Sometimes it can be nice to disappear into a Happily Ever After. To take a break from the world and imagine that true love really does conquer all. If you're looking for some romance titles that do just that and aren't your standard rom-com cast, check these out! The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli follows…
Labor of Love: Revs. Addie and Claude Wyatt Photographs
By Cynthia
Chicagoan Addie Wyatt was a minister, labor activist and civil rights activist who founded the Vernon Park Church of God in 1955 with her husband, Claude Wyatt. The Vivian G. Harsh Collection recently completed the addition of more than 2,800 photos documenting the Wyatts' family life, ministry, and labor and civil rights work from the…
Clowning Around: 5 Books About Clowns of All Kinds
By Kat
Shout the word “clown” in a room full of people and at least one person will flinch. That’s probably thanks to Stephen King’s It, the horror classic whose original film adaptation traumatized generations of accidental viewers with ominous whispers and blood-filled balloons. Now the villainous Pennywise is getting another turn on the big screen, this…
Diana, 20 Years Later
By Andrew
On August 31, 1997, a late-night car crash in a Parisian tunnel ended the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, mere months after she visited Chicago, yet her legacy as a humanitarian, mother and icon endures across the globe two decades later. Her Life Initially published only 11 years after her marriage, Diana secretly cooperated…
Novel Journeys: The British Raj
India, symbolized by the Koh-I-Noor diamond, was long considered the jewel in the English colonial crown. However, the relationship took a toll on both countries, and the British Raj, as the colonial experience was known, ended 70 years ago this month. Starting with a new release, these are some books dealing with the cost to…
Books to Celebrate Women in Translation Month
By Kate
Don't let the massive number of devoted Elena Ferrante fans fool you. In the already small percentage of works in translation released to U.S. readers each year, the portion of those works written by a female author is even smaller. Which means that we're missing out on a world of good writing. That's why this…
Canada!
By Jeff
I'm not sure why, but a few weeks back, I got the Canadian national anthem stuck in my head, and it got me thinking. I never thought about it before, but Canada's a country. It's not just a punchline to a joke about friendly neighbors or a place where some celebrities come from. It's got…
It’s Hard to Be a Girl in the Future
Have you already read The Handmaid's Tale and watched the show on Hulu? There's definitely more in that vein. Dystopias are popular with feminist writers. I've written about readalikes for Margaret Atwood's masterpiece before, but here are some more to give you the shivers. Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed takes place sometime in the future…
Quiz: How Well Do You Know Superheroes?
Chicago's kids are busy becoming superheroes during this year's Summer Learning Challenge, but superheroes aren't just for kids. How well do you know these classic superheroes? Take our quiz to find out…
Stories of Haiti
I find Haiti endlessly fascinating, from its very survival to its wealth of folk art. I chose these books because they are written or edited by Haitians and give one an insider's view of this perpetually resilient nation. René Depestre has written a delightful book, Hadriana in All My Dreams, that celebrates life in his home…
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