Women in the Bible: Fiction

Biblical fiction remains vibrant, and some of the best most deeply felt writing can be found within this sub-genre of Christian fiction. This list of books is specific to biographical fiction featuring women in the Bible from both the Old and New Testaments. Readers from different faith traditions can pick up one of these novels featuring strong and courageous women of faith and find a great read.

Bathsheba: a reluctant beauty by Angela Elwell Hunt
Esther: a novel by Rebecca Kanner
Eve: a novel of the first woman by Elissa Elliott
The Garden of Ruth by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg
Lineage of Grace Series by Francine Rivers: Unshaken (Ruth and Naomi), Unspoken (Bathsheba),
Unafraid (Mary, mother of Jesus)
Mary, called Magdalene by Margaret George
Rachel and Leah by Orson Scott Card
Rebekah by Orson Scott Card
The Red Tent  (Dinah) by Anita Diamant

Sarai: a novel by Jill Eileen Smith
Zipporah, Wife of Moses: a novel by Marek Halter

New in Nonfiction!

Rise of the Rocket Girls: : the women who propelled us, from missiles to the moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt
Traces the pivotal achievements of the elite female science recruits at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where in the mid-20th century they transformed rocket design and enabled the creations of the first American satellites.

Love that boy: what two presidents, eight road trips, and my son taught me about a parent's expectations by Ron Fournier
Fournier explores what we want for our children--popularity, normalcy, achievement, genius--and what they truly need--grit, empathy, character in this personal story about the causes and costs of outsized parental expectations.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
An illuminating debut memoir of a woman in science; a moving portrait of a longtime collaboration, in work and in life; and a stunningly fresh look at plants that will forever change how you see and think about the natural world.

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman 
An award-winning, science, nature and human biology writer explores recent research indicating that birds are much more intelligent than previously thought and are capable of deceiving and manipulating, eavesdropping, gift-giving, playing, sharing and much more.

The Mathews men: seven brothers and the war against Hitler's U-boats by William Geroux
The Mathews Men shows us the war far beyond traditional battlefields—often the U.S. merchant mariners’ life-and-death struggles took place just off the U.S. coast—but also takes us to the landing beaches at D-Day and to the Pacific. Here, finally, is the heroic story of those merchant seamen, recast as the human story of the men from Mathews County, Virginia.

Your song changed my life: from Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, thirty-five beloved artists on their journey and the music that inspired it by Bob Boilen
The host and creator of NPR's All Songs Considered asks well-known musicians to reflect on the auditory moments that inspired them and changed their lives, including Trey Anastasio, Carrie Brownstein, Colin Meloy, Jimmy Page and Dave Grohl.

The last goodnight: a World War II story of espionage, adventure, and betrayal by Howard Blum
Presents a portrait of American debutante and World War II spy Betty Pack that draws on recently declassified files to explore her MI-6 career and key role in successful Allied missions.

PRINCE - Music Producer, Songwriter, Singer - Gone from Our Midst - (06/07/1958 - 04/21/2016)

Prince Roger Nelson was a legendary musician who achieved wide fame in he 1980s with the album 1999 and Purple Rain, the latter album sharing a title with a film starring the musician. These albums cemented his superstar status. He was named after the Prince Roger Trio, a jazz band his father performed with as a pianist.

He was signed to Warner Brothers Records as a teenager. Prince was a perfectionist who was highly protective of his music. He wrote, composed and produced the majority of his music and played most of the instruments on his albums.

Prince's artistry included his singing abilities - a wide range from falsetto to baritone and quick flamboyant shifts of register. He was also a prominent multi-instrumentalist who played all 27 instruments on his debut album. As a performer he played on various guitars, piano, lead vocals and occasional bass, drums and harmonica. On recordings he played assorted keyboards and synthesizers, bass guitar, drums, percussion and saxophone.

You can honor Prince's legendary music in memoriam by checking out his recordings in the GPL collection:

1999 published in 1982
Purple Rain published in 1984
Graffiti Bridge published in 1990
Very Best of Prince published in 2001
Lullaby Renditions of Prince published in 2012
HITnRUN Phase One published in 2015 (his latest, last, except for HITnRUN Phase Two (streaming)

This a limited listing and there are many recordings in between. Search under Prince as well as Revolution (Musical Group) as authors, then reminisce.

Don't forget his motion picture, Purple Rain, the DVD: 20th Anniversary published in 2004 nor his book entitled 21 Nights published in 2008, a pictorial work of his performance in London, England.

His amazing talents will be missed.

Magical Mystery Tour

The setting of a mystery can be just as important as whodunit. With some mysteries, you can travel the world as you enjoy a great story. Not sure where to go? Here are some suggested destinations.

Lara McClintoch mysteries by Lyn Hamilton

Each book in this mystery series is set in a different location, from Hungary to Easter Island, and features antiques dealer Lara McClintoch. Soak in the local atmosphere, learn about the archaeology of the area, and solve the crime.

Anna Pigeon mysteries by Nevada Barr

Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is posted to a new national park with each book in this series. From Mesa Verde to the Statue of Liberty, you'll learn about the parks as you unravel the mystery.

Aimee Leduc mysteries by Cara Black

Set in Paris, gritty private investigator Aimee Leduc solves crimes and uncovers police corruption, all while dressed in vintage Chanel.

Shan Tao Yun mysteries by Eliot Pattison
Former Beijing police detective Shan struggles to protect Tibetan monks in Chinese-occupied Tibet. 

Past and Present - Great Reads with Dual Time Periods

Do you enjoy fiction that has a mix of the past and present?  Here's some fun reads that feature a timeline that utilizes both, often giving the reader interesting insight that the present day character in the novel doesn't necessarily have.

The Secret Keeper

At a family party in their farm in the English countryside Laurel witnessed a shocking crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and her mother, Dorothy. Years later she has become an actress in London. When she returns for her mother's 90th birthday, long forgotten questions come back to light.  This story goes from pre-WWII England through the Blitz and to the fifties and beyond.




Those Who Save Us

Alternates between the present day, a daughter dealing with her aging and often closed off mother who refuses to discuss her past, and goes back  50 years to her mothers point of view and her harrowing experiences in Nazi Germany and her forbidden romance with a Jewish man.







The Historian

A daughter tries to find out more about her fathers past and her mother's mysterious fate through old letters and an ancient book.
Alternates between the historical, the point of view of the father, and the point of view of his daughter.








The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

In the present day Eloise travels to England to further research her dissertation on a pair of spies,  only to discover one that history seems to have missed. Story alternates between Eloise and the past following the tale of the Pink Carnation, a spy who helped save England from Napoleon.







Russian Winter: A Novel 

An aging former Soviet-era ballerina now living in Boston is auctioning off her jewelry.  Selling it awakens memories of her past in Soviet Russia, bringing the reader back in time to her former life, revealing her dark secret.

If You're Waiting to Watch a New Movie...

If you're waiting for one of our most popular current films, why not check out what inspired the filmmakers? At the same time, take advantage of our National Library Week special: between April 10-16, we're offering a deal: rent one movie for $1, rent a second for free! Perfect for any of the double features suggested below:

If You're Waiting for...Creed


Raging Bull (1980) This critically acclaimed biopic directed by Martin Scorsese features Robert De Niro playing famed boxer Jake LaMotta.












Rocky (1976) Sylvester Stallone broke into the mainstream with the first Rocky film in 1976, which won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards that year. Forty years later he was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for the same role in Creed. The stories here are similar and both Creed and Rocky are hailed as some of the greatest sports films of all time.





If You're Waiting for...The Hateful Eight

Reservoir Dogs (1992) This directorial debut from Hateful Eight director Quentin Tarantino stars Michael Madsen and Tim Roth (also in The Hateful Eight - Tarantino is infamous for reusing the same cast members). This fast paced movie follows several criminals in the aftermath of a heist gone horribly wrong.








The Thing (1982) An adaptation of the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, this Carpenter classic was also scored by Ennio Morricone, who won an Oscar for his score for The Hateful Eight. Interestingly, Morricone says that he used discarded pieces of The Thing's score for The Hateful Eight. Both films feature a claustrophobic setting in a snowy environment, though where The Hateful Eight is a western, The Thing is a science-fiction horror.






If You're Waiting for...Spotlight

All the President's Men (1976) Starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, this follows the true story of two reporters investigating the Watergate scandal of 1976.









Zodiac (2007) Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) and also starring Mark Ruffalo, this atmospheric film follows the true story of the hunt for the Zodiac killer that menaced San Francisco beginning in the late 1960s.

Happy National Library Week!

1959 National Library Week Poster

Did you know that it is National Library Week?  First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.

In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee's goals were ambitious.   They ranged from "encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time" to "improving incomes and health" and "developing strong and happy family life."

In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read!"

This year National Library Week will be observed April 10-16, 2016 with the theme, "Libraries Transform." And the Glenview Public Library is hosting many events to celebrate. 

A World of Mystery: Award-Winning Authors Event

Sunday, April 10, 1:30-3 PM
Community Room
From the skyscrapers of Chicago to the ten thousand lakes of Minnesota, award-winning crime fiction authors William Kent Krueger (Windigo Island, Ordinary Grace) and Libby Fischer Hellmann (Jump Cut) will take you away to a world of mystery, deception, and suspense. Join us as we welcome National Library Week with a special afternoon of interviews, conversation, and intrigue. Book sale and signing to follow.

Lady Almina & The Real Downton Abbey

Tuesday, April 12, 7-8 PM
Community Room
Missing your Downton Abbey fix? Learn about the lost legacy of Highclere Castle and hear about the real historical characters who lived there. Based on the book by Almina Herbert, current Countess of Carnarvon. Performed by book dramatist, Lynn Rymarz.

Quarterly Listening & Music Discussion Group
Rewind - Looking Back on the Year's Best Releases

Wednesday, April 13, 7-8:30 PM
Multipurpose Room
Join AV Librarian Michael White for the National Library Week 'edition' of The Music Room. Hear some of 2015's most critically acclaimed releases, both on and off the radar. As music fans and critics everywhere compiled annual 'Best Of' lists, there's still plenty of time to catch up on some good sounds from sources such as NPR's All Songs Considered, Sound Opinions, Pitchfork, The Chicago Reader, The AV Club, and more. Please join us as we listen to and discuss selected tracks from some of the year's most talked about music.

Pawn Sacrifice - film
(115min/PG-13/2015)

Friday, April 15, 2 & 6:30 PM
American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer and Soviet Grandmaster Boris Spassky enthrall the world with their intense battle of wills and strategy during the 1972 World Chess Championship.

For more information on events for adults, children and teens go here.  Or call us at 847-729-7500 to reserve a spot.  And happy National Library Week!

Spring Flings

Smell the flowers of Spring with these dynamic titles!


Summer Secrets by Jane Green


Years after hard partying and the discovery of the father she never knew ends her only friendships, Cat Coombs achieves sobriety and resolves to make amends to those she has hurt. 

The Daylight Marriage by Heidi Pitlor



After his wife disappears following an argument, a climate scientist analyzes his marriage to an upper-class beauty, as he tries to piece together what happened to his wife.

See Me by Nicholas Sparks


A young man with a dark, destructive past has his plans to remain single challenged by a hardworking lawyer. 

Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum



Meet the Slepys: Dick, the stern doctor, the naèive husband, a man devoted to both facts and faith; Seena, the storyteller, the restless wife, a mother of four, a lover of myth. And their children, the Marys: Mary Grace, the devastating beauty; Mary Tessa, the insistent inquisitor; Mary Catherine, the saintly, lost soul; and finally, Amaryllis, Seena's unspoken favorite, born with the mystifying ability to sense the future, touch the past, and distinguish the truth tellers from the most convincing liar of all. 

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson



Ursula Todd is born on a cold snowy night in 1910 -- twice. As she grows up during the first half of the twentieth century in Britain Ursula dies and is brought back to life again and again. 

Listen Up, Audiobook Fans!

Finalists for the 2016 Audie Awards have been announced. The Audies are considered the premier awards for audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. More than 100 titles have been selected for recognition. For a complete list of nominees click here. Audie winners will be announced on May 11th at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Below is just a sampling of some of this year's audiobook finalists, any one of which could provide you with a wonderful listening experience.

Nonfiction listeners may want to consider:

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer, narrated by Mozhan Marno
The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor by Mark Schatzker, narrated by Chris Patton
Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchester, narrated by Simon Winchester

From the Autobiography/Memoir category, listeners might try:

Born with Teeth: a Memoir by Kate Mulgrew, narrated by Kate Mulgrew
I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend by Martin Short with Dave Kamp, narrated by Martin Short
Keep Moving: and Other Tips and Truth about Aging by Dick Van Dyke, narrated by Dick Van Dyke

Several nominees in the Humor category are:

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari with Eric Linenberg, narrated by Aziz Ansari
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, narrated by Mindy Kaling
Furiously Happy: a Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson, narrated by Jenny Lawson

Fiction listeners might enjoy:

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson, narrated by Alex Jennings
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannan, narrated by Polly Stone
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal, narrated by Amy Ryan & Michael Stuhlbarg

Mystery fans can become entangled in one of these titles:

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith, narrated by Robert Glenister
Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline, narrated by Kate Burton
All the Old Knives by Olen Steinhauer, narrated by Ari Fliakos & Juliana Francis Kelly

If you prefer Thrillers and Suspense, try:

The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry, narrated by Scott Brick
The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer, narrated by Scott Brick
Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, narrated by Rene Auberjonois

Happy Listening!