Adult Services

Audio Book Review

Crossfire by Dick Francis, with Felix Francis, narrated by Martin Jarvis

Narrator Jarvis and author Francis have been a winning combination for some time and this latest and last (Francis died recently) is no exception. Back from Afghanistan minus a foot, Tom Forsyth discovers that his mother, a prominent racehorse trainer, is being blackmailed. His investigation and a budding romance give him a new purpose in life. The vocal characterizations here are beyond wonderful – the mother, a snotty harridan who mellows, a stiff-upper-lip industrialist who aids Tom, and a stableful of other friends and foes with various British accents enliven an already gripping story. Tom, the narrator, develops self-confidence and maturity as he calls on his military training to outwit the blackmailers. Let’s hope son Felix will carry on the family tradition.

Look for the audio book downstairs under AUDIO. Also available in Fiction and Large Print.

Adult Services

Have You Read Any Good Books Lately?

Most librarians love to read and Lake Forest Library staff members are no exceptions. Fiction, nonfiction, new releases, ”oldies but goodies”, mysteries, sci fi, and graphic novels ... our reading interests span the collection. Click on the titles in blue to check our catalog for availability or to place a hold.

Here are some of our recent favorites:

Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance by Nouriel Roubini(2010) 388.542
Succinctly descibes capital development and a number of economic crisis from a historical perspective. A great book for any novice wishing to understand the recent global financial crisis and its origin, history, and general background. Also available on CD.

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris(2010) Mystery
The latest Sookie Stackhouse mystery. Filled with vampires, mind-readers and of course, murder. The "True Blood" TV program is based on this series.

Father of the Rain by Lily King (2010) Fiction
An insightful family drama that examines the emotional complexities of one woman's loyalty to her father. Set in New England, from the 1970s to the present. By the author of The English Teacher.

Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom(2010) Fiction
This debut novel offers a fresh perspective on the place of indentured servants and slaves on plantations in the American South. Also available on CD.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins(2010) YA Fiction
A dystopian fantasy that was first published for teens but has been snapped up by adult readers too. You won't be able to put this down. We don't want to say too much because this is the concluding volume of the bestselling "Hunger Games" trilogy. A must-read for fans. Also available on CD.

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier(2010) Fiction
For lovers of historical fiction. Based on two women who hunted for fossils in early nineteenth century Bath, this unusual plot encompasses larger questions about religion and science, threats to one’s worldview, how discoveries are made and how knowledge progresses. Chevalier is the author of The Girl with a Pearl Earring. Also available in Large Print and on CD.

Summer at Tiffany by Majorie Hart(2007) Biography
Written by 82 year-old Hart, 60 years after the summer of 1945 when she worked for Tiffany & Co. It was a time of pinching pennies and dreaming of diamonds. This memoir evokes the heady atmosphere of New York City during World War II, as seen through the eyes of two young women, fresh off the train from Iowa. Also available in Large Print.

Adult Services

Ryder Cup Reading

If you are a golf fan, then you must be looking forward to the 2010 Ryder Cup coming up in Wales on October 1-3. In anticipation of the event, you may want to read a title from the list below. Just click on the title to read more about it in the library's catalog. You can call the Reference Desk at 847-810-4610 to have a book that is on the shelf pulled and held for you.

Cracking the Code: the Winning Ryder Cup Strategy: Make it Work for You by Paul Azinger and Ron Braund (2010)

The Green by Troon McAllister (1999) - A satirical novel about a Ryder Cup captain and his team.

The Money-whipped Steer-job Three-jack Give-up Artist by Dan Jenkins (2001) - A humorous novel about one pro's attempts at making the Ryder Cup team.

Adult Services

Questionpoint.org

Professional reference services are available from any computer with Internet access!

The door to quality reference never closes when you take advantage of the outstanding Questionpoint services. Professional librarians from the United States and around the world are on duty to search commercial and internet databases. The easy-to-use Questionpoint website is available to students seeking information 24/7 and you receive speedy, accurate, trustworthy responses.

Just go to the Library's homepage and click on "AskAway" in the left-hand column to chat on-line with a reference librarian.

Adult Services

Book Club Recommendations

Looking for a book to read with your book club? The Library has several resources to help you make your selection:

BookLetters, a free email newsletter service available through the Library’s web page, offers a special edition for book groups.The current edition recommends The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood and This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper, among others.

Each issue of Bookmarks, a magazine published bimonthly, provides reading suggestions for new and favorite titles. The current copy is in the Library’s Reading Room. Back issues are available to check out on the Lower Level. The September/October issue gives 3.5 stars to Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls, and four stars to The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman and Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst.

BookBrowse ( http://www.bookbrowse.com/bookclubs/) a website for book lovers, has a section especially for book clubs. It features reading guides and book club advice. This week the spotlight is on Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman.

Also check out Reading Group Guides (http://www.readinggroupguides.com/content/index.asp), the self-proclaimed “website for Book Groups”. Current postings recommend the upcoming titles Leaving Before It’s Over by Jean Reynolds Page and His Last Letter: Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester by Jeane Westin.

Or stop by the Reference Desk for a one-on-one consultation.

Adult Services

Illinois Digital Archives

http://www.idaillinois.org/

The Illinois Digital Archives (IDA) is a collection of digitized historical materials from Illinois libraries, museums, historical societies, and cultural institutions. It now includes Lake Forest Library's digitized materials about Lake Forest City Hall, Lake Forest Library, Market Square, and Villa Turicum.

To view the library's collection at the Illinois Digital Archives site, select "Browse" under "Collections" and choose Lake Forest Library Archives from the drop-down menu. Among the digitized photos, postcards, articles, and reports that you will find there are these photographs from the 1930s of the Lake Forest Library's Reference Room and Annex: