One of my most anticipated 2020 reads was Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald’s first book since her 2014 memoir, H is For Hawk. Hawk details the author’s attempts to train a goshawk as a way of coping with her father’s death. It is unpredictable, gorgeously written, and deeply moving. And because I loved H is For…
Looking to get out of the house or explore Libertyville's history virtually? Check out the Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society's online, self-guided tour "Libertyville's Historic Milwaukee Avenue" released in September. The tour begins in Cook Park, moves north along the west side of Milwaukee Avenue to the American Legion Hall, then crosses the street to explore the…
Last week I examined fiction that received the most love in 2020 from book reviewers. Today I will look at nonfiction. I compiled 36 notable lists with more than 500 books, including our own favorites from the Cook Memorial Public Library District staffers. Thirty-eight books, from social commentary and history to nature and humor, rose…
What would we have done this year without books? The Covid-19 pandemic shut down life for a lot of people, keeping us holed up in our homes. I found there was no better way to leave my boring living room than with a lively book transporting me to another time and world. With the pandemic still raging, we will need…
The very first line of this book asks the question, “What is a soul?” With that, the reader knows right away that reading this book is going to be an introspective kind of journey. Our guide, the narrator, is a thirty-something interfaith chaplain who works the night shift at a medical center. The book describes…
In the declining rust belt town of Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania, two teenagers awake in a movie theater with no memory of the last several hours. As they investigate the mystery behind their sudden amnesia, they encounter a number strange and unsettling creatures, from rabbits with human eyes, a blood-soaked deer-woman, and snarling, skinless men attacking those…
We know this winter is shaping up to be...weird. But there's SNOW better time to be a part of Cook Memorial Public Library District! From apps and ebooks to virtual programs and workshops, we're here to help you make the best of this most unexpected season. Follow us on social media to see all the…
On January 7, 1969, a young Harvard anthropology PhD candidate named Jane Sanders Britton was murdered. There were whispers that the young graduate student was having an affair with a married Harvard professor of archeology. It was said that the death scene was staged in a way that indicated the murderer had knowledge of ancient…
Was there ever a year more suited to cozying up with some holiday reads? Everyone is ready for some hygge, for some jolabokaflod, for a toasty beverage, a soft blanket, and a happy ending or twelve. To that end, here are a few books to help get you in the mood for winter, no matter…
On American Indian reservations, where felony crimes are often not prosecuted by the federal authorities, tribal members resort to their own justice in the form of hired vigilantes. Virgil Wounded Horse is one of those vigilantes on the Rosebud Reservation in North Dakota, where he is a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation. When Virgil…
