Was one of your New Year's resolutions this year about stuff? Buying less, decluttering, reorganizing? Do you wonder what happens to everything we donate or recycle? If you do, pick up this book. Secondhand takes us on a trip throughout the world to show where all that stuff goes. Believe it or not, that old…
As the year wraps up, Readers Advisor Jo talks about the most beloved books of 2019 according to the staff at Cook Library. We go over highlights from our immensely popular 2019 fiction and nonfiction booklets available at the reference desk and online. Listen to this quick 20 minute episode to remember the books and…
Last week I looked at the novels that received the most love in 2019 from book reviewers. Today I will tackle nonfiction. I compiled 30 notable lists and more than 500 books, including our own favorites from the Cook Memorial Public Library District’s reference desk staffers. I’ve added links to our catalog for book descriptions,…
I have to admit that I’m thrilled when some of my favorite books do well on all those best-of-the-year lists. I was heartened to see Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout, Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett and The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates…
Local History Librarian Jenny Barry shares some of the quirkiest newspaper headlines and articles she's encountered in her years researching Libertyville's history. Visit our local history page to discover your own oddities in Cook Library's newspaper archives! http://traffic.libsyn.com/cooklib/Local_History_Headlines.mp3…
Author Ted Chiang One of the best experiences, as a reader, is when you discover a new writer with whom you feel a connection. Not necessarily a debut author, but new in the sense that you’ve never previously read anything by him or her. My latest such discovery is Ted Chiang. Science fiction readers are,…
I would never have picked up this book had a friend not recommended it to me. I thought it might be self-congratulatory or preachy. But Melissa Gates is neither of those things. Quite the opposite: she is humble and refreshingly honest about how hard it can be to make change in the world. This book…
The holidays are fast approaching, and with them, mile-long to-do lists and jam-packed calendars. Amid all that hustle and bustle, it’s important to take time to recover — and what better restorative than a holiday-themed book? This year, I’ve discovered the delight that is British holiday fiction. Similar to Hallmark movies, these stories are full…
Previously we profiled World War I veterans and brothers Harold, Wendell, Clarence, and Kenneth Lovell. There were several other Libertyville families with more than one son in service during the Great War. One such family was that of Cherubino and Frances Gotti, Italian immigrants and the proprietors of a Milwaukee Avenue fruit stand, confectionery, and…
This book is the first in Ann Cleeves's new Three Rivers series. Mystery fans know Cleeves from the Vera Stanhope and Shetland books and TV series, and it was exciting to discover her brand-new character, Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. He's an unassuming, introverted sort who's pulled into a murder case on the day of his…
