Category Archives: Mary K.

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple (2016)

todaywillbedifferentEleanor Flood has decided to turn a new leaf—today she’ll dress nicely, exercise, be kinder to her husband, etc. As life often does when we pledge to start anew, her day goes down the tubes immediately. Eleanor’s mishaps point to the hurt she feels from her estranged relationship with her younger sister.

Maria Semple’s deft use of humor lightens the mood as Eleanor keeps moving forward through her challenging day. Today Will Be Different is the Semple’s latest novel, following mega-bestseller Where’d You Go Bernadette.

My Journey into the Wilds of Chicago: A Celebration of Chicagoland’s Startling Natural Wonders by Mike MacDonald (2015)

chicagojourneyA paean to the wild beauty of Chicagoland’s nature preserves, prairies, and wetlands. Mike MacDonald’s stunning photos and beautiful prose will inspire readers to visit the natural areas highlighted in his book, and to learn more about the plants and animals that inhabit the wilds of Chicago.

Watch an interview with the author and photographer on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight to learn more about My Journey into the Wilds of Chicago.

Fearless Food Gardening in Chicagoland: A month-by-month growing guide for beginners (2013)

fearlessfoodThe Peterson Garden Project, which is based in Chicago, has created a simple, yet informative, guide for growing vegetables and herbs in your backyard or patio. What better way to connect with nature than eating food grown from your own garden! Check out Fearless Food Gardening in Chicagoland—and check out seeds from our Seed Library to get started.

Sophie and the Rising Sun by Augusta Trobaugh (2001)

sophieMiddle-aged Sophie follows all the rules of proper behavior and she has dutifully spent her life caring for her mother and two aunts. She spends her leisure time attending book clubs, setting crab traps, and painting on Sunday mornings by the river in lieu of attending church. Her staid, confined world expands when Mr. Oto arrives in Salty Creek, Georgia, and becomes the gardener of her friend Miss Ann. When Pearl Harbor occurs, Mr. Oto’s position in the close knit community becomes precarious. In Sophie and the Rising Sun, Augusta Trobaugh has crafted a romance with interesting characters and created an evocative sense of place.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (2013)

oceanlaneI read The Ocean at the End of the Lane one afternoon, and was quickly drawn into the magical world that Neil Gaiman created. After giving a eulogy at a funeral in Sussex, England, a middle-aged man decides to re-visit the house at the end of the lane which he visited as a child. This is a lovely farmhouse full of warmth and fresh, delicious food. It’s where the Hempstock women lived—the elderly grandmother, mother, and Lettie, the daughter with whom he was friends. As a young boy, he learns that the Hempstocks are guardians who ward off dark forces that surround our world. During his visit, a frightening childhood memory of a dark, menacing presence that entered his life in the form of a young woman named Ursula resurfaces.