"The Curse of the Bahia Emerald" on Wired A real-life mystery, full of larger-than-life characters, and the titular emerald that is either worth almost nothing or $925 million. It's confusing and hard to explain in a short blurb, but fascinating with incredibly compelling illustrations throughout. A great long-read for the weekend. The 50 Best Podcasts…
I’m always looking for new mystery authors to read, so after noticing positive reviews for this book in trade journals, I picked it up. It had everything I look for in a mystery: a unique setting (a chateau in Switzerland), a compelling sleuth, and a good puzzle. Agnes Luthi is a Swiss-American police inspector who…
So many of us feel overwhelmed by the amount of constant news information. Throw "fake news" into the mix and you have the perfect recipe for a confused and exhausted citizenry. But don't panic because librarians are here to help! Bad information and fake news is actually nothing new and librarians have been teaching media…
Lake County’s written history began when French traders and missionaries traveling through the region noted the place in their journals. In 1673, Father Jacques Marquette referred to the Des Plaines River as “the river of portage” and wrote of its tendency to flood its banks. This characteristic seems to be how the river got its…
Perhaps it is my Danish ancestry, but I have always practiced to some extent the art of Hygge (pronounced HOO-GA), where you enjoy the small pleasures of life. My kids tease me about my love for candles and cozy blankets. I also enjoy a hot beverage with sweets while curled up with a good book…
There is just a handful of authors whose books I absolutely must read as soon as they come out, and Greg Iles sits at the top of this short list. Mississippi Blood, his newest book and the conclusion of the best-selling Natchez Burning trilogy, is a page-turning, nail-biter of a wild ride. (If you’ve somehow…
Did you know that many of the Chicago Archiocese's early church records are available on FamilySearch? Some are indexed, but you can view them all by browsing the digitized records. Here's how: Go to the FamilySearch website. Sign In to your free account. If you don't have one, click "Free Account" and sign up. You…
Melissa joins us to recommend Dept. H by Matt Kindt, a locked-room mystery graphic novel that takes place at the bottom of the ocean. We also discuss how reading comics and graphic novels differs from reading print novels. You can find Dept. H in our catalog and Matt Kindt's other works over at Hoopla. [audio src="http://traffic.libsyn.com/cooklib/Ep._31__Quick_Draw_-_Dept.H.mp3"]…
As the news cycle marches on with unrelenting intensity, I stumbled across a book which was described as “life affirming”, “laugh out loud funny”, and “enchanting” -- umm, yes please! I snatched up All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai and it did not disappoint. Tom Barren’s 2016 is a very different place than our…
Your digital photos and images are vital to your genealogy research. Make sure you have them stored safely and in an organized manner. Attend Get Organized: Online Digital Photo Storage on Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. at Aspen Drive Library. While this is not specifically genealogy-related, you and your genealogy research will benefit from…
