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Lisa Jewell’s bestselling books combine page-turning, what-happens-next excitement with nuanced characters—especially female characters—who are mostly likable. Her narrative voice has a keen sense of humor that might fool some readers into thinking the story is fluffy, or that the suspense isn’t real, neither of which is in any way true. In fact, Jewell’s latest novel, […]
The only thing better than books is puns, and the only thing better than puns is puns about books. Since it’s #MysteryMonth AND May the 4th, it’s a great time to check out the following science fiction books, linked to their Booklist reviews, that double as great mysteries. After Atlas, by Emma Newman This […]
Y’all know My Favorite Murder, right? The super-popular podcast that, through some alchemical magic, blends true crime and comedy as told by two women who do the bare minimum of research and spend as much time detailing personal anecdotes as they do the murders they’re ostensibly covering? MFM has a huge and devoted following—search Etsy […]
I don’t want to disparage the good name of celebrity chefs, but if current fiction is anything to go by, they’re all cheating scoundrels. Or they’re victims of cheating scoundrels. Or they’re just generally getting too salty, if you know what I mean. There must be something in the ratatouille that’s making all these fictional chefs […]
Is your book group in a rut? Are folks sick of reading World War II-era historical fiction? Is your attendance dwindling? Maybe it’s time to go rogue. We hosted a live event (sponsored by NoveList) where we gathered some book-group experts to talk about what makes a good selection, how to pick something unexpected for […]
I am an eternal optimist. This tendency to think things will work out for the best is sometimes at odds with my inner curmudgeon, but what can you do? I like to think this conflict keeps my also-inner Pollyanna in check, but sometimes, that Pollyanna is strong. Take, for example, the time my book group […]
Listen, I’m not here to participate in a turf war between literary fiction and genre fiction. Especially since, as a librarian, I am professionally hardwired to distinctly not judge a person’s literary tastes. That said, many year-end lists make me feel a little. . . left out. Not that Jesmyn Ward and Roxane Gay and […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
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