FDL Reads: Never Far Away
Never Far Away by Michael Koryta
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton
Genre: Thriller
Suggested Age: Adult
What is this book about?: What will a mother do to protect her children? This question resonates from the beginning to the end of Koryta’s newest novel. Nina Morgan AKA Leah Trenton left her husband and two young children to protect them from her vindictive employer who blamed Nina for the suicide of his son and sought revenge against her. Her husband and children assumed new identities, moved and all was well for ten years until he was unexpectedly killed in an automobile accident. Leah reenters the children’s lives presenting herself as their aunt, but the former employer has been watching and the hunt is now resumed. Can Leah protect Nick and Hailey – and herself – from those who want to kill her? Who can she find to help her?
My Review: I enjoy books by Michael Koryta. They are well written and absorbing thrillers. This book did not disappoint me. I loved the detail and the sense of danger throughout this story. In some parts there was a bit too much violence for my liking, but Koryta weaves it with intrigue, well-developed characters and nail-biting suspense. This book will keep you guessing until the very end. If you want a book that will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat, give this title a try.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Suspenseful, Frightening, Intriguing
Give This a Try if You Like… Those Who Wished Me Dead by Koryta or books by Lee Child.
My Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
Tales from Around the World
Folktales are stories or myths, often with a lesson or message, that are passed on from generation to generation through storytelling. Children can learn about different cultures and traditions through folktales. Here are a few of the great folktales you can find at FDL:
The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales by Diane Wolkstein
A collection of folktales gathered by the author in Haiti with comments on Haitian folklore. From orange trees growing at the command of a child to talking fish, these stories present us with a world of wonder, delight, and mystery.
The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy
In this traditional Russian tale, a farmer grows a turnip so big that it takes the combined efforts of him, his wife, six canaries, five geese, four hens, three cats, two pigs, one cow, and, finally, one mouse to pull it from the ground.
The Empty Pot by Demi
When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty.
Coyote Rides the Sun: A Native American Folktale by Amanda St. John
A Native American tale of how the dusty coyote got its coloring, especially its black-tipped tail, and why the coyote is nocturnal.
Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown
When a small mouse’s life is threatened by large jungle predators, a kindly hermit uses magic to change him into a cat, a dog, and a majestic tiger. But the proud tiger must suffer the consequences when he becomes ungrateful and forgets his humble origins.
The Lion Book of Wisdom Stories by David Self
This collection includes fifteen traditional stories drawn from a variety of cultures from all across the globe. Each tale focuses on a different key issue – among them sharing resources, the downfalls of pride, and the nature of true wealth – and offers insight on how they can best be resolved.
– Jackie Laredo, Youth Services Assistant
FDL Reads: The Lincoln Conspiracy
The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America’s 16th President and Why It Failed by Brad Meltzer
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
Genre: Nonfiction, United States History
Suggested Age: Teen, Adult
What is the book about? In early 1861, the people of the United States were preparing for the inauguration of a new president, Abraham Lincoln. To some, he was a fresh face to replace the unpopular, out-going President, James Buchanan. To others, he was a threat. A threat to their ideals, their beliefs, and to some, their livelihood. Abraham Lincoln had declared that he was against the spread of slavery and there were men who wanted to stop him from becoming President of the United States. Who was plotting against the President-Elect? How did the famous Allan Pinkerton figure in this chain of events? What made Baltimore the ideal place to make an attempt on Lincoln’s life? Did Lincoln ever know of the danger? How was the plot ultimately foiled? The details of the conspiracy and the actions of those who thwarted it are all laid out here.
My Review: I found this book fascinating, since I had never heard of this assassination plot against Lincoln before. I listened to the audiobook version read by Scott Brick. Since the author is an accomplished writer of thriller novels, it was not surprising that this nonfiction account was very engaging. This is not just a dry recitation of facts and timelines. Many of the main players are fleshed out with their backstory. I especially liked that a woman convinced Allan Pinkerton that he needed female investigators like herself, Kate Warne; the first female detective. This book would appeal to history buffs and spy novel fans alike.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Intriguing, Meticulous, and Absorbing
Give This a Try if You Like… The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Meltzer & Josh Mensch, George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade & Don Yaeger, and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbot
Rating: 4.5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
FDL Game Review: Scooby-Doo! Betrayal at Mystery Mansion
We hope you’ve enjoyed International Games Week! Miss Alice shares why your family will enjoy Scooby-Doo! Betrayal at Mystery Mansion – a more challenging (and haunted) game for ages 8+! Find this game and more at the library!
FDL Reads: A Psalm for the Wild-Built
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Reviewed by: Beth Weimer, Communications Specialist
Genre: Sci-Fi. Solarpunk
Suggested Age: Adults, Teens
What is the book about?: Long ago, the humans of Panga consumed their planet to the brink of disaster, and the robots gained self-awareness and chose to disappear into the forests. Human society rebuilt itself with sustainability and harmony, and now a Tea Monk named Dex travels to villages offering comfort and ritual by the mugful. Dex enjoys their mission and yet they are not completely fulfilled, and impulsively they leave the known roads in search of long-lost cricket song. Sibling Dex soon encounters a mythical robot named Mosscap, making the first known contact between humans and robots in hundreds of years, and together they embark on a journey to answer the robot’s only question, “What do humans need?” …
My Review: This book feels like a warm hug for anyone who’s been feeling a bit lost or restless. Chambers creates a lush world where everyone has value, and humans have finally learned from their mistakes and figured out how to live comfortably and respectfully with the natural world. The novella reads like a modern parable, clever and comforting as it deals with complicated themes of identity, purpose, ecology, and more. In a utopia, the main conflict is having every need met and still being plagued by the annoying human trait of dissatisfaction, so those looking for action should probably skip. My only complaints are that the character’s religion felt too basic and clumsy for an enlightened society (or maybe just was not explained well), and the format of the story as the first novella in a series of two is frustrating – why not just publish the entire story as a fully-fleshed novel? Overall, this story is a refreshing departure from the usual doom of dystopian fiction, and one I think most anyone will appreciate.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Wholesome, Optimistic, Philosophical
Give This a Try if You Like… The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
The Season for Mysteries, Thrillers, & Suspense – #FDL November Giveaway
The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer… Here are some thrills and chills perfect for this time of year. Enter the giveaway below to win these books!
The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl
From a distance, Claudia Castro has it all: a famous family, a trust fund, thousands of Instagram followers, and a spot in NYU’s freshman class. But look closer, and things are messier: her parents are separating, she’s just been humiliated by a sleazy documentary, and her sister is about to have a baby with a man she barely knows.
Claudia starts the school year resolved to find a path toward something positive, maybe even meaningful – and then one drunken night everything changes. Reeling, her memory hazy, Claudia cuts herself off from her family, seeking solace in a new friendship. But when the rest of school comes back from spring break, Claudia is missing.
Suddenly, the whole city is trying to piece together the hours of that terrible night.
From the critically acclaimed author of Invisible City and Conviction, The Missing Hours is a novel about obsession, privilege, and the explosive consequences of one violent act.
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurlan
Meet Chloe Sevre. She’s a freshman honor student, a leggings-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. Her hobbies include yogalates, frat parties, and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her.
Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study for psychopaths—students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires them to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements.
When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey. As she races to identify the killer and put her own plan into action, she’ll be forced to decide if she can trust any of her fellow psychopaths—and everybody knows you should never trust a psychopath.
Never Saw Me Coming is a compulsive, voice-driven thriller by an exciting new voice in fiction, that will keep you pinned to the page and rooting for a would-be killer.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three.
A teenage girl who isn’t allowed outside, not after last time.
A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory.
And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible.
An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all.
-Annotations from the publishers
Giveaway
Enter your name here for a chance to win ARCs of the books mentioned in this post. One entry per person. Drawing to be held approximately 7 days after this post.
ARCs are “advanced reading copies.” These are free copies of a new books given by a publisher to librarians and other reviewers before the book is printed for mass distribution.
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.
– Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
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