Elmhurst Public Library: History and Current Events: May 2026

Recent Releases

Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to '90s Sitcoms
by Geoff Bennett

Peabody Award-winning PBS NewsHour co-anchor Geoff Bennett's sweeping and incisive debut explores the origins and evolution of Black comedy in the United States, spotlighting individual performers like minstrel Billy Kersands, vaudevillian Stepin Fetchit, actress/comedian Hattie McDaniel, and more. Further reading: Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond by Bethonie Butler; Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers by Donald Bogle.

This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History
by Beverly Gage

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Beverly Gage's engaging travelogue surveys 250 years of American history via visits to 13 places that have shaped the country, from Independence Hall to Disneyland and everything in between. Try this next: American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed by Isaac Fitzgerald.

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
by Patrick Radden Keefe

In his richly detailed latest, award-winning journalist Patrick Radden Keefe (Say Nothing) chronicles the shocking death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler in 2019 London, revealing how Brettler's secret life posing as the son of a Russian oligarch led to his involvement in the city's seedy underworld. For fans of: Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade by Walter Kirn.

Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age
by Ibram X. Kendi

National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi's (Stamped from the Beginning) thought-provoking latest details the origins and evolution of the great replacement theory -- the far-right conspiracy that claims white European people are deliberately being replaced by non-white immigrants -- and examines how leading politicians around the globe openly propagate these views. Further reading: The Great White Hoax: Two Centuries of Selling Racism in America by Philip Kadish.

How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and...
by Jenny Lawson

Bestselling humorist and popular blogger Jenny Lawson's witty and upbeat follow-up to Broken (in the Best Possible Way) draws on the author's personal experiences with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, offering practical advice and motivational quotes for readers navigating mental health challenges. For fans of: Brené Brown.

The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land
by Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon

In their hopeful travelogue that "powerfully demonstrates that fellowship can bridge seemingly intractable divides" (Kirkus), friends and peace activists Aziz Abu Sarah, who is Palestinian, and Maoz Inon, who is Israeli, spend eight days traveling the region, sharing both local and personal histories throughout their journey. For fans of: The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan.

The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control
by Jacob Siegel

Manifesto! podcast host and former United States Army intelligence officer Jacob Siegel's wide-ranging debut examines how America's post-9/11 surveillance state has spurred the rise of disinformation and misinformation. Further reading: Lies that Kill: A Citizen's Guide to Disinformation by Elaine C. Kamarck and Darrell M. West.

True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color -- from Azure to Zinc Pink
by Kory Stamper

In her irreverent latest based on a decade of research, lexicographer Kory Stamper (Word by Word: The Secret Language of Dictionaries) traces Merriam-Webster staffers' surprisingly contentious efforts to define colors, which began with the 1931 establishment of the Inter-Society Color Council. Further reading: The World According to Color: A Cultural History by James Fox.

Contact your librarian for more great books!