#FDL: Bestsellers of 2022
These are a few of the bestselling fiction and nonfiction books of 2022. Add them to your reading list and place one on hold through our online catalog or one of our apps!
Verity by Colleen Hoover – A struggling writer accepts a job offer she can’t refuse. – Mystery/Thriller
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover – A successful businesswoman falls for a good looking neurosurgeon but can’t stop thinking about a past love. –Contemporary Romance
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – The secret life of a celebrity revealed. – LGBT, Historical Fiction, Romance
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham – Addresses Lincoln’s evolving views of slavery up to his time in the White House. – Nonfiction, History, Biography
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – A chemist in the 1960s becomes the unexpected host of a famous cooking show. – Historical fiction, feminism, humor
Atomic Habits by James Clear – Realistic strategies for forming good habits, breaking bad ones, and changing behaviors – Self Help
Fairy Tale by Stephen King – A high school student acquires the keys to an alternate world where good and evil are at odds. –Fantasy/Horror
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama – Former First Lady shares strategies and wisdom to adapt and overcome challenges. – Self Help, Memoir, Inspirational
Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks – A woman escaping an abusive relationship tries to start a new life in a new town. – Contemporary Romance
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy – Memoir of a former child actor and her struggle with a controlling mother – Biography, Memoir
The Book Lovers by Emily Henry – A literary agent and an editor go from enemies to lovers after many chance encounters. –New Adult, Contemporary Romance
The Maid by Nita Prose – A cozy mystery about a charming hotel maid who is thrust into a whodunit – Mystery, Thriller
The Boys from Biloxi John Grisham – Two boys from immigrant families in the 1960s grow up friends but are later at odds in the courtroom. – Crime, Suspense, Legal Thriller
– Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
FDL Reads: Truly Like Lightening
Truly Like Lightening by David Duchovny
Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Reference Assistant
Genre: Literature
Suggested Age: Adults
What is this book about? Bronson Powers is a Mormon polygamist living in the Californian Mojave Desert with his two wives. He used to have a third, but she died due to refusing modern medicine on a religious basis. After getting discovered by a real estate developer on a company excursion, the Powers family is threatened with exposure if they can’t prove their way of life is better for their children.
But this way of life wasn’t always how Bronson, or his wives, Yalulah, Mary, and Jackie, lived. In the past, Bronson was a drug addict working as a stuntman for Hollywood until his grandmother passed away. She left him a wealth of land, but only if he joined the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Well, he went through the routine of conversion to get the land, but something didn’t go as expected. He started to actually believe in the writings of Joseph Smith. And not just the current flavor of church doctrine, but the original text and lifestyle Joseph Smith lived in the nineteenth century.
Now, Bronson and his family will have to figure out how to navigate the modern world and deal with this swindler of a real estate agent, Maya, lest they face exposure to every regulatory body in the state. More importantly, their children will have to make a choice. Continue the isolated desert lifestyle or rejoin modern civilization with all of its ups and downs.
My Review: Wow! Talk about a heck of a writing style. When I first checked this book out, I wondered if the famed actor, David Duchovny, hired a ghost writer to compose this novel. I can say confidently that the star of the X-Files and Californication wrote this book himself because no ghost writer in their right mind would compose something so daring. Truly Like Lightening is not a cookie-cutter book, written to placate Duchovny’s fanbase in a quick money-grab. This book is truly his heart and soul on display. Caught somewhere in between Chuck Palahniuk, Charles Bukowski, Augusten Burroughs, and maybe a little of Bret Easton Ellis, Truly Like Lightening is a highly addictive read as Duchovny paints a world full of bedlam and contradictions culminating into a bright bolt of electric tragedy. He weaves in and out of the many characters like the “patriarch” Bronson Powers, to each of the Powers wives, to the two eldest children, and the scheming real estate developer Maya. It might seem like a lot, but Duchovny does it seamlessly and without prejudice. Be warned, this is a scandalous tale of debauchery and bloodshed.
Three Words that Describe this Book: irreverent, addictive, funny
Give This A Try if You Like… Choke, Running with Scissors, Sellevision, Less Than Zero, American Psycho, Under the Banner of Faith, Big Love (tv series)
Rating: 5/5
Introducing Find It at Fondulac: A Fondulac District Library Podcast!
The library is excited to launch our new podcast: Find It at Fondulac! Hosted by our Reference Assistant Jeremy, this monthly podcast will cover library news and updates for patrons about our services, programing, and other points of interest for the East Peoria community. Jeremy will also discuss books, services, and programs with other library staff and special guests each episode – plus more surprises! In the first episode, Jeremy interviews Katie, FDL’s Teen Specialist, about Teen Tuesdays, video games, and vampires! Take a listen below!
Find It at Fondulac is currently available on Spotify, Amazon Music, and RadioPublic, so be sure to stay tuned, and follow or subscribe for future episodes! (You can also find our podcast page under the ‘At the Library’ tab and listen to it there.)
Cozy Vibes: 2023 Winter Reading Program
Reading is the best way to brighten up a cold and snowy winter, and getting comfy with blankets, warm drinks, and a few books creates the ultimate cozy vibe! Get cozy and kick off your reading goals with our winter reading program: Cozy Vibes! Patrons ages 13+ are invited to read/listen to 4 books (or 3 books & 5 magazines) checked out from FDL (or attend a library program) January 3 through February 28 to enter the prize drawing. Pick up a reading log from the library or register and track your progress with the Beanstack app or online at fondulaclibrary.beanstack.org!
#FDL: For Fans of Colleen Hoover
Throughout 2022, Colleen Hoover has topped the bestselling charts with novels like Verity and It Ends With Us. She’s all over BookTok and social media. Her books are so in demand that we can’t keep them on our shelves! If you are waiting to get your hands on a CoHo book or if you have read everything she has published so far, give one of these similar authors a try.
Courtney Cole: High drama, relationship dilemmas, flawed characters, steamy romance
Christina Lauren: Contemporary romance, love/hate relationships, new adult fiction
Sorensen, Jessica: New adult fiction, contemporary romance, drama, steamy relationships
K.A. Tucker: Conflicted characters, some suspense, obstacles in relationships, drama, contemporary romance, new adult fiction
Rebecca Serle: Character-driven, romance, relationships, engaging, love triangles
Penelope Douglas: Romance, opposites attract, new adult, high drama, moody
Helen Hoang: Complex characters, steamy romance, difficult relationships, secrets
Anna Todd: New adult fiction, contemporary romance, high drama, engaging storylines, love triangles
Also, check our small collection of Colleen Hoover titles available now on Hoopla with your Fondulac District Library card. There’s no wait time on these!
– Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
FDL Reads: The Christie Affair
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Circulation Assistant
Genre: Historical fiction
What is this book about? This book is a fictionalized account of what happened in 1926 when mystery writer, Agatha Christie, disappeared mysteriously for 11 days. For years many have speculated about this time, but Christie remained totally silent and never revealed where she was or what she did during her absence. De Gramont has woven an intriguing tale of love, marriage, grief and loss, and more in her mysterious and moving account of these “lost” days in Christie’s life.
My review: This was a fascinating book that I had to keep reminding myself was a fictional account, not a true story. Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance has fascinated readers of her sixty six mystery books for years and apparently continues to do so. For eleven days in 1926, no one, including her husband Archie or her publicist, knew where she was. She just vanished leaving no trace which prompted an extensive search throughout Great Britain. In this book, Nina de Gramont weaves an account written by Archie Christie’s mistress, Nan O’Dea which has flashbacks to Nan’s youth, early romance and troubled life, with the missing days of Agatha. It reveals an elaborate, long-term plot for Nan to insinuate herself into Archie and Agatha’s life and to orchestrate and conceal Agatha during her absence from her home. This story has many unexpected twists and turns combined with the switching from the 1926 timeframe to events in the past. If I have any criticism of this book, it would be that the reader must be constantly vigilant to the dates that events occur. Written beautifully, I recommend this book to mystery fans, especially those readers who love Agatha Christie’s extensive collection of mystery stories, plays and books.
Three words that describe this book: Chilling, Intriguing, Complex
Give this a try if you like: Agatha Christie’s books or The Mystery of Mrs. Christy by Marie Benedict
Rating: 4.5/5