Fiction
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley. This is about a very special someone, who happens to be a dog. It is heartwarming and sad and the perfect give for anyone who loves and cares deeply.
The Short, the Long and the Tall by Jeffrey Archer This beautifully illustrated book is a wonderful gift and will be a fantastic addition to a guest room or coffee table. The expert in his craft, Archer excels in the art of the short story.
Long Bright River, this novel by Liz Moore is a terrific book to keep you company this winter, the story is both riveting and complicated. Mickey is a dedicated police officer, a single parent to a young son and a guilt-ridden older sister to the missing Kasey. This is a mystery, and it is also a tale of the opioid crisis, in cities like Philadelphia where families are struggling with poverty and the effects that these issues have on families, neighborhoods and cities.
The Exiles, Christina Baker Kline’s carefully researched novel tells the story of 3 woman making their way to Australia in the 19th Century. Uprooted from Great Britain, exiled for minor offences these women must forge a new life for themselves. Told with empathy, Kline brings these characters to life and takes us on their journey to this strange new land.
Sea Wife by Amity Gaige is the story of a marriage and of a family who goes to sea to try to save it, or to save themselves. Michael is a dreamer, a sailor who convinces his wife to leave their suburban life behind and sail the world with their two small children. Juliet is a frustrated poet and a PH, no D candidate who is feeling restless and depressed so is talked into this sea adventure. What could go wrong?
Writers & Lovers by Lily King. A former child golf prodigy, Casey Peabody now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel, she has been writing for six years. When she falls for two vastly different men at the same time, she is forced to look at where she is, where she wants to be and figure to out how to get there.
Love your Life by Sophie Kinsella. Ava is a romantic, she wants to find her soul mate the old-fashioned way, like in a movie or a delightful book. Discouraged with her love life and wanting to finish her novel she decides to travel to Capri. What better place to forget about romance and concentrate on her book? Or is it?
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie. When young Nori is abandoned by her mother in 1948 Japan, she quickly learns she will lead a solitary life hidden away in her grandparents' estate. As the child of an out-of-wedlock birth, her stigma threatens her family's prominence in Kyoto. When Nori meets her half-brother, the two form an unbreakable bond.
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. Eudora Honeysett is a British woman who has always lived her life on her own terms, and she wants her death to be on her own terms too. She is “nearing the age” so she registers at a clinic where she can be the master of her own end of life. Her young neighbor Rose, so full of life and wisdom may have Eudora reconsidering her time left on earth.
Cardiff by the Sea: Four Novellas of Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates. From one of America’s greatest writers comes these stories that will haunt you and keep you up at night.
The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. What if you could go back and change the path of your life or live two lives at once? Dawn McDowell, a specialist in ancient Egypt has taken two paths, and we follow her stories in alternating chapters. Egyptian history, religion and hieroglyphics, the machinations of archeological digs, and the process of dying are all part of this story by Picoult.
Thriller/Mystery
He Started It by Samantha Downing. Siblings…Cannot live with them, cannot live without them, or can you? To inherit their grandfather’s estate, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance. How does that work when you are all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who will not stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there is a body in the trunk.
Tom Clancy Firing Point by Mike Maden. (A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel) Barcelona sets the stage for the latest in this thrilling series. Jack Ryan, Jr. is out to avenge the murder of an old friend, but the vein of evil he is tapped into may run too deep for him to handle in the latest electric entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda. This fascinating book unfolds in a series of press clippings, diary entries and half remembered memories. Arden has a secret and a past and as much as she tries to avoid it the past is creeping closer, trying to catch up to her. This is the book to spend the day with because once you start it, you will need to finish it.
History
Agent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben Macintyre. Homemaker, mother, and communist spy if Le Carre had authored this true-life story it could not be any more thrilling. From Berlin of the 1920’s to Shanghai and through the cold war this spy had the perfect cover story.
Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle by Tom Quinn takes the reader behind the official version of palace history to discover the stories and secrets of the building and the royals who have lived there. From George II to Lady Diana and Charles this is a fascinating history of a classic royal palace.
Chicago's Greatest Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City by Carl Smith. One Hundred Fifty years ago, between October 8–10, 1871, much of the city of Chicago was destroyed by one of the most legendary urban fires in history; built in a hurry to accommodate the growing businesses and citizens, the city was made of wood. Once the fire began in the barn of Catherine and Patrick O’Leary, it quickly grew out of control. This is a fascinating account of the fire and the rise of the city from its ashes.
Biographies
Eat a Peach by David Chang with Gabe Ulla. Chef and star of "Ugly Delicious" on Netflix, David Chang has achieved success and fame in a competitive industry. This memoir details his struggles growing up, feeling out of place as a Korean American and his battle with mental illness. We learn how he reconciles these issues in the kitchen, and we gain insight into the highly volatile restaurant industry.
The Great Blue Hills of God by Kreis Beall. Brought up by parents to succeed at everything, Beall married the founder of the quickly expanding Ruby Tuesday chain of restaurants. She excelled a perfection: beautiful homes, successful children and as the creative force behind Blackberry Farm, Tennessee's award-winning farm-to-table resort. At the pinnacle of her success, a brain injury left her with devastating hearing loss. That was followed by the collapse of her marriage and later the tragic death of her son. This introspective memoir reveals how she found herself only after losing everything.
Burn the Place by Ilana Glazer As the successful owner and chef of Elizabeth, 7 years in a row Michelin starred Chicago restaurant, Glazer excelled in an industry dominated by men. How her childhood shaped her success and how she overcame many obstacles is a fascinating study in perseverance. Truly a captivating read.
Art & Architecture
The Architecture of Stanley Anderson by Paul Bergmann. Beginning his career with Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1918 and then opening his own firm in 1924, Stanley Anderson designed over 200 residences in Lake Forest. He also built Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest Bank, Temple Farms, and many other local buildings. When a Stanley Anderson home comes on the market, the architect is always noted in the real estate listing. Filled with photos and commentary this is the quintessential gift for fans of not only architecture but of the history of Lake Forest.
Biblio-Style: How we Live at Home with Books by Nina Freudenberger. Oh, to curl up by a fire with this book, the photos are fabulous and the chapters delightful: The Sentimentalists, The Arrangers, The Collectors. Interior designer Nina Freudenberger, New Yorker writer Sadie Stein, and Architectural Digest photographer Shade Degges give readers a peek at the private libraries and bookshelves of passionate readers all over the world, including Larry McMurtry, Silvia Whitman of Shakespeare, and Co., Gay and Nan Talese, and Emma Straub, among others. Gorgeous photographs of rooms with rare collections, floor-to-ceiling shelves, and stacks upon stacks of books are so inspiring.
Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval. Whimsical and outrageous this book is fun for browsing, displaying, and dreaming. The author shows us unusual structures and interiors that are too fantastic to be true, yet they are. After reading his forward you may want to follow his Instagram account @accidentallywesanderson,