Month: December 2019

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles, eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

DIGITAL CATALOG RECOMMENDATIONS:

Been So Long: My Life and Music written by Jorma Kaukonen and narrated by Grace Slick, Jack Cassidy & Jorma Kaukonen (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

*This program includes a foreword written and read by Grace Slick, and an afterword written and read by Jack Casady*

From the man who made a name for himself as a founding member and lead guitarist of Jefferson Airplane comes a memoir that offers a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of a musical genius—and a vivid journey through the psychedelic era in America.

“Music is the reward for being alive,” writes Jorma Kaukonen in this candid and emotional account of his life and work. “It stirs memory in a singular way that is unmatched.” In a career that has already spanned a half century—one that has earned him induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honors—Jorma is best known for his legendary bands Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. But before he won worldwide recognition he was just a young man with a passion and a dream.

Been So Long is the story of how Jorma found his place in the world of music and beyond. The grandson of Finnish and Russian-Jewish immigrants whose formative years were spent abroad with his American-born diplomat father, Jorma channeled his life experiences—from his coming-of-age in Pakistan and the Philippines to his early gigs with Jack Casady in D.C. to his jam sessions in San Francisco with Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, and other contemporaries—into his art in unique and revelatory ways.

Been So Long charts not only Jorma’s association with the bands that made him famous but goes into never-before-told details about his addiction and recovery, his troubled first marriage and still-thriving second, and more. Interspersed with diary entries, personal correspondence, and song lyrics, this memoir is as unforgettable and inspiring as Jorma’s music itself.

This program includes live bonus music.

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Inland written by Téa Obreht and read by Anna Chlumsky, Edoardo Ballerini & Euan Morton (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time • The Washington Post • Entertainment Weekly • Esquire • Real Simple • Good Housekeeping • The New York Public Library • The Dallas Morning News • Kirkus Reviews • Library Journal • BookPage

In the lawless, drought-ridden lands of the Arizona Territory in 1893, two extraordinary lives unfold. Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman awaiting the return of the men in her life—her husband, who has gone in search of water for the parched household, and her elder sons, who have vanished after an explosive argument. Nora is biding her time with her youngest son, who is convinced that a mysterious beast is stalking the land around their home.

Meanwhile, Lurie is a former outlaw and a man haunted by ghosts. He sees lost souls who want something from him, and he finds reprieve from their longing in an unexpected relationship that inspires a momentous expedition across the West. The way in which Lurie’s death-defying trek at last intersects with Nora’s plight is the surprise and suspense of this brilliant novel.

Mythical, lyrical, and sweeping in scope, Inland is grounded in true but little-known history. It showcases all of Téa Obreht’s talents as a writer, as she subverts and reimagines the myths of the American West, making them entirely—and unforgettably—her own.

Praise for Inland
“As it should be, the landscape of the West itself is a character, thrillingly rendered throughout. . . . Here, Obreht’s simple but rich prose captures and luxuriates in the West’s beauty and sudden menace. Remarkable in a novel with such a sprawling cast, Obreht also has a poetic touch for writing intricate and precise character descriptions.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Beautifully wrought.”—Vanity Fair

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A Midwinter’s Tail written by Sofie Kelly and read by Cassandra Campbell (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

Kathleen Paulson is snowed under running her library and caring for her extraordinary felines, Owen and Hercules. But when a fund-raiser turns deadly, she’ll have to add sleuthing to her already full schedule….

Winter in Mayville Heights is busy and not just because of the holidays. Kathleen is hard at work organizing a benefit to raise money for the library’s popular Reading Buddies program. She has her hands full hosting the event. And when a guest at the gala drops dead, her magical cats, Owen and Hercules, will have their paws full helping her solve a murder.

The victim is the ex of town rascal Burtis Chapman, but she hasn’t lived in the area in years. And though everybody is denying knowledge of why she was back in town, as Kathleen and her detective boyfriend, Marcus, begin nosing around, they discover more people are connected to the deceased than claimed to be. Now Marcus, Kathleen, and her uncanny cats have to unravel this midwinter tale before the case gets cold.

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A Nearly Normal Family: A Novel written by M.T. Edvardsson and read by Rachel Willson-Broyles, Georgia Maguire and Emily Watson (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

New York Times Book Review recommends M.T. Edvardsson’s A Nearly Normal Family and lauds it as a “page-turner” that forces the reader to confront “the compromises we make with ourselves to be the people we believe our beloveds expect.” (NYTimes Book Review Summer Reading Issue)

M.T. Edvardsson’s A Nearly Normal Family is a gripping legal thriller that forces the listener to consider: How far would you go to protect the ones you love? In this twisted narrative of love and murder, a horrific crime makes a seemingly normal family question everything they thought they knew about their life—and one another.

Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?

Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in an unusual three-part structure, A Nearly Normal Family asks the questions: How well do you know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?

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A Vision in Velvet written by Juliet Blackwell and read by Xe Sands (format: Downloadable Audiobook):

As soon as Lily opens her recently purchased trunk of old clothes, she feels strange vibrations emanating from a mysterious velvet cloak. When she tries it on, Lily sees awful visions from the past. And when the antiques dealer who sold her the cape is killed, Lily suspects a supernatural force might be behind his death. Then Lily’s familiar, Oscar the potbellied pig, disappears. Lily will do anything to get him back-including battling the spirit of a powerful witch reaching out from the past. But even with the aid of her grandmother, unmasking a killer and saving Oscar might be more than one well-intentioned sorceress can handle.

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PRINT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Information Wars: How We Lost The Global Battle Against Disinformation & What We Can Do About It by Richard Stengel:

Abstract: “In February of 2013, Richard Stengel, the former editor-in-chief of Time, joined the Obama administration as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Within days, two shocking events made world-wide headlines: ISIS executed American journalist James Foley on a graphic video seen by tens of millions, and Vladimir Putin’s “little green men”-Russian special forces-invaded Crimea, amid a blizzard of Russian denials and false flags. What these events had in common besides their violent law-lessness is that they were the opening salvos in a new era of global information war, where countries and non-state actors use social media and disinformation to create their own narratives and undermine anyone who opposes them.

Stengel was thrust onto the front lines of this battle as he was tasked with responding to the relentless weaponizing of information and grievance by ISIS, Russia, China, and others. He saw the scale of what he was up against and found himself hopelessly outgunned. Then, in 2016, the wars Stengel was fighting abroad came home during the presidential election, as “fake news” became a rallying cry and the Russians used the techniques they learned in Ukraine to influence the election here. Rarely has an accomplished journalist been not only a close observer but also a principal participant in the debates and decisions of American foreign policy. Stengel takes you behind the scenes in the ritualized world of diplomacy, from the daily 8:30 morning huddle with a restless John Kerry to a midnight sit-down in Saudi Arabia with the prince of darkness Mohammed bin Salman. The result is a rich account of a losing battle against trolls and bots-who are every bit as insidious as their names imply.”– Provided by publisher.

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The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek: A Novel by Pat McLaughlin:

Abstract: “It’s 1992 in Bleak Creek, North Carolina, a sleepy little place with all the trappings of an ordinary Southern town: two Baptist churches, friendly smiles coupled with silent judgments, and an unquenchable appetite for pork products. Beneath the town’s cheerful façade, however, Bleak Creek teens live in constant fear of being sent to The Whitewood School, a local reformatory with a record of putting unruly teens back on the straight and narrow–a record so impeccable that almost everyone is willing to ignore the mysterious deaths that have occurred there over the past decade.

At first, high school freshmen Rex McClendon and Leif Nelson believe what they’ve been told: that the students’ strange demises were all just tragic accidents, the unfortunate consequence of succumbing to vices like Dungeons & Dragons and Nirvana. But when the shoot for their low-budget horror masterpiece, PolterDog, goes horribly awry–and their best friend, Alicia Boykins, is sent to Whitewood as punishment–Rex and Leif are forced to piece together the unsettling truth of the school and its mysterious founder, Wayne Whitewood. What the boys find–with recent NYU film school student Janine Blitstein and her cousin Donna (a former Whitewood student with secrets of her own) at their side–will leave them battling an evil beyond their wildest teenage imaginations, one that will shake Bleak Creek to its core”– Provided by publisher.

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On Fire: The (Burning) Case For A Green New Deal by Naomi Klein:

Abstract: “For more than twenty years, Naomi Klein has been the foremost chronicler of the economic war waged on both people and planet-and an unapologetic champion of a sweeping environmental agenda with justice at its center. In lucid, elegant dispatches from the frontlines of contemporary natural disaster, she pens surging, indispensable essays for a wide public: prescient advisories and dire warnings of what future awaits us if we refuse to act, as well as hopeful glimpses of a far better future. On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal gathers for the first time more than a decade of her impassioned writing, and pairs it with new material on the staggeringly high stakes of our immediate political and economic choices. These long-form essays show Klein at her most prophetic and philosophical, investigating the climate crisis not only as a profound political challenge but as a spiritual and imaginative one, as well. Delving into topics ranging from the clash between ecological time and our culture of “perpetual now,” to the soaring history of humans changing and evolving rapidly in the face of grave threats, to rising white supremacy and fortressed borders as a form of “climate barbarism,” this is a rousing call to action for a planet on the brink. With reports spanning from the ghostly Great Barrier Reef, to the annual smoke-choked skies of the Pacific Northwest, to post-hurricane Puerto Rico, to a Vatican attempting an unprecedented “ecological conversion,” Klein makes the case that we will rise to the existential challenge of climate change only if we are willing to transform the systems that produced this crisis. An expansive, far-ranging exploration that sees the battle for a greener world as indistinguishable from the fight for our lives, On Fire captures the burning urgency of the climate crisis, as well as the fiery energy of a rising political movement demanding a catalytic Green New Deal”– Provided by publisher.

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Medicine Women: The Story of the First Native American Nursing School by Jim Kristofic:

Abstract: “After the Indian wars, many Americans still believed that the only good Indian was a dead Indian. But at Ganado Mission in the Navajo country of northern Arizona, a group of missionaries and doctors–who cared less about saving souls and more about saving lives–chose a different way and persuaded the local parents and medicine men to allow them to educate their daughters as nurses. The young women struggled to step into the world of modern medicine, but they knew they might become nurses who could build a bridge between the old ways and the new. In this detailed history Jim Kristofic traces the story of Ganado Mission on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Kristofic’s personal connection with the community creates a nuanced historical understanding that blends engaging narrative with careful scholarship to share the stories of the people and their commitment to this place”– Provided by publisher.

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Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror by W. Scott Poole:

Abstract: “The roots of modern horror are found in the First World War. It was the most devastating event to occur in the early 1900s, with 38 million dead and 17 million wounded in the most grotesque of ways, owing to the new machines brought to war. If Downton Abbey showed the ripple effect of this catastrophe above stairs, Wasteland reveals how it made its way into the darker corners of our psyche on the bloody battlefield, the screaming asylum, and desolated cities and villages. Historian W. Scott Poole chronicles the era’s major figures and their influences–Freud, T.S. Eliot, H.P. Lovecraft, Wilfred Owen and Peter Lorre, David Cronenberg and Freddy Krueger–as well as cult favorites and the collective unconscious. Wasteland is a surprising–but wholly convincing–perspective on horror that also speaks to the audience for history, film, and popular culture. November 11th, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that brought the First World War to a close, and a number of smart and well-received recent histories have helped us reevaluate this conflict. Now W. Scott Poole takes us behind the frontlines of battle to the dark places of the imagination where the legacy of the war to end all wars lives on” — Provided by publisher.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

For mobile devices simply download the Libby (eBooks & downloadable audiobooks) or the RB Digital app (on-demand magazines), from your app store to get started. And if you’re using a PC or Mac simply click on the following link: https://stls.overdrive.com/

If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the top New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the upcoming week.

(Click on the book covers to read a summary of each plot and to request the book(s) of your choice.

FICTION:

BLUE MOON by Lee Child:

Jack Reacher gets caught up in a turf war between Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.

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CRISS CROSS by James Patterson:

The 27th book in the Alex Cross series. Copycat crimes make the detective question whether an innocent man was executed.

–

THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett:

A sibling relationship is impacted when the family goes from poverty to wealth and back again over the course of many decades.

–

THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes:

In Depression-era America, five women refuse to be cowed by men or convention as they deliver books throughout the mountains of Kentucky.

–

THE GUARDIANS by John Grisham:

Cullen Post, a lawyer and Episcopal minister, antagonizes some ruthless killers when he takes on a wrongful conviction case.

–

THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King:

Children with special talents are abducted and sequestered in an institution where the sinister staff seeks to extract their gifts through harsh methods.

–

A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT by David Baldacci:

When Atlee Pine returns to her hometown to investigate her sister’s kidnapping from 30 years ago, she winds up tracking a potential serial killer.

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OLIVE, AGAIN by Elizabeth Strout:

In a follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Olive Kitteridge,” new relationships, including a second marriage, are encountered in a seaside town in Maine.

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THE OVERSTORY by Richard Powers:

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.

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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides:

Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

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THE STARLESS SEA by Erin Morgenstern:

Zachary Ezra Rawlins fights to save a labyrinthine underground repository of stories.

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THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris:

A concentration camp detainee tasked with permanently marking fellow prisoners falls in love with one of them.

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THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood:

In a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” old secrets bring three women together as the Republic of Gilead’s theocratic regime shows signs of decay.

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TOM CLANCY: CODE OF HONOR by Marc Cameron:

President Jack Ryan learns of a plot against America when he tries to help an old friend who has been arrested in Indonesia.

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TWISTED TWENTY-SIX by Janet Evanovich:

The 26th book in the Stephanie Plum series. A New Jersey gangster’s associates go after a bounty hunter’s widowed grandmother.

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THE WATER DANCER by Ta-Nehisi Coates:

A young man who was gifted with a mysterious power becomes part of a war between slavers and the enslaved.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens:

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

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NON-FICTION:

BECOMING by Michelle Obama:

The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

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BLOWOUT by Rachel Maddow:

The MSNBC host argues that the global oil and gas industry has weakened democracies and bolstered authoritarians.

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THE BODY by Bill Bryson:

An owner’s manual of the human body covering various parts, functions and what happens when things go wrong.

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THE BOOK OF GUTSY WOMEN by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton:

Profiles of women from around the world who have blazed trails and challenged the status quo.

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EDUCATED by Tara Westover:

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

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FINDING CHIKA by Mitch Albom:

Lessons learned by the Alboms when they bring a Haitian orphan with a life-threatening illness into their family.

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HOME WORK by Julie Andrews with Emma Walton Hamilton:

The musical theater icon’s second installment of her memoir describes her arrival in Hollywood, becoming a mother and her relationship with Blake Edwards.

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HOW TO by Randall Munroe:

The former NASA roboticist dispenses complex and excessive solutions to common problems

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I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES by Charles Brandt:

A World War II veteran works for a crime boss and comes into contact with the union boss Jimmy Hoffa. The basis of the movie “The Irishman.”

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ME by Elton John:

The multi-award-winning solo artist’s first autobiography chronicles his career, relationships and private struggles.

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MOBITUARIES by Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg:

The humorist spotlights frequently unnoticed aspects of deceased celebrities and historical figures.

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NO ONE IS TOO SMALL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE by Greta Thunberg:

Speeches by the Swedish climate activist, including her address to the United Nations.

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SAM HOUSTON AND THE ALAMO AVENGERS by Brian Kilmeade:

The “Fox & Friends” host gives an account of the battle against the Mexican Army in 1836.

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TALKING TO STRANGERS by Malcolm Gladwell:

Famous examples of miscommunication serve as the backdrop to explain potential conflicts and misunderstandings.

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TRIGGERED by Donald Trump Jr.:

Forays into politics and views on liberals from the executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

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A WARNING by Anonymous:

A senior official in the Trump administration offers an assessment of the president and makes a moral appeal.

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THE WAY I HEARD IT by Mike Rowe:

The television personality relays stories from his podcast and personal anecdotes.

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Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSL

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Note: this list contains all the New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that are owned by libraries within the Southern Tier Library System.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, just a reminder the library is closed Tuesday, December 24 & Wednesday, December 25 in observance of the Christmas holiday. We’re open our regular hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 26 and 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 27.

And without further ado, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles, eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

DIGITAL CATALOG RECOMMENDATIONS:

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World: A Novel written and read by C. A. Fletcher (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

“This unputdownable story has everything—a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)When a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts. My name’s Griz. My childhood wasn’t like yours. I’ve never had friends, and in my whole life I’ve not met enough people to play a game of football. My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs. Then the thief came. There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. Because if we aren’t loyal to the things we love, what’s the point?

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Cover of Snow: A Novel by Jenny Milchman (Format: eBook):

WINNER OF THE MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

Jenny Milchman’s Cover of Snow is a remarkable debut, a gripping tale of suspense in the tradition of Gillian Flynn, Chris Bohjalian, and Nancy Pickard.

Waking up one wintry morning in her old farmhouse nestled in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, Nora Hamilton instantly knows that something is wrong. When her fog of sleep clears, she finds her world is suddenly, irretrievably shattered: Her husband, Brendan, has committed suicide.

The first few hours following Nora’s devastating discovery pass for her in a blur of numbness and disbelief. Then, a disturbing awareness slowly settles in: Brendan left no note and gave no indication that he was contemplating taking his own life. Why would a rock-solid police officer with unwavering affection for his wife, job, and quaint hometown suddenly choose to end it all? Having spent a lifetime avoiding hard truths, Nora must now start facing them.

Unraveling her late husband’s final days, Nora searches for an explanation—but finds a bewildering resistance from Brendan’s best friend and partner, his fellow police officers, and his brittle mother. It quickly becomes clear to Nora that she is asking questions no one wants to answer. For beneath the soft cover of snow lies a powerful conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep its presence unknown . . . and its darkest secrets hidden.

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Golden Lion, A Novel of Heroes in a Time of War by Wilbur Smith & Giles Kristian (Format: eBook):

He saw his father executed in battle. He spent his youth avenging that death. And now Henry ‘Hal’ Courtney is a man with a ship – and a family – of his own.

But fate has not finished with Hal. On a voyage along the eastern shore of Africa, a powerful enemy abducts his wife, the fearless warrior Judith… and with her, Hal’s unborn child. For Hal, a man all too familiar with loss, there is only one way forward: He must track his nemesis across desert and ocean, through the slave markets of Zanzibar and the dangerous waters of the coast, in pursuit of the woman he loves, the child he sired, and the glorious destiny that awaits him.

Bursting with action and suspense, heroism and heartache, this unforgettable novel proves once more than Wilbur Smith is the world’s greatest adventure writer.

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House of Earth: A Novel by Woody Guthrie (Format: eBook):

Finished in 1947 and lost to readers until now, House of Earth is legendary folk singer and American icon Woody Guthrie’s only finished novel. A powerful portrait of Dust Bowl America, it’s the story of an ordinary couple’s dreams of a better life and their search for love and meaning in a corrupt world.

Tike and Ella May Hamlin are struggling to plant roots in the arid land of the Texas panhandle. The husband and wife live in a precarious wooden farm shack, but Tike yearns for a sturdy house that will protect them from the treacherous elements. Thanks to a five-cent government pamphlet, Tike has the know-how to build a simple adobe dwelling, a structure made from the land itself—fireproof, windproof, Dust Bowl-proof. A house of earth.

A story of rural realism and progressive activism, and in many ways a companion piece to Guthrie’s folk anthem “This Land Is Your Land,” House of Earth is a searing portrait of hardship and hope set against a ravaged landscape. Combining the moral urgency and narrative drive of John Steinbeck with the erotic frankness of D. H. Lawrence, here is a powerful tale of America from one of our greatest artists.

An essay by bestselling historian Douglas Brinkley and Johnny Depp introduce House of Earth, the inaugural title in Depp’s imprint at HarperCollins, Infinitum Nihil.

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Shogun, Asian Saga, Book 1 written by James Clavell and read by Ralph Lister (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen-Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed.

Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shogun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book. Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the bestselling novels of all time but also one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shogun is, as the New York Times put it, “…not only something you read-you live it.” Provocative, absorbing, and endlessly fascinating, there is only one: Shogun.

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PRINT RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Bridge To Belle Island by Julie Klassen:

Abstract: “Evidence from a mysterious death takes Benjamin to an island on the Thames. There, Isabelle is trapped by fear and a recurring dream about a man’s death. Or is it a memory? When a second death brings everyone under suspicion, she realizes her island sanctuary will never be the same”– Provided by publisher.

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Dark Queen Waiting by P. C. Doherty:

Abstract: “October, 1471. Edward IV sits on the English throne; the House of York reigns supreme. With her young son, Henry Tudor, in exile in France, Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, shelters deep in the shadows, secretly plotting for the day when Henry can be crowned the rightful king. But as her supporters are picked off one by one, it becomes clear that a traitor lurks within Margaret’s household. When one of her most loyal henchmen, Jacob Cromart, is murdered in St Michael’s Church, where he had claimed sanctuary, Margaret orders her sharp-witted clerk, Christopher Urswicke, to find out who has betrayed her. How could a man be killed inside a church where the doors are all locked, with no sign of an intruder or weapon? If he is to protect Margaret’s remaining supporters from suffering a similar fate, Urswicke must solve a baffling mystery where nothing is as it first appears.”–Provided by publisher.

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Eat Joy: Stories & Comfort Food from 31 Celebrated Writers:

Abstract: “This collection of intimate, illustrated essays by some of America’s most well-regarded literary writers explores how comfort food can help us cope with dark times–be it the loss of a parent, the loneliness of a move, or the pain of heartache.”–Provided by publisher.

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The Innocents by Michael Crummey:

Abstract: “An orphaned brother and sister … must fend for themselves on a remote fishing outpost in the late 1800s”– Provided by publisher.

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Wicked Red Head by Beatriz Williams:

Abstract: Ginger Kelly wakes up in 1924 in tranquil Cocoa Beach, Florida, after fleeing to safety with disgraced Prohibition agent Oliver Anson Marshall, and her newly-orphaned young sister, Patsy. But Marshall is reinstated to the agency with suspicious haste to patrol for rumrunners on the high seas. When he promptly disappears, Gin hurries north to rescue him, only to be trapped in an agonizing moral quandary by Marshall’s desperate mother. In 1998, Ella Dommerich is settled into her new life in Greenwich Village, inside the same apartment where a certain redheaded flapper lived long ago. Having quit her job at an accounting firm, cut ties with her unfaithful ex-husband, and begun a love affair with her musician neighbor, Hector, Ella’s eager to piece together the history of the mysterious Gin Kelly, whose only physical trace is a series of rare vintage photograph cards for which she modeled before her disappearance. Two women, two generations, and two urgent quests will require both women’s strength and determination to outwit a conspiracy spanning decades.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

For mobile devices simply download the Libby (eBooks & downloadable audiobooks) or the RB Digital app (on-demand magazines), from your app store to get started. And if you’re using a PC or Mac simply click on the following link: https://stls.overdrive.com/

If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the top New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the upcoming week.

(Click on the book covers to read a summary of each plot and to request the book(s) of your choice.

FICTION:

BLUE MOON by Lee Child:

Jack Reacher gets caught up in a turf war between Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.

–

CRISS CROSS by James Patterson:

The 27th book in the Alex Cross series. Copycat crimes make the detective question whether an innocent man was executed.

–

THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett:

A sibling relationship is impacted when the family goes from poverty to wealth and back again over the course of many decades.

–

THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes:

In Depression-era America, five women refuse to be cowed by men or convention as they deliver books throughout the mountains of Kentucky.

–

THE GUARDIANS by John Grisham:

Cullen Post, a lawyer and Episcopal minister, antagonizes some ruthless killers when he takes on a wrongful conviction case.

–

THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King:

Children with special talents are abducted and sequestered in an institution where the sinister staff seeks to extract their gifts through harsh methods.

–

A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT by David Baldacci:

When Atlee Pine returns to her hometown to investigate her sister’s kidnapping from 30 years ago, she winds up tracking a potential serial killer.

–

OLIVE, AGAIN by Elizabeth Strout:

In a follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Olive Kitteridge,” new relationships, including a second marriage, are encountered in a seaside town in Maine.

–

THE OVERSTORY by Richard Powers:

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.

–

THE RISE OF MAGICKS by Nora Roberts:

The third book in the Chronicles of the One series. Fallon Swift goes up against an old foe.

–

THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides:

Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

–

THE STARLESS SEA by Erin Morgenstern:

Zachary Ezra Rawlins fights to save a labyrinthine underground repository of stories.

–

THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris:

A concentration camp detainee tasked with permanently marking fellow prisoners falls in love with one of them.

–

THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood:

In a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” old secrets bring three women together as the Republic of Gilead’s theocratic regime shows signs of decay.

–

TWISTED TWENTY-SIX by Janet Evanovich:

The 26th book in the Stephanie Plum series. A New Jersey gangster’s associates go after a bounty hunter’s widowed grandmother.

–

THE WATER DANCER by Ta-Nehisi Coates:

A young man who was gifted with a mysterious power becomes part of a war between slavers and the enslaved.

–

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens:

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

–

NON-FICTION:

BEAUTIFUL ONES by Prince. Edited by Dan Piepenbring:

A memoir by the musician written before his death, with photos and other memorabilia detailing his evolution.

–

BECOMING by Michelle Obama:

The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

–

BLOWOUT by Rachel Maddow:

The MSNBC host argues that the global oil and gas industry has weakened democracies and bolstered authoritarians.

–

THE BODY by Bill Bryson:

An owner’s manual of the human body covering various parts, functions and what happens when things go wrong.

–

THE BOOK OF GUTSY WOMEN by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton:

Profiles of women from around the world who have blazed trails and challenged the status quo.

–

DUMPTY by John Lithgow:

The multi-award-winning actor satirizes the Trump administration with a collection of poems and illustrations.

–

EDUCATED by Tara Westover:

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

–

FINDING CHIKA by Mitch Albom:

Lessons learned by the Alboms when they bring a Haitian orphan with a life-threatening illness into their family.

–

HOME WORK by Julie Andrews with Emma Walton Hamilton:

The musical theater icon’s second installment of her memoir describes her arrival in Hollywood, becoming a mother and her relationship with Blake Edwards.

–

I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES by Charles Brandt:

A World War II veteran works for a crime boss and comes into contact with the union boss Jimmy Hoffa. The basis of the movie “The Irishman.”

–

ME by Elton John:

The multi-award-winning solo artist’s first autobiography chronicles his career, relationships and private struggles.

–

THE PIONEERS by David McCullough:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian tells the story of the settling of the Northwest Territory through five main characters.

–

SAM HOUSTON AND THE ALAMO AVENGERS by Brian Kilmeade:

The “Fox & Friends” host gives an account of the battle against the Mexican Army in 1836.

–

TALKING TO STRANGERS by Malcolm Gladwell:

Famous examples of miscommunication serve as the backdrop to explain potential conflicts and misunderstandings.

–

TRIGGERED by Donald Trump Jr.:

Forays into politics and views on liberals from the executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

–

A WARNING by Anonymous:

A senior official in the Trump administration offers an assessment of the president and makes a moral appeal.

–

THE WAY I HEARD IT by Mike Rowe:

The television personality relays stories from his podcast and personal anecdotes.

–

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSL

–

Note: this list contains all the New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that are owned by libraries within the Southern Tier Library System.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles, eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

DIGITAL CATALOG RECOMMENDATIONS:

A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley written by Neal Thompson and read by Marc Cashman (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

A Curious Man is the marvelously compelling biography of Robert “Believe It or Not” Ripley, the enigmatic cartoonist turned globetrotting millionaire who won international fame by celebrating the world’s strangest oddities, and whose outrageous showmanship taught us to believe in the unbelievable.

As portrayed by acclaimed biographer Neal Thompson, Ripley’s life is the stuff of a classic American fairy tale. Buck-toothed and cursed by shyness, Ripley turned his sense of being an outsider into an appreciation for the strangeness of the world. After selling his first cartoon to Time magazine at age eighteen, more cartooning triumphs followed, but it was his “Believe It or Not” conceit and the wildly popular radio shows it birthed that would make him one of the most successful entertainment figures of his time and spur him to search the globe’s farthest corners for bizarre facts, exotic human curiosities, and shocking phenomena.

Ripley delighted in making outrageous declarations that somehow always turned out to be true—such as that Charles Lindbergh was only the sixty-seventh man to fly across the Atlantic or that “The Star Spangled Banner” was not the national anthem. Assisted by an exotic harem of female admirers and by ex-banker Norbert Pearlroth, a devoted researcher who spoke eleven languages, Ripley simultaneously embodied the spirit of Peter Pan, the fearlessness of Marco Polo and the marketing savvy of P. T. Barnum.

In a very real sense, Ripley sought to remake the world’s aesthetic. He demanded respect for those who were labeled “eccentrics” or “freaks”—whether it be E. L. Blystone, who wrote 1,615 alphabet letters on a grain of rice, or the man who could swallow his own nose.

By the 1930s Ripley possessed a vast fortune, a private yacht, and a twenty-eight room mansion stocked with such “oddities” as shrunken heads and medieval torture devices, and his pioneering firsts in print, radio, and television were tapping into something deep in the American consciousness—a taste for the titillating and exotic, and a fascination with the fastest, biggest, dumbest and most weird. Today, that legacy continues and can be seen in reality TV, YouTube, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Jackass, MythBusters and a host of other pop-culture phenomena.

In the end Robert L. Ripley changed everything. The supreme irony of his life, which was dedicated to exalting the strange and unusual, is that he may have been the most amazing oddity of all.

–

Lord John and the Private Matter, Outlander: Lord John Grey Series, Book 1 written by Diana Gabaldon (Format: eBook):

Diana Gabaldon weaves a dazzling tale of history, intrigue, and suspense in this first novel featuring one of her most popular characters from the Outlander saga: Lord John Grey.

The year is 1757. On a clear morning in mid-June, Lord John Grey emerges from London’s Beefsteak Club, his mind in turmoil. A nobleman and a high-ranking officer in His Majesty’s army, Grey has just witnessed something shocking. But his efforts to avoid a scandal that might destroy his family are interrupted by something still more urgent: The Crown appoints him to investigate the brutal murder of a comrade-in-arms who may have been a traitor. Obliged to pursue two inquiries at once, Major Grey finds himself ensnared in a web of treachery and betrayal that touches every stratum of English society—and threatens all he holds dear.

–

The Village, 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village written by John Strausbaugh (Format: eBook):

Cultural commentator John Strausbaugh’s The Village is the first complete history of Greenwich Village, the prodigiously influential and infamous New York City neighborhood.

From the Dutch settlers and Washington Square patricians, to the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and Prohibition-era speakeasies; from Abstract Expressionism and beatniks, to Stonewall and AIDS, the connecting narratives of The Village tell the story of America itself.

Illustrated with historic black-and-white photographs, The Village features lively, well-researched profiles of many of the people who made Greenwich Village famous, including Thomas Paine, Walt Whitman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mark Twain, Margaret Sanger, Eugene O’Neill, Marcel Duchamp, Upton Sinclair, Willa Cather, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Jackson Pollock, Anais Nin, Edward Albee, Charlie Parker, W. H. Auden, Woody Guthrie, James Baldwin, Maurice Sendak, E. E. Cummings, and Bob Dylan.

–

West with the Night by Beryl Markham (Format: eBook):

Beryl Markham’s life story is a true epic. Not only did she set records and break barriers as a pilot, she shattered societal expectations, threw herself into torrid love affairs, survived desperate crash landings—and chronicled everything. A contemporary of Karen Blixen (better known as Isak Dinesen, the author of Out of Africa), Markham left an enduring memoir that soars with astounding candor and shimmering insights.

A rebel from a young age, the British-born Markham was raised in Kenya’s unforgiving farmlands. She trained as a bush pilot at a time when most Africans had never seen a plane. In 1936, she accepted the ultimate challenge: to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west, a feat that fellow female aviator Amelia Earhart had completed in reverse just a few years before. Markham’s successes and her failures—and her deep, lifelong love of the “soul of Africa”—are all told here with wrenching honesty and agile wit.

Hailed as “one of the greatest adventure books of all time” by Newsweek and “the sort of book that makes you think human beings can do anything” by the New York Times, West with the Night remains a powerful testament to one of the iconic lives of the twentieth century.

–

What a Lady Needs for Christmas, MacGregors Series, Book 4 written by Grace Burrowes (Format: eBook):

The Best Gifts are the Unexpected Ones…

To escape a scandal, Lady Joan Flynn flees her family’s estate in the Scottish Highlands. She needs a husband by Christmas, or the holidays will ring in nothing but ruin.

Practical, ambitious mill owner Dante Hartwell offers to marry Joan, because a wellborn wife is his best chance of gaining access to aristocratic investors.

As Christmas—and trouble—draw nearer, Dante and Joan’s marriage of convenience blossoms into unexpected intimacy, for true love often hides beneath the most unassuming holiday wrapping…

–

PRINT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Beating About The Bush by M.C. Beaton

Abstract: “When private detective Agatha Raisin comes across a severed leg in a roadside hedge, it looks like she is about to become involved in a particularly gruesome murder. Looks, however, can be deceiving, as Agatha discovers when she is employed to investigate a case of industrial espionage at a factory where nothing is quite what it seems. The factory mystery soon turns to murder and a bad-tempered donkey turns Agatha into a national celebrity, before bringing her ridicule and shame. To add to her woes, Agatha finds herself grappling with growing feelings for her friend and occasional lover, Sir Charles Fraith. Then, as a possible solution to the factory murder unfolds, her own life is thrown into deadly peril. Will Agatha get her man at last? Or will the killer get her first?”– Provided by publisher.

–

Bowie’s Bookshelf: The Hundred Books That Changed David Bowie’s Life by John O’Connell:

Abstract: “Three years before David Bowie died, he shared a list of 100 books that changed his life. His choices span fiction and nonfiction, literary and irreverent, and include timeless classics alongside eyebrow-raising obscurities. In 100 short essays, music journalist John O’Connell studies each book on Bowie’s list and contextualizes it in the artist’s life and work”– Provided by publisher

–

A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall:

Abstract: For fans of holiday romances and Amish life comes a new Christmas tale of surprising expectations and discovering miracles. Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community’s ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties. As long as she’s stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she’d cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker. All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Greene’s Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative sect) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister.

–

Metropolitan Stories: A Novel by Christine Coulson:

Abstract: “Hidden behind the Picassos and Vermeers, the Temple of Dendur and the American Wing, exists another world: the hallways and offices, conservation studios, storerooms, and cafeteria that are home to the museum’s devoted and peculiar staff of 2,200 people–along with a few ghosts. Metropolitan Stories unfolds in a series of amusing and poignant vignettes in which we discover larger-than-life characters, the downside of survival, and the powerful voices of the art itself.”–Provided by publisher.

–

When Old Midnight Comes Along by Loren Estleman:

Abstract: “Amos Walker is hired by one Francis X. Lawes, a private-sector mover and shaker in Detroit politics, to prove that his wife, Paula, who disappeared under sinister circumstances shortly more than six years ago, is dead, so he can remarry without having to wait for the seven-year-declaration-of-death rule to kick in. Walker’s investigation is complicated by two facts: the police still consider Lawes the prime suspect, and the first-responding officer in that old case was killed in the line of duty shortly afterwards and his notebook has never been found. The question for Walker is, if Lawes is guilty, why would he put himself in jeopardy of arrest and prosecution by giving the forensics team a body to work on?”– Publisher’s description.

–

Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

For mobile devices simply download the Libby (eBooks & downloadable audiobooks) or the RB Digital app (on-demand magazines), from your app store to get started. And if you’re using a PC or Mac simply click on the following link: https://stls.overdrive.com/

If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the top New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the upcoming week.

(Click on the book covers to read a summary of each plot and to request the book(s) of your choice.

FICTION:

19TH CHRISTMAS by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro:

In the 19th installment of the Women’s Murder Club series, detective Lindsay Boxer and company take on a fearsome criminal known only as “Loman.”

–

BLUE MOON by Lee Child:

Jack Reacher gets caught up in a turf war between Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.

-.

CRISS CROSS by James Patterson:

The 27th book in the Alex Cross series. Copycat crimes make the detective question whether an innocent man was executed.

–

THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett:

A sibling relationship is impacted when the family goes from poverty to wealth and back again over the course of many decades.

–

THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes:

In Depression-era America, five women refuse to be cowed by men or convention as they deliver books throughout the mountains of Kentucky.

–

THE GUARDIANS by John Grisham:

Cullen Post, a lawyer and Episcopal minister, antagonizes some ruthless killers when he takes on a wrongful conviction case.

–

THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King:

Children with special talents are abducted and sequestered in an institution where the sinister staff seeks to extract their gifts through harsh methods.

–

A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT by David Baldacci:

When Atlee Pine returns to her hometown to investigate her sister’s kidnapping from 30 years ago, she winds up tracking a potential serial killer.

–

OLIVE, AGAIN by Elizabeth Strout:

In a follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Olive Kitteridge,” new relationships, including a second marriage, are encountered in a seaside town in Maine.

–

THE OVERSTORY by Richard Powers:

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.

–

THE RISE OF MAGICKS by Nora Roberts:

The third book in the Chronicles of the One series. Fallon Swift goes up against an old foe.

–

THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides:

Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

–

THE SPY by Danielle Steel:

Alexandra Wickham, an espionage agent during World War II, must keep her secret hidden into the Cold War.

–

STARLESS SEA by Erin Morgenstern:

Zachary Ezra Rawlins fights to save a labyrinthine underground repository of stories.

–

THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood:

In a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” old secrets bring three women together as the Republic of Gilead’s theocratic regime shows signs of decay.

–

TWISTED TWENTY-SIX by Janet Evanovich:

The 26th book in the Stephanie Plum series. A New Jersey gangster’s associates go after a bounty hunter’s widowed grandmother.

–

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens:

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

–

NON-FICTION:

BEAUTIFUL ONES by Prince. Edited by Dan Piepenbring:

A memoir by the musician written before his death, with photos and other memorabilia detailing his evolution.

–

BECOMING by Michelle Obama:

The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

–

BLOWOUT by Rachel Maddow:

The MSNBC host argues that the global oil and gas industry has weakened democracies and bolstered authoritarians.

–

THE BODY by Bill Bryson:

An owner’s manual of the human body covering various parts, functions and what happens when things go wrong.

–

THE BOOK OF GUTSY WOMEN by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton:

Profiles of women from around the world who have blazed trails and challenged the status quo.

–

EDUCATED by Tara Westover:

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

–

FINDING CHIKA by Mitch Albom:

Lessons learned by the Alboms when they bring a Haitian orphan with a life-threatening illness into their family.

–

HOME WORK by Julie Andrews with Emma Walton Hamilton:

The musical theater icon’s second installment of her memoir describes her arrival in Hollywood, becoming a mother and her relationship with Blake Edwards.

–

I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES by Charles Brandt:

A World War II veteran works for a crime boss and comes into contact with the union boss Jimmy Hoffa. The basis of the movie “The Irishman.”

–

ME by Elton John:

The multi-award-winning solo artist’s first autobiography chronicles his career, relationships and private struggles.

–

SAM HOUSTON AND THE ALAMO AVENGERS by Brian Kilmeade:

The “Fox & Friends” host gives an account of the battle against the Mexican Army in 1836.

–

TALKING TO STRANGERS by Malcolm Gladwell:

Famous examples of miscommunication serve as the backdrop to explain potential conflicts and misunderstandings.

–

TRIGGERED by Donald Trump Jr.:

Forays into politics and views on liberals from the executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

–

THE UNITED STATES OF TRUMP by Bill O’Reilly:

The conservative commentator weaves interviews and personal history to portray the power and influence of the 45th president.

–

A WARNING by Anonymous:

A senior official in the Trump administration offers an assessment of the president and makes a moral appeal.

–

THE WAY I HEARD IT by Mike Rowe:

The television personality relays stories from his podcast and personal anecdotes.

–

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSL

–

Note: this list contains all the New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that are owned by libraries within the Southern Tier Library System.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our five musical recommendations of the week!

(Click on the Book/eBook/CD/DVD or book cover to request the item)

Africa Speaks (2019) by Santana (Format: CD) (Genre: African, Cuban, Latin, Rock)

Santana is the latest album by the band lead for decades by the phenomenal guitarist Carols Santana.

In his AllMusic review critic Thom Jurek praises this album to the rafters and notes in the final paragraph of his review “Africa Speaks is breathtaking in terms of energy and scope of vision. Here, the Santana band are — more than at any time since the mid-’70s run of Caravanserai, Welcome, Lotus, and Borboletta — a rangy, intense, restless, and musically hungry outfit aware of their potential. Africa Speaks is the surprise of 2019, the album Carlos has been desiring to make for decades but was unable to given contract restrictions — Concord offered complete artistic freedom. He, Buika, and the Santana band made the most of it.”

So hats off to Concord Records, and give this great LP a listen!

Song List:

1. Africa Speaks
2. Batonga
3. Oye Este Mi Canto
4. Yo Me Lo Meresco
5. Blue Skies
6. Paraísos Quemados
7. Breaking Down the Door
8. Los Invisibles
9. Luna Hechicera
10. Bembele
11. Candombe Cumbele

–

Blue Roses by Runaway June (Format: CD) (Genre: Country)

Blues Roses consists of singers Naomi Cooke, Jennifer Wayne and Hanna Mulholland, and Blue Roses is their first album. The group’s music is sunny and upbeat, and perfect to perk one up on cloudy winter days.

Song List:

1. Head Over Heels
2. Buy My Own Drinks
3. We Were Rich
4. I Know the Way
5. Trouble With This Town
6. Got Me Where I Want You
7. Fast as You
8. I Am Too
9. Good, Bad & Ugly
10. Blue Roses

–

Classic Jazz Collection: 27 Jazz Standards Newly Arraigned For Piano And Voice (Format: Print Book) (Genres: Jazz, Vocal, Pop):

Twenty seven jazz standard based upon popular vocal recordings, including Angel Eyes (Frank Sinatra), April in Paris (Count Basie), In A Sentimental Mood (Benny Goodman), I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Michael Buble), My Favorite Things (Julie Andrews) and Prelude to a Kiss (Nancy Wilson).

–

Jingle Bell Swing by Various Artists (Format: Music CD) (Genre: Swing, Jazz, Vocal)

A swinging collection of Christmas music featuring Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Miles David, Louis Prima and The Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Song List:

1. Jingle Bells (Duke Ellington And His Orchestra)
2. Deck the Halls (Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea)
3. Winter Wonderland (Tony Bennett)
4. Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) (Duke Ellington)
5. Snowfall (The Glenn Miller Orchestra & Tex Beneke)
6. Winter Weather (Benny Goodman & His Orchestra with Peggy Lee)
7. What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’?) (Louis Prima)
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Pony Poindexter)
9. O Christmas Tree (Russell Malone)
10. Deck Us All with Boston Charlie (Lambert, Hendricks & Ross)
11. Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (Miles Davis)
12. Shake Hands with Santa Claus (Louis Prima)
13. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Art Carney)
14. The Christmas Song (Carmen McRae)

–

Space Between (2019) by Sammy Hagar with Circle (Format: CD) (Genre: Rock):

This rockin’ album features Sammy Hagar on vocals, his former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony on bass, Led Zeppelin relation and rock drummer extraordinaire Jason Bonham on drums and Vic Johnson, formerly of Waboritas, on guitar.

So if you’re a fan of Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Waboritas or just straightforward hard rock – this album is for you, check it out!

Song List:

1. Devil Came to Philly
2. Full Circle Jam (Chump Change)
3. Can’t Hang
4. Wide Open Space
5. Free Man
6. Bottom Line
7. No Worries
8. Trust Fund Baby
9. Affirmation
10. Hey Hey (Without Greed)

–

Videos Of The Week:

Africa Speaks by Santana

–

Breaking Down the Door by Santana

–

Los Invisibles by Santana

–

Blue Roses by Runaway June

–

Buy My Own Drinks by Runaway June

–

Wild West by Runaway June

–

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Rosemary Clooney

–

In A Sentimental Mood by Benny Goodman

–

Prelude To A Kiss by Sarah Vaughan

–

Everything Happens To Me by Chet Baker

–

A Night In Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie featuring Charlie Parker

–

Pennsylvania 6-5000 by The Glenn Miller Orchestra

–

Jingle Bells by Duke Ellington

–

Shake Hands With Santa Claus by Louis Prima

–

Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) by Duke Ellington

–

Devil Came To Philly by Sammy Hagar & The Circle

–

Free Man by Sammy Hagar & The Circle

–

Wide Open Spaces by Sammy Hagar & The Circle

–

J-I-N-G-L-E Bells by Frank Sinatra

–

Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

Africa Speaks Review written by Thom Jurek, AllMusic, https://www.allmusic.com/album/africa-speaks-mw0003268513

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

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.

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS: Libby & RBDigital:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the Libby and/or the RBDigital app, to check out eBooks, downloadable audiobooks and on-demand magazines, from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles, eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

DIGITAL CATALOG RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Christmas Blessing by Melody Carlson (Format: eBook):

When she receives the news in late 1944 that her baby’s father was shot down in the South Pacific, Amelia Richards loses hope. Jobless and broke, she has nowhere to turn for help but her infant’s paternal grandparents. The only problem is, they don’t know that she–or their grandson–exists. When Amelia discovers that the family is wealthy and influential, dare she disclose the truth of her relationship with their son? Or could the celebration of the arrival of another unexpected baby nearly two thousand years ago be the answer to her dilemma?

Beloved author Melody Carlson pens a story of love, hardship, and reconciliation that will leave readers filled with Christmas joy.

–

Doing Harm, The Truth about How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick written by Maya Dusenbery and read by Dara Rosenberg (Format Downloadable Audiobook):

In this shocking, hard-hitting expose in the tradition of Naomi Klein and Barbara Ehrenreich, the editorial director of Feministing.com, reveals how inadequate, inappropriate, and even dangerous treatment threatens women’s lives and well-being.

Editor of the award-winning site Feministing.com, Maya Dusenbery brings together scientific and sociological research, interviews with experts within and outside the medical establishment, and personal stories from women across the country to provide the first comprehensive, accessible look at how sexism in medicine harms women today.

Dusenbery reveals how conditions that disproportionately affect women, such as autoimmune diseases, chronic pain conditions, and Alzheimer’s disease, are neglected and woefully under-researched. “Contested” diseases, such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, that are 70 to 80 percent female-dominated are so poorly understood that they have not yet been fully accepted as “real” conditions by the whole of the profession. Meanwhile, despite a wealth of evidence showing the impact of biological difference between the sexes in everything from drug responses to symptoms to risk factors for various diseases-even the symptoms of a heart attack-medicine continues to take a one-size-fits-all approach: that of a 155-pound white man.

In addition, women are negatively impacted by the biases and stereotypes that dismiss them as “chronic complainers,” leading to long delays-often years long-to get diagnosed. The consequences are catastrophic. Offering a clear-eyed explanation of the root causes of this insidious and entrenched bias and laying out its effects, Doing Harm will change the way we look at health care for women.

–

Our Lady of Pain, Edwardian Murder Mystery Series, Book 4 by M. C. Beaton writing as Marion Chesney & read by Davina Porter (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

Lady Rose Summer, the wayward Edwardian debutante who keeps getting mixed up in disreputable adventures, would swear she is not a jealous woman. After all, she knows her engagement to private detective Captain Harry Cathcart is only a ploy to keep her parents from shipping her off to India. But then Harry’s latest client, Dolores Duval–a vision of curves with a seductive French accent–starts appearing everywhere at his side. In a fit of rage, Rose threatens Dolores, only to be found the very next day, standing over her dead body. The newspapers rush to convict her, but can Harry and Detective Superintendent Kerridge clear her name?

–

Shogun: Asian Saga, Book 1 written by James Clavell (Format: eBook):

“Only by living at the edge of death can you understand the indescribable joy of life.”

After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen—Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is late sixteenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed.

Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shōgun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book. Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the bestselling novels of all time but also one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shōgun is, as the New York Times put it, “…not only something you read—you live it.”

Provocative, absorbing, and endlessly fascinating, there is only one: Shōgun.

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Tell the Wolves I’m Home: A Novel by Carol Rifka Brunt (Format:eBook):

In this striking literary debut, Carol Rifka Brunt unfolds a moving story of love, grief, and renewal as two lonely people become the unlikeliest of friends and find that sometimes you don’t know you’ve lost someone until you’ve found them.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

NAMED A FAVORITE READ BY GILLIAN FLYNN • WINNER OF THE ALEX AWARD

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

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PRINT RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Book Of Science And Antiquities: A Novel by Thomas Keneally:

Abstract: “An award-winning documentary filmmaker, Shelby Apple is obsessed with reimaging the full story of the Learned Man – a prehistoric man whose remains are believed to be the link between Africa and ancient Australia. From Vietnam to northern Africa and the Australian Outback, Shelby searches for understanding of this enigmatic man from the ancient past, unaware that the two men share a great deal in common. Some 40,000 years in the past, the Learned Man has made his home alongside other members of his tribe. Complex and deeply introspective, he reveres tradition, loyalty, and respect for his ancestors. Willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, the Learned Man cannot conceive that a man millennia later could relate to him in heart and feeling.”– Publisher description.

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The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney:

Abstract: “A curmudgeon and his eccentric new roommate join together to plan an epic escape in this charming, poignant tale. Joel lives in a nursing home, and he’s not one bit happy about it. He hates being told when to eat, when to sleep, when to take his pills. He’s fed up with life and begins to plan a way out when his new roommate, a retired soap opera actor named Frank, moves in and turns the nursing-home community upside down. Though the two men couldn’t be more opposite, a fast friendship is formed when Frank is the only one who listens to and stands up for Joel. When he tells Frank about his burgeoning plan, they embark together on a mission to find the perfect escape, and along the way will discover that it’s never too late for new beginnings. Filled with colorful characters, sparkling humor and deep emotion, The Great Unexpected is the story of friendship, finding oneself later in life and experiencing newfound joy in the most unexpected places.” — Provided by publisher.

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This Is Happiness by Niall Williams:

Abstract: “Change is coming to Faha, a small Irish parish that hasn’t changed in a thousand years. For one thing, the rain is stopping. Nobody remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard is a condition of living. But now – just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of the electricity – the rain clouds are lifting. Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is idling in the unexpected sunshine when Christy makes his first entrance into Faha, bringing secrets he needs to atone for. Though he can’t explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed. As the people of Faha anticipate the endlessly procrastinated advent of the electricity, and Noel navigates his own coming-of-age and his falling in and out of love, Christy’s past gradually comes to light, casting a new glow on a small world. Harking back to a simpler time, This Is Happiness is a tender portrait of a community – its idiosyncrasies and traditions, its paradoxes and kindnesses, its failures and triumphs – and a coming-of-age tale like no other. Luminous and lyrical, yet anchored by roots running deep into the earthy and everyday, it is about the power of stories: their invisible currents that run through all we do, writing and rewriting us, and the transforming light that they throw onto our world”– Publisher description.

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Laetitia Rodd And The Case Of The Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders:

“In 1851, private-detective Laetitia Rodd is enjoying a well-earned holiday when she gets an urgent request for her services. Mrs. Rodd’s neighbor Jacob Welland is a reclusive rich gentleman dying of consumption, and he wants Mrs. Rodd to find his brother, who has been missing for 15 years. Joshua Welland was a scholar at Oxford, brilliant, eccentric, and desperately poor when he disappeared from the university. Friends claim to have seen him since, in gypsy camps and wandering around the countryside. But the last sighting was ten years before – when Joshua claimed to be learning great secrets from the gypsies that would one day astound the whole world. Mrs. Rodd travels to Oxford and begins to search for the wandering scholar. But as she investigates, Mrs. Rodd discovers something dark – and extremely dangerous – lurking in the beautiful English countryside.”–Amazon.com

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The Perfect Love Song: A Christmas Story by Patti Callahan Henry:

Includes: a shortbread recipe, instructions for Charlotte’s southern garland, the legend of the

Claddagh Ring, the story behind the story, and discussion questions.

Abstract: Brothers Jimmy and Jack Sullivan live a nomadic life touring with their band, The Unknown Souls. But now Jack is engaged to Kara, with a Christmas wedding planned in Ireland. Until Jimmy met Kara’s best friend, Charlotte, he never expected to fall in love. When Jimmy and Charlotte write a song together, it catches the attention of a manager for a famous country band. Before Jimmy knows it, he’s on tour with the band and everyone knows his name. But fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Jimmy finds himself far away from his loved ones. Only a Christmas miracle will lead Jimmy back to Ireland, to his brother, and to love.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

For mobile devices simply download the Libby (eBooks & downloadable audiobooks) or the RB Digital app (on-demand magazines), from your app store to get started. And if you’re using a PC or Mac simply click on the following link: https://stls.overdrive.com/

If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the top New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the upcoming week.

(Click on the book covers to read a summary of each plot and to request the book(s) of your choice.

FICTION:

BLUE MOON by Lee Child:

Jack Reacher gets caught up in a turf war between Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.

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CRISS CROSS by James Patterson:

The 27th book in the Alex Cross series. Copycat crimes make the detective question whether an innocent man was executed.

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THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett:

A sibling relationship is impacted when the family goes from poverty to wealth and back again over the course of many decades.

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THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes:

In Depression-era America, five women refuse to be cowed by men or convention as they deliver books throughout the mountains of Kentucky.

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THE GUARDIANS by John Grisham:

Cullen Post, a lawyer and Episcopal minister, antagonizes some ruthless killers when he takes on a wrongful conviction case.

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THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King:

Children with special talents are abducted and sequestered in an institution where the sinister staff seeks to extract their gifts through harsh methods.

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A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT by David Baldacci:

When Atlee Pine returns to her hometown to investigate her sister’s kidnapping from 30 years ago, she winds up tracking a potential serial killer.

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THE NIGHT FIRE by Michael Connelly:

Harry Bosch and Renée Ballard return to take up a case that held the attention of Bosch’s mentor.

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OLIVE, AGAIN by Elizabeth Strout:

In a follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Olive Kitteridge,” new relationships, including a second marriage, are encountered in a seaside town in Maine.

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THE RISE OF MAGICKS by Nora Roberts:

The third book in the Chronicles of the One series. Fallon Swift goes up against an old foe.

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THE SPY by Danielle Steel:

Alexandra Wickham, an espionage agent during World War II, must keep her secret hidden into the Cold War.

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STARLESS SEA by Erin Morgenstern:

Zachary Ezra Rawlins fights to save a labyrinthine underground repository of stories.

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TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris:

A concentration camp detainee tasked with permanently marking fellow prisoners falls in love with one of them.

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THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood:

In a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” old secrets bring three women together as the Republic of Gilead’s theocratic regime shows signs of decay.

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TWISTED TWENTY-SIX by Janet Evanovich:

The 26th book in the Stephanie Plum series. A New Jersey gangster’s associates go after a bounty hunter’s widowed grandmother.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens:

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

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NON-FICTION:

BEAUTIFUL ONES by Prince. Edited by Dan Piepenbring:

A memoir by the musician written before his death, with photos and other memorabilia detailing his evolution.

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BECOMING by Michelle Obama:

The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

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BLOWOUT by Rachel Maddow:

The MSNBC host argues that the global oil and gas industry has weakened democracies and bolstered authoritarians.

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THE BODY by Bill Bryson:

An owner’s manual of the human body covering various parts, functions and what happens when things go wrong.

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CRIME IN PROGRESS by Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch:

The founders of Fusion GPS detail their investigations of Donald Trump and the subsequent fallout.

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EDUCATED by Tara Westover:

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

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FINDING CHIKA by Mitch Albom:

Lessons learned by the Alboms when they bring a Haitian orphan with a life-threatening illness into their family.

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HOME WORK by Julie Andrews with Emma Walton Hamilton:

The musical theater icon’s second installment of her memoir describes her arrival in Hollywood, becoming a mother and her relationship with Blake Edwards.

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I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES by Charles Brandt:

A World War II veteran works for a crime boss and comes into contact with the union boss Jimmy Hoffa. The basis of the movie “The Irishman.”

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JAY-Z: MADE IN AMERICA by Michael Eric:

Dyson An appreciation of the rapper’s career over the last three decades.

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ME by Elton John:

The multi-award-winning solo artist’s first autobiography chronicles his career, relationships and private struggles.

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SAM HOUSTON AND THE ALAMO AVENGERS by Brian Kilmeade:

The “Fox & Friends” host gives an account of the battle against the Mexican Army in 1836.

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TALKING TO STRANGERS by Malcolm Gladwell:

Famous examples of miscommunication serve as the backdrop to explain potential conflicts and misunderstandings.

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TRIGGERED by Donald Trump Jr.:

Forays into politics and views on liberals from the executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

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THE WAY I HEARD IT by Mike Rowe:

The television personality relays stories from his podcast and personal anecdotes.

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A WARNING by Anonymous:

A senior official in the Trump administration offers an assessment of the president and makes a moral appeal.

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Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSL

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Note: this list contains all the New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that are owned by libraries within the Southern Tier Library System.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.