For Adults - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

FDL: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

By: Rebecca Skloot

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Adult Services Specialist

Genre: Non-fiction, Biographical

Suggested Age: Teens, Adults

What is the book about? Henrietta Lacks’ life was short, she only lived to be 31 years old. However, her legacy as the source of the first “immortal” human cell line was something that the world knew nothing about for decades. As a young student, the author (Rebecca Skloot) became fascinated with finding out more about Henrietta Lacks…a person who was only briefly acknowledged by one of her biology teachers, but no other information seemed to be known about her. Skloot wanted to find out more and clung to any nugget of information that she happened upon. Until one day, she was given the chance to talk to the surviving family of Henrietta Lacks, but there was a catch. They were not eager to share with the outside world. This book follows three main narratives: Henrietta Lacks’ disease progression, her family’s history (before and after her death), and the cells cultured from her tumor (cells that did not die) known as “HeLa.”

My Review: I thought this book was an emotional rollercoaster, but a rewarding listen (CD audiobook). The author spent nearly 10 years investigating and working with the Lacks family to find out anything they could about Henrietta and HeLa. Medical researchers gained the “miracle” of the HeLa cells that led to many important medical breakthroughs, including three Nobel Prizes. However, HeLa didn’t benefit Henrietta’s children, children that were thrust into a new life without their mother. I was at times saddened, shocked, outraged, encouraged, and uplifted by this book. For me, knowing that in recent news, her descendants have successfully sued and settled with at least one of the companies that continues to profit from HeLa cells added to my feeling of closure at the end of the book. Henrietta’s story is one that needed to be shared with the world.

Trigger warning: violence, child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and the N word.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Tragic, Whirlwind, Invaluable

Give This a Try if You Like…Lab Girl by Hope Jaren, The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Rating: 4.5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

Susie Rivera2023-08-10T15:38:34-05:00August 10th, 2023|

FDL Reads: House of Hunger

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Reference Assistant

Genre: Horror

Suggested Age: Adults

What is This Book About? Marion Shaw is a young maid who lives with her addict brother in the industrial town of Prane. After years of abuse from her employer, Marion finds a tempting ad in the paper. A noble house from the north is calling for young women to become “bloodmaids.” Women who bleed for the House of Hunger so that aristocrats can feed off the blood’s “healing” properties. The setting resembles that of nineteenth century Europe, where noble houses rule an agrarian society and industrialized cities breed poverty. Set in a different world than our own, House of Hunger tells the story of an underprivileged woman finding the opportunity of a lifetime. However, this opportunity comes at a cost as Marion maneuvers the House politics and discovers a dark secret no one is prepared to handle.

My Review: This is a very interesting gothic horror that gives the feel of a vampire novel, without actually having vampires. Marion Shaw is seduced into becoming a bloodmaid as she is showered with fine lodging and sweets galore. All she has to do is feed the nobles, especially the House Head, Countess Lisavet, her blood. The Countess is intoxicated by Marion’s blood and a budding romance begins to bloom after they first meet. Naturally, there is jealousy lurking among the other bloodmaids and being the favorite comes at a high price. This book offers a great deal of gothic depictions within an aristocratic lifestyle, rife with violence and gluttony. And, of course, there is a heinous House secret that Marion must unearth if she ever wants to survive the House of Hunger. This book is great if you like gothic horror, vampires, or any sort of creepy genre.

Three Words that Describe this Book: horror, gothic, vampirism

Give This A Try if You Like… Handmaid’s Tale, Interview with the Vampire, Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Dowry of the Dead

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

Susie Rivera2023-08-03T12:21:01-05:00August 3rd, 2023|

FDL Reads: Much Ado About Nada

Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Library volunteer

Genre: Romance

Suggested Age: Adult, Young Adult

What is the book about? Techpreneur Nada Syed’s best friend, Haleema, tricks her friend into attending a large, popular, Muslim convention (“like ComicCon, except with hijabs”) run by Haleema’s fiancé, Zayn, and his family. Nada’s parents and best friend Haleema all think the convention would be a good way for Nada to get out of her shell and meet people, especially with the matrimonial speed-dating event on the agenda. Nada hasn’t yet met Zayn, something she has avoided doing because – unknown to Haleema or Zayn – Nada has a history with Zayn’s brother Baz. Nada is also dismayed and angry after learning that her traitorous, former business partner, Haneef, is attending the convention.

My Review: Author Uzma Jalaluddin says she was inspired in writing this novel by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, while the Shakespearean-style title hints at the complex muddle Nada’s life has become. Both connections – Austen and Shakespeare – hint at some (but not all!) of the plot line and heightened my interest in the tale. Layer by layer, alternating between the present and the past, Jalaluddin deftly unveils the back story that is key to the relationship between Nada and Baz. The history between the two is not pretty, which leads to some surprising developments as present-day interactions between Nada and Baz unfold. My favorite phrase from the book: “She [Nada] had buried her secrets and regrets in a small bundle she kept hidden in a floral hatbox inside her closet.” I loved this book and can’t wait to read Jalaluddin’s next work!

Three Words That Describe This Book: Romantic, funny, opportunity

Give This a Try if You Like… Romcoms and romances such as Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev, Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali, Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

Susie Rivera2023-07-19T15:13:34-05:00July 19th, 2023|

#FDL: Overdrive Big Library Read

Fondulac District Library provides access to a large collection of eBooks and audiobooks through the 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 Libby app from July 13-27. A library card number and PIN are required to access the book.

This summer, the Big Library Read has chosen A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey.

Below is a little about the book from The Big Library Read’s website:

“All families are messy. Some are disasters.Natalie Walker is the reason her older brother and sister went to prison over 15 years ago. She fled California shortly after that fateful night and hasn’t spoken to anyone in her family since. Now, on the same day her boyfriend steals her dream job out from under her, Natalie receives a letter from a lawyer saying her estranged mother has died and left the family’s historic Santa Cruz house to her. Sort of. The only way for Natalie and her siblings to inherit is for all three adult children to come back and claim it—together.

Natalie drives cross-country to Santa Cruz with her willful cat in tow expecting to sign some papers, see siblings Lynn and Jake briefly, and get back to sorting out her life in Boston. But Jake, now an award-winning ornithologist, is missing. And Lynn, working as an undertaker in New York City, shows up with a teenage son. While Natalie and her nephew look for Jake—meeting a very handsome marine biologist who immediately captures her heart—she unpacks the guilt she has held onto for so many years, wondering how (or if) she can salvage a relationship with her siblings after all this time.”

Check it out on the Libby app and join the Big Reads discussion at https://biglibraryread.com/current-title/

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2023-07-13T15:35:39-05:00July 13th, 2023|

School Supply Drive July 1-31

Help East Peoria’s kids start the school year off right, and supply them for success! The library’s annual school supply drive is back! The library is collecting new, unused school supplies from July 1 to 31 to distribute to District 85 and 86 schools. Requested items include:

#2 pencils
pens (red, blue, and black)
pink erasers
Expo markers
Sharpies
highlighters
Elmer’s glue and glue sticks
Crayola crayons (24 count)
Crayola washable markers
Crayola watercolors
colored pencils
spiral notebooks
composition notebooks
wide-lined paper
folders
3 ring binders
scissors
rulers
index cards
book bags
paper towels
Kleenex
Ziploc sandwich bags and gallon bags
Clorox wipes

A box for donated supplies is located inside the Youth Services department. Your donations are greatly appreciated!

genna2023-07-06T11:14:36-05:00July 6th, 2023|

FDL Reads: Robert E. Lee and Me

Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning With the Myth of the Lost Cause by Ty Seidule

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Genre: American History (Civil War), Memoir

Suggested Age: Adult, Teen

What is the book about? The myth of the “Lost Cause” is an interpretation of the events before, during, and after the Civil War that portrays the South in the best possible light. It claims slavery was benign or beneficial to those enslaved. It glorifies Robert E. Lee to a point beyond hero-worship, almost as if he was god-like. Belief in it facilitated reconciliation between whites from the North and South during the 19^th and 20^th centuries, at the cost of racial equity and civil rights. The author, a career military officer in the Army as well as a historian, explains how, as an adult, he came to terms with his own indoctrination into these racist ideas by examining his upbringing in Virginia and throughout the South.

My Review: I listened to the audiobook read by the author and thought it was an impressively-researched dissection of the myth of the “Lost Cause.” Seidule is clear-eyed and forthright about the fact that his old belief system was racist and how the Southern culture that he was raised in fostered and nurtured these beliefs into his adulthood. His detailed exploration into things like the cause of the Civil War, Confederate monuments, Gone With the Wind, Confederate flags, military fort names, and beyond is a compelling demystification of the Confederacy and of Robert E. Lee.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Introspective, Compelling, Well-Researched

Give This a Try if You Like…How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History Slavery Across America by Clint Smith, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DeAngelo, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

Susie Rivera2023-07-05T11:59:47-05:00July 5th, 2023|

#FDL: Movie Review-A Man Called Otto

A Man Called Otto

Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Reference Assistant

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Suggested Age: Adults

What is This Movie About? Otto Anderson is a 63-year-old widower and after losing his wife and losing his job, he is on the bitter edge of desperation and loneliness. There is a trigger warning in this move: Otto attempts suicide multiple times. His attempts are thwarted by fate and friends and even though he thinks he’s joining his wife, his time on earth is still very much valued. A young family moves into his homeowner’s subdivision and they don’t have many resources or knowledge about things often taken for granted. For instance, the wife, Marisal, does not have a driver’s license, nor does she know how to drive. The husband isn’t particularly great at driving either and when he breaks his leg, the family is essentially grounded unless they get help from their disgruntled neighbor, Otto. As time passes, we get introduced to Otto’s old friends who have hit hard times and are being pressured to move into a nursing home. With the help of Otto, the new neighbors’ youthful vigor, and some other whimsical characters, Otto is able to save his friends’ home and keep the community together.

My Review: I must say, I found this film pretty incredible. Held up against Tom Hanks’ other serious dramas, I would probably classify this movie as one of his greatest. The movie toggles between Otto’s current life as a retired widower, and his youth, someone who was unable to serve in the armed forces during Vietnam, but very capable of finding the love of his life. Another intriguing point of interest is that young Otto is played by Tom Hanks’ son, Truman Hanks. The two actors very convincingly portray a man obsessed with solving problems and someone who cannot be easily silenced, especially with his gruff demeanor. A Man Called Otto is a beautiful film about grief, age, loneliness, and new beginnings. As I stated earlier, there is a trigger warning as Otto attempts to reunite with his passed-wife several times throughout the movie. With each attempt, however, there is a plot-point that emerges and forces Otto to confront the outside world, no matter how irritating it might be for him. What he finds are new reasons to carry on and to live his fullest life. This movie will really tug on the heart strings, but you’ll laugh as much as you cry. I give it five big stars!

Three Words that Describe this Book: comedy, drama, dramady

Give This A Try if You Like… The Weather Man, The Royal Tenenbaums, A Man Called Ove, Birdman, A Serious Man, Lost in Translation, Little Miss Sunshine

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

Susie Rivera2023-06-30T15:37:24-05:00June 30th, 2023|

FDL Reads: Murder in an Irish Village

Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor

Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, library volunteer

Genre: Mystery

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens (15+)

What is the book about?: Less than a year before the tale begins, the parents of Siobhán O’Sullivan and her five siblings were killed in a horrible car wreck caused by a drunk driver. The small town of Kilbane, Ireland, gathered round the O’Sullivans to support them through the tragedy. The driver who caused the accident, Billy Murphy, is in jail. Billy’s brother, Niall, was thought to have moved to Dublin until one fateful day when Siobhán encountered Niall in a local shop. Niall, in a rather threatening tone, hits Siobhán up for 10,000 Euros, saying that his brother is innocent and that he, Niall, has information about the real perpetrator of the crime. Later that day, Niall appears in the O’Sullivan family bistro, where he is decidedly not welcome. At the bistro, Niall argues with Siobhán’s older brother, James, who is close to celebrating six months of sobriety. The next morning, Niall is found stabbed to death in the bistro. James was out all night – drinking – and has no memory of the night. Customers from the local pub remember another heated argument between James and Niall, and soon James is arrested for the murder. Siobhán must rescue her brother and prove his innocence by finding the true killer.

My Review: Author Carlene O’Connor makes the characters and setting come alive in this cozy mystery, the first in O’Connor’s Irish Village Mystery Series. Characters are real, sympathetic and friendly – just the sort of folks you’d like to sit down and have a pint with at your local pub. The ancient walled (fictional) town of Kilbane is the beautifully described setting for the mystery. As a reader I happily walked and ran with “O’Sullivan Six” and their community of friends through the streets of this interesting village. It’s a satisfying read that will leave you feeling as if you’ve found friends and a home away from home. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series!

Three Words That Describe This Book: Warm, charming, engaging

Give This a Try if You Like…Cozy mysteries such as Sheila Connolly’s County Cork Mystery Series or Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity mystery series

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

Susie Rivera2023-06-28T13:57:56-05:00June 28th, 2023|

Tree Planting: 2023 Community Project

tulip tree We need your help for this summer’s community project! The Fon du Lac Park District will match the library’s $500 pledge to go towards planting beautiful tulip poplar trees at Neumann Park for everyone to enjoy – but only if all of our summer readers help us hit our goal of 500,000 minutes!

That’s a lot of reading, but we’re positive that our voracious readers will be up to the task. Tulip poplars are the official tree of East Peoria and are actually closely related to the magnolia tree, but are called tulip trees because of their greenish yellow and orange flowers. So register for summer reading and track your reading June 1 – July 31 to help us plant new trees in the community! Plus, everyone who completes the summer reading program will be able to add a leaf to the tree bulletin board in the Youth Services department!

genna2023-06-27T11:57:03-05:00June 27th, 2023|

FDL Reads: Into the Black Nowhere

Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner

Reviewed By: Rebecca Cox, Business Manager

Genre: Fiction

Suggested Age: Adults

What is This Book About? Women in Texas begin disappearing on Saturday nights from conspicuous places –a movie theater, a car idling at a stoplight and a third vanishes from her own home while checking on her baby. Caitlin Hendrix, rookie FBI agent and profiler for the Behavioral Analysis Unit, along with her team are dispatched to Austin to investigate. They find the first victim’s body in the woods laid out in a bloodstained white nightgown, surrounded by polaroid pictures. Each photo pictures a different woman laid out in the same way showing that the unknown subject (unsub) has killed far more women than the FBI realized. In order to catch him, Caitlin and her team must get inside his mind to catch him before he claims more victims.

My Review: Fans of the television series Criminal Minds (like me) and true crime buffs are going to really enjoy this fictional crime thriller, the second in the Unsub series by Gardiner. It is fast paced and detailed, easily pulling you into the story and simultaneously freaking you out! With details paralleling the famous murders of infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in a modern-day context, this book was hard for me to put down. Caitlin Hendrix is a fantastic character – unlike so many female law enforcement protagonists who tend to be unbelievably portrayed as “good at everything,” her character has a depth and flaws that make her extremely relatable. She is a rookie in the FBI and this novel shows her start to understand her new role as an agent and learn to trust her instincts when it comes to profiling a killer.

Three Words that Describe this Book: Fast-paced, Suspenseful, Compelling

Give this a try if you like… Criminal Minds, Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, China Lake by Meg Gardiner,

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

Susie Rivera2023-06-15T17:22:10-05:00June 15th, 2023|