Reality shows are not, as they say, my cup of tea. Competition shows particularly are particularly stressful. I always feel so badly for the eliminated contestants, and if I wanted to feel terrible while watching TV, I would turn on the news. Inevitably, this is the point where someone recommends I watch The Great British…
As the 1930s came to a close, Libertyville looked forward to the possibility of an expanded Cook Memorial Library. The library’s collection of 15,000 books was crammed in the first floor of the former Cook home and the structure was in need of external repairs. In 1939, the Libertyville Lions Club formed a Cook Memorial…
At this time of year, beautiful green trees are a magnificent backdrop to our summer days. If you're a tree-hugger, or just a nature enthusiast, you will enjoy some of our recent books about our wooden forest friends. Click on the title to find the book in our online catalog. More than Meets the EyeFinding…
When you think of gardening, what comes to mind? A new activity, brought on by Covid cabin fever? Something your mother or grandmother did? It's certainly not a necessity for most of us anymore. Growing food, like sewing clothes or building furniture, has become industrialized and commoditized in our modern society. The rise of big…
Who doesn’t love a good adventure story? Especially if it’s a story of man pushed to his ultimate physical and psychological limits. Even better is if the tale involves danger, heroics, intrigue, insanity, and betrayal; and what's best of all is if the story is true. A recently published book that fits the bill on…
Fireworks, barbecues and picnics, parades...what's all the fuss about? Here are some books and movies we've recently added to our shelves about the Revolutionary War. Click on the titles to check availability in our catalog. The Big Picture1774 : The Long Year of Revolution by Mary Beth NortonThe American Revolution : A World War edited…
Warning - Not for the Faint of Heart - This book contains some grisly stuff, including a monster that kills things and hangs them from trees by their entrails. Are you still interested? Near the Bone by Christina Henry is a riveting, suspenseful, creepy horror novel with an underdog protagonist. Christina Henry Twenty-something Mattie lives…
Every time I read a new book, I ask myself whether it will make the annual Staff Favorites booklets I put together at the end of the year. The newest gem I just finished will definitely make the cut. Early Morning Riser’s charming story is driven by its multiple quirky characters. The cheerful protagonist, Jane,…
You can be forgiven for thinking Firekeeper's Daughter, the debut novel from Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley, is a fantasy novel. The cover is lush and symbol-laden, and the elemental title fits in perfectly with today's young adult titles. But in fact, Firekeeper's Daughter is a thriller rooted in the real world, a coming-of-age story, and…
In late 1929, a number of Mundelein residents circulated a petition requesting a branch of the Cook Memorial Library be opened to serve residents in the western part of Libertyville Township (the western border of the township is Route 45/Lake Street in Mundelein) . Space was secured at the McBride Hardware store on Maple Avenue…
