#FDL: Stream It! Read It!
Check our online catalog or call the library to place a hold on one of these titles.
Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
FDL Reads: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Reviewed by: Katie Smith, Reference Specialist
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Teens
What is this book about? Nimona is a spunky and energetic shapeshifter with unique talents – primarily, orchestrating villainy and mayhem. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a professional supervillain with a loner streak. When Nimona breaks into his lair and proclaims herself as his sidekick, he sees an opportunity – together, they can wreak havoc for The Institute of Defense and Lord Blackheart’s nemesis Sir Goldenloin, proving that they aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are. As small acts of mischief turn into bloody battles, it becomes apparent that Nimona is rapidly changing the rules of engagement between Lord Blackheart and The Institute. Powerful, unpredictable, and haunted by a mysterious, dark past – she may be more dangerous than Lord Blackheart is willing to admit. Can he save the kingdom, his chivalrous nemesis, and a sidekick who doesn’t want to be saved?
My Review: If you enjoy graphic novels, sassy characters, plot twists and magical mayhem – then you need to read this book! This story is one that will draw you in with its goofy, accessible characters and then take you in thrilling, unpredictable plot directions, which were not hinted at in the early pages. Characters will grow and change – sometimes painfully – and in a way, everyone’s prickly distance from each other just makes their relationships more appealing! I enjoyed the subtlety of Noel Stevenson’s writing and appreciated her balancing of very weighty, serious material with moments that were cathartic and uplifting. After all, this is a story about heroes and villains, right and wrong, and the power of redemption – but Nimona is a feisty force of nature that will challenge these fantasy tropes in all sorts of unexpected ways!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Heartfelt, Sassy, Charming
Give This a Try if You Like… Adventure Time, Vicious by VE Schwab, and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
FDL Reads: Past Tense
Past Tense by Lee Child
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Suggested Age: Adult
What the book is about: Walking at a steady speed of 4 miles per hour and occasionally hitching a ride, Jack Reacher begins a late summer journey from Maine to San Diego, CA. At the same time, a young Canadian couple, Shorty Fleck and Patty Sundstrom are relocating from their home in St. Leonard, New Brunswick to Florida via a planned stop in New York City. The couple is driving an ancient, and apparently poorly maintained Honda. Reacher spots a sign at a fork in the road for Laconia, New Hampshire which sparks a memory of his father’s stories of growing up in Laconia. Patty and Shorty experience car trouble and spot a motel sign in the woods approaching Laconia. Lee Child builds a gripping, suspense filled tale from this simple beginning adding detail, humor and a Stephen King-like anticipation into his 22nd novel featuring ex-military MP, Jack Reacher.
My review: I enjoy and have read all 22 Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. Child has a narrative style that draws me into the thought processes of the characters, especially the main character, Jack Reacher. Suspense builds through the use of detail and unique situations. In Past Tense, Reacher is on a genealogical search with surprising results and unusual adversity. As Reacher would say, “It either works out, or it doesn’t.” I was engrossed by this book and finished it very quickly.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Intriguing, Suspenseful, Frightening
Give This a Try if You Like: Lee Child’s previous novels or the mysteries by Robert Crais.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
FDL Reads: What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions By Randall Munroe
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Assistant
Genre: Scientific Humor
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about? Randall Munroe, the author behind the webcomic “xkcd,” has compiled a wide array of wacky questions that have been submitted to his website…questions that need scientifically based answers. From trying to figure out if a Lego bridge across the Atlantic Ocean is feasible to envisioning the consequences of all of Earth’s water travelling through an interdimensional porthole to the surface of Mars, the situations posited are sometimes as outlandish as the answers. Have you ever had a kid ask you why or how something in the universe is the way it is? Did you stammer trying to come up with something plausible or just say, “I don’t know?” This book could help you be ready for next time…maybe.
My Review: I listened to the e-audiobook on Hoopla, but this is also available in print and CD audiobook form. I found it amusing and a whimsical way to pass the time while listening and driving. The print form has Munroe’s comic drawings to help the reader visualize the situations that are being described. The audiobook is read by Wil Wheaton, whom I enjoy listening to. I envisioned this book would be filled with questions and answers that would mirror some of my conversations with my middle-school aged son. Not quite. Most of these predicaments were a few grade levels higher than he’s ready for, but he still liked the Lego bridge scenario. The effort and research into the answers Munroe has compiled are an order of magnitude beyond anything I would have ever bothered to delve into. Can you say ultra-nerd? But, it’s all in fun. I’ve run across the “xkcd” webcomic a few times in the past but am not a regular reader. I’m sure a diehard fan would be thrilled with this book.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Cerebral, Quirky, Silly
Give This a Try if You Like…www.xkcd.com, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, A Short History of Nearly Everything
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
We’re hiring!
The library is now accepting applications for two positions: part-time Reference Assistant and part-time Youth Services Assistant. Please visit https://www.fondulaclibrary.org/about-us/jobs for more information.
Equipment @ the library
Did you know some great gadgets are available for checkout at FDL? The library has Rokus, MaKey MaKeys, appliance load testers, and WiFi Hotspots available for borrowers to use. Patrons can stream popular movies and TV shows and instantly access most of the library’s movie collection, including new releases, with a Roku. MaKey Makeys are fun experiment kits for all ages that can turn household items like bananas, aluminum foil, and silverware into circuitry touchpads. Patrons can measure the AMPS or WATTS used by plug-in electrical appliances and find out how much energy is being used by checking out a “Kill-A-Watt” Appliance Load Tester. Patrons can also borrow free, mobile internet access for use at home or while traveling by checking out one of our Wi-Fi Hotspots.
Loan periods for these handy devices range from one to three weeks. Please note that equipment items are not available for transit to other libraries or for interlibrary loan. Checkouts and returns take place at the Second Floor Information Desk. Try one out this week, or ask a librarian for more information!
FDL Reads: Bringing Up Bebe
Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
Genre: Nonfiction
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the book about?: Pamela Druckerman marries a British journalist and they make their home in France. When she becomes pregnant with her first child, she begins to notice how pregnancy in France as well as French children are different than in America. For example, pregnant French women seem to sip wine without remorse and French children are well-behaved. They are even able to sit in a restaurant during a multi-course meal without parents having to give them an iPad. What are the secrets behind these phenomenons? Druckerman has done the research to find out why French parents are less stressed and why French children are so cultured and mindful.
My Review: I was drawn to this book after my son was born. My husband and I had just visited France, and I had noticed how well-behaved some of the children seemed in public. The insights Druckerman describes were fascinating to me as well as humorous. Though some of the pointers she gives regarding parenting seem like universal common sense, I learned a few new things that I tried right away with my baby. I listened to the e-audio version of this book and really enjoyed the narrator’s casual tone. Listening to her talk was like having lunch with a friend each day.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Interesting, funny, realistic
Give This a Try if You Like…French Women Don’t Get Fat, French Kids Eat Everything, Cultural differences
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
#FDL: 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 1. A library card number and PIN are required to access the eBook. This summer the Big Library Read has chosen A Dangerous Act of Kindness by LP Fergusson. Below is a little about the book from The Big Library Read’s website:
“What would you risk for a complete stranger? When widow Millie Sanger finds injured enemy pilot Lukas Schiller on her farm, the distant war is suddenly at her doorstep. Compassionate Millie knows he’ll be killed if discovered, and makes the dangerous decision to offer him shelter from the storm.
On opposite sides of the inescapable conflict, the two strangers forge an unexpected and passionate bond. But as the snow thaws, the relentless fury of World War Two forces them apart, leaving only the haunting memories of what they shared, and an understanding that their secret must never see light.
As Millie’s dangerous act of kindness sets them on paths they never could have expected, those closest to them become their greatest threats, and the consequences of compassion prove deadly…
A Dangerous Act of Kindness is a beautiful, harrowing love story, perfect for fans of Rachel Hore and Santa Montefiore.”
Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
#FDL: What We’re Reading This Summer
Fondulac Library Staff share what they are reading so far this summer. Sign up for It’s Showtime at Your Library, our summer reading program for all ages, and earn prizes for reading and attending library programs.
In Dog We Trust by Beth Kendrick
What’s it about? Unexpectedly named the legal guardian of a wealthy man’s prized Labrador retrievers, Jocelyn Hilliard moves into a luxurious seaside mansion before tackling the dual challenge of caring for her charges and contending with her late benefactor’s estranged son.
Recommended by: Sue, Youth Services Manager
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
What’s it about? The world is going to end next Saturday, but there are a few problems–the Antichrist has been misplaced, the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse ride motorcycles, and the representatives from heaven and hell decide that they like the human race.
Recommended by: Jessica, Adult Services
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
What’s it about? At age eight, David watched as his father was killed by an Epic, a human with superhuman powers, and now, ten years later, he joins the Reckoners — the only people who are trying to kill the Epics and end their tyranny.
Recommended by: Katie, Adult Services
The Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks Volume 1 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
What’s it about? Presents the first six adventures of Peter Parker, a college student turned super-hero by the bite of a radioactive spider.
Recommended by: Jacob, Adult Services
Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson
What’s it about? A Stormlight Archive novella about Lift, a young Knight Radiant.
Recommended by: Monica, Circulation
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
What’s it about? The third book in the epic fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive, Oathbringer’s main characters confront truths that challenge everything they believe.
Recommended by: Susie, Adult Services; Melissa Friedlund, Adult Services; and Monica, Circulation
What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
What’s it about? Gladwell takes everyday subjects and shows us surprising new ways of looking at them. Whether it’s criminal profiling or dog training.
Recommended by: Genna, Library Director
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
What’s it about? They call him father, liberator, warlord, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the pale blue planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-second of his life.
Recommended by: Nick, Circulation Manager
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
What’s it about? Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. Embracing her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, Celaena returns to the empire–for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past–.
Recommended by: Amanda, Youth Services
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
What’s it about? Alison Weir portrays the tragic Lady Jane Grey during the very tumultuous times following the death of King Edward VI.
Recommended by: Becky, Adult Services
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris
What’s it about? In this guide to mindfulness and meditation for beginners and experienced meditators alike, Harris and his friend Jeff Warren, a masterful teacher and “Meditation MacGyver,” embark on a cross-country quest to tackle the myths, misconceptions, and self-deceptions that stop people from meditating.
Recommended by: Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant
The Raven King by Maggie Stievater
What’s it about? Not believing in true love, Blue never thought the warning that she will cause her true love’s death would be a problem, but as her life is entangled in the world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
Recommended by: Kayla Tyler-Watkins, Youth Services
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
What’s it about? Growing up in a small Mississippi town in a family haunted by the murder of her brother, Robin, Harriet Cleve Dusfresnes lives in a world of her imagination, until, at the age of twelve, she decides to find Robin’s murderer and exact her revenge.
Recommended by: Beth, Communications
Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.
Online Fine Payments
Did you know you can pay your library fines online? FDL offers online fine payment as an easy and convenient option for paying your fines. Simply head to fondulaclibrary.org, select ‘My Account’ from the top menu bar, and enter your library card number and pin to log in. Select the ‘Fines’ tab for an overview of the late fees or charges associated with your card, read and accept the terms and conditions, and select ‘Pay online to Fondulac District Library.’
Please note that the minimum online payment allowed is $1, and a convenience fee of 50¢ will be added to your payment. Enter your credit card information, email address for a receipt, and select ‘Submit’ to complete the transaction.
Paying your fines online is a great option for those times you can’t make it to the library, forget your wallet, or need to pay down your fines so you can place a hold on a book. Whatever the reason, try it out and ask a librarian for assistance if you have any questions!