Author: The Bookly Club

August Book

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Against all odds, summer is still alive and well! And we want to enjoy every last bit of it… are you with us?! This month’s theme is {Beach Read} … for pretty obvious reasons. Beach season is still in full swing and this may be our last chance to soak up some sun and sand before fall makes its inevitable debut. Some of you might be asking, what’s a beach read? Well, it’s a book that’s bright, fun and not terribly long or intense. It’s a low-maintenance friend to spend time with while relaxing in the summer sunshine. Granted, that means different things to different people. But if you enjoy the company, that’s all that matters. For us, a great beach read means Emma Straub‘s The Vacationers. Or at least we hope it’s a great beach read. Straub is a New York-based nonfiction author who hit her big break with this New York Times bestseller in 2014. The story centers around a family vacation to Mallorca, Spain and the figurative baggage they bring with them. …

Bookly Recommends {The Patriot}

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We know that We Should All Be Feminists is a fast read – that’s one of the reasons we were so excited to read it this month! But if the essay has you hungering for more non-fiction, here are some recommendations from us to read during the month of {The Patriot}: Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer: One of the best non-fiction books you will ever read. Krakauer takes a deep look into the fascinating and disturbing world of Mormon fundamentalism. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote: This is an American classic. It’s the true story of a series of cold-blooded murders in a sleepy farm town. Capote’s telling of the murders, the capture and prosecution of the murderers, and the aftermath of this horrific incident is chilling (read it with all the lights on). Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: A deeply moving story of a young man who journeyed to the Alaskan wilderness, Into the Wild tells of the last days of Christopher McCandless. The story is simultaneously sad and frustrating, …

July Book

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Pictured:Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie © The Guardian We hope you’re enjoying summer so far! For this month’s selection we’re changing pace, from YA to non-fiction. Since July is the month when we celebrate our history, we figured it’d be a good time to get a little introspective and learn something new about what makes us who we are.   We did a lot of back and forth with this choice. We had a different book chosen just a few weeks ago… but as we promised, we want to read all types of ‘books’. So we’ve chosen We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: a 52-page essay. No excuses this month – give this one a quick read! This book (or booklet as we should call it given the charmingly small size) is a modified version of a TEDx talk Adichie delivered in December 2012. Nigerian-born, she is the award-winning author of Americanah, one among many of her well-received books. In this essay, as a self-proclaimed “happy feminist” she offers a personal view and unique definition of feminism. Telegraph journalist Rupert Hawksley calls We …

Eager for the End

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After reading (and loving) Ready Player One I was excited to give Ender’s Game a try. I’d heard from many trusted fellow book nerds what a great book it was but had shied away because I thought it wasn’t “my kind of book.” I should have trusted my gut. This book tested my patience as I struggled through the first third, finding nothing that captured me or held my interest. After setting it down for a few days (instead I read Wonder, which I would highly recommend, and The Good Girl), I picked it back up, determined to chug through. Plus, I was told the ending would change my mind. Eager to get to said ending, I admittedly skimmed a large part of the middle half. So as not to give anything away, all I’ll say about the ending is I appreciated what they were trying to do. And I certainly enjoyed the last quarter of the book much more than the rest, I just wish I didn’t have to slog through the other three-quarters just to …

Bookly Recommends {YA}

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Maybe you’ve already read Ender’s Game. Maybe you want to wait and read Ender’s Game later this month. Whatever your reason, we’ve got you covered with more {School’s Out} recommendations to get you through May and June. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: Does this actually need an explanation? Read the books! The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins: If you haven’t read these books yet, you need to! They’re fast, action-packed, and thought provoking. And who doesn’t love a powerful and strong female lead? Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer: If you’re as into YA novels as we are, you’ve also probably already read this series. If you haven’t, it’s worth a read. These books have been very hyped and highly criticized since their release, and we aren’t here to take sides. Give them a read and decide for yourself. The Lorien Legacies Series by Pittacus Lore: The first book in the series, I Am Number Four, was made into a movie a few years ago. Rest assured, the books are SO much better. If you start now, you’ll definitely …

May & June Book

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This month’s theme is …. Schooooooool’s OUT. For. The summer! (Get ready for that song to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day) Spring is here, school’s almost out, and summer’s on it’s way. Now begins those few precious months all of us post-grads miss so desperately… Summer Break (excluding the teachers in the group). So forget required reading for awhile and enjoy! In honor of school days past, we’re reading the young adult classic Ender’s Game!   Written by American author Orson Scott Card in 1985, Ender’s Game is a scifi novel set in Earth’s future, when mankind is about to face a third attack from alien life. The main character, Ender, is one of the many children trained from an early age to fight in this ongoing war. But apparently there’s a certain genius to Ender’s tactics… we’ll have to read to see what that is exactly. Some of you might remember the movie that came out in 2013 with Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley. Yes? No? It looked pretty awful and it didn’t seem to do very well considering the book’s existing fan base… …

Chicago’s Oldest & Largest

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If you’re a fellow bibliophile, and you’re in Chicago (for whatever reason), you have to visit Myopic Books! True to our title, it’s Chicago’s oldest and largest used bookstore. Packed tight into an old brownstone on Milwaukee Avenue in the heart of Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, Myopic has three floors fully-loaded with used books. They seem to cover every possible surface, which makes sense considering they boast over 80,000 editions. The staff is very friendly, always greeting visitors with a happy hello and available to answer questions. And if you visit you may have a question or two, since it’s a bit of a book maze inside. But that’s part of the fun! You weave through tight, makeshift hallways lined with books and the air smells like well-loved paperbacks. There’s nothing better, right? And you’re likely to find a great deal. Myopic is pretty particular about the books they buy. Most of their selection ends up looking fairly unused since they weed-out any books that have taken too much damage. But even though they’re choosy, they have …

Illustrating Adventures

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Since this month we’re reading a graphic novel of sorts (Hyperbole and a Half ), we thought it’d be a great time to learn more about the genre. And who better to learn from than an illustrator and comic book author? Introducing, Dan Hood! Read on to learn about his Illustrating Adventures, comic books, and be one of the first to see Dan’s latest comic, The Green Bowl…   Tell us a little about yourself and your work… I grew up drawing, creating, doodling. It’s really the only thing that never gets boring to me and is definitely a driving force in my life. I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in comic books, which is funny to tell people. I enjoy making comics, but I also enjoy animation and painting as well. What do you love about graphic novels and comics? The way story and art are in harmony achieving something more than what they can accomplish individually! It’s a very beautiful thing. What are some facts people might not know about this genre? Great question! The …

Bookly Recommends {Humor}

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Are you already finished with Hyperbole and a Half and looking for another read that will tickle your funny bone? Here are a few recommendations from the Bookly Club that will keeping you laughing all the way through the month of April. Yes Please! by Amy Poehler: A quick read, Amy’s journey and career so far are full of laughs. Though on more than one occasion the story might not make her sound so great, you have to respect the fact that she keeps it real. Bossypants by Tina Fey: If you’re a fan of Tina Fey’s writing (SNL, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), you’ll be a fan of this book. If you’re not a fan of Tina Fey’s writing, then, well, we are very different. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling: Mindy is a girl’s girl and she wrote a book for girls. She says things you might be afraid to say, and she’s got her finger on the pulse of what it’s like to be a young …

April Book

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Hello again! Feel like a good laugh after last month’s read? Well, you’re in luck! In honor of April Fool’s Day and the month of foolish pranks, it’s the perfect time for us to read something funny. April’s theme is humor and we’ll be reading Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh.   Never heard of it? Well, let us explain. It all started out as a web comic and blog by the same name.  The author, Allie Brosh, is in her late 20’s and lives in Oregon with her husband and 2 dogs (who appear often in her drawings). She used (uses) her unique, hand-drawn web comic / blog to tell her life stories and struggles in a humorous, self-deprecating and creative way. The first thing you notice is probably her drawing style which is usually described as “crude” because of its juvenile look. But the Hyperbole and a Half blog has received up to 5 million views per month and attracted many loyal readers. So in 2013 she published her first book Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That …