With the TV version of Cassandra Clare's wildly popular Mortal Instruments series debuting on January 12, why not binge-read other teen novels full of big-city paranormal romances and epic battles between good and evil? If you enjoy fantasy in a modern setting, try Holly Black's latest, The Darkest Part of the Forest. It features a tourist-trap town full of fairies and a…
The Pleasure of My Company: Zora Neale Hurston at 125
How much do you know about Zora Neale Hurston? It seems like most people read Their Eyes Were Watching God in high school English class or saw Their Eyes Were Watching God with Halle Berry. But there's more to this fabulous writer than one novel. To celebrate the 125th anniversary of her birth on January 7…
Medieval Mysteries
Around this time of year, my thoughts turn to the Middle Ages. Not sure why, but they do. So, in that spirit, I offer these often overlooked medieval mysteries. The ones set earliest in history are the King's Hounds mysteries by Martin Jensen. In them, Winston, an ex-religious and illuminator, and his man Hafdan, a former nobleman, do…
Fencing Females
You can look at most of my posts and deduce that I'm a big fan of historical novels and unconventional heroines. Some of the books I review are easier reads than others. In the spirit of the holidays, here are three books that are propulsive, fairly quick reads that ask, what if a woman acted more like a…
Chicago’s State Street Holiday Parade
The holiday parade on Chicago’s State Street is, for many of us, the highpoint of the holiday season in Chicago. The holiday parade is no longer called Chicago State Street Parade, but the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade. The event began as a caravan on December 7, 1934. Mayor Edward Kelly hoped the caravan could fuel the…
Quiz: A Christmas Carol
The debate over the best film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is sure to rage at many a holiday table again this year. To put you in the spirit, our bloggers Jennifer, Joanna and Laura compiled this quiz to see how well you know the classic holiday tale and its many adaptations. For more of the miser we all…
I Like the Moon
Sometimes, when you look up at the sky, mostly at night, or maybe during the day, there's this big glowing ball that doesn't blind you when you look at it like the sun does. It's got some dark spots on it, and it's kinda creepy and cool. I've heard that some people even went there, and…
Rockin’ Reading
One of my other great loves of life, and I have several, is music. I can listen to anything and everything all day and just really lose myself to the words, melodies and beats. Some of my all-time favorite artists (past and present) have made me happier this year by sharing even more of themselves by writing memoirs…
A Trojan Horse Brings Greek History to Chicago
Brooding over the entrance to the Chicago Red Line station is a figure straight out of antiquity. A replica Trojan horse guards the entrance to the subway, just one of the many amazing displays brought to Chicago by the Field Museum's new exhibit, The Greeks. A journey through 5,000 years of history, myth and craftsmanship, The Greeks weaves a…
A Charlie Brown Christmas Is 50!
A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted 50 years ago this month, on December 9, 1965. It’s hard to believe now, but when CBS executives previewed the show, they thought audiences would hate it. Thankfully they were wrong; critics and viewers loved it! The show won an Emmy and a Peabody Award, and CBS was so happy with…
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