Month: March 2021

Hi everyone, here is the weekly list of New York Times Bestsellers.

Each title is followed by a listing of which formats it is available in for check out within the three catalogs: StarCat (Print, Large Print & CD Audiobooks), The Digital Catalog (eBook & Downloadable Audiobook) and the Hoopla Catalog (Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Hoopla Audiobook).

For more information on the three catalogs skip to the section below the bestselling titles*

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New York Times Bestseller blog postings are published on Sundays; and the next New York Times Bestselling blog posting will be published on Sunday, March 21, 2021.

 

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FICTION

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THE AFFAIR by Danielle Steel

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A French author’s extramarital relationship affects various members of his wife’s family.

 

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CAMINO WINDS by John Grisham

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The line between fact and fiction becomes blurred when an author of thrillers is found dead after a hurricane hits Camino Island.

 

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A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The fifth book in A Court of Thorn and Roses series. Nesta Archeron is forced into close quarters with a warrior named Cassian.

 

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DARK SKY by C.J. Box

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

The 21st book in the Joe Pickett series. The Wyoming game warden becomes a target when taking a tech baron on an elk hunting trip.

 

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THE DUKE AND I by Julia Quinn

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The first book in the Bridgerton series. Daphne Bridgerton’s reputation soars when she colludes with the Duke of Hastings. The basis of the Netflix series “Bridgerton.”

 

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THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD Audiobook, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

As dust storms roll during the Great Depression, Elsa must choose between saving the family and farm or heading West.

 

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INFINITE COUNTRY by Patricia Engel

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A kaleidoscopic story of a family occupying two different countries, Colombia and the United States.

 

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THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab

(Available Formats: Print Books, Large Print, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A Faustian bargain comes with a curse that affects the adventure Addie LaRue has across centuries.

 

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KLARA AND THE SUN by Kazuo Ishiguro

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

An “Artificial Friend” named Klara is purchased to serve as a companion to an ailing 14-year-old girl.

 

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LIFE AFTER DEATH by Sister Souljah

(Available Formats: Print Book)

In a sequel to “The Coldest Winter Ever,” Winter Santiaga emerges after time served and seeks revenge.

 

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LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

An aspiring historian in London finds a clue that might put to rest unsolved apothecary murders from 200 years ago

 

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobooks)

Nora Seed finds a library beyond the edge of the universe that contains books with multiple possibilities of the lives one could have lived.

 

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SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse

(Available Formats: Currently none; coming soon in print and eBook formats)

Elin Warner must find her estranged brother’s fiancée, who goes missing as a storm approaches a hotel that was once a sanatorium in the Swiss Alps.

 

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UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A teenage girl heads north on the network that helped slaves escape to freedom, envisioned in this novel as a secret system of actual tracks and tunnels.

 

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THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern black community at age 16 diverge as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity.

 

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THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME by Julia Quinn

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook, Downloadable Audiobook, Hoopla instant check out eBook & Hoopla instant check out audiobook)

The second book in the Bridgerton series. Kate Sheffield gets in the way of Anthony Bridgerton’s intent to marry.

 

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WE BEGIN AT THE END by Chris Whitaker

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Trouble might start for the chief of police and a self-proclaimed outlaw teen when a man is released from prison.

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WHAT’S MINE AND YOURS by Naima Coster

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The integration of a North Carolina school ties together a pair of seemingly unconnected families for two decades.

 

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NON-FICTION:

 

BECOMING by Michelle Obama

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

 

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BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook, Downloadable Audiobook & Hoopla Audiobook)

How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.

 

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BREATH by James Nestor

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A re-examination of a basic biological function and a look at the science behind ancient breathing practices.

 

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines aspects of caste systems across civilizations and reveals a rigid hierarchy in America today.

 

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FOUR HUNDRED SOULS by Ibram X. Kendi & Keisha N. Blain

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

A compendium featuring 90 writers covering 400 years of African-American history.

 

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD & Downloadable Audiobook)

The Academy Award-winning actor shares snippets from the diaries he kept over the last 35 years.

 

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HOW TO AVOID A CLIMATE DISASTER by Bill Gates

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A prescription for what business, governments and individuals can do to work toward zero emissions.

 

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HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD Audiobook, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A primer for creating a more just and equitable society through identifying and opposing racism.

 

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JUST AS I AM by Cicely Tyson with Michelle Burford

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The late iconic actress describes how she worked to change perceptions of Black women through her career choices.

 

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NOMADLAND by Jessica Bruder

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD Audiobook, eBook)

A look at an expanding low-cost labor pool, which largely consists of transient older adults, and what this might portend.

 

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A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD Audiobook, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

In the first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama offers personal reflections on his formative years and pivotal moments through his first term.

 

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THE SUM OF US by Heather McGhee

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The chair of the board of the racial justice organization Color of Change analyzes the impact of racism on the economy.

 

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THINK AGAIN by Adam Grant

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An examination of the cognitive skills of rethinking and unlearning that could be used to adapt to a rapidly changing world.

 

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THINKING, FAST AND SLOW by Daniel Kahneman

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

The winner of the Nobel in economic science discusses how we make choices.

 

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UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN by Emmanuel Acho

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A look at some questions and concepts needed to address systemic racism.

 

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UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The activist and public speaker describes her journey of listening to her inner voice.

 

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WALK IN MY COMBAT BOOTS by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Chris Mooney

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A collection of interviews with troops who fought overseas.

 

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WORLD OF WONDERS by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

In a collection of essays, the poet celebrates various aspects of the natural world and its inhabitants.

 

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Be well and read on!

Linda Reimer, SSL

 

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

Digital Catalog: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog has two companion apps, Libby & OverDrive. Libby is the app for newer devices and the OverDrive app should be used for older devices and Amazon tablets.

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

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

The Hoopla Catalog features instant check outs of eBooks, downloadable audiobook, comic books, albums and streaming videos. Patron check out limit is 4 items per month.

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

The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple devices and most smart TVs & media streaming players.

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

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

The StarCat app is called Bookmyne and is available for Apple and Android devices.

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Southeast Steuben County Library Tel: 607-936-3713

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, welcome to our Suggested Listening posting for this week!

Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, March 19, 2021.

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Anyway The Wind Blows by Eric Clapton with J. J. Cale (Genre: Blues, Rock, Guitar)

Two guitarists extraordinaire, recorded live! The video was recorded in 2007 and is found on Clapton’s album Live in San Diego (2016).

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Baby Don’t You Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts by Lake Street Drive (Genre: Rock, R&B, Folk, Vocal)

Lake Street Drive is a terrific roots band that hails from Boston. The group consists of Rachel Price on vocals, Mike Calabrese on drums, Bridget Kearney on bass & Mike “McDuck” Olson on guitar and trumpet.

The song Baby Don’t You Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts if from their album Free Yourself Up (2018).

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Everyday I Have The Blues by B. B. King (Genre: Blues)

The great B.B. King with a classic blues tune; found on his very first album Singin’ The Blues (1956).

And as a bonus, and in relation, here is the great T-Bone Walker performing the same song with an early seventies vibe; the recording is from Walker’s 1970 album of the same name.

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Everyday I Have The Blues by T-Bone Walker (Genre: Blues)

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The Forest Gump Suite by Alan Silvestri (Genre: Piano, Instrumental)

The majestic suite is found on the soundtrack of the film Forrest Gump (1994).

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I’m Alive by Norah Jones (Genre: Vocal, Jazz, Folk)

Vocalist Norah Jones with an upbeat song from her most recent album, Pick Me Up Off The Floor (2020).

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Moon Will Rise by Painted Shrines (Genre: Pop, Rock)

Painted Shrines is a duo consisting of Glenn Donaldson and Jeremy Earl.

The Moon Will Rise is from their new album Heaven and Holy (2021)

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Sign On The Window by Bob Dylan (Genre: Folk, Folk-Rock)

The song Sign On The Window is from Dylan’s newly released album 1970 (2021); obviously recorded in 1970 and just released.

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Soul Man by Sam & Dave (Genre: R&B)

The classic duo of Sam Moore and Dave Prater with one of their best songs; from the album Soul Men (1967).

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Ten Year Town by Hailey Whitters (Genre: Country, Singer-Songwriter, Pop-Rock)

Singer-songwriter Hailey Whitters worked side jobs in Nashville for years while writing songs in her spare time; she broke through to a larger audience as a solo artist with her 2020 album The Dream. During COVID-lockdown she recorded a few more songs, including Ten Year Town, and released an extended version of the album titled Living The Dream Deluxe Edition (2021).

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Together Alone by Elizabeth & the Catapult (Genre: Folk, Jazz, Singer-Songwriter)

New York City based Elizabeth & the Catapult is fronted by pianist and vocalist Elizabeth Ziman. The wistful song Together Alone is from their new album sincerely, e (2021)

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Bonus Atmospheric Video

10 Hours of Sunny Summer Jazz Cafe and Bossa Nova Music by Richard Freeman

If you’re in the mood to have some light background music playing this weekend; check this video out!

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 Hoopla Recommended Album of the Week:

Celtic Woman (2005) by Celtic Woman

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, which is quickly approaching, here is a terrific collection of music from the ethereal, vocal Irish group Celtic Woman. Songs on this, the group’s first album, include Isle of Innisfree, Last Rose Of Summer/Walking In The Air, May It Be, Danny Boy, Siulil A Run & Si Do Mhaimeo I.

The vocal ensemble has had a number of line-up changes over the years and currently consists of Tara McNeill, Megan Walsh and the lead vocalist on the following song Chloë Agnew:

 Last Rose Of Summer/Walking In The Air (Medley) by Celtic Woman

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Have a good weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic. 2021. AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands. [online] Available at: <https://www.allmusic.com/&gt;.

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

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The Digital Catalog (OverDrive & Libby Apps)

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

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Hoopla

A catalog of instant check out items, including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, TV shows and movies for for patrons of the Southeast Steuben County Library.

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

Format Note: Under each book title you’ll find a list of all the different formats that specific title is available in; including: Print Books, Large Print Books, CD Audiobooks, eBooks & Downloadable Audiobooks from the Digital Catalog (OverDrive & Libby apps) and Hoopla eBooks & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla App).

*More information on the three catalogs is found at the end of the list of recommended reads*

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays. The next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

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The Conductors by Nicole Glover

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Inventively mixing mystery, magic, and alternate history, Glover’s nail-biting debut takes readers to Reconstruction era Philadelphia. Henrietta “Hetty” and Benjamin “Benjy” Rhodes—both adept at sigil magic that draws on the constellations—are famed conductors for the Vigilance Society, which shepherded enslaved Black people to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Stories of their trips into the South are legendary in their Philadelphia community even a decade after the Civil War.

Now, Hetty and Benjy use their magical and analytical skills as detectives, dealing with missing person cases, murders, and other crimes the white police force chooses to overlook. But when one of their friends turns up dead and their suspicions fall close to home, they’ll need to work out who in their community is not who they say they are. The pace is relaxed but the tension steadily builds as Glover weaves each detail into a satisfying mystery.

Frequent flashbacks to Hetty and Benjy’s thrilling exploits as conductors on the Underground Railroad reveal how Hetty’s tough choices during the Civil War led to her life today. Readers will be surprised but gratified by an ending that shows just how past actions inform the present in unexpected ways. Glover is a writer to watch. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion by Tori Telfer

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Keep your hand firmly on your wallet as Telfer (Lady Killers) takes you from the court of Marie Antoinette to Harlem’s occult scene to the aftermath of 9/11. She shines a spotlight on infamous grifters, adventuresses, imposters, and femmes fatales—each exhibiting brazen confidence and the uncanny ability to sell an outlandish story. Her rogues gallery is divided into four con artist categories—the Glitterati, the Seers, the Fabulists, and the Drifters—with memorable examples highlighting each section. Telfer can coherently summarize an intentionally convoluted scheme, such as a real estate swindle targeting China’s elite, while acknowledging the human cost. She also embraces the morbid humor of situations such as Roxie Ann Rice performing a trick play on the NFL with information gleaned from an issue of Ebony. Then there’s the outright tragic, including those who profit from disasters or the ill-fated Bonny Lee Bakley, who desperately wanted to marry a Hollywood star. VERDICT Readers who appreciate a well-executed sting will enjoy this thoroughly researched yet breezy guide to notorious women.—Terry Bosky, Madison, WI for Library Journal

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Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Audiobook)

The Guide to Being Glorious You

New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker, with cheeky candor and fearlessness, guides readers to a deep dive into how they are wired and provides them with the tools to walk in that identity with freedom and guts.

Stuck in people-pleasing or fear, many women hide and pretend, then end up sidelined in their own lives. But what they want is to be brave, to claim every gift, dream, quirk, and emotion inside, to stop performing and start living.

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker understands the struggle to find firm footing in a culture that operates from stereotypes and often unreachable expectations. In this new book, she offers women encouragement, challenge, and humor as she helps them identify everything that makes them tick and gain the confidence to live it all out. She leads them through five self-reflective categories-who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect-and helps them:

• identify the exact ways they pretend, and learn instead how to be genuine at all times, in all ways, in all contexts;

• be empowered to say yes and no without guilt;

• learn to voice both their spiritual questions and convictions; and

• opt out of drama and into healthy adult relationships.

With wry humor, earnest passion, and been-there insight, Jen calls women to the life-giving freedom of leaning into the identity, convictions, and community they’ve been given.

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Floret Farm’s Discovering Dahlias by Erin Benzakein

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms

A stunning guide to growing, harvesting, and arranging gorgeous dahlia blooms from celebrated farmer-florist and New York Times bestselling author Erin Benzakein, founder of Floret Flower Farm.

World-renowned flower farmer and floral designer Erin Benzakein reveals all the secrets to growing, cultivating, and arranging gorgeous dahlias. These coveted floral treasures come in a dazzling range of colors, sizes, and forms, with enough variety for virtually every garden space and personal preference, making them one of the most beloved flowers for arrangements.

In these pages, readers will discover:

• Expert advice for planting, harvesting, and arranging garden-fresh dahlias

• A simple-to-follow overview of the dahlia classification system

• An A–Z guide with photos and descriptions of more than 350 varieties

• Step-by-step how-to’s for designing show-stopping dahlia bouquets that elevate any occasion

Expert Author: Erin Benzakein’s gorgeous flowers are celebrated throughout the world. Her book Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers was a New York Times bestseller and her first book, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden, won the American Horticultural Society Book Award.

Filled with Wisdom: Overflowing with hundreds of lush photographs and invaluable advice, DISCOVERING DAHLIAS is an essential resource for gardeners and a must-have for anyone who loves flowers, including flower lovers, avid and novice gardeners, floral designers, florists, small farmers, stylists, and designers.

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The Girl In The Painting by Tea Cooper

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

A young prodigy in need of family.A painting that shatters a woman’s peace.And a decades-old mystery demanding to be solved.

Australia, 1906

Orphan Jane Piper is nine years old when philanthropist siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn take her into their home to further her schooling. The Quinns are no strangers to hardship. Having arrived in Australia as penniless immigrants, they now care for others as lost as they once were.

Despite Jane’s mysterious past, her remarkable aptitude for mathematics takes her far over the next seven years, and her relationship with Elizabeth and Michael flourishes as she plays an increasingly prominent part in their business.

But when Elizabeth reacts in terror to an exhibition at the local gallery, Jane realizes no one knows Elizabeth after all-not even Elizabeth herself. As the past and present converge and Elizabeth’s grasp on reality loosens, Jane sets out to unravel her story before it’s too late.

From the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, this compelling novel presents a mystery that spans continents and decades as both women finally discover a place to call home.

“Combining characters that are wonderfully complex with a story spanning decades of their lives, The Girl in the Painting is a triumph of family, faith, and long-awaited forgiveness. I was swept away!” -Kristy Cambron, bestselling author of The Paris Dressmaker and the Hidden Masterpiece novels

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Irish Eyes written by Mary Kay Andrews and read by Hillary Huber

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla instant checkout audiobook)

Callahan Garrity is the owner of House Mouse, a cleaning service that tidies up after Atlanta’s elite. She’s also a former cop and a part-time sleuth. She and her coterie of devoted helpers can ransack a house for clues faster than it takes a fingerprint to set. When Callahan Garrity gets caught in a liquor store holdup on the way home from a St. Paddy’s Day party, one of her best friends is shot. Callahan and her House Mouse cleaning crew dive into the investigation-only to discover that her old friend might have been working both sides of the law as an accomplice in a string of robberies. It will take every trick they’ve got to pierce the veil of secrecy surrounding an Irish police organization and prove that the case is more than it seems.

The eighth book in the Callahan Garrity series; if you’d like to start with the first book – it is Every Crooked Nanny.

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The Irish Girl: A Novel by Santa Montefiore

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

Ireland. The early twentieth century. Two girls on the cusp of womanhood. A nation on the brink of war. Read their story – and see why JOJO Moyes says that “Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore.” Born on the ninth day of the ninth month in the year 1900, Kitty Deverill grows up in Castle Deverill, on the sunning green ghills of West Cork, Ireland – the same place her ancestors have always dwelled. She isn’t fully Irish, as the son of the local veterinarian likes to tease her; but this doesn’t stop Kitty and Jack O’Leary from falling in love…

Bridie Doyle, daughter to Castle Deverill’s cook, cherishes her friendship with Kitty. Yet she can’t help dreaming of someday having wealth, having glamour, having… more. And when she discovers Kitty’s darkest secret, Bridie finds herself growing to resent the girl in the castle who seems to have it all. As Irish and British forces collide in Southern Ireland, Jack enlists to fight – and Kitty throws herself into the cause for Irish liberty, running messages and ammunition between the rebels. But, her allegiance to her family and her friends will soon be tested… and when Castle Deverill comes under attack, the only home and life she’s ever known are threatened.

A powerful story of love, loyalty, and friendship, The Girl in the Castle is an exquisitely written novel set against the magical, captivating landscape of Ireland – perfect for fans of DOWNTON ABBEY and KATE MORTON.

The Irish Girl was originally published with the title The Girl in the Castle and is available in large print form under that title.

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The Library At The Edge Of The World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD Audiobook, eBook, Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Audiobook)

November 2017 Library Reads Pick In the bestselling tradition of Fannie Flagg and Jenny Colgan comes Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s U.S. debut about a local librarian who must find a way to rebuild her community and her own life in this touching, enchanting novel set on Ireland’s stunning West Coast. As she drives her mobile library van between villages of Ireland’s West Coast, Hanna Casey tries not to think about a lot of things. Like the sophisticated lifestyle she abandoned after finding her English barrister husband in bed with another woman. Or that she’s back in Lissbeg, the rural Irish town she walked away from in her teens, living in the back bedroom of her overbearing mother’s retirement bungalow. Or, worse yet, her nagging fear that, as the local librarian and a prominent figure in the community, her failed marriage and ignominious return have made her a focus of gossip.

With her teenage daughter, Jazz, off traveling the world and her relationship with her own mother growing increasingly tense, Hanna is determined to reclaim her independence by restoring a derelict cottage left to her by her great-aunt. But when the threatened closure of the Lissbeg Library puts her personal plans in jeopardy, Hanna finds herself leading a battle to restore the heart and soul of the Finfarran Peninsula’s fragmented community. And she’s about to discover that the neighbors she’d always kept at a distance have come to mean more to her than she ever could have imagined. Told with heart and abundant charm, The Library at the Edge of the World is a joyous story about the meaning of home and the importance of finding a place where you truly belong.

Book 1 of the Finfarran series

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Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Editor and journalist Harris’s (Five Came Back) engrossing, pull-no-punches biography of American movie and theater director Mike Nichols (1931–2014) presents both well-known and more obscure portions of his subject’s life and work through a chronological arrangement, with copious excerpts from interviews with actors, writers, designers, and other creative folks.

The author divides the narrative into two- or three-year chunks, examining Nichols’s Jewish family’s escape from Germany on the cusp of World War II; his early successes in clubs, radio, and television as a duo with Elaine May; and his collaborations with Neil Simon on Broadway and his renown for movies such as The Graduate. Neither avoiding nor emphasizing Nichols’s excesses of consumption and failed marriages, Harris creates a fully rounded portrait of a person who could command the respect and support of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and master his craft yet still feel insecure when confronted with disappointment.

VERDICT A compelling storyteller, Harris sweeps readers up into the whirlwind of Nichols’s life. Likely to become the definitive book about Nichols, Harris’s exhaustive take should have widespread appeal, especially given the dearth of currently available literature about this important and influential entertainment icon.—Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH for Library Journal

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That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby by Annie F. Downs

(Available Formats: Print Book, Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Audiobook)

We know there are certain things we must have to survive—food, shelter, and safety to name a few. But there are also aspects of life that truly allow us to be joyful and fulfilled. For popular podcaster and bestselling author Annie F. Downs, fun is close to the top of that list. Few would argue that having fun doesn’t enrich our lives, but so much gets in the way of prioritizing it. Tough days, busyness, and feelings that are hard to talk about keep us from the fun that’s out there waiting to be found.

With That Sounds Fun, Annie offers an irresistible invitation to understand the meaning of fun, to embrace it and chase it, and to figure out what, exactly, sounds fun to you—then do it! Exploring some research and sharing some thoughts behind why fun matters, she shows you how to find, experience, and multiply your fun. With her signature storytelling style and whimsical vulnerability, Annie is the friend we all need to guide us back to staying true to ourselves and finding the fun we need.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

Digital Catalog: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, a catalog containing eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, Digital Magazines and a handful of streaming videos, has two companion apps, Libby & OverDrive. Libby is the app for newer devices and the OverDrive app should be used for older devices and Amazon tablets.

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

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

The Hoopla Catalog features instant checkouts of eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV series. Patron check out limit is 6 items per month.

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

The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple devices and most smart TVs & media streaming players.

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

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

The StarCat app is called Bookmyne and is available for Apple and Android devices.

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

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Have questions or want to request a book?

Feel free to call the library! Our telephone number is 607-936-3713.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, welcome to our Suggested Listening posting for this week!

Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, March 12, 2021.

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American Silence by Chris Pierce (Genre: Folk, Vocal, Americana, Soul)

Chris Pierce is a California based singer-songwriter with a great voice and solid song-writing chops. American Silence (2021) is his new album.

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Fairy Tales by Cameron Graves (Genre: Jazz, Pop/Rock)

A top-notch new release from the talented pianist and singer’s new album Seven (2021).

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A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall by Bob Dylan (Genre: Folk, Americana)

From Dylan’s brilliant second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963).

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Hard To Handle by The Black Crows (Genre: Rock, Traditional Rock)

From the group’s debut LP Shake Your Moneymaker (1990), which was, unbelievably, released 30 years ago. A deluxe version of the album will be released later this month.

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I Saw A Car by Anneke van Giersbergen (Genre: Vocal, Pop-Rock)

Dutch vocalist and musician Anneke van Giersbergen offers a neat collection of sparse but deep songs; including I Saw A Car; on new album The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest (2021).

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Kickin’ It Up by Jazmin Ghent (Genre: Jazz)

A cool song from saxophonist Jazmin Ghent from her new album Forever…Jaz (2021).

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Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Americana)

One of Dylan’s best known works, recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964; and appearing on his album Bringing It All Back Home (1965).

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Nice Work If You Can Get It by Willie Nelson (Genre: Country, Vocal)

From Willie’s new Sinatra tribute LP That’s Life (2021).

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Splish Splash by Bobby Darrin (Genre: Vocal, Pop)

Slish Splash is one of singer Bobby Darin’s best songs (and it is fun too!); from his debut album, Bobby Darin (1958).

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You’re On My Mind by The Animals (Genre: Rock, Classic Rock)

Vocalist Eric Burdon and company formed in The Animals in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK in1963 and followed the Beatles to America as part of the musical British Invasion of the early to mid-sixties. You’re On My Mind is from one of their best albums, Animalization (1966).

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 Hoopla Recommended Album of the Week:

Private Dancer (1984) by Tina Turner

And from the album, the song Better Be Good To Me

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Have a good weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic. 2021. AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands. [online] Available at: <https://www.allmusic.com/&gt;.

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Cholst, R. (2021, February 25). Chris Pierce Issues Powerful Statement about ‘American Silence.’ The Journal of Roots Music No Depression. https://www.nodepression.com/album-reviews/chris-pierce-issues-powerful-statement-about-american-silence/

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Leaver, E. (2021, February 25). ALBUM REVIEW: The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest – Anneke van Giersbergen. Distorted Sounds. https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-darkest-skies-are-the-brightest-anneke-van-giersbergen/

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

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The Digital Catalog (OverDrive & Libby Apps)

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

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Hoopla

A catalog of instant check out items, including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, TV shows and movies for for patrons of the Southeast Steuben County Library.

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

Format Note: Under each book title you’ll find a list of all the different formats that specific title is available in; including: Print Books, Large Print Books, CD Audiobooks, eBooks & Downloadable Audiobooks from the Digital Catalog (OverDrive & Libby apps) and Hoopla eBooks & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla App).

*More information on the three catalogs is found at the end of the list of recommended reads*

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays. The next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

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Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending US Poverty
by Joanne Samuel Goldblum & Colleen Shaddox

(Available Formats: eBook & Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

An exploration of why so many Americans are struggling financially.

Goldblum, founder of the National Diaper Bank Network, and journalist Shaddox argue that the systems that should protect our citizens are broken and that poverty results from flawed policies—compounded by racism, sexism, and other ills—rather than people’s “bad choices.” Federal programs for the poor often fall far short of their aims: The U.S. has only 36 affordable housing units available for every 100 extremely low-income families; roughly 1 in 3 households on Navajo reservations lack plumbing; and inadequate counsel by public defenders can lead to harsher penalties for crimes or time in “debtors’ prisons” for those unable to pay fines or court fees. An overarching problem is that the U.S. determines eligibility for government benefits with an outdated and “irrationally low” federal poverty level of $21,720 for a family of three, which doesn’t take into account necessities such as child care when women work outside the home. The authors credibly assert that it makes more sense to define poverty as an inability to afford basic needs in seven areas—“water, food, housing, energy, transportation, hygiene, and health”—each of which gets a chapter that draws on academic or other studies and interviews with people like a Baltimore resident who had to flush his toilet with bottled water after the city shut it off due to an unpaid bill. In a plainspoken primer in the spirit of recent books like Anne Kim’s Abandonedand Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s Tightrope, Goldblum and Shaddox interweave macro analyses with examples of micro interventions that might work in any community. A Head Start teacher in Lytle, Texas, says her program saw benefits just from giving toothbrushes (and a chance to use them at a classroom sink) to children who had none at home: “They come here, and they scrub like there’s no tomorrow.”

A down-to-earth overview of the causes and effects of poverty and possible remedies. –Kirkus Reviews

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A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

All of her life, Irish-American Moira Doherty has relished her mother’s descriptions of Ireland. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira decides to fulfill her mother’s wish that she become the teacher in Ballymann, her home village in Donegal, Ireland.

After an arduous voyage, Moira arrives to a new home and a new job in an ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira’s mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she’s journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends-and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced-as she seeks to navigate a life she’d never dreamed of … but perhaps was meant to live.

Jennifer Deibel’s debut novel delights the senses, bringing to life the sights, sounds, smells, and language of a lush country and a colorful people. Historical romance fans will embrace her with open arms.

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Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

(Available Formats: eBook)

A woman in a tailspin discovers that her boyfriend is an anonymous online conspiracy theorist in this “absolutely brilliant take on the bizarre and despicable ways the internet has warped our perception of reality” (Elle, One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year).

On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, a young woman snoops through her boyfriend’s phone and makes a startling discovery: he’s an anonymous internet conspiracy theorist, and a popular one at that. Already fluent in internet fakery, irony, and outrage, she’s not exactly shocked by the revelation. Actually, she’s relieved—he was always a little distant—and she plots to end their floundering relationship while on a trip to the Women’s March in DC. But this is only the first in a series of bizarre twists that expose a world whose truths are shaped by online lies.

Suddenly left with no reason to stay in New York and increasingly alienated from her friends and colleagues, our unnamed narrator flees to Berlin, embarking on her own cycles of manipulation in the deceptive spaces of her daily life, from dating apps to expat meetups, open-plan offices to bureaucratic waiting rooms. She begins to think she can’t trust anyone—shouldn’t the feeling be mutual?

Narrated with seductive confidence and subversive wit, Fake Accounts challenges the way current conversations about the self and community, delusions and gaslighting, and fiction and reality play out in the internet age.

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Family Tree by Susan Wiggs

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook, eBook, Downloadable Audiobook & Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Audiobook)

Part 1 of the Switchback, Vermont series

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful, emotionally complex story of love, loss, the pain of the past – and the promise of the future. Sometimes the greatest dream starts with the smallest element. A single cell, joining with another. And then dividing. And just like that, the world changes. Annie Harlow knows how lucky she is. The producer of a popular television cooking show, she loves her handsome husband and the beautiful Los Angeles home they share. And now, she’s pregnant with their first child. But in an instant, her life is shattered. And when Annie awakes from a yearlong coma, she discovers that time isn’t the only thing she’s lost. Grieving and wounded, Annie retreats to her old family home in Switchback, Vermont, a maple farm generations old. There, surrounded by her free-spirited brother, their divorced mother, and four young nieces and nephews, Annie slowly emerges into a world she left behind years ago: the town where she grew up, the people she knew before, the high-school boyfriend turned judge. And with the discovery of a cookbook her grandmother wrote in the distant past, Annie unearths an age-old mystery that might prove the salvation of the family farm.

Family Tree is the story of one woman’s triumph over betrayal, and how she eventually comes to terms with her past. It is the story of joys unrealized and opportunities regained. Complex, clear-eyed and big-hearted, funny, sad, and wise, it is a novel to cherish and to remember.

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Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

Part 1 of the Park Ranger series

A man of few words, Ranger Jay Daniels values the calm, quiet solitude of the Great Smoky Mountains. Never quite fitting in with either side of his family, he prefers the company of birds and trees to people.

Yeah, he’d most definitely prefer a bird-any bird, any bird at all, take a vulture for instance-to the human-tornado hybrid that just blew onto his peaceful stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

The path of true love never has run smooth for Olive Perry. After getting dumped and promptly abandoned in the middle of her multi-month hike, Olive swears off men. Determined to finish the long trek by herself, she doesn’t need a prince-or broody and taciturn ranger-to save her.

Yet, when an early snowstorm threatens the mountains, and Ranger Daniels is charged with getting hikers to safety, that includes hot-tempered Olive Perry. Snowed in and forced to share an abandoned cabin, can Olive’s heated intensity melt Jay’s cool reserve?

And if so, will this happy trail lead to true love? Or will their time together be just another bump in the road?

‘Happy Trail’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Park Ranger series.

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Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

(Available Formats: Print Book, Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Audiobook)

Part 1 of the Smythe-Smith Quartet series

Once again, #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn transports her readers to historical romance heaven! Quinn’s Just Like Heaven is the dazzling first installment of a delightful quartet of Regency Era-set tales featuring the romantic exploits of the well-meaning but less-than-accomplished Smythe-Smith musicians-in this case, a beautiful violinist in the pitiful group who has her sights set on marrying the last unwed Bridgerton…unless her handsome, love-struck guardian has anything to say about it. Bridgerton fans will cry, “Encore!”-as will every reader who adores England’s Regency period and great love stories that are smart, witty, and lighthearted.

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Left To Die by Lisa Jackson

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, eBook, Downloadable Audibook, Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Audiobook)

Part 1 of the To Die series

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson comes the chilling, riveting novel that first introduced Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli, hunting for a serial killer who is both savior and executioner…

In the lonely woods around Grizzly Falls, Montana, the first body is discovered, stripped naked and tied to a tree. Alvarez and Pescoli have been hoping for a career-making case, but this is a nightmare. The killer stages car accidents on icy, isolated roads and “rescues” his victims. He toys with them, heals them, earns their trust . . . before subjecting them to a slow, agonizing death.

When Jillian Rivers opens her eyes, she’s trapped in a mangled car. Then a stranger, claiming to be a trail guide, pries her free. Though she’s grateful, something about him sets Jillian on edge. And if she knew what was lying in wait for her, she’d be truly terrified . . .

Even with the FBI involved, Selena and Regan have nothing to go on but a series of cryptic notes, and the unsettling knowledge that there is much worse to come. Piece by piece, the killer’s brutal plan is taking shape. But his final move will be the most shocking-and personal-of all.

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The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, eBook, Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

Ellen Marie Wiseman, acclaimed author of What She Left Behind and The Life She Was Given, weaves the stories of two very different women into a page-turning novel as suspenseful as it is poignant, set amid one of history’s deadliest pandemics.

In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded streets and slums, and from the anti-German sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army, hoping to prove his loyalty. But an even more urgent threat has arrived. Spanish influenza is spreading through the city. Soon, dead and dying are everywhere. With no food at home, Pia must venture out in search of supplies, leaving her infant twin brothers alone…

Since her baby died days ago, Bernice Groves has been lost in grief and bitterness. If doctors hadn’t been so busy tending to hordes of immigrants, perhaps they could have saved her son. When Bernice sees Pia leaving her tenement across the way, she is buoyed by a shocking, life-altering decision that leads her on a sinister mission: to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.”

As Pia navigates the city’s somber neighborhoods, she cannot know that her brothers won’t be home when she returns. And it will be a long and arduous journey to learn what happened-even as Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost. Only with persistence, and the courage to face her own shame and fear, will Pia put the pieces together and find the strength to risk everything to see justice at last.

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Parable Of The Sower by Octavia E. Butler

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook, Hoopla instant checkout eBook & Audiobook)

Part 1 of the Earthseed series

In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future. Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others. When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Octavia E. Butler, including rare images from the author’s estate.

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Two’s Company by Jill Mansell

(Available Formats: eBook & Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

What happens when a relationship is too good to be true…?

Life’s a dream for perfect celebrity couple Jack and Cass Mandeville. With killer style, A-list day jobs, and an envious marriage, the Mandevilles have captured the hearts of the people and the affections of the press. Their lives couldn’t be more picture perfect—that is, until Jack turns forty and his world turns upside down when a stunning, and strikingly intelligent, redhead named Imogen interviews the couple for a high-profile magazine. Like a bolt of lightning, Jack is hit with a midlife crisis of epic proportions, bursting Jack and Cass’s proverbial bubble.

This drastic turn of events sends their entire family, friends, local community, and fans around the country, into a tailspin. Cass can only hope Jack will snap out of it soon, but it’s too late already—nothing will ever be the same again…

New York Times and USA Today bestseller Jill Mansell delivers laugh-out-loud antics and a perfect ending!

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

Digital Catalog: https://stls.overdrive.com/

The Digital Catalog, a catalog containing eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, Digital Magazines and a handful of streaming videos, has two companion apps, Libby & OverDrive. Libby is the app for newer devices and the OverDrive app should be used for older devices and Amazon tablets.

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

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

The Hoopla Catalog features instant checkouts of eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV series. Patron check out limit is 6 items per month.

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

The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple devices and most smart TVs & media streaming players.

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

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

The StarCat app is called Bookmyne and is available for Apple and Android devices.

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

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Have questions or want to request a book?

Feel free to call the library! Our telephone number is 607-936-3713.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here is the latest edition of Library Connections, our weekly readers, viewers and listeners advisory videocast.

Later this week I’m taking some vacation time; so the next Library Connections video will be posted on Monday, March 15, 2021.

Have a great day,
Linda Reimer, SSCL