#FDL - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

#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|

#FDL: Books for Pride Month

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Let’s Get Back to the Party by Zak Salih

It is 2015, weeks after the Supreme Court marriage equality ruling, and all Sebastian Mote wants is to settle down. A high school art history teacher, newly single and desperately lonely, he envies his queer students their freedom to live openly the youth he lost to fear and shame. When he runs into his childhood friend Oscar Burnham at a wedding in Washington, D.C., he can’t help but see it as a second chance.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

This debut about three women–transgender and cisgender–whose lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires around gender, motherhood, and sex.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan (YA)

Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas, since her family moved there for her father to work as a pediatrician. While dealing with the Islamophobia that she faces at school, Zara has to lay low, trying not to stir up any trouble and jeopardize their family’s dependent visa status while they await their green card approval, which has been in process for almost nine years.

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve (YA)

Dean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo. He wonders if maybe it would be easier to wait until college to come out. But as he plays Romeo every day in rehearsals, Dean realizes he wants everyone to see him as he really is now––not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life. Dean knows what he needs to do. Can playing a role help Dean be his true self?

– Annotations from the publishers

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2021-06-08T10:44:02-05:00June 4th, 2021|

#FDL Film Review: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Genre: Biography

Rating: PG

What is the movie about? Some of the names and events have been changed, but this movie is based on a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and a magazine writer. In 1998, Lloyd Vogel, a writer for Vogue magazine, was given an assignment to profile television personality Fred Rogers, also known as “Mister Rogers.” Up until this point, Lloyd’s writing and his personal life have been filled with bitterness, cynicism, and mistrust. While Lloyd shadows Mister Rogers, we get to see many aspects of their lives, both public and private. Meeting Mister Rogers, a truly genuine person who is wholly caring and honest, forces Lloyd to reexamine his preconceived notions, his feelings, and his life.

My Review: I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. It is a little quirky in its story-telling, like using miniatures reminiscent of those on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood as setting transitions between scenes. The way Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers, you get a real sense that Fred Rogers was not like everyone else. His active listening skills and his insightful empathy are stunningly honest and a little creepy, to be honest. However, comparing that to Lloyd Vogel’s guarded and irascible demeanor, it really shows how special Mister Rogers really was. It is easy for people to hold on to old hurts and lie to themselves, not really living honestly and in-the-moment. It was very unexpected to end up being so introspective at the end of a movie, but this one really got to me. And I enjoyed the walk down memory lane, too.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Clever, Nostalgic, Unconventional

Give This a Try if You Like…Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (documentary), Officer Clemmons: A Memoir by Francois Clemmons, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Neighborly Words of Wisdom from Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

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

Susie Rivera2021-05-21T11:38:19-05:00May 21st, 2021|

#FDL: Books for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Read one of these books and learn about the many cultures and histories that make up the AAPI community.

White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

For fans of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko and Lilac Girls, the heartbreaking history of Korea is brought to life in this deeply moving and redemptive debut that follows two sisters separated by World War II.

Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia

The dramatic real life stories of four young people caught up in the mass exodus of Shanghai in the wake of China’s 1949 Communist revolution—a precursor to the struggles faced by emigrants today.

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

A debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossible standards of beauty, after-hours room salons catering to wealthy men, ruthless social hierarchies, and K-pop mania.

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang

How Much of These Hills Is Gold is a haunting adventure story, a sibling story, and the announcement of a new voice in literature. On a broad level, it explores race in an expanding country and the question of where immigrants are allowed to belong. But page by page, it’s about the memories that bind and divide families, and the yearning for home.

What We Carry by Maya Shanbhag Lang

Maya Shanbhag Lang grew up idolizing her brilliant mother, an accomplished physician who immigrated to the United States from India and completed her residency all while raising her children and keeping a traditional Indian home. What We Carry is a memoir about mothers and daughters, lies and truths, receiving and giving care, and how we cannot grow up until we fully understand the people who raised us. It is an examination of the weight we shoulder as women and an exploration of how to finally set our burdens down.

-Annotations from the publishers

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

Susie Rivera2021-05-06T14:10:02-05:00May 5th, 2021|

Trending Fantasy Books

Check out a few of the most popular fantasy books right now. Place a hold through the links to our catalog.

A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses Series, Book 4) by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy Romance

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she’s struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can’t seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it. The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre’s Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta’s orbit. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other. Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

YA, Mythological Fantasy

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals. They are hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory after her family was murdered by a rival line. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man—now a god—responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek her out: Castor, a childhood friend Lore believed to be dead, and Athena, one of the last of the original gods, now gravely wounded. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and a way to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to rejoin the hunt, binding her fate to Athena’s, will come at a deadly cost—and it may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash Series, Book 1) by Jennifer Armentrout

Paranormal Fantasy, Fantasy Romance

A Maiden…Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers. A Duty…The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Historical Fantasy

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientèle. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries. Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate, and not everyone will survive.

-Annotations from the publishers

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

Susie Rivera2021-04-28T16:04:38-05:00April 28th, 2021|

Star Wars Writing Contest Winners

Thank you to those who entered our first ever Star Wars Writing contest during Star Wars Week!

Congratulations to Owen F. for winning the teen category!

Prompt: You were chosen to write an episode of The Mandalorian. Write a little about what the plot would be.

Episode: A World of Beskar Part 1

In the seemingly still quietness of space, there was a star system of what looks roughly like 6 or 7 planets. There was an asteroid belt around the outer edge. Suddenly, a star ship appeared out of nowhere along with two smaller ships, these ships seem to be fighting.

“I can’t shake them off,” said the Madalorian.

The bigger ship tried to knock the smaller ones in the asteroid field. Even though the asteroids got close to the ships, they still managed to evade the asteroids.

“The space is too crowded, I have to go up,” he said.

The pilots saw this coming and shot at the left thruster, thankfully the shot missed and they resumed to target the back of the ship. The bigger ship dodged and ducked, but when he tried to fire back, they moved accordingly. Out of nowhere, the Slave 1 appeared and shot the two smaller ships to an oblivion.

“You’re lucky that I arrived just in time, those pilots would have blown you to ashes,” said Boba Fett. ” There aren’t many pilots that are capable of that much skill.”

“I know, that’s what scares me.”

The two ships flew to the planet Gondoria. As they looked around the place that they landed, they noticed one thing, the blue liquid that they thought was water wasn’t water, but pure, hot molten metal. This surprised them as the appearance of lava was normally red or orange, but not blue.

“How in the world is this place hot enough for lava to turn blue?” asked Boba Fett.

“I don’t know, but I feel that we should get to what we came for” said the Mandalorian.

Far away, planets away, there was a squad of troops negotiating with a dealer on selling beskar, an almost indestructible metal.

“What do you mean there isn’t enough beskar to satisfy my bargain, it is perfectly reasonable to ask for that amount!”

He slammed his fist on the table that made a large dent in the polished surface, this fist belonged to the smallest of the bunch, yet he had the voice and anger of a dark leader, a tyrant.

“I’m sorry to tell you but beskar doesn’t appear out of thin air, it takes months, if not years to make, and a bunch of buyers have been coming in and out and have been draining our supply.” This seller’s voice was calm, and cool, without the slightest trace of anger behind it. The calm, soothing attitude only made the leader more furious with this matter.

“Is there at least a way to make it,” he said in a stern, cold voice, the effort of fighting his anger showed through him like synthetic glass, the anger and rage was astounding for how hard he tried to control himself.

“No, there’s not, I’m afraid-,” but this sentence was interrupted due to the fact that he was pulled right from the seat of his desk, as if the gravity from the masked leaders hand had intensified one million times more than normal, the room around him stared at him, with terror plastered on all of their faces, except for the squad, even if they had no masks covering their faces.

“There is a planet that is almost right next to us, there is some beskar there and you can satisfy your deal and far beyond that, more than you will ever need.” The person’s voice was filled with fear but it gave the leader what he wanted.

“Now, unhand me, you got what you wanted did you not?” His voice was filled with the slightest bit of hope, but his hope vanished immediately after he said this.

“Release you?” The voice of tyranny became a voice of mockery, he laughed.

“You’re going to go walking back, after what you said to me, no, you’re no use, and I don’t want you to be giving this information to anyone else.” The seller’s face became fearful once again.

“That is a two in one for me, good bye, glad that we could come up with an agreement that satisfies both our needs.” With this, he snapped the seller’s neck in half and threw his body across the room, his body landed with a crash and broke about one hundred desks in a row.

To be continued…

Congratulations to Rachael Steinbron for winning the adult category!

Prompt: If you had to live on one of the Star Wars locations, what one would you choose? Why?

Alderaan: A Rebel’s Top Pick

Given all the worlds and scenes of the Star Wars saga, any true supporter of the rebels with a love for history would choose to live on Alderaan. Before The Disaster, the planet was a beautiful, earth-like place with a population of caring, intelligent people who valued education, democracy, and pacifism. It would have been a much more comfortable place than any sand or ice world. The architecture was also breathtaking, designed to showcase the beauty of the natural environment. Some may argue that a forest home like Endor would be equally as pleasant, but on Alderaan you would not only find fewer furry creatures with lice, but also more sophisticated technology and comforts, along with access to some of the Resistances most famous history and heroes.

The historic and cultural impact Alderaan had on the Rebellion is unmatched. General Leia Organa’s own mother once ruled as Queen but was also accessible as the minister of education, who taught about the culture and history of the world. Sitting in on one of her classes would be any Rebel’s dream! One of the founding members of the Galactic Republic, Alderaan was not only home to the Organa family, it also played a huge part in starting the Clone Wars, providing mutations to the Rebellion, and ultimately defeating the Empire.

Sure, the breathtaking planet was ultimately destroyed, but the knowledge the surviving Alderaanians possess is priceless. Not only would you be able to share the cultural and historic facts from your world to ensure the planet’s legacy, but bringing any date to the resulting asteroid field and sharing your story would ensure you would never have to drink your Juma Juice alone, if you know what I mean.

Susie Rivera2021-08-03T10:26:54-05:00April 16th, 2021|

Books to Film in 2021

These books are all set to be movies later this year. Check one out before it hits the screen.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

France, 1939 – In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France … but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive. Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can … completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply “B”, asking her to leave her husband. Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper’s archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie’s search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The Last Duel by Eric Jager

In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a huge crowd gathers at a Paris monastery to watch the two men fight a duel to the death meant to “prove” which man’s cause is right in God’s sight. The dramatic true story of the knight, the squire, and the lady unfolds during the devastating Hundred Years War between France and England, as enemy troops pillage the land, madness haunts the French court, the Great Schism splits the Church, Muslim armies threaten Christendom, and rebellion, treachery, and plague turn the lives of all into toys of Fortune.

Two Kisses for Maddy by Matthew Logelin

Matt and Liz Logelin were high school sweethearts. After years of long-distance dating, the pair finally settled together in Los Angeles, and they had it all: a perfect marriage, a gorgeous new home, and a baby girl on the way. Liz’s pregnancy was rocky, but they welcomed Madeline, beautiful and healthy, into the world. Just twenty-seven hours later, Liz suffered a pulmonary embolism and died instantly, without ever holding the daughter whose arrival she had so eagerly awaited. Though confronted with devastating grief and the responsibilities of a new and single father, Matt did not surrender to devastation; he chose to keep moving forward-to make a life for Maddy.

Without Remorse by Tom Clancy

John Kelly, former Navy SEAL and Vietnam veteran, is still getting over the accidental death of his wife six months before, when he befriends a young woman with a decidedly checkered past. When that past reaches out for her in a particularly horrifying fashion, he vows revenge and, assembling all of his old skills, sets out to track down the men responsible, before it can happen again.

-Annotations from the publishers

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

Susie Rivera2021-03-26T11:45:33-05:00March 26th, 2021|