Friday, December 18, 2009

TEN TERRIFIC READS OF 2009 FROM O MAGAZINE

Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness by Tracy Kidder 304 pages; Random House
Tracy Kidder's Strength in What Remains is the astonishing real-life story of a man called Deo, who, after witnessing the destruction of his native Burundi, faced poverty and deep humiliation in America—and rose above it. Kidder can describe a 14-hour trek up a mountainside so vividly you understand that moving on can be a show of strength, as some things matter more than a broken heart.
The Invisible Mountain by Carolina De Robertisb384 pages; Knopf
Carolina De Robertis's The Invisible Mountain—about three generations of strong women whose passions play out against the politics of 20th-century South America—does what the best, most readable novels do: It tells a compelling human story about identity while also quietly evoking a place and time.
Some Things That Meant the World to Me by Joshua Mohr 208 pages; Two Dollar Radio Meet Rhonda, a man who spends his haunted, liquor-fueled days Dumpster diving for redemption. With his first line—"I'd like to brag about the night I saved a hooker's life"—debut writer Joshua Mohr sucks you into Some Things That Meant the World to Me. Charles Bukowski fans will dig the grit in this seedy novel, a poetic rendering of postmodern San Francisco culminating in, of all places, Home Depot.
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan 368 pages; Back Bay
Only Uwem Akpan, a Nigerian-born writer and Jesuit priest, could guide us though such desperate terrain, from street slums in Nairobi to war-torn Rwanda, with something like hope in our hands. No doubt, these stories of rape, slaughter, and child slavery are difficult to bear. But, told mostly by children, Say You're One of Them, a recent pick of Oprah's Book Club, tempers ineffable treachery with wild-eyed imagination, offering a ravenous prayer for a better world.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers 342 pages; McSweeney's
We already knew Dave Eggers could tell his own story very well—see 2000's A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius—but he leaves himself out of Zeitoun. Here, the subject is a Syrian-born contractor who should have been lionized for his selfless work in New Orleans during and after Katrina but was instead caged like an animal in a makeshift jail; the book is a masterpiece of compassionate reporting about a shameful time in our history.
Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley 251 pages; Twelve
Christopher Buckley's life wasn't exactly like most people's—his parents were William F. and Patricia Buckley, East Coast social and intellectual fixtures. But Losing Mum and Pup, his memoir of the year in which they both died—is universal in its evocation of loss. It's extraordinary for its clarity and, of course, its wit (Buckley has also written many comic novels, including Thank You for Smoking). "Lovely people sometimes do unlovely things," Buckley has said. But he—and we—can love them anyway.
Blame by Michelle Huneven 304 pages; Sarah Crichton/FSG
Sly yet openhearted, Michelle Huneven's Blame takes on the recovery movement in this novel about Patsy MacLemoore, a slightly wild, 20-something history professor involved in an alcohol-related crime. All too flawed, Patsy eventually finds redemption, only to wind up questioning her hard-won moral certainties later on. Think The Good Mother or House of Sand and Fog: It's that good.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave 288 pages; Simon & Schuster
A terrifying memory unites two very different women—a wry and ingenious young Nigerian refugee newly sprung from a British detention center, and an editor of a fashionable English women's magazine—in Chris Cleave's hauntingly original novel, Little Bee. A story about what it takes to look horror in the face and still find beauty.
Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich 384 pages; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
What do you do when rotten luck leaves you speechless? After two bouts with cancer and the shock of getting fired, Katherine Russell Rich "no longer had the language to describe my own life. So I decided I'd borrow someone else's." Dreaming in Hindi is the verbally and emotionally dazzling story of Rich's passage to India, where she tried to master an intricate foreign tongue—and became fluent in the language of human possibility.
The Bolter by Frances Osborne 320 pages; Knopf
The Bolter chronicles the life of Idina Sackville, a wellborn British woman who defied convention by having "lovers without number" and choosing a decadent expat life in Kenya in 1918. Was Sackville a protofeminist free spirit à la Isak Dinesen or a spoiled rich girl who couldn't resist a scandal? Author Frances Osborne—Sackville's great-granddaughter—traces her ancestor's journey from madcap to just plain mad.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Titles reviewed in Oprah Magazine

Got Sisters? Cathleen Medwick reviews You Were Always Mom's Favorite! Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives by Deborah Tannen, an exploration of connection between sisters.October 2009

The Happiness Gene Vince Passaro reviews Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers, a fiction novel about the discovery of a happiness gene -- and the mayhem that ensues.October 2009

Now You See Her Vince Passaro reviews The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis, stories by the respected short-story writer which are able to convert everyday experience into light comic drama.October 2009

Day After Tomorrow Pam Houston reviews The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, a darkly humorous cautionary novel about a grim dystopia set in the not-to-distant future.October 2009

Over There Francine Prose reviews The Good Soldiers by David Finkel, an up-close-and-personal look at one U.S. battalion's gripping experiences in Iraq.October 2009

Brooch of Protocol Jessica Winter reviews Read My Pins by Madeleine Albright, the diplomat's offbeat illustrated memoir.October 2009

Vanishing Eden Cathleen Medwick reviews A Shadow Falls by Nick Brandt, a photographic portrayal of a wild East African landscape that may soon be no more.October 2009

Mommy Deadest Cathleen Medwick reviews The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah, an irresistibly convoluted new thriller about lust, loyalty, and the violent emotions of motherhood.October 2009

A Little Night Music Elaina Richardson reviews Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro, a collection of five related stories involving misfits and a love for music.October 2009

After Him Cathleen Medwick reviews Nothing Was the Same by Kay Redfield Jamison, the elegiac and emotionally precise story of life with and without the author's late husband, scientist Richard Wyatt.October 2009

Old Haunts Cathleen Medwick reviews Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, a gravely buoyant new novel of phantom loves and all-too-tangible fears.October 2009

Antlered States Cathleen Medwick reviews The Hidden Life of Deer by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, in which the author illustrates how these creatures' interactions can be remarkably similar to our own.October 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

A novel look at the holidays


Each year, autumn brings a crop of new holiday fiction--and 2009 is no different! Lucky for us, there are some wonderful novels to savor this holiday season. Cecelia Ahern, best known for her novel P.S. I Love You, brings readers The Gift--the charming story of Lou Suffern, an overworked executive known more for his work ethic than his holiday cheer. But a chance encounter with a homeless man forces Lou to reexamine his priorities--and change his life for the better. Novelist Wally Lamb (She's Come Undone, I Know This Much is True) serves a vivid slice of 1960s family life in Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story. Lamb transports readers to the charming fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, as 10-year-old Felix Funicello navigates the fifth grade in this wise and witty holiday tale.

A great American writer


Mark Twain (born Samuel Langhorne Clemens) was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. At the age of 12 he began working at a local newspaper as a printer's apprentice; for the next decade he worked as a printer throughout the country, until a trip down the Mississippi river caused him to change paths and become a steamboat pilot. His childhood in the South and his experiences working on the river served as the foundation for many of his later essays and works of fiction. His most famous book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has been hailed as one of the Great American Novels, lauded for its piercingly accurate depictions of the South during slavery. Why not celebrate Twain's contributions to American literature by checking out one of his many books on your next trip to the library? Or, if you'd like to learn more about the man himself, try Mark Twain: A Life by Ron Powers.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Great tastes for the holidays


The holiday season is here, and with it come delicious dinners, cookie swaps and parties galore. The library has cookbooks full of delicious recipes that will amaze friends and guests alike. Try one of Martha Stewart's trusted cooking compendiums, like Martha Stewart's Cooking School, for a dish sure to add class to your holiday table. Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, the first cookbook from Brooklyn bakery owners Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, is full of treats with a twist, like Sweet and Salty Cake, which will add pizzazz to your holiday table. Looking for more traditional tastes? The classic recipes in Dorie Greenspan's Baking are sure to please.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Books with Bite


These days, there seem to be more vampires around than you can shake a stake at. On TV, you'll find "True Blood" and the CW's new series "The Vampire Diaries." On the big screen, the films New Moon and Jennifer's Body are drawing crowds. And, of course, the vampire craze started with books (which inspired all of the above except Jennifer's Body, an original screenplay). A new wave of books is feeding on the lifeblood of this vampire explosion--vampire humor and mashups. The New Vampire's Handbook is a snarky look at life as one of the undead, while The Vampire Is Just Not That Into You is a hilarious guide to snagging a vampire of your very own. And if fiction is your preference, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre could be right up your alley.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Judy Levin's Book Discussion.


Please join Judy Levin's last fall book discussion of "Out Stealing Horses" by Per Petterson, Thursday, November 19 at 12:30 pm.


From Publishers Weekly
Award-winning Norwegian novelist Petterson renders the meditations of Trond Sander, a man nearing 70, dwelling in self-imposed exile at the eastern edge of Norway in a primitive cabin. Trond's peaceful existence is interrupted by a meeting with his only neighbor, who seems familiar. The meeting pries loose a memory from a summer day in 1948 when Trond's friend Jon suggests they go out and steal horses. That distant summer is transformative for Trond as he reflects on the fragility of life while discovering secrets about his father's wartime activities. The past also looms in the present: Trond realizes that his neighbor, Lars, is Jon's younger brother, who "pulls aside the fifty years with a lightness that seems almost indecent." Trond becomes immersed in his memory, recalling that summer that shaped the course of his life while, in the present, Trond and Lars prepare for the winter, allowing Petterson to dabble in parallels both bold and subtle. Petterson coaxes out of Trond's reticent, deliberate narration a story as vast as the Norwegian tundra. (June)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Fly Away With Us


During the month of November, not only is it acceptable to have your head stuck in the clouds, it's actually encouraged! Stop by the library and celebrate National Aviation History month by checking out some books on flight. Whether it's brushing up on your mythology (Daedalus and Icarus attempted to fly using wax wings), learning more about the two American brothers who pioneered the first powered airplane or reading the recently released autobiography by Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who successfully navigated the emergency landing of a passenger plane in the Hudson River (Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters), your reading this month is sure to transport you up, up and away.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Honoring our veterans



Honoring our veteransOn November 11, readers can celebrate Veterans Day with one of several recent history books that reassess battles where American service members fought and died. New and recommended titles includes The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War by James Carl Nelson, whose grandfather was a World War I vet; The Darkest Summer: Pusan and Inchon 1950, Bill Sloan's account of the first year of the Korean War; and Antony Beevor's D-Day, a comprehensive look at the greatest amphibious landing in history.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Social Media 101: For Life, Work & Fun





The City of Lake Forest, Lake Forest Library and other community organizations will host a "Social Media 101" workshop at Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Rd, Lake Forest, IL on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 7:00pm - 8:30 pm.

Michael Hoffman, CEO of S see3Commnications will present a grogrm on using Facebook, Linked-In, and Twitter to network for jobs, marketing, and family fun.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Elise Barack's Book Discussion Group


Join the Library and Elise Barack for a discussion of Netherland by Joseph O'Neill today at 7:15 pm.

ABOUT THIS BOOK
In a New York City made phantasmagorical by the events of 9/11, Hans--a banker originally from the Netherlands--finds himself marooned among the strange occupants of the Chelsea Hotel after his English wife and son return to London. Alone and untethered, feeling lost in the country he had come to regard as home, Hans stumbles upon the vibrant New York subculture of cricket, where he revisits his lost childhood and, thanks to a friendship with a charismatic and charming Trinidadian named Chuck Ramkissoon, begins to reconnect with his life and his adopted country. Ramkissoon, a Gatsby-like figure who is part idealist and part operator, introduces Hans to an “other” New York populated by immigrants and strivers of every race and nationality. Hans is alternately seduced and instructed by Chuck’s particular brand of naivete and chutzpah--by his ability to a hold fast to a sense of American and human possibility in which Hans has come to lose faith. Netherland gives us both a flawlessly drawn picture of a little-known New York and a story of much larger, and brilliantly achieved ambition: the grand strangeness and fading promise of 21st century America from an outsider’s vantage point, and the complicated relationship between the American dream and the particular dreamers. Most immediately, though, it is the story of one man--of a marriage foundering and recuperating in its mystery and ordinariness, of the shallows and depths of male friendship, of mourning and memory. Joseph O’Neill’s prose, in its conscientiousness and beauty, involves us utterly in the struggle for meaning that governs any single life.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Junior Readers Book Club


Readers in grades 2 and 3 and their parents are invited to join us from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Wednesday, October 28 for a discussion of It's Halloween, You 'Fraidy Mouse by Geronimo Stilton

Product Description from Amazon
It's Halloween on Mouse Island, and it seemed like everyone was out to get me, Geronimo Stilton! My cousin Trap kept pulling scary pranks on me. And then my sister Thea told me I had to write a book about Halloween in less than one day! Before you could say boo, my nephew Benjamin had dragged me to a graveyard to do research. There I met a very spooky mouse who -- yikes! -- tried to lock me up in her coffin! Oh, how would a 'fraidy mouse like me ever survive the year's scariest holiday?

Friday, October 9, 2009

High School Book Club


Join us from 7-8pm, Wednesday, October 14 for a discussion of Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

From School Library JournalStarred Review. Grade 7–10—Exploring Indian identity, both self and tribal, Alexie's first young adult novel is a semiautobiographical chronicle of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, a Spokane Indian from Wellpinit, WA. The bright 14-year-old was born with water on the brain, is regularly the target of bullies, and loves to draw. He says, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Meeting his old classmates on the court, Junior grapples with questions about what constitutes one's community, identity, and tribe. The daily struggles of reservation life and the tragic deaths of the protagonist's grandmother, dog, and older sister would be all but unbearable without the humor and resilience of spirit with which Junior faces the world. The many characters, on and off the rez, with whom he has dealings are portrayed with compassion and verve, particularly the adults in his extended family. Forney's simple pencil cartoons fit perfectly within the story and reflect the burgeoning artist within Junior. Reluctant readers can even skim the pictures and construct their own story based exclusively on Forney's illustrations. The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.—Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Teen Book Club


Lake Forest Library's Teen Book Club will meet from 7-8 pm, Wednesday, October 7 for a discussion of Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.


From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—Somewhere in contemporary Britain, "the man Jack" uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he "looks like nobody but himself," grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting. The child Bod's behavior is occasionally too precocious to be believed, and a series of puns on the name Jack render the villain a bit less frightening than he should be, though only momentarily. Aside from these small flaws, however, Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.—Megan Honig, New York Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
September 26−October 3, 2009
Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.
Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.
The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.
Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.For more information on getting involved with Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, please see Calendar of Events and Ideas and Resources. You can also contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4220, or bbw@ala.org.
reposting from ALA website

Elise Barack Book Discussion


Discussion of "Out Stealing Horses" by Per Petterson will meet at 7:15 pm in the Children's Activity Room on Thursday, October 1.

Summary: After a meeting with his only neighbor, sixty-seven-year-old Trond is forced to reflect upon a long-ago incident that marks the beginning of a series of losses for Trond and his childhood friend, Jon.

Monday, September 28, 2009

The Parents We Mean to Be


Richard Weissbourd: The Parents We Mean To Be
Monday, September 287:00 - 8:30 PMGorton Community Center, Community Room400 East Illinois, Lake Forest“We are entirely capable of raising children who lead emotionally rich and responsible lives, lives of great integrity and commitment,” Richard Weissbourd notes. This Harvard psychologist, author, and parent will speak about the daily challenges we face in raising children and offer strategies to help navigate the “road map” of modern parenting.
Sponsored by LF Library.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Drop-in Craft

September 24, Thursday
10 AM-8PM
Storybook Character Puzzles

Drop by the Children's Circulation desk between 10 amd 8 to color your favorite book character. Then we will use our Ellison machine to cut your drawing into a jigsaw puzzle to take home!

Junior Readers Book Club


Mr. Granite is From Another Planet
by Dan Gutman
The Junior Readers Book Club, for readers in grades 2 and 3 and their parents, will meet from 7-8PM on Wednesday, September 23 in the Children's Activity Room.

Summary: New third grade teacher Mr. Granite has so many strange ideas about how to make Ella Mentary School environmentally friendly that the students are sure he must be an alien.

Friday, September 18, 2009

To Be or Not To Be? Readings from Hamlet


Tuesday, September 22

7:30 PM

Lake Bluff Library


The Lake Bluff and Lake Forest Libraries are working with Writers' Theatre to present a From Page to Stage program designed to enhance and enrich the understanding of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard's comedic twist on Shakespeare's great tragedy, Hamlet, directed by Jimmy McDermott. Actors from Writers' Theatre will perform select scenes from William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

LEAD program


Book Discussion: The Parents We Mean to Be

Monday, September 21

9:30-11:00 AM

Lake Forest Library, Activity Room


Join Parents and local social workers in this community book discussion. Weissbourd's book challenges parents to commit to help children to be moral people. The book highlights inspiring strategies for raising moral, happy children.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Friends of Lake Forest Library Book Sale






New Location at the Lake Forest Recreation Center




The Sale will have a record number of books this year! We have a tremendous supply of cookbooks this year and they are all reasonably priced. In the paper-back fiction category there are some new sections including vampires and horror, proofs and advance sale books, maritime and military adventure as well as signed paperbacks. Other sections that have a great many wonderful books this year are art and art collectors, the general collectors section, gardening, vintage children's, regular children's, music and poetry. The Chicago section has many wonderful books, many of which we have not had before at the Sale. The video/CD/Books on Tape sections are awesome! We have always had great books. Finally we can protect, showcase and sell them in a comfortable climate-controlled space.

Pre-Sale: Thursday, September 17, 9AM-8PM for members and volunteers (20% markup)

General Sale: Friday, September 18, 9AM-8PM, Saturday, September19, 9AM-5PM (teacher appreciation day 10% off), Sunday, September 20, 9AM-5PM (50% off)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Judy Levin Book Club


Judy Levin presents The space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar on Thursday, September 17 at 12:30 pm.

From Publishers WeeklyUmrigar's schematic novel (after Bombay Time) illustrates the intimacy, and the irreconcilable class divide, between two women in contemporary Bombay. Bhima, a 65-year-old slum dweller, has worked for Sera Dubash, a younger upper-middle-class Parsi woman, for years: cooking, cleaning and tending Sera after the beatings she endures from her abusive husband, Feroz. Sera, in turn, nurses Bhima back to health from typhoid fever and sends her granddaughter Maya to college. Sera recognizes their affinity: "They were alike in many ways, Bhima and she. Despite the different trajectories of their lives—circumstances... dictated by the accidents of their births—they had both known the pain of watching the bloom fade from their marriages." But Sera's affection for her servant wars with ingrained prejudice against lower castes. The younger generation—Maya; Sera's daughter, Dinaz, and son-in-law, Viraf—are also caged by the same strictures despite efforts to throw them off. In a final plot twist, class allegiance combined with gender inequality challenges personal connection, and Bhima may pay a bitter price for her loyalty to her employers. At times, Umrigar's writing achieves clarity, but a narrative that unfolds in retrospect saps the book's momentum. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Family Book Group


Readers grades 4, 5, 6, and parents are invited to the Family Book Group from 7:00 - 8:00 pm, September 16.

From School Library JournalStarred Review. Grade 3–6—Dave Packer's fifth-grade classmates are so boisterous and difficult to quiet down that the teachers have dubbed them "The Unshushables." Dave has just read about Mahatma Gandhi and learned that the man practiced silence one day a week to bring order to his mind. Though Dave likes to talk nonstop, he's determined to give the idea a try. An encounter with Lynsey, another chatterbox, sparks the boys and girls into challenging each other to a no-talking contest for 48 hours. They can answer direct questions from adults with three-word sentences but must otherwise remain silent. The teachers are bewildered at the extreme change in the kids until several of them figure out what's going on. Principal Hiatt demands that the quiet students return to their normal behavior. When the children continue with their silent ways, Dave finds himself at the center of the controversy. This is an interesting and thought-provoking book, similar to Clements's Frindle (S & S, 1996). The plot quickly draws readers in and keeps them turning pages. The author includes the viewpoints of both the students and the teachers, and the black-and-white pencil drawings add immediacy to the story. This lively offering would make a great book-group selection or classroom discussion starter.—Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Mango Languages


Learn a new Language using Mango Languages from your Lake Forest Library Databases. http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/Electronic.html.


In today's world, it's more important than ever to be able to communicate in another language. To Help you reach your fluency goals, in addition to our traditional selection of books, audio, and CD-ROMS, we now offer Mango Languages from our menu of databases, to use in the library or from a home computer. This new product is so easy to use your'll have confidence in your ability to learn a language after one session. It also has a translation program - just type or paste some text, and you can see what you wrote in any of nine languages, including Mandarin Chinese.

Museum Adventure Pass












Visit your library and check out a museum with your Lake Forest Library card!

Visit http://www.museumadventure.org/ for information on participating museums and individual rules.

Participating museums and cultural institutions:
Arlington Heights Museum
Bronzeville Children's Museum
Brookfield zoo
Cantigny pary
Chicago Botanic Garden
Cuneo Museum and Gardens
Elgin History Museum
Eligin Public Museum
Graue Mill and Museum
Hellnic Museum
KidsWork Children's Museum
Kohl Children's Museum
Lake County Discovery Museum
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Morton Arboretum
Oriental Institute Museum
St. Charles Heritage Museum

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Elise Barack Book Discussion


Elise Barack will lead the book discussion of Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

"The world of Olive Kitteridge, a retired school teacher in a small coastal town in Maine, is revealed in stories that explore her diverse roles in many lives, including a lounge singer haunted by a past love, her stoic husband, and her own resentful son."

Join us for this award winning author's book at 7:15 pm at the Children's Activity Room

Call 847-810-4610 for more information.

For Elise Barack's next discussion check out http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/adultbkdisfall09.html

Online Book Clubs


Lake Froest Library offeres Online Book Clubs at www.lakeforestlibrary.org/lfl/html

Daily, Monday through Friday, you will receive by email an excerpt from a book. You can join Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Business, Good News, Teens, or Mystery Book Clubs. You can also link to Audio Books from the book club email! (requires Real Player or players that play Real Media files)

By the end of the week, you will have read 2-3 chapters. Check with your library if you would like to read the whole book.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009


Volunteers needed for the 2009 book sale!


We will be inside at the LF Recreation Center-no rain, no bees and no straw on the floor! Expanded hours means more shifts to fill, so please consider helping out this year.


For more information please go to the library website http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/ or email LFLibVolunteers@gmail.com. Volunteer sign up sheets are also available at the library.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Friends of Lake Forest Library Book Sale





Friends of Lake Forest Library 34th Annual Book Sale Moving Inside TheLake Forest Recreation Center (Map)400 Hastings Rd.Lake Forest Hours:Thursday, September 17,9am-8pmPreSale: Members Only20% Mark-Up:memberships available at the doorFriday, September 18, 9am-8pmSaturday, September 19, 9am-5pm10% off Teacher Appreciation DaySunday, September 20, 9am-5pmBargain Day! All Books Half Priced!

High School Book Club


Lake Forest Library's High School Book Club will meet at 7 pm to 8:30 pm on Wednesday, September 9. The first book choosen is Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. All reader in grades 9 through 12 are welcome.