CALENDAR As Another Year Comes to a Close, It’S Fun to Think Back Over That Past 12 Months and the Books We Loved

January/February 2018 Vol. XXX, No. 1 Nancy Dreher, Editor

THE FRONT LINE CALENDAR As another year comes to a close, it’s fun to think back over that past 12 months and the books we loved. We spent SATURDAY, JAN. 6 December talking amongst ourselves about what we’d each 9 am – 2 pm, select as our “favorite” book of the year. Inside, you’ll see Highland Park Public Library, 494 Laurel what we came up with. So many of us wanted to choose KID LIT FEST John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies that we’ve decided to make it the 2017 “store favorite.” Boyne’s heartfelt story Come meet prominent Chicago children’s is by turns touching and hilarious and, as it deals with more authors and illustrators and celebrate the serious subject matter, is a generous portrait of family and connection. library’s “iRead” program. Authors include Allan Woodrow, Ilene Cooper, Tom Watson, We have some great events on the calendar and we’ll be adding more, so Matthew Cordell, Rachel Ruiz, Josh please check our website for updates. We’re very excited to partner with the American Cancer Society for their annual beneft on Wednesday, January 24 Schneider, Jenny Meyerhof, and Suzanne at 6 pm at the Glenview Country Club. The charming Kelly Corrigan (The Slade. Also on hand: family entertainer Chris Middle Place and Glitter and Glue) will discuss her newest book, Tell Me More. Fascione, who’ll bring children’s stories to Visit our website to purchase tickets for what promises to be a delightful eve- life with his high-spirited and innovative ning for a wonderful cause. Melanie Benjamin, who captivated readers with performances. See hplibrary.org or call 847 her fctionalized account of Truman Capote’s friendship with the doyennes 681-7030 for more information. of New York society in Swans of New York, is back again, and this time she explores the Golden Age of Hollywood and one of the frst movie stars, Mary MONDAY, JAN. 15 Pickford in The Girls in the Picture. She’ll be at the store on Saturday, Febru- ary 3 at 2 pm to talk about her book. The Family Action Network (FAN) and Book Stall Inventory Day the Union League Club will both host 12-year-old dynamo and advocate for The Book Stall is closed for the day. literacy Marley Diaz for her book, Marley Diaz Gets It Done: And So Can You. She’ll be at the ULC for a luncheon Thursday, February 1 and with FAN SUNDAY, JAN. 21 that evening at a venue TBD. 2 pm at the store 2018 promises to be a great year for books. I couldn’t put down Dawn TOM WEINBERG Davies’ Mothers of Sparta (out Jan. 30). This beautifully written and com- Chasing the Lost City: pelling memoir is a series of essays on motherhood and marriage that stayed Chronicles of Discovery in Honduras with me long after I turned the last page. I have long admired the novels Local author and video/TV documentary pro- of Maggie O’Farrell, and the Irish author has now written a memoir called ducer Weinberg discusses his team’s expedition I Am I Am I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death (out Feb. 6), which I highly to Honduras that led to a scientifc, historical, recommend. As for novels, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (out Jan. 9) is a riveting story of four teenage siblings who visit a fortune-teller who can and archaeological breakthrough—the uncov- supposedly tell them the day they each will die. The novel follows each of ering of incontrovertible evidence of a previ- them as they live out their fate. On a lighter note, Jillian Medof’s This Could ously unknown civilization. For more info, see Hurt (out Jan. 9) tells the store of a beleaguered Human Resources executive chasingthelostcity.com. trying to hang on to her career and her sanity in this novel of contemporary corporate life. Roger just fnished Wesley Chu’s fast-paced science fction WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24 adventure, Time Salvager. Katie (20) was thrilled to read Katherine Arden’s second installment of the Winternight trilogy, The Girl in the Tower. Arden 6 pm, American Cancer Society Beneft, continues her magical adventure tale now set in Moscow. As Nicky (19) con- Glenview Country Club, 100 Golf Rd., templates a career in technology, he enjoyed Leslie Berlin’s Troublemakers: KELLY CORRIGAN Silicon Valley’s Coming of Age, which reports on seven pioneering innova- Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest tors and their companies. He’s just starting Jef VanderMeer’s Annihilation Things I’m Learning to Say as he’s excited about the movie coming in 2018. Lexy loved Margaret Roger- Bestselling author Kelly Corrigan’s new book son’s An Enchantment of Ravens about a talented young portrait artist with fantastical patrons. (out Jan. 9) is a collection of essays on 12 powerful phrases we use to sustain our relation- January is a month for resolutions, so inside you’ll also fnd a list we’ve ships—a moving and meaningful take on the compiled of “New Year, New You” books to help you along. I’ve been loving power of the right words at the right moment Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin, which introduces new methods to help to change everything. For more information change bad habits. I drink more Diet Coke than the President, so we’ll see if I can take that number down in the new year. about this fundraiser for the ACS’s North Shore Women’s Board, email Janice.g.events@gmail. Looking forward to seeing you in the store in 2018! com or see our website. continued on page 6 Book Stall Stafers∏ Pick Their Favorites of 2017

STEPHANIE HOCHSCHILD or ascend. The haunting story the ghosts tell Spell-binding, lyrical, wrenching, Sing, speaks of the immense grief that Willie’s father Unburied, Sing was a timely choice for the is feeling at the same moment he and the coun- 2017 National Book Award. Jesmyn Ward, try are living through the ghastly and grievous author of Salvage the Bones, mixes the realistic Civil War. This novel is compassionate, spiritu- and the supernatural in this story about family al, and at times disquieting, but at its core truly and racism in Mississippi. Three generations profound. All souls, one fnds, desire the same, struggle to survive Southern rural poverty and it is in this truth that we are ofered unity and prejudice in this stylized American road novel and and hope. ghost story. A black mother packs up her children to meet her white husband as he is released from prison. Ward’s NANCY DREHER depiction of prejudice in the 21st century captivates in her Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. Here is a novel lyrical language as this fractured family travels through the that transforms gut-wrenching headlines and dusty back roads of the South. political harangues into one very human tale. Nadia and Sareed meet in an unidentifed civil AIMEE ANDERSON war-torn country, and as violence escalates and The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry. Because I after much soul-searching, they leave through work at a book store, my reading options are an unexplained, almost mystical, “door.” Their endless, often overwhelming. Frequently I pick exile leads them to the Greek island of Mykonos, up a novel, read a few chapters, and think “I’ve on to London, and then to “the new city of Marin, on the read this before. Sometimes that actually is the Pacifc Ocean, close to San Francisco.” The personalities and case, but more often than not, it’s the theme or strengths that brought them together and sustained them ul- premise of the book that is so familiar I feel as timately lead to separation and further destinations, the very though I have already read it. That was not the case with The last one providing a profound—and profoundly simple— Essex Serpent. Part historical, part fantastical, this book is an conclusion to an ultimately beautiful story. original. Set in 1893, a pragmatic young widow fnds herself in Essex, a town ripe with anxiety over a rumor that a mys- KARA GAGLIARDI tical sea creature has returned to its shores after 300 years. My favorite novel of the year is Eleanor Olipha- Cora is immediately drawn to the mysterious event and sets nt is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Why? out to investigate. And what authentic turn of the century It’s rare that a novel comes around with so much English novel doesn’t have a vicar? This one does, and he heart and empathy and kindness. As a 30-year- and Cora embark on a passionate relationship that will alter old ofce worker, Eleanor is all but invisible. both of their lives forever. As a balance to this intense rela- Her job is in accounts receivable. Co-workers tionship, we follow the musings of Francis, Cora’s delightful talk around her. She is content in her routine yet obsessive 11-year-old son and his nanny, one of Cora’s and solitary life. Then along comes Raymond, oldest friends. This book is a true gem, with a beautiful cover the new tech guru with a heart of gold. For some reason he to boot. If you didn’t get to it this year, a must read for 2018! misses the obvious cues and forms a friendship with Elea- nor that becomes a lifeline. Together they assist Sammy, an LAURA BERENGER elderly gentleman who literally falls across their path. This If you want to feel quietly restored, open up story is about connecting with others on a human level and Mary Oliver’s Devotions. Let the turn of the overcoming a painful past. It will most likely appeal to fans year be not only a time for refection but also of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove. a time of intimate, meaningful observation of the natural world with Mary Oliver’s assis- JON GRAND tance. Her poems are accessible and conversa- My pick for this year is The Death and Life of tional and may be the best antidote I know to the Great Lakes by Dan Egan. We are lucky. the sense that there is just no time for slowing Sitting along the shores of Lake Michigan, we down. Not feeling that you have enough time for a thick are blessed with an abundant supply of clean tome? Turn to a poem. Oliver mixes the simple, the sacred, water that we take it for granted. The emerging and the beautiful. Looking to uplift your soul? Consider world water crisis seems far from us, but it is that “…it is heaven itself to take what is given, to see what is not. The Great Lakes are under threat on numer- plain; what the sun lights up willingly.…” ous fronts, not the least of which is the growing demand for water regionally and nationally. The lakes, KATHLEEN CRAWFORD despite their size, are fragile and vulnerable. For those of us Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Winner of the whose lives center around the lakes, Egan sounds a warning 2017 Man Booker Prize! This frst novel of short story that we ignore at our peril. writer Saunders takes place over the course of an evening at the time of the death of Abraham Lincoln’s son Willie MELANIE HAUCK in 1862. The story is set in the “bardo”(a Tibetan term), an Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the intermediate space between life and rebirth. The narrators Birth of the FBI by David Grann is a true crime story of are “ghosts” or souls that are “disfgured by desires they mostly unsolved murders of the Osage tribe in the 1920s failed to act upon when alive.” They are unaware that they after oil was found on their land. In the 1870s, the Osage have died and therefore unaware or unwilling to move on were driven to a barren reservation in Oklahoma. They owned the reservation’s mineral rights, called troubling illnesses, including fast-growing cancerous tu- headrights, and in the 1920s oil was discov- mors, anemia, and necrosis of the jaw. Though their maladies ered, making the Osage the richest people in the were largely dismissed by the company’s executives and the world. The headrights could only be inherit- somewhat puzzled medical community, the terminally ill ed, ensuring they would remain in the tribe. women hung on long enough to wage and win a landmark The U.S. government, however, thought the case against workplace negligence that revolutionized safety Osage were incapable of handling their own precautions. Their legacy included a safe work environment money and imposed “guardians” to manage for the thousands of Manhattan Project employees, infu- the Osage’s wealth, a situation that gave the guardians the enced the signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty, and led to opportunity for “an orgy of graft and exploitation.” the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Ad- ministration (OSHA). This is a deeply moving and inspiring Soon the Osage began to be murdered, as well as the people book. who initially investigated their mysterious deaths, in what became known as the Reign of Terror. Under Director J. Ed- ROBERT McDONALD gar Hoover, the newly formed FBI appointed a former Texas The World of Tomorrow by Brendan Matthews Ranger to direct an undercover team comprised of characters is an approachable literary novel so intricate and straight out of the Wild West. Using new forensic tools like accomplished that it’s hard to believe it’s the au- fngerprinting, the FBI eventually solved some of the mur- thor’s frst. Set in a vivid Manhattan just before ders, making them the FBI’s frst successful major homicide World War II, it follows three Irish immigrant investigations. The ofcial death count for the Reign of brothers—a jazz musician, a young seminarian Terror is 24, but scholars believe the real death toll is in the questioning his calling, and a rogue—as they hundreds, and most of the murders remain unsolved. In- go through one tumultuous week. The tightly stead, Grann says, the victims’ “descendants carry out their interwoven plotting, the wonderful depiction of characters own private investigations, which have no end. They live both major and minor, and the beautiful singing prose make with doubts, suspecting dead relatives or old family friends this book a delight from beginning to end. You’ll want to or guardians.” This American story both riveted and horri- time travel back to the Savoy in its big band hey-day and fed me. join the dance.

ELIZABETH HUBBARD SHARMAN McGURN The Hate U Give, the debut novel by Angie Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, Fans Thomas, was my favorite book of 2017. Though of Ms. Strout’s novels, including My Name is it is a young adult novel, its relevance and Lucy Barton and the Pulitzer Prize-winning honesty make it appealing to adults of any age. Olive Kitteridge, will not be disappointed by this The book’s main character Starr is a bright and lovely collection of nine short stories loosely tied appealing black high school girl who lives in a together by an assorted group of wonderful (al- poor neighborhood but attends a private school beit fawed) characters, including Lucy Barton. in a more afuent community. Familiar YA From Tommy Guptill, who rises above the tragic themes such as coming of age and relationships with peers loss of his home and livelihood, to Linda Peterson-Cornell, and family abound, however the most prevalent theme in compromising what she knows to be right and just in order the book is ripped straight from the headlines. One night to save her marriage, to Abel Blaine’s success as a business- Starr is with a black boy, a childhood friend, when he is man and seemingly “perfect” life despite a childhood of shot by a white police ofcer. As with many high-profle extreme poverty—all of Strout’s characters are flled with stories we see on the nightly news, the ofcer claims that the a humanness made tangible through her sparse yet lyrical shooting was justifed. Starr knows better and has to decide style. Strout is a master at recording the nuances of every- how to handle the situation. I highly recommend this book day events. Her poignant stories explore overcoming the for anyone who wants to know more about the Black Lives conditions of loss, poverty, familial dysfunction, the scars left Matter movement or is interested in the struggles faced by by childhood, and acceptance. A major theme of Anything Is teenagers caught between two worlds. Read this and then Possible is free will—how the choices we make afect us and pass it along to a teenager in your life. those around us. As bed-and-breakfast proprietress Dottie remarks toward the end of the book, “People have to decide, ANN KEIL really, how they are going to live.” The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore. Beginning in KATHY RILEY 1917 and through the early 1920s, one of the Leonardo da Vinci. What a story Walter Isaac- most coveted jobs for women in America was son writes in this intriguing biography of Leon- that of a luminous dial painter. Factories in ardo da Vinci. He is able to help the reader feel Newark and Orange, New Jersey and Ottawa, the astonishing mind of a genius. Every facet Illinois ofered generous pay, social activities, of science, nature, art, anatomy, military armor, and the appeal of helping in America’s war efort. Assured and the world around him was of interest that in its pure form, radium was not only safe, but health- to da Vinci. From wanting to know how the ful, workers were encouraged to use the “lip-pointing” tech- tongue of a woodpecker works to painting nique of drawing a moistened, radium powdered paintbrush the Mona Lisa, it is curiosity and invention that motivates through their teeth before painting the miniscule dials of him to continually be searching. Isaacson uses Leonardo’s watches. The women, covered in radioactive dust, would go own notes to capture “the ability to apply imagination to home literally glowing in the dark and became known as the intellect” while also including the human side of a man who “ghost girls.” The workers began developing mysterious and was comfortable as himself. There are more than 100 colored Book Stall Stafers Pick∏ Their Favorites of 2017 continued illustrations of da Vinci’s creations. It was inspiring to read and Louise Penny—delicious—with luminations on love, how Leonardo’s universal mind sought to understand all of loss, death, and loneliness vs. isolation. It’s very atmospher- creation and how we ft in. This book captured me. ic, with most of the action taking place in the of-season on a Swedish archipelago after a series of mysterious fres. How NATALIE ROBBINS well do you know your neighbors, and how well do you Last Hope Island by Lynne Olson tells a World come together or apart after suspicions among you arise? War II story we aren’t used to hearing. In the early days of the war, the Allies met the Ger- My other best of 2017 is Magpie Murders by man advance with sheer incompetence and a Anthony Horowitz, which ofers up two who- lack of preparedness. Forced to the safe haven dunnits in one. A mystery writer gives his pub- of Great Britain, leaders of smaller countries lisher the ninth and fnal installment in a series. formed meager governments-in-exile. From Two days later, the writer is found dead of an there, bands of underground resistance formed apparent suicide, and the publisher realizes to thwart the German advance in any way possible. In a the manuscript he was given is missing the last London riddled with chaos, the initial eforts were disorga- chapter. He gives the manuscript to the writer’s nized, often carried out by unprepared agents, and resulted editor, and she begins to try and solve the two murders in in disastrous blunders. Resistance from within occupied the book as well as dig into the demise of its author. There Europe was severely hampered by lack of supplies, famine, are lots of suspects in this very smart British page-turner. See and strict German control. Despite the Allied resistance’s if you can fgure out what is going on before the last chapter. shortcomings, World War II couldn’t have been won without It’s tricky. these men and women. They carried messages, delivered supplies, sabotaged the Germans, and even carried out MIKE WYSOCK high-level assassinations. If caught, resistance members An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic. I almost always chose death over giving the Germans intel- don’t often read memoirs, so I surprised myself ligence. Leaders on Last Hope Island also sacrifced for the with how much I enjoyed Daniel Mendelsohn’s cause: public support, lavish lifestyles, and personal interests latest auto-biographical/literary meditation. In were among the losses. Olson has crafted an approachable fact, I’m declaring it my favorite read of 2017. historical text that both informs as well as engages on a This is a rare book—one that weaves together shockingly emotional level. a thoughtful literary analysis of one of West- ern literature’s most honored poems with a CHARLOTTE ROBERTSON deeply intimate portrait of an American family. Mendelsohn American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and presents these two strands in yet a third mode—that of the Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee. classroom drama. At 81, Daniel’s father Jay enrolls into his Wolves occupy a unique spot in human imag- own son’s class, a seminar on Homer’s great epic, The Od- ination. A wolf is an apex predator, a fercely yssey. Daniel becomes teacher to his own father as we bear social and devoted pack and family member, witness to a master class on this timeless tale. In following a rancher’s nightmare, an environmentalist’s the challenging and probing questions of his young students dream. Wolves were completely eliminated and witnessing the sidelong glances and outbursts from his from the Yellowstone ecosystem in the early aging father, we get the sense that this master teacher and 20th century. Subsequently the elk population ballooned, storyteller is unsettled in what would be an otherwise safe plants were overgrazed, and small prey disappeared due to zone. Mendelsohn retraces his own understanding of the an increased coyote population. After many years of political epic alongside new revelations. He rifs on classical themes wrangling, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in the of identity, duplicity, fate, true love, and home. He reminds winter of 1995, and in 2006 an exceptional female wolf was his students and his readers of the careful “ring structure” born. She was beautiful, large for a female, an extremely of The Odyssey. And indeed, Mendelsohn puts this very competent hunter, and a devoted mother of cubs. She was structure to use in his own writing. In laying bare his re- known as “06” for the year of her birth and led her pack in lationship with his father alongside the action of Homer’s the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone. Nate Blakeslee chroni- epic, Mendelsohn prompts us to reconsider not only what cles her life, as observed by dedicated wolf watchers in the we know about The Odyssey but also what we think we know park, and her death in 2012 at the hands of a hunter when about ourselves and those closest to us. she briefy left the protected park boundary and ventured into an area of Montana where wolf hunting is permitted. JACOB ZAWA 06’s story is of two obsessions—that of a park biologist who Whereas is a book of poems written by the tracked the wolves with incredible dedication, and that of 06 incredibly talented Layli Long Soldier, a U.S. herself, the steadfast pack leader, mother, and provider. A citizen and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. fascinating and compelling book. A fnalist for this year’s National Book Award, Whereas is a beautifully crafted and deeply LIZ ROGATZ moving investigation of such themes as identi- I am late to the game in discovering Henning ty and survival. Soldier’s manipulation of the Mankell, but I’m so glad I fnally did! He died English language is consistently engaging and, at times, in 2015, but the translation from Swedish of nothing less than profound. After the Fire just came to the U.S. in 2017. For me the writing is a mash-up of Jane Gardam Children’s Staf Share∏ Their Favorite Books of 2017

KARI PATCH other’s trials and become friends. Both are masterful works My picture book favorite: Her Right Foot by of historical fction—equal parts adventure and moving tales Dave Eggers, with illustrations by Shawn of family, identity, courage, resilience, and triumph against Harris, is a wonderful quirky history of the all odds. Statue of Liberty. Part architectural history, part immigration study, this is a lovely and loving look at an AMY TROGDON American icon. My picture book of the year: The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain and And YA pick: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour. Philip Stead, illustrations by Erin Stead. One Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old evening in Paris in 1879, Mark Twain sits with life since the day she left everything behind. No his two daughters in a hotel room. The girls one knows the truth about those fnal weeks, beg their father for a bedtime story. He begins not even her best friend Mabel. Now, months telling them the story of Johnny, a poor boy later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, who had some magical seeds, but the story is never com- Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin pleted. Now, the remarkable Philip Stead has fnished the will be forced to face everything that’s been left story, which is complimented by wife Erin Stead’s poignant unsaid and fnally confront the loneliness that has made a artwork. Wrote the Bufalo News: “Philip Stead brilliantly home in her heart. This lovely, haunting, emotional volume captures Twain’s style, his homespun humor, his wordplay, is the book I keep coming back to this year. I can’t get Marin his biting wit, his sympathy for the powerless, and his dis- and her story out of my head. dain for the mighty.”

BETSY BALYEAT Middle grade fction: Wishtree by Katherine My best picture book choice is Red & Lulu by Applegate. Red, an enormous red oak, is the Matt Taveres. Red and Lulu are a pair of wishtree for the neighborhood. Once a year res- cardinals who reside happily in a beautiful idents deposit their wishes on Red. Red cares evergreen tree. It ofers them shade in the deeply for his people, especially a little Muslim heat of summer and keeps them cozy in the girl and her family, who have received a hostile cold of winter. But one day the unthinkable reception in the neighborhood. This timely tale happens. Red and Lulu are separated when their tree is se- of acceptance, diversity, and community is a heartwarming lected to become the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in story of friendship and hope. New York, and we watch as Red follows the tree to the city, hoping to fnd Lulu there. While we enjoy the adventure, LAUREL SYMONDS we learn that separation and miles can’t keep us from loved My picture book choice: Grumpy Pants by ones, and how important it is to be surrounded by them. At Claire Messer. Penguin is having a grumpy the end, the author gives the history of the Rockefeller Cen- day. No matter what he does, he just can’t ter Christmas tree and explains that after the tree is taken shake it! He tries taking a bath and reading down, it is donated to Habitat for Humanity, and the lumber and drinking hot cocoa. But sometimes the is used to build homes for families in need. only thing to do is to start over. The simple text and primary-color artwork, done in a traditional My pick for best middle fction is a combination printmaking style, fully capture a toddler’s emotions and of two novels. The frst is the Newbury Hon- attention. Yet the sentiment is just as applicable to adults, or-winning The War That Saved My Life and because we all have grumpy days and just don’t know why! its sequel, The War I Finally Won, by Kimber- This debut launched the career of British artist Claire Messer, ly Brubaker Bradley. The story begins when whose next title, Lazybones, publishes in the spring. 10-year-old Ada, who has a club foot and has never been out of her one-room apartment, Young adult pick: Caraval by Stephanie Gar- sneaks out and joins her little brother when ber is the story of Scarlett and her beloved sister, he is being shipped out of London with other children to Tella. Scarlett has never left the tiny island avoid being hurt in the bombing of World War II. Soon they where they live with their powerful but cruel are in the countryside and placed with a woman who does father and dreams of seeing Caraval, a legend- not want them but agrees to take them in. We watch Ada ary once-a-year performance in a distant land. discover the courage she has in her and learn the strength But then an invitation arrives, and she fnds that of family and the power of love. In the sequel, The War I Caraval involves a thrilling game where the au- Finally Won, Ada is just recovering from sur- dience participates in the show and nothing is as it appears. gery on her foot and realizes that now she will Soon, Scarlett is wrapped up in a dangerous game of love be able to walk and run like other children. Life and heartbreak as she attempts to save her sister from the changes in other ways, too, as Ada’s little family game’s mastermind organizer, Legend. This rich world is as takes in a German girl around the same age lush and magical as it is dangerous and deceptive and keeps who has experienced difcult situations, and we readers spellbound to the very last page. watch the girls as they begin to understand each CALENDAR continued from page 1 SUNDAY, JAN. 28 . TUESDAY, FEB. 6 2 pm, Special book group at the store 7 pm, a FAN event HELENE T. STELIAN Gafney Auditorium, New Trier High School, “Navigating the Midlife Transition” 185 Winnetka Ave. Certifed life coach Helene Stelian explores the many books ANYA KAMENETZ available at The Book Stall to help people in midlife, a time The Art of Screen Time: when many are facing demands from work, children, and How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life aging parents, not to mention their own struggles with rela- Ms. Kamenetz, lead digital education correspondent for NPR tionships, health, and identity. This 90-minute presentation and mother of two young children, speaks on the subject of will delve into the challenges and opportunities of midlife her new book (out Jan. 30) that helps parents to manage the and the critical steps that need to taken in order not only to ubiquity of technology in their children’s lives and create survive, but to thrive, in middle age and beyond. For more room for a happy, healthy family life. information, see nextactforwomen.com and helenestelian. com. Cost to attend is $5, fully redeemable for merchandise 7 pm, Highland Park Public Library, 494 Laurel Ave. in the store. Please call us at 847 446-8880 or email MOKHTAR ALKHANSHALI [email protected] to reserve a space. The Monk of Mokha Mr. Alkhanshali is not the author, but the sub- WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 ject of bestselling author David Eggers’ new 6:30 pm at the store book, The Monk Of Mokha (out Jan. 30). He’ll TIM RAPPLEYE tell his own story—how as the 24-year-old Jack Parker’s Wiseguys: The National Champion son of Yemeni immigrants living in San Fran- BU Terriers, The Blizzard of ’78, and the Miracle on Ice cisco, his interest in cofee was awakened. Mr. Rappleye’s book is the story of the high-fying He set out for Yemen to learn more about the 1978 national championship Boston University country’s history of cofee cultivation and help bring it back hockey squad led by three future stars of the to its former glory. As he was the verge of success, civil war “Miracle on Ice,” the game the 1980 U.S. Olympic engulfed Yemen in 2015—and he was trapped in the country. hockey team won against the heavily favored THURSDAY, FEB. 8 Soviet Union. 11:30 am, Luncheon, The Union League Club THURSDAY, FEB. 1 SAM ZELL Two events Am I Being Too Subtle? • 11:30 am, Luncheon, The Union League Club Entrepreneur and investor Zell speaks about • 7 pm, a Family Action Network (FAN) event at TBD his book, described as a ride across his busi- MARLEY DIAS ness terrain, sharing stories of the times he got Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! it right, when he didn’t, and most important, Young African American feminist-activist Mar- what he learned in the process. ley Dias speaks about her new book (out Jan. SUNDAY, FEB. 11 30), a guide that explores activism, social jus- tice, volunteerism, equity and inclusion, and 2 pm at the store using social media for good. She is the founder CAROLYN CRIMI, RACHEL RUIZ, of the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. and TAMMI SAUER “Creating Picure Books: SATURDAY, FEB. 3 From First Thought to Publication” 2 pm at the store Here’s a unique opportunity for adult writers and illustra- MELANIE BENJAMIN tors who are considering or at work on picture book projects. The Girls in the Picture Led by “old hands” Tammi Sauer and Carolyn Crimi and Come meet the bestselling author frst-time picture book author Rachel Ruiz, this program will of The Swans of Fifth Avenue feature each author talking about her latest project and how and The Aviator’s Wife as she it came to fruition. There will be an opportunity for audience discusses her highly anticipated Q & A, followed by a book signing. This event is co-spon- new novel (out Jan. 16). It’s the sored by the Chicago chapter of the Society of Children’s story of the friendship and cre- Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). ative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female legends—screenwriter Frances Marion and superstar Mary Pickford MONDAY, FEB. 12 7 pm, Stevenson High School, 1 Stevenson Drive, A New Year, A New You Lincolnshire Books for a New Beginning in 2018 DANA SUSKIND Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain The Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights Dr. Suskind, a professor of surgery and pediatrics at the from Super Soul Conversations University of Chicago, speaks on the science of brain devel- by Oprah Winfrey ($27.99) opment in the young child, the importance of language, and Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can how to tune in, talk more, and take turns. This Vernon Area Change Your Life…and Maybe the World Public Library program is free and open to the public but by William H. McRaven ($18) requires registration at eventbrite.com, by telephone at Supernormal: The Untold Story of 224 543-1485, or in person at the Youth Desk in the library. Adversity and Resilience by Meg Jay ($28) Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous MONDAY, FEB. 19 Leadership in Turbulent Times 6 pm, Temple Beth Israel, 3601 Dempster, Skokie by Nancy Koehn ($35) PETER HAYES Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, Why? Explaining the Holocaust and Finding Joy Former Northwestern University history professor Peter by Cheryl Sandburg and Adam Grant ($25.95) Hayes speaks about his book (new in paperback in January) The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences an authoritative and groundbreaking exploration of the Have Extraordinary Impact origins of one of the most tragic events in human history. Dr. by Chip and Dan Heath ($29) Hayes is currently serving as the chair of the Academic Com- A Book that Takes Its Time: An Unhurried Adventure mittee of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. in Creative Mindfulness See tbiskokie.org for more information. by Irene Smit and Astrid Van Der Hulst ($27.50) The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality THURSDAY, FEB. 22 Profles That Reveal How to Make Your Life 7 pm, Vernon Area Public Library, 300 Olde Half Day Rd., Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) Lincolnshire by Gretchin Rubin ($24) CELIA C. PEREZ Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for The First Rule of Punk Business Success by Esther K. Choy ($24.95) Chicago author and longtime zine-maker Perez talks about She Read to Us in the Late Afternoons: her frst book for young readers, a wry and heartfelt explo- A Life in Novels by Kathleen Hill ($24) ration of friendship, fnding your place, and learning to rock The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates out like no one’s watching. Registration (required) opens Jan. the World’s Greatest Teams by Sam Walker ($28) 23. See the library website, vapld.info for more information. Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage MONDAY, FEB. 26 to Stand Alone by Brene Brown ($28) 6:30 pm, Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St. Mindfulness on the Go: Simple Meditation Practices VICTORIA LAURIE You Can Do Anywhere When by Jan Chozen Bays ($12.95 in paperback) Meet Victoria Laurie, a psychic and the author of many Lagom—Not Too Little, Not Too Much: The Swedish books for children, teens, and adults, including the Skokie Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life Library’s 2017 Hot Summer Reads young adult title When. by Niki Brantmark ($19.99) Registration (required) begins Jan. 2 at skokielibrary.info. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker ($27) TUESDAY, FEB. 27 The Happiness Planner: A Journal ($28) 11:30 am, Luncheon, The Union League Club Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 JOANNE LIPMAN Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say That’s What She Said: by Kelly Corrigan (out Jan. 9; $26) What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) Atkins Eat Right, Not Less: Your Guidebook for About Working Together Living a Low-Carb and Low-Sugar Lifestyle Ms. Lipman, the Editor in Chief of the USA Today network, by Colette Heimowitz ($30) speaks on the subject of her new book (out Jan. 30) that The How Not to Die Cookbook : 100+ Recipes shows why empowering women as true equals is an essen- to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease tial goal for both women and men—and ofers a roadmap for by Michael Greger and Gene Stone ($29.99) getting there. Fat for Fuel: A Revolutionary Diet to Combat Cancer, Boost Brain Power, and Increase Your Energy 6:30 pm at the store by Dr. Joseph Mercola ($27.99) KELLY BARNHILL The Whole30 Fast and Easy Cookbook: 150 Simply Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories Delicious Everyday Recipes for Your Whole30 Ms Barnhill's collection of short stories is her frst book by Melissa Hartwig ($30) for adults. PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MULTICOPY CORP 811 Elm Street Winnetka, Illinois 60093 Monday - Thursday 9:30 am to 7 pm Friday 9:30 am to 6 pm Saturday 9:30 am to 5 pm Sunday 11 am to 5 pm Telephone: (847) 446-8880 1-800-678-2242 Fax: (847) 446-2894 www.thebookstall.com email: [email protected]

Book Discussion Groups at The Book Stall The $5 participation charge is fully redeemable for merchandise in the store

Wednesday, January 17 at 9:30 am Wednesday, January 31 at 9:30 am Wednesday, February 7 Wednesday, February 14 at 9:30 am Sing, Unburied, Sing Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine An evening book discussion The Heart’s Invisible Furies by Jesmyn Ward by Gail Honeyman at 6:30 pm by John Boyne Led by Elise Barack Led by Nancy Buehler Jon Grand will use Walter Isaacson’s Led by Alice Moody Leonardo da Vinci as a jumping of Thursday, January 25 for a discussion of the great artist’s Wednesday, March 7 at 9:30 am An evening book discussion Wednesday, February 7 at 9:30 am life and works. Participants do not The Women in the Castle at 6:30 pm Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan need to have read the book yet to by Jessica Shattuck Little Fires Everywhere Led by Roberta Rubin participate. Led by Judy Levin by Celeste Ng Led by Alice Moody

JANUARY FEBRUARY MON. 12 7 pm, Stevenson High School, SAT. 6 9 am – 2 pm, Highland THURS. 1 Two Events Lincolnshire Park Public Library 11:30 am, Luncheon, DANA SUSKIND KID LIT FEST Union League Club Thirty Million Words

MON. 15 Book Stall Inventory Day 7 pm, a FAN event at TBD MON. 19 6 pm, Temple Beth Israel, The store is closed. MARLEY DIAS Skokie Marley Dias Gets It Done PETER HAYES SUN. 21 2 pm at the store Why? TOM WEINBERG SAT. 3 2 pm at the store Chasing the Lost City MELANIE BEJAMIN THURS. 22 7 pm, Vernon Area The Girls in the Picture Public Library, Lincolnshire WED. 24 6 pm, Glenview Country Club CELIA C. PEREZ American Cancer Society TUES. 6 7 pm, a FAN event The First Rule of Punk Beneft Gafney Auditorium, KELLY CORRIGAN NTHS Winnetka MON. 26 6:30 pm, Skokie Tell Me More ANYA KAMENETZ Public Library The Art of Screen Time VICTORIA LAURIE SUN. 28 2 pm, Special Book Group When at the store 7 pm, Highland Park HELENE T. STELIAN Public Library TUES. 27 11:30 am, Luncheon, “Navigating the Midlife MOKHTAR ALKHANSHALI Union League Club Transition” The Monk of Mokha JOANNE LIPMAN That’s What She Said WED. 31 6:30 pm at the store THURS. 8 11:30 am, Luncheon, TIM RAPPLEYE Union League Club 6:30 pm at the store Jack Parker’s Wiseguys SAM ZELL KELLY BARNHILL Am I Being Too Subtle? Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories SUN. 11 2 pm at the store CAROLYN CRIMI, RACHEL RUIZ, & Check our website TAMMI SAUER www.thebookstall.com “Creating Picture Books” for the latest event updates.