Literature
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Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools, PEN report says
Oct 01, 2025 8:56 am - A new report on book bans in U.S. schools, PEN America’s “Banned in the USA,” finds Stephen King as the author most likely to be censored.
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‘The Wilderness’ is a fascinating look at lasting friendships
Sep 30, 2025 11:21 am - Angela Flournoy’s vivid second novel, “The Wilderness,” treats friendship with the dignity and fascination it deserves.
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Spring Grove Storytelling and Antioch school partner in ‘A Night with Mary Shelley’Sep 26, 2025 5:45 pm - Seventh-grade students at Grass Lake School are organizing an event with living historian Megan Wells portraying Mary Shelley, the author of “Frankenstein.”
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Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma, has a vital message for caregivers
Sep 26, 2025 7:55 am - Emma Heming Willis’ book, “The Unexpected Journey,” offers a deeply moving, personal perspective on dementia. Her husband, actor Bruce Willis, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTP), one of the most insidious and rare forms of the disease, in 2022, at age 67.
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Book inspires Met Gala-like bash at Arlington Heights librarySep 22, 2025 7:46 pm - The Arlington Heights Memorial Library will transform into a mini Met Gala in conjunction with the annual One Book, One Village reading program.
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Book Review: A novel about teenage hitchhikers wanted for murder is repetitive and predictable
Sep 22, 2025 5:52 pm - It’s the summer of 1976, and life has not been kind to Tom and Alice. Together, they climb into their new RV and cross the border from their home in Seattle, hoping to find a little peace in a trip through rural Canada. But in “The Hitchhikers,” the trip becomes a nightmare.
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Why do we watch birds? We all have our reasons, but the ‘Seven Pleasures of Birding’ is a good startSep 22, 2025 1:06 pm - In Jeff Reiter’s new book, “The Best of Words on Birds,” a central theme is that we should bird the way we want to, the way that feels best. Find your style and enjoy every experience.
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George Takei to lead Banned Books Week, urging the fight against censorship
Sep 22, 2025 7:28 am - Actor-activist George Takei’s next project is on behalf of a longtime passion — the right to read. The American Library Association announced Monday that the 88-year-old Takei will serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which takes place Oct. 5-11.
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Book Review: Evidence of historian David McCullough’s curiosity abounds in ‘History Matters’
Sep 16, 2025 2:09 pm - One thing that’s clear after reading “History Matters,” a posthumous collection of David McCullough’s writings and speeches, is how much the revered historian practiced what he preached.
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New children’s bookstore in Fox River Grove aims to conjure reading magic
Sep 16, 2025 2:03 pm - Former grade school English teacher and Crystal Lake resident Susan Kelly remembers how magical books were for her growing up. Now she’s aiming to pass on that same feeling in her newly opened independent children’s bookstore in Fox River Grove.