Sloth Goes Places - Chicago

 

Sloth Goes Places is a feature where I share books I have tracked from previous Literary Escapes reading challenge hosted by Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book.

Today we are looking at books set in ....

CHICAGO

It's a been a long place since we traveled with Sloth, but he's back. Since I recently went to Chicago, I thought I would feature some books set in that city. I must admit, a majority of the books I read set in Illinois are set in Chicago. It's a very popular setting, and there are many local authors who tend to set their books there too. 

Sloth has actually been living in Chicago for the past few years. Below are some pictures of him hanging out in his hometown. You can see that he attended Lollapalooza several times, traveled out of O'Hare, and visited "the bean". 

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Divergent by Veronica Roth
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on January 1, 2021
Age/Genres: YA, Dystopian

Goodreads

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Though I was a bit disappointed by the ending of this series, I did enjoy it immensely until the end. Set in a futuristic Chicago, Roth still incorporated some of the iconic bits of the city in the story. I feel like everyone knows this story, but still wanted to include it because it's a different sort of look at the city. 

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Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
Published by Caped Publishing on March 14, 2013
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.

This is Penny Reid doing what Penny Reid does well. She creates sweet, endearing romances that are filled with whip-smart characters that are hilarious. For the love of Thor! How could you not fall in love with both Quinn and Janie? Janie is so odd and quirky, but so smart and honest. Her awkwardness is what makes her so special and unique, and she won the heart of Quinn - Sir McHotPants, who makes her proclaim such phrases as "It was as if a unicorn had appeared beneath a double rainbow and started tap dancing." It takes a special guy to make a woman say things like that. 

And Janie is able to help Quinn get in touch with his inner good guy and inner geek. He goes from being a guy who "doesn't date" to a man who tells a woman: "If I were a function, you would be my asymptote. I always tend toward you." Yeah, I sighed. In fact, I had so many swoony moments reading this book and I laughed out loud quite frequently. I mean, that night that Quinn crashes knitting club -- hysterical! In a nutshell: smart, funny, schmexy, awesome read.

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Instacrush by Kate Meader
Published by Kate Meader LLC on December 10, 2019
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Theo Kershaw is the luckiest guy alive.

Roaring back from a life-threatening injury, he has the world at his skates as defenseman for his new team, the Chicago Rebels. Everyone adores his big personality, his on-ice talent, and his killer smile. Everyone but his prickly neighbor - or so he thinks. One chilly Christmas Eve, Theo will learn that maybe the girl next door isn't such a hater after all ...

Elle Butler is the most embarrassing person on the planet.

How else can the ex-military-now-bartender explain her crush on the hot jock who lives across the hall? True, he has gorgeous green eyes and perfect cheekbones, but the filter between his brain and too-sexy mouth is permanently malfunctioning. Yet she can't stop checking out his Instagram antics or sneaking looks at him when he's in her bar. So. Mortifying. Running from a past filled with damning secrets, Elle's determined that this guilty pleasure remains buried in her deepest fantasies.

Because she couldn't possibly indulge with the Theo Kershaw or make a mistake that draws attention to her under-the-radar life. And she especially couldn't be a mom to a pro-athlete's baby ... could she?

Meader has a multitude of books set in Chicago which is where I believe she resides. Since I now visit the city multiple times a year, I revel in all the references she includes in her books. 

Instacrush is one of my favorites by Meader, and it is because Theo Kershaw is the perfect hero. In my review, I wrote a wanted ad for Theo:

In search of an adorable goofball, who has fought his way back from devastating health issues. He must be sweet and big hearted, able cook, and adore his grandma. He should be willing to give his time and money to charitable causes, and be able steal my heart with his devilish grin.

He charmed the pants off me, and  I was excited about him finding his HEA. This was another fabulous addition to the Rebels series. 

[review]

Have you read any books set in Chicago?
Let us know in the comments!