Check It Out Category: Books

Black Lives Matter: Teaching Yourself about Race

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Learning About Race image“We hope…that this moment becomes the impetus for our nation to address racism and social inequities in earnest.” ~ Lonnie Bunch, Smithsonian

As we witness news reports and public demonstrations, it is natural to feel outrage, helplessness, uncertainty, and grief. Many will want to better understand, and one of the best ways to increase empathy and to inspire change is to expose ourselves to the perspectives of those who can uniquely speak to their experiences.

Click here for a list of titles that speak to issues of race and injustice. You can access most through OverDrive, our digital book service, as ebook or e-audio, or place requests for physical copies in the catalog.

If you are interested in recommendations on a specialized focus of this topic or for resources that address a specific age, appeal, or entry point, email readers@mppl.org with your question.

Summer Reading Starts Monday, June 1!

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Ready for a taste of the familiar along with the excitement of new twists? Welcome to Summer Reading 2020 and the introduction of an online tracking tool: Beanstack. This summer you’ll be able to enter your books wherever you are, earning digital badges and chances for virtual drawings all with a few taps of your screen or clicks of your mouse. Also, since Summer Reading starts June 1 and continues through August 31, you have an added month to set your own pace or to explore even more reading activities.

Begin by visiting our official MPPL Summer Reading webpage to discover how to Get Started and to learn what opportunities are available for Adults, Teens, and Young Readers. Each age group is presented with a variety of options of what to read or activities to complete, and you choose what fits your mood best. Challenge yourself to find suggestions of what to read through featured lists, or ask for a personalized suggestion. However you choose to participate, be sure to join us for The Spectacular Reading Race starting June 1!

 

What Mount Prospect Is Reading

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What You've Been Reading image

Mount Prospect, you’ve been reading, and we’ve been talking! Every week we have been extending an open invitation for readers to gather and share the books keeping them company in these odd times. We’ve chatted romance, dark fantasy, nonfiction, mysteries, feel-good, horror, and elegant prose. Check out the titles brought by our attendees, and please consider joining us for this week’s conversation: Let’s Talk Books!

Boy the Mole the Fox and the Horse book coverThe Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse
Charlie Mackesy
Stay Sweet book coverStay Sweet
Siobhan Vivian
Age of Witches book coverThe Age of Witches
Louisa Morgan

 

Mockingbirds book coverThe Mockingbirds
Daisy Whitney
Dutch House book coverThe Dutch House
Ann Patchett
Longing for Less book coverThe Longing for Less
Kyle Chayka

 

Tenant book coverThe Tenant
Katrine Engberg
Headliners book coverHeadliners
Lucy Parker
Wow, No Thank You book coverWow, No Thank You
Samantha Irby

 

You Deserve Each Other book coverYou Deserve Each Other
Sarah Hogle
Beautiful Ones book coverThe Beautiful Ones
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Writers and Lovers book coverWriters & Lovers
Lily King

 

Tell the Machine Goodnight book coverTell the Machine Goodnight
Katie Williams
Monster of Elendhaven book coverThe Monster of Elendhaven
Jennifer Giesbrecht
Foul Is Fair book coverFoul Is Fair
Hannah Capin

 

Woman Is No Man book coverA Woman Is No Man
Etaf Rum
Honey-Don't List book coverThe Honey-Don’t List
Christina Lauren
Year of the Witching book coverThe Year of the Witching
Alexis Henderson

 

Mornings with Rosemary book coverMornings with Rosemary
(also published as The Lido)
Libby Page
Vanishing Half book coverThe Vanishing Half
Brit Bennett
All Adults Here book coverAll Adults Here
Emma Straub

 

What to Read from Home: More Staff E-book Picks

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More Staff E-book Picks image

Do you long for books that might quiet your mind, excite the eye, or take on real life? Available with little or no wait, this week’s staff ebook suggestions spotlight thoughtful, personal stories of different moods, and each can be checked out from the Library’s digital services. Now’s a great time to try something new!

 

View from Penthouse B book cover

The View from Penthouse B
Elinor Lipman

Elinor Lipman writes engaging and optimistic novels that are light but also thought-provoking. In The View from Penthouse B, a unique set of roommates navigate New York City as they work through unexpected personal transitions. ~Nancy

OverDrive: ebook and e-audio
Hoopla: ebook and e-audio

 

News of the World book cover

News of the World
Paulette Giles

There is poetry to this prose, and I wouldn’t have expected to say that about an odd-couple pairing set in the realities of the Old West. This story is rich in local color, laconic yet tough characters, and slice-of-life dialogue. Even only a few pages in, I couldn’t escape echoes of classic American authors such as Ambrose Bierce and Bret Harte. ~Cathleen

OverDrive: ebook
Hoopla: ebook

 

You Deserve a Drink book cover

You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery 
Mamrie Hart

Littered with 90s pop-culture references and puns, live vicariously through comedian Mamrie Hart’s over-the-top absurd adventures as she creates a fun time out of almost any situation. Includes a built in drinking game! ~Jenny

OverDrive: ebook

 

 

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters book coverMy Favorite Thing Is Monsters
Emil Ferris

Filled with B-horror movie and pulp monster iconography, the diary of ten-year-old Karen Reyes records her investigation into the murder of her upstairs neighbor Anka Silverberg, a Holocaust survivor (from NoveList) ~Chelsea

Hoopla: ebook

 

 

Another Brooklyn book cover

Another Brooklyn
Jacqueline Woodson

August returns home to Brooklyn for her father’s funeral and explores powerful memories of growing up in the 1970s; this gorgeously written book explores family dynamics, adolescent friendship, joy, and regret. ~Nancy

OverDrive: ebook and e-audio

 

 

Convenience Store Woman

Convenience Store Woman
Sayaka Murata

A lovely, quirky little book that elicits an empathetic and protective response in the reader while still offering biting commentary on society’s expectations for a fulfilling life. ~Cathleen

OverDrive: ebook and e-audio
Hoopla: ebook and e-audio

 

 

Best We Could Do book cover

The Best We Could Do
Thi Bui

An intimate look at one family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam to new lives in America. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family (from publisher’s description) ~Chelsea

OverDrive: ebook
Hoopla: ebook

 

 

Boundaries book cover

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life
Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Setting boundaries with others is a struggle for many, and people of faith have a tendency to believe saying yes no matter what is an act of service. This longtime bestseller challenges readers to acknowledge self-destructive patterns and identify healthier choices. ~Cathleen

OverDrive: e-audio (unabridged)
Hoopla: ebook and (abridged) e-audio

 

Still looking? Check out earlier installments of staff ebook and e-audio picks available from home or contact us for suggestions personalized to your mood and taste.

Mount Prospect, Let’s Talk Books!

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We readers love to share our book feelings, and YOU are invited to connect with others to hear about the successes, the disappointments, and the ones that are getting you through the week. Each Tuesday from 7-8 PM, we are hosting an Open Book Share through Zoom. Come hear what your neighbors and Library staff have been reading, collect new ideas for your TBR list, and add to our lists by telling us about your own favorite discoveries! All who come are welcome to share and/or listen as they like — no pressure, no obligation, just lovely book fellowship.

To attend, register through our public calendar. This week’s event can be found here. We will then send you the Zoom link and information.

If you prefer to connect to fellow readers on Goodreads, don’t miss our No Commitment Virtual Book Group, where we will also be posting all titles shared in the weekly conversations. Hope to see you soon!