4 Stars

Everyone has heard of a Ponzi scheme, but Leo Koretz of Chicago stole much more and ended up mostly forgotten in modern times. Koretz convinced wealthy investors that he was the next John D Rockefeller. He made up fake companies and used the investors’ greed to supplement his own. He was able to keep up this con for years until he was exposed and escaped to Nova Scotia to keep up a life of lies until his capture. The author uses multitudes of sources to tell this richly detailed and compelling story of the con that touched some of the wealthiest and most influential Chicagoans of the early 20th century. There is no way to guess what happens next in this astonishing and true story.

-Caitlin
Posted 5/11/2022

4 Stars

What would walls say if they could talk? What would their ears be privy to if they listened intently? The glamorous Paris apartment building is home to seedy dealings and one person daring enough to investigate it… until he ends up dead. Unreliable, multi-perspective narration and one sister desperate to find her last living family member makes this a gritty page-turner that grips you from the first turn of a stolen key into a locked doorknob.

-Hannah
Posted 5/4/2022

5 Stars

What would you do if you could upload all your memories and they were part of a global collective for all to share?  Intricately plotted, Egan explores the pros and cons of such a scenario with her beloved Goon Squad characters along with their next generation.  Bittersweet and moving, The Candy House is filled with likeable and quirky characters wrestling with complex decisions giving the reader an unforgettable experience.

-Michelle H.
Posted 4/27/2022

5 Stars

4 Stars

This amusing story follows the aftermath of a witch, Vivienne, and her cousin putting a hex on her ex, Rhys, after a night of drinking away heartbreak. To her dismay, Rhys’ family runs the university where Vivienne works, so he returns to campus for the Founder’s Day celebration. Soon, the sober reality of her drunken hex is undeniable and the hex is affecting all magic, not just Rhys. The author weaves multiple dramatic subplots into the romantic storyline to keep the reader guessing about more than just the chemistry between Vivienne and Rhys.

-Caitlin
Posted 4/19/2022

4 Stars

Pearlman details the rise and fall of the USFL in this engaging account of the history of the upstart league. With its cast of characters, including Donald Trump, and many future superstars, this funny and upbeat retelling is sure to be of interest with the NEW USFL starting its season this spring.

-Sean
Posted 4/15/2022

4 Stars

An oddly calming picture book and even more meditative audio book, A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape immediately delivers you to any memory you may have of a time you’ve used the restroom to hide as an adult.  Humorist Joe Pera couples the homespun charm of his television show “Joe Pera Talks With You” with the slightly off-putting illustrations of Joe Bennett in a referential nod to Pera’s Adult Swim cohorts in order to bring you dry catharsis that you’re not alone in this embarrassing act.

-Colleen
Posted 4/14/2022

4 Stars

This book provides a comprehensive look at what happens to trash after it’s thrown out. The conversational tone allows the reader to absorb the detailed information and see how it can apply to one’s own life and environment. The author does this in a thoughtful way without shaming the reader for wasteful habits that near everyone in our culture shares. While things have definitely changed since its publishing 10 years ago, this book is a good tool for peeking behind the curtain of waste management.

-Caitlin
Posted 4/13/2022

5 Stars

This novel follows the story of an iconic Illinois woman named Elizabeth Packard, who changed things for women and mentally ill people across America. In 1860 she was sent to what was known then as an insane asylum by her husband simply for having the nerve to formulate and speak aloud her own opinions. Elizabeth knew she was sane, as were many of the women she became acquainted with over her years in asylum wards. Even those who were unwell, she noted, deserved much better conditions. The reader is provided with people’s voices at the time with plenty of excerpts from personal diaries. Elizabeth’s brave freedom fight and feminist spirit persisted in the face of harsh scrutiny until she forced historical change.

-Caitlin
Posted 4/5/2022

5 Stars