Books | Thursday, January 13,2011

New collection brings Springfield poems to life

The late Pat Smith was a former Springfield resident, one of the three founders of Brainchild, a women’s writing collective that lasted more than 30 years and published a number of books. Now Pa

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

What Lincoln read shaped the man, and history

By Julie Cellini

The first book I ever owned was a child-sized version of the life of Abraham Lincoln – a gift from my book-loving father, who was convinced Lincoln read everything he ever got his hands on. His

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

The American Dream, pre-cut and ready to assemble

By Corrine Frisch

Nearly 10 years ago Rosemary Thornton drove to Springfield from Alton to give a talk at Lincoln Library about Sears homes. As the library’s program director, I remember her coming early in the d

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

Lincoln and Darwin, born on the same day

By Julie Cellini

Fans of fanciful, history-inspired books like Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter will surely find Lincoln and Darwin – Shared Visions of Race, Science and Religion a tough slog through the mid-19th

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

The enchanting story of Christmas in Illinois

By Julianne Glatz

Sleigh rides in Springfield. Christmas at Mormon founder Joseph Smith’s house in Nauvoo. Recipes from Collinsville’s “Queen of Cookies.” A Greenville Civil War soldier’s

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

The deadly adventures of a southern Illinois gangster

By Patrick Yeagle

During the Prohibition Era of speakeasies, swanky gangsters and machine gun massacres, Illinois was home to some of the most powerful and respected figures in the underworld. When it comes to Illinois

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

Uncovering the history buried by King Coal

By Rachel Wells

Coal, to Jeff Biggers, is a symbol of lives lost, land destroyed and the worst of big business with too much political clout. But, to him, the black and dusty rock is also a symbol of his and so many

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

This picture of Illinois politics isn’t pretty

By Robert E. Hartley

The title of this book, Illinois Politics: A Citizen’s Guide, is less than inviting when compared to many political items on bookstore shelves today. But the story between the covers tells a gri

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

A fictional wartime journey from Carbondale to Cambodia and back

By Job Conger

The third book in Mike Shepherd’s historical fiction trilogy of Mick Scott’s adventures as a soldier and a spy has an Illinois flavor, like the others, though it ranges to distant Cambodia

Books | Thursday, December 16,2010

Get your kicks... on Springfield Stories and Route 66

By Corrine Frisch

When people think of Springfield history their minds usually turn to its favorite son. Thousands of books have been written about Abraham Lincoln, but there is much capital city lore to be brought to