Cook Memorial Public Library Podcast

Jac Jemc is the author of The Grip of It, a deftly told story about a couple who purchase what turns out to be a haunted house. You may think you've read haunted house stories before, but you've never read any told this well or that does the creepiness so well.

The Grip of It is featured in our Favorite Fiction of 2017 booklet, is featured on Chicago Review of Books list of The Best Fiction Books of 2017 and received dozens of rave reviews upon its release earlier this year.

We had the opportunity to talk to Jac about The Grip of It, and we also spoke about her kind-of creepy porcelain figurine collection, the joy of re-reading books, and what she likes in a horror story.

Jac recommends the following titles at the end of the episode:

• Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
• True Grit by Charles Portis

While we like to discuss books, movies and music on our podcast, we also like to share with you all the other great stuff we do here at the library. In this episode we talk with our genealogy librarian, Sonia, and find out how to get started using the library to do family history research. There's a lot of great resources mentioned in this episode, so make sure to give it a listen!

Links and other information mentioned during this episode:

• See what genealogy events are coming up and register for them on our Genealogy Events page
• Our library's Genealogy website
• Our interview with Gail Lukasik

Books mentioned during this episode:

• Unpuzzling Your Past by Emily Anne Croom
• White Like Her by Gail Lukasik

Mark Russell is the author of DC Comics’ re-imagined version of The Flintstones, one of our favorite comics here at the library. And yes, we are talking about the Yabba-Dabba-Doo Hanna-Barbera TV characters. Russell and illustrator Steve Pugh’s version of Bedrock is a newly established Stone Age civilization just beginning to construct things like economics,…

Mark Russell is the author of DC Comics' re-imagined version of The Flintstones, one of our favorite comics here at the library. And yes, we are talking about the Yabba-Dabba-Doo Hanna-Barbera TV characters.

Russell and illustrator Steve Pugh's version of Bedrock is a newly established Stone Age civilization just beginning to construct things like economics, religion, marriage, science, politics, and domestic life. Seeing this world through the Flintstones family's lens provides some hilarious and poignant satire, earning the comic series starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

The second and last volume of The Flintstones was published in October, so expect to see it on our annual Best of booklets and posts coming soon at the library.

We had a chance to interview Mark Russell about writing comics, what makes good satire, more thoughts on human civilization, and of course, what he's been reading lately.

Check out The Flintstones (also available anytime via the hoopla app).

If you consider yourself a book lover, bookworm, or bibliophile you will love this week’s author interview. Annie Spence is the author of Dear Fahrenheit 451: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to the Books in her Life. This collection of insightful and often hilarious letters to books will rekindle (no ebook device pun…

If you consider yourself a book lover, bookworm, or bibliophile you will love this week's author interview. Annie Spence is the author of Dear Fahrenheit 451: A Librarian's Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to the Books in her Life. This collection of insightful and often hilarious letters to books will rekindle (no ebook device pun intended) your fond feelings towards the written word. It will also triple, maybe even quadruple your reading list, since the last portion of the book consists of cleverly curated booklists.

It's no surprise Annie is a librarian and her professional experience shapes much of Dear Fahrenheit 451. If you've ever wanted a behind the scenes peek into what it's really like working a reference desk, this is one of the more accurate snapshots into our world.

In this episode Annie talks about the risky business of publishing a book about books, why she became a librarian, and how reading connects us to humanity. Enjoy!

Check out Dear Fahrenheit 451 (also available anytime in audio format via the hoopla app).

Libertyville local mystery author Gail Lukasik discovered a family secret that led her on an extraordinary personal journey through America’s complicated racial history. After appearing on PBS’s Genealogy Roadshow, Lukasik began recounting her memories and compiling her research into a book. White Like Her was published last week and Gail stopped by our Digital Studios to…

Libertyville local mystery author Gail Lukasik discovered a family secret that led her on an extraordinary personal journey through America's complicated racial history. After appearing on PBS's Genealogy Roadshow, Lukasik began recounting her memories and compiling her research into a book. White Like Her was published last week and Gail stopped by our Digital Studios to talk about putting all the pieces together, the concept of racial passing, and how this experience changed her life.

Register to see Gail Lukasik Tuesday, Nov. 7th at Cook Park Library.

Watch Gail's appearance on PBS's Genealogy Roadshow (PBS member account required)

Check out Gail Lukasik books at the library

For a chilling Halloween edition of The Past is Present, Local History Librarian Jenny Barry digs into a mysterious Libertyville legend: the 1885 murder of August Rosine. You may never look at the Cook House the same way again. Listen to last year’s Halloween episode on The Gate.

For a chilling Halloween edition of The Past is Present, Local History Librarian Jenny Barry digs into another mysterious Libertyville legend: the 1885 murder of August Rosine.

You may never look at the Cook House the same way again.

Listen to last year's episode on The Gate.