is a surprisingly intimate portrayal by the son of Chicago mobster.  This inside story is undeniably riveting.

Filed under: News / Updates

Operation Family Secrets by Frank Calabrese, Jr. (319 pages) is non-fiction  story about the Calabrese family of Chicago.

Filed under: Books

Erik Larson brought 1890’s Chicago to life in the pages of his book.  It’s an absorbing history of Chicago and how the “Chicago” spirit change America with is spectacular, lavish, beyond-your-wildest-dreams, legendary 1893 World’s Fair.  With America trying to secure its place in the world, Chicago is center stage.  In Devil in the White City, we were skillfully transported to the past with a portrait of America/Chicago as it was and the impact Chicago’s World Fair had on our cities and the society we inhibit today.  We were absorbed with the life of Daniel Burnham, his partner John Root, Sullivan, Tiffany, Armour, Pullman, Schwab, Field, McCormick, Ward. There was Disney, Thomas Edison, Potter and Bertha Palmer, Disney, Washburn, Nikola Tesla, Westinghouse, the young Frank Lloyd Wright and on and on.  Influences of then are seen around our city today, and Chicago’s lakefront and museums are a testament to their philosophies.  27.5 million people visited Chicago’s World Fair with a total US population of 65 million.   When you want to get absorbed in Chicago’s history, this is a good place to start.  Everyone enjoyed this book, and to really take it all in, it’s a book you can read over again.  After reading this book, your next visit to the city and Downtown will be forever altered, and you will be so much more observant of the architecture, landscape,  parks, and the “spirit” of Chicago.

Filed under: Summary

We are collecting old tee shirts.  Think they are too worn out for good garage rags and ready to be disposed of?  Well not so quick — they still have one more job to do.    We have a group who is sewing these old, worn out tee shirts into new diapers for babies in Haiti and Madagascar.

So bring them with you to our Devil in the White City discussion.  Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!!!

Filed under: News / Updates

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (447 pages).  This is non-fiction with murder, magic and madness at Chicago’s World’s Fair 1893, which changed America.  It is filled Chicago history still evidenced today at our Lakefront and complete with fun-filled facts about the latest “inventions” — mechanical, structural and even fun-food we still love today!!!

Filed under: Books

WOW,  what a great meeting!  Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel  Pie Society proved to be a HUGE hit.  It was a little book packed with big characters, history, a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and finding human connections in the most surprising ways.  Guernsey is a book written with the belief that love of art — be it poetry, storytelling, painting, sculpture, or music — enables people to transcend any barrier man  has devised.  Ironically, this book is about how an accidental book club helps a community survive, grow  and enrich their lives.   We learned about Guernsey Island, fell in love with the characters we met, peeked into their lives, shared their heartwarming and their heart-wrenching stories, and we reaffirmed the old adage,  unless you have walked in my shoes...

Betty shared with us a duplicate of the box of goodies the Islanders received from the Red Cross (after five years of occupation) to bring home how desperate they were for the basics in life that we are fortunate enough to take for granted and wondered how we would have survived without salt, pepper, flour, fuel (heat), fruits, vegetables, soap and CHOCOLATE!  It did give us pause and made us appreciation even more what we have.

If you didn’t have time to read this book; it was unanimous – keep it on your To Read List.  It is also a book to re-read some day.

Filed under: Summary

Please contact us with book suggestions for the upcoming book.  Happy reading!

Filed under: Uncategorized