Month: October 2017

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:

Night of the Highland Dragon, Highland Dragons Series, Book 3 by Isabel Cooper:

“They say,” said the girl, “that people disappear up there. And I heard that the lady doesna’ ever grow any older.”
“The lady?” William asked.
“Lady MacAlasdair. She lives in the castle, and she’s been there years, but she stays young and beautiful forever.”

In the Scottish Highlands, legend is as powerful as the sword-and nowhere is that more true than in the remote village of Loch Aranoch. Its mysterious ruler, Judith MacAlasdair, is fiercely protective of her land-and her secrets. If anyone were to find out what she really was, she and her entire clan would be hunted down as monsters.

William Arundell is on the trail of a killer. Special agent for an arcane branch of the English government, his latest assignment has led him to a remote Highland castle and the undeniably magnetic lady who rules there. Yet as lies begin to unravel and a dark threat gathers, William finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery of the Highlands…and the woman he can neither trust nor deny.

He prays she isn’t the murderer; he never dreamed she was a dragon.

And our suggested print book for the day is:

Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman:

From beloved author Alice Hoffman comes the spellbinding prequel to her bestseller, Practical Magic.

Find your magic.

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.

You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Monday, October 30, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:

Homemade Holiday Craft Your Way Through More than 40 Festive Projects by Sophie Pester & Catharina Bruns:

Bring the magic of a handmade Christmas into your home with 40 projects for gifts, decorations, and homemade wrapping paper.

Save time and money with the festive craft projects in Homemade Holiday. Clear, step-by-step instructions guide readers to create fresh flower garlands, bake edible gift tags, make homemade bath salts, and paint authentic tree ornaments. With last-minute ideas and lots of inspiration, this book will help you wrap up gift-giving and decorating for the holiday season.

And our suggested print book for the day is:

David Bowie: A Life by Dylan Jones:

Dylan Jones’s engrossing, magisterial biography of David Bowie is unlike any Bowie story ever written. Drawn from over 180 interviews with friends, rivals, lovers, and collaborators, some of whom have never before spoken about their relationship with Bowie, this oral history weaves a hypnotic spell as it unfolds the story of a remarkable rise to stardom and an unparalleled artistic path. Tracing Bowie’s life from the English suburbs to London to New York to Los Angeles, Berlin, and beyond, its collective voices describe a man profoundly shaped by his relationship with his schizophrenic half-brother Terry; an intuitive artist who could absorb influences through intense relationships and yet drop people cold when they were no longer of use; and a social creature equally comfortable partying with John Lennon and dining with Frank Sinatra. By turns insightful and deliciously gossipy, DAVID BOWIE is as intimate a portrait as may ever be drawn. It sparks with admiration and grievances, lust and envy, as the speakers bring you into studios and bedrooms they shared with Bowie, and onto stages and film sets, opening corners of his mind and experience that transform our understanding of both artist and art. Including illuminating, never-before-seen material from Bowie himself, drawn from a series of Jones’s interviews with him across two decades, DAVID BOWIE is an epic, unforgettable cocktail-party conversation about a man whose enigmatic shapeshifting and irrepressible creativity produced one of the most sprawling, fascinating lives of our time.

You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

 

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist

Suggested Listens October 2017 Week 4

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our six musical recommendations for the week; five streaming suggestions and one recommended album on CD.

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Losing Sleep by Chris Young (Genre: Country):

Chris Young is the grandson of Richard Yates who performed on the old time radio and TV show Louisiana Hayride which was broadcast from Shreveport, Louisiana from 1948-1960. So Young has solid country music roots. His 2017 release Losing Sleep is his seventh album and features the songs: Radio and the Rain, Where I Go When I Drink, Holiday and She’s Got a Way.

Cheap Trick by Cheap Trick (Genre: Rock):

This is Cheap Trick’s self-titled debut album original released in 1977. Cheap Trick plays a blend of classic and seventies power rock – prefect arena style rock. And if you can’t catch them in concert you can listen to their music via Freegal!

Songs on this album include: ELO Kiddies, Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School, Cry, Cry, Hot Love and Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace.

Letters Never Read by Dori Freeman (Genre: Folk/Country/Pop):

This is singer songwriter Dori Freeman’s second album. Her style has foundation layers in folk and country music. Songs on this 2017 release include: If I Could Make You My Own, Lovers on the Run, Cold Waves, Turtle Dove and That’s Alright.

An Introduction to Lightnin’ Hopkins by Lightnin’ Hopkins (Genre: Blues):

Singer and guitarist Sam “Lighnin;” Hopkins hailed from Texas and was an outstanding blues musician whose career spanned more than fifty years from the 1920s to the early 1980s. This set offers a solid introduction to Hopkins’s work and includes the songs: Mr. Charlie (Parts 1 & 2), You Got to Work to Get Your Pay, Vietnam War Blues (Parts 1 & 2) & Rock Me Mamma.

Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall by Harry Belafonte (Genre: Vocal, International, Popular):

This classic concert took place on May 2, 1960. Belafonte was joined by a number of other great musicians and singers for this show including Odetta, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Miriam Makeba & the Belafonte Folks Singers. This is a really fun album full of great music! Songs include: Jump Down, Spin Around, Suzanne, Vaichaskem, Water Boy, Ballad of Sigmund Freud and I’ve Been Driving on Bald Mountain.

Halloween Stomp: A Haunted House Party by Various Artists (Genre: Swing, Jazz, Popular):

This collection of “spooky” performances is dominated by songs dealing with ghosts and monsters, everything from “Mysterious Mose” and “Got the Jitters” to “Zombie,” “Skeleton in the Closet,” “The Ghost of Smokey Joe” and “With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm.” Most of the music is from the swing era with such bands as those led by Red Nichols, Don Redman, Glen Gray, Louis Prima, Ozzie Nelson, Cab Calloway, Tommy Dorsey and even Rudy Vallee alternating with much more obscure groups. The producers at Jass have also “enhanced” the music by inserting odd sound effects between songs. This CD certainly qualifies as the definitive (and also only) Halloween jazz album. All Music Review.

Streaming Videos of the Week:

Come Go Home With Me by Lightnin’ Hopkins

Losing Sleep by Chris Young

Suzanne by Harry Belafonte

ELO Kiddies by Cheap Trick

If I Could Make You My Own by Dori Freeman

Mr. Ghost Goes To Town by Louis Prima

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:
http://www.allmusic.com/

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL

P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713

*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and includes our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York!

Library cards are free if you live in our service area. And you can obtain a card by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features your name and your current address.

Non-Fiction DVD Recommendations 10 27 17

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended non-fiction DVDs for this week!

(Click on the photos to request the DVDs)

The American Mind by Great Courses:


Description: Americans pride themselves on being doers rather than thinkers, but ideas are at the very root of what it means to be an American. Behind this nation’s diverse views on religion, education, social equality, democracy, and other vital issues is a long-running intellectual debate about the right ordering of the human, natural, and divine worlds. Indeed, America is an enduring hotbed of ideas. Such great thinkers as Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, William James, Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others engaged in lively and often contentious debate that helped mold America’s institutions and attitudes. This immensely stimulating conversation made the United States what it is today – and provides the subject for these 36 fascinating lectures. In this course, you will delve deeply into the philosophical underpinnings of the nation, forged by the Puritans and the leaders of the American Revolution.

You will also explore many other aspects of the elaborate structure that became modern America, tracing ideas in politics, religion, education, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, literature, social theory, and science – proving that Americans have a much richer intellectual tradition than generally imagined. You’ll learn about such philosophical movements as transcendentalism, pragmatism, and conservatism. You’ll study the transatlantic philosophy of the Puritans, the spiritual revival of the Great Awakening, and the passion for reason sparked by the Enlightenment. And you’ll trace the origin and evolution of America’s colleges, which have served as a battleground of ideas, sometimes in an almost literal sense.

Dewey Number: DVD 191 AM (But ask at the Circ Desk for this DVD!)

The Art of Critical Decision Making by Great Courses:


Description: Learn to approach the critical decisions in your life with a more seasoned, educated eye with this fascinating 24-lecture series that explores how individuals, groups, and organizations make effective decisions. The heart of this accessible series is a thorough examination of decision making at three key levels. First, you’ll look at decisions made at the individual level, where, among the many things you’ll learn is that intuition is more than just a gut instinct and, in fact, represents a powerful pattern recognition capability. Then, you’ll explore decisions made at the group level, where you’ll try to answer the question of whether groups are “smarter” and more capable of making critical decisions than individuals. And finally, you’ll pull back to analyze organizational decision making, in which Professor Roberto demonstrates how some organizations have encouraged and reliably performed vigilant decision making in the face of risky scenarios.

Whether you’re the head of a Fortune 500 company, a government agency, or an everyday household, you constantly make decisions important to you and those immediately around you. These lectures offer you a toolbox of practical knowledge and skills that you can apply to various decisions – whether large or small – in your everyday life and work. Professor Roberto’s lively lectures are packed with useful anecdotes, tools, and advice designed to improve your own ability to make informed decisions. As you explore the intriguing process of making a good decision, you’ll strengthen your grip on individual theories of decision making and the situations that illustrate them.

Dewey Number: DVD 658.403 ART(But ask at the Circ Desk for this DVD!)

Robotics by Great Courses:


Description: Robots. The mere word conjures up a bevy of mind-bending images pulled straight from popular science fiction tales. But robots aren’t just the stuff of entertainment. They’re real. They’re everywhere around you. And they’re transforming your life in ways you can’t imagine. In short, the future of human civilization depends on collaborative robotics: humans and machines working together. According to robotics expert and award-winning professor John Long of Vassar College, “Robots are what computers and self-propelled vehicles were to the 20th century: a technological revolution that impacts nearly every aspect of our lives, businesses, and security.” Yet for all their seen (and unseen) prevalence, robotics remains mysterious to most of us. How exactly do robots work? What does it take to build a robot that can, for a period of time, perform tasks and make decisions with little human input? What are the most revolutionary robots at work today? How do we balance the technological benefits of robots with the potential risks they pose to pre-existing ways of life? To answer these and other questions is to take an in-depth journey into an exciting world; a journey Professor Long and The Great Courses present in the 24 incredible lectures of Robotics. Using in-studio robot demonstrations, videos of other state-of-the-art robots, 3-D animations, and other amazing visual aids, Professor Long demystifies the world of robots and provides a comprehensive introduction to these intelligent machines. Whether you’re looking to grasp the hard science of how robots work or simply curious about the implications of robots for society, consider this course your official passport to an astonishing new world.

Dewey Number: DVD 629.892 ROB (But ask at the Circ Desk for this DVD!)

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Friday, October 27, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:

The Final Empire Mistborn Series, Book 1 by Brandon Sanderson:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?

And our suggested print book for the day is:

The Genius of Plague by David Walton:

THE CONTAGION IS IN YOUR MIND

In this science fiction thriller, brothers are pitted against each other as a pandemic threatens to destabilize world governments by exerting a subtle mind control over survivors.

Neil Johns has just started his dream job as a code breaker in the NSA when his brother, Paul, a mycologist, goes missing on a trip to collect samples in the Amazon jungle. Paul returns with a gap in his memory and a fungal infection that almost kills him. But once he recuperates, he has enhanced communication, memory, and pattern recognition. Meanwhile, something is happening in South America; others, like Paul, have also fallen ill and recovered with abilities they didn’t have before.

But that’s not the only pattern–the survivors, from entire remote Brazilian tribes to American tourists, all seem to be working toward a common, and deadly, goal. Neil soon uncovers a secret and unexplained alliance between governments that have traditionally been enemies. Meanwhile Paul becomes increasingly secretive and erratic.

Paul sees the fungus as the next stage of human evolution, while Neil is convinced that it is driving its human hosts to destruction. Brother must oppose brother on an increasingly fraught international stage, with the stakes: the free will of every human on earth. Can humanity use this force for good, or are we becoming the pawns of an utterly alien intelligence?

You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Thursday, October 26, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the streaming video:

Horror Express (1972):

Screen legends Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing star as rival turn-of-the-century anthropologists transporting a frozen missing link aboard the Trans-Siberian Express. But when the prehistoric creature thaws and escapes, it unleashes a brain-scarfing spree that turns its victims into the eye-bleeding undead. Can the crafty colleagues stop this two million year old monster, hordes of zombie passengers and a psychotic Cossack officer (Telly Savalas) before terror goes off the rails? Silvia Tortosa (WHEN THE SCREAMING STOPS) co-stars in this all-time fright favorite from director Eugenio Martín. 

And our print book suggestion for the day is: 

Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt:

A LADY OF LIGHT

Refined, kind, and intelligent, Lady Iris Jordan finds herself the unlikely target of a diabolical kidnapping. Her captors are the notoriously evil Lords of Chaos. When one of the masked-and nude!-Lords spirits her away to his carriage, she shoots him . . . only to find she may have been a trifle hasty.

A DUKE IN DEEPEST DARKNESS

Cynical, scarred, and brooding, Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has made it his personal mission to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and destroy them. Rescuing Lady Jordan was never in his plans. But now with the Lords out to kill them both, he has but one choice: marry the lady in order to keep her safe.

CAUGHT IN A WEB OF DANGER . . . AND DESIRE

Much to Raphael’s irritation, Iris insists on being the sort of duchess who involves herself in his life-and bed. Soon he’s drawn both to her quick wit and her fiery passion. But when Iris discovers that Raphael’s past may be even more dangerous than the present, she falters. Is their love strong enough to withstand not only the Lords of Chaos but also Raphael’s own demons?

Also of note, you can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the downloadable audiobook:

Someday, Someday, Maybe: A Novel written and narrated by Lauren Graham:

From Lauren Graham, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, comes a witty, charming, and hilariously relatable debut novel about a struggling young actress trying to get ahead—and keep it together—in New York City.

It’s January 1995, and Franny Banks has just six months left of the three-year deadline she set for herself when she came to New York, dreaming of Broadway and doing “important” work. But all she has to show for her efforts so far is a part in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters, and a gig waiting tables at a comedy club. Her roommates—her best friend Jane, and Dan, an aspiring sci-fi writer—are supportive, yet Franny knows a two-person fan club doesn’t exactly count as success. Everyone tells her she needs a backup plan, and though she can almost picture moving back home and settling down with her perfectly nice ex-boyfriend, she’s not ready to give up on her goal of having a career like her idols Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Not just yet. But while she dreams of filling their shoes, in the meantime, she’d happily settle for a speaking part in almost anything—and finding a hair product combination that works.

Everything is riding on the upcoming showcase for her acting class, where she’ll finally have a chance to perform for people who could actually hire her. And she can’t let herself be distracted by James Franklin, a notorious flirt and the most successful actor in her class, even though he’s suddenly started paying attention. Meanwhile, her bank account is rapidly dwindling, her father wants her to come home, and her agent doesn’t return her calls. But for some reason, she keeps believing that she just might get what she came for.

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a story about hopes and dreams, being young in a city, and wanting something deeply, madly, desperately. It’s about finding love, finding yourself, and perhaps most difficult of all in New York City, finding an acting job.

And our print suggested read for today is:

A Sick Life: TLC ’n Me: Stories from On and Off the Stage by Tionne Watkins:

A candid memoir of fame, strength, family, and friendship from the lead singer of TLC

As the lead singer of Grammy-winning supergroup TLC, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins has seen phenomenal fame, success, and critical acclaim. But backstage, she has lived a dual life. In addition to the balancing act of juggling an all-consuming music career and her family, Tionne has struggled since she was a young girl with sickle-cell disease―a debilitating and incurable condition that can render her unable to perform, walk, or even breathe.

A Sick Life chronicles Tionne’s journey from a sickly young girl from Des Moines who was told she wouldn’t live to see 30 through her teen years in Atlanta, how she broke into the music scene, and became the superstar musician and sickle-cell disease advocate she is today. Through Tionne’s tough, funny, tell-it-like-it-is voice, she shares how she found the inner strength, grit, and determination to live her dream, despite her often unpredictable and debilitating health issues. She dives deep into never-before-told TLC stories, including accounts of her friendship with Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes and her tragic death. Tionne’s unvarnished discussion of her remarkable life, disease, unending strength, and ability to power through the odds offers a story like no other.

Also of note, you can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for today.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the downloadable audiobook:

Very Good, Jeeves 11 Classic Short Stories (Jeeves and Wooster)

written by P. G. Wodehouse & narrated by Jonathan Cecil:

Follow the adventures of Bertie Wooster and his gentleman’s gentleman, Jeeves, in this stunning new edition of one of the greatest comic short story collections in the English language. Whoever or whatever the cause of Bertie Wooster’s consternation-Bobbie Wickham giving away his fierce Aunt Agatha’s dog; getting into the bad books of Sir Roderick Glossop; attempting to scupper the unfortunate infatuation of his friend Tuppy for a robust opera singer-Jeeves can always be relied on to untangle the most ferocious of muddles. Even Bertie’s.

Included in this collection are “Jeeves and the Impending Doom,” “Jeeves and the Kid Clementina,” “The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy,” “The Love That Purifies,” “Jeeves and the Yuletide Spirit,” “Jeeves and the Old School Chum,” “Jeeves and the Song of Songs,” “Indian Summer of an Uncle,” “Episode of the Dog McIntosh,” “The Ordeal of Young Tuppy,” and “The spot of Art.”

And our print book suggested read for the day is:

Weycombe: A Novel of Suspense by G.M. Malliet:

To those on the outside, Weycombe is perfect. For those on the inside, the cost of perfection is deadly.

Living in the gated, wealthy village of Weycombe with her titled English husband is a fantasy come true for American Jillian White. But the murder of a local estate agent mars the so-pretty surface of her life and home. Worried about a killer on the loose, Jill tries to piece together clues hidden in the many versions of truth she hears from her suspicious neighbors. As Jill plunges deep into the investigation, her own suspicions grow into a warped web of lies and treachery.

From award-winning author G.M. Malliet comes a gripping psychological tale of murder and deception in which few can be trusted and nothing is as perfect as it seems.

You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat:

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive):

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service:

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital:

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Monday, October 23, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles for today.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:

Empty House and Other Ghost Stories written by Algernon Blackwood,

narrated by B. Holsopple:

Curl up with a collection of mystery and horror tales from an author whom many critics regard as one of the masters of the genre. The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories showcases some of Algernon Blackwood’s finest — and most spine-tingling — short fiction. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Blackwood’s work or a first-time reader who’s curious about this giant of the genre, you’re in for a deliciously spooky ride.

And our print book suggested read for the day is:

Hoop: A Basketball Life in Ninety-five Essays by John Griswold and Brian Doyle:

Brian Doyle himself explains it best: “A few years ago I was moaning to my wry gentle dad that basketball, which seems to me inarguably the most graceful and generous and swift and fluid and ferociously-competitive-without-being-sociopathic of sports, has not produced rafts of good books, like baseball and golf and cricket and surfing have . . . Where are the great basketball novels to rival The Natural and the glorious Mark Harris baseball quartet and the great Bernard Darwin’s golf stories? Where are the annual anthologies of terrific basketball essays? How can a game full of such wit and creativity and magic not spark more great books?”

“‘Why don’t you write one?’ said my dad, who is great at cutting politely to the chase.”
And so he has. In this collection of short essays, Brian Doyle presents a compelling account of a life lived playing, watching, loving, and coaching basketball. He recounts his passion for the gyms, the playgrounds, the sounds and scents, the camaraderie, the fierce competition, the anticipation and exhaustion, and even some of the injuries.

Also of note, you can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Suggested Listens October 2017 Week 3

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our six musical recommendations for the week; five streaming suggestions and one recommended album on CD.

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Tijuana Moods by Charles Mingus (Genre: Jazz)

Bassist and composer Charles Mingus himself considered this 1962 album his best. In addition to Mingus, the musicians features on the LP include Shafi Hadi on saxophone, Clarence Shaw on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone and Dannie Richmond on drums.

Songs include: Dizzy Moods, Ysabel’s Table Dance, Flamingo, Tijuana Gift Shop and Los Mariachis (The Street Musicians).

The Best of Mountain Stage – Vol. 2 by Various Artists (Genre: Folk/Acoustic/Blues/Alternative):

The Best Mountain Stage series of albums focus on what was once known as acoustic music – meaning in addition to folk musicians the music would include alternative, rock or pop musicians playing acoustic instruments. Since the 1990s and MTV’s Unplugged series of concerts videos this style of music has more commonly become known as unplugged music. Whichever way you describe it, this series features some really great music. This album, which is volume 2 in the series, includes the following songs/artists: God is a Real Estate Developer by Michelle Shocked, Losing My Religion by R.E.M., Summerfly by Cheryl Wheeler, Tank Park Salute by Billy Bragg, You’re No Good by John Wesley Harding, Simply by Sara Hickman and These Blues by Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

Volumes 2, 4 and 5 – 7 are available through Freegal although, curiously, not volumes 1 & 3.

Recordings in the series are taken from the Mountain Stage live-performance radio program. Featuring Richard Thompson, Danko and Hudson, Gregson and Collister, Loudon Wainwright III, and others. Very wide range of music.

To learn more check out the Mountain Stage website which is found at:

http://www.mountainstage.org/Pages/default.aspx

Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble:

The 1983 album Texas Flood did two major things it brought blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan’s music to a mainstream audience and it brought blues back into the mainstream spotlight.

This album features great blues guitar playing and singing by Vaughan and solid playing from his back up band, Double Trouble, which consisted of Chris Layton on drums and Tommy Shannon on bass.

Vaughan released only five records during his tragically short recording career; Texas Flood was followed by Couldn’t Stand the Weather, Soul to Soul, Live Alive and In Step. Vaughan died in a helicopter crash after a concert in Wisconsin on August 27, 1990.

Songs on his excellent debut LP include: Love Struck Baby, Pride and Joy, Tell Me, I’m  Cryin’, Wham! and the title track Texas Flood.

The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (Genre: Blue/Blues-Rock):

This collection features chronological selections of Vaughan’s work during the 1980s and includes songs record live and in the studio with Double Trouble and with the Vaughan Brothers which consisted of Stevie and his brother Jimmie Vaughan and is a great introduction to his music.

Songs in this set include: Scuttle Buttin’, Couldn’t Stand the Weather, Cold Shot, The Sky is Crying, Look at Little Sister, Crossfire and Tightrope.

Kane Brown by Kane Brown (Genre: Country):

This is Kane Brown’s 2016 debut album. Brown has been described as a “modern” country artist. And as you would expect he weaves threads of rock, R&B, rap and pop into his music. Additionally, he sings about modern issues in his songs as exemplified by the song Learning in which he chronicles his experiences as a child domestic abuse survivor.

Other songs on this album include: What Ifs, Thunder in the Rain, Ain’t No Stopping Us Now and Granddaddy’s Chair.

Odetta Sings Dylan by Odetta (Genre: Blues, Folk & Pop-Rock):

This 1965 album by the great singer Odetta was one of the first albums of Dylan covers ever released and it remains as vibrant today as it was in 1965. Odetta is best known for singing blues and folk songs and this collection shows her at her deeply expressive singing best.

Songs on the LP include: Baby, I’m In the Mood for You, Masters of War, The Times They Are A-Changing, Long Time Gone & Blowin’ in the Wind.

CD of the Week:

Bachelor No. 2 or the Last Remains of the Dodo by Aimee Mann (Genre: Pop/Rock/Folk):

I find Mann’s self-assured signing on this album combined with her increasingly skillfully songwriting translates into one introspective and thought provoking album.

Songs on the album include: How Am I Different, Nothing Is Good Enough, The Fall of the World’s Own Optimist, Driving Sideways & It Takes All Kinds.

Videos of the Week:

Flowers for a Lady by Charles Mingus

Arms Of Love + Wild Mountain Thyme by Robyn Hitchcock & Peter Buck – Mountain Stage Concert 4/28/91

Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

What Ifs by Kane Brown

Jim Crow Blues by Odetta

How Am I Different by Aimee Mann

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:
http://www.allmusic.com/

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL

P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713

*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and includes our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York!

Library cards are free if you live in our service area. And you can obtain a card by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features your name and your current address.