How April Moved from Autism Awareness to Autism Acceptance Month
Andrew highlights how attitudes towards people with autism have changed over the years.
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Andrew Hazard
Advisory SpecialistPatron Engagement
Blog Posts
Beginner's Guide to Mystery Fiction
Dive into mystery fiction and learn what mysteries our library staff loves.
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Free to Read: Books for Older Teens and Adults
We celebrate the freedom to read by highlighting books that have been banned, censored, or challenged in schools and libraries across the country.
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Great Chicago Detective Stories
Calling all lovers of mystery and the Windy City! Explore Chicago with these great takes on the detective story.
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(Subverting) H.P. Lovecraft
"For H.P. Lovecraft, with all my conflicted feelings." Let us recognize the creators who are dealing with the inescapable toxicity of one of the most influential horror/science fiction/fantasy authors of the past century by invading his sandbox and making his toys their own!
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International Detective and Mystery Stories
Try a mystery set in locations far and farther away.
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Beginner's Guide to Mystery Series
Because when you've found a favorite detective, just one book is never enough.
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Beginner's Guide to Mystery Books
These mystery novels are favorites of our staff.
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Indigenous Authors/Indigenous Detectives
I grew up on Tony Hillerman's classic mysteries featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. But it's only in the last few years that the authors of books featuring indigenous sleuths started to resemble their characters. I know this is a somewhat limited selection--seven from the United States, one from New Zealand--but there will surely be more. I look forward to updating this list.
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Autism Acceptance Month
Here are a few books that I hope will serve as both windows and mirrors for all who read them, just as they have for me.
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Sherlock without Arthur
"Marry him or murder him or do whatever you like." Arthur Conan Doyle’s glib reply to a theatrical director who wanted to bring Sherlock Holmes to the London stage highlights an essential truth: right from the get-go, other people cared about the character David Grann calls a “Victorian superhero” far more than his creator did. “Sherlockians” started writing stories featuring Holmes while Conan Doyle was still alive–homages or pastiches or fan fiction or what have you. These are some of the best.
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We need a little Murder/Right this very minute...
A search for “detective and mystery fiction” related to the major winter holidays brings up more than 250 titles in our catalog (more if you include books for teens and children). Why? Lisa Unger points to our fascination with “the shadow of a beautiful thing, the hidden layers beneath all that glitters and shines.” Tod Goldberg cites the hell-is-other-people aspect: “After eight nights with family, almost any exit seems appealing, even those from this life.” Comedian Benjamin Stevenson (speaking through his alter ego Ernest Cunningham) reminds us that it can be as simple as authors wanting a “little yuletide cash grab,” namechecking the 1893 Sherlock Holmes story “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” (see below) as an early example. Here are some of my favorite titles for this time of year.
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