Month: March 2018

Suggested Listening March 30, 2018

Linda Reimer

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album you want to listen to!)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Modern Lore (2018) by Julian Lage (Genre: Jazz, Instrumental):

Julian Lage was born on December 25, 1987 and was a child prodigy who learned to play the guitar by the age of five. As a child he played with a number of world renowned musicians including: Carlos Santana, Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans, David Grisman and others. In 1997, he was the focus of the Academy Award Winning documentary Jules at Eight.

So we can safely say this young man can really play the guitar!

Lage’s Modern Lore LP features the following songs: The Ramble, Atlantic Limited, General Thunder, Splendor Riot, Look Book and Whatever You Say, Henry.

Hallelujah Nights (2018) by LANCO (Genre: Country, Pop, Rock):

LANCO, which is short for Lancaster & Company, is a quintet featuring Brandon Lancaster on vocals, Eric Steedly on guitar, Jared Hampton on keyboard, Chandler Baldwin on bass and Tripp Howell on drums.

The group’s music can aptly be described as feel good country-rock – which is always fun!

Hallelujah Nights is the band’s 2018 release and it features the songs: Born to Love You, Long Live Tonight, Greatest Love Story, We Do, Singin’ at the Stars and Middle of the Night.

Coming Home (2015) by Leon Bridges (Genre: Soul, R&B, Pop):

AllMusic aptly describes Bridges as a “Singer, songwriter, and guitarist who emerged on Columbia in 2015 with a rich retro-soul sound.”

I agree with that assessment 100%. This is a lovely album – if you like classic soul and R&B it is right down your street! And I can’t believe that Bridges is as young as he is! He was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1989! But, wow, listening to this album you get the impression he would have been right at home playing R&B in the 1960s.

Songs on the LP include: Coming Home, Better Man, Brown Skin Girl, Smooth Sailin’, Shine, Flowers and Twistin’ & Groovin’

100 Hits Vintage Nº1 (Genre: Vintage, Vocal, Pop):

This collection features one hundred hits from the golden age of pop! Artists featured in this collection include Doris Day, The McGuire Sisters, Paul Anka, Judy Garland, Betty Johnson, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Cleo Laine, Billie Holiday and many more.

Songs in the collection include: Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) by Doris Day, Brother Bill by Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong, Sway by Rosemary Clooney with Perez Prado and His Orchestra, Rum and Coca Cola by The Andrew Sisters, Besame Mucho by Eyde Gorme and Steve Lawrence, Frenesi by The Four Freshman and more.

Bonus Streaming Suggestion:

Snake Drive by Eric Clapton from the V/A Collection The Beginning (Genre: Blues, Blues-Rock, Rock, Classic Rock):

The Freegal Music Catalog mainly features music from SONY Records and its offshoots so there isn’t much music by Eric Clapton in the catalog.

However, since today, March 30, is Eric Clapton’s 73rd birthday, I’m going to recommend you give a listen to one of the two instrumental tunes he did early in his career that appear on this LP: Freightloader or Snake Drive. The songs are from a various artists collection with a long name: The Beginning: Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page. Masterpieces, Vol. 1 (Remastered). And the collection features some neat songs but a couple that have less than stellular sound quality so those that value pristine sound quality beware!

CD of the Week:

Trumpet Blues The Best of Harry James (Genre: Swing, Pop, Traditional Jazz):

Harry James was an enthusiastic trumpet player and band leader. Indeed, he ran one of the most popular bands of the Swing Era. He even hired a young and unknown singer for his band – one that in short order became a household name – Frank Sinatra.

Trumpet Blues features recordings of songs that James first recorded in the 1930s and 1940s. The sound quality of many of those early recordings wasn’t so hot so James re-recorded them with more higher end equipment in the 1950s.

Songs on the LP include: Trumpet Blues, Moten Swing, I’m Beginning To See The Light, Sleepy Lagoon, I’ve Heard That Song Before and It’s Been A Long, Long Time.

Videos of the Week:

Roger, The Dodger by Julian Lage

Greatest Love Story by LANCO

Smooth Sailin’ by Leon Bridges

Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be) by Doris Day

Snake Drive by Eric Clapton

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

*A library card is required to use the Freegal Music Service. If you live in the service area of the Southern Tier Library System, that contains the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Alleghany counties in New York State, you can get a library card for free at your nearest public library – including our own Southeast Steuben County Library in Corning, New York. The Freegal Music Service is free for all library card holders to access.

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:

http://www.allmusic.com/

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

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.

Digital & Print Recommended Titles Week of March 26, 2018

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week.

This list includes ebook titles, available through OverDrive and, five print titles available through StarCat.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’re interested in to request it or check it out)

Digital Suggestions For The Week:

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking:

A landmark volume in science writing by one of the great minds of our time, Stephen Hawking’s book explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin–and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending–or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends?

Told in language we all can understand, A Brief History of Time plunges into the exotic realms of black holes and quarks, of antimatter and “arrows of time,” of the big bang and a bigger God–where the possibilities are wondrous and unexpected. With exciting images and profound imagination, Stephen Hawking brings us closer to the ultimate secrets at the very heart of creation.

Girl Unknown: A Novel by Karen Perry:

Girl Unknown by critically acclaimed author Karen Perry is a powerful novel that “Explores emotional danger with relentless, surgical accuracy.”—Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of The Trespasser and In the Woods

David and Caroline Connolly are swimming successfully through their marriage’s middle years—raising two children; overseeing care for David’s ailing mother; leaning into their careers, both at David’s university teaching job, where he’s up for an important promotion, and at the ad agency where Caroline has recently returned to work after years away while the children were little. The recent stresses of home renovation and of a brief romantic betrayal (Caroline’s) are behind them.

The Connollys know and care for each other deeply.

Then one early fall afternoon, a student of sublime, waiflike beauty appears in David’s university office and says, “I think you might be my father.” And the fact of a youthful passion that David had tried to forget comes rushing back. In the person of this intriguing young woman, the Connollys may have a chance to expand who they are and how much they can love, or they may be making themselves vulnerable to menace. They face either an opportunity or a threat—but which is which? What happens when their hard-won family happiness meets a hard-luck beautiful girl?

Twice Bitten, Argeneau Series by Lynsay Sands (Publication Date: March 27, 2018 – although you can place holds for the eBook now!):

Thrilling, witty, and oh-so-sexy, Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau novel brings together a beautiful Immortal and the man who is her destiny…
For someone who’s been around for over a hundred and forty years, immortal Elspeth Argeneau hasn’t done a whole lot of living. Now that she’s moved away from her controlling mother, she’s tracking down rogue vampires and enjoying some overdue freedom. A fling would be fun. A life mate can wait. Yet to Elspeth’s surprise, her landlady’s hot grandson checks both boxes.

Wyatt fell instantly in love with Elspeth four years ago. He’s stunned to run into her again, especially as she has no memory of him. Then again, there are a lot of things about Elspeth that don’t make sense, like the miraculous speed with which her wounds heal. And the chemistry that transforms every touch into an explosion of desire. But with mysterious “accidents” besieging Elspeth, the ex-Special Forces soldier appoints himself her bodyguard. But time is running out to uncover the truth about her enemies—and rediscover the man determined to love her for eternity.

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest Room, a powerful story about the ways an entire life can change in one night: A flight attendant wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man – and no idea what happened.

Cassandra Bowden is no stranger to hungover mornings. She’s a binge drinker, her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them, and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together, already counting the minutes until she has to catch her crew shuttle to the airport. She quietly slides out of bed, careful not to aggravate her already pounding head, and looks at the man she spent the night with. She sees his dark hair. His utter stillness. And blood, a slick, still wet pool on the crisp white sheets. Afraid to call the police – she’s a single woman alone in a hotel room far from home – Cassie begins to lie. She lies as she joins the other flight attendants and pilots in the van. She lies on the way to Paris as she works the first class cabin. She lies to the FBI agents in New York who meet her at the gate. Soon it’s too late to come clean-or face the truth about what really happened back in Dubai. Could she have killed him? If not, who did?

Set amid the captivating world of those whose lives unfold at forty thousand feet, The Flight Attendant unveils a spellbinding story of memory, of the giddy pleasures of alcohol and the devastating consequences of addiction, and of murder far from home.

The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers:

The Monk of Mokha is the exhilarating true story of a young Yemeni American man, raised in San Francisco, who dreams of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but finds himself trapped in Sana’a by civil war.

Mokhtar Alkhanshali is twenty-four and working as a doorman when he discovers the astonishing history of coffee and Yemen’s central place in it. He leaves San Francisco and travels deep into his ancestral homeland to tour terraced farms high in the country’s rugged mountains and meet beleagured but determined farmers. But when war engulfs the country and Saudi bombs rain down, Mokhtar has to find a way out of Yemen without sacrificing his dreams or abandoning his people.

Print Suggestions For The Week:

The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst:

From the winner of the Man Booker Prize, a masterly novel that spans seven transformative decades as it plumbs the complex relationships of a remarkable family; an immediate best seller upon its publication in England, hailed by the Observer as “perhaps Hollinghurst’s most beautiful novel yet.”

In 1940, David Sparsholt arrives at Oxford, his sights set on joining the Royal Air Force. Handsome, athletic, charismatic, he is unaware of his powerful effect on others—especially on Evert Dax, the lonely and romantic son of a celebrated novelist who is destined to become a writer himself. With the world at war, and the Blitz raging in London, Oxford exists at a strange remove: a place of quiet study, but also of secret liaisons under the cover of blackouts. A friendship develops between David and Evert that will influence their lives for decades to come.

Hollinghurst’s astonishing new novel evokes across three generations the intimate relationships of a group of friends brought together by art, literature and love. We witness shifts in taste and morality through a series of vividly rendered episodes: a Sparsholt holiday in Cornwall; eccentric gatherings at the Dax family home; the adventures of David’s son Johnny, a painter in 1970s London. With tenderness, wit and keen insight, The Sparsholt Affair explores the social and sexual revolutions of the past century, even as it takes us straight to the heart of our current age.

Richly observed, emotionally charged, this is a dazzling novel of fathers and sons; of family and legacy; and of the longing for permanence amid life’s inevitable transience, by the writer acclaimed in The Wall Street Journal as “one of the best novelists at work today.”

The Sandman by Lars Kepler: 

The #1 internationally best-selling thriller from the author of The Hypnotist tells the chilling story of a manipulative serial killer and the two brilliant police agents who must try to beat him at his own game.

Late one night, outside Stockholm, Mikael Kohler-Frost is found wandering. Thirteen years earlier, he went missing along with his younger sister. They were long thought to have been victims of Sweden’s most notorious serial killer, Jurek Walter, now serving a life sentence in a maximum security psychiatric hospital. Now Mikael tells the police that his sister is still alive and being held by someone he knows only as the Sandman. Years ago, Detective Inspector Joona Linna made an excruciating personal sacrifice to ensure Jurek’s capture. He is keenly aware of what this killer is capable of, and now he is certain that Jurek has an accomplice. He knows that any chance of rescuing Mikael’s sister depends on getting Jurek to talk, and that the only agent capable of this is Inspector Saga Bauer, a twenty-seven-year-old prodigy. She will have to go under deep cover in the psychiatric ward where Jurek is imprisoned, and she will have to find a way to get to the psychopath before it’s too late–and before he gets inside her head.

The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weis:

Nashville, August 1920. Thirty-five states have ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, twelve have rejected or refused to vote, and one last state is needed. It all comes down to Tennessee, the moment of truth for the suffragists, after a seven-decade crusade. The opposing forces include politicians with careers at stake, liquor companies, railroad magnates, and a lot of racists who don’t want black women voting. And then there are the “Antis”–women who oppose their own enfranchisement, fearing suffrage will bring about the moral collapse of the nation. They all converge in a boiling hot summer for a vicious face-off replete with dirty tricks, betrayals and bribes, bigotry, Jack Daniel’s, and the Bible. Following a handful of remarkable women who led their respective forces into battle, along with appearances by Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Frederick Douglass, and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Woman’s Hour is an inspiring story of activists winning their own freedom in one of the last campaigns forged in the shadow of the Civil War, and the beginning of the great twentieth-century battles for civil rights.

A Dangerous Game by Heather Graham:

Wrapping up a normal day at the office, criminal psychologist Kieran Finnegan is accosted by a desperate woman who shoves an infant into her arms and then flees, only to be murdered minutes later on a busy Manhattan street … Kieran can’t stop thinking about the child and the victim, so her boyfriend, Craig Frasier, does what any good special agent boyfriend would do– he gets the FBI involved … Kieran won’t sit idle when a lead surfaces through her family’s pub. Investigating on her own, she uncovers a dangerous group that plays fast and loose with human lives and will stop at nothing to keep their secrets.

The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s by William I Hitchcock:

In a 2017 survey, presidential historians ranked Dwight D. Eisenhower fifth on the list of great presidents, behind the perennial top four: Lincoln, Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Teddy Roosevelt. Historian William Hitchcock shows that this high ranking is justified.

Eisenhower’s accomplishments were enormous, and loom ever larger from the vantage point of our own tumultuous times.

A former general, Ike kept the peace: he ended the Korean War, avoided a war in Vietnam, adroitly managed a potential confrontation with China, and soothed relations with the Soviet Union after Stalin’s death. He guided the Republican Party to embrace central aspects of the New Deal like Social Security. He thwarted the demagoguery of McCarthy and he advanced the agenda of civil rights for African Americans. As part of his strategy to wage, and win, the Cold War, Eisenhower expanded American military power, built a fearsome nuclear arsenal and launched the space race. In his famous Farewell Address, he acknowledged that Americans needed such weapons in order to keep global peace—but he also admonished his citizens to remain alert to the potentially harmful influence of the “military-industrial complex.”

From 1953 to 1961, no one dominated the world stage as did President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Age of Eisenhower is the definitive account of this presidency, drawing extensively on declassified material from the Eisenhower Library, the CIA and Defense Department, and troves of unpublished documents. In his masterful account, Hitchcock shows how Ike shaped modern America, and he astutely assesses Eisenhower’s close confidants, from Attorney General Brownell to Secretary of State Dulles. The result is an eye-opening reevaluation that explains why this “do-nothing” president is rightly regarded as one of the best leaders our country has ever had.

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

You can request physical items, i.e. print books, DVDs & CDs, online via StarCat:

or 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.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Suggested Listening March 24, 2018

Linda Reimer

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album you want to listen to!)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Don’t Let The Devil Ride (2018) by Paul Thorn (Genre: Rock, Blues, Country, Singer-Songwriter):

Paul Thorn hails from Tupelo, Mississippi and worked as a boxer and skydiver before launching a career as a singer-songwriter.

Don’t Let The Devil Ride is his ninth album and features the songs: The Half Has Never Been Told, What Should I Do?, You’ve Got To Move, Love Train, Something on My Mind and The Get Back.

Victor Wainwright and The Train (2018) by Victor Wainwright and The Train (Genre: Blues):

Victor Wainwright is a singer and boogie-woogie blues pianist who was born in Savannah, Georgia on February 4, 1981. This is his first album with his new band The Train and features the songs:
Healing, Whiltshire Grave, Train, Dull Your Shine, Money, Boogie Depression and Everything I Need.

17th Avenue Revival (2018) The Oak Ridge Boys (Genre: Gospel/Country):

The Oak Ridge Boys have gone back to their Gospel roots with their new LP.

The album features the songs: Brand New Star, God’s Got It, There Will Be Light, Walk in Jerusalem and Let It Shine on Me.

Progressions: 100 Years Of Jazz Guitar by Various Artists (Genre: Jazz):

This Columbia Records collection features more than 60 songs featuring vintage jazz guitarists.

Songs on the LP include: St. Louis Tickle by Ossman-Dudley Trio, Savoy Blues by Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five, Swingin’ On The Strings by The Inks Spots, Guitar Swing by Case Bill Weldon, Solo Flight by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

CD of the Week:

The First Edition (1967) by The First Edition (Genre: Pop, Rock, Country):

The First Edition was also known as Kenny Rogers and The First Edition and featured Thelma Camacho on lead vocals, Kenny Rogers on lead vocals and bass, Terry Williams on guitar and vocals, Mike Settle on guitar and Mickey Jones on drums.

This is their first album and it features the songs: Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In), I Get a Funny Feeling, Ticket to Nowhere, Hurry Up Love, If Wishes Were Horses and Shadow in the Corner of Your Mind.

Videos of the Week:

What Should I Do? By Paul Thorn

Money by Victor Wainwright and The Train

Brand New Star by The Oak Ridge Boys

Swinging on the Strings by the Ink Spots

Just Dropped In by The First Edition

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:

http://www.allmusic.com/

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

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.

My Virtual Reality Experience

Hannah of SSCL

On Thursday I attended Ed. Tech. Day at Ithaca College. It’s a free event designed for educators to keep informed about technological advancements for educational applications. I had the honor of spending a few minutes under the influence of the HTC Vive virtual reality (VR) headset and paddles. I say under the influence because the virtual program to which I was transported seemed so serene that the surrounding sounds faded out of focus (the bustling hubbub of vendors packing up or attendees anxious to learn or get free).

At first I was concerned by warnings that VR can trigger motion sickness–that occurred to me right after I boldly requested to have a try at it. I was glad to find that the fairly static images in the program, and optional rotation of the model, was not especially unsettling after the initial orientation. Rather, I was impressed by the way my brain interprets visual and sound cues differently when they don’t go together. As a learner who is easily distracted, I very much appreciated settling into a space that I could have this close and sort of private interaction with a learning tool and have my brain  disregard the crowd.

I feel sorry that I didn’t have someone take pictures. I’m sure I would have at least one if more of our staff were able to come, but in lieu of photos I made a couple of rough sketches. The first one is of the setup where I was corralled off a little and had an attendant explaining the system to me as I used it. I think she was able to see roughly what I saw using a monitor laptop nearby.

notes_180323_134957_cf7_1.jpg
HTC Vive or quarantined to play maracas blindfolded

The second sketch is very primitively what it looked like inside the HTC Vive; there was a brain, or a heart, eye, or a set of lungs the size of me! I could turn it, toggle labels on and off, and cycle through a series of models and section views that make it easier to see particular parts of each organ.

Notes_180323_134957_cf7_1
Can you see how this could be a model of a healthy brain?

In short, this VR headset seems to be a great learning tool that I think library patrons would really benefit by if we can swing the cost, the staffing, and the sanitation methods (they had a tissue that skirted the bit of the mask that touches your face, but it’s clearly not ideal). These systems are made for homes, for individuals, but not everyone is going to be able to access the market–at least not for a long while.

I know I reference PC Mag a lot, but here’s their 2018 rundown of VR headsets: https://www.pcmag.com/article/342537/the-best-virtual-reality-vr-headsets 

@HTCvive: https://www.vive.com/us/

#VRreview

Computer User Vignette

Hannah of SSCL

Some time ago, I wrote this next passage to adequately share a patron’s comment with my library director. I wanted to spend a little extra time on it because he’s such a consistent patron and one that I thought could represent our computer user visitors. Recently, I had the patron read the paragraph or so that I  had written. The patron was overjoyed, he thought I really managed to summarize  him quite articulately–and in only one paragraph! He said he’d be honored to see it posted online. So, here goes, a vignette of one of our regular computer users:

if_user_50702Rocky would like us to be open Sundays again because he is losing out on some important opportunities. A collector if ever I met one, Rocky is a self-proclaimed home-body who patronizes the library for the almost sole purpose of using the computer. He visits auctions and auction websites to develop his collection of 45” rock and roll records. Investments have gone well enough that he not shy of price as long as it’s not over-paying and the artist seems significant. Rocky’s record collection may be one of the largest of its kind; he tells me that when he’s at trade shows or auctions he gets attention from collectors from all over the world. Some ask, “What’s Rocky going to do with all his records?” Well, he’s going to continue developing as long as he can until he finds someone who will archive the records to his credit or carry on developing the collection in his name. If 45’s aren’t your thing, he’s also adding to his collection of Lionel model trains and period automobile magazines.

#LibraryStories

Digital & Print Recommended Titles Week of March 19, 2018

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week.

This list includes ebook titles, available through OverDrive and, five print titles available through StarCat.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’re interested in to request it or check it out)

Digital Suggestions For The Week:

1. The Bootlegger by Clive Cussler (Downloadable Audio Book):

Detective Isaac Bell returns in the extraordinary new adventure in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series. It is 1920, and both Prohibition and bootlegging are in full swing. When Isaac Bell’s boss and lifelong friend Joseph Van Dorn is shot and nearly killed leading the high-speed chase of a rum-running vessel, Bell swears to him that he will hunt down the lawbreakers, but he doesn’t know what he is getting into. When a witness to Van Dorn’s shooting is executed in a ruthlessly efficient manner invented by the Russian secret police, it becomes clear that these are no ordinary criminals. Bell is up against a team of Bolshevik assassins and saboteurs—and they are intent on overthrowing the government of the United States.

2. Census by Jesse Ball (ebook):

A powerful and moving new novel from an award-winning, acclaimed author: in the wake of a devastating revelation, a father and son journey north across a tapestry of towns

When a widower receives notice from a doctor that he doesn’t have long left to live, he is struck by the question of who will care for his adult son—a son whom he fiercely loves, a boy with Down syndrome. With no recourse in mind, and with a desire to see the country on one last trip, the man signs up as a census taker for a mysterious governmental bureau and leaves town with his son.

Traveling into the country, through towns named only by ascending letters of the alphabet, the man and his son encounter a wide range of human experience. While some townspeople welcome them into their homes, others who bear the physical brand of past censuses on their ribs are wary of their presence. When they press toward the edges of civilization, the landscape grows wilder, and the towns grow farther apart and more blighted by industrial decay. As they approach “Z,” the man must confront a series of questions: What is the purpose of the census? Is he complicit in its mission? And just how will he learn to say good-bye to his son?

Mysterious and evocative, Census is a novel about free will, grief, the power of memory, and the ferocity of parental love, from one of our most captivating young writers.

3. Six Fantasy Stories Volume One by Robert Jeschonek (ebook):

Welcome to six of the most amazing fantasy stories you’ll ever read. This volume includes five full-length fantasy e-book stories plus an exclusive bonus short story for one low price. The lineup includes the following fantastic tales:

“Forced Retirement”: What if Alzheimer’s struck the World’s Mightiest Hero? His daughter, heroic Hericane, finds out the hard way. Gripped by dementia, godlike Epitome tears apart a city, and no one can stop him. Will his madness destroy the entire world? Not if Hericane recruits the one big gun who stands a chance in Hell of stopping her father in his tracks.

“Blazing Bodices”: Hardcore adventurer Sir Algernon Hogshead takes down badass steampunks in Victorian London. But the case of a lifetime might just ruin his winning streak and his life. When his wife starts keeping mysterious secrets and bad company, Sir Hogshead craves a peek behind the velvet curtain. But he can’t possibly break through the world of women…or can he?

“Fear of Rain”: Thanks to the sorcerous Mr. Flood, Johnstown, Pennsylvania has drowned three times…and the fourth time will be the charm. By the time he gets done flooding Johnstown, the city will vanish beneath the waves forever…unless his flood-making apprentice, Dee, has anything to say about it.

“The Genie’s Secret”: A sexy genie held captive by a brutal master has no choice: she must obey his twisted wishes at all costs. When a federal agent with a flair for the supernatural comes to the rescue, the genie must obey her master’s orders to capture and torture him. But the agent knows the genie’s deepest secret, a passion so powerful it could free her forever from servitude.

“Rose Head”: In a world where everyone has a flower for a head, who can stop the serial killer called the Pruner? Enter Inspector Glisten, a hard-boiled, two-fisted, rose-headed cop who’ll stop at nothing to cut down the Pruner. But when the trail leads to a seedy underworld he never imagined, Glisten gets in way over his rose-head.

“The Duck Lover”: In this special bonus story, which you won’t find anywhere else, a duck fights to save the man she loves from the heartless woman who uses and abuses him. Will his broken heart drive him to destruction, or will the ducks’ ultimate secret lead to his salvation in the most amazing journey of all time?

4. Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna (ebook):

When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied.

With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever.

5. The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation by Natalie Y. Moore (ebook):

A lyrical, intelligent, authentic, and necessary look at the intersection of race and class in Chicago, a Great American City

In this intelligent and highly important narrative, Chicago-native Natalie Moore shines a light on contemporary segregation in the city’s South Side; with a memoirist’s eye, she showcases the lives of these communities through the stories of people who reside there. The South Side shows the impact of Chicago’s historic segregation – and the ongoing policies that keep the system intact.

Suggested Print Books:

1. Only Child by Rhiannon Navin:

Readers of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty will also like this tenderhearted debut about healing and family, narrated by an unforgettable six-year-old boy who reminds us that sometimes the littlest bodies hold the biggest hearts and the quietest voices speak the loudest.

Squeezed into a coat closet with his classmates and teacher, first grader Zach Taylor can hear gunshots ringing through the halls of his school. A gunman has entered the building, taking nineteen lives and irrevocably changing the very fabric of this close-knit community. While Zach’s mother pursues a quest for justice against the shooter’s parents, holding them responsible for their son’s actions, Zach retreats into his super-secret hideout and loses himself in a world of books and art. Armed with his newfound understanding, and with the optimism and stubbornness only a child could have, Zach sets out on a captivating journey towards healing and forgiveness, determined to help the adults in his life rediscover the universal truths of love and compassion needed to pull them through their darkest hours.

2. Red Clocks by Leni Zumas:

Five women. One question. What is a woman for?

In this ferociously imaginative novel, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom.

Ro, a single high-school teacher, is trying to have a baby on her own, while also writing a biography of Eivør, a little-known 19th-century female polar explorer. Susan is a frustrated mother of two, trapped in a crumbling marriage. Mattie is the adopted daughter of doting parents and one of Ro’s best students, who finds herself pregnant with nowhere to turn. And Gin is the gifted, forest-dwelling herbalist, or “mender,” who brings all their fates together when she’s arrested and put on trial in a frenzied modern-day witch hunt.

RED CLOCKS is at once a riveting drama, whose mysteries unfold with magnetic energy, and a shattering novel of ideas. In the vein of Margaret Atwood and Eileen Myles, Leni Zumas fearlessly explores the contours of female experience, evoking THE HANDMAID’S TALE for a new millennium. This is a story of resilience, transformation, and hope in tumultuous-even frightening-times.

3. Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano:

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back . . . even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life―and love―outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

4. Scourge by Gail Z. Martin:

Epic new fantasy from the bestselling author of The Summoner. In a city beset by monsters, three brothers must find out who is controlling the abominations.

The city-state of Ravenwood is wealthy, powerful, and corrupt. Merchant Princes and Guild Masters wager fortunes to outmaneuver League rivals for the king’s favor and advantageous trading terms. Lord Mayor Ellor Machison wields assassins, blood witches, and forbidden magic to assure that his powerful patrons get what they want, no matter the cost.

Corran, Rigan, and Kell Valmonde are Guild Undertakers, left to run their family’s business when guards murdered their father and monsters killed their mother. Their grave magic enables them to help souls pass to the After and banish vengeful spirits. Rigan’s magic is unusually strong and enables him to hear the confessions of the dead, the secrets that would otherwise be taken to the grave.

When the toll exacted by monsters and brutal guards hits close to home and ghosts expose the hidden sins of powerful men, Corran, Rigan and Kell become targets in a deadly game and face a choice: obey the Guild, or fight back and risk everything.

5. 1917: War, Peace, and Revolution by David Stevenson:

1917 was a year of calamitous events, and one of pivotal importance in the development of the First World War. In 1917: War, Peace, and Revolution, leading historian of World War I David Stevenson examines this crucial year in context and illuminates the century that followed. He shows how in this one year the war was transformed, but also what drove the conflict onwards and how it continued to escalate.

Two developments in particular – the Russian Revolution and American intervention – had worldwide repercussions. Offering a close examination of the key decisions, David Stevenson considers Germanys campaign of submarine warfare, America’s declaration of war in response, and Britain’s frustration of German strategy by adopting the convoy system, as well as why (paradoxically) the military and political stalemate in Europe persisted.

1917 offers a truly international understanding of events, including abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the disastrous spring offensive that plunged the French army into mutiny, on the summer attacks that undermined the moderate Provisional Government in Russia and exposed Italy to national humiliation at Caporetto, and on the British decision for the ill-fated Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).

David Stevenson also analyzes the global consequences of the years developments, describing how countries such as Brazil and China joined the belligerents, how Britain offered “responsible government” to India, and how the Allies promised a Jewish national home in Palestine. Blending political and military history, and moving from capital to capital and from the cabinet chamber to the battle front, the book highlights the often tumultuous debates through which leaders entered and escalated the war, and the paradox that continued fighting was justifiable as the shortest road toward peace.

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

You can request physical items, i.e. print books, DVDs & CDs, online via StarCat:

or 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.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Fitness Track?

Hannah of SSCL

if_running_man_296209

Do you fitness track? If you have a fitness routine and a tracker, how well do they work together to inform you about your progress?

They’re getting smaller and smaller–I just saw news of an Apple-compatible one that’s simply a ring, yet it does all of the things:

Motiv

Here’s a review from PC Mag: https://www.pcmag.com/review/356274/motiv-ring

If you’re really considering getting a fitness tracker, or a new one, though, or just want to know about how they work, then check out a broader review as Consumer Reports has: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/fitness-trackers/buying-guide/index.htm 

Personally, I’ve been trying out the BellaBeat. It’s lovely because I do feel more inclined to pay attention to my wellness, and I don’t really mind wearing it. I do feel disappointed though, because I thought it might monitor heartrate, and I didn’t really investigate how it does the things it claims to do. I think I overlooked that “little” detail, and learned, once again, that it’s easy to get caught up in hype or indecision and just make a decision that doesn’t old true to your starting criteria. Now I’m here to encourage #InformedDecisions.

@PCMag, @ConsumerReports, #FitnessTrackers, #ConsumerLiteracy

Suggested Listening March 16, 2018

Linda Reimer

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album you want to listen to!)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

The Underdog (2015) by Aaron Watson (Genre: Country):


Texas based singer-songwriter Aaron Watson has a modern honky tonk style. The Underdog is his acclaimed 2015 LP and features the songs: That Look, Getaway Truck, Freight Train and That’s Gonna Leave a Mark.

The Essential Lee Dorsey (Genre: R&B, Traditional R&B, Rock, Traditional Rock):


New Orleans singer Lee Dorsey served in World War II and then worked as a mechanic while singing in clubs at night before taking up music as a career in the early 1960s. His music is great upbeat party music in the traditional rock and R&B styles. And this collection features his best known songs and more.

Songs in the collection include: Ya Ya, Working in a Coal Mine, Ride Your Pony, Holy Cow and Get Out of My Life Woman.

They Call Me Mud by Mud Morganfield (Genre: Blues):


Mud Morganfield is the eldest son of the late great McKinley Morganfield who was better known as Muddy Waters. Mud didn’t start playing the blues professionally until after his father’s death in the early eighties. His first album came out in 2008.

They Call Me Mud is Morganfield’s brand new album. Songs on the LP include: They Call Me Mud, Who’s Fooling Who? Howling Wolf, Who Loves You and Oh Yeah.

Lost Soul by Various Artists (Genre: R&B, Traditional R&B, Soul, Pop, 1970s Soul):


Lost Soul features a number of great soul classics from the seventies that aren’t widely remembered today including: One Girl Too Late by Brenda & The Tabulations, I’m Back To Collect by Bill Coday, Lead Me On by Gwen McCrae, Personally by Jackie Moore and Are you Lonely For Me Baby by Freddie Scott.

Bonus Streaming Suggestion:

It Takes A Year (1977) by William Ackerman (Genre: Acoustic, Pop, Instrumental, New Age, Easy Listening):

It Takes A Year is a perfect album for putting you in the relation mode! The LP showcases Windham Hill Records founder and guitarist Will Ackerman’s gently melodious instrumental style. Songs on the LP include the gorgeous The Bricklayer’s Beautiful Daughter, The Townshend Shuffle, The Search for the Turtle’s Navel, The Rediscovery of Big Bug Creek Arizona and Tribute to the Philosophy of James Estell Bradley.

CD of the Week:

Damn The Torpedoes (1979) by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers:

Damn The Torpedoes was the third album released by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and is one of their very finest LPs and, arguably, their best album.

Songs on this classic American rock LP include: Refugee, Here Comes My Girl, Even The Losers, Don’t Do Me Like That, You Tell Me and Louisiana Rain.

Videos of the Week:

The Look by Aaron Watson

Get Out Of My Life Woman by Lee Dorsey

Working In A Coal Mine by Lee Dorsey

They Call Me Mud by Mud Morganfield

Come See About Me by Don Covay & The Goodtimers

Are You Lonely For Me Baby by Freddie Scott

One Girl Too Late: Single Version Brenda & The Tabulations

The Bricklayer’s Beautiful Daughter by Will Ackerman

Refugee by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

 

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:

http://www.allmusic.com/

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

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.

Popular iPhone Features

Hannah of SSCL

iPhone questions have recently been flooding in from users who are new to smartphones. What features do people seem to love the most?

if_iPhone_2639843

Maps

Use your phone’s GPS capability to locate where you are, where you want to go, and then listen to route directions as you travel. Learn more at: https://www.apple.com/ios/maps/ 

Dictation

Use your phone’s speech-to-text feature to have your iPhone type the words you are speaking. Here are some tips: https://www.macworld.com/article/2048196/beyond-siri-dictation-tricks-for-the-iphone-and-ipad.html

Texting

Send brief messages to other cell phones or text services. Here are some starting pointers from apple about the iPhone’s Messages app: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201287

if_tap-screen_1504653HINT: Newer iPhones have fancy features where the force of your touch on the screen matters. If the iPhone is not doing what you intend, then I suggest visiting https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT20505 to learn where the settings are–once there, you’ll see how sensitive your iPhone is to your touch.

#iphonebasics