“The implacability and violence of nature always awed him. That it could be entirely heedless and yet so beautiful. That awed him. But also its intricate intelligence. Its balancings. Its quiet compensations. It was like some unnamed justice permeated everything. He would not go further than that. Still, the workings of nature made the voracious,…
This was a summer of mostly meh books – I read a lot, but can’t remember most of the titles, or the plots, or the characters. They weren’t bad, exactly. Just…meh. Indistinguishable. More of the same, when what I wanted was something that stood out, something that gave me a fresh perspective or an unusual…
While going through some old articles from the Lake County Independent, I came across a very persuasive advertisement for Dr. Pierce's Pleasant Purgative Pellets, which claimed it would give women the strength to do their patriotic duty during the First World War. Between that and, since my coworker has just finished her amazing rundown of the history…
When Frank B. Lovell took over the F.Z. Kimball & Co. drug store in the 1880's, he became the head of a business established over a decade earlier. Little did he know this business would still be in operation over 100 years later. Frank B. Lovell was born in 1861 in Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois,…
Tea Obreht burst on the literary stage in 2011 with her magnificent novel, The Tiger’s Wife. She was hailed by The New Yorker as one of the twenty best American fiction writers under forty and included in the National Book Foundation’s list of 5 Under 35. Fans, including me, eagerly waited for her next book.…
Most people have heard of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, but the Great Libertyville Fire of 1895 may not be as familiar. Nearly 125 years ago, a fire raged through central Libertyville destroying an entire business block in a single night. In the hours between August 30 and 31, 1895, cigar maker Max LeBeau…
In our world, faith is not something we talk about much. Family Sunday mornings are more often built around soccer games or brunches than heading to church. Yet questions of faith and belief still resonate. At some point most of us struggle with the big questions: Does God exist? And if so, why do bad…
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's first book Stamped From The Beginning won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2016. It was, as the subtitle suggests, a "definitive history of racist ideas in America." Kendi's debut was an eye-opener for me when I read it, but the historical tome left me thirsty for guidance. What should…
“That is how science and medicine are practiced best, though—we are best when we admit our ignorance up front, and then attempt to fill the darkness of not-knowing with the light of information and knowledge.” ---from The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig One morning in rural Pennsylvania, Shana’s younger sister Nessa gets up out her bed…
Claire Lombardo Chicago native Claire Lombardo's debut novel is an entertaining family saga exploring the delights and perils of parenthood and sisterhood. Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson found true love back in college and now are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Even though their marriage had its ups and downs, their love for each other…
