from Super Furry Librarian

***UPDATE 01.26.12*** Wow! We’re super impressed with our registration turnout already! Due to the overwhelming response ladies spots are now full, but please let us know at genre-x@oppl.org if you are interested in future events. MEN - we still need more of you so register away!***

We know it’s hard to meet new people after college. Can you honestly think of a better place to meet someone than a library? Locking eyes over the Vonnegut section? Or maybe your hands brush while reaching for the last copy of Infinite Jest? Well, genre X is helping you out and shaking up traditional speed dating in an afterhours event open to all men and women in their 20s and 30s on Saturday, February 11^th from 8:00-11:00 PM.

Help yourself to a drink on the house before diving into the mix. You’ll mingle with everybody during three series of short mini-dates, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Flirt with potential dates and stir up some new friendships. Cool off between heats with a trip to the cash bar. After you’ve made the rounds, let us know who has piqued your curiosity, and we’ll let you know if they feel the same way.

Preregister now - and do it quickly! We’re expecting available slots to fill up fast. Confirmations will be sent out starting February 3^rd. Still have more questions? Check out some of our frequently asked questions below. Read the rest of this entry »

phantom sculptor

If Amazon had their way, 2011 would be deemed the Year of the Kindle. After all, “throughout December, customers purchased well over 1 million Kindle devices per week,” according to a December 29th press release that called the end of 2011 “the best holiday ever for Kindle.” Clearly, people like to read.

But between Amazon’s success and the struggles of the Chicago Public Library, ebook neophytes will take up the pulpit to declare the book dead. Again.

And they’ll be wrong. Again.

Far from being irrelevant, books and other print media are flaunting their popularity across the internet and pop culture.

For several stunning examples of print’s domination Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Year, genre Xers! If your Facebook feed looks anything like mine, resolutions are a hot topic this week. My friends are an ambitious bunch, setting goals for almost every aspect of their lives. In 2012 they will read, budget, release albums, exercise, wear makeup, and more! I’m already impressed.

While I could certainly stand to loose a few pounds or spend less money, I am only making one resolution this year: to take more risks. My plan is not to run into burning buildings or traipse through a Chicago winter in stilettos, but to try new things and to push myself out of my comfort zone.

I’m not the only one:

-At Time Hack, one man is documenting one new experience every day to see if his perception of time differs based on his experiences.

-The Leap Year Project is asking people to “Take a risk (AKA: Leap). Make something in your life, community, or world better. Then, use #lyproject to share it through all sorts of online and offline mediums and invite others to do the same.”

-And the Oak Park Public Library is pursuing the Spark project, pushing staff to try new ideas and engaging the community in planning for the library’s future.

Whatever your resolution is, the Oak Park Public Library can help you reach your goals. Learn a new skill with an online tool like Learning Express Library, where you can brush up on Adobe Illustrator or polish your resume. Through Universal Class you can enroll in self-paced classes on everything from horseback riding to meditation to statistics. And before you embark on the round-the-world trip you’re planning to ring in 2013, log on to Mango Languages.

For a round-up of great books on self-improvement, check out Kelly McGonigal’s list of 11 Books to Help You Turn Over a New Leaf. or Library Journal’s list of the best self-help books of 2011.

Share your resolutions in the comments, or if you’re already practically perfect, suggest a risk worth taking that I should add to my list (note to self: start a list).

Need to distract yourself with a little reading over the busy holiday season? Then how about a perennial favorite about a rotund misanthrope and his search for life’s meaning? Okay, so we didn’t say it was light. But it is funny. Join us for our January discussion of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, on January 24th at 8 pm.

This Pulitizer Prize winning modern classic is sure to inspire a great discussion. For a little more, checkout this Library Journal review of the audiobook:

Narrator Barrett Whitener renders Toole’s cast of caricatures with verve enough to satisfy admirers. Toole wrote this novel in Puerto Rico during a hitch in the U.S. Army. In 1966 it was rejected by Simon & Schuster. In 1969 Toole committed suicide. Toole’s mother then tried to get it published. After seven years of rejection she showed it to novelist Walker Percy, under whose encouragement it was published by Louisiana State University Press. Many critics praised it as a comic masterpiece that memorably evokes the city of New Orleans and whose robust protagonist is a modern-day Falstaff, DoN Quixote, or Gargantua. Toole’s prose is energetic, and his talent, had it matured, may have produced a masterpiece. However, listeners who do not feel charmed or amused by a fat, flatulent, gluttonous, loud, lying, hypocritical, self-deceiving, self-centered blowhard who masturbates to memories of a dog and pretends to profundity when he is only full of beans are not likely to survive the first cassette. For fans.

That review got me super excited to finally read this book that’s been on my “to read” list for a long, long time. Here’s to hoping you’ll read it too and then join us at Molly Malone’s in Forest Park on Tuesday, January 24th at 8pm. For more information or to RSVP (not required) check out the Goodreads event page. Hope to see you there.

from Treehugger

With Christmas just days away, I’m sure you’ve all finished up your Christmas shopping. Before we can get to the unwrapping (my second favorite part of Christmas), we’ve got to get wrapping (my most favorite part of Christmas). Despite my love of all things paper–books, stationery, wrapping paper, postcards–the aftermath of opening gifts makes me cringe.

My family has been reusing tissue paper for years (It’s generally considered viable until there are holes), and we’re not big on ribbons and bows. At a recent baby shower, guests were encouraged to use green wrapping, and the mommy-to-be was happy to receive gifts swaddled in receiving blankets and packed into baskets. To soften the blow to the environment when I use disposable wrapping, I try to use recycled or upcycled materials in my gift wrap.

For a peek at my past and future wrapping projects: Read the rest of this entry »

So Publisher’s Weekly just published its Top 10 Book Covers of 2011 and there are some fantastic choices on the list. As someone who looks at A LOT of beautiful book covers every day, I’m always impressed by a particular beauty. So check out the PW article, and look after the jump for images of some of their choices plus a few of my own.  They are linked to our catalog for your requesting convenience!

Read the rest of this entry »

We cannot believe that November is already upon us, but it’s here and so is our November book discussion selection, Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. This nonfiction title explores the history of Mormon fundamentalism in the United States and profiles the split of the mainstream LDS from it’s polygamous history. We are findign this book difficult to put down and we’re sure it will be a fantastic discussion.

Looking for more? Here are some blurbs from when Under the Banner of Heaven was originally published in 2003:

“Scrupulously reported and written with Krakauer’s usual exacting flair, Under the Banner of Heaven is both illuminating and thrilling. It is also the creepiest book anyone has written in a long time—and that’s meant as the highest possible praise.” —Newsweek

“Powerfully illuminating. . . . Almost every section of the book is fascinating in its own right, and together the chapters make a rich picture. . . . An arresting portrait of depravity.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Riveting. . . . Intriguing. . . . Breezy, smooth and vigorously written, this ambitious book is entertaining and informative. . . . Krakauer reconstructs the Lafferty brothers’ descent into fatal fanaticism magnificently, interweaving their story throughout the book and giving this wide-ranging work narrative coherence and emotional resonance. . . . [He is] a superb storyteller.” —The News & Observer

“Illuminating . . . provocative. . . . Krakauer is an adept chronicler of extremists [and] the tour guide of choice for secular quests.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

Drop by the second floor Adult and Teen Services desk at the Main Library for your copy. Then join us at Molly Malone’s on Tuesday,  November 22nd at 8 pm. Should be an interesting discussion!

Does the public library have a future? Our neighbor, Chicago Public Library, is facing huge cuts in services and staff from the planned 2012 budget from Mayor Emanuel. People have been predicting the death of print and public library services for years. We want to hear your views on libraries and services, and we’re looking for new ways to do it.

Oak Park Public Library cardholders are eligible to be a part of a very special conversation with our library’s leadership. Starting now (while supplies last) attend any of the following programs from the Chicago Humanities Festival and then discuss the implications for Oak Park.

Tomorrow’s History
Saturday, November 5, meet at 1 pm at Main Library
Explore how digital technologies have shifted original research from remote sources to online archives, and computerized tools have created immersive presentations for the classroom.
register now

A Jane Addams for the Digital Age
Sunday, November 6, meet at 2 pm at Main Library
Explore whether social justice is more achievable in the information age.
register now

Serious Play: Meaningful Video Games
Saturday, November 12, meet at 10 am at Main Library
Explore how gaming has evolved into a richly varied aesthetic universe and a viable platform to address social, political, and personal issues.
register now

The Book: Past, Present, and Future
Saturday, November 12, meet at 11:30 am at Main Library
Explore the future of the book in the age of e-publishing.
register now

You’ll also have the chance to join us for a community conversation about your vision for the future of the library. Join us:

A Community Conversation
Thursday, November 17, 7:00 pm Main Library
Discuss your vision and views on the future of libraries. Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, will lead the conversation from Washington, DC. Free and open to the public.

If you’d like to learn more about what the library is doing to plan for our future, keep watching the SPARK page on the library’s website for more information and ways to contribute.

Way back in June I posted about summer, and how the abundance of fresh produce gives me farm dreams. Lucky for us Oak Parkers and Chicagoans, we get all kinds of seasons, and we’re on to fall now. Despite my wordy musings on summer, I have to say that fall is the best. season. ever. Between the rampant wearing of cardigans and eating of chili and changing of leaves, I’m up to my ears in favorites.

Above all, fall means pie. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, pear pie, shepherd’s pie. I love it all.

So bring it.

This Saturday at 1:00 PM, our panel of judges will be choosing from your finest pie offerings. Amazing prizes will be given based on taste and appearance, and all bakers will be photographed with their pie for posterity.

Whether you know how to roll pastry dough or not, this will be a great event. At 2:30 PM, doors will open to the public to taste the entries.

This is an all ages event, and is free and open to the public.

Thanks to everybody who spent Saturday night spelling with us.  We had a full house with 35 amazing spellers who powered through seven rounds of increasingly difficult words.

Not everybody made it to the finals.  Dianne took home a special “She Tried It” prize for being the first speller eliminated.  A tiny mistake on “colossal” took her out of the running.

Between rounds spellers and spectators alike delighted in some lunch box treats as well as some decidedly more adult beverages.  In true back to school spirit, attendees also learned a bit about banned books, posing with their favorite challenged book for a mug shot.

Check out the rest of the mug shots at www.ireadbannedbooks.tumblr.com where you can submit your own banned book photo.  You can also stop by the library any time this week and get booked.

Then came the Death Match.  Our final six spellers faced ridiculously tough words like “Reykjavik” and “scilicet.”  In the end, one speller emerged at the champion.  Patricia dominated the stage with her perfect spelling of “tagliatelle,” and was rewarded with a lovingly bedazzled trophy and gifts from Fly Bird.

Kenanna, Cheryl, Jill, Kristen, and Tom gave Patricia a run for her money during the final round.  Our five runners-up shared the spoils, each taking home a trophy or something special from Fly Bird.

Thanks again to the Friends of the Library for making this and other library events possible, as well as Megan Owdom-Weitz for her great poster design and our fearless bartender Danielle. And of course, we couldn’t have done it without Rory and her ever helpful sentences or Ed and his sweet bee duds.

Check out all of the photos on the library’s Flickr page and watch here for more after hours events from genre X.

Thanks to our resident artist Megan Owdom-Weitz for another fabulous event poster! If you’ve been to a previous genre X after hours event, you might recall her handiwork. See Hi-Lo Tech, Hop on Pop and Smell the Glove to see just how good she makes us look.

To get your own piece of her handmade goodness, including the now famous Midwest is Best tees & totes, or shirts featuring dinousaurs dreaming of bacon, visit her store.

If you’re interested in joining in the Spell Yeah! fun on Saturday, September 24th, you’re in luck…there are still slots in the spotlight available. Register now to reserve yours! Shall these spots fill up, fear not! There will be additional slots available on site.

For full details, including rules (you know, the fun stuff), see the original event entry here.

Spell ya later!

Goodreads has unveiled their new recommendation engine today. Marketing themselves as the “Netflix of book recommendations”, the system uses data from any user who has rated at least 20 books and purports to be able to suggest things they will enjoy based on their selections. I’m awfully interested in the world of recommendation engines, and I thought it would be fun to put Goodreads’ new tool to the test.

The image above is a screenshot from the list of books that Goodreads is recommending based on the genre X bookshelf I keep. Meaning, these are the books they think someone who has read the books we have all read would like. On closer inspection, it looks like the books are based on similarities of individual titles on the list rather than looking at the list as a whole, but I still think it’s fun to take a look.

The list of the 50 titles that Goodreads recommends to genre X is after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

We heard you, genre Xers: I Was Told There’d Be Cake was not your favorite short story collection, but bear with us as we read Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans. If the critics got it right, you’ll be glad you did.  Here’s a sample of what “they” had to say about this month’s pick.

“This debut collection is contemporary, powerful, and very real. While race is a factor throughout, with biracial characters, mixed-race romantic relationships, and plenty of interaction among people of different ethnicities, it remains subsidiary to themes like family relationships, romantic attachments, coming-of-age, belonging, and searching or yearning for direction in life. [...] A smartly written and enjoyable collection from an up-and-coming author; particularly recommended for those interested in contemporary relationships in our increasingly diverse and global society.” (Library Journal, 9/2010)

“Danielle Evans’s whip-smart first story collection charts the liminal years between childhood and the condition dubiously known as being a grown-up. Told from a close distance, these stories lack the rich patina of hindsight, their pleasures coming instead from an immediacy and an engaging voice. They evoke the thrill of an all-night conversation with your hip, frank, funny college roommate.” (NY Times, 10/2010)”

“Danielle Evans’ Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self is a remarkable short-story collection in a good year for short-story collections. Every story takes on its own life, all her characters live rich and complicated lives, and the plotting never grows too predictable or unfocused. Evans has a few of the problems typical of young short-story writers, but for the most part, this is a collection of perfectly conceived little tales that look at underexposed corners of American life.” (The Onion, 10/2010)

Stop by the second floor Adult and Teen Services Desk at the Main Library of the Oak Park Public Library to pick up your copy. Then bring your appetite and your opinions to Molly Malone’s on Tuesday, September 27th at 8 pm.  See you there!

We hope you enjoy this post from guest contributor, Heidi Gustad. To check out more of Heidi’s writing on modern crafting and home decor, check out Hands Occupied.

Original Footloose trailer

Has anyone noticed that both Dirty Dancing and Footloose are being remade this year? From the looks of the new Footloose’s trailer, we’re in store for a couple of throwback dance numbers, a la Ren (Kevin Bacon) jumping around an old warehouse. Comparing the two trailers below, you’ll also notice a couple of near-identical shots, including Ren saving Ariel, the preacher’s daughter, from a train. The new trailer spends some more time outlining the plot of the movie, focusing on why the small town of Bomont, Texas has outlawed dancing. The other thing that becomes obvious in watching the new trailer is the addition of… HIP HOP. Oh boy! (read: sarcasm) Maybe it will be like You Got Served! Speaking of which…

According to IMDB, the man they’ve cast in the lead role is a legitimate dancer, with roles in You Got Served, Center Stage: Turn It Up, and the TV reality show Dancelife. Maybe if I decide to sit through this remake, I’ll at least be entertained by physical feats?

New Footloose trailer

Then we’ve got Dirty Dancing. Its remake is only in development at this point, but Kenny Ortega, of Newsies (yes, THAT Newsies) and High School Musical fame, has been signed on to be the director. Are we in for Dirty Dancing III: The High School Years?

Original Dirty Dancing trailer

There’s no trailer available yet for the Dirty Dancing remake, but you can’t forget about the 2004 prequel, Dirty Dancing II: Havana Nights.

All of this leads me to wonder, why the remakes? The Fox show Glee is so absurdly popular among high schoolers these days*, all of whom were born after the ‘80s, that I’m not surprised both of these dancing-centric classics are being rehashed. Particularly in the case of the to-be-written Dirty Dancing [III?] and its director’s Disney cred, I think we’re in for something poppy and dance-filled, perhaps with some auto-tuning sprinkled on top.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to leave your thoughts. Do you think we’re got something good or potentially scary on our hands? I just don’t know how to feel, other than old, about this remake situation.

*I’ll admit, I’ve seen every episode of Glee at least once. I also love Newsies. It can’t be helped. Maybe Kenny Ortega will remake Newsies too! And Christian Bale can play the old guy.

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Don’t forget, if you are looking to recreate a little 80s magic all your own, join us for Spell Yeah! A 20s and 30s Spelling Bee on Saturday, September 24th. Registration begins September 10th. Spell early and often!

Our August discussion of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close became, at one point, a discussion of the September 11th attacks. We talked about where we were when the planes hit, how our families and communities reacted, and if our different ages gave us different perspectives. We also wondered how other fiction writers presented the attacks, and if there was even other fiction about 9/11 being produced when Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was published in 2005.

Since our meeting, I did a little digging and have created a chronological list of ten novels about September 11th, told from a variety of perspectives.  I am especially exciting to read the newest book on the list, The Submission by Amy Waldman, which has been getting a lot of attention from critics.   Read the rest of this entry »