Suggested Reading Five: February 11, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!

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The Elsewhere Express: A Novel by Samantha Sotto Yambao 

Q is an artist losing his sight, and Raya is a former songwriter who lost her purpose when her brother died. One day, the two of them board a train and find themselves on the Elsewhere Express, a train built of lost daydreams, scattered thoughts, grudges, and emotions. Its passengers all find their purpose as maintenance workers (fixing things with songs), painters (crafting moons, stars, and oceans), and much more. But they find that the cost is leaving their overweight baggage behind by taking a memory serum to forget their grief, pain, and sorrow. Q wonders if he can find his place on the train, while Raya is determined to get off, but even as they explore, conductor Lily informs them that there’s a stowaway on board. If its darkness is allowed to take hold, the doubts and fears it spreads will crack the train apart and put them all in danger. Yambao (Water Moon, 2025) has written a stunning, visual fever dream of a story akin to both the game Spiritfarer and Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea (2019)–a character-driven tale wrapped in a sparklingly creative spectacle of a world that inhabits a Studio Ghibli-like chaos even as it comes with a well-organized passenger rulebook. – Starred Booklist Review  

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Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson 

Set between post-WWII Germany and 1960s America, Johnson’s (The House of Eve, 2023) brilliant new novel follows three characters with intertwining stories. In 1948, Ozzie joins the army but realizes he cannot escape the racism he faced at home in Philadelphia. In 1950, Ethel, a newlywed living abroad, journeys to France seeking a miracle and instead discovers a calling that will alter the course of many young lives. And in 1960s Maryland, a determined young woman named Sophia longs to escape her life of hardship on a struggling farm, unaware that the secrets of her past are already shaping her future. Across generations and continents, their stories intersect through love, loss, and the search for belonging. Johnson once again uncovers overlooked corners of history, blending emotional storytelling with historical depth. Inspired by the real experiences of mixed-race children abandoned after WWII, she sheds light on a little-known chapter of postwar history and the resilience of those who sought to protect the children society tried to forget. Through vivid historical settings, Johnson gives voice to history’s voiceless and delivers a moving exploration of hope, courage, and the ties that bind us through generations.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The House of Eve was a Reese’s Book Club pick and best-seller. Fans will be thrilled to see a new historical novel from Johnson.- Starred Booklist Review 

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The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera 

DEBUT In her debut mystery, former public defender Gunasekera introduces Sri Lankan American yellow-cab driver Siriwathi Perera. Siri is driving late one night in New York City, during which she gets two significant fares. First is public defender and fellow Sri Lankan Amaya Fernando. Siri, who loves true crime podcasts, is thrilled to connect with the attorney, both because of her legal work and because they share a background. Siri hopes to be able to see Amaya again at some point. Her chance comes all too soon and for the wrong reasons when her next fare that night ends up dead in her cab and Siri is arrested for the murder. Amaya steps in as her lawyer, and the two women have mere days to chase down leads and save Siri from life in prison. As they investigate the victim, they find a complicated trail and power players who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets.

VERDICT This is a richly detailed, well-crafted debut mystery led by an appealing amateur detective duo in Siri and Amaya. Recommended for fans of Nita Prose and Jesse Q. Sutanto.–Starred Library Journal Review  

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Missing Sam: A Novel by Thrity Umrigar  

Ali’s wife Sam disappears the morning after they have a bitter late-night argument, and she veers from concern to fear that Sam has left her. Restrained by humiliation and her erroneous belief that the police require a 48-hour waiting period, Ali kicks off a series of damaging mistakes by delaying reporting Sam’s disappearance. She reluctantly tells detectives about their fight but deletes their heated texts and fumbles media interviews. Meanwhile, Sam’s disappearance stretches into weeks as the leads dry up, and public speculation about Ali’s suspicious behavior swells. When Ali is shunned and abused in the artsy Cleveland Heights neighborhood she’d considered a cocoon, her estranged father provides unexpected comfort. Months later, Ali’s prayers are answered when Sam, battered and blindfolded, is dumped near their home. But Sam’s abductor remains at large. Umrigar explores the ripple effect of violent crime in gut-wrenching detail, capturing the callous intrusions Ali and Sam suffered, the space for redemption it created in their family relationships, and their determined devotion to each other. Healing from the abduction and lifelong patterns of abuse and discrimination, Sam and Ali find strength in corners of their lives that they’d written off. Gritty hope and redemption glimmer throughout this must-read literary crime story. – Starred  Booklist Review

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Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes 

Langston Hughes’s debut novel, a moving portrait of African American family life in 1930s Kansas, newly reissued for Union Square & Co.’s Herald Classics line. 

Originally published in 1930, Not Without Laughter follows Sandy Rogers as a boy living in rural Kansas to his arrival in Chicago as a young man, set against a backdrop of poverty, racial segregation, and the onset of World War I. Orbiting Sandy are a host of vividly realized family members, including his mother Annjee, a housekeeper for a wealthy white family; his irresponsible father Jimboy, who plays guitar and is constantly in search of work; his aunts, blues-singing Aunt Harriet and social-climbing Aunt Tempy; and his pious, strong-willed grandmother Hager, who holds the generations together. 

Partly inspired by Langston Hughes’s early life in the Midwest, Not Without Laughter is the debut novel of the literary giant, a sweeping and elegiac family drama that traces Black life in the early twentieth century, an important setting in the history of a racially divided America. 

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.

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Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.

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Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

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StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

–

Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.

–

Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Suggested Listening & Viewing: February 6, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring ten songs and two streaming video recommendations, one from a mainstream service and the other from Kanopy, the library’s free to access streaming service (all you need is a library card!).

First the songs: 

This week we’re turning our listening spotlight on musicians born in the month of February.

Walk Right Back by The Everly Brothers, featuring Phil & Don Everly (Don born February 1, 1937) 

 

Found on the Album: The Very Best of The Everly Brothers (2014) 

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Lady Be Good by Snooky Young (Born February 3, 1919) 

 

Found on the Album: N/A 

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This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole (Born February 6, 1950) 

 

Found on the Album: This Will Be (1979) 

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You’ve Got A Friend by Carole King (Born February 9, 1942) 

 

Found on the Album: Tapestry (1971) 

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Brand New Day by Ruthie Foster (Born February 10, 1964) 

 

Found on the Album: Brand New Day (2014) 

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It’s Raining by Irma Thomas (Born February 18, 1941) 

 

Found on the Album: The Irma Thomas Collection (1996) 

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Tears of a Clown by Smoky Robinson & The Miracles (Smoky born February 19, 1940) 

 

Found on the Album: The Ultimate Collection: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1998) 

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I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone (Born February 21, 1933) 

 

Found on the Album: I Put A Spell On You (1965) 

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Flesh & Blood by Johnny Cash (Born February 26, 1932) 

 

Found on the Album: The Greatest: The Number Ones 

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Don’t Bother Me by The Beatles featuring John, Paul, Ringo & George on vocals (George born February 25, 1943) 

 

Found on the Album: With The Beatles (1963) 

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Second The Videos

A new title available through one of the usual U.S. streaming services, i.e. Netflix, Prime, Apple TV etc., followed by a Kanopy title that you can check out with your library card and stream on-demand.

Mainstream Stream of the Week

The Lincoln Lawyer, Season 4 (2026) (Netflix) 

 

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Kanopy Stream of the Week

The Jetty (2024) 

Trailer  

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Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Information on the four library catalogs 

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/ 

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go! 

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog. 

And The Digital Catalog/Libby features titles that may be checked out via the one-copy-one-user lending model, just like print books.  

– 

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/ 

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron checkout limit is 10 items per month. 

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders. 

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players. 

Titles in the Hoopla Catalog are available to be checked out on-demand by all library card holders, with the caveat of being able to check out a maximum of ten titles per month, per card.  

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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en 

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.  

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders! 

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV). 

– 

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org 

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System. 

Suggested Reading Five: February 4, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!

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Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent 

Chloe Coleman has been obsessed with Formula 1 racing for her entire life, and now she’s getting the chance of her dreams, with a new job managing an F1 team. It’s an underdog team, but Chloe is sure she can take it to the top–until the infamous world champion Matt Warner is also hired. Matt was Chloe’s first crush, her first boyfriend, and her first heartbreak–she can deal with that. The bigger problem is that Matt has lost his edge after a disastrous crash seriously injured his teammate and best friend. Ever since, Matt doesn’t trust himself, continually becoming frozen by fear, and his winning career seems now to be a thing of the past. He’s not happy to be on a perpetually losing team, but he’s not upset that Chloe is his new boss. She always had a good eye and a clever mind; if there’s anyone who can turn his career around, it’s her. As they work together, Chloe and Matt’s old spark reappears, stronger than ever and peaking at the worst possible time.

VERDICT Dent (Just One Taste) offers an engaging, fast-paced sports romance with well-developed protagonists. -Library Journal Review  

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Inharmonious by Tammye Huf 

Horrified after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, friends Lee, Benny, and Roscoe enlist. Because of his light complexion, Benny is put into the white unit instead of the segregated Black unit. Lee, after a rough childhood, is desperate to prove he is good enough for Cora, Benny’s sister and his secret girlfriend. Unbeknownst to Lee, Benny and his friend Roscoe devise a plan to ensure Benny’s mom and Cora will be taken care of if Benny dies in the war: Roscoe, who has always had a crush on Cora, will marry her before he reports for duty. Cora, who takes Lee’s enlistment as a sign he does not love her, reluctantly agrees to the plan. Navigating between the wartime experiences of Lee, Roscoe, and Benny with Cora’s life at home, Huf (A More Perfect Union, 2020) shines a light on the courage and mistreatment of Black soldiers during WWII. Huf also shows how racist policies like redlining and restrictive covenants kept Black veterans from the same economic prosperity of their white counterparts once they returned home. Inspired by the author’s own family history, this compelling and layered narrative will appeal to book clubs, readers of WWII fiction, and Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half (2020). – Starred Booklist Review 

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Meet the Newmans A Novel by Jennifer Niven 

Bestselling Niven (Breathless) channels the 1950s sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet in this story about a family of proto-reality TV stars. Del, Dinah, Guy, and Shep Newman become famous for their hit radio show and eventually transition to television, where they play fictionalized versions of themselves as the quintessential all-American family. The Newmans perform a version of their lives on screen for millions of viewers, and then go home together to lead their private lives. Patriarch Del, who writes and directs the show, also curates every aspect of the family’s TV personas until he is involved in an accident that almost kills him. With Del’s life hanging in the balance and their show’s future in limbo, his wife Dinah takes over writing the script, while son Guy handles directing duties. While Del is indisposed, Dinah is able to use her voice (during a time when women rarely were allowed to), Guy has a chance to spread his wings, and younger son Shep finally gets to be the person he wants rather than the person his father has portrayed him as. Niven’s revisionist tale of life in the early 1960s is more emotionally satisfying than it is historically accurate, but it’s a fast-paced, enjoyable novel with endearing characters.

VERDICT A solid purchase for libraries where Niven’s books are popular.–Library Journal Review  

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One & Only by Maureen Goo 

YA author Goo’s (Throwback) adult debut is certain to steal readers’ hearts. As a matchmaker (like generations of her matriarchs before her), Cassia Park takes the concept of soulmates very seriously as she steers people to their fated partners. However, she has almost given up on finding her own soulmate. Then she meets Ellis, a younger man to whom she feels an instant pull. They have a fling that feels like it could develop into something more, but then Ellis introduces her to Daniel, his boss, who Cassia discovers is fated to be her soulmate. With the help of her family, Cassia navigates imperfect love and finds that the answers are not as clear as she always believed they’d be. Now attracted to two very different men, she learns that love is messier and more chaotic when she has to make her own choice. When it comes to deciding between Daniel and Ellis, Cassia has to pick adventure or safety.

VERDICT A must-buy title that’s perfect for book groups, with themes of love, generational ties, and harmony – Starred Library Journal Review 

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The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura & Yuka Maeno 

Asakura’s first novel to be translated into English hits all the notes of the healing fiction trend: a bit of magical realism, coffee, books, and a cat, mixed in with people who are looking for emotional guidance in life. The Sakura Bookshop is special, appearing only during cherry blossom season, and only to those who happen to be reading the same book at the same time as the shop owner Sakura and her cat Kobako. Then they can find the path and encounter the magical shop that allows them to revisit memories, to help with closure and understanding. The healing journey looks a little different in each of the four stories included here, but each character finds a sense of peace they were looking for in their varied circumstances. The stories are slightly uneven, with some stronger than others, but the overall effect is pure bookish escapism.

VERDICT This charming book follows the tropes of this genre closely but adds a metafictional twist at the end. It’s particularly bookish, focusing on both Western and Japanese titles, and should hold extra appeal for readers of Satoshi Yagisawa’s Days at the Morisaki Bookshop or Kim Jee Hye’s. Starred Library Journal Review  

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 Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.

Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.

–

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of  streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

–

Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.

–

Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

New York Times Bestsellers: February 8, 2026

Linda Reimer

All titles can be requested/checked out through the library.

If you’d like to go the traditional route to request a title on this list and drop by the library, or give us a call – please do!

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

You can also request titles through StarCat found at https://starcat.stls.org

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THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. TWELVE MONTHS by Jim Butcher: The 18th book in the Dresden Files series. Chicago’s only professional wizard faces various dangers and becomes betrothed.

2. HEATED RIVALRY by Rachel Reid: The second book in the Game Changers series. Rival captains of two hockey teams try to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.

3. THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans: Letters from someone she used to know push Sybil Van Antwerp toward revisiting her past and finding a way to forgive.

4. WOMAN DOWN by Colleen Hoover: An author hoping to get her career back on track has a relationship with a detective that goes from inspirational to confrontational.

5. HALF HIS AGE by Jennette McCurdy: A 17-year-old named Waldo has an inexplicable attraction to her creative writing teacher.

6. THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi:  A man travels to a small Southern town, where he purchases pencil drawings of local residents and exchanges them for stories.

7. MY HUSBAND’S WIFE by Alice Feeney: In an old house in a seaside town, things may not be what they appear to be.

8. THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden: Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

9. THE LONG GAME by Rachel Reid: The sixth book in the Game Changers series. Ten years into their relationship, Ilya is tired of Shane keeping it a secret.

10. PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry: Opposites Poppy and Alex meet to vacation together one more time in hopes of saving their relationship.

11. GAME CHANGER by Rachel Reid: The captain of a hockey team worries about public perceptions after he starts a relationship with a guy who works at a smoothie shop.

12. THE THINGS WE LEAVE UNFINISHED by Rebecca Yarros: After a divorce, Georgia Stanton returns to Colorado and tries to protect her great-grandmother’s incomplete manuscript.

13. PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir: Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

14. THE WIDOW by John Grisham: When Simon Latch, a lawyer in rural Virginia, is accused of murder, he goes in search of the real killer.

15. THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave: Hannah’s husband turns up five years after he disappeared, which forces her to go on the run with her daughter.

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NON-FICTION

1. THE INVISIBLE COUP by Peter Schweizer: The author of “Blood Money” puts forward his argument that mass migration is a political weapon.

2. 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin: The New York Times journalist and CNBC host looks at the fight between Washington and Wall Street that fueled a historic crash of the stock market.

3. STRANGERS by Belle Burden: Burden retraces her marriage of 20 years in search of clues to help shape her understanding about its demise and to find a way forward.

4. FOOTBALL by Chuck Klosterman: The author of “The Nineties” considers the ways in which the sport has impacted American life.

5. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk: How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.

6. I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy: The actress and filmmaker describes her eating disorders and difficult relationship with her mother.

7. NOBODY’S GIRL by Virginia Roberts Giuffre: The late activist and advocate for sex-trafficking survivors describes her time with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

8. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt: A co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.

9. HOW TO TEST NEGATIVE FOR STUPID by John Kennedy: The Republican senator from Louisiana shares stories about politics in Washington, D.C., and in his home state.

10. THE OTHER SIDE OF CHANGE by Maya Shankar: The cognitive scientist and host of the podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” posits ways to redefine upheavals.

11. JUNGLEKEEPER by Paul Rosolie: A conservationist and explorer gives an account of his time spent in the Amazon rainforest.

12. OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford: A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.

13. ONE DAY, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS by Omar El Akkad: In his nonfiction debut, El Akkad looks at how the West responds to mass suffering.

14. ON TYRANNY by Timothy Snyder: Twenty lessons from the 20th century about the course of tyranny.

15. EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS by John Green: The author of “The Anthropocene Reviewed” chronicles the fight against the deadly infectious disease tuberculosis.

Have a great Sunday!

Linda

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New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays.

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LIBRARY CATALOGS:

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.

–

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

–

For more information on library materials and services, including how to get a library card call the library at 607-936-3713.

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*The Southern Tier Library System includes the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler & Allegheny counties.

New Books Coming Your Way February 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is a list of all the new books, physical media items, eAudios & eBooks the library has ordered this month.

New Books Coming Your Way

New Books Coming Your Way February 2026Download

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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P.S. Some of the print books & physical media items may not yet appear in StarCat. So, if you see any title you’d like to check out, but it isn’t in StarCat, send me an email or give me a call and I’ll put your name on the list for it, as soon as it has arrived.

P.S.S. The three digital catalogs are:

The Digital Catalog found online at https://stls.overdrive.com/ and its companion app Libby found in mobile app stores.

The Hoopla Catalog found online at: https://www.hoopladigital.com/ and its companion app, also called Hoopla and found in mobile app stores.

Kanopy: The streaming video catalog found online at https://www.kanopy.com/ and its companion app, also called Kanopy, found in mobile app stores.

Suggested Listening & Viewing: January 30, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring ten songs and two streaming video recommendations, one from a mainstream service and the other from Kanopy, the library’s free to access streaming service (all you need is a library card!).

First the songs: 

This week we’re turning our listening spotlight on female guitarists, with an emphasis on players who made their debut before 1970.

Can’t Find My Way Home by Ellen McIlwaine 

 

Found on the Album: Up From The Skies: The Polydor Years (1998) 

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Hard Headed Woman by Wanda Jackson 

 

Found on the Album: There’s A Party Goin’ On (1961) 

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I Love Paris by Mary Osborne 

 

Found on the Album: A Girl And Her Guitar (1959/2006) 

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Joy ‘Round My Brain by Mimi & Richard Farina with Pete Seeger 

 

Found on the Album: Memories (1968) by Mimi & Richard Farina 

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Keep It To Yourself by Memphis Minnie 

 

Found on the Album: Rough Guide To Memphis Minnie – Queen of the Country Blues (2022) 

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Last Kind Words by Geeshie Wiley 

 

Found on the Album: Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas (2022) 

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Mercy by Lorrie Collins  

 

Found on the Album: N/A 

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One Dime Blues by Etta Baker 

 

Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians (1956/2016) by Various Artists 

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Walking Blues by Bonnie Raitt 

 

Found on the Album: Bonnie Raitt (1971) 

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Wildwood Flower by Maybelle Carter 

 

Found on the Album: Can The Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music’s First Family (2000) 

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You’ll Lose A Good Thing by Barbara Lynn 

 

Found on the Album: You’ll Lose A Good Thing (1963) 

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Second The videos: 

A new title available through one of the usual U.S. streaming services, followed by a Kanopy title that you can check out with your library card and stream on-demand.

Bridgerton, Season 4, Part 1 (2026) (Netflix) 

 

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Kanopy Streaming Pick of the Week (A title available to library card holders) 

Hannah Arendt Facing Tyranny (A PBS American Masters Documentary) (2025) 

 

– 

Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Information on the four library catalogs 

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/ 

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go! 

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog. 

And The Digital Catalog/Libby features titles that may be checked out via the one-copy-one-user lending model, just like print books.  

– 

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/ 

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron checkout limit is 10 items per month. 

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders. 

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players. 

Titles in the Hoopla Catalog are available to be checked out on-demand by all library card holders, with the caveat of being able to check out a maximum of ten titles per month, per card.  

– 

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en 

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.  

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders! 

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV). 

– 

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org 

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System. 

Suggested Reading Five: January 28, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!

–

 

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James 

Violet Esmie doesn’t want to go home again. Eighteen years ago, Violet’s youngest brother, Ben, disappeared. One minute Violet, her sister Dodie, and her brother Vail were playing hide-and-seek with Ben, and the next minute no trace of him could be found. Soon after this traumatic event, Violet, Dodie, and Vail all left their upstate New York hometown with no intention of ever coming back. However, all three Esmie siblings are now returning to Fell, and the reason is eerie. Ben’s ghost has written a message that says, “Come Home.” Adeptly alternating viewpoints between Violet, Dodie, and Vail, St. James (Murder Road, 2024) perfectly captures the mix of annoyed snarkiness, edgy rivalry, and unconditional love that can exist among siblings while simultaneously dialing up the supernatural spookiness that has infected each of their lives in different ways. From the book’s chillingly creepy setting, which previously appeared in The Sun Down Motel (2020), to a nerve-jangling plot that effectively borrows from a mix of genres to the writing itself, which shimmers with a dazzlingly sharp sense of wit, everything about St. James’ latest is done to perfection. – Starred Booklist Review 

– 

Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey  

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new marriage of convenience, friends-to-lovers sports romance about a baseball catcher and the burlesque club owner he can’t get out of his head. 

Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point, now that Eve’s sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition—marry him for the much needed health benefits. 

Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there’s one problem—her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she’s not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden’s proposal—on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She’s not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden’s shiny new career. 

Madden won’t let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it’s up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than a business arrangement. As the passion builds, can their fake marriage become the real deal? 

– 

Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging by Angela Buchdahl 

In Heart of a Stranger, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on a life shaped by complexity, heritage, and faith. Born to a Korean Buddhist mother and a Jewish American father, she explores how two different family histories have been united through shared values of resilience, tradition, and hope. Her mother’s story, marked by war, stands alongside her father’s Jewish heritage, forming a foundation both rich and complex. The book blends personal narrative, historical reflection, and Jewish teachings. Each chapter pairs a family story with spiritual insight, drawing on Hebrew terms and the rhythm of sermon-like meditations. Buchdahl traces her path into the Jewish faith and the challenge of embracing multiple identities. From misadventures in keeping kosher to balancing motherhood with leading a major synagogue, she writes with clarity and purpose. She calls for unity within Jewish communities despite their differences, honors her Korean roots, and faces questions of race, identity, and belonging with honesty and humility. Her story shows the courage required to embrace complexity and hold difficult truths with compassion. – Booklist Review  

– 

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney  

Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife. 

One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying. 

Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person’s date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs. 

My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems. 

– 

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher  

It has been three weeks since the devastating magical attack on Chicago (Battle Ground, 2020), leaving the city in complete disarray and wizard Harry Dresden’s life in shambles. He is mourning the loss of a loved one, has been banished from the White Council of Wizards–although he is not as upset about that–and has been forced by the ruthless Queen Mab into an engagement to the provocative leader of the White Vampires. Harry is grieving and exhausted but nevertheless providing food and shelter for neighbors left homeless by the battle. He is not sure how, or even if, he will recover. What he needs is time, but Mab has given him the impossible task of resolving a conflict with the sovereign of another magical nation, the same king who wants Harry’s brother dead. And an overzealous new White Council warden is out for Harry’s literal head. His friends and, oddly, his new fiancee are trying to help, offering support, a new apprentice, and a Valkyrie bodyguard, but the heartbreak and anguish may still be too much. Series fans will be intrigued by the new characters and changes in Harry’s life as Butcher deftly explores the impacts of loss and grief.  – Starred Booklist Review 

– 

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.

–

Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.

–

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

–

Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.

–

Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

New York Times Bestsellers: February 1, 2026

Linda Reimer

All titles can be requested/checked out through the library.

If you’d like to go the traditional route to request a title on this list and drop by the library, or give us a call – please do!

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

You can also request titles through StarCat found at https://starcat.stls.org

–

THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans: Letters from someone she used to know push Sybil Van Antwerp toward revisiting her past and finding a way to forgive.

2. HEATED RIVALRY by Rachel Reid: The second book in the Game Changers series. Rival captains of two hockey teams try to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.

3. THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden: Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

4. THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi: A man travels to a small Southern town, where he purchases pencil drawings of local residents and exchanges them for stories.

5. WOMAN DOWN by Colleen Hoover: An author hoping to get her career back on track has a relationship with a detective that goes from inspirational to confrontational.

6. PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry: Opposites Poppy and Alex meet to vacation together one more time in hopes of saving their relationship.

7. THE LONG GAME by Rachel Reid: The sixth book in the Game Changers series. Ten years into their relationship, Ilya is tired of Shane keeping it a secret.

8. THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER by Danielle Steel: In an effort to reconcile, the estranged sisters Mickie and Billie try to overcome their different personalities and difficult family history.

9. GAME CHANGER by Rachel Reid: The captain of a hockey team worries about public perceptions after he starts a relationship with a guy who works at a smoothie shop.

10. ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI by Ashley Elston: Two women enact a plan to uncover truths a man may have been hiding, but things go awry when he is found murdered.

11. PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir: Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

12. DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL by Matt Dinniman: A Coast Guard vet named Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, are trapped in a fantasy dungeon.

13. THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET by Freida McFadden: The second book in the Housemaid series. The sound of crying and the appearance of blood portend misdeeds.

14. THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave: Hannah’s husband turns up five years after he disappeared, which forces her to go on the run with her daughter.

15. THE WIDOW by John Grisham: When Simon Latch, a lawyer in rural Virginia, is accused of murder, he goes in search of the real killer.

NON-FICTION

1. STRANGERS by Belle Burden: Burden retraces her marriage of 20 years in search of clues to help shape her understanding about its demise and to find a way forward.

2. 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin: The New York Times journalist and CNBC host looks at the fight between Washington and Wall Street that fueled a historic crash of the stock market.

3. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk: How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.

4. NOBODY’S GIRL by Virginia Roberts Giuffre: The late activist and advocate for sex-trafficking survivors describes her time with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

5. THE OTHER SIDE OF CHANGE by Maya Shankar: The cognitive scientist and host of the podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” posits ways to redefine upheavals.

6. HOW TO TEST NEGATIVE FOR STUPID by John Kennedy: The Republican senator from Louisiana shares stories about politics in Washington, D.C., and in his home state.

7. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt: A co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.

8. I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy: The actress and filmmaker describes her eating disorders and difficult relationship with her mother.

9. ONE DAY, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS by Omar El Akkad: In his nonfiction debut, El Akkad looks at how the West responds to mass suffering.

10. THE GALES OF NOVEMBER by John U. Bacon: An account of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, an American Great Lakes freighter, 50 years ago.

11. OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford: A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.

12. ON TYRANNY by Timothy Snyder: Twenty lessons from the 20th century about the course of tyranny.

13. EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS by John Green: The author of “The Anthropocene Reviewed” chronicles the fight against the deadly infectious disease tuberculosis.

14. 107 DAYS by Kamala Harris: The former vice president recounts her abbreviated campaign to become president in 2024.

15. FIRESTORM by Jacob Soboroff: The MS NOW reporter describes events during the 2025 fires in Los Angeles and what they might portend about future catastrophes.

–

Have a great Sunday!

Linda

–

New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays.

–

THE CATALOGS:

(Information on the four library catalogs)

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.

–

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

–

For more information on library materials and services, including how to get a library card call the library at 607-936-3713.

–

*The Southern Tier Library System includes the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler & Allegheny counties.

Suggested Listening & Viewing January 23, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring ten songs and two streaming video recommendations, one from a mainstream service and the other from Kanopy, the library’s free to access streaming service (all you need is a library card!).

First the songs: 

On this, the fourth week of the month, we turn our listening spotlight to classic folk songs – enjoy!

–

The Bells of Rhymney by Pete Seeger 

 

Found on the Album: Live in ’65 (2009) 

– 

Coffee Blues by Mississippi John Hurt 

 

Found on the Album: The Best of Mississippi John Hurt (2009) 

– 

Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) by Woody Guthrie 

 

Found on the Album: Deportee (Woody’s Home Tape) (2025) 

– 

Hey, Hey by Big Bill Broonzy 

 

Found on the Album: An Introduction To Big Bill Broonzy (2007) 

– 

I’ll Fly Away by Carolyn Hester  

 

Found on the Album: Carolyn Hester (1994); Note: This album is out of print.  

– 

Low Cotton by Josh White 

 

Found on the Album: Josh White Vol. 1 1929-1933 (2005) (Document Records) 

– 

Sometime by Bessie Jones 

 

Found on the Album: Alan Lomax: Popular Songbook (2003) by Various Artists 

– 

Statesboro Blues by Blind Willie McTell 

 

Found on the Album: Blind Willie McTell -Statesboro Blues – The Early Years 1927-1935 (2005) 

– 

Trouble So Hard by Vera Hall 

 

Found on the Album: N/A 

– 

Where Did You Sleep Last Night (In The Pines) by Lead Belly 

 

Found on the Album: Where Did You Sleep Last Night: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 1 (1996) 

– 

Bonus (not a folk song, but a great vintage song!) 

Underneath A Harlem Moon by Ethel Waters 

 

Found on the Album: N/A 

– 

Second The videos: 

A new title available through one of the usual U.S. streaming services, followed by a Kanopy title that you can check out with your library card and stream on-demand.

–

Mainstream Stream 

Steal (2026) (Amazon Prime) 

 

– 

Kanopy Stream 

Vermiglio (2024) 

Trailer 

 

– 

Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Information on the four library catalogs 

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/ 

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go! 

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog. 

And The Digital Catalog/Libby features titles that may be checked out via the one-copy-one-user lending model, just like print books.  

– 

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/ 

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron checkout limit is 10 items per month. 

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders. 

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players. 

Titles in the Hoopla Catalog are available to be checked out on-demand by all library card holders, with the caveat of being able to check out a maximum of ten titles per month, per card.  

– 

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en 

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.  

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders! 

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV). 

– 

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org 

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System. 

Suggested Reading Five: January 21, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!

–

Future Saints by Ashley Winstead 

Winstead (In My Dreams I Hold a Knife) focuses on the demise of a women-led rock band in her latest. Told through the perspective of the bandmates, manager, and fans, this emotionally charged novel opens as the Future Saints perform at a nearly empty venue. The members of the Future Saints are on the cusp of giving up on everything–the music, their fans, and themselves–when lead singer Hannah closes the show with a new song that sets the internet on fire with its grief and honesty. The Future Saints are rocketed to a level of popularity that flummoxes the bandmembers as well as their new manager, Theo. As poor choices are made, captured for social media, and regurgitated within the band itself, they begin writing new music that captures their changed situation as well as their sadness at the death of their former manager, Ginny, who was also Hannah’s sister. Hannah ultimately confronts her grief in a dramatic way, bringing the story full circle and allowing catharsis. The novel’s satisfying epilogue places each character in the future where they need to be. VERDICT Fans of Stephanie Clifford’s The Farewell Tour will enjoy. – Library Journal Review  

– 

George Falls Through Time: A Novel by Ryan Collett 

George’s life in present-day London keeps hitting new lows. He already lost his job and boyfriend, he’s about to lose his flat, and now, having taken a dog-walking gig, he has lost two of the six dogs that he was walking in the park. While a panicked George searches for the missing dogs, he observes the London he knows falling away. Somehow, he has traveled through time, and the only thing he can find out is that he’s in the 28th year of a King Edward’s reign (1300 CE). Time-travelling is brutally hard when you’re going backward: the language is foreign to George, and dragons, apparently, are known to exist in this world, which he can’t quite believe. He is thrown into prison, eventually escaping with the help of a man named Simon. Then George is brought before the king, who presents him with a plastic Coca-Cola bottle and demands an explanation. VERDICT Collett’s (The Disassembly of Doreen Durand) time-travel novel is a marvelously lovely queer retelling of the story of St. George and the dragon. Readers who loved Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time will enjoy this too. – Library Journal Review  

– 

Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson 

Thirty-five words. That’s the length of the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence, the one that begins with “We hold these truths to be self-evident” and ends with “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” In between, there is talk of equality and sacrosanct rights. It’s a lot to pack into a single sentence, but award-winning biographer Isaacson cogently honors the wisdom it took to create it. Its authors–Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams–struggled over concerns such as, who, precisely, should be included in “We” and whether “inalienable”” would be a better choice than “unalienable.” Glimpses into such behind-the-scenes polishing of the most important of our country’s foundational documents would be fascinating in and of itself, but as the Declaration’s 250th anniversary draws near, Isaacson’s granular analysis serves as a more potent lesson. Our nascent nation was freeing itself from Britain’s tyrannical rule, the facts of which are specifically enumerated in the body of the Declaration. Re-reading these grievances through the lens of today’s politically fraught atmosphere is a chilling but necessary exercise. In Isaacson’s expert hands, those 35 words, and the ones that come after them, gain a new level of clarity and relevance, and inspire deepened appreciation. – Booklist Review  

– 

The Infamous Gilberts: A Novel by Angela Tomaski  

DEBUT Margaret Gilbert has long lived with her three daughters and two sons in Thornwalk, a once-stately English manor, until, in 2002, the keys to the manor are about to be handed over to a new owner who plans to transform the estate into a luxury hotel. But first, Maximus, who lives in a cottage on the property, walks readers through a more than 60-year history of the Gilbert family and their home. Tomaski’s sad, sometimes funny debut novel thrives on its personalities. There’s Hugo, the eldest Gilbert son, who plans to take over the family’s failing business after their father dies; Jeremy, the wanderer who disappears for long stretches at a time; and the three Gilbert daughters dreaming of love, whose poor choices as they try to marry into wealth cloud and complicate the family’s fate. Tomaski offers strong characterization as each Gilbert reveals the weaknesses and gullibility that will ultimately contribute to the family’s downfall as they struggle with the implications of marrying for money versus clinging to the hope of regaining lost love.

VERDICT Readers of Tomaski’s immersive multigenerational saga will be pulled into the lives of the Gilbert family. Recommended for fans of big English novels about people who cannot help themselves. -Library Journal Review 

– 

No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done: A Novel by Sophie Hannah

 

The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable? 

Both? Or something else altogether? 

You think it will never happen to you. 

The doorbell. The policeman. The words that turn your world inside out: I’m afraid there’s been an incident… 

For Sally Lambert, those words mean only one thing—danger. Not just for her family, but for Champ, their loyal and beloved dog. A single accusation, a neighbor’s grudge, and suddenly the Lamberts are trapped in a nightmare with no escape. 

Unless they make one. 

Most people would never run. Most people would never leave behind everything they know to protect an animal who can’t defend himself. But for Sally, Champ is more than a dog—he’s one of her children. And most people aren’t the Lamberts.  

No one has ever done this before. No one has ever gone this far. But the Lamberts have never been quite like any other family… 

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Hannah spins an unexpected tale of suspense in No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done, an unsettling reflection on how far we’ll go for those we love. 

–

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.

–

Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.

–

Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

–

Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.

–

Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.