Let me be clear: Zofia Turbotynska, the amateur sleuth at the center of the new novel, Mrs. Mohr Goes Missing, is not going to win the award for Most Likeable Lady Detective In A Golden Age Style Detective Novel any time soon. She really, really isn't. But she should definitely win Most Fun. Zofia Turbotynska…
Is lack of focus getting in the way of your reading? Maybe it is adjustment to the “new normal” or perhaps it is exhaustion from taking on the roles of parent, teacher, and playmate for the kids in your house. I’m right there with you, but there is some content that I’ve been enjoying while…
“What have you been reading lately?” We hear that a lot at the library — from patrons looking for their next great read, from staffers putting together brochures and recommended lists, and from curious coworkers, because we’re a bookish people and like to share. Often, my reading follows a niche theme: middle grade magical realism…
Why is it that poetry can strike fear into the heart of even the most avid reader? I speak from experience. That fear nearly delayed my college graduation when my adviser discovered that I was still shy of a required 300-level poetry class. I was actually well aware that I was missing the class but,…
We tend to think of history as things that happened a long time ago. When was a town settled? What were the major influences on its development? Who lived here and what did they do? What was here before? In my job as a local history librarian, I am tasked with making resources, such as…
Over the last few years, and especially the last few weeks, delivery service for all kinds of things has become common place. Need a book, office supplies, toy, or a widget of almost any kind? Order it today and have it at your door within a few days, maybe even tomorrow. Got a hankering for…
“Does a person have to be either admirable or awful? Does life have to be so binary? Two things can be true at the same time, he told himself.” The Glass Hotel begins dramatically in 2018 as Vincent is falling from a shipping vessel into the ocean. The novel flips back and forth in time…
Did you know that newly released books, including ebooks, come out on Tuesdays? Every Tuesday morning I order the new fiction ebooks for Cook Memorial Public Library District’s Overdrive (Libby) and Cloud Library services. If you are an ebook user, you've probably noticed that the new titles often are quickly checked out. So if you…
An old church deacon nicknamed “Sportcoat’’ is having a rough time in his golden years. He doesn’t remember shooting a young local drug dealer in the face. He keeps having fierce arguments with his wife Hettie, who died two years ago. He can’t find his church’s Christmas box filled with parishioners’ donations. Now his best…
Local History Librarian Jennifer Barry helps us celebrate Women's History Month at the local level by highlighting the extraordinary life of Libertyville High School teacher Dr. Norma Munson. http://traffic.libsyn.com/cooklib/The_Past_is_Present_-_Dr._Norma_Munson.mp3…
