Forest Park’s Comments (group member since Jan 11, 2017)

Forest Park’s comments from the Forest Park Public Library group.

Rebecca Makkai, who visited the library in 2017, has a new novel coming out called the Great Believers that is set in 1980s Chicago and Paris. It is coming out June 19th and I can't wait. Read more about it! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

On August 7th at 7pm, Rebecca Makkai will be here to discuss trending books, what it takes to be a writer, and maybe even tell a funny story or two!

Rebecca Makkai is an award-winning, Chicago-based, short story writer and novelist whose works include The Borrower (2011), a Booklist Top Ten Debut, The Hundred-Year House (2014), an intricately woven gothic novel that combines dark family secrets and a ghostly haunting for a thrilling mystery read, and Music for Wartime (2015), a compelling and poignant collection of interconnected short stories that’s sure to interest even the most reserved reader! Rebecca Makkai has had her work published in the Chicago Magazine, Booklist, Harper’s, even the New England Review, and this is only a short list of the many other accolades she has accumulated over her years as a writer!

What are you looking to read next? Answer below, and come discuss it with us and Rebecca Makkai August 7th! We’ll see you there!

As a young woman in rural Wisconsin, I felt The Book of Ruth was speaking to me directly: the story of the holy fool Ruth and the toxic love of her life, Ruby, is full of a gothic wonder. Ruth's naive but piercing insights make this novel a contemporary classic with a stunning, all-too-true ending.

That achingly innocent voice is back in Hamilton's latest, The Excellent Lombards. Pre-teen/ teen Frankie Lombard is the narrator of this coming-of-age tale. She is grappling with the passion to inherit the apple orchard she has grown up in, even as the future for family farms appears uncertain. This novel is rich in lyricism and a subtle, satisfying read. I highly recommend, especially for nature-lovers!

Jane Hamilton is visiting the Forest Park Public Library on May 19 at 7:30 pm. Are you familiar with this wonderful author? Share your excitement or discuss her novels... which is your favorite! Why did you like it?

When it comes to reading a print book, do you prefer reading paperback or hardcover and why? Do you prefer the flexibility of the paperback or the sturdiness of the hardcover? Or does it matter for the type of book: maybe it's easier to flip through a paperback cookbook but you like to hold a hardcover book for longer reading, like novels or biographies. Let us know, what do you prefer and why!

Who are a couple of your favorite protagonists (or antagonists) in your readings? What made them so memorable? Are there characters you like where the lines are blurred to where you couldn't say whether they were a villain or hero, such as Heathcliff from "Wuthering Heights" or Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" series?

Hi Dan, Glad to hear from you. It sounds like you are plunging deep into the classics at this time. How wonderful! What has been your favorite read so far in your 7 year syllabus? I like to plumb the depths of literature, history, and philosophy too. Lately I've been reading Robert Lowell's poems. My interest in Robert Lowell was stimulated by a really great new biography of him by Kay Redfield Jamison: Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire: A Study of Genius, Mania, and Character He was a great lover of the classics, and his poems are moody and magnificent. Skye

"How do you like to read? Do you gravitate toward series or do you tend to stick to stand-alone books? Do you like to read several books at once or concentrate on finishing one book at a time? And with all the new technology available, many people read their books on screens or listen to them either on their phones or on CDs. Are you a paper or screen or CD kind-of-a reader?

If you like to listen to books on the go or read them on your screens, check out our great online resources by taking a look at the eLibrary tab on our homepage! We have subscriptions to amazing services like MediaOnDemand and Hoopla, which allow you to gain access to ebooks, audiobooks, comics, and even TV shows and movies all from your computer or mobile device. For magazine readers, we also have Zinio, which has a great selection of digital magazines.

My preference is ____________________. I am currently reading ______________.

Hello! I'm Skye and I manage the services for adults here at Forest Park Public Library. A little about me and the printed word: the act of reading is my compass in a storm, and I look forward everyday to my redemptive moments with the books. I love to read fiction, non-fiction, poetry... as a librarian, I am surrounded by all the latest books at the library and love to pick and choose current books to read that both appeal to me and may appeal to Forest Park patrons as well. Right now I am looking forward to reading Dan Egan's The Death and Life of the Great Lakes. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes He'll be speaking here at the library on June 20th at 7pm. I hope to see many readers there!

Hello all!

Please take the chance to introduce yourself here. Tell us what brings you to the library, your favorite kinds of books to read, and an interesting fact about yourself. We look forward to getting to know you!