Summertime Fun!
For most kids, summertime means family, friends, fun and a much-needed break from school! What is your favorite summer time activity? Baseball? Camping? Swimming? Whatever you like, FDL has a book for you!
Here are just a few of the books we have that celebrate the golden days of summer. Some titles are also available as eBooks and audiobooks in our digital collection.
Baseball Buzz by C.C. Jovan
Baseball Genius by Tim Green
Bubbles… Up! by Jacqueline Davies
The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann
Dino-Swimming by Lisa Wheeler
Eva’s Campfire Adventure by Rebecca Elliot
Fatima’s Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq
I am Brave by Suzy Capozzi
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
Llama Llama Disfruta Acampar by Anna Dewdney
Mia Mayhem Rides the Waves by Kara West
Peppa Pig and the Great Vacation by Neville Astley
Pool Party by Wanda Coven
Quacky Baseball by Peter Abrahams
– Sharon, Youth Services Specialist
FDL Reads: The Bear
The Bear by Andrew Krivak
Reviewed By: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
Genre: Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic
Suggested Age: Adults, Teens
What is This Book About? Father and daughter live in the wilderness alone. They are unnamed. They hunt, fish, and forage to survive in a world where humans seem to be almost extinct. We never quite learn what caused this apocalypse, whether it was a pandemic, war, or climate disaster. But, it has been a few generations since more humans were around. There are some artifacts that the father and daughter find, such as a mirror, books, and a comb–remnants of a past they have little or no connection with. Survival is key, so the father tries to pass on all his knowledge to his daughter before they run out of time together.
My Review: The Bear is a beautifully written novella that illustrates the transience of humanity’s time on Earth versus the eternity of nature. Earth is better off without the influence of humans seeking to forever dominate and triumph over the natural world. Survivors learn to communicate with animals and all living things in a way that has been forgotten over the ages. Rather than bleak and depressing like other post-apocalyptic fiction, this novella is melancholy but hopeful at the end. Krivak’s writing style is reminiscent of Hemingway’s minimalism, with lovely descriptions of the natural world, love, and loss. The ending reminded me of one of Sara Teasdale’s lines of poetry which reads, “Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, If mankind perished utterly; And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, Would scarcely know that we were gone.” Written during the first world war, this poem echoes the same sentiment that Krivak explores in The Bear.
Three Words that Describe this Book: Melancholy, Journey, Survival
Give This A Try if You Like… The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Z for Zacariah by Robert C. O’Brien, Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
Rating: 4/5
Flash Fiction Writing Contest Winners!
We’re excited to announce the winners for the Flash Fiction Writing Contest!
1st Place – A Sunny Day by Hilary Vissering
2nd Place – The Ghosts of Us by Daniela Barzallo
3rd Places – Pro(An)tagonist by Kylie
Congratulations to each of them, and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry! Follow the links below to read the winning stories. Our judges panel had a hard time selecting from the 20 submissions we received, so keep writing and stay tuned for more contests!
A Sunny Day by Hilary Vissering
We’re Hiring!
The library currently has two employment opportunities available. We’re seeking a part-time Reference Assistant as well as a part-time Youth Services Assistant to join our team. Please visit fondulaclibrary.org/about-us/jobs for more information, including job descriptions and qualifications.
FDL Reads: Winter’s Orbit
Winter’s Orbit
Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Reference Assistant
Genre: Science Fiction/ Romance
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About? The Iskat Empire hangs on by a thread as a member of an intergalactic super power known as the Resolution. Every twenty years, the Resolution auditors visit and judge if the Iskat Empire is worthy enough to have interstellar protection and trading rights in the known universe. Without the Resolution, any number of intergalactic “Megapowers” would topple Iskat like a house of cards. The Empire’s newest province world, Thea, was represented by the married couple Count Jainan and General Taam. Jainan being a Thean diplomat and Taam an Iskat military man. Things for Iskat are thrown into a loop, however, when General Taam is killed in an aircraft “accident,” leaving the Emperor to figure out a way to keep good relations between the two planets and to keep their precious membership within the Resolution. Thus, the Emperor’s dead-weight, playboy of a grandson, Kiem, is arranged into marrying Jainan for the sake of the Empire. Little do either of them know, is that there’s a murder investigation of General Taam. Jainan and Kiem will have to pull tooth and nail to get the answers behind this investigation and what it means for the future of the Empire.
My Review: Phew, what an intense book! I must say, there are very few science fiction novels quite like Winter’s Orbit. Most science fiction revolves around the depravity of new technology or straight-up action scenes. This book has some of these elements, but it also has more! Winter’s Orbit almost reads like a mystery/romance novel with heavy bouts of political intrigue. It follows some traditions found in Red, White and Royal Blue, and yes, The Duke and I. It also follows some traditions found in Dune and Lois McMaster Bujold books like Shards of Honor. There are two characters who are placed together by fate, and their families, an obstacle they must overcome together, and along the way love blossoms between the two aristocrats. All in a space opera future!
There are cultural nuances between Kiem and Jainan, being from two different planets, which flavors the story with a degree of believability. Kiem is constantly on the go and looking for the newest and greatest adventure to conquer, even if he isn’t good at it. A typical spoiled prince, Kiem is also the most rebellious individual in the entire book. Jainan, on the other hand, is obsessed with duty to the empire and duty to his people. Having studied astronomical engineering at university, he has a laser-focused mind but can be quite awkward when introduced to social affairs. With Kiem’s bravado and Jainan’s perfectionist persona, the two are perfectly matched to unravel the universe’s greatest conspiracy.
The imagery and world-building in this book are also feats to marvel. There is no shortage of details, no imagery too bland, and no dialogue too tedious. Winter’s Orbit is a bouquet of descriptions and valued subtleties that spans worlds.
Three Words that Describe this Book: romance, sci-fi, political intrigue
Give This A Try if You Like… Dune, Collapsing Empire, Red, White and Royal Blue, Shards of Honor (by Lois McMaster Bujold), Jupiter Ascending (film)
Rating: 4/5
Books for Pride Month
Gain historical context and empathetic perspectives by reading about LGTBQ experiences with these selections for Pride Month – or any time.
We Are Everywhere by Matthew Riemer and Leighton Brown
A rich and sweeping photographic history of the queer liberation movement from the creators of the massively popular Instagram account @lgbt_history, released in time for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Fairest is a memoir about a precocious boy with albinism, a “sun child” from a rural Philippine village, who would grow up to become a woman in America. Coping with the strain of parental neglect and the elusive promise of U.S. citizenship, Talusan found childhood comfort from her devoted grandmother, a grounding force as she was treated by others with special preference or public curiosity.
As an immigrant to the United States, Talusan came to be perceived as white. An academic scholarship to Harvard provided access to elite circles of privilege but required Talusan to navigate through the complex spheres of race, class, sexuality, and her place within the gay community. She emerged as an artist and an activist questioning the boundaries of gender.
Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough
As an adult, Lauren Hough has had many identities: an airman in the U.S. Air Force, a cable guy, a bouncer at a gay club. As a child, however, she had none. Growing up as a member of the infamous cult The Children of God, Hough had her own self robbed from her. The cult took her all over the globe–to Germany, Japan, Texas, Ecuador–but it wasn’t until her mother finally walked away that Lauren understood she could have a life beyond “The Family.”
Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride
Sarah McBride is on a mission to fight for transgender rights around the world. But before she was a prominent activist, and before she became the first transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2016, she was a teenager struggling with her identity.
With emotional depth and unparalleled honesty, Sarah shares her personal struggle with gender identity, coming out to her supportive but distraught parents, and finding her way as a woman. She inspires readers with her barrier-breaking political journey that took her, in just four years, from a frightened, closeted college student to one of the nation’s most prominent transgender activists walking the halls of the White House, passing laws, and addressing the country in the midst of a heated presidential election. She also details the heartbreaking romance with her first love and future husband Andy, a trans man and activist, who passed away from cancer in 2014 just days after they were married.
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff.
Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle? With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Baldwin’s haunting and controversial second novel is his most sustained treatment of sexuality, and a classic of gay literature. In a 1950s Paris swarming with expatriates and characterized by dangerous liaisons and hidden violence, an American finds himself unable to repress his impulses, despite his determination to live the conventional life he envisions for himself. After meeting and proposing to a young woman, he falls into a lengthy affair with an Italian bartender and is confounded and tortured by his sexual identity as he oscillates between the two.
Examining the mystery of love and passion in an intensely imagined narrative, Baldwin creates a moving and complex story of death and desire that is revelatory in its insight.
-Annotations from the publishers
Posted by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
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