Playlist Books
Books
Even More of Chicago's Favorite Indie Bookstores
Daniel HautzingerDiscover the stories behind more of Chicago's favorite indie bookstores on the South Side, including a legendary, long-lived one that counts Barack and Michelle Obama amongst its fans.
More of Chicago's Beloved Independent Bookstores
Daniel HautzingerIndependent bookstores remain an irreplaceable asset, with their staff recommendations and sense of community. We've already featured three Chicago stalwarts, but here are the stories of a few more of the city's beloved indie bookstores.
How Volunteers Help Improve the Quality of Life for Women in Prison Through Books
Daniel HautzingerLast year, Illinois spent less than $300 on prison libraries, and access is often very limited. So Chicago Books to Women in Prison does exactly what its name says. “By helping women have a better quality of life while in prison, that's just better for their family and the community they'll be returning to," says a volunteer.
Chicago's Independent Bookstores
Daniel HautzingerIf you love books, you probably also love bookstores, and independent bookstores remain irreplaceable gems, with their staff recommendations, unusual selections, and sense of community. Discover the stories behind a few of Chicago's beloved indie bookstores.
From the Archive: John Updike
Daniel Hautzinger"Nobody needs a book much, do they?" It's a surprising sentiment to hear coming from a writer, but in this 1981 interview with WTTW's John Callaway, John Updike discusses his impressively humble views on literature, his existential anxieties, and his goals as a writer.
What 'Chicago Tonight' Is Reading This Summer
Daniel HautzingerNeed some new book recommendations for the summer? Discover some of the books the Chicago Tonight is reading right now, from a sweeping family saga to a clear-eyed memoir of race to a book of chatty but opinionated essays by a Chicagoan.
What Classic Novel Character Are You?
Daniel HautzingerAre you adventurous like Tom Sawyer? Fierce like Jo March? Just like Atticus Finch? Indomitable like Celie? Find out which classic literary character you are and get a reading list for your personality from The Great American Read's list of America's best-loved novels.
How a Harry Potter Fan Reimagined the Characters As She Saw Them
Daniel HautzingerChicago native Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael is an ardent Harry Potter fan who wanted to extend her time with the characters she loved, so she made a web series about a 25-year-old Hermione, using her love of reading and power of empathy to reimagine Hermione in her image.
Can You Guess the Book by Its Cover?
Daniel HautzingerWe're always being told not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case you should: can you identify 20 books from The Great American Read's list of America's 100 favorite novels by just their covers? Test your knowledge here, and get reading!
Beyond 'Little Women': Louisa May Alcott's Other Writings
Daniel HautzingerLouisa May Alcott may be best-known for her classic Little Women, but she also wrote racy potboilers in which women transgress societal norms under a pseudonym that wasn't traced to her until decades after death, as well as children's fables and moralisti young adult books.
America's Favorite Novels, in TV Form
Daniel HautzingerPBS loves books. From Masterpiece adaptations of classic novels to documentaries about authors, literature plays a big role in our programming. As we celebrate reading with The Great American Read, discover which of America's favorite novels, plus some other worthy books, can be seen on TV.
How Many of America's 100 Favorite Books Have You Read?
Daniel HautzingerPBS's The Great American Read has created a list of America's 100 most-loved novels, ranging from classics to sci-fi to romance to humor. See how many you've read, before the series premieres and voting on America's favorite book opens on May 22.
12 Iconic Works of Chicago Literature
Daniel HautzingerWhen the rest of the world thinks of Chicago, it's often in terms borrowed from literature: "Hog Butcher for the World," a city of slaughterhouses, a gritty, working-class town. What are some of the most iconic literary depictions of the city?
Hunting for the Treasure of – and in – Books
Daniel Hautzinger“I have spent most of my life in a perennial quest to convince people that reading a book is actually worthwhile,” Amy Brent says. In her show Amy's Book Hunt, she proves that books can be exciting by tracking down rare books in unlikely places.
National Book Lover's Day... On PBS
Daniel HautzingerExplore upcoming adaptations of books on PBS, from beloved classics to contemporary novels, on National Book Lover's Day. In development are versions of one of the most famous American novels, an English book with a familiar star, and a liberating story set in the 1920s.
