We have all had a lot of time to ourselves over the past year or so, and for many of us it has meant more reading time. My intentions were good but didn’t come to fruition as much as I would like.
I was an avid reader as a child, with my love of reading fostered by our next-door neighbor, who I affectionately referred to as Mrs. Limberlegs, a character from one of my favorite books. Mrs. Limberlegs would take her daughter and me to the library and so began my love of books which continued through my teen years and adulthood.
Looking at my collection of books from those days I see my set of Nancy Drew books — I think I have them all. They were created by the publisher Edward Stratmeyer to be the counterpart of the Hardy Boys series. Written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, it was apparent even then that it was boys first. I guess that is how I first gained an interest in mysteries. I continued on as an adult reading every Agatha Christi novel.
It seems I still have a preference for mysteries and am looking forward to the next John Grisham book. I like biographies, but romance novels not so much. I guess I would rather live romance than read about it. I did go through a religious period where I read every book by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and I have his set of writings.
History books, particularly local history, Chicago and Riverside, attract my attention. The books from The History Press and Arcadia Publishing will take you to places in the city you were not aware existed.
The publishers even have books devoted to towns such as Riverside, Berwyn and Lyons. Read how places were named or about landmarks that have stood silently for years. Easy to purchase, they can be found at your local Walgreens.
However, if you want to be part of an interactive murder mystery party, the North Riverside Players are hosting their annual fundraiser Murder Mystery Fundraiser later this month. The dates are Feb. 19 and 20. Visit nrplayers.com for info and to purchase tickets.
It’s no mystery: Who other than Riverside’s Mirro Roder played for the Chicago Bears? The answer is John Damore, an offensive lineman who played for the Chicago Bears from 1957-1959.
We should also mention Lucien “Lu” Gambino, originally from Berwyn and a Morton High School graduate, who later resided in North Riverside. He played for was the Baltimore Colts from 1948-1949.
