#FDL - Fondulac District Library | East Peoria, IL

Best Books of 2019

2019 is drawing to a close faster that you think and there are several “best of” lists popping up in the book world. For example, the New York Times just put up their “10 Best Books of 2019” and the Goodreads Choice Awards have been decided by readers. A fun tool to play with this year is NPR’s Book Concierge. These books have been chosen by staff and critics. Readers can select several categories at once to find a tailored list of books that they might enjoy.

Here are more lists from this year:

Best Books of 2019

New York Times The 10 Best Books of 2019

NPR’s Favorite Books of 2019

Goodreads Choice Awards Best Books 2019

Library Reads 2019 Favorites

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-12-20T17:00:36-06:00December 20th, 2019|

#FDL: YA Novel Giveaway

Enter your chance to win a copy of Frankly in Love by David Yoon.

This novel, published in September, has had much praise this year. Most recently it has been featured as one of the best books of the year for young adults by the New York Public Library and NPR

About the Book:

Giveaway

Enter your name here for a chance to win an ARC of the book 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.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-12-05T18:13:17-06:00December 5th, 2019|

Stock Up for Thanksgiving Travel

Whether you are traveling by train, plane or automobile, Fondulac District Library has you covered. Don’t forget to stop by the library to stock up on materials or download one of our apps to enjoy entertainment on the road.

Here are some of our collection highlights:

Hoopla
Hoopla Digital Media is a streaming service available through our library for those who hold a Fondulac District Library card. Hoopla is a website and app that can be used to stream movies, TV, music albums, comics, eBooks, and audiobooks. Some of the content can be downloaded to a mobile device for access without WiFi. Make sure to download content beforehand in case you may be without WiFi. The best thing about hoopla is that there is no wait time for content.

Playaways and CD Books
Find the perfect audiobook for the whole family. Our Playaways and CD books check out for three weeks. We have plenty of new releases in each format, but don’t forget the back list if you are looking for a good listen. Check out this website for recommendations. A guide about all our audiobook formats can be found here.

Launchpads and Playaway Views
Launchpads and Playaway Views are a great way for children to have screen time that is safe and fun. Launchpads are tablets that are pre-loaded with apps that are engaging and promote age-appropriate learning. Playaway Views are small video players that include stories for children. Neither need access to WiFi. Make sure to charge each device before your trip to maximize performance. Contact the Youth Services Department for more information.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-11-26T17:45:12-06:00November 26th, 2019|

#FDL: Resources for NaNoWriMo

November is NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month! On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

The library offers several resources that are available for local authors who dare to undertake the challenge this year.

Biblioboard: Biblioboard is a website and app that features a variety of eBook and art collections. This platform offers free digital content to users in Illinois. You don’t need a library card to access the collections available. You just need to be in Illinois and have an internet connection. Biblioboard is supporting NaNoWriMo this month by featuring resources for writers, portraits of famous authors, and books by other independent authors. There are many other collections as well and you can browse them from the “Digital Collections” link from our homepage or click here.

Inkie.org
Inkie a new suite of free resources available to everyone in Illinois that supports local authors with online creation and publishing tools and allows readers to access locally-produced content. Users can create and publish an e-book, share their e-book with readers all over the state, and find local and independently published e-books to read. Check it out at inkie.org!

Books about writing: Browse one of these books from our nonfiction collection if you need some inspiration. We have several on novel writing and publishing such as Jeff Somers’ Writing Without Rules : How to write & sell a novel without guidelines, experts, or (occasionally) pants.

Local Authors group: Join our Aspiring Authors group and network with fellow local authors/writers to collectively share knowledge and experience. No experience is required to attend the meetings and all genres are welcome. The Aspiring Authors meet every Thursday of this month with the exception of Thanksgiving.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-11-15T16:54:04-06:00November 15th, 2019|

#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 November 18. A library card number and PIN are required to access the book. This fall, the Big Library Read has chosen I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones. Below is a little about the book from The Big Library Read’s website:

“Over the course of one night, two girls with two very different backgrounds must rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has enveloped their city.

Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.”

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-11-04T10:55:44-06:00November 4th, 2019|

#FDL: New Fall Cookbooks for National Cookbook Month

October is National Cookbook Month. The weather has been getting cooler and fall is definitely in the air in East Peoria. This is the time of year that we start to look to comfort foods, soups, baked goods, and slow cooker recipes

Our library has quite an extensive cookbook collection in print as well as digitally. These are a few of the latest fall cookbooks to check out now or put on hold.

From the Oven to the Table by Diana Henry

This cookbook, published in October, features practical, mostly one pan recipes that you can throw together and put in the oven. It was named one of the best cookbooks for fall 2019 by the New York Times.

Half Baked Harvest Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard

Gerard offers a variety of recipes that are great for home cooks. The cookbook includs one-pot meals, night-before meal prep, and even some Instant Pot® or slow cooker recipes. It also has a few more gourmet recipes for homemade bread, pizza dough, and cinnamon rolls.

Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson

Chad Robertson co-owns Tartine, a very successful bakery in San Francisco. He provides his artisan bread making secrets in this new cookbook that highlights rustic loaves that any home baker can recreate.

Check the digital copy out on Hoopla with your Fondulac District Library card.

Fix-It and Forget-It Best of Fall Recipes: Quick and Delicious Slow Cooker Meals by Hope Comerford

Straight from the New York Times, this new book from the Fix-It and Forget-It series highlights all the yummy slow cooker recipes for fall. Featured is butternut squash soup, honey-maple sweet potatoes, and autumn harvest pork loin.

Check the digital copy out on Hoopla with your Fondulac District Library card.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

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

Susie Rivera2019-10-25T14:28:22-05:00October 25th, 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: 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: 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 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.