Lake County Register, March 28, 1923, p. 1 During the Roaring Twenties, the Cook Memorial Library underwent growth and development on every front, from the building to the staff to the collection to its very organization. The two biggest changes happened in 1923: the library board hired a new librarian, and the library taxing boundaries…
True to the praise on the book jacket, The Push by Ashley Audrain is a compelling read. The beginning of the novel is sure to pique the reader's curiosity. Who are these people? How are they connected? Why are they acting this way? It inspires the reader to keep turning the pages to find the answers, and yes, possibly finish the book…
“How is it possible to become free when you do not even know who you are?”--Libertie Sampson Freedom is a theme woven throughout Kaitlyn Greenidge’s excellent new novel set during and after the Civil War. What does it mean to be free, when you must face other people’s expectations, racism and sexism? Libertie’s father was…
May books are special creatures. In May, I like a quirky book. A cheerful book. A book that can transport me almost instantly, because May, in my experience, is jammed full of events, activities, and to-dos that frankly, interrupt my reading to a ridiculous degree. But take heart! Mia P. Manansala’s debut mystery, ARSENIC AND…
The Ansel B. and Emily Barrows Cook Memorial Library, circa 1923Cook Memorial Public Library collection From a collection of books in the homes of members of the Alpha Club in 1909, to a subscription library on a drugstore's shelves, to a room in the village hall....the Libertyville public library would finally find a home in…
Patrick O’Hara, sort-of-retired television star, is living an uneventful, solitary life at his pristine Palm Springs home when tragedy strikes: his sister-in-law (and dear friend) dies young, and her children, ages 6 and 9, have to come live with him for the summer. The only problem: Patrick does not do kids, let alone two…
Spring, to me, means the start of baseball season. With two sons who play and a husband who is pretty much obsessed with the game, it feels like I spend about 40% of my waking hours during the months of April-July watching baseball, talking about baseball, and planning my life (and meals) around, you guessed…
Looking for a psychological thriller with a mystery you won’t be able to solve? Try Possession by Katie Lowe. I was hooked after the first two pages! Author Katie Lowe This whodunit starts with a murder, which the police attribute to a burglary gone wrong. A young man named Michael Philips is convicted and sent to prison. …
In the library world, every season has a hot book, the one with a gazillion holds. This spring’s buzzy title is The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, about a family trying to survive the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930s. This topic was expertly taken on in 1939 by John Steinbeck’s epic The…
Ansel B. and Emily Barrows Cook Memorial Library, 1923, Cook Memorial Public Library collection The library has something to celebrate! 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the Cook Memorial Public Library. The doors of the former residence of Ansel B. Cook opened to the public as a space for books and reading on October 22,…
