#FDL: Dark Academia Books
Dark academia is a TikTok subculture and book subgenre that can feature stories set in classic academic settings like Oxford University. It’s characterized by a high interest in the classics, calligraphy, Gothic architecture, and autumn imagery. Many times there is a central mystery or noir element to this type of fiction. Check out the list below for some dark academia titles in our collection!
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella
Vicious by Victoria Schwab
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
– Post by Susie Rivera, Adult Services Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
Library Card Sign-Up Month: Fine Free + Fare Free!
Beyond our community, Library Card Sign-Up Month is celebrated in September by the American Library Association and libraries nationwide to remind everyone that a library card is the first step towards academic achievement and lifelong learning. So this September, sign up for a new FDL card, renew your expired card, or replace your lost card to be entered into a prize drawing for a Kindle tablet! Already have an FDL card in good standing? Use it to check out materials from FDL in September, and you could win a Kindle tablet, too! Encourage your friends and neighbors to get their library cards, and discover all of the great resources and programs available at FDL!
For more information about how to sign up for your library card, visit fondulaclibrary.org/library-cards/. To learn about FDL’s fine free policies, visit fondulaclibrary.org/fine-free-faq/. Check out ridecitylink.org to find CityLink’s routes and schedules, or see below for routes directly to the libraries.
Peoria Public Libraries
- Main: #10 Forrest Hill, #11 Western, #12 Heights, #14 Wisconsin
- Lincoln: #15 Lincoln
- McClure: #10 Forrest Hill
- Lakeview: #1 University
- North: #1 University
Fondulac District Library
Peoria Heights Public Library
Pekin Public Library
FDL Reads: The Cardboard Kingdom
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell
Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager
Genre: Realistic fiction/fantasy (graphic novel)
Suggested Age: Kids (7-12)
What is This Book About? What kid doesn’t play make believe? These neighbors take their adventures to a whole new level! Every kid on the block works hard to make their own, unique character and creates a costume to join in the fun. Jack embraces his wicked side as the Evil Sorceress, kid finds her voice as the Banshee, Seth protects his mom as the Gargoyle, and many more! Each chapter, more and more kids join in, challenged by bullies, big brothers, and dragons alike.
My Review: I fell in love with this book from the first chapter. Every kid has their own chapter for us to get introduced and uses their imagination to come up with fun characters and stories. Their adventures are tons of fun and are only dampened by the onset of the school year. While there are a lot of laughs, there are plenty of serious topics covered as well. Self-confidence and expressing yourself emerge in multiple stories, but there’s also questions of identity, divorce, and absent parents.
Three Words that Describe this Book: kids being kids
Give This A Try if You Like… The Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse, The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag, Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
Rating: 5/5
A Library Card is “Elemental”!
Friends of the Library Big Book Sale
Come to find great books at great bargains! Help support the Friends of the Library and the Fondulac District Library with this annual Big Book Sale. Reasonably prices hard backs and paperback books for all ages.
FDL Reads: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride By: Roshani Chokshi
Reviewed by: Susie Rivera Adult Services Specialist
Genre: Gothic, Magic Realism
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about? The narrator, otherwise only known as the Bridegroom, is a professor of mythology and lover of fairy tales. One evening he meets a beautiful heiress named Indigo and becomes enamored with her. The couple are married very quickly and Indigo makes the narrator promise not to ask her about her past. But, when a family emergency happens, the newlyweds must travel back to Indigo’s family estate where all her dark secrets eventually come to the surface.
My Review: This book is a classic noir or gothic tale. There is a enigmatic main character, a ominous mansion, and mysterious secrets ready to surface. It takes place in modern times, although historical throwbacks almost make it seem Victorian in some aspects. We get flashbacks from the past that eventually shed light on the events leading up to the end of the novel. The plot twist at the end is surprising but many will see it coming. The clues are there the whole time. Despite being labeled as a fantasy, I would place this in the realm of Magic Realism. The house is personified so much that the reader isn’t sure if it’s really a conscious entity with its own desires. The main characters, Indigo and Azure believe they can slip into a Fae realm and participate in rituals that will grant them “magic.” Overall, the writing is beautiful and the story kept me wondering just how dark Indigo’s past really was.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Mysterious, Gothic, Lyrical
Give This a Try if You Like…The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E Schwab, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, Mexican Gothic Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Rating: 4/5