Romantasy, it’s safe to say, is having a moment. Fantasy book with a long title featuring A Deeply Admirable Heroine battling The Forces of Darkness and her feelings for A Complicated Hero? It's romantasy, and it's everywhere. Sarah Rees Brennan’s adult debut, Long Live Evil, delivers all the things readers like best about the genre,…
Have you ever wondered why Oktoberfest is celebrated in September? The actual history may surprise you! Yesterday, the annual festival began in Munich. This historic folk festival has deep cultural roots that continue to reverberate throughout the world, and Chicagoland is no exception. The multitude of smaller Oktoberfest celebrations held around our area are proof…
Sometimes a book just evokes a visceral reaction. The Wedding People by Alison Espach was that book for me. I picked up this book thinking I’d get a light, breezy read and got a whole lot more than I expected. Phoebe Stone, in a fabulous dress and heels, checks into Newport,…
From September 15 to October 15, the United States celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a time to remember the vital contributions that Americans who trace their ancestry to Latin America have made and continue to make to this country. The celebration began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week; it was then expanded to the…
Have you ever encountered an unfamiliar or archaic word when you are conducting genealogical research? Perhaps you read the cause of death on an ancestor’s death certificate and wanted to learn more. Or perhaps you found a genealogical abbreviation/acronym that you could not readily decipher. Maybe you are researching in an unfamiliar language and need…
What begins as a group hike ends up as a rain-soaked, blister-packed meet cute. Michael and Marnie have a mutual friend who’s tired of hearing their love-lorn complaints and dire divorce stories so Cleo plans the trip of a lifetime trekking coast-to-coast along a rugged route in the north of England. In You Are Here,…
“She looked back at the friendly horses and saw that one of them had those eyes—those human eyes. Not blue this time, but somehow possessing a human awareness. It did not look at her. It studied her. The horse raised its head a little and the eyes widened, as if seeing the recognition in her…
Have you ever noticed the small display cabinet in the Genealogy Section on the Lower Level of Cook Park Library? It has a glass cover and several shelves of books inside! Have you ever wondered about those books? Well, this two-part blog post will explore some of the items inside our very own cabinet of…
As a mystery lover, I’m always on the lookout for new series that feel both unexpected and satisfying – a tough combination. Luckily, this summer had two such titles – both introducing unconventional detectives I hope to see more of. Delia Pitts’ Trouble in Queenstown features Evander “Vandy” Myrick, a cop-turned PI who has returned…
"Knowing when to keep something close and when to let go is what living's about." Like Leslye Penelope's previous novel, Monsters We Defy, this is a work of magical realism set during within 20th century events. However, unlike that first novel which is set in an urban environment, Daughter of the Merciful Deep is set…
