Lake Forest Library

2011's Great Classical Recordings

2012-01-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

If you're a classical music lover, you may be interested in 2011's award winning recordings selected by Gramophone magazine. Here are the categories and winners with links to the recordings in our collection.

Baroque Instrumental: CPE Bach Harpsichord Concertos (Andreas Staier, harpsichord)
Baroque Vocal: Handel's Apollo e Dafne (La Risonanza and Fabio Bonizzoni, harpsichord)
Chamber: Dvorak's String Quartets, Nos. 12 & 13 (Pavel Haas Quartet)
Choral: Elgars' The Kingdom (Halle Choir and Orchestra)
Concerto: Debussy's Fantaisie and Ravel's Piano Concertos (Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano)
Contemporary: Birtwistle's Night's Black Bird (Halle Orchestra)
Early Music: Striggio's Mass in 40 Parts (I Fagiolini)
Historic: Mahler's Symphony No. 10 (London Symphony Orchestra)
Instrumental: Brahms Piano Works (Murray Perahia, piano)
Opera: Rossini's Ermione (London Philharmonic Orchestra)
Orchestral: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra)
Recital: Jonas Kaufmann, Verismo Arias
Solo Vocal: Britten's Songs and Proverbs of William Blake (Gerald Finley, baritone)

Any of these recordings that are not checked out can be pulled and held for you by calling the Reference Desk at 847-810-4610. Lake Forest Library cardholders can place a hold in the catalog for any of the recordings that are checked out or can call the Reference Desk to have a hold placed.

Winter 2012-Adult Book Discussions

2011-12-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

Titles have been selected for the Lake Forest Library’s winter Adult Book Discussion programs. Here is the schedule for January - March:

Elise Barack leads our evening discussions, beginning at 7:15pm --

Thursday, 1/5/12 The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwalk

Thursday, 2/2/12 Salvation City by Sigrid Nunez

Thursday, 3/8/12 How to Read the Air by Dinsaw Mengestu

Judy Levin hosts our afternoon series, beginning at 12:30 pm --

Thursday, 1/19/12 The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht

Thursday, 2/16/12 The Paris Wife by Paula McLain and A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway *

Thursday, 3/22/12 The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

*In February we will compare and contrast these two books.

For more information call the Adult Reference Desk at 847-810-4609. These programs are sponsored by the Friends of Lake Forest Library

Planets and Black Holes, Oh My!

2011-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

With NASA's recent discovery of extrasolar planet Kepler 22B in the habitable zone of a sun-like star, and with U. C. Berkeley astronomers reporting their recent discovery of the two biggest-ever black holes "that are threatening to consume anything, even light, within a region five times the size of our solar system," we thought readers might be interested in these astronomy titles from our collection.

Black Holes Explained (DVD) - Filippenko, Alexei V. (The Teaching Company, 2009) : "...12 lavishly illustrated lectures by veteran Great Courses Professor Alex Filippenko, a distinguished astronomer and award-winning teacher at the University of California, Berkeley." (from The Teaching Company)

The Crowded Universe: The Search for Living Planets (Book) - Boss, Alan (Basic Books, 2009): "This is the story of the discovery of extrasolar planets--planets outside our solar system. Not just a dry tabulation of the more than 300 such planetary systems already discovered, the book reads like an adventure yarn, reminiscent of archaeologists looking for fabled lost cities. " (from Choice)

First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs in the Hunt for Life beyond Earth (Book) - Kaufman, Marc (Simon & Schuster, 2011): "In this century, predicts Kaufman, scientists will find evidence of life somewhere in the universe. It's an arresting idea, and Kaufman delivers an entertaining look at the science supporting it." (from Publishers Weekly)

Monster Black Holes (DVD) - (National Geographic, 2009): "Travel to the edge of space and beyond to discover natures ultimate abyss - black holes. Explore where they are found, how they begin, and how it may be possible to harness and use the power they produce." (from National Geographic)

The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos (Book) - Greene, Brian (Knopf, 2011): "That our cosmos is but one of many has inspired a recent spate of theoretical physicists - authors Lisa Randall, Michio Kaku, Leonard Susskind - to advance their particular idea of the multiverse in general-interest works. Here their peer, Greene, comprehensively covers major variations of the multiverse concept." (from Gilbert Taylor, Booklist)

More titles like these are listed in our catalog at this link: Planets and Black Holes, Oh My!

New Short Story Collections

2011-11-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

A short story is more than just an abbreviated novel, even though it is defined as “a relatively brief fictional narrative in prose”.* It’s more than a sketch or a tale. A short story has a beginning, a middle and an end; and it often reveals its main character through actions. Another definition describes a short story as a narrative work that can be read in one sitting. Typical short stories range in length from 500 to 12,000 words.

The oldest short story collection from 4000 B.C. comes to us from the ancient Egyptians. Anton Chekov, Edgar Allen Poe and James Joyce are major authors of the genre. The American short story developed its current form at the beginning of the 20thcentury in the hands of O. Henry (William Sidney Porter). Collections of short stories by a single author are found in our Fiction section under the author’s last name. Anthologies, or compilations of works by numerous writers, are in Literature (the 800s).

Book reviewers, literary critics and librarians tend to like short stories more than members of the general reading public do. But this fall a number of new short story collections have received starred reviews. They are worth a look. With a busy holiday season fast approaching you might find that shorter works fit into your hectic schedule. Click on the link below to check for specific titles and availability.
http://lakeforest.bibliocommons.com/list/show/80948099_lflstaff/96199120

*(from A Handbook to Literature by William Harmon and C. Hugh Holman)

The CSO - Upcoming Programs and Our Collection

2011-11-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

If you're going to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in November or December, you can use the link below to find recordings of some of the concert pieces.

CSO Upcoming Concerts (Nov/Dec 2011) - This list links to CD recordings of works to be performed. The list is in order by concert date, and the annotation for each item identifies the program dates and the specific program piece.

Another library source for finding some of the program works is Freegal. We recommend that you use the advanced search feature and search by composer and title to find them. Lake Forest Library cardholders can download three free music tracks per week from it.

You may want to read Maestro Muti's recent autobiography, Riccardo Muti : An Autobiography : First the Music, Then the Words. The Chicago Tribune's John von Rhein says that this book is about "Muti's approach to musical interpretation, within an absorbing account of his formal training and the development of his career, from early music lessons in Naples and Milan, on to his formal arrival at the helm of the CSO last year."

The CSO has declared December as "Mahler Month," so the library has created this list of titles about Mahler and his works: Gustav Mahler.

Happy listening and reading.

Halloween Mysteries

2011-10-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the Halloween mysteries from our collection. Click on the titles to check availability and read more about them:

Blackwork by Monica Ferris

A Catered Halloween - A Mystery with Recipes by Isis Crawford

Hallowed Bones by Carolyn Haines

Halloween Murder - A Lindy Haggerty Mystery by Shelley Freydont

A Hole in Juan by Gillian Roberts

Wicked Witch Murder - A Lucy Stone Mystery by Leslie Meier

Science Fiction Trends

2011-10-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

Orson Scott Card is a science fiction author known to many of us for his classic novel, The Ender’s Game, updated in 1991. Recently Card was interviewed about science fiction trends by The Browser, an on-line magazine. He notes that new science fiction has left behind the “gosh-wow” works of the 1920s and 1930s and that many writers have migrated to fantasy fiction. “They (have) devised magic systems that work like science and (have) created fully-realized worlds. Perhaps the most substantial example of this is George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, a work in progress that is already excellent, beginning with A Game of Thrones." In other words, there has been a resurgence of epic fantasy. On the other hand, given the cancellation of the space shuttle program, it is probably not surprising that Library Journal noted earlier this year that the number of new, traditional science fiction titles is declining.

So if you haven’t looked at science fiction/fantasy for awhile you may want to give it another try. Contemporary classics include Lois McMaster Bujold’s Chalion series beginning with The Curse of Chalion, and Patrick Rothfuss’s The Kingkiller Chronicles featuring the recently released The Wise Man’s Fear. Also visit NPR's list of the top 100 science fiction/fantasy books. http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books

Other new science fiction/fantasy titles released this fall include:

The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge

The Diviner by Melanie Rawn

Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

Spellbound by Blake Charlton

Check them out.

Movies Based on Books

2011-10-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

Many upcoming movies are based on popular book titles. The movies and corresponding books are listed below. While anticipating the movie releases, you can check out some of the books from our collection.

Three Musketeers to be released on October 21, 2011
Three Musketeers Dumas, Alexandre (1941) Fiction Dumas

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part I to be released on November 18, 2011
Breaking Dawn Meyer, Stephenie (2008) Fiction Meyer

Hugo to be released on November 23, 2011
The Invention of Hugo Cabret Selznick, Brian (2007) J Caldecott Selznick

The Descendants to be released on November 23, 2011
The Descendants Hemmings, Kaui Hart (2007) Fiction Hemmings

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy to be released on December 9, 2011
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Le Carre, John (1974) Fiction Le Carre

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows to be released on December 16, 2011
Complete Sherlock Holmes Doyle, Arthur Conan (1930) Mystery Doyle

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to be released on December 21, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Larsson, Stieg (2008) Fiction Larsson

The Adventures of Tintin to be release on December 21
The Adventures of Tintin Herge (1993) J 741.59493 HER

War Horse to be released on December 25, 2011
War Horse Morpurgo, Michael (2007) J Fiction Morpurgo

Going to the Opera?

2011-10-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Lyric Opera of Chicago's 2011-1012 season has begun, and you can learn more about the operas from the library's collection of recordings, scores, librettos, and DVDs. You will find all of this season's operas and their resources listed with links to our catalog at this site: Lyric Opera Library Resources. Or select an opera below to go directly to a list of sources in our catalog.

Aida           Ariadne auf Naxos           Boris Godunov

Lucia di Lammermoor          The Magic Flute

Rinaldo          Show Boat            The Tales of Hoffmann

The Lyric Season Companion 2011/12 is also available in the library's collection. It includes stories and histories of the operas, information on the composers and librettists, and notes about the Lyric's production of each opera.

All commentaries for the 2011-12 season will be available free-streaming online at the opera’s website: http://www.lyricopera.org/. (At the website select Education, then Education Resources.)

American Civil War Fiction

2011-09-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

One of the most famous books written about the Civil War is “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane. It was written in 1895 only thirty years after the Civil War. It’s about a young Union soldier who struggles to find the courage to fight in the midst of battle.

Two other books written about the Civil War have won a Pulitzer Prize. Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind” won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. “The Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction In 1975.

Other notable novels about the Civil War are:

“North and South” by John Jakes

“Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier

“Oldest Confederate Widow Tells All” by Allan Gurganus

“March” by Geraldine Brooks

“The Widow of the South” by Robert Hicks

“The March” by E. L. Doctorow

Sept. 11 Remembered: Selected Titles from Our Collection

2011-09-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

The 9/11 Commission Report. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States (2004)   973.931 NAT

The 9/11 Encyclopedia. Atkins, Stephen E. (2008)   REF 973.931 ATK v. 1

The 9/11 Report - A Graphic Adaptation. Jacobson, Sid (2006)   973.931 JAC

102 Minutes - The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive inside the Twin Towers. Dwyer, Jim (2011)   973.931 DWY

After the Fall: New Yorkers Remember September 2001 and the Years that Followed. Clark, Mary Marshall, ed. (2011) 973.93101 AFT

American Ground, Unbuilding the World Trade Center. Langewiesche, William (2002)   974.71 LAN

Among the Heroes - United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back. Longman, Jere (2002)   973.931 LON

A Decade of Hope - Stories of Grief and Endurance from 9/11 Families and Friends. Smith, Dennis (2011)   973.93 SMI

Let's Roll! - Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage. Beamer, Lisa (2002)   BIOG BEAMER BEA

Love You, Mean It - A True Story of Love, Loss, and Friendship.  Carrington, Patricia (2006)   920.073 LOV

On Native Soil (2006) DVD 973.931 ON

Report from Ground Zero. Smith, Dennis (2002)   973.931 SMI

Touching History - The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies over America on 9/11. Spencer, Lynn (2008) 973.931 SPE

WTC - The First 24 Hours, 9.11.2001. (2002)   DVD 973.931 WTC

Watching the World Change - The Stories behind the Images of 9/11. Friend, David (2006)   973.931 FRI

What We Saw. CBS News (2011)   973.931 WHA

Writing in the Dust - After September 11. Williams, Rowan (2002)   242.4 WIL

Adult Book Discussions Resume

2011-09-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

The Lake Forest Library is pleased to announce that our monthly Adult Book Discussion programs resume in September. Here is the fall schedule with a list of titles:

Elise Barack leads our evening group, beginning at 7:15pm --

Thursday, 9/8 An Atlas of Impossible Longing by Anuradha Roy

Thursday, 10/6 American Music by Jane Mendelsohn
Thursday, 11/10 The Paperbark Shoe by Goldie Goldbloom

Judy Levin hosts our afternoon discussions, beginning at 12:30 pm --
Thursday, 9/15 Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
Thursday, 10/20 A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Thursday, 11/17 Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

For more information call the Adult Reference Desk at 847-810-4609. These programs are sponsored by the Friends of Lake Forest Library.

PLAYAWAY® AT THE LIBRARY

2011-07-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Some people take in words better by hearing rather than seeing them. For those listeners, audio books on CD are the key to keeping up with reading, whether riding in the car or working around the house. Many library users have jumped into audio downloadable technology, but for others, that process is daunting.

Now, another option is available; a pre-loaded MP3 player called Playaway®. Weighing in at just 2 ounces and smaller than a pack of cards, you can use it to listen to a wide variety of books while walking, running, or sitting, without the need for any other device. The Lake Forest Library has 400+ titles in Children’s, Young Adult, and Adult categories to choose from, and new ones are coming in all the time. Give it a try this summer!

Summer Reads - On the Shelf Now

2011-07-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

Looking for a book to take on vacation? Need to pick it up today? These former bestsellers are on the shelf now!

The Big Short by Michael Lewis (330.973 LEW) Also available in audio and large type.

Father of the Rain by Lily King (Fiction King).

Innocent by Scott Turow (Fiction Turow) Also available in audio and large type.

The Last Child by John Hart (Fiction Hart) Also available in audio.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Fiction Bender).

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (Fiction Chevalier) Also available in audio.

War by Sebastian Junger (958.104 JUN) Also available in audio.

So, why not try a slightly older title with staying power? Call the Adult Reference Desk to reserve a copy.

2011-06-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Fireworks

If you're looking forward to a great multisensory 4th of July, you may want to check out some of the fireworks from our collection:

In his book, Fireworks: A History and Celebration, the great participatory journalist George Plimpton delved into fireworks around the world, including famous aficionados and displays of the time. The book is now more than 25 years old, but covers the subject with fascinating detail, many photographs and illustrations, and a glossary of fireworks terms for true enthusiasts.

Two novels in which fireworks figure prominently are Book of Fires by Jane Borodale (2010) and Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff (2010). Borodale's story is set in England in the 1750s where a poor pregnant 17-year-old girl flees her rural home for London and becomes apprenticed to a recently widowed fireworks maker. Fireworks Over Toccoa is a story of forbidden love set in Georgia in the summer of 1945. A recently married young woman whose husband has gone off to World War II falls in love with a handsome Italian immigrant in town to set up the the 4th of July fireworks display. It is a passionate, nostalgic read that should appeal to Bridges of Madison County fans and Nicholas Sparks readers.

The DVD Fireworks, part of the History Channel's Modern Marvels series, shows fireworks manufacturing in different world locations, goes to Spain to show the use of holograms with pyrotechnics, and looks at Disney World's remote-controlled, missile-launched displays. George Plimpton and the Grucci family, who in 1979 became the first American family to win the Gold Medal at the Monte Carlo International Fireworks Competition, serve as hosts.

And finally, some rousing music to accompany fireworks: Music for Wind Band (John Philip Sousa), Stars & Stripes (Canadian Brass), Ultimate Russian Classics (The 1812 Overture), and The Very Best of Handel (Music for the Royal Fireworks selections).

Happy 4th of July!

2011-06-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Maestros

Gramophone magazine's June issue identifies ten young conductors "on the verge of greatness." Among them are some conductors whose recordings we have in our collection. They are: Edward Gardner, age 36, English National Opera; Jakub Hrusa, age 29, Prague Philharmonia; Andris Nelsons, age 32, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Yannick Nezet-Seguin, age 36, Philadelphia Orchestra (Director Designate); and Vasily Petrenko, age 34, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. If you're wondering why Gustavo Dudamel (age 30, Los Angeles Philharmonic) isn't included in Gramophone's list, it's because Gramophone identified him in 2006 as one of "Tomorrow's Classical Superstars," and he is now already considered to be a superstar. Here is a list from the Library's collection of recordings by these young maestros: Promising Young Maestros: Recordings.

If you're interested in the lives and development of great conductors, you might want to look at the biographies on this list: Conducting and Conductors. Included on the list are a couple novels and a feature film with conductors as characters.

And here's a little matching quiz about some great conductors - most from the past - with facts taken from Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, which can be found in the Library's reference collection.

1. Leonard Bernstein     a. started CSO Chorus in 1957
2. Sarah Caldwell         b. assistant conductor to Gustav Mahler
3. Margaret Hillis          c. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1969-1991
4. Herbert Von Karajan  d. 1st woman to conduct at the Met
5. Riccardo Muti           e."Young People's Concerts" in 1958
6. Sir Georg Solti          f. Berlin Philharmonic from 1954-1989
7. Bruno Walter            g. born in Naples in 1941

Answers: 1(e), 2(d), 3(a), 4(f), 5(g), 6(c), 7(b)

2011-06-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Civil War Navies and the H. L. Hunley

As we look back 150 years to the beginning of the Civil War, the Library features titles relating to Civil War topics being presented in the local area. Later this month the Lake County Discovery Museum hosts historian Steve Quick's lecture, The H. L. Hunley and the Confederate Navy. (Click here for event details.)

On Feb. 17, 1864, the Confederate submarine the H. L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink a warship when it attacked the USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, creating an explosion that sank the Housatonic and killed five of its crew members, but that also resulted in the Hunley and its crew of eight sinking, too.(1) Though the search for the Hunley began in 1864, it was not until May 3, 1995 that it was found by a group of divers hired by best-selling author Clive Cussler.

More details of the Hunley's history and crew, of Cussler's search for it, and of its eventual excavation in 2000 are at the Department of the Navy link referenced below and in some titles on this list from the Library's collection: The Civil War at Sea. This list includes books about the H. L. Hunley for children and adults as well as adult non-fiction and fiction books about the broader subject of Civil War naval operations.

References:
1. Department of the Navy -- Naval History & Heritage Command, Underwater Archaeology Branch, H. L. Hunley, Confederate Submarine. http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org12-3.htm (retrieved 5/31/2011).

Adult Summer Reading Program Begins

2011-06-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Adult Summer Reading Program begins June 1st. Come to the Reference Desk to register. It’s easy and there are great prizes. Read, or listen to, four books and you will receive a Lake Forest Library pen. Just turn in your completed reading record to the Reference Desk.

Your name will be entered into the grand prize drawing. The drawing will take place the first week in August and prizes must be claimed by September 1st. Prizes include local restaurant gift certificates, a Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce gift certificate, an Apple gift certificate, Williams and Sonoma gift certificates, and Lake Forest Bookstore gift cards.

You must be a Lake Forest resident 19 years or older to participate. One entry per resident cardholder. The Summer Reading program finishes July 31st.

For information about our Children’s Summer Reading Program click here http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/sumreadclub11.html

For our Teen program click http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/teenbkdissc11.html

We look forward to seeing you this summer.

2011-05-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Motherhood,
Rugby,

and Apple Pie?

Rugby seems to be an emerging sport here in Lake Forest as several local matches have been in the news lately. Lake Forest College's club defeated the Lake County Gladiators from Gurnee 14-0 at the college field in April. Also in April, the Lake Forest Harriers, a new high-school-aged club, defeated the New Trier rugby club 54-8, and the Deerpath Braves defeated Cicero 41-17 at the Middle School Rugby Festival held at Deer Path Middle School. You can learn more about these clubs and their schedules by following the links from their names above.

Rugby was reputedly invented in 1823 at the Rugby School near Rugby, England and is the only major sport named after the place of its invention rather than an element of the sport itself. (1) Two versions of the sport developed: Rugby Union, played by amateurs and pros; and Rugby League, played by pros. Both versions are played by two teams who kick, pass, or carry the ball toward the opposing team's goal until they can touch it over the goal line or kick it over the goal to score. Matches move fast with nearly continuous physical play including tackling. At the end of two 40-minute halves, the team with the most points wins. (2)

If rugby is new to you, you might enjoy learning about it and some of its interesting terms: scrum, fend, hooker, ruck, and maul. Follow this link to a list of titles about or relating to rugby: Rugby Selections in the Lake Forest Library.

References:
1. "Rugby." World of Sports Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 583-585. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 May 2011.
2. Haden, Andy, and Neville N. Kesha. "Rugby football." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2011. Web. 17 May 2011.

Book Discussion with Judy Levin

2011-05-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

Please join Judy Levin on Thursday May 19 at 12:30 pm for a discussion of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Simonson’s debut novel, is the story of a retired English widower who copes with the many changes occuring in his quiet village with humor and a sense of absurdity. Finding himself lonely as he approaches 70, he quietly begins to court Mrs. Ali, a local Pakistani shopkeeper who is also alone. The major, an old-fashioned gentleman at heart, and the gracious Jasmina Ali share a love of literature that pulls them closer, even as their relationship is complicated by cultural differences, interfering friends and family, and inexorable social changes. Critics note Simonson’s “dense prose” and “delightful” plot. You won’t want to miss this one.

Simonson was born in England and currently lives in Washington, D.C. For more information visit the author's website at http://www.helensimonson.com/about_helen_simonson.php .

New DVD Service

2011-04-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Do you live on the west side of town? Or do you shop at Sunset Foods? Or maybe you commute to Chicago on the Milwaukee train line? Lake Forest Library has a new DVD service geared towards you and your lifestyle. Located in the City of Lake Forest Milwaukee West train station at 911 S. Telegraph Road, DVD2GO is an automated, self-service DVD dispenser. The dispenser holds up to 1,500 items and features the most popular titles currently being requested by our patrons. These materials are available to all Lake Forest residents with a valid library card.

Try out our new DVD service today. http://dvd2go.lakeforestlibrary.org/login.php

Things to Remember:

- Items in this collection can be reserved 12 hours ahead of pick-up.
-You can check out up to 3 DVDs on a Lake Forest Library card.
-You must use the same library card to check out & check in a DVD.
-DVDs from the DVD2Go dispenser must be returned to the machine.
-Overdue fines are $1.00/day.
-The DVD2Go is available whenever the train station is open: 5:30am-8:00pm Monday-Friday, and 5:30 am-6:00pm Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Ebooks for Your Mobile Devices

2011-04-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can download ebooks using your Lake Forest Library card to a wide variety of mobile devices including the Barnes and Noble’s Nook, and Apple’s iPad and iPhone? You just need to install a small piece of software to start. There is no charge for the ebooks.

Download directions are available on the MyMediaMall link http://www.mymediamall.net/1F14DB0E-8BFA-4011-832C-F0DEBE38DFCE/10/342/en/Default.htm of the Lake Forest Library Gateway page. Or go to the Library Information page, click on "User Links" for step-by-step instructions for Apple devices http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/Apple%20iPad.pdf and for the Nook http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/The%20Nook%20and%20MyMediaMall.pdf. Printed directions are also available at the Reference Desk.

Library ebooks check out in a similar way to print materials. You can check out up to 5 titles per card at a time. Ebooks can be checked out for 1-3 weeks. You can return the ebooks when you are finished or they will expire automatically at the end of the borrowing period. Ebooks do not renew but you can check them out up to three times.

There are a limited number of copies of each title. If the one you want is checked out you can reserve it. You will receive an email when it is available. And remember, there are different formats so make sure you select the one that is compatible with your device.

Elise Barack Leads Book Discussion April 7

2011-03-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

Please join Elise Barack for a discussion of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi Durrow Thursday, April 7 at 7:15 pm in the Lake Forest Library’s programming room.

Inspired by an actual event, Durrow’s debut novel is an exploration of race, identity, and racism. It tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a white Danish mother and a black American G.I. In the early 1980s she becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy after her mother throws herself, Rachel, and two other children off the rooftop of their Chicago home.

Afterwards Rachel is sent to live with her paternal grandmother in a black neighborhood in Portland, Oregon where her light skin and blue eyes make her the subject of constant scrutiny. Rachel relies on her inner strength and intelligence as she faces these new challenges and grows into her own. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is the winner of the 2008 Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice. Critics have called Durrow’s writing “compact” and “taut,” and have recommended her provocative book with its controversial conclusion to readers interested in contemporary social issues.

Spring Break Reading Suggestions

2011-03-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Need a book to take along on your vacation? Staying home, sleeping late, and catching up on your reading? Add one (or more) of these titles to your reading list and enjoy some of the newest titles in fiction, mystery, memoirs and history.

Binchy, Maeve Minding Frankie (FICTION BINCHY)

Bradley, Alan B. A Red Herring with Mustard (MYSTERY BRADLEY)

Carroll, James Jerusalem, Jerusalem: How the Ancient City Ignited the Modern World

(956.9442 CAR)

Coben, Harlan, Live Wire (MYSTERY COBEN)

DeWaal, Edmund The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss
(BIOG EPHRUSSI DEW)

Frazier, Ian Travels in Siberia (914.7 FRA)

McCall Smith, Alexander, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party
(MYSTERY MCCALL SMITH)

McLain, Paula The Paris Wife
(FICTION MCLAIN)

Oates, Joyce Carol A Widow's Story: A Memoir
(BIOG OATES OAT)

Picoult, Jodi, Sing You Home
(FICTION PICOULT)

Winspear, Jacqueline A Lesson in Secrets (MYSTERY WINSPEAR)

Book Lust

2011-03-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

Have you ever listened to Nancy Pearl on NPR’s "Morning Edition"? Pearl is a former librarian and bookseller, and an energetic reading advocate known for her broadcasts from KUOW in Seattle. Librarians cannot get enough of her recommendations. Her wonderful bibliographies are great places to look for suggested books for you and your children. These titles offer personal, eclectic, maybe even idiosyncratic compilations of good reading material in a variety of categories. Check them out the next time you’re at the library:

Book Lust -- Adult titles are organized into 175 thematic entries.

More Book Lust -- A companion to the 2003 Book Lust.

Book Lust to Go -- Pearl’s most recent book. Nonfiction and fiction reading recommendations for travelers, including armchair explorers.

Book Crush -- Contains lists of recommended titles for children and teenagers divided into three age groups. The entries are subdivided into more than 118 categories, including animals, folktales, autobiographies, and comic books.

For more information visit Nancy Pearl's website.

(Photo available thanks to a-birdie photo stream)

Book Discussion with Elise Barack, March 3

2011-02-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Join us for a discussion of J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories this Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 7:15 pm in the downstairs programming room. The author once said that he was most comfortable with the short story form and the writing in Nine Stories is considered the peak of his achievements. In particular three stories —"A Perfect Day for Bananafish," "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut," and "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor"— are typical of Salinger’s writing style and demonstrate several recurring themes. First published in 1953, this collection of previously published stories met with critical and popular success.

Originally from New York City, Salinger fought in World War II and never graduated from college. His last published work, a short story, appeared in The New Yorker in 1965. He lived out the balance of his life in seclusion in New Hampshire and died last year at the age of 91. He is best known for his one novel, The Catcher in the Rye, a common staple of high school curriculums.

New Catalog Arrives Tuesday, March 1, 2011

2011-02-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

This coming Tuesday Lake Forest Library will bring up our new library catalog called BiblioCommons. It not only allows you to search, renew and reserve materials but you can also create and share book lists and reviews with other readers. The link to connect to this new service will be displayed on our homepage http://www.lakeforestlibrary.org/. Just click on “catalog” and follow the steps listed below.

1. The first time you log in you will need to create an account. Type in your 14-digit library card number (no spaces). Then enter your password. The default is “patron.” If you created a different password in the old catalog you should enter that instead.

2. Now you are ready to create your account. You will be asked to enter your birth date. This is not required but if you choose not to enter it some features of the catalog will be limited.

3. Create a username. This can be used instead of your library card number to log in. Also, this username will be listed on any content you add to the system.

4. Change your password. Again, this is optional but changing your password will increase your privacy.

5. Enter your email address. This is also optional, but if you forget your password you can request that it be sent to you in an email if you've registered.

Please remember to read the privacy section under MY LFL and select the privacy settings that you prefer.

2011-02-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Civil War: Looking Back
150 Years

This year as our country looks back 150 years to the beginning of the Civil War, the library will periodically highlight here some Civil War resources, especially those relating to area events on the topic.

Tommorow night at Lake Forest College, the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society and the college are sponsoring a lecture, Lake County in the Civil War: Front Line to Home Front, by Diana Dretske of the Lake County Discovery Museum. You can read more about this event at either of these links: Lake Forest - Lake Bluff Historical Society or Lake Forest College.

Here are some titles from our collection on our state or region during the Civil War.

Illinois in the Civil War by Victor Hicken (University of Illinois Press, 1966) - It begins with a summary of Illinois and the War in 1861, then follows Illinois' involvement campaign by campaign, and concludes with a chapter on Confederate prisons and the return home.

A History of Lake County Illinois by John J. Halsey (Roy S. Bates, 1912) - Chapter VI, "Through Centennial Year," covers the Civil War period.

Lake Forest Illinois History and Reminiscenses 1861-1961 by Edward Arpee; Supplement by Susan Dart (Lake Forest-Lake Bluff istorical Society, 1991) - Chapter VI of this book covers Lake Forest history during the Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860-1870.

On to Atlanta: The Civil War Diaries of John Hill Ferguson, Illinois Tenth Regiment of Volunteers by John Hill Ferguson (University of Nebraska Press, 2001) - This selection of Ferguson's diaries covers 1864-65 when his regiment moved through the Carolinas and Georgia under General Sherman.

The Past and Present of Lake County, Illinois (Le Baron & Co., 1877) - This history includes the chapter Lake County War History and Record by Charles A. Partridge. That chapter includes Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery rosters.

The Prairie State: A Documentary History of Illinois, Vol. 2 Civil War to the Present Robert P. Sutton, editor (Eerdmans Pub., 1976) - The first chapter of this volume has a selection of letters and diaries from Illinois soldiers.

The Story of the Fifty-Fifth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the civil War 1861-1865 by a Committee of the Regiment (W.J. Coulter, 19987) - This history includes an appendix with company rosters and brief company histories.

Book Discussion with Judy Levin-Thursday, February 17

2011-02-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

This month Judy Levin will lead a discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, one of the top non-fiction books of 2010. Join us Thursday, February 17 at 12:30pm in the Programming Room downstairs.

This book is the product of 10 years of research and writing. Skloot weaves together Henrietta Lack’s biography and her family history, with broader issues surrounding the history of medical experimentation on African Americans, the rising field of bioethics, and our legal rights to determine who we are. Skloot also tells the story of her own research and her attempts to connect with Henrietta’s family, especially Lack's youngest daughter Deborah.

Henrietta Lacks was a young African American woman undergoing cancer treatment in 1951 at Baltimore’s John Hopkins Hospital. While she was hospitalized doctors collected tissue samples without her knowledge. After her death these became the basis of the first immortal cell line, known as HeLa.

Today HeLa is one of the most commonly used cell lines in laboratories around the world. Research projects using HeLa have resulted in the polio vaccine and treatments for AIDS. Yet despite the multimillion-dollar industry that was launched by her cells her family never shared in the profits.

We promise that once you begin reading this book you’ll find it is impossible to put down. Sometimes true life is stranger than fiction.

Book Discussion-Thursday, February 3

2011-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of February -- the popular, well-received novel by Lisa Moore, a Canadian author who won a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for her first novel, Alligator. We will meet at 7:15 pm on Thursday, February 3 in the library's Programming Room downstairs.

February has been described as a quiet, evocative novel that offers a philosophical examination of key human experiences—death, grief, survival, life. It was on the long list for the 2010 Man Booker prize.

On February 15th, 1982 the Ocean Ranger, a semi-submersible oil rig touted as unsinkable and able to drill in dangerous areas, sunk off the coast of Newfoundland in what is considered the worst offshore drilling accident in Canadian history. All 84 crew members died. This is the backdrop for Lisa Moore’s novel which tells the story of one widow, Helen O’Mara, who is left behind with four young children.

The narrative moves back and forth in time; much as we revisit the past in our memories while living in the present and hoping for the future. We learn of Helen’s courtship and marriage, the horrifying details of her husband’s death, and her struggles to raise her children and build her dressmaking business. The story opens in 2008 with Helen enrolled in a yoga class, worrying about her grown son who is expecting his first child, the product of a brief affair. Helen has never come to terms with her husband’s death, and the tragedy of over 20 years ago continues to resound through her family’s life.

For more information on the author's life and works visit: http://cwip.artmob.ca/contributors/lisa-moore

Please plan to join us for what promises to be an interesting discussion.

2011-01-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

MIX Me Up, Please!

If you like word games, logic puzzles, or ciphers, then you might find a title or link of interest here. If solving is no salve for you, try not to stray, because prizes are involved.

The title of this posting is a specific variety of word formation in which letters that stand out are also Roman numerals. When you put the Roman numerals in descending numeric order, they form a number of some significance. Figuring out the number is the easy part, but do you know or can you find the name of the word formation? If so, visit the Reference Desk by February 28th and tell us your answer. If it's correct, you'll receive a book bag and card holder with keychain.

Here are some hints: The answer has ten letters ending in g-r-a-m and can be found in Chapter 10 of The Oxford Guide to Word Games by Tony Augarde. In that chapter, English essayist and journalist Joseph Addison (1672-1719) is quoted saying this about _ _ _ _ _ _ g-r-a-m-s: "When therefore we meet with any of these inscriptions, we are not so much to look in 'em for the thought, as for the year of the Lord." (If you care to work on any puzzles under Mr. Addison's watchful eye, his portrait hangs at the north end of the library's Reference area.)

Here are some other puzzling titles from our collection:

536 Puzzles & Curious Problems by Henry Dudeney

The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems by Martin Gardner

Cracking Codes & Cryptograms for Dummies by Denise Sutherland and Mark E. Koltko-Rivera

Infuriating Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane and Des Machale

This link lists selected websites from the IPL2 index: Word Game Websites.

We hope to hand you a prize at the Reference Desk soon.

Book Discussion-Thursday, January 20

2011-01-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

Judy Levin will lead a discussion of "The Leopard" by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa this Thursday 1/20/11 at 12:30 pm. Please join us in the Programming Room downstairs.

The Leopard (Il Gattopardo), written by the last in a line of minor Sicilian princes, was first published posthumously in 1958. The novel is set in Sicily during the Nineteenth Century's il Risorgimento period when Giuseppe Garibaldi, the hero of Italian unification, swept through the southern island with his forces. The story is loosely based on the author’s great-grandfather’s life. Tomasi began writing the novel after his family palace was bombed and pillaged by the Allied Forces during World War II. It was rejected by two major Italian publishing houses before going on to become one of the most important books in 20th century Italian literature. This is Tomasi's only novel.

"The Leopard" was made into a film in 1963 and won the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Luchino Visconti, it stars Burt Lancaster as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina.

2011-01-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

QR Code Scavenger Hunt Begins
Monday, January 10th

Scan this Code for the Hunt
Calendar Event info.

Beginning Monday, you can bring your mobile device with a downloaded QR code reader app to the Lake Forest Library Reference Desk to begin the QR Code Scavenger Hunt. The first code of the hunt will be there along with a sheet of questions for you to answer as you scan the codes along the hunt. Once you’ve answered all the questions, turn your sheet in to the Reference Desk to receive your prize. Anyone who can independently answer the questions can participate. And if you don't own a mobile device, you can still participate. Just come to the Reference Desk and ask for the tip sheet for doing the hunt without a smart phone. Prizes are a Lake Forest Library book bag and card holder with key chain. The hunt begins Monday, January 10th and runs through Monday, February 28th during the library's normal hours.

What are QR Codes? QR or Quick Response Codes are two-dimensional codes (such as the one above) that link to websites, text, documents, SMS addresses for text messaging, or video clips. The codes can be read or scanned by mobile devices having both camera and web-browsing features and having a code reader app downloaded. There are many free apps that work with a device’s camera to scan codes. They can be found by searching “QR” in your device’s app store. Red Laser is a free code-reading app that we have found to work well with the I Phone and I Pod Touch.

Why Use QR codes? They are an easy way for mobile device users to download information or links that they’d like to keep or view without having to type text or a website address, which can be difficult to do accurately on a mobile device. You have probably seen QR codes in magazines and newspapers where they link to additional text or visual information to supplement an article's content. Many people's business cards now include QR codes which can be scanned to save all of their contact information.

QR Code Video Tutorial: Here’s a link to a 3-minute video showing how QR Codes and readers work. http://cnettv.cnet.com/use-qr-codes/9742-1_53-50085349.html.

Add the Hunt to Your Calendar! You can scan the code above to download information about the QR Code Scavenger Hunt to your mobile device. The information is in Calendar Event format for easy transfer to your device's calendar. We hope to see you hunting soon at the library.

Book Discussion with Elise Barack 1/6/2011

2010-12-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of the novel Wanting by Richard Flanagan Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 7:15 pm in the downstairs programming room.

Plot Summary:

Wanting , a story about civility and savagery, revolves around the 19th-century Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and his family. When Franklin becomes the governor of the penal colony on Tasmania his wife, barren and desperate for a child, adopts an orphaned aboriginal girl named Mathinna. Lady Franklin, burdened with the legacy of Enlightenment ideas and the biases of British Imperialism, sets out to raise her new daughter as a proper Englishwoman, even as she yearns for a child to love.

Civility and savagery are juxtaposed again many years later when Lady Franklin seeks to defend her late husband's honor from accusations of cannibalism after Sir John and his crew starve to death during an Arctic expedition. She contacts Charles Dickens, another famous Victorian, to write a play that will absolve the explorers. The result, “The Frozen Deep,” not only addresses the widow’s concerns but forces Dickens to face his own suffering after the death of a beloved daughter.

Author’s Biography:Richard Flanagan was born in 1961 in the mining town of Rosebery, Tasmania. After finishing school he won a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford, where he earned a Master of Letters degree. He has written several histories and four other novels including The Unknown Terrorist and Gould's Book of Fish. Today he continues to live in Tasmania with his wife and three children

'Tis the Season

2010-12-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

Once the decorations are hung, the presents wrapped and the food prepared, take some time to sit by the fire and enjoy a good holiday story. Below are a few suggestions that range from a tried and true classic to a recently published mystery:

Busy Body by M.C. Beaton. The latest in a popular, “cozy mystery” series set in the little village of Carsely featuring private detective Agatha Raisin. Although Agatha isn't overly fond of Christmas her community usually celebrates in style. But this year an overbearing health and safety inspector is trying to stop the decorating, declaring it to be unsafe. When he turns up dead Agatha is called upon to clear the name of a wealthy woman who is the prime suspect in the stabbing. Also available in large print and on CD.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. What would Christmas be without Christmas ghosts, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchett and Scrooge? This enduring tale from Victorian England made Dickens famous and has never been out of print since it was first published in 1843. Make this an annual tradition. Also available in large print and on CD. And check out the 2009 movie, A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carey.

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck. Based on a personal true story, Beck examines the place of childhood memories in our lives, the importance of difficult life lessons, and the enduring meaning of gifts given from the heart. Also available on CD.

Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg. A little redbird named Jack is the center of this holiday tale about a small town in southern Alabama and the real miracles that happen when people look for the best in one another. Also available on CD.

Or if you prefer a true Christmas story, try Les Standiford’sThe Man Who Invented Christmas. In 1843 Charles Dickens wrote a small book called A Christmas Carol, hoping to make enough money to pay off his creditors. The book became an instant sensation and helped to reinvigorate a holiday that had fallen into disfavor in Puritan England.

2010-12-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

Library Adds Freegal Music Service

If you are a Lake Forest Library cardholder, you can now download three free MP3 music tracks per week through the Freegal Music link at the library's home page. The Freegal Music service provides access to Sony Music Entertainment’s catalog of thousands of artists and over 100 genres of music.

Once logged in with your Lake Forest Library card number, a usage counter in the upper right corner of the page shows how many downloads you have used. This counter is reset every Monday morning. You can listen to a 30-second clip of a track before deciding to download it. To download, just select "download now," and save the track to your desktop. Once the track is on your desktop, it can be played or moved to iTunes or another MP3 library for transferring to your MP3 player.

2010-12-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

Lake County's Winter Wildlife

The Lake County Forest Preserves publish a Phenology Calendar for Lake County listing what animal and plant life you can see as you visit the preserves in different seasons. According to that calendar, birds that can be seen countywide all winter long include cardinals, woodpeckers, chickadees, goldfinches, and many different kinds of owls. Among the mammals active countywide are the Eastern gray squirrel, American beaver, red fox, coyote, and the white-tailed deer. To read more about wintering animals, animal tracks, and the birds and mammals active in winter in Lake County, you can choose among the titles below or call the Reference Desk at 847-810-4610 and let us help you find others.

Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival by Bernd Heinrich
Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species by Mark Elbroch
American Goldfinch by Alex L. A. Middleton
Beavers: A Wildlife Handbook by Kim Long
Foxes by David Macdonald
Natural History of Otters by Paul Chanin
North American Tree Squirrels by Michael A. Steele and John L. Koprowski
Owls of North America by Frances Backhouse
White-Tailed Deer by Mark Raycroft
Woodpeckers of North America by Frances BackhouseNorthern Cardinal by Gary Ritchison

The World of the Coyote by Wayne Grady

Fictionalized Biographies

2010-11-30T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when many of us are searching for good stories to read by the fire or take along on trips. Below is a list of fictionalized biographies that offers insights into the lives famous historical figures.

American Adulterer by Jed Mercurio-- A provocative tale based on JFK’s White House years that portrays the President as a politically savvy champion of human rights whose compulsive sexual appetites cause him to pursue an endless stream of conquests with devastating results.

Eve: A Novel of the First Woman by Elissa Elliott-- An intimate retelling of Eve’s journey into womanhood that boldly reimagines her life while sharing the details of her biblical odyssey.

Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell -- A vividly rendered portrait of both the rise of Impressionism and of Monet, the artist at the center of the movement. A love story. (Also available on CD.)

Homer and Langley by E. L. Langley -- An imaginative rendering of the lives of New York’s fabled Collyer brothers depicts Homer and Langley as recluses in their once grand Fifth Avenue mansion, facing perils as they struggle to survive the wars, political movements, and technological advances of the 20th century. (Also available in large print and on CD.)

Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer --This real-life mountaineering mystery recounts the story of Britain’s George Mollery and his attempt to scale Mt. Everest. (Also available in large print and on CD.)

Pearl of China by Anchee Min -- In the small southern town of Chin-kiang, in the last days of the 19th century, young Willow and young Pearl Buck bump heads and embark on a friendship that will sustain both of them through one of the most tumultuous periods in Chinese history.

Woodsburner by John Pipkin -- On April 30, 1844, a year before he built his cabin on Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau accidentally started a forest fire that destroyed three hundred acres of the Concord woods – an event that altered the landscape of American thought in a single day. Against this backdrop, the author penetrates the mind of the young philosopher while capturing the mood of the fledgling nation.

I Still Dream About You

2010-11-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

Looking for a good book? You might enjoy Fannie Flagg's newly released I Still Dream About You which is funny and full of heart. The story, part southern novel – part murder mystery, follows the continually interrupted suicide attempts of a former Birmingham, AL, beauty queen Maggie Fortenberry, now 60 and a realtor. To others, Maggie's life seems practically perfect but she harbors heartbreaking secrets in her past. And, Maggie feels like a failure: her real estate agency is in decline after the death of her best friend and employer Hazel Whizenknott, and she can’t help but count a lifetime's worth of missed chances. But through a strange turn of events, she discovers that everybody has at least one secret and that even when you're past middle age there is hope to be found.

Popular southern author, Fannie Flagg, began her writing career as a staff writer for Allen Funt’s Candid Camera television show. Her most famous novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe , was written in 1987 and later became a movie. Other popular titles include Redbird Christmas and Can't Wait to Get to Heaven . Also look for her books in large print and on CD.

The Piano Teacher

2010-11-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Book Discussion –November 18, 12:30 pm

Join Judy Levin for a discussion of The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee on Thursday, 11/18/10 in the downstairs meeting room.

This debut novel received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly and has gone on to become a popular selection for reading groups.

Set in war-torn Hong Kong in the mid-20th century Lee’s story deals with love, survival and the consequences of choices made in difficult times. In 1942 Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is threatened as World War II breaks out in Asia. The snobbish insulation of British high society implodes with the invasion of the Japanese. Thrust from privilege into imprisonment virtually overnight, the characters are caught up in intrigue and collusion, a common occurence of wartime survival. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads intertwine, impossible choices emerge setting the present against the past.

Janice Y. K. Lee was born and raised in Hong Kong and went to boarding school in the United States before attending Harvard College. She is a former features editor at Elle and Mirabella magazines in New York.

Take a look at Penguin’s website for an interview with Janice Y.K. Lee and a list of discussion questions. http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/piano_teacher_janiceyklee.html

We look forward to seeing you.

2010-11-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

About Time

The American Time Use Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average amount of time Americans spend working, on activities in the home, and on sports and leisure. The 2009 survey released this past summer shows that Americans with no children under 18 spend on average .42 hours each weekday reading and the same amount of time playing games or using the computer for leisure. They also spend 2.91 hours watching TV per weekday.

If the recent change to Central Standard Time has time on your mind more than usual, here are some timely bits and books on the subject from different disciplines:

The best day to visit a Social Security office is the day after Thanksgiving according to Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There by Mark Di Vincenzo.

You can take the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory to discover which of these time perspectives is yours: Past-negative, past-positive, present-fatalistic, present-hedonistic, future, or transcendental-future. Find the inventory and read about the benefits and pitfalls of each perspective and how to optimize your time in The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time that will Change Your Life by Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D. and John Boyd, Ph.D.

According to Adrian C. Ott's The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy, the "prairie dog effect" happens when customers "pop up" to look around at competing services or products after a bad experience. Her book tells how companies can capture customers' attention during these and other moments of their hurried days.

In the fall of 2003 science writer Chet Raymo hiked the prime meridian in Eastern England from Brighton through Greenwich to the North Sea. In his book Walking Zero: Discovering Cosmic Space and Time Along the Prime Meridian, he writes of his journey, of the measurement of space and time through history, and of scientific history represented by landmarks near the meridian, including Isaac Newton's birthplace, his chambers at Cambridge, and Darwin's house in Kent.

Audio Book Review

2010-11-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Jeff Shaara's Civil War Battlefields:Discovering America's Hallowed Ground (Abridged) CD 973.7 SHA

By Jeff Shaara; read by Robertson Dean

Shaara, who has written extensively about the Civil War, explores eight spots he feels are essential destinations for Americans. Chronologically from Shiloh to Appomattox, he explains what happened at each battlefield, why it was important, and then takes you on a tour of the area. This last is the weak part of an otherwise excellent audio as the listener does not necessarily have a map for referral. Dean does his best to make you see the many momentous events – Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, Union miners blowing up earth works at Petersburg, for example. He has a Cronkite-like sincerity which gives way to emotion when he describes the scene at Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address or the carnage at Antietam. This valuable listening experience should spark interest in visiting these sites and learning more about the pivotal events in our history.

Book Discussion-Thursday, 11/4 at 7:15 pm

2010-11-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman on Thursday evening, November 4th at 7:15 pm in the downstairs meeting room.

Rachman’s novel follows the private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as the era of print news gives way to the Internet age. The paper's rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder's intentions, as this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future. Publisher’s Weekly says, “(the) chapters read like exquisite short stories, turning out the intersecting lives of the men and women who produce the paper-and one woman who reads it religiously, if belatedly.” Set in Rome, this debut can be enjoyed in one sitting or read piecemeal as a satisfying series of vignettes.

Tom Rachman, a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Columbia School of Journalism, was a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press. From 2006 to 2008 he was an editor at the International Herald Tribune in Paris. The author currently lives in Rome.

Plan to join us -- you won’t want to miss the discussion of this polished, well-written story. Also available in audio and large print formats.

Apollo 13 - 40th Anniversary

2010-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 13, NASA’s third mission to the moon. Fifty-five hours into the flight, an onboard explosion crippled the ship. Captain Jim Lovell, his crew and the Missions Operations Team were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their actions which made a safe return to earth possible.

The Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society will honor this historic event and Captain Lovell’s contributions to space history in a program that marks the beginning of an annual benefit series, “Local Legends”. Bill Kurtis will host a one-on-one conversation with Jim Lovell about his career in space exploration Saturday, October 30 at 4 pm at the Gorton Community Center.*

In anticipation of the program the Library has compiled a bibliography about space exploration and the Apollo missions. The books, DVDs and websites listed below will draw you into this exciting period in American history.

See our collection for:
Apollo 13 (DVD A)
Race to the Moon by William B. Breuer (629.45 BRE)
Apollo, the Race to the Moon by Charles A. Murray (629.45 MUR)
Moon Shot: the Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon by Alan B. Shepard (629.45 SHE)

And visit these web links:
National Air and Space Museum:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/
A Life magazine slide show about Apollo 13:
http://www.life.com/image/50602884/in-gallery/24231/apollo-13-nasas-finest-hour
NASA's Site:
http://search.nasa.gov/search/search.jsp?nasaInclude=apollo+13
Interested in the stars? --Ask an Astronomer:
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/index.php

*Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for students and children – proceeds will benefit the Historical Society.

2010 Debut Novels

2010-10-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

We all have our favorite authors and wait for their new releases. Yet from time to time it can be refreshing or just plain fun to try a work by a new author. Here are three debut novels ranked among the best of 2010 by Booklist magazine:

Anthill by Edward O. Wilson. The author, a world-renowned biologist, sets his first novel in the swamplands of Alabama. Part thriller/part parable, this novel examines the true meaning of survival in the 21st Century through the eyes of Raff Cody, a modern day Huck Finn.

Bloodroot by Amy Greene. This novel explores the legacies that haunt one Appalachian family, especially its women --Byrdie, Clio, Myra and Laura-- from the times of the Great Depression to today. But while history and the passage of time play important roles in this story, the characters' family bonds matter most. The landscape changes, their circumstances change but their blood ties are unbreakable.

Rich Boy by Sharon Pomerantz. Robert Vishniak, the novel’s main character, dreams of escaping Oxford, a working-class Philadelphia neighborhood. His good looks, bright mind, and hard work take him to Tufts University, NYU law school, and finally to a cushy law firm job. A chance encounter with a beautiful girl from his old neighborhood threatens to unravel his new life. Set during the Reagan era.

Book Discussion-Thursday, 10/21 at 12:30 pm

2010-10-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Join us for a discussion of Colm Toíbín’s Brooklyn with Judy Levin on Thursday, 10/21/10 in the downstairs meeting room.

Brooklyn is the winner of the Costa "Novel of the Year" Award (formerly the Whitbread Award) for 2009 in Great Britain.

In Brooklyn Toíbín contrasts life in small-town Ireland with the excitement of big-city Brooklyn in the early 1950s. Eilis Lacey, a smart, hard-working young woman must leave employment-poor Ireland to find a job. She travels to New York City, where under the auspices of an Irish priest, she secures work at a department store and finds lodging in a rooming house for young women. Soon she meets a handsome, charming Italian man. But her adventures come to an abrupt halt when her sister dies in Ireland. Eilis returns home and must face the decision to stay put or go back to the more stimulating life she has begun to create in Brooklyn.

Born in 1955 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Colm Tóibín currently resides in Dublin. He received a B.A. from University College, Dublin. He is the author of five previous novels including The Master, The Story of the Night, and The Blackwater Lightship, which was shortlisted for the 1999 Booker Prize. He also wrote a collection of short stories, Mothers and Sons. (All titles are available at the Library under Fiction TOI.)

Take a look at Simon and Schuster’s website for a list of discussion questions: http://books.simonandschuster.net/Brooklyn/Colm-Toibin/9781439138311/reading_group_guide

Or just come and listen to Judy Levin lead us through our impressions of this book that The New Yorker calls “a narrative of remarkable power”.

Book Lust To Go

2010-10-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

There are many places to go for a book recommendation, but if you like to travel or just dream of travelling Nancy Pearl’s new book is the place to look. Book Lust to Go:Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers is a new title full of reading suggestions to spice up your trip whether you’re flying to Afghanistan or Zambia, driving to Niagara Falls or Philadelphia, or sailing to Cornwall or the Caribbean.

Starting off in Afghanistan Pearl assumes you’ve read The Kite Runner (Fiction HOSSEINI) and recommends Atiq Rahimi’s The Patience Stone (Fiction RAHIMI).

But if you’re driving to Florida this winter through the Appalachian Mountains she recommends Lee Smith’s novels especially Fair and Tender Ladies (Fiction SMITH), and Robert Morgan’s family sagas: The Truest Pleasure (Fiction MORGAN), Gap Creek (Fiction MORGAN) and This Rock (Fiction MORGAN).

Or maybe you’re flying to Boston to visit a child at school or attend a college reunion ... she suggests Dennis Lehane’s books beginning with Prayers for Rain (Mystery LEHANE) and Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series, especially The Judas Goat (Mystery PARKER).

And, if you’re heading east, to the Far East that is, Pearl offers a long list of titles about China and Southeast Asia including Ha Jin’s stories in A Good Fall (Fiction JIN), Peter Hessler’s River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (915.1 HES) and Colin Thubron’s Shadow of the Silk Road (915 THU).

Nancy Pearl is known for her personal, “spot-on” book recommendations. She is a librarian in Seattle and often appears on public radio.

If our circulating copy of Book Lust to Go (028 PEA) is checked out, you can always browse the Reference Room copy during your next visit to the Library.

(Look for more geographically-linked suggestions in future posts.)

Book Discussion-Thursday, 10/7 at 7:15 pm

2010-10-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of Little Bee by Chris Cleave on Thursday evening, October 7th at 7:15 pm in the downstairs meeting room.

Short listed for the 2008 Costa Book Awards, Little Bee was first published in England under the title, The Other Hand.

Little Bee, a young Nigerian refugee, has just been released from the British immigration detention center where she has been held under horrific conditions for the past two years, after narrowly escaping a traumatic fate in her homeland. Alone in a foreign country, she seeks out the only English person she knows. Sarah is a posh young mother and magazine editor with whom Little Bee shares a tumultuous past.

They first met on a beach in Nigeria, where Sarah was vacationing with her husband, Andrew, and their brief encounter has haunted each woman ever since. Now together, they face a disturbing past and an uncertain future. A sense of humor and an unflinching moral compass allow each woman, and the reader, to believe that even in the face of unspeakable odds, humanity can prevail.

Little Bee has been described as the next Kite Runner by the reviewers in Library Journal.

Take a look at Simon and Schuster’s website for a list of discussion questions:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Little-Bee/Chris-Cleave/9781416589631/reading_group_guide

Or read an interview with the author at:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=1183

Chris Cleave was born in London and attended Balliol College, Oxford. He is married with three children.

You won’t want to miss this tension-filled, tightly-written book. Also available in CD and Large Print formats.

Adult Services

2010-09-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

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:

Adult Services

2010-08-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

Back to School

Summer vacation is over and Lake Forest students have returned to school. Even if some things have remained the same, change is in the air … new schools, new classes and new extra-curricular activities. And if your children are older you may be helping them begin the college application process or sending them off to college.

So as you return to the school-year routines check out these new library materials on education and parenting:

Acceptance by David L. Marcus –Follows a “legendary” college counselor as he helps high school seniors chose colleges by focusing on self-discovery rather than test scores and grades. 378.161 MAR

College Admission Simplified – A DVD with suggestions on navigating the college admissions process. DVD 378.1 COL

Different Learners: Identifying, Preventing and Treating Your Child’s Learning Problems by Jane M. Healy – A comprehensive, practical guide to children’s learning problems. 371.9 HEA

Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents by Christine Carter - Offers thoughtful approaches and practical tips on raising grateful, playful, and mindful children. 649.7 CAR

That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life by Ana Homayoun – A top academic counselor claims that most boys need to be taught how to get organized and study. 649.132 HOM

Why Good Kids Act Cruel: the Hidden Truth About the Preteen Years by Carl Pickhardt – Offers suggestions on how to help your child during the early adolescence years. 302.3 PIC

And don't forget about our on-line resources. Check out LearningExpress Library and Live Homework Help under the database section of our web page.

Adult Services

2010-08-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

New DVD’s

Remember those library classes in elementary school where a librarian would patiently explain that books are divided into two main categories: stories (fiction) and information (nonfiction)? Well librarians are still grouping materials into categories: fiction, nonfiction, mysteries, science fiction, audiobooks, playaways … the list goes on and on.

For example, our DVD collection is organized into fiction (i.e. movies and TV shows) and nonfiction (how-to, travel, science, test prep, exercise, history, etc). All DVDs are on the Lower Level. The nonfiction DVDs are shelved by Dewey Decimal number. Movies and TV shows are grouped alphabetically by the first letter in the title.

Look for these new informational DVDs next time you’re at the library:

Is It Real? Vampires – A National Geographic special that explores centuries of vampire lore and legend. Shelved under DVD 133.423 IS

Last Chance to See: Animals on the Verge of Extinction – Examines remarkable creatures from around the world. Shelved under DVD 591.68 LAS

The Belly Off! Workout – Circuit Plan for Men that Accelerates Muscle Building. Shelved under DVD 613.71 STR

Stanley Cup: 2010 Champions – Relive the Chicago Blackhawks’ Championship Season. Shelved under DVD 796.962 STA

World War I in Color – Six episodes. Rare archival film, meticulously colorized, makes the past fresh and relevant. Shelved under DVD 940.3 WOR

Informational DVDs check out for 14 days.

Adult Services

2010-08-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Too Good to Miss

Have you seen the rotating “Too Good to Miss” display in the upstairs lobby? It’s located to the right of the circulation desk and it’s a good place to find recent bestsellers, reading group titles and other high-interest books. The library’s Adult Services Department gathers and displays the recommended titles.

This week features Chicago mysteries. Look for:

Big City, Big Blood by Sean Chercover

The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood by Andrew Greeley

The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey

Cherry Bomb by Joe Konrath

The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey

Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky

And before the snow and ice arrive check out the Mystery Writers Walking Guide: Chicago by Alzina Dale which offers 10 city walks based on mysteries set in the Windy City. Each walk begins with a brief background of the area, the length of the walk, places of interest and a map. The author then provides a block by block discussion of the area with tie-ins to mystery stories from Sara Paretsky’s Guardian Angel to Scott Turow’s Burden of Proof.

Stop by the “Too Good to Miss Shelf” on your way to the fiction, mystery and DVD collections. Or ask at the Reference Desk for more information.

2010-08-17T12:02:00.001-07:00

Adult Book Discussions will Resume in September

Our popular book discussions meet once a month during the school year in the programming room downstairs. Books can be borrowed from the library so check our catalog for availability. Our fall programs begin with two recent titles: The Glass Room by Simon Mawer and Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. Please make plans to join us.

"Evenings with Elise Barack" returns on Thursday, September 2 at 7:15 pm when this popular presenter will lead a discussion on The Glass Room by Simon Mawer.

The Glass Room was short listed for The Booker Prize. For more information read what The Washington Post's Ron Charles says about this deeply moving novel:

" During the pause between world wars, a Jewish businessman and his new wife commissioned a startlingly modern house for themselves in Czechoslovakia. They hired the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and gave him free rein to design an avant-garde structure that looks like a Mondrian painting in three dimensions: a long, low building of dramatic straight lines, marked by a large room with floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Unbelievably, this elegant house survived the dismemberment of the First Republic of Czechoslovakia, German bombing, Soviet invasion and the natural forces that conspire against a neglected building. The Villa Tugendhat, which has been a public museum since the mid-1990s, remains a masterpiece of minimalist architecture, and now it's the evocative setting for a stirring new novel that almost won this year's Booker Prize. The author, Simon Mawer, moves through six decades of European history, much of it unspeakably tragic, using the glass house as a window on the hopes and fears of its various inhabitants and the conflicts that rip Europe apart. Pianists and Nazis, doctors and servants, everyone is drawn to the living room's extraordinary vista and feels aroused by the promise of such clarity."

The first meeting of "Afternoons with Judy Levin" is scheduled for Thursday, September 16 at 12:30 pm. We will discuss Zeitoun by local author Dave Eggers.

Don't know the book ... check out these reviews:

"Through the story of one man’s experience after Hurricane Katrina, Eggers draws an indelible picture of Bush-era crisis management. Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a successful Syrian-born painting contractor, decides to stay in New Orleans and protect his property while his family flees. After the levees break, he uses a small canoe to rescue people, before being arrested by an armed squad and swept powerlessly into a vortex of bureaucratic brutality. When a guard accuses him of being a member of Al Qaeda, he sees that race and culture may explain his predicament. Eggers, compiling his account from interviews, sensibly resists rhetorical grandstanding, letting injustices speak for themselves." The New Yorker

"Zeitoun offers a transformative experience to anyone open to it, for the simple reasons that it is not heavy-handed propaganda, not eat-your-peas social analysis, but an adventure story, a tale of suffering and redemption, almost biblical in its simplicity, the trials of a good man who believes in God and happens to have a canoe. Anyone who cares about America, where it is going and where it almost went, before it caught itself, will want to read this thrilling, heartbreaking, wonderful book.” Neil Steiberg, Chicago Sun-Times

"Zeitoun is a riveting, intimate, wide-scanning, disturbing, inspiring nonfiction account of a New Orleans married couple named Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun who were dragged through their own special branch of Kafkaesque (for once the adjective is unavoidable) hell after Hurricane Katrina." James Wolcott, Vanity Fair

Look for information on book recommendations, programming notes and new additions to the collection in future postings on the Lake Forest Library Blogspot.

May 26th High School Book Club Discussion Cancelled

2010-05-20T15:10:00.001-07:00

The High School Book Club May discussion has been cancelled. We will not meet again until September, 2010. Have a great summer! Everyone read! Read! Read! Read!

High School Book Club May 26th, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 p.m.

2010-05-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

The High School Book Club will be discussing Ernest Hemingway's book "Islands in the Stream" on May 26th at 8:00 p.m.

First published in 1970, nine years after Hemingway's death, this is the story of an artist and adventurer -- a man much like Hemingway himself. Beginning in the 1930s, Islands in the Stream follows the fortunes of Thomas Hudson, from his experiences as a painter on the Gulf Stream island of Bimini through his antisubmarine activities off the coast of Cuba during World War II. Hemingway is at his mature best in this beguiling tale. (Simon and Schuster)

High School Book Club Discussion April 14, 2010 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

2010-03-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

The High School Book Club will be discussing the new book by Chima Williams, Demon King. Read what Kirkus Reviews has to say about this exciting new fantasy adventure:

Kirkus Reviews 2009 September #2
Rich characterization and exquisite world building make up for a leisurely pace in the dense first volume of a new epic-fantasy trilogy. Han Alister is a fatherless street rat, former thief lord and runner for the Clan tribes. Raisa is the Princess Heir, last in a long line of fabled warrior Queens. Their paths should never have intersected, had not both become enmeshed in the schemes of the wizards seeking to regain powers curbed for the crimes of the Demon King, a thousand years past. Now ancient talismans and grim portents herald murder and treason, and both Han and Raisa are forced to embrace heritages they can scarcely imagine. Chima forges an intricate world, alloying standard genre tropes in unexpected ways and inlaying intrigue amid a delicately crafted setting of history and legend. Dozens of characters, complex and distinct in personality, are placed with jewel-like precision, set off by dark glints of villainy. Few readers will mind reaching the end with the protagonists still separated by hundreds of miles only to realize it was naught but prelude to the real action; instead, they will clamor for the sequel. (Fantasy. YA) Copyright Kirkus 2009 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved

2010-03-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Female voices through the years
Review by Faye Jones
Women’s History Month gives us the opportunity to re-examine what we thought we knew about women’s participation in historical events. What is apparent in these selections is the constant battle for women to make meaningful, acknowledged contributions in the face of hostility, ridicule and neglect. What is also sadly obvious is that women’s accomplishments have often been minimized or hidden from the pages of the “official” historical accounts. But the books here show us that there is much to learn about the contributions of women throughout history—and much to be thankful for, too.
Women have served in the military in a myriad of roles—from the factory and office workers who freed men to fight in WWI to pilots in WWII to active combat soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. They faced dangers as they nursed soldiers near the front lines in all wars. Yet often their worst enemy was not the official one, but their own country, hesitating to grant them the status and benefits they deserved.
Evelyn M. Monahan and Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee provide a number of examples of this discrimination in A Few Good Women. In 1942, three members of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps survived the sinking of their ship by a German torpedo. Having lost all their belongings, they suffered a further blow when they were told that since the WAAC had no official standing, the U.S. government would not pay for their losses. Women were “with the military but not in it.” They received none of the benefits that men received, such as insurance or even protection under the Geneva Convention if they were captured. Some barriers just seem strange now: Female ferry pilots could not fly past the age of 35 “to avoid the irrationality of women when they enter and go through the menopause.” Other issues, such as sexual harassment and rape, still haunt our military today.
It is clear that women were willing to endure their lack of status and societal distrust to join the military. But why? For many, it was both basic patriotism and the hope for excitement and adventure. As one WWII pilot said: “[I learned I] could fly with the men and still remain a lady. I gained much confidence in myself that has served me well all this time.” These stories can serve as inspiration for young women today, and Monahan and Neidel-Greenlee deserve credit for telling them.
Like military women, female scientists are often missing in the pages of the history books. They are so absent, in fact, that one might be forgiven for thinking that until recent times, there simply weren’t women scientists—Madame Curie being the singular exception. In The Madame Curie Complex, Julie Des Jardins examines the careers of women scientists from Curie to Jane Goodall. Most of them probably won’t be familiar to readers, but they should be, not only for their scientific contributions, but for the ways in which their work was marginalized and made more difficult than it had to be.
Female scientists faced innumerable institutional and societal barriers. For women in the early 20th century, even finding a college that would allow them to study at an advanced level was not an easy option. Nepotistic rules at many universities meant that, for scientific couples, the husband received the tenured position while the wife toiled as a lab assistant or an untenured, temporary instructor. Married women scientists were also expected to keep house and raise children. These barriers put them behind on the career path when compared to many male scientists. For example, “Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Gerty Cori was fifty-one when she was finally promoted to full professor; physics laureate Maria Goeppert Mayer wasn’t hired with pay and tenure until she was fifty-three.” Despite these obstacles, some women persevered and succeeded. But as Des Jardins makes clear, this is only a partial victory, for there are many lost and forgotten women whose contributions to science will never be known.
Talk about being written out of history: According to Jack Weatherford and The Secret History of the Mongol Queens, in the 13th century, an unknown person cut out a section of The Secret History of the Mongols, the record of Genghis Khan, leaving only a hint of what had been there regarding the contributions of women: “Let us reward our female offspring.” However, if a censor chose to omit the deeds of these women, Weatherford, through careful scholarship and lively narrative, has filled in many of the details.
One such descendant, Queen Manduhai, refused all her suitors. Instead, she rescued the male child with the best link to Genghis Khan and raised him to be a ruler. She led battles, but she also learned from the mistakes of her predecessors, realizing how difficult it was to conquer a wide territory. Instead, she sought to trade with China when she could, but raid the country when she couldn’t. The Great Wall is a testament to how much the Chinese both respected and feared her.
Louisa Catherine Adams moved to St. Petersburg with her husband, John Quincy Adams, when he received a diplomatic appointment to the royal court and managed her household alone for more than a year when he was called away to Paris to help negotiate the end of the War of 1812. Then in 1815, she received a letter instructing her to meet him in Paris. She and her young son undertook the 2,000-mile journey through a Europe that had been devastated by war and the reappearance of Napoleon.
In Mrs. Adams in Winter, Michael O’Brien uses this journey to present a biography of a woman who was always in the process of crossing borders. Born an American in London and raised for a time in Paris, she would never quite fit in with her home country, where she was accused of not being American enough to be First Lady and was never quite understood by her husband and her in-laws, the famous John and Abigail Adams. O’Brien also tells a fascinating tale of what it was like to travel in that time period, an account that will lead readers to admire Adams’ determination and strength.
Faye Jones is dean of learning resources at Nashville State Community College.
© 2010, All rights reserved, BookPage

High School Book Club Discussion February 10th 7-8:30 p.m.

2010-02-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen will be the next High School Book Club choice.

Wealthy Mr. Darcy and spirited Elizabeth Bennett dislike each other at first sight, and each must contend with their pride and prejudices while Elizabeth's mother plots economically advantageous marriages for all her daughters.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

2010-01-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

It is 1981, and 18-year-old Fergus lives on the border between Northern Ireland and the south. His older brother, Joe, a member of the Provisional IRA, is jailed at Long Kesh and joins a hunger strike. The family is traumatized, and Fergus does his best to comfort his mother and to convince Joe that his "sacrifice" for the cause is not worth it. Fergus has been pressured (blackmailed) to smuggle packages for the IRA, but wants nothing more than to leave Ireland and study to become a doctor. His life becomes even more complicated when he and his uncle discover the body of a young girl while pilfering peat. It turns out to be 2000 years old. Thus begins a double narrative that involves a love story and a discussion of destiny and self-sacrifice. Fergus's story includes his struggle to understand his brother's actions and his growing love for the daughter of the archaeologist called in to investigate the Iron Age discovery. Interspersed is the story of Mel, the bog child, who makes the ultimate sacrifice to unite her people, and who finds love at the end of her life. The two narratives work beautifully together. The love story between Fergus and Cora is depicted with tenderness, and their adolescent sexuality is sensitively portrayed. Readers will come away with a strong sense of the time periods (especially of the "Troubles") through dialogue and action. This compelling read is lyrically written and contains authentic dialogue and challenging and involving moral issues. It's a first, and a must-have purchase.—Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library

Discussion Questions and Ideas:
1. Respect for the dead. What was the discussion between Gardai (police in the Republic of Ireland) and RUC (police in Northern Ireland) when they thought the body was that of a murder victim? How did the attitudes of local authorities on both sides of the border change when they discovered the body was ancient?
2. Lessons of the past. Are Fergus’s visions of the bog girl true or are they mere dreams? Do his visions of her life and death help him sort out the swirl of events in his own life? Are there parallels?
3. Choices and responsibility. Each of the characters in Bog Child made choices. What choices did Brennor make and where did his choices lead? What choice did Owain Jenkins make? Why?Fergus agreed to carry packages for Michael Rafters (Dafters). How does Michael get Fergus to do it?
4. Conflict and the search for peace. Standing on the gallows block, Mel says “The faces were cruel, solemn, pitying, triumphant, sad, anguished. Brennor’s face and Rur’s face were side by side. One ashen, the other broken. I foresaw the coming years of violence, the old grudges leapfrogging over generations, reappearing in different forms.” What does Mel hope to accomplish by her self sacrifice? Her vision of endless violence fueled by old grudges down through the ages has proven true. In the present, are any characters in the book working toward peace?
5. Joe says "A coffin's a mighty statement, Ferg." What does Joe McCann hope to accomplish by his hunger-strike and death? What does the death of each character say to us: Mel? Joe? Owain? Uncle Tally?
6. Fergus tells his Da (page 294) “It may be a sin to intervene with Joe, Da. But it’s a worse sin if we don’t .” He swallowed, his heart thumping. “If we do nothing, there’ll be no forgveness. Never. The future will go wrong. Everything will go wrong. I know it, Da. Believe me.” What is right and what is wrong in this situation? Talk about the conflict within the McCann family, between Fergus’s Mam and Da. Is that conflict resolved?
7. What choices does Fergus make in this book? Where does each of his choices lead him?

From Rhode Island Teen Book Award

http://www.yourlibrary.ws/ya_webpage/ritba/ritba10/bogchild.htm

TEN TERRIFIC READS OF 2009 FROM O MAGAZINE

2009-12-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

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.

Titles reviewed in Oprah Magazine

2009-12-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

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

A novel look at the holidays

2009-11-30T12:30:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

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.

Great tastes for the holidays

2009-11-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

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.

Books with Bite

2009-11-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

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.

Judy Levin's Book Discussion.

2009-11-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

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)

Fly Away With Us

2009-11-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

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.

Honoring our veterans

2009-11-11T11:24:00.000-08:00

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.

In Service

2009-11-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Opens at 1 pm

Social Media 101: For Life, Work & Fun

2009-11-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

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.

Elise Barack's Book Discussion Group

2009-11-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

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.

Junior Readers Book Club

2009-10-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

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?

High School Book Club

2009-10-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

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.

Teen Book Club

2009-10-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

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.

Banned Books Week

2009-09-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

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.

The Parents We Mean to Be

2009-09-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

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.

Drop-in Craft

2009-09-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

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.

To Be or Not To Be? Readings from Hamlet

2009-09-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

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.

Friends of Lake Forest Library Book Sale

2009-09-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

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)

Judy Levin Book Club

2009-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

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.

Mango Languages

2009-09-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

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

Lake Forest Library

2011's Great Classical Recordings

Winter 2012-Adult Book Discussions

Planets and Black Holes, Oh My!

New Short Story Collections

The CSO - Upcoming Programs and Our Collection

Halloween Mysteries

Science Fiction Trends

Movies Based on Books

Going to the Opera?

American Civil War Fiction

Sept. 11 Remembered: Selected Titles from Our Collection

Adult Book Discussions Resume

More Summer Reads - On the Shelf Now

PLAYAWAY® AT THE LIBRARY

Summer Reads - On the Shelf Now

Adult Summer Reading Program Begins

Book Discussion with Judy Levin

New DVD Service

Ebooks for Your Mobile Devices

Elise Barack Leads Book Discussion April 7

Spring Break Reading Suggestions

Book Lust

Book Discussion with Elise Barack, March 3

New Catalog Arrives Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Book Discussion with Judy Levin-Thursday, February 17

Book Discussion-Thursday, February 3

Book Discussion-Thursday, January 20

Book Discussion with Elise Barack 1/6/2011

'Tis the Season

Fictionalized Biographies

I Still Dream About You

The Piano Teacher

Audio Book Review

Book Discussion-Thursday, 11/4 at 7:15 pm

Apollo 13 - 40th Anniversary

2010 Debut Novels

Book Discussion-Thursday, 10/21 at 12:30 pm

Book Lust To Go

Book Discussion-Thursday, 10/7 at 7:15 pm

Adult Services

Adult Services

Adult Services

Adult Services

Adult Services

Adult Services

Adult Services

Adult Services

Adult Services

May 26th High School Book Club Discussion Cancelled

High School Book Club May 26th, 2010 8:00 - 8:45 p.m.

High School Book Club Discussion April 14, 2010 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

High School Book Club Discussion February 10th 7-8:30 p.m.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

TEN TERRIFIC READS OF 2009 FROM O MAGAZINE

Titles reviewed in Oprah Magazine

A novel look at the holidays

A great American writer

Great tastes for the holidays

Books with Bite

Judy Levin's Book Discussion.

Fly Away With Us

Honoring our veterans

In Service

Social Media 101: For Life, Work & Fun

Elise Barack's Book Discussion Group

Junior Readers Book Club

High School Book Club

Teen Book Club

Banned Books Week

Elise Barack Book Discussion

The Parents We Mean to Be

Drop-in Craft

Junior Readers Book Club

To Be or Not To Be? Readings from Hamlet

LEAD program

Friends of Lake Forest Library Book Sale

Judy Levin Book Club

Family Book Group

Mango Languages