2.   The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
3.   The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
4.   The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
5.   Freedom  by Jonathan Franzen
6.   The Rembrandt Affair  by Daniel Silva

8.   Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

9.   The Confession by John Grisham

10.  Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That by Ina Garten

Travel through Chicagoland's neighborhoods both past and present with an eye on the people and passion behind Chicago style hot dog stands. Join Bob Schwartz, a senior executive at Vienna Beef and author of the 'cult like' book, Never Put Ketchup on a Hot Dog! as he talks about the folks who produce, sell and eat those famed Chicago hot dogs. Ask about your favorites and hear some fun stories about these Chicago icons and why their longevity far surpasses the typical restaurant lifespan.

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a prolific English "Queen of Crime" author of world renown. She created such famous detectives as Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. In 1971, Christie received England's highest honor, the Order of the British Empire, Dame Commander.Betsey Means from WomanLore returns to our library to portray Agatha Christie in a one-woman performance adapted from journals and personal writings. Ms. Means offers a complete theatrical experience, authentically costumed and designed, accurately evoking the era being portrayed.

All movies start at 6:00pm to allow time for discussion afterwards. Refreshments are served. 

 

Monday, March 7

Inception

(PG-13, 148 min., 2010)

 

Dom Cobb is the best there is at extraction; stealing valuable secrets inside the subconscious during the mind's vulnerable dream state. His skill has made him a coveted player in industrial espionage, but also has made him a fugitive and cost him dearly. Now he may get a second chance if he can do the impossible; inception, planting an idea rather than stealing one. If they succeed, Cobb and his team could pull off the perfect crime. (Amazon)

 

Monday, March 14

Catfish

(PG-13, 86 min., 2010)

 

In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel's brother, Yaniv (Nev). They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, Catfish is a riveting story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue. (Amazon)

 

Monday, March 28

Burlesque

(PG, 100 min., 2010)

 

Burlesque is a nightclub on the Sunset Strip that looks like a blend of Cabaret and Moulin Rouge and employs a full contingent of dancers and musicians in the service of a neo-retro-burlesque-blues program. Presiding over the craziness within is Tess, a grande dame who also performs occasionally and who could only, under these circumstances, be played by Cher. Entering the scene is a young leather-lunged hopeful from Iowa named Ali, played by Christina Aguilera in her movie-acting debut. The vibe of this glitzy concoction is more Flashdance than Showgirls. (Amazon)

Attend a book club and share your comments with other book lovers. A librarian leads the open-ended and insightful discussion. Your ideas about the book are welcome and they may change!
 
Use your library card, not your credit card. No need to buy the book. All of the books for the discussions are available in print and audio for check-out at the circulation desk. Some of the titles can be downloaded from MyMediaMall.

Evening Book Club

Thursday, March 10 at 7:00pm

Discussion led by Eric Bailey

by Jane Gardam

(Fiction, 289 p., 2006)

 

This compelling novel is based, in part, on the early life of Rudyard Kipling. Sir Edward Feathers has progressed from struggling young barrister to wealthy expatriate lawyer to distinguished retired judge, living out his last days in comfortable seclusion in Dorset. The engrossing and moving account of his life, from birth in colonial Malaya, to Wales, where he is sent as a "Raj orphan," to Oxford, his career and marriage, parallels much of the 20th century's torrid and twisted history. Old Filth was nominated for the 2005 Orange Prize. Jane Gardam lives with her husband and three children in England. She has won Katherine Mansfield Award, the PEN Macmillan Silver Pen Award, the Whitbread Novel Award (twice), and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. She was recently awarded the Heywood Hill Literary Prize in recognition of a distinguished literary career. (Provided by publisher.)

 

 

Nonfiction Book Club

Saturday, March 12 at 2:00pm

Discussion led by Carlen DeThorne

 

Cradle of Gold

by Christopher Heaney

(Nonfiction, 285 p., 2010)

 

In 1911, a Peruvian boy led an American explorer and Yale historian named Hiram Bingham into the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. Hidden amidst the breathtaking heights of the Andes, this settlement of temples, tombs and palaces was the Incas' greatest achievement. But his excavation of the site raised old specters of conquest and plunder, and met with an indigenous nationalism that changed the course of Peruvian history. Though Bingham successfully realized his dream of bringing Machu Picchu's treasure of skulls, bones and artifacts back to the United States, conflict between Yale and Peru persists through the present day over a simple question: Who owns Inca history? In this grand, sweeping narrative, Christopher Heaney takes the reader into the heart of Peru's past to relive the dramatic story of the final years of the Incan empire, the exhilarating recovery of their final cities and the thought-provoking fight over their future. Drawing on original research in untapped archives, Heaney vividly portrays both a stunning landscape and the complex history of a fascinating region that continues to inspire awe and controversy today. (Provided by publisher.)

 

Afternoon Book Club 

Tuesday, March 15 at 1:30pm

Discussion led by Carol Carter

 

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

by Rhoda Janzen

(Nonfiction, 241 p., 2009)

 

A hilarious and moving memoir in the spirit of Anne Lamott and Nora Ephron about a woman who returns home to her close-knit Mennonite family after a personal crisis. Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her brilliant husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her with serious injuries. What was a gal to do? Rhoda packed her bags and went home. This wasn't just any home, though. This was a Mennonite home. Written with wry humor and huge personality and tackling faith, love, family, and aging, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead. (Provided by publisher.)