#FDL - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

New Books by Diverse Authors – Giveaway

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen

Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a “paper-perfect” boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place.

Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own. The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted.

Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara

Twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, where they have been detained by the U.S. government since the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, together with thousands of other Japanese Americans. The life in California the Itos were forced to leave behind is gone; instead, they are being resettled two thousand miles away in Chicago, where Aki’s older sister, Rose, was sent months earlier and moved to the new Japanese American neighborhood near Clark and Division streets. But on the eve of the Ito family’s reunion, Rose is killed by a subway train.

Set in 1944 Chicago, Edgar Award-winner Naomi Hirahara’s eye-opening and poignant new mystery, the story of a young woman searching for the truth about her revered older sister’s death, brings to focus the struggles of one Japanese American family released from mass incarceration at Manzanar during World War II.

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

In the waning days of the Civil War, brothers Prentiss and Landry—freed by the Emancipation Proclamation—seek refuge on the homestead of George Walker and his wife, Isabelle. The Walkers, wracked by the loss of their only son to the war, hire the brothers to work their farm, hoping through an unexpected friendship to stanch their grief. Prentiss and Landry, meanwhile, plan to save money for the journey north and a chance to reunite with their mother, who was sold away when they were boys.

Parallel to their story runs a forbidden romance between two Confederate soldiers. The young men, recently returned from the war to the town of Old Ox, hold their trysts in the woods. But when their secret is discovered, the resulting chaos, including a murder, unleashes convulsive repercussions on the entire community. In the aftermath of so much turmoil, it is Isabelle who emerges as an unlikely leader, proffering a healing vision for the land and for the newly free citizens of Old Ox.

In the spirit of The Known World and The Underground Railroad, a profound debut about the unlikely bond between two freedmen who are brothers and the Georgia farmer whose alliance will alter their lives, and his, forever.

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

November, 1921. Edward VIII, Prince of Wales and future ruler of India, is arriving in Bombay to begin a four-month tour. The Indian subcontinent is chafing under British rule, and Bombay solicitor Perveen Mistry isn’t surprised when local unrest over the royal arrival spirals into riots. But she’s horrified by the death of Freny Cuttingmaster, an eighteen-year-old female Parsi student, who falls from a second-floor gallery just as the prince’s grand procession is passing by her college.

India’s only female lawyer, Perveen Mistry, is compelled to bring justice to the family of a murdered female Parsi student just as Bombay’s streets erupt in riots to protest British colonial rule. Sujata Massey is back with this third installment to the Agatha and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning series set in 1920s Bombay.

-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. 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 books

Susie Rivera2021-09-10T15:52:37-05:00September 10th, 2021|

Read it! Stream it!

Pick up one of these books adapted for the screen right now.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Lianne Moriarty: “Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be. Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer—or should she run while she still can?”

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A new verse translation by Simon Armitage: “Preserved on a single surviving manuscript during from around 1400 composed by an anonymous master, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was rediscovered only two hundred years ago and published for the first time in 1839. One of the earliest great stories of English literature after Beowulf, the poem narrates the strange tale of a green knight on a green horse, who rudely interrupts the Round Table festivities one Yuletide, casting a pall of unease over the company and challenging one of their number to a wager. The virtuous Gawain accepts and decapitates the intruder with his own axe. Gushing blood, the knight reclaims his head, orders Gawain to seek him out a year hence, and departs. Next Yuletide Gawain dutifully sets forth. His quest for the Green Knight involves a winter journey, a seduction scene in a dreamlike castle, a dire challenge answered – and a drama of enigmatic reward disguised as psychic undoing.”

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

Susie Rivera2021-09-02T17:43:55-05:00September 2nd, 2021|

#FDL: Young Adult Book Giveaway

Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson

When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He’s perfect, except… Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she’ll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.

In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself.

Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad

Meet the Wild Ones: girls who have been hurt, abandoned, and betrayed all their lives. It all began with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother and sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escapes, she runs headlong into a boy with stars in his eyes. This boy, as battered as she is, tosses Paheli a box of stars before disappearing. With the stars, Paheli gains access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like herself and these Wild Ones use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless and saving others from the fates they suffered. Then Paheli and the Wild Ones learn that the boy who gave them the stars, Taraana, is in danger. He’s on the run from powerful forces within the world of magic. But if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And that…is a fate the Wild Ones refuse to accept. Ever again.

As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper

Marty arrives in London with nothing but his oboe and some savings from his summer job, but he’s excited to start his new life–where he’s no longer the closeted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents’ disapproval. From the outside, Marty’s life looks like a perfect fantasy: in the span of a few weeks, he’s made new friends, he’s getting closer with his first ever boyfriend, and he’s even traveling around Europe. But Marty knows he can’t keep up the facade. He hasn’t spoken to his parents since he arrived, he’s tearing through his meager savings, his homesickness and anxiety are getting worse and worse, and he hasn’t even come close to landing the job of his dreams. Will Marty be able to find a place that feels like home.

Annotations from the publishers

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-08-23T13:59:16-05:00August 21st, 2021|

#FDL: Film Review

Title: Captive State

Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Adult Services Assistant

Genre: Film (Science fiction)

Suggested Age: Adults

What is this film about? Aliens have invaded earth. The “Legislators” quickly took control of the planet with their advanced technology, but their best weapon was the complacency of the human political leadership who saw the writing on the wall. Now, walled off cities are governed by the Legislators through their human collaborators while everyone else is conscripted into manual labor. Gabriel, a survivor of the initial invasion, is one of the conscripted workers, but he is also brother to a revolutionary who committed acts of heroism against the alien oppressors. Of course, these acts of heroism were considered acts of terrorism by the Legislators and human collaborators who will stop at nothing to shut down their resistance cell. Will Gabriel follow into his brother’s footsteps or will he narc against his own species to save himself in this captive state?

My Review: Captive State is unlike any alien invasion movie in science fiction. Caught somewhere between sci-fi horror, detective noir, and espionage thriller, Captive State portrays a real world beholden to the same problems as before, but also an occupied world with exasperated terrors. What I like about this film is that it’s strategically subtle in its commentary on war and occupation. The world is not the same, and yet, there are some instances that may be all too recognizable. In conjunction with this, Captive State’s cinematic originality is nothing short of mesmerizing. The science fiction mechanics depict a creepy alien species that have multiple forms and ships that look more like floating asteroids. The Legislators’ weaponry, their ships, and their surveillance technology is truly alien as it is daunting. This thriller is a mind-blowing experience.

Three Words that Describe this film: gritty, noir, thriller

Give This A Try if You Like… Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, Children of Men, Arrival, Prospect, Kin, District 9, Elysium, Chappie

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

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

Susie Rivera2021-08-12T18:32:38-05:00August 12th, 2021|

#FDL: Books about Libraries and Librarians

Fiction

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai

Check Me Out by Becca Wilhite

Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha

Her Perfect Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson

The Plotters by Un-Su Kim

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Susan Halpern

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Weather by Jenny Offill

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Nonfiction

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence

Freedom Libraries: The Untold Story of Libraries for African Americans in the South by Mike Selby

Information Hunters: When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe, by Kathy Peiss

The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders, by Stuart Kells

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean

Reading Behind Bars: A Memoir of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian, by Jill Grunenwald

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-08-06T11:29:01-05:00August 3rd, 2021|

#FDL: Staff Summer Favorites

The FDL staff has been doing their own summer reading! Here are some staff favorites from this summer.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Old Man’s War is a down-to-earth, science fiction space opera in which the ruling human government only recruits seniors into military service. This book was very readable, I have probably never read a book so fast in my life. – Jeremy, Reference Assistant

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Julián sees beautifully dressed “mermaids” around town with his abuela, and he decides to dress up to look just like them. I love that this book is purely a celebration of a boy who isn’t afraid to be his authentic self and his grandmother who supports him without a second thought. – Haley, Youth Services Assistant

Grendel by John Gardner

As of yet, the best book that I’ve read this Summer has been Grendel, by John Gardner; I had read it once previously whilst I was a sophomore in high school, but I somehow managed to forget just how high this book’s quality is. Gardner’s minimalistic prose never sacrifices its poetic sensibilities in exchange for its brevity, and the novel’s protagonist, the titular Grendel, is at once scorn-worthy, relatable, and just downright hilarious, at times. So, all-in-all: great book. – Kaelan, Circulation Assistant

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson

As Book 3.5 of the Stormlight Archive series, Dawnshard is a novella with events that occur after Oathbringer (book 3) and before Rhythm of War (book 4). The story follows Rysn, a ship-owning merchant, who is on a mission for Novani Kholin to a long-abandoned island. There’s additional character development that I enjoyed and a bit of plot twist when we learn what a Dawnshard actually is. I’m sure anyone who’s reading the series will regret it if they skip this novella. – Melissa, Reference Specialist

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda

One Piece is the longest manga series I’ve ever read – currently, 96 volumes (English) – but I’m so happy I finally picked it up, and I absolutely can’t wait to see what happens next. If you like friendship, freedom, and fighting for what’s right – oh, and pirates! – then pick it up, since it’s a wild ride! – Katie, Reference Specialist

Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict

I think my favorite book this summer was Marie Benedict’s The Personal Librarian. This is historical fiction about Belle da Costa Greene, the librarian who established and ran J.P. Morgan’s famous Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City in the early 1900’s. Belle was famous for her knowledge of antiquities, her wit, and her well- guarded secret. – Becky, Reference Assistant

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

This is beautiful and tragic stand-alone fantasy novel. It’s also historical fiction and a love story. I really enjoyed Schwab’s poetic writing style and the plot twists she introduces towards the end of the novel are well worth it! – Susie, Reference Specialist

The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin

The way Garvin intersperses honey bee biology and beekeeping 101 into this story about three lost humans who develop a bond over saving a region of honey bee hives from a major pesticide company was beautiful. It felt timely and it reinforced the idea that we need to be recognizing the impact of our actions on all creatures, great and small. – Rebecca, Business Manager

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-07-28T13:27:47-05:00July 26th, 2021|

#FDL: Culinary Arts Month

July is culinary arts month. Fondulac District Library has an awesome selection of cookbooks. Check out some of our newest ones here.

Teatime at Grosvenor Square: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Bridgerton

Food and drink recipes inspired by Netflix’s hit show Bridgerton and Julia Quinn’s bestselling novels. Finger sandwiches, pastries, roasts, desserts, cocktails, and more! From the magnificent macaron towers to the heavenly fruit-topped trifles, the food of Bridgerton steals the show. Teatime at Grosvenor Square brings you 75 tempting recipes inspired by those candy-colored treats and opulent feasts. Now you can create a spread of delicate finger sandwiches, captivating canapés, and bite-sized sweets scrumptious enough to impress Queen Charlotte herself! Plus, you’ll find a few recipes worthy of a Bridgerton family supper.

Easy Meal Prep: The Ultimate Playbook for Make-Ahead Meals

Want to sit down to incredibly tasty, nutritious, homecooked meals every single day? Who doesn’t! But who has the time? Now you do, with this meal-planning guide and cookbook that will help you get yummy dishes on the table in minutes. Whatever your goal — eat better, spend (and waste!) less, get out of a dinner rut — some simple meal prep can make it reality.

The No-Fuss Family Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Everyday Life

A new collection of easy, family-friendly recipes, from popular chef and television personality Ryan Scott. This collection comes straight from his home kitchen’s regular rotation into yours. Reflecting Ryan’s colorful personality and practical approach, the recipes are kid-friendly and packed with clever hacks and pro tips for getting meals on the table (and cleaning up) quickly.

Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health

The beloved Top Chef star revolutionizes healthy eating in this groundbreaking cookbook—the ultimate guide to cooking globally inspired dishes free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and grains that are so delicious you won’t notice the difference. Everyone’s Table features 200 mouth-watering, decadently flavorful recipes carefully designed to focus on superfoods—ingredients with the highest nutrient-density, the best fats, and the most minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants—that will delight and inspire home cooks.

One-Bowl Meals: Simple, Nourishing, Delicious

Whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and complete with protein, fresh fruits or vegetables, and grains, a one-bowl meal checks all the boxes—delicious, nourishing, casual, filling, seasonal. And in the hands of Maria Zizka its possibilities are even more exciting, with thirty brilliant combinations organized by base—oatmeal, chia, or yogurt for breakfast, and grains, noodles, or greens to build mains. Plus, there are tips, tutorials, and substitution rules of thumb throughout, including how to customize your bowl to make it vegan, gluten-free, or protein-forward.

-Annotations from the publishers

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-08-03T10:26:02-05:00July 16th, 2021|

#FDL: Book Giveaway

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Life is short. No-one knows that better than seventeen-year-old Lenni living on the terminal ward. But as she is about to learn, it’s not only what you make of life that matters, but who you share it with. Dodging doctor’s orders, she joins an art class where she bumps into fellow patient Margot, a rebel-hearted eight-three-year-old from the next ward. Their bond is instant as they realize that together they have lived an astonishing one hundred years. To celebrate their shared century, they decide to paint their life stories: of growing old and staying young, of giving joy, of receiving kindness, of losing love, of finding the person who is everything. As their extraordinary friendship deepens, it becomes vividly clear that life is not done with Lenni and Margot yet.

An Unlikely Spy by Rebecca Starford

Evelyn Varley has always been ambitious and clever. As a girl, she earned a scholarship to a prestigious academy well above her parents’ means, gaining her a best friend from one of England’s wealthiest families. In 1939, with an Oxford degree in hand and war looming, Evelyn finds herself recruited into an elite MI5 counterintelligence unit. A ruthless secret society seeks an alliance with Germany and, posing as a Nazi sympathizer, Evelyn must build a case to expose their treachery. But as she is drawn deeper into layers of duplicity—perhaps of her own making—some of those closest to her become embroiled in her investigation. With Evelyn’s loyalties placed under extraordinary pressure, she’ll face an impossible choice: save her country or the people who love her. Her decision echoes for years after the war, impacting everyone who thought they knew the real Evelyn Varley. Beguiling and dark, An Unlikely Spy is a fascinating story of deception and sacrifice, based on the history of real people within the British intelligence community.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust. Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career. A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.

Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Smith

When Kate Campbell’s life in Manhattan suddenly implodes, she is forced to return to Sea Point, the small town full of quirky locals, quaint bungalows, and beautiful beaches where she grew up. She knows she won’t be home for long; she’s got every intention (and a three-point plan) to win back everything she thinks she’s lost. Meanwhile, Miles Hoffman–aka “The Prince of Sea Point”–has also returned home to prove to his mother that he’s capable of taking over the family business, and he’s promised to help his childhood best friend, Ziggy Miller, with his own financial struggles at the same time. Kate, Miles, and Ziggy converge in Sea Point as the town faces an identity crisis when a local developer tries to cash in on its potential. The summer swells, and white lies and long-buried secrets prove as corrosive as the salt air, threatening to forever erode not only the bonds between the three friends but also the landscape of the beachside community they call home. Full of heart and humor–and laced with biting wit–Rock the Boat proves that even when you know all the back roads, there aren’t any shortcuts to growing up.

-Annotations from the publishers

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-08-03T10:26:10-05:00July 8th, 2021|

Overdrive Big Library Read

Fondulac District Library provides access to a large collection of eBooks and audiobooks through the Overdrive or Libby app. Several times during the year, Overdrive hosts a Big Library Read, an online book club for readers around the world. Featured books are chosen by librarians and announced shortly before the Big Library Read begins. Our library is provided with unlimited copies of the eBook or audiobook, and our patrons can read without wait time through the Overdrive or Libby app until July 12. A library card number and PIN are required to access the book. This summer, the Big Library Read has chosen The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa. Below is a little about the book from The Big Library Read’s website:

The Quiet Girl

Good girls keep quiet. But quiet girls can’t stay silent forever—and the consequences are sure to make some noise.

When Alex arrives in Provincetown to patch things up with his new wife, Mina, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. The police believe that Mina, a successful romance author, simply left, their marriage crumbling before it truly began.

But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality: Mina has always carried a secret. And now she’s disappeared.

In his hunt for the truth, Alex comes across Layla, a young woman with information to share, who may hold the key to everything his wife has kept hidden. A strange, quiet girl whose missing memories may break them all.

To find his missing wife, Alex must face what Layla has forgotten. And the consequences are anything but quiet.

In her debut thriller, S.F. Kosa presents a tightly-woven book sure to inspire questions about trauma, memory, and how well we ever know the people we love.

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-08-03T10:26:17-05:00June 29th, 2021|

#FDL: Audiobooks Read by Celebrities

June is audiobook month! Check out one of these books read by a celebrity.

Greenlights

Author: Matthew McConaughey | Narrator: Matthew McConaughey

From the Academy Award–winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

Yearbook
Author: Seth Rogen | Narrator: Full Cast and Seth Rogen
A collection of funny personal essays from one of the writers of Superbad and Pineapple Express and one of the producers of The Disaster Artist, Neighbors, and The Boys

The Handmaid’s Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood | Narrator: Claire Danes

The Handmaid’s Tale is the chilling tale of Offred, a woman who is stripped of her personal identity and forced to work as a surrogate for wealthy and powerful couples in a near-future dystopia. Emmy Award winner Claire Danes brings this modern classic to vivid, eerie reality.

Go Set A Watchman

Author: Harper Lee | Narrator: Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon is the heart behind this audio adaptation of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman. Drafted three years before it was set aside for Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, this listen features characters and storylines that many listeners will be quite familiar with.

A Bright Ray of Darkness

Author: Ethan Hawke | Narrator: Ethan Hawke
The novel of a young man making his Broadway debut in Henry IV just as his marriage implodes—a book about art and love, fame and heartbreak from the acclaimed actor/writer/director.

Sunshine Girl
Author: Julianna Margulies | Narrator: Julianna Margulies
Known for her outstanding performances on the groundbreaking television series The Good Wife and ER, Julianna Margulies deftly chronicles her life and her work in this deeply powerful memoir.

-Annotations from the publishers

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-06-17T13:34:16-05:00June 11th, 2021|