FDL Game Review: Just One
FDL Game Reviews are back, just in time for International Games Week! Miss Alice shares why Just One is the perfect party game, even over Zoom! Find this game and more at the library!
FDL Reads: The Maidens
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About?: Mariana is a psychologist who is called to return to Cambridge, her alma mater, after a female student was found murdered. She is asked to assist with the investigation as a group counselor. She finds out that her niece, as well as the deceased, were a part of an exclusive group called The Maidens. This study group is run by Edward Fosca, a handsome, charismatic classics professor interested in Greek tragedy and sacrifice. Mariana begins to suspect Fosca as a the obvious murderer, but can it be that simple?
My Review: The Maidens is not the typical book that I usually pick up, but I thought I would give it a try due to its dark academic vibes and literary references. I really enjoyed this novel! The main character was likeable, and I was interested in how her past experiences shaped her present psychology. There are a few glimpses into the POV of who the reader assumes is the killer. Those are a bit hard to read due to some violence, but they are few a far between. Mariana’s perspective clearly dominates the narrative. I listened to the streaming audio narrated by Louise Brealey who does an amazing job as the protagonist.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Suspenseful, Dark, Surprising
Give This a Try if You Like… The Silent Patient, Secret History, We Were Villians
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
International Games Week
Join FDL in celebrating International Games Week November 7-13! You know we love games at FDL… because games of all types hold educational, recreational, and social value, and playing games is a great way to connect with family, friends, and your community. While we can’t host our annual full-day event due to the pandemic, we’ve got a few fun events throughout the week this year. Show your Super Smash Bros. skills in our tournament on 11/9, or make a Jenga Block Keychain on 11/12. We’ll also have printable games for adults and children to take home throughout the week. Plus, you can win our Golden Ticket Game Giveaway by checking out a game from our collection of more than 200 games – find the Golden Ticket and win your own copy of the game, courtesy of our friends at Cabbages and Kings Games! Game on!
2021 Big Rig Petting Zoo with the Fon du Lac Park District Police Department
Hi everybody! We were really sad to have to cancel the Big Rig Petting Zoo again this year due to Covid-19. Since we couldn’t have a big event, we have a surprise for you! We collaborated with the Fon du Lac Park District Police and East Side Community Media (Channel 22), to make a video that highlights the rescue equipment they use, including 4 big vehicles that are always favorites at the FDL Big Rig Petting Zoo. So cool!
We want to send out a huge THANK YOU to Chief Johnson and Sergeant Keil from the Fon du Lac Park District Police and Deral and Susan Dixon and Paul Coussens from East Side Community Media for making this video possible!!
But wait, there’s more Big Rig fun at the library! After you watch the video:
- Pick up a Take & Make craft from the Youth Services department or drive-up window.
- Enjoy the StoryWalk in the Reading Garden: Alphabeep: A Zipping, Zooming ABC written by Debora Pearson and illustrated by Edward Miller. In this book, you’ll see pictures of lots of the same vehicles that you would have seen at our real Big Rig Petting Zoo.
- Next, take a walk around the Civic Plaza building (Library and City Hall) and check out the Big Rig Scavenger Hunt. We’ve put pictures of the vehicles from previous Big Rig Petting Zoos in the windows. You can pick up the Scavenger Hunt Vehicle List in the Youth Services department or at the drive-up window. (You will need to get out of your car to walk around the building.) Return your completed Scavenger Hunt List to the Youth Services department or drive-up window for a prize.
While you’re in the Youth Services department check out some of the great Big Rig books, in the Nonfiction Section, Board Books, and the GO Section in the Picture Books. Don’t forget online resources like Libby, Axis 360, and Hoopla. You can also browse our catalog, put books on hold, and pick them in person or at the drive-up window.
Here are just a few of the many books Big Rig books you can find at FDL:
Nonfiction
Fire Trucks: Racing to the Scene by Molly Aloian
The Usborne Big Book of Big Trucks by Megan Cullis
Humvees by John Hamilton
Trucks: The Ins and Outs of Monster Trucks, Semis, Pickups, and Other Trucks by Jeff Young
Tractor Trailers by Lola Schaefer
GO Section
Five Trucks by Brian Floca
Dump Trucks by Judith Jango-Cohen
Trucks Galore by Peter Stein
Grandma Drove the Snowplow by Katie Clark
I Stink! By Kate McMullan
Board Books
Construction Zoo by Jennifer Thorne
Busy Builders, Busy Week! By Jean Reidy
B is for Bulldozer by June Sobel
Colorful World: Construction Site by Nastja Holtfreter
Colorful World: Vehicles by Nastja Holtfreter
eBooks
Police Cars Machines with Power! by Amy McDonald (Libby)
Heavy-Duty Trucks by Joyce Milton (Axis 360)
Snowplows by Rebecca Pettiford (Hoopla)
Coast Guard Boats by B. J. Best (Hoopla)
– Kris, Youth Services Specialist
FDL Reads: The Disappearing Act
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, library volunteer
Genre: Mystery
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About?: After a successful acting role which lands her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor, Mia Eliot is caught by surprise when her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her. With her agent’s blessing, Mia heads to Los Angeles to search for new acting roles, escape from a stalker, and recover from the breakup. In L.A., Mia answers a casting call for a role where she notes that the other actors auditioning for the role “all look weirdly similar” to herself: brunette hair worn up, similar age, and similar clothing (jeans, silk blouse). Faced with the tension and unfriendliness of most of the actors waiting to audition, Mia decides to wait outside until it is her turn to audition. Outside, hearing Mia’s British accent, a friendlier fellow actor named Emily starts up a conversation about Los Angeles, the audition, etc. When it is time for Emily’s audition, Emily makes an excuse, saying she needs to top off the meter for her rental car. Emily urges Mia to audition before her. But feeling jet-lagged and off kilter, Mia declines. Instead, Mia offers to feed Emily’s meter. Emily, somewhat surprisingly, gives Mia her wallet and car keys. Mia promises to feed the meter, bring the keys and wallet back in to the casting room, and wait for Emily to finish her audition to return the keys and wallet. Mia is soon faced with a mystery, however. Emily doesn’t return to reclaim her personal items, and she seems to have disappeared! What should Mia do?
My Review: Author Catherine Steadman, who is both a writer and actor, deftly builds suspense from the prologue, which finds Mia holding a gun and wondering how the story of her life should go. The following chapters build on the suspense. Mia is temporarily living in a fabulous – but mostly empty – high rise which should have adequate security, but a script and other items disappear. People and their motives are not what Mia would think. The suspense and unsettling events go on and on, increasing until the surprise ending in the final pages of the book. The characters, and the situations they are in, are believable and sympathetic. As a reader, I found myself cheering Mia on to try to solve the disappearance and stay safe doing so. The Disappearing Act has just the right amount of suspense – a great read!!
Three Words That Describe This Book: suspense, identity, acting
Give This a Try if You Like… Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn; books by Tana French, especially The Likeness; and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
Book Bundles
No time to browse? Our Book Bundles for kids are a great way to quickly pick up books for your child, or discover new books by specific subjects, read-alikes, or reading level. Each bundle contains 5 curated books centered around a theme and grade level, and each includes a corresponding craft or activity. Bundles can be requested through the online form, by email, or by phone. Choose from more than 20 topics, including adventure, mysteries, own voices, science, and more! Additional Bonus Bundles are available to check out monthly in Youth Services on a first-come, first-serve basis. Learn more at fondulaclibrary.org/book-bundles/.