New York Times Bestsellers: July 19, 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. 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.

2. YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke: Natalie Heller Mills, a privileged tradwife social media influencer, wakes up to find she is living in the comparatively difficult reality of 1855.

3. THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett: As things get tougher during the Depression, several women look for ways to improve their circumstances.

4. WHISTLER by Ann Patchett: Decades after their time together, a woman reconnects with her stepfather and they look back at the directions their lives have taken.

5. 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.

6. 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; the basis of the movie.

7. THE DEAL by Elle Kennedy: Hannah Wells makes a deal with the captain of the college hockey team in exchange for tutoring him that may complicate their relationship.

8. TEMPTING VENOM by Rina Kent: The third book in the Vipers series. The relationship between hockey rivals may change.

9. THE SHAMPOO EFFECT by Jenny Jackson: When Caroline Lash is pushed out of a social circle in a small seaside town, she exposes secrets that rile up the residents.

10. THE DIVORCE by Freida McFadden: After her husband ends their marriage and she turns her attention to his new girlfriend, Naomi suspects she might be in danger.

11. 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.

12. THE MISTAKE by Elle Kennedy: The second book in the Off-Campus series. A college hockey player attempts to redeem himself to a rising sophomore.

13. THE SCORE by Elle Kennedy: The third book in the Off-Campus series. A brokenhearted senior resists the charms of a hockey star.

14. ENTER THE NIGHTMARE by Jayne Castle: The 19th book in the Harmony series.

15. REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt: A widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium is aided in solving a mystery by a giant Pacific octopus living there; the basis of the movie.

NON-FICTION

1. REGIME CHANGE by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan: Two White House correspondents for The New York Times delve into the first year of President Trump’s second term.

2. CANCEL ME IF YOU CAN by Dave Portnoy: The founder of Barstool Sports describes how he grew his business from a four-page newspaper into the digital media company it is today.

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. COMMUNION by JD Vance: The vice president and author of “Hillbilly Elegy” describes how he perceives his faith played a part in his work in public life.

5. THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE by David Sedaris: Essays on the passage of time, complicated relationships and some unexpected delights life has to offer.

6. REVOLUTION by Eric Metaxas: The author of “Martin Luther” and “Bonhoeffer” gives an account of the foundation of the United States of America.

7. AMERICAN STRUGGLE by Jon Meacham: The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer examines national divisions and debates over the last four centuries.

8. LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe: The author of “Say Nothing” details the efforts by the parents of a 19-year-old Londoner to uncover the truth about his mysterious death and secret life.

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

10. A MARRIAGE AT SEA by Sophie Elmhirst: In 1972, an incident with a breaching whale turns a couple’s dream of sailing on a boat into a monthslong struggle for survival on a raft.

11. CARELESS PEOPLE by Sarah Wynn-Williams: A former Facebook executive gives an account of policies and leadership at the social media platform.

12. CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson: The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines aspects of caste systems across civilizations and reveals a rigid hierarchy in America today.

13. KNICKER BONKERS by The New York Post: An overview of the New York Knicks’ 2026 championship season.

14. THE GREATEST SENTENCE EVER WRITTEN by Walter Isaacson: The historian and biographer examines the concepts of a statement found in the Declaration of Independence.

15. WE THE WOMEN by Norah O’Donnell with Kate Andersen Brower: A collection of portraits of women whose lives and work helped shape American history.

–

Have a great Sunday!

Linda

–

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

–

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: July 10, 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 off the music and this week we’re offering an easy listening collection of classic songs that compliment the summer season. Enjoy!

–

Blue Gardenia by Dinah Washington 

 

Found on the Album: Blue Gardenia: Songs of Love (1995) 

– 

In The Good Old Summertime by Les Paul & Mary Ford  

 

Found on the Album: The Best Of The Capitol Masters (1992) 

– 

Misty by Sarah Vaughan  

 

Found on the Album: Sarah Vaughan’s Golden Hits (1958) 

– 

Moon River by Jerry Butler 

 

Found on the Album: Moon River / Delicious Together (2007) 

– 

Night Train by Jimmy Forest  

 

Found on the Album: Night Train (1990) 

– 

On The Sunny Side of the Street by Louis Armstrong 

 

Found on the Album: Satchmo: The Decca And Verve Years 1924 – 1967 (2020) 

– 

On A Slow Boat To China by Kay Kyser & His Orchestra with Harry Babbitt & Gloria Wood on vocals 

 

Found on the Album: The Best of Kay Kyser & His Orchestra (2000) 

– 

Pipeline by The Chantays 

 

Found on the Album: Pipeline (2014) 

– 

Red Sails In The Sunset by Nat King Cole 

 

Found on the Album: Unforgettable (1954) 

– 

Sail Along Silv’ry Moon by Billy Vaughn 

 

Found on the Album: Sail Along Silv’ry Moon (1958)

– 

Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra 

 

Found on the Album: Nothing But The Best (2008) 

– 

Take Five by The Dave Brubeck Quartet with Carmen McRae 

 

Found on the Album: Tonight Only (1960) 

– 

Theme from a Summer Place by Percy Faith & His Orchestra  

 

Found on the Album: Percy Faith’s Greatest Hits (1960) 

– 

Twistin’ The Night Away by Sam Cooke 

 

Found on the Album: Twistin’ The Night Away (1962) 

– 

What A Little Moonlight Can Do by Billie Holiday 

 

Found on the Album: The Essential Billie Holiday: The Columbia Years (2010) 

– 

Sleepy Time Gal by The Les Brown Orchestra with Rosemary Clooney  

 

Found on the Album: The Sweetest Sound by The Les Brown Orchestra with Rosemary Clooney (2007) 

– 

In The Evening by Ray Charles  

 

Found on the Album: Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul (1963) 

– 

And onto the Streaming 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.

Recommended Mainstream Stream of the Week

Silo, Season 3 (2026) (Apple TV+) 

 

–

Kanopy  Stream of the Week

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: July 8, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

Big Stick Energy by Sarine Bowen  

Bowen’s second “New York Legends Hockey” book, after Thrown for a Loop, delivers a romance between Darcy Kendrick, assistant to the general manager of the New York Legends hockey team, and team captain Eric Tremaine. When Darcy receives a wedding invitation from her half-sibling, she decides to enter a fake-dating arrangement with Eric, who is also attending the wedding. Their scheme quickly becomes complicated as real feelings emerge between the two characters. The workplace-romance element adds layers of tension to their relationship as Darcy navigates the implications of dating the team captain while maintaining her position in management. Bowen shifts the focus from hockey to relationship development, allowing readers to dive deeper into the emotional lives of the characters, and the novel explores significantly heavy family dynamics: Eric struggles with his parents’ inability to move on after a death in the family, while Darcy navigates the fallout from her parents’ divorce, affairs, and complicated half-sibling relationships.  

VERDICT Fans of the first book in Bowen’s series will enjoy this sequel, which has even more focus on romance. Recommended for readers who want to delve into sports romance with unique workplace dynamics. – Library Journal Review 

– 

The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss by Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris 

From the best-selling authors of The Lost Words, a dazzling celebration of endangered birds. 

The Book of Birds is a field guide with a difference: It shows readers not just how to identify birds, but also how to identify with them. Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris conjure the unique spirit of nearly fifty once-common species: avocet to yellowhammer, kestrel to kingfisher, skylark to nightingale. In lyrical and incantatory essays, Macfarlane describes each bird’s habits and habitats, their patterns of flight and patterns of song, how they hunt or fish or scavenge or gather, how they nest and raise their chicks, the myths that attend them, the threats that shadow them―and how their lives intersect with our own. On every page we encounter Morris’s exhilarating artwork, painted from life in watercolor and gold leaf, and animated with an extraordinary attention to detail. The Book of Birds is a love letter to the thrilling variety and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the rapid depletion of our skies. 

– 

Bulletproof by K. M. Moronova 

He was built to be bulletproof. She’s the one thing that can break him. Briar Thornton has spent months outrunning her past, but when she’s drawn to the small Montana town of Bane Falls with the death of her late uncle and his estate to handle, she runs straight into a new nightmare—and a man more dangerous than the one who tried to kill her. Roman Syxx isn’t a savior. He’s a weapon—cold, precise, and programmed by the Dark Forces to destroy anything and anyone. As the lieutenant of the covert Icarus Squad, he’s in Bane Falls on orders: infiltrate, eliminate, disappear. But the new girl that randomly shows up in the small town fractures his control in ways no enemy ever could. Drawn together by their traumas, they burn through each other’s defenses until love feels as lethal as war. And when Briar’s hidden connection to Roman’s mission is exposed, both will learn that freedom always comes with a body count. 

–

The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders  

Award-winning short-story author Sanders (Company, 2023) returns with a debut novel that is part family saga, part historical fiction, part ghost story, and entirely captivating. We meet Aubrey Lamb on the night her boyfriend of four years ends things and just a year after losing her father. As she struggles to cope and navigate multiple jobs to afford her life in Washington, DC, the inheritance of a family farm in Tennessee offers not only a distraction from her heartbreak, but also an opportunity to connect with her extended family. As Aubrey contemplates the future of her family’s land, the complicated and fraught origins of her heritage are told through the story of her great-grandfather. Throughout the novel, the ghosts of her ancestors observe the daily lives of their descendants and the story unfolds under their watchful eyes. Sanders expertly portrays familial relationships, imbuing her characters with pathos and humor as they grapple with the complexities of family legacy. Give to readers of The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois (2021), by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. Booklist Review 

– 

Revolutionary by Alex Myers 

As a former indentured servant in Colonial Massachusetts, Deborah Sampson (1760-1827) leads a constricted life. Frequently chided for her desire for independence, she reaches a breaking point and runs away. Tall and strong, she dresses as a man to escape and soon finds untold freedom, respect, and comfort when she joins the Continental Army as Robert Shurtliff. But there are risks as well. Besides the dangers of battle and the fear of being discovered, there is the effect on Deborah/Robert’s sense of self: while increasingly comfortable at being Robert, the deceit of having to hide her true and complex nature takes its toll. The author is transgender and writes well about identity and gender, but sticklers for a historical voice may be disappointed. While based on true events and a real person, Myers’s debut novel is more interested in Deborah/Robert’s internal journey than in immersing readers in period detail.  

VERDICT Despite some flaws, this work offers a new take on historical accounts of transgender people; Myers explores not just how Deborah manages to pass as a man but her reasons for doing so.– Library Journal Review  

–

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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.

New York Times Bestsellers: July 12, 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. 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.

2. YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke: Natalie Heller Mills, a privileged tradwife social media influencer, wakes up to find she is living in the comparatively difficult reality of 1855.

3. WHISTLER by Ann Patchett: Decades after their time together, a woman reconnects with her stepfather and they look back at the directions their lives have taken.

4. THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett: As things get tougher during the Depression, several women look for ways to improve their circumstances.

5. 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; the basis of the movie.

6. 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.

7. THE DEAL by Elle Kennedy: Hannah Wells makes a deal with the captain of the college hockey team in exchange for tutoring him that may complicate their relationship.

8. WEDDINGS by Danielle Steel: The daughter of a celebrated wedding dress designer becomes engaged and the women in the family contend with relationship complications.

9. IT COULD HAVE BEEN HER by Lisa Jewell: When a teenager is reported missing, Jane Trevally visits a house that holds unsettling memories for her.

10. THE DIVORCE by Freida McFadden:  After her husband ends their marriage and she turns her attention to his new girlfriend, Naomi suspects she might be in danger.

11. 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.

12. THE MISTAKE by Elle Kennedy: The second book in the Off-Campus series. A college hockey player attempts to redeem himself to a rising sophomore.

13. THE SCORE by Elle Kennedy: The third book in the Off-Campus series. A brokenhearted senior resists the charms of a hockey star.

14. THE GOAL by Elle Kennedy: The fourth book in the Off-Campus series. Pregnancy complicates things between a college senior and a hockey player.

15. OUR PERFECT STORM by Carley Fortune: After her fiancé leaves her, Frankie goes on her planned honeymoon trip with her best friend from childhood, George.

NON-FICTION

1. REGIME CHANGE by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan: Two White House correspondents for The New York Times delve into the first year of President Trump’s second term.

2. COMMUNION by JD Vance: The vice president and author of “Hillbilly Elegy” describes how he perceives his faith played a part in his work in public life.

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. REVOLUTION by Eric Metaxas: The author of “Martin Luther” and “Bonhoeffer” gives an account of the foundation of the United States of America.

5. THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE by David Sedaris: Essays on the passage of time, complicated relationships and some unexpected delights life has to offer.

6. COURAGE CAN SAVE US by Rye BarcottL Profiles of Democratic and Republican politicians who previously served in the military or the F.B.I.

7. LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe: The author of “Say Nothing” details the efforts by the parents of a 19-year-old Londoner to uncover the truth about his mysterious death and secret life.

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

9. STRIPPED DOWN by Bunnie Xo:  The host of the “Dumb Blonde Podcast” shares how redemption was an important part of her journey toward reaching her goals.

10. THE GREATEST SENTENCE EVER WRITTEN by Walter Isaacson: The historian and biographer examines the concepts of a statement found in the Declaration of Independence.

11. MAILMAN by Stephen Starring Grant: After losing his corporate job and being diagnosed with cancer, Grant becomes a mailman in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

12. WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR by Paul Kalanithi: A memoir by a physician who received a diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer at the age of 36.

13. THE REVERSE CENTAUR’S GUIDE TO LIFE AFTER AI by Cory Doctorow: The journalist and science fiction writer envisions the future of work and artificial intelligence.

14. 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.

15. FAMESICK by Lena Dunham: The author of “Not That Kind of Girl” evaluates the effects that pursuing her creative endeavors had on her.

–

NON-FICTION

–

Have a great Sunday!

Linda

–

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

–

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: July 3, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring a collection thematic 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 off the music, and as today is July 3 and tomorrow is the Semiquincentennial of the founding of the United States, this week our suggested listening collection offers both traditional songs for a 4th of July celebration & a collection of diverse songs that offer a glimpse into the rich history and culture of the peoples that make up the United States.

–

An American Tune by Paul Simon 

 

Found on the Album: There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973) 

– 

Ballad of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash 

 

Found on the Album: The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) 

– 

Beans, Bacon, and Gravy by Pete Seeger 

 

Found on the Album: Industrial Ballads (1992) 

– 

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Buffy Sainte-Marie 

 

Found on the Album: Up Where We Belong (1995) 

– 

Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) by Joan Baez 

 

Video recorded live during the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  

Found on the album:  Joan Baez 75th Birthday Celebration (2016)

– 

Hole hole bushi by Allison Arakawa at Japanese American National Museum 

 

Found on the Album: N/A

– 

Jimmie Brown the Newsboy

Found on the Album: The Essential Carter Family (2013)

–

John Henry by Bruce Springsteen 

 

Recorded live at the at the 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 

Found on the Album: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (American Land Edition) (2006)

– 

Midnight Special by Lead Belly

Found on the Album: Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection (2015)

–

No More Auction Blocks by Odetta  

 

Found on the Album: Live (2011) 

– 

Lift Every Voice and Sing by Kim Weston 

 

Found on the Album: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Kim Weston (2003) 

– 

One Time One Night by Los Lobos 

 

Found on the Album: By The Light of the Moon (1987) 

– 

This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie 

 

Found on the Album: The Asch Recordings Vol. 1 

– 

We Shall Overcome by Pete Seeger 

 

Found on the Album: If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle (2006) 

– 

Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra 

 

Found on the Album: Copland Conducts Copland (2000) 

– 
 

Rhapsody in Blue composed by George Gerswhin and performed by Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic 

 

Found on the Album: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue & An American in Paris by Leonard Bernstein (2022) 

– 

Stars & Stripes Forever by John Phillips Sousa, performed by The U.S. Marine Band 

 

Found on the Album: Sousa’s Greatest Hits & Some That Should Have Been (1999) 

– 

And a few humorous American Revolution related clips from the School House Rock: 

The Constitution Preamble 

 

– 

No More Kings 

 

– 

Shot Heard Round The World  

 

– 

Three Ring Government 

 

– 

Fireworks 

 

– 

And one more clip just for fun! (Yes, indeed, I’m showing my vintage!) 

Sufferin’ for Suffrage  

 

– 

For those who prefer more traditional 4th of July music here are two more videos: 

Fourth of July Concert at Washington National Cathedral, 2015 (1 hour, 46 minutes) 

 

& 

Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular (2024) (2 hours, 27 minutes) 

 

– 

Mainstream Stream of the Week 

Enola Holmes, Season 3 (2006) (Netflix) 

 

– 

Kanopy Stream of the Week 

The American Revolution (2025) a Ken Burns presentation 

– 

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: July 1, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

Nine Lives by Catherine Steadman 

Reeling from a very recent divorce, Frankie has moved into a glamorous London neighborhood. This is a new chapter in her life. She’s decided to put down roots with Blue, the beautiful Persian cat she left her marriage with. 

But little doubts about her perfect new life start to grow, and when Blue returns one night from slipping into places he shouldn’t, Frankie’s concerns solidify. Two words are roughly scratched into his collar: help me. Unsettled and unwilling to ignore the incident, Frankie roots out an old unused “cat cam” collar. What slowly begins as a voyeuristic fascination with her neighbors and the secrets they’re hiding soon turns into a perilous quest for the truth that threatens to bring untold terrors to her doorstep. 

A riveting thriller about the terrible secrets hidden behind the pastel-colored façade of one of London’s most upscale enclaves, Nine Lives is catnip for suspense readers everywhere and perfect for fans of modern classics like The Girl on the Train and The Woman in the Window. 

– 

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti 

In Vasti’s new Regency adventure, following Ladies in Hating (2025), Ruby and her two best friends are tired of being high society outcasts for being different or having family issues. Ruby is too scientific and outspoken for the ton’s liking. She hatches a plan with her friends to pretend to be ladies-in-waiting at a princess’ empty estate. When they arrive, they find handsome Malcolm Archer and his crew running the mansion. The crew tries to make things unpleasant for the young women in hilarious ways, attempting to get them to leave. Archer is using his role at the royal home to disguise his smuggling business and doesn’t need nosy misses about, even if Ruby captures his attention and even as the women clean and fix up the house. Ruby is fascinated with Archer and tries to discover his secrets and what he and his crew are up to. Then the imperiled princess arrives, and they are all thrown into a plot to save her. Vasti’s wonderfully entertaining caper is full of heroism and romance. –Booklist Review  

– 

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston  

In an attempt to grapple with her grief after the death of her best friend Harriet, horticulturist Sophie Drear takes on the head gardener position at her and Harriet’s favorite place, Lilymoor House in coastal Maine. The house and its vast, hedge-mazed gardens are challenging and gorgeous, as is the disgruntled and handsome man Sophie discovers behind a secret blue door. Cyrus Beck, grandchild of Lilymoor House’s owners, is trapped inside, and Sophie cannot seem to find a way to free him. As Sophie attempts to unlock the secrets tangled in the lush foliage and the people of Lilymoor House, she also finds herself falling in love with both the place and with Cyrus. Questions abound in this paranormal romance. Will Sophie be able to solve Lilymoor House’s mysteries without losing track of herself or her grief? What if the man she has fallen in love with is not the man who she’ll eventually meet in real life, outside of the hedge maze?  

VERDICT Poston (Sounds Like Love) continues her trend of lightly magical stories, perfect for readers seeking the magic of Sarah Addison Allen blended with the humor and romance tropes of Emily Henry.—Library Journal Review 

– 

Sweet Spot by Kemper Donovan  

Ghostwriters, just like ghosts, shouldn’t exist. Knowing that the latest juicy memoir was penned by a stranger for a paycheck tends to ruin the illusion of intimacy. But not every ghostwriter is in it for the money alone. 

For Belle Currer—as the ghostwriter extraordinaire prefers to be known—Genevieve Caraway’s memoir is an irresistible project, a tale of tragedy overcome. At 14, Genevieve was abducted from her bedroom by a couple and held hostage for three months. She’s now a happily married mother with a flourishing career, a poster child for thriving after trauma. Still, the scars haven’t entirely faded. 

Genevieve’s lavish Utah home, “Sweet Spot,” is a guarded compound impregnable to outsiders—theoretically, at least. But Belle’s arrival coincides with the parole of Deirdre Gregory, one of Genevieve’s kidnappers. When Deirdre shows up at Sweet Spot begging to see Genevieve, she is refused. The next day, Deirdre’s dead body is found on the grounds. 

How did Deirdre get in? More importantly, who killed her? Belle soon joins Detective Kay Adams, the pregnant Mormon detective assigned to the case, in sifting through the suspects. The compound is filled with family and friends—and also with secrets, including one the ghostwriter has been carrying for far too long. She knows how guilt, remorse, and love can drive people to do unthinkable things. And that no matter how much you try to keep the world at bay, the best and worst of it may find a way to get in . . .

 

– 

The Top of the World by Ethan Joella  

A teenager with leukemia spends one eye-opening summer working at a Poconos honeymoon resort, trying to find new experiences before he dies. It’s the mid-1970s, and Maggie Bishop’s older brother, Chip, has been diagnosed with cancer. Rather than subject himself to the treatments his doctors recommend, he leaves town after finishing high school without telling anyone where he’s going. He only returns home once he’s certain his death is imminent. He wants to spend his last days with his family, but he never tells them where he’d been all that time. After he dies, Maggie finds herself stuck on the question of where her brother spent his last summer and why. She snoops through his things for months until she finally discovers a nametag indicating Chip had been employed by the Red Maple, a Poconos resort. As soon as she finishes her own senior year, Maggie, like her brother before her, takes off without explaining to her parents where she’s going. She manages to get herself employed at the Red Maple, as well, and she spends her summer there trying to get to know the people who knew Chip in the hope of better understanding his final choices.

Told in alternating chapters that follow Chip through the summer of 1974 and Maggie through the summer of 1975, the book depicts a touchingly close relationship between the siblings, which is, paradoxically, most evocative in the moments when they are apart. Joella also manages to portray the devastation of a teenager’s certain death with grace and insight. While Chip seems to have a much richer internal life than his sister, both characters are exceedingly likable and devoted to each other, which makes their separation all the more heartrending. A particular strength of the novel is the Red Maple setting, where the author manages to capture the magic of the summer resorts where both visitors and staff have transformative experiences. While some readers may find a few too many coincidences or some predictable turns of plot, the preponderance of touching moments while Chip accepts the unfairness of his fate allow the story to soar nonetheless. A captivating and tragic tale about living to the fullest before a young life is extinguished. – Starred Kirkus Review  

–

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.

New Books Coming Your Way: July 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is a list of all the new books, physical media items, eAudios & eBooks coming to the Southeast Steuben County Library this month!

New Books Coming Your Way: July 2026

New Books Coming Your Way July 2026Download

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

P.S. Some of the print books & physical media items, which will be published in the month ahead of us, may not yet appear in StarCat. So, if you see a title you’d like to check out, but it isn’t yet 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.

Linda Reimer, Acquisitions Librarian

Southeast Steuben County Library

Tel: 607-936-3713 x2412

Email: reimerl@stls.org

–

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.

New York Times Bestsellers: July 5, 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. 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.

2. YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke: Natalie Heller Mills, a privileged tradwife social media influencer, wakes up to find she is living in the comparatively difficult reality of 1855.

3. WHISTLER by Ann Patchett: Decades after their time together, a woman reconnects with her stepfather and they look back at the directions their lives have taken.

4. 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; the basis of the movie.

5. CHOKE POINT by Brad Thor: The 25th book in the Scot Harvath series. America’s top spy investigates bombings that may portend a shake up in the geopolitical balance.

6. THE DEAL by Elle Kennedy: Hannah Wells makes a deal with the captain of the college hockey team in exchange for tutoring him that may complicate their relationship.

7. THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett: As things get tougher during the Depression, several women look for ways to improve their circumstances.

8. 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.

9. THE DIVORCE by Freida McFadden: After her husband ends their marriage and she turns her attention to his new girlfriend, Naomi suspects she might be in danger.

10. THE MISTAKE by Elle Kennedy: The second book in the Off-Campus series. A college hockey player attempts to redeem himself to a rising sophomore.

11. THE SCORE by Elle Kennedy: The third book in the Off-Campus series. A brokenhearted senior resists the charms of a hockey star.

12. 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.

13. REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt: A widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium is aided in solving a mystery by a giant Pacific octopus living there; the basis of the movie.

14. THE SOMEDAY GARDEN by Ashley Poston: Sophie Drear is hired to revitalize a manor in coastal Maine and discovers a secret garden where a mysterious figure dwells.

15. OUR PERFECT STORM by Carley Fortune: After her fiancé leaves her, Frankie goes on her planned honeymoon trip with her best friend from childhood, George.

Non-Fiction

1. COMMUNION by JD Vance: The vice president and author of “Hillbilly Elegy” describes how he perceives his faith played a part in his work in public life.

2. THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE by David Sedaris: Essays on the passage of time, complicated relationships and some unexpected delights life has to offer.

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. STRIPPED DOWN by Bunnie Xo: The host of the “Dumb Blonde Podcast” shares how redemption was an important part of her journey toward reaching her goals.

 5. LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe: The author of “Say Nothing” details the efforts by the parents of a 19-year-old Londoner to uncover the truth about his mysterious death and secret life.

6. THE CROOKED PLACES MADE STRAIGHT by Raphael G. Warnock: The senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta, who also serves as a Democratic senator from Georgia, shares his perspectives on moral and political issues.

7. COURAGE CAN SAVE US by Rye Barcott: Profiles of Democratic and Republican politicians who previously served in the military or the F.B.I.

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

9. REVOLUTION by Eric Metaxas: The author of “Martin Luther” and “Bonhoeffer” gives an account of the foundation of the United States of America.

10. THE MAILMAN by Stephen Starring Grant: After losing his corporate job and being diagnosed with cancer, Grant becomes a mailman in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

11. AMERICA, U.S.A. by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.: The author of “Begin Again” delves into elements of America’s difficult and complicated past, and what they portend for our future.

12. THE CASE FOR AMERICA by Bret Baier: The chief political anchor for Fox News shares his perspectives on our national character during divisive times.

13. TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER by Neil deGrasse Tyson: The astrophysicist depicts what potential encounters with aliens from outer space might be like.

14. 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.

15. ALL WE SAY by Ben Rhodes: The former speechwriter for President Obama explicates what it means to be American through this collection of 15 speeches.

–

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: June 26, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring a collection of songs within a genre or theme; 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 off the music & this week we’re turning our listening spotlight on folk music.

–

I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound by Tom Paxton 

 

Found on the Album: The Best of Tom Paxton: I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound The Elektra Years (1991) 

– 

Been In The Storm by Bernice Johnson Reagon 

 

Found on the Album: Folk Songs: The South (1965) 

– 

Across The Great Divide by Kate Wolf 

 

Found on the Album: Close To You (1981) 

– 

Thirsty Boots by Eric Andersen  

 

Found on the Album: The Essential Eric Andersen (2018) 

– 

First Day of Spring by Guy Davis 

 

 

Found on the Album: Dreams About Life (1978) 

– 

Follow That Road by Anne Hills 

 

 

Found on the Album: Angles of the Light (2008) 

– 

One Dollar Bill by Don Flemons 

 

Found on the Album: Black Cowboys (2018) 

– 

No Regrets by Tom Rush 

 

 

Found on the Album: The Very Best of Tom Rush: No Regrets 1962-1999 (2011) 

– 

Special Rider Blues by Corey Harris 

 

 

Found on the Album: The Insurrection Blues (2021) 

– 

Turkey in the Straw by Michael Cooney 

 

 

Found on the Album: The Cheese Stands Alone (1968) 

– 

Julie by Rhiannon Giddens 

 

 

Found on the Album: Freedom Highway (2017) 

– 

Backroads and Driveways by Crys Matthews 

 

 

Found on the Album: Backroads and Driveways (2011) 

– 

Streaming  Suggestions of the Week

Mainstream Stream 

In The Hand of Dante (2026) (Netflix)

 

–

Kanopy Stream of the Week

Norman’s Rare Guitars (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: June 24, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World by Liaquat Ahamed 

The global economy collapsed in 1873 amid a cascading chain of shocks. Pulitzer Prize-winning economist Ahamed (Lords of Finance) explains in riveting detail how events in Europe, the U.S., and developing countries successively fueled fear, stock-market turmoil, and financial chaos. He highlights the major economic powers’ blundering, self-inflicted wounds that choked global liquidity. The abrupt demonetization of silver, a shift from bimetallism, unnecessarily reordered the global currency system and triggered a massive deflation that reverberated into the mid-1890s. A mounting scarcity of international gold reserves and over-leveraged banks saddled with bad loans and bad bonds accelerated the disarray. Adding to this was the mistake of raising tariffs, which killed free trade as tariff spikes triggered retaliatory trade wars. More than economic pain resulted. Pervasive pessimism bred a rising sense of resentment and political instability. So many elements carry a familiar ring today, Ahamed warns, pointing to real estate bubbles, stock market mania, careless lending, cascading defaults, financial disruptions, drastic austerity programs, and social unrest.  

VERDICT This supremely useful historical analysis not only explains past events but also, with its unsettling parallels to current economic woes, offers readers and policymakers clear directions for present and future paths to avoid. – Starred Library Journal Review  

– 

Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky 

If Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy toned his language down and opened a private investigator’s office like Philip Marlowe, he’d be Tchaikovsky’s (Shroud) Skotch. The raccoon private eye is every noir detective who ever walked the mean streets, with friends in low places and a bandit’s black mask across his muzzle. His world is mostly grim, his morals are often conflicted, and he’s always broke and often broken. But he always has a scheme and he always finds the answers–even when no one wants him to. He’s taken a case to find one enhanced mouse among all the strains of enhanced animals that live and work under the new green city. He knows the job is too good to be true, but he’s compelled to take it, even if it gets him and his friends killed. This postapocalyptic world of green cities, along with gene-splicing that made animals into supposedly perfect workers, is fascinating, as is Skotch’s journey, while the resolution is a shock. VERDICT Readers searching for an adult Redwall, the animals-as-humans concept of Juneau Black’s Shady Hollow, or the upside-down criminal enterprise of John Scalzi’s Starter Villain will be thrilled to meet Skotch. – Starred Library Journal Review 

– 

Muneca by Cynthia Gomez 

DEBUT A queer, Latine witch finds her powers, and her heart, tested in this dramatic and entrancing gothic. Natalia “Nati” Fuentes is working as a bank teller in Oakland, CA, in 1968, when at a party she overhears the tragic tale of a young heiress stricken with a mysterious illness that has left her unable to move or speak. Nati realizes she knows this woman, Violeta Miramontes, and her family, as Nati’s late mother was employed as their housekeeper for a time. Convinced the heiress is under a spell and drawing on the training provided by her grandmother when she was a child, Nati formulates a plan: become Violeta’s caretaker, free her from the spell, and collect a hefty reward. While Nati is able to secure a position with ease, she quickly learns that the forces keeping Violeta trapped will not easily be vanquished. As she spends more time caring for Violeta, Nati discovers an entirely new reason to want to free her. VERDICT Easily paced and richly layered, G mez’s (The Nightmare Box) formidable novel debut will delight fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.–Booklist Review  

– 

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson 

When Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, Massachusetts, she falls head-over-heels for Van Whittaker, a fleece-wearing, litter-collecting, kayak enthusiast with long, floppy hair and the personality of a Border collie. Born and raised in this picturesque coastal village, Van runs with the same crowd he did as a kid: His ex-girlfriend, Bailey, a beautiful girl who attracts men like moths to a flame; Augusta, old money, horsey, and snobbish; and Fran, surrounded by brothers and sons, too fed up with boys to ever consider marrying one. 

Together, the group runs wild through the marshes, beaches, and bars of Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, spending long afternoons sunbathing with their children, and playing games the way they always have. But when Bailey discovers that she is pregnant with Van’s baby, the delicate balance of the group’s friendship is thrown off. Soon Caroline is cast out of the circle and what she does next—in a potent mix of fury and heartbreak—exposes long-held secrets and works the entire town of Greenhead into a lather. Dazzlingly funny, sexy, and as juicy as it is astute, The Shampoo Effect is a story of late-night parties, early mornings with small children, the dawn of midlife, and a group of old friends finally growing up despite all their best efforts to the contrary. 

– 

When You Loved Me: A Novel by Beatriz Williams 

Local history insists that a legendary pirate buried his treasure somewhere beneath Windward, the decayed Cooper estate on Winthrop Island, but Lucy Cooper never trusted the fable that broke her family apart. When a widowed Lucy returns with her young daughter to grieve her estranged father, she discovers catastrophe: The property is mired in debt she canʼt repay, and Ben Ressler has unexpectedly turned up on her doorstep. 

Thirteen summers ago, the teenaged Lucy never meant to fall in love with Ben, a Dartmouth football star vacationing nearby at the Peabody estate and the object of an all-consuming crush by Laura Peabody, Lucy’s best friend. Those few weeks were the best and worst of Lucy’s life, dooming her friendship with Laura. Now, after a fatal accident ended his dazzling NFL career, Ben has returned to live quietly in the Peabodys’ caretaker lodge. He’s also the last person who saw Lucy’s father alive. 

As Lucy reconstructs her father’s troubling final days, she uncovers his research on the frozen winter of 1717, when a desperately wounded pirate sought refuge on Winthrop Island with an enigmatic healer. To Lucy, this history points the way to a different kind of treasure: how to heal from the fractures of the past and earn a second chance at love. But just as Lucy’s long-buried emotions sear to the surface, a shocking turn of events reveals that someone else on the island will do whatever it takes to claim the fabled plunder. 

A timeless story of love and atonement, When You Loved Me maps both a centuries-old treasure hunt and the intimate territory of the human heart, weaving together past and present as only Beatriz Williams can. 

– 

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).

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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.

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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.

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