June 7, 2011
A long-standing literary feud ended last weekend when Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul and novelist Paul Theroux shook hands at a book festival in Wales. The two literary giants stopped speaking 15 years ago when Mr. Theroux discovered that a copy of one of his books, which he had inscribed to Mr. Naipaul, had been put […]
June 5, 2011
Protests against computer companies who track consumer activity online has led to a series of attempts to limit the tracking. Senators McCain, Kerry, and Rockefeller have been working on introducing opt-out clauses and rules to control the marketers who trace online customers. Teens who use the Sony PlayStation Network were just exposed through hacking, so […]
June 2, 2011
Other worlds and future fantasies will abound at the Evanston Public Library’s SciFi FanCon which lands on Saturday, July 30 from 2-3:30 pm. This free event will feature a wide range of activities and programs, including a meet and greet with keynote speaker and Chicago Reader Critic’s Choice author Paul McComas, who will also read […]
May 31, 2011
Beginning June 4 at 9 AM visitors can take advantage of dozens of booksellers and literary programs taking place on Dearborn from Congress to Polk in Chicago. Over 100,000 people are expected over the 2 day event. Shira S.
May 26, 2011
Mystery, science fiction, and cooking fans have plenty to pore over this month as the Edgars (named after Edgar Allen Poe), the Nebulas, and the James Beard Foundation prizes were distributed to many hardworking authors. These are all significant awards in their respective categories. Steve Hamilton won Best Novel for The Lock Artist and Chicagoan […]
May 26, 2011
It’s that time of the year again, comparable to March Madness, say, or Super Bowl Sunday, when many school children (8 to 15 years old), their parents, families, teachers and schoolmates become totally consumed with correct spelling. Yes, the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee starts on May 31st and runs through June 2nd. Once again, ESPN […]
May 25, 2011
Some of you might remember my first ereader love as a first-gen Kobo (slow and simple, but great compatibility with the library). I then cheated on my Kobo and purchased a Kindle. I found the Kindle to be faster and have better contrast, and its connectivity to the Amazon store made buying books easy. This […]
May 24, 2011
Barnes and Noble premiered its smaller touchscreen Nook today. The company is claiming it’s the most intuitive,easy to use E-Reader for everyone. You can pre-order it for $139 and it should ship by early June. See article for details and features. Shira S.
May 22, 2011
Author Erik Larson will be appearing at three locations in the Chicago area tomorrow and Tuesday. His latest work is “In the Garden of Beasts,” about an American family taking a year abroad during the Nazi era (see review of book). I recommend checking the first link for other upcoming author visits. Keep an eye […]
May 19, 2011
The Library of Congress together with Sony has assembled the largest collection of historical recordings of speeches, music, poetry, and spoken word materials in the world. It covers the first 25 years of the 20th century and includes several thousand items (for listening only). As heard on NPR. Shira S.
