Jane Hamilton, the best-selling author of “The Book of Ruth,” winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for First Fiction; and “A Map of the World,” a New York Times Notable Book of the Year that was also named one of the top 10 books of the year by Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, the Miami Herald, and […]
In his 2015 book, “My Journey into the Wilds of Chicago: A Celebration of Chicagoland’s Startling Natural Wonders,” photographer Mike MacDonald explores a different side of the Windy City and its surrounding suburbs. Complete with gorgeous photography and informative essays and captions, MacDonald’s coffee table book will inspire you to get out and discover the […]
We’re always looking for that next great read, and some of the best recommendations actually come from Instagram, where celebrities are using social media to share their favorite books with millions of followers. Here are some recommendations from just a few of our faves. Reese Witherspoon A photo posted by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Jul […]
With her latest summer read, best-selling author Lauren Weisberger has moved on from writing about a devilish Prada-clad editrix to a tennis phenom outfitted by Nike. “I was excited to do something different,” Weisberger says. “I’ve personally always loved tennis, I’ve played since I was a little girl.” “The Singles Game” (available July 12) follows […]
Spring/summer 2016 marks the release of a delectable batch of new cookbooks, and there are a lot of big names hitting the shelves: a new cult favorite from Gwyneth Paltrow, a debut cookbook from Chrissy Teigen, and another surefire hit from Ina Garten, to name a few. Inside the pages of these beautiful cookbooks are […]
Emily Giffin, the New York Times best-selling author of “Something Borrowed” and “The One & Only,” is back with “First Comes Love,” a tale of two sisters still dealing with a family tragedy from years ago and questioning the choices they’ve made in life. We talked to the Naperville native about her latest novel, movie […]
Every summer, there are lists upon lists of suggested beach reads. We know beach reads are good intentioned, but really, when it comes to the beach or laying by the pool, that book gets abandoned for the perfect sun session or a romp in the water. So Make It Better’s staff wants to give you […]
My oldest kid turned 7 last week. I have no idea how this happened. He’s this, like, long-legged person who reads and writes and who, like, talks with me about the solar system. It’s so cool to see. But at the same time, it also makes me a little wistful when I remember the chubby toddler who […]
Watching a child lost in the pages of a book they love is a treat, and something parents hope to see over the summer when reading is for pleasure. Reading without the pressures of school and homework doesn’t just help foster a love of books though. It’s important to academic progress to maintain the skill […]
In his 2008 book, “Outliers: The Story of Success,” journalist Malcolm Gladwell says, “Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours” and goes on to call it the “10,000-hour rule,” citing a study done by Dr. K. Anders Ericsson in the early 1990s as the basis […]
