We’d like to highlight just a few of the hundreds of new books that the library acquires each month. And why not start with controversy? Another country’s, that is. Chantal Bouchard, a linguist at McGill University, tackles the loaded question of “Parisian French” versus so-called “French-Canadian patois” and the issues that have accompanied it for almost two centuries in Obsessed with Language: A Sociolinguistic History of Quebec (LPC 447.9714 B7524O).
Not ready to head that far north? How about Wisconsin? Chicago-Lake Geneva: A 100 Year Road Trip (LPC 917 C5329) retraces the route of a 1905 “photographic automobile map” complete with period advertisements and hand-drawn directional arrows. Thanks to the Chicago Map Society and the Newberry Library, we can see the original photographs paired with contemporary photos of the same spot; thanks to modern speed limits, it won’t take you the recommended six hours to arrive.
Road trips mean summer, and summer means baseballbut not for everyone. In Stolen Bases: Why American Girls Don’t Play Baseball (LPC 796.357082 R5812S), University of Nevada-Reno professor of political science Jennifer Ring explores the intersection of gender, colonialism, and big business in our national pastime.
If you want to take a swing at any of our new books, check out the displays at the Lincoln Park or Loop Libraries.