Book recommendations from the Biblioracle

John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you’ve read.

1. “The Man with the Golden Arm” by Nelson Algren

2. “Catch and Kill” by Ronan Farrow

3. ”Body and Soul” by Frank Conroy

4. “Squeeze Me” by Carl Hiaasen

5. “The Assassins” by Joyce Carol Oates

— Helen C., Evergreen Park

An interesting array of titles, including one of the few Joyce Carol Oates novels that’s out of print and tough to come by. I think Helen will respond well to “Heat & Light” by Jennifer Haigh, a deep character study that revolves around a timely societal issue — fracking.

1. “The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin

2. “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

3. “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett

4. “The Mothers” by Brit Bennett

5. “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins

— Lorie P., Naperville

I think Lorie would latch onto just about any book by Meg Wolitzer, but in this case, I’m going with “The Wife.”

1. “The Green Knight” by Iris Murdoch

2. “The Searcher” by Tana French

3. “Daniel Deronda” by George Eliot

4. “Chicago Divided: The Making of a Black Mayor” by Paul Kleppner

5. “The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz” by Erik Larson

— Lucy M., Decatur

“Still in Love” by Michael Downing is a tender novel about a college professor, exploring what is most meaningful in life and in work. It feels particularly attuned to some of the questions we may be asking ourselves during the time of COVID.