Illinois Books

I loved reading "Murder in Winnetka!" The thrills, twists, turns and sexy encounters kept my butt in the chair and my eyes glued to the pages. I recommended this novel to many friends and know they greatly enjoyed S.C. Pemberton's smashing story as well. I wish Hollywood would discover this rare find of prime entertainment.

I was amazed at the fun I had while reading S.C. Pemberton's first novel, Murder in Winnetka. I never guessed the surprise ending and felt like I knew each character. I felt like I was at the movies, to the extent that I cast each character in my head with popular stars. Loved reading this!!! Please write more books!!!

As many mystery writers, S.C. Pemberton gained her writing skills in other areas: as a playwright and copywriter, as well as broadcasting. She has also been an actress, which gives her the background for this unusual mystery. Ms. Pemberton is a University of Florida alumni and a native Floridian who made her way to the Midwest.

Jonathan and Meridith Chamberlain, at first look, have it all. Jonathan is the son of an influential congressman, and Meridith is an heiress. They live in the most affluent section of Chicago's North Shore, Winnetka. But having it all is not enough. Their marriage is failing; Jonathan is in financial trouble; and then the police find the body of Tony Romano in their home. Their children never made it to school that day; every parent's nightmare:

"Chelsea was wary and stood silent. The woman continued in a gentle voice, `I work with your mother at the North Lake Community House. She's already called the school, and they know you're going with me. My name is Laura.' The woman held out her hand. Chelsea wasn't sure. Something told her to go to the office and see if her mother had really called. She was remembering all the warnings from mom and her teachers. She back off. A hired guard sat, not ten feet away. His presence was the result of the shootings at the school in May of 1987. Another mother was coaxing him to take a forgotten lunch bag to a classroom, and he was busy explaining he could not leave his post."

Pemberton uses her technical expertise in broadcasting and the theater to set the stage for this romantic and captivating mystery. The character of Meri Chamberlain is as likable as her husband Jonathan is despicable. A theme of unbridled power and ambition juxtaposed by the character of an unlikely mob boss makes for powerful reading material. Even as Meri is swept off of her feet by the handsome Tony Romano, evil is lurking in the wings, waiting to take the life of her children in exchange for political favors.

Murder In Winnetka weaves a world of power and greed that thrill and entertains the reader.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

A friend recommended 'Murder in Winnetka' to me and since I usually read non-fiction I was reluctant to pick it up. When I did, I couldn't put it down! The intriguing plot twists and turns through Chicago's North Shore and the fascinating lives of its wealthy residents as it races to a shocking, shattering conclusion. The fictional characters are as real as the actual Chicago locations that serve as their backdrop. There is something for everyone in the steamy romance, mysterious murder, political intrigue and suspensful kidnapping all intertwined in this compelling first novel. I can't wait to read S.C. Pemberton's next book!

Quotes from articles:

"..part practical...part humorous" Andrew Herrmann, Chicago Sun-Times

"The book is a comprehensive tour of information about historic forts, sprawling homes, old churches, forgotten cemeteries ice cream parlors, country clubs, biking, fishing, horseback riding, even accordion sing-a-longs" Charles J. Shields, The Star

"It is a true insiders' look at 'that stretch of land past I-55', written in an often witty, always eclectic style." Joanne Zerkel, The Star

"Book destroys myth of cultural-less South Suburbs" Terry Loncaric, The Star

"...informal and informative" Dan Pearson, Daily Southtown

Also received wonderful write-ups/discussions from The Joliet Herald, The Lincoln-Way Sun and the Spike O'Dell show on WGN AM Radio.

This is a pretty neat book with a lot of interesting facts. It's cool that someone put out a book about our area. It was fun to read too. The authors are smart-alexs. If you're from the area, I'd say snag a copy.

This is the funniest guide book I've ever read! The authors' sarcasim and dry wit actually made reading about yard ornaments fun. I lived in the south suburbs for 20 years and had no idea that all these historical events took place "in my own backyard". The only bad thing I can say is that 250+ pages was too short. The book was so interesting and fun I wanted more!

The authors take a lighthearted view of Chicago's South suburbs. The book is not only a great guide to what's happening in the era, but gives the reader a tongue-in-cheek peek tour, complete with insider details. A must read for new area residents!

This book was great, My sister found her aunt Yvonne Kyler in this book and it reminded me of so many places and things I had forgotten,, my family lived on 14th st. and my uncle and aunt owned a junk business on Obrien and later on Union after the Dan Ryan forced us to leave. What a trip down Memory lane

Mrs Eastwood was my Cultural Anthropology professor a few years ago and she is an amazing woman. I intend on reading the book soon when I get back to the States. I am sure this book is facinating!

This book is billed as an "oral history," which it is, but it is much more than that. First, the author provides extensive background about each of the four urban ethnic enclaves her interview subjects then go on to describe from their personal perspectives. Second, she has selected four truly remarkable people, activists in every sense of the word. Third, she has created a narrative based on multiple interviews and letters that manages to present a clear, readable and appealing story while retaining the authentic voices of her four subjects. Though intended to be representative of the four key ethnic groups that occupied Chicago's Maxwell Street neighborhood for its last 100 years (Eastern European Jews, Italians, southern African-Americans and Mexicans), the four interview subjects are each fascinating individuals in their own right. Taking nothing away from them, Eastwood doesn't give herself enough credit for producing such compelling tales.

Maxwell Street, known to many in films like "The Blues Brothers" was a unique Chicago gathering place. Carolyn Eastwood captures the spirit and energy of this rich tapestry of Chicago life, that has slipped into history. Thankfully, her book preserves the voices and stories of that era.

I be liking this book cause it is the goodest boke ever it had teachet me to visiting and learn Chicago. Mark Wukas is the bestest editore I have ever ever met in my entir lives.

The Newcomer's Handbook for Chicago offers a thoroughly detailed guide to making the move to the Windy City. Not only was it informative, but it was interesting. I'm going to read other Newcomer's Handbooks for fun and to learn about some other great cities. These books will not disappoint you.

If you're moving to Chicago, this book is a BIG help. Very useful info on finding a place to live, rentals, neighborhoods, utilities, services, etc. Covers the city thoroughly, the suburbs less so.

If you are moving to Chicago, this book is BIG help. Very useful info on finding a place to live, rentals, neighborhoods, utilities, services, etc. Covers the city thoroughly, the suburbs less so.

This book is very informative. I do have a warning though. On page 44 Canoe Shack is listed as canoe rental. On November 24, 2001 I had scheduled a drop off with this outfitt. Canoe Shack never fullfilled its obligation. No explination was given. Perhaps the author should omit this outfitt in future editions.

This is a very useful book. It is easy to read and gets you where you want to be - on the water.

Illinois is a lot more fun than people realize.

A native of Illinois, Mike Svob has canoed the steams of the Midwest for thirty years. In Paddling Illinois he draws upon his experience and expertise in showcasing sixty-four outstanding trips for canoe and kayak. Each trip route features detailed maps showing roads, put-ins and take-outs, significant rapids, mileage, fascinating points of interest, and other useful information. General summaries are provided covering camping opportunities, water levels, shuttle routes, access points, canoe rentals and/or shuttle services. Paddling Illinois is additionally enhanced information on fishing opportunities, river reading and maneuvers, and special safety factors. Highly recommended for both novice and experienced canoeists and kayakers.

Paddling Illinois is very well orgnized and thoughtfully laid out. It is reminiscent of the classic Wisconsin paddling guide book, "Whitewater/Quietwater" by Bob and Jody Palzer. I am a map nut and love the maps in this book. They are big, uncluttered, and easy to read. This book is chocked full of useful info. Be sure to check out the "Introduction" and "Appendixes". I found myself flipping through the book, reading the side bars that accompany many of the trip descriptions. They're great. If you paddle in Illinois, or plan to paddle here, buy this book. It's the best paddling guide book available for Illinois, and worth every penny!

Absolutely fascinating book about the pioneers who went west, either for gold or a better life. Read most of it while camping in the Boundary Waters. Took author ten years of research. Was his doctoral dissertation. Pioneers were not as alone, nor Indians as bad, as history has made them. 1840 trip was much harder than 1860. Things really changed fast. One man drove 1500 turkeys west!

This is an excellent book for learning the intricate details of the Oregon Trail crossings. Mr. Unruh has obviously done his research.

The Plains Across is a remarkable book, a nearly unrevised dissertation that is nevertheless a thoroughly readable synthesis of the overland migration to the American West, 1840-1860. It's a pity that Unruh never had the chance to further rework this manuscript after so diligently honing his craft during the eight years of research and writing it took to complete his dissertation.

The least interesting chapters come first: long, pedestrian surveys of public opinion about the Trans-Mississippi West. More compelling is the chapter on emigrant-Indian interaction, which Unruh proves was considerably less violent and more mutually beneficial than the later myth of unremitting conflict suggests. Unruh's discussion of emigrant-Mormon relations is too apologetic for Mormon behavior, but the chapter nevertheless explains well why overlanders and Saints often came into conflict.

To my mind, the best chapters are the final ones that chronicle the significant assistance that overlanders received from the West Coast. Not only did earlier emigrants extend aid for its public relations value in the struggle to increase local populations, there was also a remarkable amount of pure humanitarian assistance, sometimes granted at considerable personal sacrifice. The last chapter, "The Overlanders in Historical Perspective," is a fine summary of the emigrant experience.

The Plains Across is now more than twenty-five years old, but it is still the standard history of the Trans-Mississippi migration. As one of Unruh's friends wrote, "It is sorrowful beyond expression that this book must stand as a posthumous memorial to [the author], rather than as the beginning of an outstanding professional career."

An exceptional in-depth study of the Oregon/California Emigrant Trail. Each chapter is thoroughly researched and written very well, with excerpts from the overlanders' journals and diaries, along with references from various newspapers throughout the country. The reader is first introduced to the political and social ramifications from the news media of the pros and cons of overland travel to Oregon and California. Next, Unruh unravels the "whys" as to the emigrants' desire to pursue such an endeavor, risking loss of everything, including possibly life itself. We also get a feel for how the overlanders got along with each other; their relations with Indians; the battles of overcoming hunger, thirst, cold, etc. There is also mention of private entrepreneurs along the trail who were trading and selling goods at exorbitant prices; the "white Indians" who were white men masqueraded as Indians taking advantage of the emigrants; the Mormon influence throughout the Salt Lake area, along with the "Winter Mormons" who were average non-Mormon emigrants wishing to overwinter in Salt Lake but subjected to cruel and unjust treatments. Then the federal goverment comes into the picture by improving roads, establishing forts along the way and implementing troops to guide and protect the overlanders to safety. We read detailed descriptions of how west coast assistance was a major factor in helping settlers make that final push into either Oregon or California. The book is totally amazing! A definite page turner. Even if one is not into Western U.S. history, this book will make one look at the hardships, perils and sacrifices these people overcame to establish a new life for themselves, families, friends and relatives.

I love this book. The pictures are awesome, many of which were taken in the early 80's. Farms dominate the pictures. If you like pictures of barns, prairies, or trees you'll want to buy this book. It's just too bad these pictures aren't large and ion frames.

This collection of timeless photographs eloquently expresses the strength and sustenance we midwesterners draw from our environment. "Praireiscapes" reveals what many of us would never have taken notice of or been able to explain with words on our own--that the midwestern landscapes are glorious, and beautiful in a profound, enduring way. Kanfer has another book, "On Second Glance" which picks up where "Praireiscapes" ends, and there is an annual calendar of photographs widely available.I recommend them highly for anyone who appreciates fine art photography.

This is the book that I show to people when I try vainly to explain in words why a prairie view or a prairie skyscape is more inspiring to me than a mountain range. Although a few of the photos are a little too posed and sentimental, the finest of them convey the power and austere beauty of this often-dismissed part of the country. Akin in their severe beauty to Zen or to Shaker design, the finest of these photographs will catch at your heart and your mind.

Kanfer certainly has an eye for the little details that give the scenery of the Midwest its own particular charm. Beautiful landscapes captured by a master photographer. A "must" for those living in the region, as well as those like myself who've moved on to other places and enjoy reacquainting ourselves with surroundings once familiar.

Again, Jane Berstein has done an incredible job describing the challenges of raising a child with a disability and the struggles of transitioning that child to the adult world. The roadblocks she faced and overcame demonstrate her true love for her daughter and her determination to give Rachel that best possible life despite her disabilities. Thank you Jane for chronicling these challenges so that others may learn from your experience. I have recommended this book to colleagues and other families.

I so admire this book and author. There hasn't been enough written about the transition to adulthood for people with cognitive disabilities. Here we get an honest, incredibly well-told story of a complex, ever-shifting mother-daughter relationship. The book has room for ambivalence, contradiction, determination, despair--all of the things that make life, well, life. If, as the parent of a child with a disability, you find yourself stretching to the point of elasticity, giving even beyond the fact of total depletion, and then, the very next moment, wanting more for yourself, not to mention more FROM your child, this book is for you. It's lyrical candor will disarm you exactly as it provides the only solace that is credible.

I've long been a fan of Bernstein's work, from her novels to her scorchingly brave memoir about her sister's murder, Bereft. Rachel in the World shows the same kind of bravery. This is no treacly feel-good tome about what it is like to raise a special needs daughter and send her out in the world. Instead, Bernstein shows both her love and her irritation, and her anger at a system that doesn't exactly make it easy to do what is best for Rachel. Beautifully written and filled with photos that are like prose poems.

Once again Jane Bernstein has achieved a remarkable portrayal, adeptly balancing her intensely personal feelings with an objective view of Rachel, her mentally retarded daughter (a description Bernstein sometimes finds more appropriate than the more politically correct euphemism of "intellectually impaired"). The Rachel we met as a little girl in Loving Rachel, Bernstein's moving account of discovering her daughter's mental and physical liabilities, has grown into a young adult, craving freedom and independence in the "real world" beyond the safe haven her mother has spent years developing. Bernstein's experience of wading through the labyrinth of "the system" in order to achieve her goal of finding the right living situation for Rachel proves to be confounding and frustrating, and as social services cuts become more frequent, even scary. Add to that Rachel's own conflicted emotions, along with her constant chattering and insatiable demands, and it seems inevitable that Bernstein will succumb to the overwhelming pressures of her role as Rachel's protector and provider, while at the same time trying to maintain her own sanity. But in her own inimical fashion, and written with the honesty that she is famous for, Bernstein proves that she is up to the task, even if at times she doubts her own strength and fortitude. On the surface a story about a young woman facing a life she may not be ready for, Rachel in the World is really about the love of a mother for her daughter. And I can't wait for Rachel to grow older so Bernstein can write the next chapter in their lives.

Mystery traditionalists will enjoy Hunter's careful plotting and thrills of a chaste and purely cerebral nature.

The relationship between Ransom and Charters is almost as much fun to read as the mystery plot. If your Christmas holidays are always uneventful or unsatisfying, read about theirs. It was lots more interesting.

Lots of falling snow, warm muffins, children's choirs ... and a few dead bodies are laced into this satisfying mystery that makes it just right for a cozy read by the Christmas tree.

Chicago homicide detective Jeremy Ranson decides that his amateur sleuthing partner Emily Charters needs a vacation after undergoing open heart surgery. The grandmotherly Emily agrees to the two of them going to a Michigan guest house for the holidays because she thinks her young charge needs rest before he burns out from his high pressured job.

Neither one expected nor wanted to get embroiled in a murder mystery at Sara Bartlett's guest house. However, this is not to be the case as a nasty drifter is murdered. Emily and Jeremy, who both like to see justice served, learn that Sara's brother was murdered two years ago. The lodge has been closed since then until it was recently reopened. It appears to the unlikely Windy City duo that someone will use murder as a tool to keep a secret involving the guest house buried.

RANSOM FOR A HOLIDAY is a very interesting Midwest cozy, starring two likable characters who turn the series into the fun experience it is. Emily is the classic star of cozies while Jeremy is the epitome of the caring inner city cop. The who-done-it is well designed and the secondary players add much depth. However, like the previous books, this novel is clearly not for those who like non-stop action. Instead, readers who enjoy a an intellectual plot need to try all five of Fred Hunter's Ransom-Charters tales.

Harriet Klausner

This book is well worth the price especially for those of us who were able to collect at this site. The site now houses a nuclear reactor so I am told. Dr. Richardson was a gentleman's gentleman and I was privlaged to have spent several hours with him from time to time as he poured over the "goodies" I had found at this site. He had hoped to write this book when he retired but cancer took him at a very young age.

Dr. Richardson would have been proud to see this book and I for one am delighted to see it published in his honor. It is well worth the price and exposes the rest of the world to a fascinating site of Burgess Shale like preservation. It again illustrates how little we know about soft bodied animals of the past as they were rarely preserved.

To the people who were responsible for this excellent book "Thank You".

I was delighted with this book. It succeeds in painting a vivid portrait of a rich ancient assemblage of tropical creatures. It doesn't skimp on the science and contains numerous anecdotal human touches. There are some amazing statistics on the relative rarities of the different forms. Well worth the money.

After a wait of 14 years the long sought publication was released this August. The cost is rather steep but a collector of Mazon Creek fossils does not have many refrence sources to deal with. The artwork is better than expected and helps a great deal in the identification of specimens, however the inner cover drawings seem rather childish. The photographs do not show a great amount of detail and some of the specimens used seem to be of poor quality. The text is excellent, the editors and individual authors went way above what I expected to find. Some chapthers were rather long and drawn out(Chap 2) but they still filled a purpose in the overall text of the book. I would recommend this publication to anyone who has a intrest in the fossils of the Carboniferous found in Northeastern Illinois, none of us probally will not be around to see another book of this type again!

Looking at the reviews I see I am not alone in knowing the late Dr. Richardson. I guess I should not be surprised. He was an incredibly generous man who I had the privilege of knowing and through him was allowed to see the "behind the scenes" collection of fossils at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. A few years ago visiting family in Chicago I was sad to hear that Dr. Richardson had passed on. He was an inspiration. I still carry my "Pit 11 pass" in my wallet with pride.
Mason creek is an amazing site. It is rich in fossil invertebrates (including soft bodied animals) and probably contains more different species of insects than anywhere else in the world (at least at the time when I studied there it was known as having more different species of insects than anywhere else in the world) was It is also the place where the famous "Tully Monster" was found. It was Dr. Richardson who first authenticated the bizarre animal.
Those interested in fossils will find this a very worthwhile addition to their library.
Dr. Richardson your spirit lives on.
Highly recommended.