Need a break from academic reading?  Perhaps you'll find something enticing among the new fiction and non-fiction titles in our Unwind the Mind: Popular Reading Collection available at both Lincoln Park and Loop campus libraries.

In his first full-lenth novel, Benjamin Percy drops us in the small town of Bend, Oregon in The Wilding.  Bend and its inhabitants have been set in their ways for some time; however as an eventual construction project looms over Bend's preserved wilderness, changes begin to stir in places where routine once rested quietly.  Following three generations of Percy men while they embark on one last hunting trip into Bend Canyon, The Wilding explores the primal emotions and buried instincts in us all, and confronts the struggle many of us encounter when forced to change. (Lincoln Park Library Popular Reading, 813.6 PERCY 2010)

In And Nothing But the Truthiness, The Rise (and Further Rise) of Stephen Colbert, Lisa Rogak chronicles the ascent of comedian and political satirist Stephen Colbert in her recent work and examines how the production styles of both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have contributed to Colbert's success.  Exploring Colbert's past and present, Rogak illustrates the influence of Colbert's large family, as well as the difficult hardships faced by the comedian at a young age.  From person to persona, Truthiness helps explain all the elements that go into the TV performances, political rallies, and even commencement speeches. Consider yourself part of the Colbert Nation?  And Nothing But the Truthiness might just be for you. (Loop Library Popular Reading, 792.7028092 COLBE 2011) 

Dance with Dragons, George R. R. Marti's fifth installment of the Fire and Ice series, picks up in the wake of numerous battles in the East and West.  True enemies and false friends lurk around every corner, from kings to cup bearers.  And while Martin reunites readers with many of the main POV characters withheld from the previous novel, we are still unsure just how the dust will settle once Danny and her Dragons begin to wreck havoc.  A thick read, Dance with Dragons promises the plot twists, adventure and blood just as its predecessors, and ultimately, the much anticipated fury of Danny's dragons.  With two novels said to follow, Dance with Dragons is a must read for anyone this far along in the series. (Loop Popular Reading, 813.54 MARTI 2011)