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HEARTLAND: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth
by Sarah Smarsh
Longlisted for the National Book Award! The subtitle says it all. Smarsh recounts her hardscrabble childhood growing up in Kansas. She paints a vivid picture of her life and the lives of her mother and grandmothers--all unique, memorable women facing daunting odds. This is an unwavering look at cyclical poverty and the politics of class. If you found
Hillbilly Elegy
captivating, as I did--this is for you!!
-Laura Skinner
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ALLMEN AND THE DRAGONFLIES
by Martin Suter
This wickedly fun mystery kept me reading through the night, I couldn't put it down! Johann Fredrich Von Allmen is a gentleman thief; he is used to a certain lifestyle, but after spending the family fortune, he has been forced to downscale and sell off most of the family heirlooms. With another large debt hanging over his head, he steals a priceless Art Nouveau bowl after an evening tryst with an unforgettable woman. This risky venture ends up being more than he bargained for and now he fears for his life.
-Maxwell Gregory |
IF YOU LEAVE ME
by Crystal Hana Kim
This beautifully written debut novel details decades in the life of a young woman, Haemi Lee, and her heartbreaking story of loss and the choices she must make as her country rebuilds after the civil war in Korea. I embraced this saga for its passion, forsaken love and depiction of refugee life.
-Diana Wettermann |
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LEADERSHIP IN TURBULENT TIMES
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Examining four presidents, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, Doris Kearns Goodwin answers three questions: 1) Where does ambition come from? 2) How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? 3) Does the man make the times or do the times make the man? The stories of authentic, transformational and visionary leadership in times of apprehension and fracture take on a singular urgency in today's polarized world. A well-written and organized book proving once again that Pulitzer Prize winner Doris Kearns Goodwin is an exceptional historian.
-Kathy Petray
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THE LOST VINTAGE
by Ann Mah
It's a dual time line story. Present day and occupied France during WWII. The main story is of Kate Elliot whose family was from the Burgundy region. She returns to her ancestral home, a vineyard that has been in the family for generations to study for her Master of Wine exam. While there, she discovers a secret cellar filled with vintage wines worth a fortune. She also discovers the story of an unknown aunt, Helene, whose journal tells the story of occupied France. Mystery, romance and an education into wine making. Makes me want to have lunch with the Charpins in the vineyard. For fans of Kristin Hannah and Kate Morton.
-Anne Allin
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THE GOLDEN STATE
by Lydia Kiesling
The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling is a remarkable debut novel set in the remote desert of Northern California. Against a backdrop of rural vs. urban politics, immigration issues and self-doubt, Daphne and her toddler, Honey, spend 10 days at the mobile home she inherited from her grandparents. While deftly exploring the political divide of today, this is primarily a novel of insight, humor and the boundless love of motherhood. This is one of the best examples of contemporary fiction that explains our divisions but more importantly the things that bind us together. I highly recommend this.
-Lisa Dietrich
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FOE
by Iain Reid
The story is about a couple whose quiet life is upended when they learn the husband has been randomly selected to live in space. I really liked this eerie and clever tale about domestic relationships and self-preservation. Reid also has a very succinct style of writing, but the story will stay with me a long time.
-Molly Forlow
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THE DINNER PARTY
By Rebecca Serle
A magical book that explores all the complications of love in a unique way. For her thirtieth birthday party, Sabrina can choose five people that have impacted her life, (either dead or alive), to join her for a dinner party. She picks her college professor, Audrey Hepburn, her father, her best friend and the love of her life. With honesty, compassion and emotion her five guests have the ability to explore and comment on the paths of Sabrina's life. A captivating, romantic and utterly delicious read.
-Maxwell Gregory
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THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ
by Heather Morris
A fictional retelling of the incredible true story of Lale, a young Jewish Slovakian, who tattooed prisoner numbers on his fellow inmates at Auschwitz. Lale survived three years of brutality - but because of his tattooing work and his big heart, he was able to make concentration camp life better for other survivors, including the girl he loves. Hearing Lale's heartbreaking love story told from inside Auschwitz makes this novel unique among WWII historical fiction. The fact that Lale really lived this life makes it a must read!
-Beth Mynhier
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SMALL FRY: A MEMOIR
by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
Lisa Brennan-Jobs does a great job taking us into her very unusual and quite complex upbringing. Her artistic mother and tech genius father certainly were not ideal parents. Lisa spent most of her childhood living in near-poverty with her mother who struggled to keep a job while her father made his millions and offered little to no financial support to his former girlfriend and mother of his child. Her father drops into and out of her life and seemed to care little for her. (Steve Jobs didn't confirm paternity until much later in her teen years, telling people he had 3 children instead of 4.) My surprise with this book is how normal Lisa seems considering her very unique and unpredictable life. During her high school years, Lisa went to live with her father and was made to promise she would have no contact with her mother for 6 months. One of the best sections of the book takes place during Lisa's therapy sessions where she asked her father and step-mother to show her more compassion and support--the step-mother and father reply that they are "cold people." Cruel people too.
-Ann Patterson
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RISING OUT OF HATRED: THE AWAKENING OF A FORMER WHITE NATIONALIST
by Eli Saslow
Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Saslow gives the reader an in-depth look at the personal transformation of Derek Black. Saslow chronicles Derek's upbringing with David Duke as his godfather and his rise as a young superstar within white supremacy groups. Derek, an extremely bright young man, finds himself at a small liberal arts college in Florida where he is "outed" by his peers. Due in large part to a group of compassionate, steadfast friends, Derek ultimately realizes that his personal philosophies were wrong and damaging and he is forced into a painful split from his family. An eye opening look at the "alt-right" and the power that reasoned dialogue can have in overcoming hateful ideologies. I was riveted by this young man's story!
-Laura Skinner
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THE BOY AT THE KEYHOLE
by Stephen Giles
The Boy at the Keyhole is Stephen Giles's debut adult novel recently released in September. Giles is the author of the Ivy Pocket series and other works for young folks. Narrated by 9-year-old Samuel, the story is set on a lonely estate in 1960's England. The protagonist is left under the care of a mean housekeeper as his mother is out of the country. While Samuel gets postcards from his mother, he starts to suspect the dour employee of foul play. This little thriller feels like Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and an episode of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone.
-Molly Forlow
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21 LESSONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
by Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari, author of Homo Deus and Sapiens, explores the impact of the current age of information technology and biotech and the impacts on society, education, religion, justice, and equality, among other topics. Highly thought-provoking, Harari raises critical questions for us to explore individually and as a society.
-Diana Wettermann
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THE WINTER SOLDIER
by Daniel Mason
A truly captivating and beautifully written love story set in a remote valley of the Carpathian Mountains during WWI. Lucius is a 22-year-old medical student anxious to treat real patients when he enlists, leaving his aristocratic family in Vienna for an desolate outpost in a frozen and war ravaged village. Sister Margarete is the nurse in charge and quickly teaches Lucius the realities of medicine in wartime. An unforgettable story of love, loss and the power to heal.
-Maxwell Gregory
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FASHION CLIMBING: A MEMOIR WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
by Bill Cunningham
After his 2016 passing, Bill Cunningham's family discovered a manuscript that The New York Times fashion photographer secretly wrote. His story begins in Boston where a very traditional family was quite concerned about Bill's interest in fashion, design and millinery and takes us to his experiences in New York City prior to beginning his photography career. He attained his dreams, and I certainly enjoyed going along for the ride. Photos of his escapades are scattered throughout the book.
-Ann Patterson
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YOUNG ADULT & MIDDLE SCHOOL SELECTIONS
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MIDDLE SCHOOL:
SAVING WINSLOW
by Sharon Creech
I loved the latest offering from Sharon Creech. Saving Winslow offers great life lessons; the power of positivity, empathy and love for all creatures - even the human variety. It would be a fantastic family read-aloud and although the story is simple there is much to think about and the characters that populate this small town are unforgettable!
-Di Grumhaus
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MIDDLE SCHOOL:
WINNIE'S GREAT WAR
by Lindsay Mattick & Josh Greenhut
This is a beautifully illustrated tale of the teddy bear who traveled from Canada during WWI to the London Zoo and became the inspiration for our beloved Winnie the Pooh. The story is told through Winnie's eyes and includes actual entries from Captain Coleburn's wartime diaries who cared for her during the war. If you have ever visited Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, this one is a must-read!
-Di Grumhaus
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Lake Forest Book Store
662 N. Western Avenue
Lake Forest IL 60045
847-234-4420
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