Chicago Reader’s Spring Books Issue 2011

One of my favorite Chicago things is the free, weekly, Chicago Reader.  This weekly paper serves as basically a complete guide to whats happening around town, as well as usually offering well-written (if sometimes a little eye-rolling in their pretension) articles about important things happening in the Windy City.

The Reader’s Spring 2011 Books Issue came out last week, and as expected it’s got plenty of items of interest for Book Nerds.  The issue kicks off with five Chicago novelists writing about books that have inspired them, and then proceeds into a dissection of six new books coming out over the next few months and local events happening focused on the book.  Several I’m already looking forward to are included – such as Wendy McClure’s “The Wilder Life,” which I believe is already out.   (The review of “County: Life, Death, and Politics at Chicago’s Public Hospital” by David A. Ansell makes me want to read it immediately, too.)

The book theme continues lightly through the paper’s sections – Food & Drink spotlights five books about food that might appeal to local foodies, while Movies showcases a book about the Reader’s first staff film critic, Dave Kehr.  (Music and Theatre don’t offer up anything particularly book-y, but I maintain that theatre is literature and music is poetry, so…)

Chicago Bookies, the paper should still be available on street corners and cafes for a few more days if you want to grab a copy.  Alternately, the Reader is great at having their content available online, so it can be looked up there as well.

Just giving a plug to a paper I support and an issue I look forward to.