Literature
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Constable: Rocco Blasi was a man of many plans, until COVID-19 struck
Jan 5, 2021 12:11 PM - Finishing up the year when he published his first novel, retired college professor Rocco Blasi of Mount Prospect was planning to start 2021 by celebrating his 88th birthday in great shape and looking ahead to his 50th wedding anniversary. Then he was stricken with COVID-19.
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Review: Matthew Dicks' novel deals with a mother imposter
Jan 5, 2021 9:28 AM - Thirteen-year-old Michael wakes up one day to discover that the woman in the kitchen looks and speaks exactly like his mother, but somehow, she is not his mother
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Book review: 'Red Hands' is either creepily satisfying or a trigger for your worst nightmare
Jan 2, 2021 8:58 AM - Have we reached the point where reality and horror fiction have become too close for comfort? The premise of Christopher Golden's book "Red Hands" is eerily resonant: A novel bio-pathogen is released upon a small American town and turmoil ensues.
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The 10 most-read book reviews of 2020
Jan 1, 2021 9:27 AM - We have our own opinions about the books worth picking up this year. But if the most popular reviews of 2020 are any indication, our readers have different thoughts on the matter. What exactly captured your attention? Controversy, celebrity gossip and book club endorsements, among other selling points.
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A call to revolutionize the workplace -- by reducing working hours
Dec 30, 2020 6:00 AM - "Worked Over: How Round-the-Clock Work Is Killing the American Dream" by Jamie K. McCallum (Basic Books) Today, work time is scrambled for many. Employees, especially in the retail and service industries, may not get to work eight hours every day, even if they want to. Having shifts cut or extended in the middle of the workday is the norm. Schedules in the traditional sense are increasingly a thing of the past and are instead often dictated by algorithms, which can result in wonky hours, with employees sometimes given two hours of work one day and eight the next. All of this makes it challenging to plan a life - or receive a reasonably balanced paycheck that can reliably pay the bills. The loss of agency over work time is a large part of what's addressed in a new book by Jamie K. McCallum, "Worked Over: How Round-the-Clock Work Is Killing the American Dream."
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Stories that capture the spirit of the season
Dec 24, 2020 6:00 AM - During the holiday season, sometimes I'll settle down for an hour with my copy of "A Christmas Carol" instead of watching one of its many film versions. But then what? Other than Dickens' classic of spiritual awakening, what else might one read during this festive season? Here are a few suggestions.
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A gift guide for the fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror books in your life
Dec 21, 2020 6:00 AM - It's that time of the year when the nights grow long, the air grows cold, the festive lights are up and the year's best books lists are sprouting like mushrooms after the rain. But will any of them help you find that perfect book-gift for your friends who love science fiction, fantasy and horror? If not, we're here to help.
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West Chicago poets featured in online gallery of original HaikuDec 18, 2020 10:39 AM - While COVID-19 took center stage last year and disrupted everyday life and its daily routines, many West Chicago residents discovered their own creativity through a project of the West Chicago Cultural Arts Commission, and provided hope and positivity to others through the ancient art form of Japanese Haiku.
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Netflix's Shea McGee on creating the house of your dreams
Dec 18, 2020 6:33 AM - Shea McGee is co-founder of Studio McGee and star of Netflix's "Dream Home Makeover." She and her husband transformed Shea's small room of fabric samples and design smarts into a fast-growing interior design business focusing on Southern California lifestyle. The McGees have a new book, "Making Life Beautiful," and a new Netflix show, "Dream Home Makeover."
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Book review: The theft of a fresco leads to a tension-filled yarn in 'Fool Me Twice'
Dec 15, 2020 6:00 AM - Riley Wolfe has surely met his match in "Fool Me Twice," the second novel in Jeff Lindsay's series about the self-proclaimed world's greatest thief. This time, his target is Raphael's "The Liberation of St. Peter," a fresco in the heavily guarded Vatican.
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