FDL Reads: Old Man’s War

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Adult Services Assistant

Genre: Science Fiction

Suggested Age:  Adults

What is This Book About? John Perry is in the golden years of his life. A widower with little to do, Perry decides to join military service and maybe reclaim some of his youth. He enlists with the Colonial Defense Forces to protect Earth and her colonies within the Colonial Union.

This space-faring military branch of humanity only recruits men and women of a seasoned age. Competing for the scarce habitable planets against monstrous aliens is a never-ending battle and only the wise can fight it. At the end of Perry’s tour, if he survives, the Colonial Union will award him with a new colony planet to settle on, not to mention the rumors of reverse aging being a part of his fighting enhancement.

On Perry’s journey patrolling the frontiers of space, he will witness combat of unparalleled imagination as he comes to cope with the wonders and horrors of the universe.

My Review: This book is a mixture of high-octane, action-packed thrill-rides and interpersonal challenges between comrades and romantic interests. The first book in a series of seven, Old Man’s War can be read as a stand-alone novel or as the beginning installment to a space-faring epic. What’s great about this book is that it does not explicitly rely on action or sci-fi techno wonders to entertain the reader, though both are certainly present.

Its true quality revolves around Scalzi’s ability to be a very readable writer as he tells riveting stories about people rather than the space opera in the backdrop, though there are properties of world-building as well. With all of these elements in Old Man’s War, I was pleasantly surprised by the humor involved. For the first time in years, I found myself chuckling out-loud from reading a book! That’s not to say that this is a straight-up comedy, but it’s certainly a well-rounded novel.

Three Words that Describe this Book: excitement, action, readable

Give This A Try if You Like… Starship Troopers (film and novel), The Forever War, The Expanse Series (tv and books), Orion, Orion Among the Stars, Altered Carbon, The Fifth Element (film)

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

FDL Reads
2022-01-21T17:28:00-06:00December 18th, 2021|

Shining a Light: New Nonfiction – December Giveaway

Nonfiction narratives show us the state of our societies, test the truth of our convictions, and teach us about the courage in our hearts by shining a light in the dark corners of our humanity. Enter the giveaway below to win a free copy of one of these new nonfiction releases.

The Least of Us by Sam Quinones

 Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal

Sam Quinones traveled from Mexico to main streets across the U.S. to create Dreamland, a groundbreaking portrait of the opioid epidemic that awakened the nation. As the nation struggled to put back the pieces, Quinones was among the first to see the dangers that lay ahead: synthetic drugs and a new generation of kingpins whose product could be made in Magic Bullet blenders. In fentanyl, traffickers landed a painkiller a hundred times more powerful than morphine. They laced it into cocaine, meth, and counterfeit pills to cause tens of thousands of deaths-at the same time as Mexican traffickers made methamphetamine cheaper and more potent than ever, creating, Sam argues, swaths of mental illness and a surge in homelessness across the United States.

Quinones hit the road to investigate these new threats, discovering how addiction is exacerbated by consumer-product corporations. “In a time when drug traffickers act like corporations and corporations like traffickers,” he writes, “our best defense, perhaps our only defense, lies in bolstering community.” Amid a landscape of despair, Quinones found hope in those embracing the forgotten and ignored, illuminating the striking truth that we are only as strong as our most vulnerable.

Weaving analysis of the drug trade into stories of humble communities, The Least of Us delivers an unexpected and awe-inspiring response to the call that shocked the nation in Sam Quinones’s award-winning Dreamland.

Volunteers: Growing Up in the Forever War by Jerad W. Alexander

As a child, Jerad Alexander lay in bed listening to the fighter jets take off outside his window and was desperate to be airborne. As a teenager at an American base in Japan, he immersed himself in war games, war movies, and pulpy novels about Vietnam. Obsessed with all things military, he grew up playing with guns, joined the Civil Air Patrol for the uniform, and reveled in the closed and safe life “inside the castle,” within the embrace of the armed forces, the only world he knew or could imagine. Most of all, he dreamed of enlisting — like his mother, father, stepfather, and grandfather before him — and playing his part in the Great American War Story.

He joined the US Marines straight out of high school, eager for action. Once in Iraq, however, he came to realize he was fighting a lost cause, enmeshed in the ongoing War on Terror that was really just a fruitless display of American might. The myths of war, the stories of violence and masculinity and heroism, the legacy of his family — everything Alexander had planned his life around — was a mirage.

Alternating scenes from childhood with skirmishes in the Iraqi desert, this original, searing, and propulsive memoir introduces a powerful new voice in the literature of war. Jerad W. Alexander — not some elite warrior, but a simple volunteer — delivers a passionate and timely reckoning with the troubled and cyclical truths of the American war machine.

The Redemption of Bobby Love by Bobby & Cheryl Love

Bobby and Cheryl Love were living in Brooklyn, happily married for decades, when the FBI and NYPD appeared at their door and demanded to know from Bobby, in front of his shocked wife and children: “What is your name? No, what’s your real name?”

Bobby’s thirty-eight-year secret was out. As a Black child in the Jim Crow South, Bobby found himself in legal trouble before his 14th birthday. Sparked by the desperation he felt in the face of limited options and the pull of the streets, Bobby became a master thief. He soon found himself facing a thirty-year prison sentence. But Bobby was smarter than his jailers. He escaped, fled to New York, changed his name, and started a new life as “Bobby Love.” During that time, he worked multiple jobs to support his wife and their growing family, coached Little League, attended church, took his kids to Disneyland, and led an otherwise normal life. Then it all came crashing down.

With the drama of a jailbreak story and the incredible tension of a life lived in hiding, The Redemption of Bobby Love is an unbelievable but true account of building a life from scratch, the pain of festering secrets in marriage, and the unbreakable bonds of faith and love that keep a family together.

– Annotations from the publishers

– Post by Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

 

Giveaway

Enter your name here for a chance to win ARCs of the books mentioned in this post. One entry per person. Drawing to be held approximately 7 days after this post.

ARCs are “advanced reading copies.” These are free copies of a new books given by a publisher to librarians and other reviewers before the book is printed for mass distribution.

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

2021-12-17T14:02:09-06:00December 16th, 2021|

Best Books of 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, let’s reflect on all the awesome books that were published this year. Check out the links below to see what critics believe were the best of 2021. Give us a call to see whether we own copies you are interested in or search our catalog and place a hold online. Remember that we can place holds on books from other libraries and you can pick them up here at FDL.

NPR’s Books We Love: Our Guide To 2021’s Great Reads

Every year, NPR’s staff curates a collection of the year’s best books. Formerly known as NPR’s Book Concierge, this year’s roundup contains more than 300 titles. Use the filters on the left to narrow down the list by genre, hover over each cover to see a preview of what reviewers had to say about a book, and follow the links for full reviews.

Goodreads Choice Awards 2021

Perhaps the largest online community for readers, Goodreads lists its award winners for 2021.

Kirkus: The Best Books of 2021

Kirkus Reviews is a weekly magazine and a website that highlights upcoming book releases. Many libraries rely on their reviews when deciding what to purchase for their collections.

Amazon’s Best Books of the Year

Amazon’s editors picked their top books for 2021. Browse this list or search by category to narrow it down to topics of interest or age group.

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

2021-12-10T13:08:35-06:00December 9th, 2021|

FDL Reads: The Yellow Bird Sings

 

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner

Reviewer:  Deb Alig, Circulation Assistant

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Suggested Age:  Adult

What is This Book About?  This tragic, but redeeming story takes place during WWII in Poland when Nazi soldiers rounded up Jews in order to kill them.  Roza and her five year old daughter Shira are the only people who survive in their family during a Nazi invasion of their home town. To keep her daughter safe, Roza seeks shelter in the hayloft of her neighbor’s barn. For fifteen months, Shira, who is a music prodigy, must remain as silent as possible while hiding in the hay.  To help her daughter keep quiet and calm, Roza tells her an enchanting tale about a little girl who lives in a garden and is forbidden from making a sound.  But a yellow bird lives in this garden too, and he sings whatever the little girl is composing in her head but cannot proclaim or hum.  Hiding in the hay becomes increasingly dangerous, so Roza hesitently decides to send Shira away to a convent where she will be hidden and taken care of by the nuns. While Shira is at the convent her name is changed to Zosia, and she is rasied as a Catholic orphan.  It is at the convent where Zosia is given a violin and is taught to play like a virtuoso by Pan Skrzypezak, a teacher who the nuns hire.  When she plays, she dreamily remembers a time when her mama played cello, her tata played violin, and her grandfather, who was a luthier, held her and placed her fingers on the strings of a violin.  After sending Shira away, Roza sets out on her own to hide in the forest.  During this time she experiences such things as exposure, frostbite, starvation, dehydration, lice infestation and gut-wrenching fear.  While heading south in the forest, her primary goal is to find Shira.

My Review:  Jennifer Rosner’s writing is lyrical, poetic and reads like a song.  This writing style compliments the content which centers around music.  The yellow bird in the enchanted garden who sings represents Shira’s voice and the music she composes in her head but cannot share out loud. I think the imaginary yellow bird that Shira cups in her hands to help soothe and calm herself symbolizes Shira and all of the other Jewish children who were hidden during the Holocaust in order to survive.  Shira whispers to her bird, “I told you, you have to stay still and silent.  You have to hide.”  She continues, “You are different. I don’t know how, exactly; you just are.”   Sometimes Shira’s mother talks about being different, but Shira doesn’t understand what she means.  But at the end, when Tzofia (Shira) performs on stage at Carnegie Hall, she is not hiding and she no longer has to be silent for being for being Jewish.  She is free to be her beautiful self and to share her magical music with the world.

Rating: 5/5

Three Words That Describe This Book:  heart-wrenching, hopeful, enchanting

Give This a Try if You Like:  The Book of Last Names by, Kristin Harmel, The Child on Platform One:  Inspired by Children who Escaped the Holocaust by, Gill Thompson, Children of the Stars by, Mario Escobar, The Diary of Anne Frank by, Anne Frank

Find it at the Library!

 

 

 

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

FDL Reads
2021-12-07T11:24:34-06:00December 7th, 2021|

Children & Art

If you asked your child what they think art is, what would they say? Would they think of coloring or making things out of paper? If you would like to introduce your child to art, we have books about artists, art history, and many books on fun ways to create art. Some of the Playaway Launchpads even involve art activities! And you don’t even have to leave home; many art museums provide virtual tours and activities now. Explore more or place a hold using the links below.

Creating Art:

Amazing Animal Art by Emily Kington

Scrap Paper Art by Susie Brooks

Art Foam Fun by Hélène Leroux-Hugon

Ralph Masiello’s Bug Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello

Christmas and Hanukkah Origami by Ruth Owen

 

Learning about Art and Artists:

The Art Book for Children by Amanda Renshaw

The Art of Freedom: How Artists See America by Bob Raczka

Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace

Opposites Abstract by Mo Willems

The Usborne Children’s Book of Art by Rosie Dickins

Who was Pablo Picasso? by True Kelley

Playaway Launchpads:

By Sea. By Air. By Road! Around the World

Choo on These Facts!

Websites:

Article – The Importance of Art in Child Development

Museums – MetKids-The Metropolitan Museum of Art

National Gallery of Art-Families

by Jackie Laredo, Youth  Services Assistant

2021-12-03T15:40:07-06:00December 3rd, 2021|

Native American Heritage Month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November is designated as National Native American Heritage Month to pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. It’s important to recognize the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., and to celebrate the value of their diverse people, traditions, and culture. One way to celebrate Native voices is to read some of the brilliant authors that have new books published this year.

 

Ancestor Approved by Cynthia Leitich Smith

An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States by Kyle T. Mays

Dog Flowers by Danielle Geller

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Girlhood by Melissa Febos

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Notable Native People by Adrienne Keene

Rites by Savannah Johnston

Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson

We Are Still Here by Traci Sorell

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem by Kliph Nesteroff

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margaret Verble

White Magic by Elissa Washuta

 

 

 

 

 

 

2021-11-24T14:17:46-06:00November 24th, 2021|

FDL Reads: Never Far Away

Never Far Away by Michael Koryta

Reviewed by: Becky Houghton

Genre: Thriller

Suggested Age: Adult

What is this book about?: What will a mother do to protect her children? This question resonates from the beginning to the end of Koryta’s newest novel. Nina Morgan AKA Leah Trenton left her husband and two young children to protect them from her vindictive employer who blamed Nina for the suicide of his son and sought revenge against her. Her husband and children assumed new identities, moved and all was well for ten years until he was unexpectedly killed in an automobile accident. Leah reenters the children’s lives presenting herself as their aunt, but the former employer has been watching and the hunt is now resumed. Can Leah protect Nick and Hailey – and herself – from those who want to kill her? Who can she find to help her?

My Review: I enjoy books by Michael Koryta. They are well written and absorbing thrillers. This book did not disappoint me. I loved the detail and the sense of danger throughout this story. In some parts there was a bit too much violence for my liking, but Koryta weaves it with intrigue, well-developed characters and nail-biting suspense. This book will keep you guessing until the very end. If you want a book that will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat, give this title a try.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Suspenseful, Frightening, Intriguing

Give This a Try if You Like… Those Who Wished Me Dead by Koryta or books by Lee Child.

My Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

FDL Reads
2021-11-23T17:19:17-06:00November 24th, 2021|

Tales from Around the World

Folktales are stories or myths, often with a lesson or message, that are passed on from generation to generation through storytelling. Children can learn about different cultures and traditions through folktales. Here are a few of the great folktales you can find at FDL:

The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales by Diane Wolkstein

A collection of folktales gathered by the author in Haiti with comments on Haitian folklore. From orange trees growing at the command of a child to talking fish, these stories present us with a world of wonder, delight, and mystery.

The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy

In this traditional Russian tale, a farmer grows a turnip so big that it takes the combined efforts of him, his wife, six canaries, five geese, four hens, three cats, two pigs, one cow, and, finally, one mouse to pull it from the ground.

The Empty Pot by Demi

When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty.

Coyote Rides the Sun: A Native American Folktale by Amanda St. John

A Native American tale of how the dusty coyote got its coloring, especially its black-tipped tail, and why the coyote is nocturnal.

Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown

When a small mouse’s life is threatened by large jungle predators, a kindly hermit uses magic to change him into a cat, a dog, and a majestic tiger. But the proud tiger must suffer the consequences when he becomes ungrateful and forgets his humble origins.

The Lion Book of Wisdom Stories by David Self

This collection includes fifteen traditional stories drawn from a variety of cultures from all across the globe. Each tale focuses on a different key issue – among them sharing resources, the downfalls of pride, and the nature of true wealth – and offers insight on how they can best be resolved.

– Jackie Laredo, Youth Services Assistant

2021-11-22T15:49:05-06:00November 22nd, 2021|

FDL Reads: The Lincoln Conspiracy

The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America’s 16th President and Why It Failed by Brad Meltzer

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Genre: Nonfiction, United States History

Suggested Age: Teen, Adult

What is the book about? In early 1861, the people of the United States were preparing for the inauguration of a new president, Abraham Lincoln.  To some, he was a fresh face to replace the unpopular, out-going President, James Buchanan. To others, he was a threat. A threat to their ideals, their beliefs, and to some, their livelihood. Abraham Lincoln had declared that he was against the spread of slavery and there were men who wanted to stop him from becoming President of the United States. Who was plotting against the President-Elect? How did the famous Allan Pinkerton figure in this chain of events? What made Baltimore the ideal place to make an attempt on Lincoln’s life?  Did Lincoln ever know of the danger?  How was the plot ultimately foiled? The details of the conspiracy and the actions of those who thwarted it are all laid out here.

 My Review: I found this book fascinating, since I had never heard of this assassination plot against Lincoln before. I listened to the audiobook version read by Scott Brick. Since the author is an accomplished writer of thriller novels, it was not surprising that this nonfiction account was very engaging.  This is not just a dry recitation of facts and timelines. Many of the main players are fleshed out with their backstory.  I especially liked that a woman convinced Allan Pinkerton that he needed female investigators like herself, Kate Warne; the first female detective. This book would appeal to history buffs and spy novel fans alike.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Intriguing, Meticulous, and Absorbing

Give This a Try if You LikeThe First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Meltzer & Josh Mensch, George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade & Don Yaeger, and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbot

Rating: 4.5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

FDL Reads
2021-11-23T17:16:55-06:00November 18th, 2021|

FDL Reads: A Psalm for the Wild-Built

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Reviewed by: Beth Weimer, Communications Specialist

Genre: Sci-Fi. Solarpunk

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens

What is the book about?: Long ago, the humans of Panga consumed their planet to the brink of disaster, and the robots gained self-awareness and chose to disappear into the forests. Human society rebuilt itself with sustainability and harmony, and now a Tea Monk named Dex travels to villages offering comfort and ritual by the mugful. Dex enjoys their mission and yet they are not completely fulfilled, and impulsively they leave the known roads in search of long-lost cricket song. Sibling Dex soon encounters a mythical robot named Mosscap, making the first known contact between humans and robots in hundreds of years, and together they embark on a journey to answer the robot’s only question, “What do humans need?”

My Review: This book feels like a warm hug for anyone who’s been feeling a bit lost or restless. Chambers creates a lush world where everyone has value, and humans have finally learned from their mistakes and figured out how to live comfortably and respectfully with the natural world. The novella reads like a modern parable, clever and comforting as it deals with complicated themes of identity, purpose, ecology, and more. In a utopia, the main conflict is having every need met and still being plagued by the annoying human trait of dissatisfaction, so those looking for action should probably skip. My only complaints are that the character’s religion felt too basic and clumsy for an enlightened society (or maybe just was not explained well), and the format of the story as the first novella in a series of two is frustrating – why not just publish the entire story as a fully-fleshed novel? Overall, this story is a refreshing departure from the usual doom of dystopian fiction, and one I think most anyone will appreciate.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Wholesome, Optimistic, Philosophical

Give This a Try if You Like… The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

FDL Reads
2021-11-12T13:24:39-06:00November 11th, 2021|
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