CRP's Blog

October 7, 2016

Staff Reads: Scary Scenes from Scary Stories »

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"I have never been a fan of ghost stories..." "I don't generally enjoy horror..." "I tend to stay far away from scary stories." Despite a seemingly staff-wide aversion to horror tales, we scrounged up a few contenders for Scariest Story. Consider this post to be your reminder to start thinking of …

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September 29, 2016

October books have arrived! »

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Fall is officially upon us, and with it our October books. We're excited to have two biographies of Chicagoans—cult author Nelson Algren and musician Curtis Mayfield—coming out this month, along with two different looks at women heroes during World War II; an investigation into hot sauce—every…

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September 29, 2016

In Hot Sauce Nation, Denver Nicks explores the origins of and the motivations behind our national zeal for the fiery condiment »

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Denver NicksIn 2012, after a couple grueling, draining years researching and writing a biography of US intelligence whistleblower Chelsea Manning, author and regular TIME contributor Denver Nicks was looking for a lighter subject. That’s when it dawned on him how little he actually knew or understood about ho…

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September 28, 2016

Read along with me: A Night in the Lonesome October »

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Night In the Lonesome2It began with a dare, or so the story goes.

Roger Zelazny, the award-winning author of the Chronicles of Amber series and a geek deity of science fiction and fantasy, accepted a dare to write a book in which Jack the Ripper was the hero—or at least a sympathetic character. In 1993, A Night in t

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September 27, 2016

“People Get Ready” for Traveling Soul, Todd Mayfield’s definitive biography of his dad, Chicago musician Curtis Mayfield »

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Todd MayfieldBorn into dire poverty and raised in the projects of Chicago, Curtis Mayfield went on to become a musical prodigy and an iconic voice of the 1960s civil rights era, with hits like “People Get Ready” and “Keep On Pushing.” Yet, no great biography has ever been written about the musician until…

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September 26, 2016

Kathryn Atwood showcases the Pacific Theater in her newest Women Heroes of World War II book »

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Kathy AtwoodKathryn J. Atwood has written several books for our Women of Action series: Women Heroes of World War II, Code Name Pauline, and Women Heroes of World War I. Although these titles are categorized as YA, they also attract a range of adult readers. Booklist says her newest book, Women Heroes of World

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September 23, 2016

Staff Reads: September 23, 2016 »

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Sneak peek at this week’s staff reads post: Maine, David Bowie, and anvil weddings. Also, Ellen is having a hard time moving on from the previous post on favorite covers. #CRPreads

Sept23

I’m making my way through The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. right now. It’s good train reading! Meaghan tur…

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September 21, 2016

Harry Haskell’s Maiden Flight explores the life and love of Katharine Wright, Wilbur and Orville’s sister »

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Harry HaskellHarry Haskell is the author of Maiden Flight, a novel tracing the life and love of Katharine Wright, sister of famous inventors Wilbur and Orville. In the book, Haskell shares Katharine’s path as she painfully separates herself from supporting Orville in order to pursue a romantic relationship wit…

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September 15, 2016

Paperback grab bag: September 2016 »

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This month we have quite an array of titles publishing in paperback. Chicago-interest titles (yep, that's Blago on the cover of Golden), music books, memoirs, true crime, cultural studies...you name it, it's here. If you read Evan Osnos' piece on Fr. Michael Pfleger in the New Yorker earlier this y…

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September 14, 2016

Ben Montgomery’s The Leper Spy reveals the unlikely WWII heroism of Josefina Guerrero »

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Ben Montgomery Author PhotoBen Montgomery is the author of the New York Times bestseller Grandma Gatewood’s Walk and the forthcoming The Leper Spy: The Story of an Unlikely Hero of World War II (October 1), which reveals the nearly lost-to-history accomplishments of Josefina Guerrero, a Filipina spy who undertook daring mis…

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