

Recently we caught up on our movie queue and watched last year’s hit Julie & Julia. The film is based in part on Julie Powell’s book of the same name in which she writes about her year-long endeavor to make every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Powell’s book was in turn based on her blog that chronicled the project. This got us to thinking of other adventurers who have taken on the challenge of year-long projects and lived to write about them.

We found plenty of titles which may inspire you to take on a project or your own. There are those who, like Powell, began with blogging about their escapades like Robyn Okrant. Her recent book Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk spun off from her blog of the same name. There’s also Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle and Generally Have More Fun, which came out of her blog.

For more inspiration or maybe just a good laugh, check out these titles:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
Dogged Pursuit: My Year of Competing the World’s Least Likely Agility Dog by Robert Rodi
Give It Up: My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less by Mary Carlomagno
My Year Inside Radical Islam: A Memoir by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
Not Buying It: My Year without Shopping by Judith Levine
Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages by Ammon Shea
The Year of Eating Dangerously: A Global Adventure in Search of Culinary Extremes by Tom Parker Bowles
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs
The Year of Yes: A Memoir by Maria Dahvana Headley

Spotlight on Local Book Reviews

Posted May 13, 2010

We have been perusing our favorite local presses again to see what books the critics recommend.

In the Chicago Sun-Times Steve Warmbir praised the recently published Get Capone by Jonathan Eig for its “scrupulous reporting” and “fresh research that adds depth to the Capone story.” If you think you’ve read it all on the infamous Chicago gangster, Warmbir will whet your reading appetite by noting that Eig offers a new theory about who was behind the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in this “rollicking read.”

Over at the Chicago Tribune, Lynna Williams reviewed local author Jim Kokoris’s new novel The Pursuit of Other Interests. The novel features a 50-year-old Chicago ad executive who finds himself out of work and forced to re-evaluate his life, which Williams notes is “funny and affecting.”

Johnathan Messinger at Time Out Chicago noted that Benjamin Black has “found firmer footing” in his latest mystery installment Elegy for April. Booker Prize-winning John Banville writes the series, which features the Irish pathologist Garret Quirke set in 1950s Ireland, under the pen name Benjamin Black. If you are a fan of Banville or mysteries that lean toward the literary, check out the series which began in 2007 with Christine Falls.

We’d also like note a few books that were featured in the Chicago Reader’s annual Spring Books issue. This year’s theme was “Being Black in America,” and the issue focused mainly on local African American authors. The issue includes an article on Angela Jackson’s Where I Must Go, the coming-of-age story of a young African American woman attending college at a lily white university in the late 1960s, which was inspired by Carter’s experiences at Northwestern University around the same time. In addition, check out the interview with Simeon Wright, whose memoir Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmet Till recounts his story as a witness to the encounter for which Till was lynched and Till’s kidnapping from the room they shared. Also featured are books by local authors Jerald Walker and Ytasha Womak.

Choose Privacy Week

Posted May 11, 2010

Last week (during which we took a brief sabbatical from this blog) was Choose Privacy Week, an American Library Association initiative designed to foster a “national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age.” A few days later, we think this video is still worth sharing as good food for thought.

The library also offers a range of materials on the topics of privacy rights and identity theft. Consider checking out one of the many interesting titles on the topic, such as the documentary We Live in Public or the book The Road to Big Brother.

Choose Privacy Week Video from 20K Films on Vimeo.

Chicagoans, we’ve been taking note. You like to laugh. There has been no shortage of humor books hitting the market lately. A fair number of them are being churned out by the entertainment industry in the form of memoirs or collections of personal essays. Comedians in particular seem to have a lot to say. It makes sense. They’re used to pulling material from their lives to make us howl. So, if you’re wondering where your next laugh is coming from, why not check out some of these jokesters as they put pen to paper?

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee by Sarah Silverman
Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me by Howie Mandel with Josh Young
I Am the New Black by Tracy Morgan
I Drink For a Reason by David Cross
I Know I Am, But What Are You? by Samantha Bee
Last Words by George Carlin
The Making of a Stand-up Guy by Charlie Murphy with Chris Millis
My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs and Stand-up by Russell Brand
Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin by Kathy Griffin
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflections by Carol Burnett
When You Lie About Your Age, the Terrorists Win: Reflections on Looking in the Mirror by Carol Leifer

Around the World With Mysteries: South Africa

Posted April 27, 2010

It has been awhile, but we are back on the move and touching down in South Africa, a place that is not only getting attention as the host of the upcoming World Cup but as a “rising star” in the crime fiction scene according to Library Journal. The second installment of Malla Nunn’s series set in 1950s South Africa, Let the Dead Lie, has just been released. The first and second installments have each received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, which noted that Nunn offers both “suspense” and a “revealing glimpse” of segregated South Africa.

Another recent release getting praise is Jassy MacKenzie’s Random Violence, a debut novel set in contemporary South Africa. Yet another author to take note of is Roger Smith, who has been likened to Elmore Leonard in a Cape Town setting. His debut, Mixed Blood, has been adapted into a film starring Samuel L. Jackson as Zulu detective Disaster Zondi, which you can look for later this year. His second thriller, Wake Up Dead, is a dark and violent story told from multiple viewpoints. And finally, we’d like to recommend the “King of South African crime,” Deon Meyer, the author of a number of crime thrillers. His most recent, Blood Safari, is a stand-alone title that demonstrates, according to Publishers Weekly, that Smith is “a writer not to be missed.”

Best Poetry of 2009

Posted April 22, 2010

Whoever decided that National Poetry Month should be in April was a genius. With trees budding and flowers blooming, it’s the best time of year to make the case for poetry, which celebrates language for its beauty as much as its meaning. Few mainstream media outlets devote serious attention to poetry books during the year-end frenzy of “best of the year” lists, and every April Library Journal is always one of the last to weigh in. So finally there have been enough lists published that include poetry that we can take a stab at compiling the most celebrated poetry books of 2009, and it seems fair to say that Rae Armantrout’s latest book took the top honors, especially when you consider its Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award. Armantrout’s book and some of the other most highly praised collections are listed below, but check out the full lists for other suggestions. Following that is a list of last year’s top sellers according to the Poetry Foundation. (Their current chart is topped by Poet Laureate Kay Ryan’s latest.) Meanwhile, our Poetry Fest is this Saturday. (Appropriately, it’s the day after Talk Like Shakespeare Day!) Do consider joining us.

Critical and Award Favorites of 2009
Versed by Rae Armantrout (National Book Critics Circle Award, Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award Finalist, Library Journal)
A Village Life by Louise Gluck (New York Times, L.A. Times)
Chronic by D.A. Powell (Publishers Weekly, L.A. Times, SF Chronicle, Library Journal)
The Bitter Withy by Donald Revell (Publishers Weekly, Library Journal)
Transcendental Studies by Keith Waldrop (National Book Award)
Museum of Accidents by Rachel Zucker (Publishers Weekly, Library Journal)

Five Top-Selling Poetry Books of 2009
Praise Song For The Day by Elizabeth Alexander
Bicycles: Love Poems by Nikki Giovanni
Evidence by Mary Oliver
Endpoint and Other Poems by John Updike
In Search of Small Gods by Jim Harrison

One Book, Many Journeys

Posted April 20, 2010

Please join us tomorrow at the Harold Washington Library Center for an event with Colm Tóibín, the author of Brooklyn, our spring One Book, One Chicago selection. Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey will join Tóibín in a conversation about his life, work and writing Brooklyn. Brooklyn tells the story of Eilis, a young woman who leaves 1950s Ireland for New York. “Purging the immigrant novel of all swagger and sentimentality, Tóibín leaves us with a renewed understanding that to emigrate is to become a foreigner in two places at once,” notes the New Yorker. For those who have already read and enjoyed the novel, check out the suggested further reading in our One Book brochure, which includes both works of fiction and nonfiction. And we’d like to suggest a few more of our favorite fictional accounts of the immigrant experience:

The Road Home by Rose Termain
Widower Lev leaves his mother and his child in Eastern Europe to seek work in London. Although he is initially depressed by what he finds upon arriving, he begins to form meaningful relationships and rebuild a life for himself.

The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
Martin Boeber is a Jewish grocer in postwar Brooklyn, struggling to make a better life for his family, when he is robbed in his store at gunpoint. Things improve when Frank Alpine becomes his assistant, but tensions arise when Frank and Martin’s daughter Helen begin to fall in love.

Master Butcher’s Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
A German solider, Fidelis, returns from WWI and marries his best friend’s pregnant widow, Eva. The couple moves to American and settles in North Dakota. Fidelis builds a butcher shop business and a singing club in town in Erdrich’s rich and life-affirming novel.

Small Island by Andrea Levy
Levy tells the story of four individuals in postwar England (two Jamaicans and two Britons) struggling with a changing society, loss and understanding one another.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
This previous One Book selection is a collection of penetrating short stories exploring the lives of Indians, many of which feature characters coping with assimilation and changing identities.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
A rich story, reversely told in vignettes, of four sisters and their family, who flee their privileged life in the Dominican Republic and embrace American life, demonstrating both the difficulty of coming of age and being an immigrant.

I’d Like to Thank My Agent…

Posted April 15, 2010

Several awards have recently been announced, most prominently the Pulitzer Prizes this week. Nabbing the award for fiction was a little novel from a small-time press: Paul Harding’s Tinkers, published by Bellevue Literary Press. It’s reportedly the first novel from a small press to win the award since A Confederacy of Dunces won in 1981 for Louisiana State University Press. The novel initially had a small print run, and so the publisher has rushed to reprint the book, with bookstores and libraries (like ours) across the country ordering more copies. The novel, in which a clock repairman on his deathbed relates his life story, quietly garnered excellent reviews and made many lists of the best of the year, including honor rolls from Publishers Weekly, NPR and Library Journal.

Meanwhile, the award for general nonfiction went to The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy by David E. Hoffman. Best Drama went to the Broadway musical Next to Normal. The History award went to Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed; the Biography award to The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles; and the Poetry award to Versed by Rae Armantrout (who has graced one of our very own stages here at the Library).

Other awards have recently been announced, too. The NAACP Image awards honored The Long Fall by Walter Mosley in its fiction category, while Henry Louis Gates Jr. took home the award for nonfiction for his In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past. Full awards information is available online.

Also, late last month Sherman Alexie’s War dances received the prestigious Pen Faulkner award for fiction. And lastly, the Bram Stoker Awards, which celebrate the horror genre, honored Audrey’s Door by Sarah Langan as best novel. Lots of recommendations for reading!

Poetry Fest 2010

Posted April 13, 2010

Please join us next Saturday, April 24 for our annual Poetry Fest at the Harold Washington Library Center. Enjoy a reading with Cornelius Eady, whose honors include the Lamont Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets for Victims of the Latest Dance Craze (1985), grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund. And his book Brutal Imagination (2001) was a National Book Award Finalist. There will also be a workshop, readings, poetry cram and other poetry-related events. Check out all the Poetry Fest events here.

In addition, we’d like to recommend taking a look at our Popular Topics page on poetry, which includes resources on reading, writing, performance and analysis, as well as links to upcoming poetry programs.

Spring Books

Posted April 8, 2010

The recent April showers we’ve been enduring are reminders that spring has arrived, traditionally a big time for new books. This year is no exception. Scott Turow will present his latest, a sequel to Presumed Innocent, and Yann Martel finally follows up his mega-success The Life of Pi. Humorist Chelsea Handler is back with her latest, and comedienne Sarah Silverman’s debut is sure to keep the laughs coming. Bernice McFadden’s latest historical novel is set during the fascinating Harlem Renaissance, while Peter Carey’s latest historical was inspired by Alexis de Tocqueville. Finally, surely no book is anticipated more strongly than the late Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, the conclusion to his sensational trilogy. Some of these books have already raced up the bestsellers lists, and some haven’t been published yet, but the following list is just a selection of the many books lined up for the season. Happy reading!

Sure to Be Bestsellers
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
Deliver Us from Evil by David Baldacci
The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg
The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark
Till You Hear from Me by Pearl Cleage
Money to Burn: A Novel of Suspense by James Grippando
Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Innocent by Scott Turow

Biographies
Promise: President Obama, Year One by Jonathan Alter
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett
Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush
Backing Into Forward: A Memoir by Jules Feiffer
Jesus: A Biography, from a Believer by Paul Johnson
Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelley
Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick

Humor
Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday?: A Mother’s Guide to Sanity in Stilettos by Laura Bennett
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
The Ask by Sam Lipsyte
Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee by Sarah Silverman

Popular Series Returns
Elegy for April by Benjamin Black
Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Third Rail by Michael Harvey
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters
Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

More Books to Savor
Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
The Good Son by Michael Gruber
War by Sebastian Junger
Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott
Put on Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom by Queen Latifah
Solar by Ian McEwan
Glorious by Bernice McFadden
The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller
The Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbo
Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Nathaniel Philbrick
Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall

Peter Carey

Posted April 6, 2009

Please join us at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, April 22 for Writers on the Record with Victoria Lautman. Peter Carey, Australia’s most celebrated novelist and the recipient of two Booker prizes, joins Lautman to discuss his forthcoming novel, Parrot and Oliver in America, which is loosely based on Alexis de Tocqueville’s visit to the United States in 1831. Oliver (Tocqueville) is accompanied by Parrot, his servant and eventual friend, on this comic adventure. Publishers Weekly states, “Richly atmospheric, this wonderful novel is picaresque and Dickensian, with humor and insight injected into an accurately rendered period of French and American history.”

Peter Carey’s website features a short video interview with Granta Magazine and a great bibliography of some of the books the author was reading while writing the novel.

If you are interested in Peter Carey’s other works of fiction, we have provided a list below:

Bliss
Illywhacker
Oscar and Lucinda
Tax Inspector
Unusual Life of Tristan Smith
Jack Maggs
The True History of the Kelly Gang
His Illegal Self

April Bonanza of Books

Posted April 1, 2010

A number of remarkably high-profile authors have recently announced brand-new books, all of which are coincidentally scheduled to be released today. Publishing insiders would be giddy at the prospects of so many authors with gargantuan sales records releasing new works in one season, let alone one day. In further good news, all seven titles will instantly be available in heavily discounted print, 99-cent ebook and 3D movie editions. So whether you’re a fan of romantic vampires, star-crossed romance, edge-of-your-seat thrillers or brain-teasing nonfiction, rest assured there’s something here for you. [Update: We hope you enjoyed this post, which was an April Fool’s Day joke. The books listed below are completely made up.]

The Traffic Court Subpoena by John Grisham
Sparkly Moonbeams by Stephenie Meyer
Think Again: The Surprising Inadequacy of Common Sense and Why You Need My Books to Understand Anything by Malcolm Gladwell
Strong Enough for a Man, but Written for the Ladies by Steve Harvey
Irish Indulgences by Nora Roberts
Cross Stitch: An Alex Cross Cozy by James Patterson
Illuminati Illusions in Illinois by Dan Brown

There seems to be a real trend of monster mash-ups evidenced by the popularity of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters. Both writers started with the original texts and inserted some supernatural disorder that is both comic and frightening. And a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has just been released, entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls.

Supernatural beings are popping up in some other titles as well. In his most recent book, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, “Grahame-Smith inserts a grandiose and gratuitous struggle with vampires into Abraham Lincoln’s life,” notes Publishers Weekly. And speaking of prominent historical figures, Abraham Lincoln isn’t the only one fighting off evil: Queen Victoria gets in the game, too, in Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A.E. Moorat, which the Los Angeles Times called “wildly entertaining.”

Jane Austen also lives on in some creepily imagined titles: The charming Mr. Darcy isn’t exactly who Elizabeth thinks he is in Mr. Darcy Vampyre and Jane Austen Bites Back features the 233-year-old undead author as the owner of a bookstore in New York. It is campy, hilarious and “fang-tastic.”

‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.’

Posted March 18, 2010

This simple advice was first given by Michael Pollan in his book In Defense of Food. And if you have read anything by Pollan, you will know that what he means by food is “real food” or foods that contain naturally occurring, identifiable ingredients. In sum: eat the apple, not the Twinkie.

March is National Nutrition Month and a reminder to take a good look at our diets. Diabetes and obesity rates are high in this country, but it seems that Americans are beginning in earnest to change some bad eating habits. David Kessler, the former commissioner of the FDA, published the fascinating and influential bestseller The End of Overeating last year, in which he examined the science behind junk food cravings and excessive eating. First Lady Michelle Obama, reportedly a fan of Kessler’s book, recently launched a campaign to combat childhood obesity that emphasizes healthy eating habits and exercise, Let’s Move. British celebrity chef Jaime Oliver’s new show Food Revolution, where he travels to the “unhealthiest city in America” and tries to convince residents to adopt a better diet, premieres on ABC on March 26. The show has a companion cookbook, Jamie’s Food Revolution: How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals. And Mr. Pollan’s new book Food Rules is a simple, sensible rule manual to guide your food choices.

Take a minute to browse our catalog for more materials regarding nutrition.

Irish, Classic

Posted March 16, 2010

Oprah Magazine has put together an excellent list of classic Irish writers, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. (Its theme could almost be set to rhyme: “If you’re feeling inspired to tackle the greats, you can trust a list that makes room for Yeats…”) Ireland has an almost mythic reputation for turning out fine writers, and this list includes some of the world’s finest novelists, poets and playwrights. Last year we talked about some of the giants of contemporary Irish writing, but we’d be remiss not to mention an author who has emerged since then: Colum McCann, author of the award-winning novel Let the Great World Spin and other books. And last but not least, we should mention that this Spring’s One Book, One Chicago selection is Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn. Tóibín is the first Irish author whose book has been selected for our biggest book discussion program. So consider this an invitation to celebrate classic Irish literature – or simply classic literature. Same thing.

James Joyce
Jonathan Swift
Oscar Wilde
Elizabeth Bowen
William Butler Yeats
George Bernard Shaw
Bram Stoker
Samuel Beckett
Edna O’Brien
Seamus Heaney

Lionel Shriver, NBCC

Posted March 11, 2010

Tonight in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium at the Harold Washington Library Center you can catch Victoria Lautman in conversation with writer Lionel Shriver. (Click here for event details.) An American-born London author, Shriver pens fiction of uncommon intelligence. Her novel We Need to Talk about Kevin, about a mother who learns her son is responsible for a mass murder at his school, won the Orange Prize and dramatically elevated the author’s profile. Shriver’s subsequent novel, The Post-Birthday World was also acclaimed, and Shriver’s latest arrives this month. Publishers Weekly calls So Much For That “another dazzling, provocative novel [from Shriver], a witty and timely exploration of the failure of our health-care system.” Sounds like another winner.

Meanwhile, the National Book Critics Circle awards are being announced tonight at a swanky dinner in NYC, and as Chicago book goddess Donna Seaman (finalist for this year’s Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing) has pointed out, some of the nominees are Chicagoans (Eula Biss, author of Notes From No Man’s Land, and Wendy Doniger, author of The Hindus: An Alternative History) or have strong Chicago ties (Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of American Salvage, got a degree from the U of Chicago). Best of luck to all the finalists. Update: We neglected to mention that Donna Seaman will be participating in Story Week next week at the Library, in conversation with Joyce Carol Oates. Also, congratulations to Eula Biss and all the other winners of the NBCC Awards.

Alice in Wonderland

Posted March 9, 2010

The genesis of Alice’s story was in 1862 in a row boat on the River Thames. Three young sisters were accompanied by Charles Dodgson and Robinson Duckworth on an afternoon outing, when Charles told the whimsical story of Alice. Alice Liddell, one of the sisters on the outing and possibly the inspiration for the fictional Alice, begged Mr. Dodgson (who wrote under the name Lewis Carroll) to commit the adventure to paper. Two years later, Alice Liddell received a handwritten manuscript, Alice’s Adventure’s Under Ground, the story that would become the much-beloved classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alice’s adventures continued in 1872 with Through Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. The books have inspired many adaptations, including Disney’s 1951 animated Alice in Wonderland and the newly released film directed by Tim Burton starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

The story of Alice Liddell, the “real” Alice, has also inspired writers. Katie Rophie’s She Still Haunts Me is a fictional account of the relationship between Dodgson, a mathematician at Oxford and Alice Liddell. And the recently published Alice, I Have Been by local author Melanie Benjamin, a historical novel about Alice Liddell, has received praise: in a starred review, Publishers Weekly noted, “Focusing on three eras in Alice’s life, Benjamin offers a finely wrought portrait of Alice that seamlessly blends fact with fiction.”

Dealing with Depression

Posted March 4, 2010

This past week, the issue of depression has been in the news because of some high-profile suicides. Parents of children who are struggling with depression may be asking themselves what they can do, and adults who suffer from depression may be considering their problems anew. At the same time, issues of diagnosis and prescription drugs continue to be controversial, making the topic one of general interest. Below is a list of recent books that have received some positive reviews for their explorations of the topic. In addition to these, one older title worth pointing out is Andrew Solomon’s memoir/meditation The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, which was nominated for and won multiple awards back at the start of the decade.

Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes by Therese J Borchard (on order)
The Depression Cure: the 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs by Stephen S. Ilardi
Depression is Contagious: How the Most Common Mood Disorder is Spreading Around the World and How to Stop It by Michael D. Yapko
A Hell of Mercy: a Meditation on Depression and the Dark Night of the Soul by Tim Farrington
Is it Me or My Meds?: Living with Antidepressants by David A. Karp
Manufacturing Depression: the Secret History of a Modern Disease by Gary Greenberg
The New Black: Mourning, Melancholia and Depression by Darian Leader
Please Don’t Label My Child: Break the Doctor-Diagnosis-Drug Cycle and Discover Safe, Effective Choices for Your Child’s Emotional Health by Scott M. Shannon with Emily Heckman
The Stress Answer: Train Your Brain to Conquer Depression and Anxiety in 45 Days by Frank Lawlis
Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn’t Teach You and Medication Can’t Give You by Richard O’Connor
Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-stage Journey out of Depression by James S. Gordon

Celebrate National Women’s History Month

Posted March 2, 2010

March is National Women’s History Month and an ideal time to check out the Chicago Public Library’s Popular Topics page on women’s history, which features reading lists, online research resources, events and more. We’d also like to suggest checking out the forthcoming new English translation of the feminist classic Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir. Or pick up Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Wu Dunn, which made several “best of the year” lists in 2009 and was called “vitally important” by Publishers Weekly. There is certainly no dearth of books about influential women. We’d like to recommend the following recently published titles:

Abigail Adams: A Life by Woody Holton
Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor by Brad Gooch
Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone by Nadine Cohodas
The Last Empress: Madame Chaing Kai-Shek and the Birth of Modern China by Hannah Pakula
Anne Frank: The Book, The Life and the Afterlife by Francine Prose
Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen
Ayn Rand and the World She Made by Anne C. Heller
On The Line by Serena Williams
Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem and Sicily by Nancy Goldstone
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto
Lady In The Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir
Jane’s Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World by Claire Harman (forthcoming)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Google, the company behind the popular Internet search engine and so much more, has been in the news quite a lot this winter. The company claimed it was subjected to attacks by the Chinese, and it has suffered a series of setbacks in its effort to offer up its library of scanned books to the world. And of course they’ve rolled out new products and services (some less smoothly than others). But any way you look at it, Google has become a major force in our lives. (One imagines the innocent child gaping in disbelief when Mom informs her that she didn’t have Google when she was a kid.) It’s no wonder that several recent books have taken on the company in one way or another.

One of the most recent and prominent examples is Googled: The End of the World as We Know It by New Yorker columnist Ken Auletta. Publishers Weekly calls it a “sharp and probing analysis of the apocalyptic upheavals in the media and entertainment industries,” while Booklist gave it a starred review, calling it “an engrossing look at Google and the broader trends in information and entertainment in the Internet age.” Here you’ll find a short list of recent Google books, but there are plenty more to be found browsing our shelves and our catalog.

Googled: The End of the World as We Know It by Ken Auletta
Inside Larry and Sergey’s Brain by Richard L. Brandt
The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google by Nicholas Carr
The Case for Books: Past, Present and Future by Robert Darnton
What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis
Planet Google: One Company’s Audacious Plan to Organize Everything We Know by Randall Stross

Spotlight on Local Book Reveiws

Posted February 23, 2010

We are always checking out what books local critics discuss and review. Here are the latest titles getting buzz from our favorite presses:

Local author Christina Henriquez’s debut novel is getting noticed. Carolyn Alessio of the Chicago Tribune calls The World in Half “quietly hypnotic,” and Time Out Chicago has an interview with the author, who is a graduate of Northwestern University and resides in Chicago.

Roger Miller at the Chicago Sun Times reviews The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum. He notes that the book, which is about the development of forensic science during the Jazz Age, is “engagingly written and extensively researched.”

Jonathan Messinger from Time Out Chicago positively reviewed a few short story collections recently including Something Is Out There by Richard Bausch and T.C. Boyle’s new collection, Wild Child.

Finally, Noah Berlatsky at the Chicago Reader reviewed Bomb Power by Gary Wills. He notes, “Wills’ discussion of the growth of presidential power from Truman to Obama doesn’t offer much that’s surprising, but I doubt the story’s been better told. His portraits of the various chief executives are brief, sharp and devastating.”

Lucille Clifton, Dick Francis

Posted February 18, 2010

We were saddened by the recent news of the deaths of the poet Lucille Clifton and the novelist Dick Francis, both beloved, towering talents. Clifton was born in 1936 and distinguished herself as a poet before also writing many excellent books for children. To cite just some of the highlights of her awards record, she was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for the book Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir 1969-1980, and she won a National Book Award for Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988-2000.

The English Dick Francis was a champion horse racer in the 1950s, which certainly must have helped qualify him to write dozens of bestselling novels set against the backdrop of horse racing. (Not interested in the topic? As quoted in news stories about Francis’s death, the always entertaining critic John Leonard once wrote, “Not to read Dick Francis because you don’t like horses is like not reading Dostoyevsky because you don’t like God.”) Francis’ novels were not only a hit with the public but also with critics and fellow writers. The Mystery Writers of America often nominated him for their Edgar Award, giving him the win three times, for his novels Forfeit, Whip Hand and Come to Grief, and bestowing upon him the Grand Master Award, their highest honor, in 1996. In recent years, Francis collaborated with his son Felix. Their most recent bestseller was 2009’s Even Money, of which Booklist wrote: “Francis again delivers stunning plotting, a vivid setting and crisp characterization.”

Romantic Reads

February 9, 2010

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we started to think about the stories that have made us swoon. There are plenty of novels that have captured our hearts, classic and contemporary alike. We fell for Mr. Darcy and pined away for Clare. Here are some of our favorite love stories:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
Atonement by Ian McEwan
A Very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japrisot
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Love Story by Erich Segal
Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
Cheri; and, The Last of Cheri by Colette
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles
Doctor Zhivagho by Boris Pasternak
Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Far From The Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy
History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Books about Haiti

Posted February 4, 2010

They say the greatest challenge in dealing with a crisis of the magnitude of Haiti’s is that after the initial headlines slow down, people who are isolated from the problem tend to forget and move on. One way to keep Haiti in our thoughts is to include that country in our reading.

Fortunately, there is a rich legacy of literature about Haiti, as various sources have pointed out. Two writers have made just about everyone’s list of essential reads about Haiti: Edwidge Danticat and Madison Smartt Bell. Danticat’s memoir is strongly recommended, and of course her novel Breath, Eyes, Memory has been widely read, since it is a former Oprah Book Club pick. Madison Smartt Bell’s historical trilogy gives a sweeping overview of the Haitian context, but his biography of Toussaint Louverture is also widely respected. Recommended next most often, Graham Greene’s novel The Comedians concerns Haiti during the rule of Papa Doc. All titles have been strongly recommended.

Widely Recommended Titles about Haiti
All Souls Rising by Madison Smartt Bell
Masters of the Crossroads by Madison Smartt Bell
The Stone that the Builder Refused by Madison Smartt Bell
Toussaint Louverture: A Biography by Madison Smartt Bell
Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat
The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat
The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
The Agronomist (DVD) directed by Jonathan Demme
The Comedians by Graham Greene
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Bravo, Beyonce!

Posted February 2, 2010

It was clear that Grammy night belonged to Beyonce who took home a record six statues including one for Best Contemporary R&B Album for I Am…Sasha Fierce. Fierce, indeed. However, Beyonce lost out on the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift for Fearless. And Zac Brown Band took home the Best New Artist Award. There were numerous other winners. Here are some of the award-winning albums from other categories you may have missed:

Best Alternative Album:
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix

Best R & B Album:
BLACKsummer’s night by Maxwell

Best Electronic/Dance Album:
The Fame by Lady Gaga

Best Americana Album:
Electric Dirt by Levon Helm

Best Bluegrass Album:
The Crow by Steve Martin

Best Contemporary Blues Album:
Already Free by Derek Trucks Band

Best Contemporary Folk Album:
Townes by Steve Earle

Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album:
Lay Your Burden Down by Buckwheat Zydeco

Best Latin Pop Album:
Sin Frenos by La Quinta Estacion

Best Pop Instrumental Album:
Potato Hole by Booker T.

Check out the full list of winners here.

Lost, the television show with the big cult following, begins its final season Tuesday, and fans will be tuning in hoping for some answers to the many questions raised by the show’s crazy plot — or at least another thrill ride. The show made news at the start of season two when fans, getting a glimpse of Flann O’Brien’s novel The Third Policeman, rushed to buy the novel in droves. (The character Desmond had apparently been reading it.) Producers of the show cited it as an influence in interviews, stoking the flames of fan passion. And, thrilled to see fans obsessively engaging with the show, the show’s creators have had fun working in literary allusions ever since. Below is a partial list of notable books that have been referenced on the show in one way or another. (An exhaustive list is available online.)

Taking it a step further, the script writers even went so far as to work into their storyline a novel written by one of the show’s obscurer characters, an early casualty of the show’s famous plane crash. The “manuscript” was subsequently discovered by and seen in the hands of the characters Hurley and then Sawyer. It was published (in the real world) as Bad Twin by Gary Troup.

Also, paralleling the popular fan pastime of spinning out theories to solve the show’s riddles, there are many books that ponder the deeper meanings of Lost’s story. Savor the final season, Lost fans!

Lost’s Literary Allusions:
Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Carrie by Stephen King
Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor
Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares
Lancelot by Walker Percy
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A Separate Reality by Carlos Castaneda
VALIS by Philip K. Dick
Watership Down by Richard Adams

2010 Edgar Awards

Posted January 28, 2010

The 2010 Edgar nominees were announced last week, so mystery and crime fiction fans will have their hands full checking out all the worthy nominees. We were especially excited to see Chicago author Bryan Gruley nominated for his debut novel Starvation Lake, a murder mystery set in a small town in Michigan. “Gruley’s outstanding debut effortlessly incorporates his inside knowledge of both the newspaper business and his hockey avocation into a tale of violence and betrayal that will remind many of Dennis Lehane,” notes Publishers Weekly. So pick up Starvation Lake or consider reading some of the other nominees:

Best Novel Nominees:
The Missing by Tim Gaureaux
The Odds by Kathleen George
The Last Child by John Hart
Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
A Beautiful PlaceTo Die by Malla Nunn

Best First Novel by An American Author nominees:
The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano
Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
Bad Day For Sorry by Sophie Littlefield
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff

Best Critical/Biographic Nominees:
Talking About Detective Fiction by P.D. James
The Line-Up: The World’s Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives edited by Otto Penzler
Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King by Lisa Rogak
The Talented Miss Highsmith by Joan Schenkar
The Stephen King Illustrated Companion by Ben Vincent

Robert B. Parker 1932-2010

Posted January 21, 2010

Popular crime novelist Robert B. Parker passed away earlier this week in his home in Massachusetts. He was 77 years old. A prolific writer, he was the author of more than 50 novels. He is best known for his series featuring Spenser, the tough-talking Boston P.I. with a soft side. The series started in 1974 with the The Godwulf Manuscript and continued until today with the most recent installment being The Professional. He is also the author of the Jesse Stone series.

Check out additional titles by Robert B. Parker at the Chicago Public Library.

Get Financially Fit in 2010

Posted January 19, 2010

When the New Year rolls around, many of us make resolutions, and one of the most common is to get financially fit. With a difficult year behind us, we’re more aware than ever of the importance of financial health, and there are plenty of resources to help you meet this year’s resolution. Whether you are closing in on retirement, wanting to invest, looking to save or just learning about financial independence, there is something for you. Check out the popular personal finance books listed below. Also, check out our Popular Topics pages on Credit and Debt Management and Personal Investing for additional resources on managing your personal finanaces.

Get a Finanacial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties by Beth Kobliner
The New Savage Number: How Much Money Do You Really Need to Retire? by Terry Savage
One Year to An Organized Financial Life by Regina Leeds and Russell Wild
The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read by Daniel R. Solin
10,000 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget by the writers of Wise Bread
Bank On Yourself: The Life-Changing Secret to Growing and Protecting Your Financial Future by Pamela G. Yellen
Financially Every After: The Couples’ Guide to Managing Money by Jeff D. Opdyke
Save Big: Cut Your Top 5 Costs and Save Thousands by Elisabeth Leamy
IRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans: Taking Your Money Out by Twila Slesnick & John C. Suttle
Your Money Ratios: 8 Simple Tools for Financial Security by Charles Farrell
Start Over, Finish Rich: 10 Steps to Get You Back on Track in 2010 by David Bach
J.K. Lasser’s Guide for Tough Times: Tax and Financial Solutions to See You Through by Barbara Weltman
The Little Book of Main Street Money: 21 Simple Truths That Help Real People Make Real Money by Jonathan Clements
The Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio: How To Build and Grow a Panic-Proof Investment Portfolio by David Gardner and Tom Gardner
The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It by Dave Kansas

Miep Gies, 1909-2010

Posted January 14, 2010

The world lost a hero with the passing at 100 of Miep Gies, who protected Anne Frank during World War II and helped to preserve her diary. If you’ve somehow never read the diary of Anne Frank, consider it strongly recommended. The evergreen classic is one of the truly essential reads. (The movie adaptation was nominated for best picture and took home three Oscars.)

Less well-known is the fact that Gies herself wrote a memoir (with writer Alison Leslie Gold), Anne Frank Remembered: the Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family. Meanwhile, acclaimed author Francine Prose recently published a book, Anne Frank: the Book, the Life, the Afterlife, which considers Frank’s writing as literature and also addresses some of the controversial issues surrounding the book, such as the question of whether the use of the book in the classroom helps to gloss over the horrors of the Holocaust. The diary certainly shouldn’t be relied on as the only document of its time, but it is surely one of the most touchingly human.

American Idol Season Premiere

Posted January 12, 2010

Television blockbuster American Idol returns for its ninth season tonight, so it’s the perfect time to look back at what the show has yielded so far. We’ll get to the many music CDs in a moment, but first let’s recap some of the books. Ever-controversial judge Simon Cowell published a book back in 2003 and was later discussed in a high-profile book about the state of network television, Bill Carter’s Desperate Networks. Randy Jackson published a book on diet and health not long ago. Paula Abdul, the departing judge, is of course well-known for her music career. And new judge Ellen Degeneres has also penned a couple books, in addition to being known for her TV and film career.

But the show has also generated musical hitmakers aplenty, and as every fan knows, it wasn’t always the official winners who had the best post-Idol careers. We stock some of the show’s compilation CDs, but the following is a sampling of the smash albums from Idol alumni:

Clay Aiken (Season 2, runner-up)
On My Way Here

David Archuleta (Season 7, runner-up)
David Archuleta

Kelly Clarkson (Season 1, winner)
All I Ever Wanted

David Cook (Season 7, winner)
David Cook

Chris Daughtry (Season 5, fourth place)
Daughtry

Fantasia (Season 3, winner)
Fantasia

Jennifer Hudson (Season 3, seventh place)
Jennifer Hudson

Mandisa (Season 5, ninth place)
Freedom

Jordin Sparks (Season 6, winner)
Battlefield

Ruben Studdard (Season 2, winner)
Love IS

Carrie Underwood (Season 4, winner)
Play On

In Memoriam, 2009

Posted January 7, 2010

As we did last year, we’d like to take a moment as we turn the pages of the calendar to reflect on the many talented writers we lost this year. These writers will be missed, but thanks to their fine contributions they will not soon be forgotten. The following list is incomplete, and we mean no disrespect to any authors we have inadvertently omitted.

J G. Ballard
James Brady
Jim Carroll
Dominick Dunne
David Eddings
Philip Jose Farmer
Horton Foote
Marilyn French
Elmer Kelton
E. Lynn Harris
Stuart Kaminsky
Irving Kristol
Claude Levi-Strauss
John Leonard
Frank McCourt
John Mortimer
James Purdy
William Safire
Budd Schulberg
John Updike
Donald Westlake (late 2008)

Don’t Miss This: 1949

Posted January 5, 2010

We’re heading back to the past again. This time we are looking at 1949, the year South Pacific opened and became an enormous hit on Broadway, and Death of a Salesman won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. But what else from 1949 is worth another look?

Adam’s Rib
This charming romantic comedy by George Cukor was ahead of its time. Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn star as husband and wife and sparring attorneys. He is defending a philandering husband, and she in turn decides to defend the wife, who attempted to kill her husband and his lover. The tensions of the courtroom spill into the domestic sphere in this smart and hilarious film.

The Third Man
Carol Reed’s The Third Man is one of the most artful of the film noir genre. Pulp writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) arrives in post-WWII Vienna to visit his friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to find out that he has been killed in an accident. What follows is a game of cat and mouse, a femme fatale and a labyrinthine storyline with some unforgettable twists. The menacing expressionist cinematography alone makes this film worth watching.

1984 by George Orwell
Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel depicts a totalitarian state where everybody is under surveillance. If you ever wondered where the phrase “big brother is watching you” came from, you’ll find it here; Big Brother is the dictator of Oceania and resembles Joseph Stalin.

The Man with the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren
Considered one of Algren’s best works, The Man with the Golden Arm tells the story of Frankie Machine, a card dealer and morphine junkie on a downward spiral. Set in post-war Chicago, it’s a classic novel and a dark and realistic depiction of poverty and addiction. The book was adapted into a film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Frank Sinatra.

We will be taking a blogging break over the holidays, but first let’s take a look at some of the best books of 2009. We perused year-end lists in magazines, newspapers and online to uncover the best of the year in both fiction and nonfiction. We were happy to see a graphic novel and a graphic memoir both making several lists. Not surprisingly, there were National Book Award and Booker nominees and winners represented, several biographies and, as always, a few surprises. And the year was not without controversy: Publishers Weekly was criticized for neglecting female authors in their best of the year list. We chose a dozen fiction and nonfiction titles that we think represent the best of what this year had to offer. So check out some of these titles over the holidays, and we’ll be back blogging soon.

Here is some of the best fiction of the year:

A Gate At The Stairs by Lorrie Moore
Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy
Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
Financial Lives of Poets by Jess Walters
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenduddin
The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis
Love and Summer by William Trevor
Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dryer
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

And some of the best nonfiction:

Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes
Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey
Lit by Mary Karr
First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T. J. Stiles
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke The World by Liaquat Ahamed
Stitches by David Small
A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit
Lost City of Z by David Grann
Asterios Poylp by David Mazzucchelli
Abraham Lincoln: a Life by Michael Burlingame
The Third Reich at War by Richard J. Evans
Columbine by David Cullen
A New Literary History of America edited by Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors

We’ve Got It Covered

Posted December 15, 2009

Bold, eye-catching, lovely, striking, humorous, sublime: book covers. Sure, they’re advertising of a kind, but at their best they’re also functional works of art in their own right. They entice and inform us, amuse and alert us. They can enliven a visit to a library or bookstore, making the experience more like a trip to a posh art gallery. As we approach the end of the year, we’d like to pause and celebrate some of our very favorite book covers of 2009. For a closer look at any of the following, click on the cover to go to the book record, then click on the cover again for an enlargement.

Happy Birthday, Second City!

Posted December 10, 2009

Second City celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend with a sold-out series of reunion performances, panels and screenings. Not one of the lucky few to get a ticket? Don’t worry, we have lots of alternative ways you can celebrate. (For starters, check out the cool “Utterbacks” on the SCFifty website.) First, we’ve got a list of books about Second City, with a few books on the improv method thrown in for good measure. Second, a partial list of movies starring (or directed by) various famous Second City alumni so you can “improvise” your very own film fest.

Books about Second City and Improv Comedy
The Second City: backstage at the world’s greatest comedy theater by Sheldon Patinkin
The Second City unscripted: revolution and revelation at the world-famous comedy theater ed. by Mike Thomas
Days and nights at the Second City: a memoir, with notes on staging review theatre by Bernard Sahlins
The Second City: a backstage history of comedy’s hottest troupe by Donna McCrohan
Whose improv is it anyway?: beyond Second City by Amy E. Seham
The Second City guide to improv in the classroom: using improvisation to teach skills and boost learning by Katherine S. McKnight and Mary Scruggs
The ultimate improv book: a complete guide to comedy improvisation by Edward J. Nevraumont et al.
The Art of Chicago improv: short cuts to long-form improvisation by Rob Kozlowski

Movies featuring Second City Alums
Freaky Friday (Barbara Harris)
Little Miss Sunshine (Alan Arkin, Steve Carell)
Best in Show (Fred Willard)
Young Frankenstein (Peter Boyle)
The Blues brothers (Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi)
Groundhog Day (Bill Murray, d. Harold Ramis)
Wayne’s World (Mike Myers)
My big fat Greek wedding (Nia Vardalos)
Strangers with candy (Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert)
Baby Mama (Tina Fey & Amy Poehler)

Debuts of 2009

Posted December 8, 2009

Every year we can look forward to some great new voices in literature, but before turning to those anticipated debuts of 2010, we’d like to round up some of the noteworthy first novels of this past year. We’re sure most of you have at least heard about The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It has spent 35 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, making Stockett the breakout author of the year, and the interest in her book doesn’t seem to be waning. Set in the early 1960s American South, the novel explores the racial divide through the lives of the women who lived it. It has been called “magical,” “original” and “poignant,” and we are hearing positive feedback from our patrons. In a starred review Publishers Weekly noted, “Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.” It seems they were right.

Although The Help seems to be the must-read debut this year, there are several other books that we’d like to recommend. Chicagoan Patrick Sommerville recently received the 21st Century Writers’ Award from the Chicago Public Library. In his debut novel, The Cradle, a man trying to track down an antique cradle for his pregnant wife brings up memories of his own unhappy childhood. Booklist noted that “Sommerville, evincing an impressive command of language, psychology and structure for a first-time novelist, interweaves Matt’s unsettling saga with the trials and tribulations of Renee, a famous children’s author.” Mathilda Savitch, the first novel from poet and playwright Victor Lodato, has been getting buzz as well. Narrated by a young girl after the death of her sister, Publishers Weekly states, “Mathilda’s observations read like a finely crafted epic poem, whose themes and imagery paint an intricate map of her inner life. She’s a metaphysical Holden Caulfield for the terrifying present day.”

Here are some more 2009 debuts worth checking out:

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Calligrapher’s Daughter by Eugenia Kim
American Rust by Philipp Meyer
Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan
Commencement by Courtney J. Sullivan
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin

Seasons Readings

Posted December 3, 2009

Logs for the fire? Check. Eggnog? Check. Plenty of books to read? Check! It’s such a busy season, but we hope you all find some time to relax and enjoy some fun reading time. If you celebrate Christmas, you should know that this year the publishing industry has decided to play Santa and bring us scores of tantalizing Christmas reads. Whether you like romance, mysteries both cozy and grisly, inspirational tales or subversive humor, we’ve got the perfect gifts for you. The following is just a sampling of the latest seasonal offerings. (Sorry, hot apple cider not included.)

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs
Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole
A Wee Christmas Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans
Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke
Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham
Home for Christmas by Andrew M. Greeley
Merry, Merry Ghost: A Mystery by Carolyn Hart
Ice by Linda Howard
Knit the Season: A Friday Night Knitting Club Book by Kate Jacobs
Memory Quilt: A Christmas Story for Our Times by T. D. Jakes
A Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor
Wishin’ and Hopin’: A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb
Hot for the Holidays by Lora Leigh
Matchless: A Christmas Story by Gregory Maguire
Christmas Clock by Kat Martin
Rumpole Christmas: Stories by John Mortimer
The Body in the Sleigh by Katherine Hall Page
Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman
A Christmas Promise by Anne Perry
The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

Around the World With Mysteries: India

Posted December 1, 2009

We have been on a mystery hiatus since June, but we are back on the move and traveling to India. And India is a literary hot spot right now. Vikas Swarup is one Indian author who is certainly in the limelight. His novel Q & A was adapted into last year’s blockbuster and winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, Slumdog Millionaire. His new novel, Six Suspects, has been called “a Bollywood version of the board game Clue” and Library Journal noted, “Enriched by the sights and smells of contemporary India, this mystery shows Swarup to be a skillful prose stylist and deft handler of plot who’s likely to win more readers.”

For fans of series fiction, we’d like to highlight a new and promising series by Taraquin Hall starring Vish Puri, the portly Super Sleuth in charge of New Delhi’s Most Private Investigators. In the recently published The Case of the Missing Servant, PI Puri is hired to find a missing housemaid; when she turns up dead, his client is arrested. The book has been called “entertaining” and “lively,” and Entertainment Weekly stated that “India, captured in all its pungent, vivid glory, fascinates almost as much as the crime itself.” We can’t wait to see which case Vish Puri tackles next.

If you are fond of historicals, four installments of the popular Joe Sandilands series by Barbara Cleverly are set in 1920s India with Sandilands, a Scotland Yard Detective, assisting the Bengal police force. The series began with The Last Kashmiri Rose in which Sandilands is trying to track down a serial killer. In the most recent installment, The Bee’s Kiss, Sandilands has returned to England and is trying to solve the murder of the influential Dame Beatrice Joliffe. Fans of whodunits will enjoy Cleverly’s style; Publishers Weekly compared her work to that of Agatha Christie.

If dark and gritty is more your thing, we recommend Delhi Noir, a collection of 14 short stories set in India’s capital, which Publishers Weekly calls “briskly paced, beautifully written and populated by vivid, original characters.” Bon Voyage, mystery readers!

This is the time of when “best of the year” lists begin to appear, and since we are on the cusp of a new decade, we are also seeing many “best of the decade” lists. These lists are fun and often spark debate, and we’ll be covering them periodically for the next several weeks. We decided to begin with music by looking at four “best albums of the decade” lists: Pitchfork, Paste Magazine, The Onion’s A.V. Club and the popular British music magazine NME. Each picked from 50 to 200 albums and, as expected, there was some agreement. The “best album of the decade” seems to be a close race between Radiohead’s Kid A and The Arcade Fire’s Funeral, which both ranked high on every list. There were also artists with multiple albums on multiple lists including Outkast, The Shins, M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Radiohead and Sigur Ros; and each list had some unexpected and surprising choices. For another take on the best albums, check out NPR’s All Songs Considered’s list The Decade’s 50 Most Important Recordings. Here are some of the best of the last 10 years:

Kid A / Radiohead (2000) - #1 Pitchfork, #4 Paste, #3 A.V. Club, #14 NME
Funeral / Arcade Fire (2004) - #2 Pitchfork, #3 Paste, #8 A.V. Club, #7 NME
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot / Wilco (2002) - #4 Pitchfork, #2 Paste, #5 A.V. Club, #43 NME
Come On Feel The Illinoise / Sufjan Stevens (2005) - #16 Pitchfork, #1 Paste, #30 A.V. Club, #17 NME
The Blueprint / Jay-Z (2001) - #5 Pitchfork, #42 Paste, #9 A.V. Club, #22 NME
Stankonia / Outkast (2000) - #13 Pitchfork, #8, Paste #4 A.V. Club, #57 NME
Sound of Silver / LCD Soundsystem (2007) - #17 Pitchfork, #41 Paste, #14 A.V. Club, #12 NME
Is This It / Strokes (2001) - #14 Paste, #19 A.V. Club, #1 NME
College Dropout / Kanye West (2004) - #28 Pitchfork, #17 Paste, #2 A.V. Club
Chutes Too Narrow / Shins (2003) - #46 Pitchfork, #24 Paste, #17 A.V. Club, #75 NME
Back To Black / Amy Winehouse (2007) - #18 Paste, #26 A.V. Club, #27 NME
A�gætis Byrjun / Sigur Ro�s (2001) - #8 Pitchfork, #13 A.V. Club, #97 NME
Merriweather Post Pavilion / Animal Collective (2009) - #14 Pitchfok, #35 Paste, #22 A.V. Club
Arular / M.I.A. (2005) - #54 Pitchfork, #10 Paste, #50 NME
I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning / Bright Eyes (2005) - #5 Paste, NME #31
Vespertine / Bjork (2001) - #92 Pitchfork, #50 Paste, #27 A.V. Club, #95 NME
Veckatimest / Grizzly Bear (2009) - #42 Pitchfort, #39 A.V. Club
Sea Change / Beck (2002) - #82 Pitchfork, #19 Paste, #24 A.V. Club
Vampire Weekend / Vampire Weekend (2008) - #51 Pitchfork, #21 Paste, #42 NME
For Emma, Forever Ago / Bon Iver (2008) - #29 Pitchfork, #29 Paste, #87 NME

2009 National Book Awards

Posted November 19, 2009

The National Book Awards were bestowed on some very deserving authors in New York City last night. The best fiction winner tells the story of a legendary tightrope walk between New York’s twin towers, and the nonfiction award winner tells the life story of a famous New Yorker. Not a bad night for the Big Apple. Irish-born writer Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin, which has been getting pretty much unanimous praise all year, tells the story of Philippe Petit, who undertook the daring and adventurous feat of tightrope walking. If that chapter of Manhattan history sounds familiar, perhaps it’s because the real-life story was also the subject of the acclaimed recent documentary Man on Wire.

Writer TJ Stiles won the nonfiction award for The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt. The book has received sterling reviews and sounds like a classic up-by-the-bootstraps story that’s as timely as ever, given Wall Street’s central role in our current economy. The book calls to mind other lauded biographies of the barons of the Gilded Age, including the celebrated 1998 Titan: the Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow and the more recent Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw and The Tycoons: How Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockerfeller, Jay Gould and J.P. Morgan invented the American Supereconomy by Charles R. Morris.

The award for poetry went to Transcendental Studies: a Trilogy by Keith Waldrop. Novelist, playwright and essayist Gore Vidal received a lifetime achievement award for his “distinguished contribution to American letters,” and Dave Eggers was honored with an award for “outstanding service to the American literary community.” Eggers, of course, has a hit on his hands with his book Zeitoun and recently collaborated on a film adaptation and novelization of the classic children’s story, Where the Wild Things Are. A fine night all around.

Food For Thought

Posted November 17, 2009

Organic, local and sustainable are all concepts that foodies and most anyone who does the grocery shopping are becoming familiar with. Most of us personally know vegetarians and vegans, or maybe we have adopted an animal-free diet for ethical or health reasons, or perhaps we have joined a CSA or started going to the farmer’s market in order to support local farmers. Conscious consumption and eating with a conscience may have seemed like fads a few years ago, but nearly four years after the publication of Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan is practically a household name and the topic of what we eat and why is still on the table.

There are many passionate and varied opinions regarding our food system and our diet, including the recently published Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. Although the author says it’s not an argument for vegetarianism, it is convincing some: the already-vegetarian Natalie Portman announced that the book prompted her to adopt a vegan diet. Safran Foer examines factory farming, the free-range alternative, philosophy and his own history. Booklist notes it is “an indelible book that should reach a diverse audience and deepen the conversation about how best to live on a rapidly changing planet.” The bottom line for Safran Foer and others seems to be that pleading ignorance about the dark side of our food system is not really an option regardless of the choices one makes. If this topic interests you or you’re a fan of Safran Foer, join us tomorrow evening at the Harold Washington Library Center to hear him read from, discuss and sign Eating Animals.

If you are looking for more books on our food system, including the state of the food industry, sustainable agriculture, vegetarianism and other hot food topics, there are a wealth of materials at the Chicago Public Library. Here are some of the best:

Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating With More Than 75 Recipes by Mark Bittman
Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly by James E. McWilliams
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan
Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From And Why We Need To Get It Back by Ann Vileisis
Righteous Pork Chop: Finding A Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms by Nicolette Hahn Nieman
Recipe For America: Why Our Food System Is Broken And What We Can Do To Fix It by Jill Richardson
Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers In The Age of Agribusiness by Lisa M. Hamilton
A Nation of Farmers: Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil by Sharon Astyk
The Face On Your Plate by J. Moussaieff Masson
Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food by Gene Baur
Food, Inc. (DVD)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

Spotlight on Local Book Reviews

Posted November 12, 2009

Looking through the local media, plenty of books have been generating buzz. Over at the Chicago Tribune, critic Carolyn Alessio calls Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna “rich” and “impassioned.” The sprawling novel concerns art and politics in Mexican and U.S. history, weaving together imaginary characters and historical figures such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky. The Saturday Tribune also spotlighted Eula Biss’ Notes from No Man’s Land (review not online).

This weekend the Chicago Sun Times got a kick out of Paul Shaffer’s We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives. Shaffer’s long experience in show biz has garnered him a treasure trove of insider stories. (Don’t worry, we have more copies on order.)

Meanwhile, New City heaps praise on Jonathan Lethem’s latest, Chronic City; TimeOut Chicago recommends Michael Chabon’s Manhood for Amateurs; and in its fall books issue, the Chicago Reader keeps the great buzz going for Dominic Pacyga’s Chicago: A Biography.

Happy 40th Birthday, Sesame Street!

Posted November 10, 2009

Sesame Street premiered on PBS on November 10, 1969 to the delight of children and parents everywhere. Set in the inner city with a diverse cast of both actors and puppets, it was a groundbreaking show geared toward children with educational and entertaining elements. Sesame Street has been significant in shaping children’s television since its premiere. The amount of research that went into creating the show, one that would teach and entertain children, was substantial. As Michael Davis stated in his recently published book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, “Sesame Street came along and rewrote the book. Never before had anyone assembled an A-list of advisors to develop a series with stated educational norms and objectives. Never before had anyone viewed a children’s show as a living laboratory, where results would be vigorously and continually tested. Never before in television had anyone thought to commingle writers and social scientists, a forced marriage that, with surprising ease and good humor, endured and thrived.” And thrive it did for the last 40 years, making Sesame Street the longest-running children’s show in the history of American television. Malcolm Gladwell even touches on the success, or rather the “stickiness factor,” of Sesame Street in The Tipping Point. To celebrate, Google has been featuring characters from the show on its homepage and Michelle Obama will appear on today’s anniversary show. Congratulations to Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Elmo and all those who reside on Sesame Street for a job well done!

Who Wrote the Great Books of 2009?

Posted November 5, 2009

Publishers Weekly recently published their take on the top 10 books of 2009, kicking off the season of year-end lists. As with awards, such lists, helpful and interesting as they always are, often lead to controversy, and this list has set off a storm of discussion on the Internet for one simple reason: none of the 10 books chosen was written by a woman. Readers on the Internet have taken matters into their own hands and assembled a long list of 2009 contenders written by women, and Laura Miller, the Salon.com books editor who has much experience in choosing books for these kinds of year-end lists, has written a thoughtful response.

Several commentators have suggested that Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood, Lydia Davis’s Collected Stories, Barbara Kingsolver’s just-published The Lacuna (which is getting tremendous reviews), Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs and Alice Munro’s Too Much Happiness would all make great candidates (among many others). Meanwhile, Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips, which recently took the Trib’s annual Heartland prize, has emerged as one of the novels of the year. And Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall won the Booker prize. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, but there’s no doubt that women have written at least many of the year’s most prominent books.

Adam Langer

Posted November 3, 2009

Please join us this Thursday, November 5 at 6:00 p.m. at the Harold Washington Library Center for a reading and book signing with native Chicagoan and author Adam Langer. He will be reading from his new book, My Father’s Bonus March, which Library Journal noted is a “sweet autobiographical tale about a writer at midlife trying to understand his late father, a radiologist (and lifelong Chicagoan) who aspired to write about a key historical event in his early life: the Depression-era bonus march on Washington, D.C., by veterans of World War I.”

We’d also highly recommend Langer’s debut novel, Crossing California. The bitingly funny novel is set in West Rogers Park in the late 1970s and explores California Avenue’s divide with more well-to-do Jewish families on the west side of the street and the middle class residing on the east. Langer’s engaging follow-up, The Washington Story, is a sequel to Crossing California; the title refers to the late Mayor Harold Washington. Langer is also the author of Ellington Boulevard, set in Manhattan. Don’t miss the chance to hear this acclaimed Chicago author read in his hometown.

A new book about the author of Peter Pan and a new novel that reworks the Peter Pan myth are as good a cause as any to ponder the perennial appeal of the story. J.M. Barrie’s most famous character debuted in a section of a novel for adults and then, as depicted in the Johnny Depp movie Finding Neverland, Barrie wrote a play that later became the novel. Barrie returned to the story for some of his later works, including When Wendy Grew Up, and the story was subsequently adapted into famous film and stage versions. A new book, Neverland: J.M. Barrie, the Du Mauriers and the Dark Side of Peter Pan by Piers Dudgeon (currently on order), claims to find the stuff of scandal in Barrie’s life, and a new novel, Brom’s The Child Thief, reworks Peter Pan into a macabre fantasy for adults. Clearly, the dark side of Peter Pan has as much resonance for us these days as the more innocent side, and the new books got us thinking about other works that have been inspired by the timeless story.

More Books Inspired by Peter Pan:
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Tigerheart by Peter David
The Lost Girls by Laurie Fox
Kensington Gardens by Rodrigo Fresan
Second Star to the Right by Mary Alice Kruesi
Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon

D.I.Y. Fright Fest

Posted October 27, 2009

Halloween is right around the corner, and there is no better way to celebrate than by scaring yourself silly with a frightening film. There are many movies that will send chills up your spine, but we have selected just a few of our favorites. Included are two classics by Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense; a film featuring the most terrifying acting Jack Nicolson has ever done; and other movies starring pod people, serial killers, a Swedish vampire and demonic possessors. We are certain that these will keep you awake this Halloween night.

Rosemary’s Baby
Blair Witch Project
The Shining
The Exorcist
Se7en
The Silence of the Lambs
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Jaws
Halloween
The Omen
The Orphanage
28 Days Later
The Ring
The Fly
Let The Right One In
The Birds
Psycho
The Host

Don’t Miss This: 1982

Posted October 22, 2009

For the next installment in our series of highlights of yesteryears, let’s jump in the time machine and go back to 1982. Sure, it was the year of E.T. and Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but what else were people talking about?

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Alice Walker’s famous novel about the hardships of African American life in 1930s Georgia won multiple awards, including a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. It was later adapted into a celebrated film and, more recently, a successful Broadway musical. (Here are some other notable books of that year.)

Violent Femmes by The Violent Femmes

Lore has it that the band was busking on the street when a member of The Pretenders noticed them. Their self-titled album may not have dominated the charts when it was released, but it’s become a classic with hits that have been a staple of alternative radio ever since. (And here are some other notable albums of that year.)

Blade Runner

Ridley Scott’s noir science fiction masterpiece was based on a short story by Philip K Dick and quickly amassed a devoted cult following. The film, starring a never cooler cast including Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Darryl Hannah, has notoriously been recut several times, but the recent “Final Cut” is a great place to start. (Some other notable films of the year.)

Awards Roundup

Posted October 20, 2009

Some major literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Man Booker Prize, as well as nominees for the National Book Award, have all been announced over the past few weeks. Hilary Mantel was awarded the Man Booker for Wolf Hall, a novel about Thomas Cromwell, the powerful and close advisor of Henry VIII and a major player in the English Reformation. The story of Henry’s court has been told time and time again, but according to accolades Mantel is receiving, Wolf Hall is something you should not miss. “Hilary Mantel has created a novel both fresh and finely wrought: a brilliant portrait of a society in the throes of disorienting change, anchored by a penetrating character study of Henry’s formidable advisor, Thomas Cromwell,” noted the Washington Post, and Library Journal stated, “There will be few novels this year as good as this one.”

In other book news, Herta Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is an award given for an author’s life’s work. The Nobel committee stated that Ms. Müller, “with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed.” A Romanian-born German, Müller grew up under the repressive dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, which is the focus of her work. Only a few of her 19 novels have been translated into English, but there is little doubt that it is only a matter of time before we see more.

Finally, an eclectic and surprising list of nominees for the National Book Award in Fiction has been announced. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the nomination of American Salvage, a collection of short stories set in rural Michigan. “These fine-tuned stories are shaped by stealthy wit, stunning turns of events and breathtaking insights” noted Library Journal in a starred review. The field includes another collection of stories by Daniyal Mueenuddin, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, which is set in Pakistan. Other nominees include the novel Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, which uses the backdrop of New York in 1974 when Phillip Petit walked between the Twin Towers on a wire; and Lark and Termite, called “poetic” by the New Yorker, the story of a family in small-town West Virgina in 1959 whose father is fighting in the Korean war; and Marcel Theroux’s Far North, which Publishers Weekly called a “postapocalyptic road novel.” You won’t find out the winner until mid-November, so you have the next month to check out the nominees!

Chicago Book Festival

Posted October 15, 2009

We’re smack dab in the middle of 2009’s Chicago Book Festival, but there are plenty of exciting events still to come. Some of this month’s biggest events being hosted at the Library include:

Michael Chabon reading from his new book Manhood for Amateurs on Wednesday, October 21, 6:00 p.m. [Event details]
Sherman Alexie discussing his new collection War Dances with Victoria Lautman on Thursday, October 22, 6:00 p.m. [Event details]
Kimberla Lawson Roby reading from her latest book A Deep Dark Secret on Thursday, October 22, 7:00 p.m. at Woodson Regional Library [Event details]

Meanwhile, we’re in full swing with our latest One Book One Chicago selection, Carl Smith’s The Plan of Chicago, chosen to celebrate the Burnham Plan Centennial. Check out the full listing of One Book programs and events. One particularly appealing event coming up is a presentation featuring Dominic Pacyga, author of Chicago: A Biography, the latest Chicago classic. (The book was profiled in the Chicago Sun Times this past weekend.) The event will be Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. [event details].

And there are plenty more events being hosted by partners of the Library. A few highlights (please consult the festival guide for directions or any special ticket instructions):

Luis Urrea, author of the new Into the Beautiful North, at Columbia College on Monday, October 19, 6:30 p.m.
Barbara Ehrenreich reading from her new book Bright-Sided Tuesday, October 20, 6:00 p.m. at International House, 1414 E. 59th St. (sponsored by Seminary Co-op Bookstores & International House)
Aleksandar Hemon, whose latest is Love and Obstacles, on Tuesday, October 27, 6:00 p.m. at Loyola University Chicago
Augusten Burroughs reading from You Better Not Cry at Music Box Theater (sponsored by Borders) Tuesday, October 27, 7:00 p.m.
Taylor Branch, author of the new The Clinton Tapes, at the University Club of Chicago on Thursday, October 29, noon

Fall into Baking

Posted October 12, 2009

The leaves are turning, and there is a chill in the air. When fall rolls around, there are few things as comforting as the aroma of something baking: apple pie, bread, cookies, really anything will do. Luckily, we have plenty of materials at the Chicago Public Library to provide inspiration and instruction to both the novice and expert baker. For the ambitious, we recommend Baking by James Peterson, the sequel to his James Beard award-winning Cooking. It includes over 300 recipes including chiffon cake, croissants, chocolate mousse, passion fruit tart and many other delectable treats. Or dig into the Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri. “With Malgieri’s confidence-building tutelage and a little practice, readers will be frosting cakes and cranking out scones like pros, and the chef offers multiple variations to try once the basics have been mastered,” notes Publishers Weekly. There are other cookbooks that specialize in nearly everything from cookies to chocolate to specialty bread. We have listed some titles that may tempt you to pull out your apron!

A Passion For Baking by Marcy Goldman
Anyone Can Bake by Jan Miller and Tricia Laning
Baking For All Occasions by Flo Braker
Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy
Martha Stewart’s Cookies by the editors of Martha Stewart Living
Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
Cake Love by Warren Brown
BakeWise by Shirley O. Corriher
Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois
Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads by Peter Reinhart
Local Breads by Daniel Leader with Laura Chattman

Born to Run

Posted October 8, 2009

With the annual Chicago Marathon happening this weekend, now’s the perfect time to highlight some hot titles that will be of interest to runners and readers alike. The Library owns several books about the marathon itself, including Chicago Marathon by Raymond Britt and The Chicago Marathon by Andrew Suozzo. There’s also a recent dvd entitled Spirit of the Marathon sure to be on interest. Further Chi-town persepctive is available in Chicago Running Guide by Brenda Barrera and Eliot Wineberg.

But we’d be remiss not to point out a recent surprise bestseller that has runners talking: Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. Here’s a useful description from the publisher: “McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it.” Booklist praised it for bring a “slyly important, highly readable account” and Kirkus raved, calling it a “terrific ride, recommended for any athlete.” Sounds anything but…run of the mill. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With Books

Posted October 6, 2009

We’re right in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins in mid-September and ends in mid-October. The Chicago Public Library is celebrating, too, so please join us for these Hispanic Heritage Month events. In addition to our programming, we’d like to recommend some new fiction that would make for excellent reading this month.

Local author Achy Obejas’ newest novel Ruins is set in Havana in 1994 and features Usnavy, a 54-year-old man who still believes in communist Cuba. He lives a simple life, but a beautiful lamp, perhaps a Tiffany, provides a connection to Cuba’s past. Junot Diaz, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao said, “Daring, tough and deeply compassionate, Achy Obejas’s Ruins is a breathtaker.” Another Chicagoan, Luis Albero Urrea, is the author of the recently published Into the Beautiful North, a humorous tale of a young woman on a quest to smuggle Mexican men back into Mexico. Oscar Casares’s new novel Amigoland revolves around estranged elderly brothers Fidencio and Celestino, living in the border town of Brownsville. They are brought together by Celestino’s housekeeper, Socorro, and the three take off on a trip to find out the truth about an old family legend. Publishers Weekly called the book “a winning novel.”

We would also like to recommend the debut novel The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico by Sarah McCoy, a coming of age tale that, as Booklist noted, “captures the essence of life in Puerto Rico.” Finally, we’d like to suggest a nonfiction title, Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life by Gerald Martin, a biography of the renowned author of A Hundred Years of Solitude and master of magical realism. This book has received favorable reviews, and Marquez is one author we’d love to know more about.

Blueprint for Disaster: The Unraveling of Chicago Public Housing

Posted October 1, 2009

Join us this Tuesday for a One Book, One Chicago event: D. Bradford Hunt will discuss his new book Blueprint for Disaster: The Unraveling of Chicago Public Housing, a historical examination of public housing in Chicago, at 6:00 p.m. at the Harold Washington Library Center. Bradford is certainly qualified to write the book – a professor at Roosevelt University, his dissertation was on public housing, and he collaborated with J.F. Fuerst on the book When Public Housing Was Paradise, a compilation of residents’ oral histories dating back to the beginnings of public housing in Chicago, a relatively golden age in its history. In Blueprint For Disaster, he lays out how it went wrong. In a review in the Chicago Tribune, Elizabeth Taylor noted that the book “adds a new dimension to the debate by pointing to missed opportunities for the CHA to heed warning signs and change course and that policy choices at the local and federal level led to the demise of public housing.”

Public housing is certainly a hot-button topic, and there have been many worthy studies of the subject, including a few excellent books focusing on Chicago. Sudhir Vankstesh, author of Gang Leader for a Day, is also the author of American Project, a history of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes. Library Journal notes that Vankstesh’s research approach “provides a fascinating and rigorous explanation of how a model of urban subsidized housing, which succeeded for 20 years, declined into disastrous conditions for its inhabitants.” There is also Waiting for Gautreaux. The title refers to the landmark case Gautreaux v. CHA and HUD, the 1966 case regarding discriminatory polices in public housing, and the author, Alexander Poilkoff, was the attorney who argued the case. The impact of the Gautreaux decision, the relocation of many low-income residents into the suburbs, is examined in Crossing Class and Color Lines by Leonard Rubinowitz and James Rosenbaum. A more intimate and affecting look at public housing in Chicago is Alex Kotlowitz’s There Are No Children Here. This 1991 book, for which Kotlowitz won the Carl Sandburg award, tells the story of two brothers growing up in the Henry Horner housing project.

We also recommend you check out the current One Book selection, The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City by Carl Smith.

The fall movie season is upon us, and this year’s roster includes quite a number of adaptations, as usual. What would Hollywood do without books? (Then again, what would the publishing industry do without all that free publicity?) High-profile films include adaptations of the work of authors Kurt Eichenwald, Nobel winner JM Coetzee, Dennis Lehane, the late David Foster Wallace, Sapphire and Cormac McCarthy.

Currently in Theaters
The Informant: a True Story / Kurt Eichenwald
Disgrace / J M Coetzee
Taking Woodstock / Elliot Tiber

Scheduled for This Fall
Shutter Island / Dennis Lehane
The Boys are Back / Simon Carr
The Men who Stare at Goats / Jon Ronson
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men / David Foster Wallace
Youth in Revolt / C.D. Payne
The Road / Cormac McCarthy
Push / Sapphire [Movie title: Precious]
Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation / John Carlin [Movie title: Invictus]

Oprah’s Book Club

Posted September 24, 2009

Oprah announced her new book club selection last Friday. Her choice of Say You’re One of Them was a bit of a surprise to some, since it is the first time Oprah has selected a collection of short stories, but it is no surprise that she chose a work that has been called stunning, startling and extraordinary. She noted, “Each one of these stories really just left me gasping.” The debut by Uwem Akpan, a Jesuit priest for Nigeria, is a collection of five stories told from the point of view of children contending with brutal circumstances. We know many of you will read the title for Oprah’s Book Club, and we thought it would be an ideal time to recommend some more great fiction by African authors.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel about the Biafran War, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction, and she has recently published a new book of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck. Booklist noted, “A meticulous observer of tactile detail and emotional nuance, Adichie moves sure-footedly from the personal to the communal as she illuminates with striking immediacy the consequences of prejudice, corruption, tyranny and violence in war-torn Nigeria and unaware America.” And another recommended collection of short stories is Tropical Fish by Doreen Baingana. These linked stories about three sisters are set in Uganda after the fall of military dictator Idi Amin. An up-and-coming author to check out is Christopher Abani. His well-received debut, Graceland, is the coming- of-age story of a teenage Elvis impersonator from Nigeria. He is also the author of Becoming Abigail, The Virgin of Flames and Song for Night. Abani’s writing is also featured in Gods and Soldiers, an anthology of contemporary fiction and nonfiction from Africa. This nuanced collection offers an array of writing of which Publisher Weekly notes, “sheds light on a multifarious continent too often thought of in one-size-fits-all terms.”

Fall Books Bonanza

September 22, 2009

Several commentators have pointed out that by any measure the fall 2009 season will go down as one of the most spectacular publishing seasons in memory. By now you’ve probably heard about the long overdue return of Dan Brown, but even if he weren’t on the calendar, the season would still dwarf most. We’ve also got the return of Audrey Niffenegger just as the movie adaptation of her Time Traveler’s Wife has spiked more interest in her work than ever. And we’ve also got several other supernova-class writers returning this season, including Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks, Malcolm Gladwell, Jon Krakauer, David Baldacci, Stephen King, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.

Oh, that’s not enough for you? How about Sara Paretsky, Nick Hornby, Margaret Atwood, Lorrie Moore, Anne Rice, Danielle Steel, Barbara Kingsolver, John Grisham and not one but two books from Charlaine Harris? Ridiculously, the list goes on an on. And as always, we’re eager to learn what new names will rise to the occasion of this crowded field. It’s hard not to feel sorry for the underdogs in a season of titans like this. Heck, even Oprah’s Book Club may have a hard time getting attention in this environment. Let’s put it this way: if you can’t find something to read this fall, then something’s seriously wrong with you. You might consider seeking medical attention. And now, a sure-to-be-futile attempt at highlights. Prepare to gape in wonder.

September
The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker
Backstage by Nikki Turner
Blood’s a Rover by James Ellroy
Dark Slayer by ChristineFeehan
Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day by Diane Ackerman
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave
Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
God Ain’t Blind by Mary Monroe
Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A. J. Jacobs
Hardball by Sara Paretsky
Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Homer & Langley by E. L. Doctorow
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
Lost Art of Gratitude: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Love and Summer by William Trevor
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
Reheated Cabbage by Irvine Welsh
Vanishing Act by Fern Michaels
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

October
Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim by Anne Rice
Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife by Francine Prose
Blood Game: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller by Iris Johansen
Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker by James McManus
Dirty Old Men (and Other Stories) by Omar Tyree
Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker (descendent of Bram Stoker)
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls
Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham
Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
Lover Man by Geneva Holliday
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris
Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
Monster in the Box: An Inspector Wexford Novel by Ruth Rendell
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance by Garrison Keillor
The Professional by Robert B. Parker
Rough Country by John Sandford
Scarpetta Factor by Patricia D. Cornwell
Southern Lights by Danielle Steel
A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
True Blue by David Baldacci
True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
The Wild Things by Dave Eggers
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs

November
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
A Deep Dark Secret by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Ford County by John Grisham
Generation a by Douglas Coupland (sequel to Generation X)
Good Fall: Stories by Ha Jin
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
The Humbling by Philip Roth
I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Makers by Cory Doctorow
Matchless: A Christmas Story by Gregory Maguire
Our Choice by Albert Gore, Jr.
Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven D. Levitt
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman by Lisa Scottoline

Richard Russo

Posted September 17, 2009

Join us next Wednesday, September 23 at 6 p.m. for Writers on the Record With Victoria Lautman at the Harold Washington Library Center. Richard Russo joins Victoria Lautman to discuss his new novel, That Old Cape Magic, a story of a middle-aged man coming to terms with his past. Library Journal notes, “Those who savored Russo’s long, languid novels may be surprised by this one’s rapid pace, but Russo’s familiar compassion for the vicissitudes of the human condition shines through.”

Russo is also the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Empire Falls, which was adapted by HBO into a film starring the late, great Paul Newman. Other Russo books include Bridge of Sighs, Nobodys Fool, Straight Man, The Risk Pool, Mohawk and The Whore’s Child and Other Stories. Don’t miss this engaging discussion!

Granta 108: Chicago

Posted September 15, 2009

This week the Harold Washington Library Center is hosting an exciting event that celebrates our great city. Granta, the renowned literary magazine, will release its latest issue this month with Chicago as its focus. The issue is composed entirely of writing by Chicago authors and writing about Chicago.

In an interview with Victoria Lautman Granta editor John Freeman discusses why Chicago was chosen as the theme for their latest issue. When asked if any other cities were considered he replies, “It wasn’t even close!” He goes on to say, “Chicago is having a real cultural moment. There are so many good writers coming out of the city, and the city itself is evolving out of its industrial past, accepting new immigrants from many different parts of the world, so the heady mix of the city’s population is changing too, and obviously Barack Obama is also a powerful symbol of that.”

We don’t have to be reminded what a cosmopolitan city we live in, but it does make us proud to see our city and some of our favorite writers featured in such a prestigious publication. At Thursday’s event Freeman will host an evening of discussion and readings by Stuart Dybek, Alex Kotlowitz and up-and-comer Maria Venegas. We encourage you to attend the event and pick up a copy of the newest issue of Granta (it’s worth it for Chris Ware’s beautiful cover alone). Also, be sure to check Granta’s website for Chicago content available now. Until the new issue hits the racks you can check out titles by some of the contributors listed below.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek
The Lazarus project by Aleksandar Hemon
Never a City So Real: A Walk in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitz
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Echo Maker by Richard Powers

Booker Prize Shortlist 2009

Posted September 10, 2009

No matter what the weather is telling us, we know we’re looking at the end of the summer season when the Booker prize shortlist is announced. As is often the case, not all of the honored titles have been published in the United States yet. The prize honors works written by citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Republic of Ireland and therefore can be an ideal source of reading inspiration for American readers curious about English language literature beyond our shores. Only one of the nominees has been published stateside so far, but others are scheduled to follow very soon.

Prizes are magnets for controversy, and this year most of the chatter so far has been over the exclusion of two books by Irish titans who had made the longlist: Love and Summer by William Trevor and Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Given the exceptional upcoming season of literary publishing, there have been plenty of other surprising omissions: new work by Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro, for example. Also, interestingly, two previous winners have made this cut: A S Byatt and J M Coetzee. So it’s somewhat surprising to learn that in Britain, the buzz is strongest for the forthcoming Mantel novel as the frontrunner. Mantel’s Wolf Hall is about Henry VIII’s Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell, and many commentators have pointed out that the list is dominated by historical novels. So the Irish are out and English history is in this year, quite a change from recent years.

This year’s Booker shortlist:
The Children’s Book by A S Byatt (to be published in October)
Summertime by J M Coetzee (scheduled to be published in the U.S. in early Dec.)
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds (not yet scheduled for U.S. release)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (to be published in October)
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (not yet scheduled for U.S. release)
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Good Reads for Animal Lovers

Posted September 8, 2009

We know people adore their pets, and we also realize that they love to read books by and about fellow animal lovers. Many of you have already enjoyed the story of the very sweet and poorly behaved Labrador in Marley and Me, which was also adapted into a film, and you’ll be pleased to discover a wealth of new titles for Marley fans and other pet lovers at the Chicago Public Library. There is the story of Dewey, a kitten abandoned in a library book drop, who added joy to the life of his rescuer, librarian Ms. Myron, who was dealing with her own hardship. The cat Homer, blind and also abandoned, found a special owner in Gwen Cooper. Publisher’s Weekly notes that the recently published Homer’s Odyssey “reveals Homer’s lessons about love and acceptance — and how he transformed Cooper into the woman she had always wanted to be.” Popular fiction authors are even getting in on the game: Rita Mae Brown’s forthcoming Animal Magnetism recounts her life with a number of beloved pets, and Dean Koontz’s A Big Little Life is an affectionate memoir of his late dog, Trixie.

It’s not all cats and dogs, though: perhaps you are a bird lover, in which case we recommend Wesley, The Owl by Stacy O’Brien, a biologist who chronicles her 19-year relationship with a barnyard owl she rescued, or Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, a scientist in animal communication who spent 30 years working with Alex, an exceptional African gray parrot with a vocabulary of over 100 words. “In this highly readable, anecdotal book, Pepperberg describes the training techniques she and her assistants used with Alex, the breakthroughs he made, and his growing fame as word began to spread about the brainy parrot who could differentiate colors, count and describe objects accurately and in human language,” according to Booklist. And finally, adventurous types might check out A Lion Called Christian. Yes, that’s right: a lion, one purchased in Harrods pet department. Want to know more? You’ll have to check out the book.

Hit the Books!

Posted September 3, 2009

Fall is in the air. We know, summer never really seemed to arrive this year. Nevertheless, it’s time to head back to school. We thought we’d help you ease back into the season with a list of books that explore academia and all of its trials and tribulations.

To kick off the list we’d like to direct you to one of our favorite novels to be set against the backdrop of academic life, The Secret History. This is a dark tale about an inner circle of students whose intense study of ancient Greek language and culture leads them to commit a heinous crime. The pace quickens as the group struggles to keep their secret under wraps and they begin to turn on each other. Donna Tartt’s modern classic will have you up late cramming, but in a thoroughly enjoyable way.

Acceptance by Susan Coll
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Blue Angel by Francine Prose
Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont
The Headmaster’s Dilemma by Louis Auchincloss
I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
Moo by Jane Smiley
Old School by Tobias Wolff
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
Straight Man by Richard Russo

The Darwin Bicentennial

Posted September 1, 2009

Somewhat overshadowed, at least here in the land of Lincoln, by another bicentennial that inspired our annual Summer Reading theme, the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth has also been widely observed both here in Chicago and around the world. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, but the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of the Species, less than three months away on November 24, has provided scientists, biographers and writers all the more reason to reconsider Darwin and evolution. At this point in the year, readers are looking at a bumper crop of excellent books (including two that pair Darwin with Honest Abe), and so it seems like a good time to take stock of the recent highlights. Additionally, we’ve rounded up a few notable novels that look at the life of Darwin. May these books set you on your own voyage of discovery.

Recent Books about Darwin and Evolution
Why evolution is true by Jerry A. Coyne
On the origin of species (Illustrated edition) by Charles Darwin
The 10,000 year explosion: how civilization accelerated human evolution by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending
Evolution: the first four billion years edited by Michael Ruse, Joseph Travis
Your inner fish: a journey into the 3.5-billion-year history of the human body by Neil Shubin
Life ascending: the ten great inventions of evolution by Nick Lane
Darwin’s sacred cause: how a hatred of slavery shaped Darwin’s views on human evolution by Adrian Desmond and James Moore
Darwin’s armada: four voyages and the battle for the theory of evolution by Iain McCalman
Natural selections: selfish altruists, honest liars, and other realities of evolution by David P. Barash
The Beagle letters by edited by Frederick Burkhardt
Angels and ages: a short book about Lincoln, Darwin, and modern life by Adam Gopnik
Rebel giants: the revolutionary lives of Abraham Lincoln & Charles Darwin by David R. Contosta