Book Reviews by Jill Halbach

Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West by Katie Hickman

Katie Hickman’s Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West…

1000 Design Classics by Phaidon

Phaidon’s revised and updated 1000 Design Classics (2022) is…

Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle by Jody Rosen

I consider myself fortunate to have grown up in one of the last…

Book That Joplin’s History Needs Doesn’t Exist Yet

This is a review of A People’s History of Joplin, Missouri.…

Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian by Ellen Jovin

It seems to me that grammar is one of those things that people…

Bicycling with Butterflies by Sara Dykman

Full disclosure: I chose to review this book because author Sara…

The Happy Inbox by Maura Nevel Thomas

I have over 3,000 emails in one (of four) of my work-related…

A Culinary History of Missouri by Suzanne Corbett and Deborah Reinhardt

One of my favorite things about traveling is experiencing the…

Just My Type by Simon Garfield

Pity Comic Sans, the font that people love to hate. Developed…

The Midwest Survival Guide: How we Talk, Love, Work, Drink, and Eat…Everything with Ranch by Charlie Berens

Oh, howdy. If you’re reading this, then you likely live in…

Radius Books

A couple of times a year, we receive a box of free art books…

DK’s Big Ideas Simply Explained Series

It’s likely that, at one time or another, you’ve perused…

Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants by Danae Horst

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve impulsively purchased…

Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler

In 2014 we, meaning Post Art Library (the privately funded not-for-profit…

Historic Missouri Roadsides by Bill Hart

This book review is a celebration of sorts of both the Missouri…

The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman by Margot Mifflin

March is Women’s History Month. To celebrate, I encourage you…

The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to The Hidden World of Everyday Design By Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt

I sort of stole this book review from my husband, meaning that…

How the Post Office Created America: A History by Winifred Gallagher

I fancy sending and receiving mail: cards, letters, mail art,…

The Penguin Book of Mermaids, edited by Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalni Brown

The beginning of summer is an exciting time here at the library,…

101 Art Destinations in the U.S.: Where Art Lives Coast to Coast by Owen Phillips

This is an exciting book. Before discussing why, however, I’d…

A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester

May is Preservation Month, a celebration that promotes our heritage…

Women of the Blue and Gray: True Civil War Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies by Marianne Monson

Lately, I’m of a mood to read everything nonfiction. As such,…

Ukulele Resources

Imagine walking into a public library and checking out a ukulele.…

The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris

This book review is not for the faint of heart nor for the weak…

Bugged: The Insects Who Rule the World and the People Obsessed with Them by David MacNeal

The First Day of Spring is but two days away: Easter Lilies,…

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore

When perusing the library's new book offerings, Kate Moore's…