Welcome back to my somewhat belated second installment on the history of the Native American peoples of Lake County! When we left off in my last post, it was the early 1600’s. In what would become Illinois, the Inoca Confederation had risen to become the most powerful tribal group, while on the East Coast of North America, French, Dutch,…
I am a Broadway musical nut, and the annual Tony Awards telecast is must-see TV at my house. Sunday night’s telecast was no exception. What’s not to like about amiable hosts Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban serving up highlights from the hottest new shows on Broadway? The Tony Awards now rival the Grammy Awards in…
This month I picked up two delightful nonfiction books by elderly women with vastly different lifestyle choices. While one woman thinks more is more, the other thinks less is more. The first book is Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon, Musings of a Geriatric Starlet. You have probably seen pictures of Iris with her oversized glasses and…
Do you ever hear chatter around the library about “Lynda this” and “Lynda that?” You’re probably wondering, “Who the heck is Lynda!?” Lynda is a wonderful website that provides thousands of courses ranging from computer software to animation! There’s an informative, captivating, and free(!) course on Lynda for everyone! All you need is a viable Cook…
I don’t usually read short stories, but I couldn’t resist this collection because Curtis Sittenfeld is one of my favorite authors. The short story format was a good change for me, and I was surprised at how refreshing it was to be able to read in this way. Short stories are also a great format…
Erica’s Pick of the Week is a smart summer read for you and your best friend.
“Nevertheless, they persist. I guess that means I f^&*ng have to, too.” Sixteen-year-old Brynn’s life is a mess. Her beloved older brother Nick died of an overdose and her mother and step-father are so clueless that they punish Brynn for her academic decline and ignore her ongong grief. When Brynn is given an…
Award-winning journalist Catherine Price joins us on the podcast for a conversation on smartphone addiction. A growing number of smartphone users are starting to notice their phone usage has evolved into something problematic. Price’s new book is a practical guide to help acknowledge addictive smartphone behavior and develop healthier relationships with our devices. We discuss…
Jonathan Evison’s raw, gritty novel about the working poor stars Mike Munoz, an endearing character who wants to find his own American Dream, but feels “stuck on a hamster wheel.’’ The 23-year-old works paycheck to paycheck while living with his mother and autistic brother in a doublewide trailer on a Native American reservation. His mom…
Big Angel is the patriarch of a sprawling Mexican-American family. He’s the one everyone looks up to, the one who sets the rules – kind of like the Godfather. However, he is dying of cancer and starting to look at the world a little differently. The House of Broken Angels takes place over two days…
