The Library will be closed Sunday, May 26 and Monday, May 27, for Memorial Day.
Recommendations
See what La Grange Public Library staff members have to recommend.
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Hoodlum
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by K'wan
Born into a New York City crime family, Shai was known as the “good” brother. While Tommy was groomed to inherit their empire from powerful Trinidadian immigrant Poppa Clark, Shai’s future plans included college and a pro basketball career. Shai loses his spot on the college team (for betting) so he returns home. There, he reconnects with buddy Swan and is sucked into the lure… Continue
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Shakespeare and Company
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by Sylvia Beach
Paris in the 1920s! Imagine lounging in cafés late into the night and discussing the latest works of Joyce, Hemingway and Fitzgerald (who are also your neighbors and friends)! Author Sylvia Beach lived that dream life. An American who owned a bookshop specializing in American works, her store was frequented by all the major players of the era. Beach shares stories of her shop, her talented… Continue
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The Noise of Time
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by Julian Barnes
The near-impossibility of maintaining artistic integrity under Soviet rule is explored in this fictional portrait of composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Though Shostakovich survives the potentially fatal experience of Stalin denouncing his work, the price he pays is great. To keep his family and friends (as well as himself) safe, he must submit to the political forces and represent himself as a good… Continue
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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
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by Gabrielle Zevin
A. J. Fikry is an independent bookstore proprietor whose painful life of solitude and cynicism changes when an orphaned baby is left in his failing establishment. Fikry finds himself facing new circumstances that, over time, enable him to connect with the island’s townspeople who become like an extended family. This page-turning read is overall light and upbeat, but has some dark… Continue
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No Mercy
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by Lori Armstrong
When a Native American boy is found dead on her property, Mercy Gunderson can’t understand why the new sheriff isn’t trying harder to learn why. The teen was a friend of her nephew, so Mercy does some sleuthing herself, using her ex-military skills and contacts from her past. She soon finds herself in a tangle involving real estate developers and fraudulent religious leaders. A shaky… Continue
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The Hundred-Foot Journey
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by Richard C. Morais
When an Indian family begins a new life in the French Alps, not all of the neighbors are pleased. The restaurant opened by the Hajis, with exotic aromas and loud music, angers Madame Gerturde Mallory, owner of a traditional French restaurant across the street. In a fit of pique, she accidentally injures young Hassan. However, she sees the potential for a gifted chef in him, and as an act of… Continue
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No One You Know
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by Michelle Richmond
20 years ago, Ellie’s sister was murdered. Lila, a math prodigy, had been secretive about a relationship before her death. Grief-stricken Ellie confided in her favorite teacher, who betrayed her by writing a best-selling true crime book naming a colleague of Lila’s as the murderer (though he was never charged). Now a coffee buyer by profession, Ellie is stunned when she meets the… Continue
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Melmoth
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by Sarah Perry
Lean, mean, and packed full of psychological dread. In true Gothic fashion, Perry pens a symphony of prose and perturbation as we follow Helen Franklin, an Englishwoman working in Prague under self-imposed exile. When Karel, a colleague of Helen's, goes missing after researching the folk legend of Melmoth the Witness, she finds herself despairing over his abandoned documents to discover the truth… Continue
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Census
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by Jesse Ball
Full of wisdom and compassion, Census is deeply thoughtful and affecting. The story follows a widowed father with a terminal illness, worried over the fate of his son once he is gone. Father and son depart on a journey together visiting households and serving dubiously as census-takers, witnessing, listening, and reflecting on poignant accounts of the human experience. It holds within it an… Continue
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Cherry
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by Nico Walker
This semi-autobiographical fiction work gives readers a chance to discover a story that is as difficult to read as it is to put down. A young man leaves his home in Cleveland to join the Army and fights in the Iraq war. He then battles the aftermath of post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction and robs banks for drug money. Fans of Kurt Vonnegut may appreciate that Nico Walker's unnamed… Continue
