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FDL Reads- Educated: A Memoir

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant

Genre: Memoir

Suggested Age: Adults

What is this Book About? Tara Westover grows up in an isolated, survivalist mountain home in Idaho. Public school education, medical care and “ the government’s influence” were not allowed by her parents who prepared Tara and her older siblings for the “End Times” by stockpiling gasoline, home canned peaches, and other supplies including a “to go” bag for the final days of the world. Tara spent her childhood doing heavy manual labor in her father’s junkyard and assisting her mother in the preparation of herbal medications and midwife duties. At seventeen, Tara left home after studying on her own to pass the ACT exam and went to college at Brigham Young University in Utah. Tara not only completed an undergraduate degree, but went on to attend Oxford University in England and obtain a PhD from Harvard.

My Review: This was both a fascinating and horrifying story for me. The deprivation and abuse that Tara suffered in her youth from her family circumstances and her older brother are a strong testimony to the resilience of the human soul. Due to her family’s belief that conventional medicine, including basic vaccinations were unnecessary, numerous medical emergencies from lacerations from the junkyard to concussions and burns from explosions were treated with the herbal medications prepared by Tara’s mother. Education was from the few books, mainly Mormon histories, in her father’s library. Abuse by her older brother, Sean, who suffered from a mental and emotional disorder that her parents refused to acknowledge was one of the hardest parts of Tara’s life for me to read. Tara’s exposure to the conventional world at college was a difficult time for her (having never heard of the Holocaust or the Civil Rights Movement), but her desire to learn and obtain an education prevailed and her innate intelligence earned her the necessary financial resources to continue this learning. This was not an easy book to read. Sometimes I wanted to escape to a lighter, less poignant read, but I am glad to have completed the book. It was worth the effort. This is a true triumph of the human spirit.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Horrifying, Inspiring, Triumphant

Give it a Try if You Like: Wild by Cheryl Strayed or Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

Susie Rivera2019-10-18T15:23:44-05:00October 18th, 2019|

FDL Reads: Shout!

Shout! By Laurie Halse Anderson

Reviewed by: Katie Smith, Reference Specialist

Genre: Autobiography/Memoir, Poetry

Suggested Age: Teens and Adults

What is this Book About? “This is a story of a girl who lost her voice and wrote herself a new one.” – SHOUT

Twenty years after writing Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson is back with a voice that is louder, stronger, and still frighteningly relevant. Written as a memoir-in-verse, SHOUT builds upon the groundwork of Speak and delves into the author’s real-life, traumatic encounters and personal struggles – such as her own rape at the age of thirteen, her father’s struggle with PTSD and resulting spousal abuse, turbulent home life, body shaming, living with depression, drug abuse, and societal misconceptions with consent and sexual assault – all with unflinching honesty. It is as vulnerable as it is rallying, and in the wake of #MeToo, her accounts (and call-to-action) are immeasurably important and timely. Anderson knows, after twenty years of talking with survivors and sharing in their pain, that her writing has the potential to unify, heal, and educate. As a survivor herself, she is unafraid to give advice to those who need it most and – for the sake of current and future generations – holds nothing back:

“Too many grown-ups tell kids to follow their dreams / like that’s going to get them somewhere / Auntie Laurie says follow your nightmares instead / cuz when you figure out what’s eating you / you can slay it.” – SHOUT

My Review: The audiobook of SHOUT is personally narrated by Laurie Halse Anderson, and listening to her voice shook me to the core – largely because her memoir is equal parts stunning beauty, horror, and undeniable rage. It’s raw, and exactly what #MeToo needs right now – a shout, rather than a whisper. What I valued most about SHOUT is that nothing is softened or held back. The trauma is laid bare for all to see and you’re faced with the awful, haunting reality – that sexual assault, depression, and trauma are real for many teens. She doesn’t sugar coat the truth or talk down to her audience, and for her readers this is incredibly empowering and helpful. VERDICT: An essential read for teens and adults – one that pulls no punches, is sometimes unbearably hard to read, and will most likely be one of the most influential books to come out during the #MeToo movement.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Painful, Controversial, Important

Give it a Try if You Like: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton, and Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

Susie Rivera2019-10-15T11:47:50-05:00October 15th, 2019|

Community Bulletin Board

FDL’s community bulletin board is an excellent way to learn about or promote upcoming community events. Located in the library’s Coffee Corner (in the foyer), the bulletin board is available for anyone to submit flyers or signs for local educational, cultural, or charitable events.

Items and content must be approved and posted by library staff. Materials must be typed and contain the name and contact information of the sponsoring organization or representative, must not be larger than 11 x 17 inches, and cannot be posted more than 30 days before the event occurs. Use of the community bulletin board is guided by FDL’s Community Information Policy.

Check out the board the next time you grab a coffee to see what’s happening around the community, or ask staff for more information if you’re interested in promoting your event!

Beth Weimer2019-10-14T11:58:00-05:00October 14th, 2019|

#FDL: Books With Buzz

This season’s newest books with buzz feature a highly anticipated historical novel, a dystopia, and a couple memoirs perfect for National Coming Out Day (October 11).

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 before the book is printed for mass distribution.

Susie Rivera2019-10-12T14:52:01-05:00October 12th, 2019|

FDL Reads: Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Reviewed by: Jacob Roberts, Reference Assistant

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Suggested Age: Teens/Adults

What is this Book About? The third installment of the famed Harry Potter series is an oldie, but a goodie. It follows a young wizard in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There are many new obstacles for Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione such as Dementors, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, a serial killer on the loose, the fate of a hippogriff, and of course the looming fear that Voldemort could still be out there somewhere lurking in the shadows.

My Review: I chose this specific installment of the Harry Potter series primarily because of how different it feels to me compared to the rest of the series. It is not uncommon for both casual readers and “Potterheads” to point out the continual darkening and maturing of the series (after all, the series’ ability to grow with the reader is what has allowed it to continue to prevail and remain relevant since it’s initial publishing in 1997). However, although this book seems to take on a darker and more gritty tone with the escape of Sirius Black, what makes it stand out against the rest of the series for me is that it is arguably the only book in the series that strays away from Voldemort as the main antagonist. The only other book that comes close to this is the Half-Blood Prince, yet even then it is evident from the beginning that it is Voldemort’s wishes that drive the antagonists of the story. Therefore, I wanted to call special attention to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because even though it left the biggest plot of the entire series at the wayside, Rowling was able to create yet another wizarding masterpiece.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Dark, mysterious, fun

Give it a Try if You Like: The Magicians by Lev Grossman, Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, or Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

Susie Rivera2019-10-12T11:00:55-05:00October 12th, 2019|

#FDL: Libraries Transform Digital Reading Program

The Libraries Transform Book Pick is a new digital reading program through the American Library Association that connects readers nationwide by offering free access to the same eBook through public libraries.

Participating is easy! Do you have a public library card? Great! The Libby/OverDrive app now has unlimited copies of the book, After the Flood, during the reading period October 7-21, 2019. Discuss After the Flood on social media using the hashtag #LTBookPick.

Note: If you borrow an eBook copy on October 21, you will still receive the full lending time allotted.

Synopsis of After the Flood

“An inventive and riveting epic saga, After the Flood signals the arrival of an extraordinary new talent.

A little more than a century from now, our world has been utterly transformed. After years of slowly overtaking the continent, rising floodwaters have obliterated America’s great coastal cities and then its heartland, leaving nothing but an archipelago of mountaintop colonies surrounded by a deep expanse of open water.

Stubbornly independent Myra and her precocious seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, fish from their small boat, the Bird, visiting dry land only to trade for supplies and information in the few remaining outposts of civilization. For seven years, Myra has grieved the loss of her oldest daughter, Row, who was stolen by her father after a monstrous deluge overtook their home in Nebraska. Then, in a violent confrontation with a stranger, Myra suddenly discovers that Row was last seen in a far-off encampment near the Arctic Circle. Throwing aside her usual caution, Myra and Pearl embark on a perilous voyage into the icy northern seas, hoping against hope that Row will still be there.”

If you prefer print or audio version of this novel, copies are available through our library system.

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

Susie Rivera2019-10-07T14:04:28-05:00October 7th, 2019|

FDL Reads: The Testaments

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Genre: Speculative fiction, Dystopia

Suggested Age: Adults

What is this Book About? The Testaments is a sequel to the bestselling book The Handmaid’s Tale. It is not the sequel many expected. It does not pick up where The Handmaid’s Tale leaves off. It is also not told from the perspective of the main character of its previous novel. We revisit Gilead, a future piece of America that has been overthrown by a patriarchal oppressive regime. This book takes place fifteen years in the future and is told from three separate female perspectives. We see perspectives from both inside and outside of Gilead. We also get a glimpse of how this regime began its reign as well as a peek of how things have gone in Canada. What is the current state of Gilead and its surrounding regions, and those who live there?

My Review: I have really enjoyed this collection of tales. I always enjoy trying to look at situations from multiple viewpoints, and this book delivers diverse points of view. I liked peering into the past to see how Gilead manipulated those at the beginning of its reign as well as the view of it further down the road. We get viewpoints of those stuck right in the middle as well as those who have seemingly spent their whole lives viewing Gilead from the outside. Due partially to the writing style, this book does not have quite the depth and weight as its predecessor. This did not take away from my enjoyment of this book, but did make it quite a different read.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Gripping, Fascinating, Provoking

Give it a Try if You Like: The Handmaid’s Tale (book and show), 1984

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.

Susie Rivera2019-10-04T08:56:04-05:00October 4th, 2019|

#FDL: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage at the Library

By: Jacob – Reference Assistant

You may not have realized it, but September 15th through October 15th is officially designated as Hispanic Heritage Month. During this time Hispanic heritage is celebrated throughout the country in all forms; however, all celebrate it by remembering the Latino and Hispanic Americans that came before them.

Here at the library we like to celebrate things, especially as important and rich as Hispanic heritage, the best way we know how, by reading and sharing our favorite stories with the community. A few noteworthy authors in our collection are Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges, Junot Díaz, and Guillermo del Toro. To find out the rest you’ll just have to come out to the library and peruse our collection yourself!

We currently have a display celebrating all of the Hispanic and Latino authors in our collection. We also have some Hispanic literature bookmarks available for anyone who wants to browse our collection independently.

We also have a copy of Isabel Allende’s newest book, A Long Petal of the Sea, which will be published in January. Enter a drawing here to win a free copy! Here’s a little about the book:

“From the New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits, this epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents follows two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home. In the late 1930s, civil war grips Spain. When General Franco and his Fascists succeed in overthrowing the government, hundreds of thousands are forced to flee in a treacherous journey over the mountains to the French border. Among them is Roser, a pregnant young widow, who finds her life intertwined with that of Victor Dalmau, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love. In order to survive, the two must unite in a marriage neither of them desires.”

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

Susie Rivera2019-10-03T13:22:31-05:00October 3rd, 2019|

FDL Reads: The Sword of Shannara

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Reviewed by: Susie Rivera

Genre: Fantasy

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens

What is this Book About? Shea Ohmsford’s life is forever changed when the druid Allanon appears in his peaceful home of Shady Vale. The Four Lands are in grave danger as the evil Warlock Lord plots to take over the known realms. The legendary Sword of Shannara is the only thing that can be used to defeat him. Shea learns that he is descended from Jerle Shannara, the last hero to wield the sword, and his bloodline gives him the ability to control the weapon. Shea and his brother Flick begin an epic journey to find the sword. On the way they meet allies and enemies amidst the the backdrop of the Warlock Lord’s encroaching army.

My Review: I decided to read this novel because I really enjoyed The Shannara Chronicles series. The television show actually begins with book two of Brooks’ original Shannara trilogy, The Elfstones of Shannara, and now I can understand why this choice was made. The Sword of Shannara is very similar to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. So similar, in fact, that a reader can make a list of side-by-side characters and events. In Brooks’ defense, though, there had not been a fantasy series to match Lord of the Rings yet in the 1970’s; therefore, he was pressured by his editor to make it more similar to Lord of the Rings in order to appease Tolkien’s fan base and reignite the fantasy industry. The novel was hugely popular and did much for fantasy as a genre at the time. Subsequent novels do depart from Tolkien, though, and readers can appreciate Brooks’ more unique vision.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Epic, Classic, Adventure

Give it a Try if You Like: Classic fantasy like David Eddings and Robert Jordan, The Shannara Chronicles, The Lord of the Rings

Rating: 3/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

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

Susie Rivera2019-10-02T10:49:13-05:00October 2nd, 2019|

#FDL Banned Books Week: James and the Giant Peach

It might be hard to believe that the children’s book, James and the Giant Peach has been frequently banned. Roald Dahl’s 1961 story is about a boy who goes inside a giant peach and has a fantastic adventure with a few magically altered bugs inside. It has been challenged for its magical and sometimes frightening elements. Critics have also cited drug and alcohol references. There is a rhyme that a centipede sings to James: “Once upon a time/When pigs were swine/And monkeys chewed tobacco/And hens took snuff/To make themselves tough/And the ducks said quack-quack-quacko/And porcupines/Drank fiery wines.” Despite these challenges, Dahl’s books are considered children’s classics. Others including The Witches and The BFG have also been targets of censors in schools.

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

Susie Rivera2019-09-27T15:49:55-05:00September 27th, 2019|