The tenth anniversary of the One Book, One Chicago program rings in with a Saul Bellow classic. more ›

The Winnetka-Northfield Public Library, a small public library that serves the 13,000 residents of guess which two cities, has something big to celebrate. Tomorrow, Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men Are Gone will be making a special stop on her book tour at the local independent bookstore. “We had 24 hours to make a case to the publisher,” said Erin Maassen, the library’s public relations director. The frantic 24 hours paid off, because Fallon will now be reading and answering questions at The Book Stall in Winnetka. more ›

We find that after doing scads of last-minute shopping, the best way to ensure "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men" is to avoid the general public altogether. So one of our favorite parts of Christmastime involves shutting ourselves off from the outside world and gorging on movies. This time of year there's plenty of stuff to watch on Ye Old Yule Tube. TCM is getting into the Santa act by presenting "Sweet Home Chicago," a lineup of five films that starts airing tonight. more ›

If you were looking for some new books to cuddle up with for the oncoming winter, the Chicago Book Festival is here to help. There's an events booklet available at libraries and bookstores and a PDF online. Much of the information is on readings in the city that happen anyway, but we are excited about the extra discussions for this fall's One Book, One Chicago, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, which we haven't read since high... more ›

But Northwestern Writer-in-Residence Stuart Dybek isn't. The lucky Pilsen native received "the call" yesterday informing him that he was named a 2007 MacArthur Fellow, aka "genius grant" recipient; the fellowship comes with a $500,000 prize that Dybek can use for whatever he likes, no strings attached. "I think 'stunned' is not too strong a word to use. It came so out of the blue," Dybek told the Trib. "They do this stuff with such perfect... more ›

There are a few ways to know for sure that spring is coming. One way is to watch the people of Chicago come out from their interiors — eyes blink in the sunlight, unsure of how to handle pristine sunshine. Pasty, sallow faces look carefully upwards, fearful that the sun might suddenly hide again. They step tentatively forward, holding tightly to the remnants of winter: a glove that has lost its mate, or a threadbare Bears hat that refuses to be lost. They stretch and croon, and tears of relief splash and combine with the salty white marble pattern left by owners of condos, but not of dogs. Their tears will wash away with the first summer rain. Wow, pardon our waxing poetic, we can't help it, it's in the air. We should move on before we start writing haiku.... more ›

Today the “One Book, One Chicago” book was announced, and honestly; this is the most excitement we’ve seen come out of the Harold Washington Library in a long time. more ›

The Museum, Libraries and Archives Council asked librarians all around the country, what are the books you have to read before you die? Topping the list is "To Kill a Mockingbird" also on the list is "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Alexander Solzenhitsyn, our One Book, One Chicago book for Spring. We've read sixteen of the thirty books, check out the link and see how many you have to go before... more ›

We love to see people on the El all reading the same book. It’s a great conversation starter and it’s even more fun when it’s part of the Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago program. On February 15, CPL announced the tenth book in the program, "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. What’s extra cool about this pick is that we will partner up with readers in our sister... more ›

James Frey discovered the glare of the Oprah’s Book Club spotlight isn’t always wine and roses. But Elie Wiesel and his haunting memoir Night, which Oprah selected for the next Book Club reading, isn’t likely to see the same fate. Wiesel's chilling account of life in a Nazi concentration camp and subsequent aftermath has stood up to 50 years of scrutiny. And anyone who suggests the Nobel Peace Prize winner embellished his story risks becoming... more ›

Stuart Dybek, Author more ›

The Chicago Public Library yesterday announced the 9th selection for One Book, One Chicago: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. We admit to feeling a thrill when we heard the news--an excuse not only to reread Pride and Prejudice, but to watch the positively dreamy Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the epic A&E movie adaptation. And again in Bridget Jones's Diary. Swoon. more ›

The title pretty much says it all, folks. Enter here for your chance to win a whopping 3 swell books from Picador. The free shipping alone is worth the win--and you get books! Nice, solid, long books that you really won't want to end. You have until 3 PM today. Winners only will be notified by email. You need not win a contest, though, to see authors James McManus, Stuart Dybek, and Jeffrey Eugenides... more ›

If you like holiday celebrations but can do without your neighbors’ steady stream of homemade firecrackers, head up to Ravinia this Saturday to celebrate “Don Quixote Day.” Professor Anne Cruz of the University of Miami will be on hand to discuss Cervantes’ seminal novel followed by a discussion of Richard Strauss’ own Don Quixote, the focus of Ravinia’s “One Score, One Chicago” initiative. That night, Chicago favorite bass-baritone Samuel Ramey returns to Highland Park for... more ›

Mayor Daley advised his book club followers yesterday to go forth and read en masse Walter Van Tilburg Clark’s classic 1940 Western saga The Ox-Bow Incident as the eighth in the city’s “One Book, One Chicago” exercise. more ›

, was made we weren't really expecting much. We mean the city was picking a book that would appeal to a mass audience.. how good could it be? We went out last Wednesday and bought the book and were really surprised. It was great. So good that we finished it in just 4 days. Go Chicagoist! more ›

School's just around the corner, and that means book reports. For everybody. Yes, even you. more ›