Month: May 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, June 6, 2021.

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FICTION

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21ST BIRTHDAY by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD Audiobook; coming soon to the Digital Catalog!)

The 21st book in the Women’s Murder Club series. New evidence changes the investigation of a missing mother.

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THE DEVIL MAY DANCE by Jake Tapper

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The second book in the Charlie and Margaret Marder Mystery series. Attorney General Robert Kennedy asks the Marders to look into a threat, which brings them into contact with the Rat Pack and the Church of Scientology.

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FINDING ASHLEY by Danielle Steel

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

Two estranged sisters, one a former best-selling author, the other a nun, reconnect as one searches for the child the other gave up.

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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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A GAMBLING MAN by David Baldacci

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

Aloysius Archer, a World War II veteran, seeks to apprentice with Willie Dash, a private eye, in a corrupt California town.

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THE HILL WE CLIMB by Amanda Gorman

(Available Formats: Print, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The poem read on President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day, by the youngest poet to write and perform an inaugural poem.

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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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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Hannah Hall discovers truths about her missing husband and bonds with his daughter from a previous relationship.

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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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PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Opposites Poppy and Alex meet to vacation together one more time in hopes of saving their relationship.

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PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

Jacob Finch Bonner sells a story that wasn’t his to tell and finds out more about its source.

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PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

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SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller

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

A reimagining of Homer’s “Iliad” that is narrated by Achilles’ companion Patroclus.

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SOOLEY by John Grisham

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

Samuel Sooleymon receives a basketball scholarship to North Carolina Central and determines to bring his family over from a civil war-ravaged South Sudan.

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SOULMATE EQUATION by Christina Lauren

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

Jessica Davis tries to find a soulmate through a DNA-based matchmaking company, only to find her potential match is someone she can’t stand.

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THAT SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner

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

Daisy Shoemaker receives emails intended for a woman leading a more glamorous life and finds there was more to this accident.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

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

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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WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY by Lauren Weisberger

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

The lives of two sisters, a morning show anchor and a stay-at-home helicopter parent, start to unravel when a small lie forces resentments to the surface.

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WHILE JUSTICE SLEEPS by Stacey Abrams

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

When Justice Wynn slips into a coma, his law clerk, Avery Keene, must unravel the clues of a controversial case.

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NON-FICTION:

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ANTHROPOCENE REVIEWED by John Green

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A collection of personal essays that review different facets of the human-centered planet.

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THE 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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BOMBER MAFIA by Malcolm Gladwell

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

A look at the key players and outcomes of precision bombing during World War II.

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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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FACING THE MOUNTAIN by Daniel James Brown

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

The story of four Japanese-American families, who faced bigotry, and their sons, who volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.

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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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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann

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

The story of a murder spree in 1920s Oklahoma that targeted Osage Indians, whose lands contained oil.

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KILLING THE MOB by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The 10th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series looks at organized crime in the United States during the 20th century.

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THE PREMONITION by Michael Lewis

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Stories of skeptics who went against the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of Covid-19.

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THINK AGAIN by Adam Grant

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

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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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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WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

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

An approach to dealing with trauma that shifts an essential question used to investigate it.

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Happy reading!

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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Also of Note: If a New York Times Bestseller isn’t yet available in any of the three catalogs; you can contact the library and request to be notified when it becomes available.

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, June 4, 2021.

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NEW HOURS: The library now has expanded hours; increasing the number of hours we are open a week to 55 per week!

The Southeast Steuben County Library is now open:

Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

(Note An Excpetion: The library is closed this Monday, May 31, in observance of Memorial Day)

&

Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047: I. Allegro Moderato by English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard conducting (Genre: Classical)

One of the greatest classical compositions, performed by the renowned English Chamber Orchestra, and an extremely upbeat composition too!

From The Album: Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047 (2021)

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Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight by Chrissie Hynde (Genre: Rock, Folk-Rock)

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Chrissie Hynde, best known as the leader of the Pretenders, offers a collection of Bob Dylan covers; and it is obvious, she is a huge Bob Dylan fan!

From The Album: Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan (2021)

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Everybody I Love You by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Genre: Rock, Vocal)

Unbelievably, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the classic Déjà Vu album by the outstanding singing quartet of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash & Neil Young.

The entire Déjà Vu album is terrific; and it can be streamed, on demand, through Hoopla.

From The Album: Déjà Vu (1971)

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Get Ready by The Temptations (Genre: Vocal, R&B)

The Temptations, whose classic lineup included Otis Williams, Paul Williams, David Ruffin, Melvin Franklin and Eddie Kendricks, are one of the most influential R&B groups of all time – and to say they could sing – would be an understatement!

From The Album: Gettin’ Ready (1966)

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The Laughing Man by St. Vincent (Genre: Indie Rock)

St. Vincent is singer-songwriter and guitarist Annie Clark, whose new album has an early seventies vibe to it.

From The Album: Daddy’s Home (2021)

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Mississippi Phone Booth by John Hiatt with the Jerry Douglas Band (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Country)

The great singer-songwriter John Hiatt is joined by dobroist Jerry Douglas and his band for his terrific twenty-seventh album.

From The Album: Leftover Feelings (2021)

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Peace by Brian Bromberg (Genre: Jazz)

Versatile bassist Brain Bromberg latest album has a the perfect theme for summer – the open road!

From The Album: A Little Driving Music (2021)

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The Wellerman by The Longest Johns (Genre: Folk, Shanties)

The Longest Johns hail from Bristol, England; and the group consists of Andy Yates, Dave Robinson,  Robbie Sattin and J.D. Darley.

If you’re in the mood for traditional folk music – they have you covered!

From The Album: Between Wind And Water (2018).

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Souled Out On You by Robert Finley (Genre: Blues/R&B)

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Robert Finley plays traditional blues and R&B; and his new album is top-notch!

From The Album: Sharecropper’s Son (2021)

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The Winds Just Gonna Blow by Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall (Genre: Country)

Singers Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall got together to record this terrific album at a ranch near Marfa, Texas; and they offer listeners a collection of newly written troubadour-style songs with excellent harmonies throughout – check it out!

From The Album: The Marfa Tapes (2021)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

Bridges (2018) by Josh Groban (Genre: Vocal, Pop)

For his eleventh album Groban is joined by several stellar singers including Sarah McLachlan, Andrea Bocelli, Vincente Amigo and Jennifer Nettles – the result is an album full of wonderful duets.

And from the album, the song:

Run by Josh Groban with Sarah McLachlan

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Have a great 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, June 1, 2021.

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China: A Novel by Edward Rutherfurd

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

For his newest epic about an intriguing world locale, Rutherfurd (Paris, 2013) dives into seven decades of Chinese history, beginning in 1839, as circumstances lead to the First Opium War, the Boxer Rebellion, and more. The novel has a tighter scope, time-wise, than his usual big-canvas approach, which allows for in-depth exploration of an overarching theme, China’s subjugation by Western powers, particularly Britain. Taking the long view, Rutherfurd adeptly dramatizes the impact of and fallout from major events, including the Taiping Rebellion and the destruction of Beijing’s Summer Palace. His characters, among them British merchants, missionaries, Chinese government officials, peasants, pirates, and an artisan who rises high in service at the imperial palace through unusual means, assert their individuality while embodying beliefs on different sides of China’s internal and external conflicts. The protagonists are predominantly men, but many fascinating women also feature in the story. Though the first third feels overly drawn-out, the novel takes an entertaining, educational journey through China’s rich and complex history, geography, art, and diverse cultures during a tumultuous epoch. Booklist Review

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The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

“Like a true friendship, The Clover Girls is a novel you will forever savor and treasure.” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author

Elizabeth, Veronica, Rachel and Emily met at Camp Birchwood as girls in 1985, where over four summers they were the Clover Girls—inseparable for those magical few weeks of freedom—until the last summer that pulled them apart.

Now approaching middle age, the women are facing challenges they never imagined as teens, struggles with their marriages, their children, their careers, and wondering who it is they see when they look in the mirror.

Then Liz, Veronica and Rachel each receive a letter from Emily with devastating news. She implores the girls who were once her best friends to reunite at Camp Birchwood one last time, to spend a week together revisiting the dreams they’d put aside and repair the relationships they’d allowed to sour. But the women are not the same idealistic, confident girls who once ruled Camp Birchwood, and perhaps some friendships aren’t meant to last forever…

Bestselling author Viola Shipman is at her absolute best with The Clover Girls. Readers of all ages and backgrounds will love its powerful, redemptive nature and the empowering message at its heart.

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Find You First by Linwood Barclay

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

At the start of this suspenseful, expertly paced thriller from bestseller Barclay (Elevator Pitch), two people identifying themselves as police bang on the door of 21-year-old Todd Cox, who runs phone scams targeting the elderly out of his trailer home near Springfield, Mass. Eager to appear innocent, Cox lets them in, only to discover they’re frauds. The fake cops inject Cox with a lethal drug before sealing him in a body bag and sanitizing the place and the surrounding area. One of them comments, “Two down. Seven to go.”

Flash back three weeks. Miles Cookson, a Connecticut software millionaire, has been diagnosed with incurable Huntington’s disease. As Huntington’s is genetic, Cookson decides to use his affluence to bribe a desperate employee of the sperm bank he donated to decades earlier to trace any possible children, both to warn them that they may carry fatal genes and to name them in his will. The list he gets contains nine names, including Cox’s, hinting at a link to the initial homicide. Barclay makes even secondary characters feel real. Fans of Daniel Palmer will be pleased. Publishers Weekly Review

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Mary Jane: A Novel by Jessica Anya Blau

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Almost Famous meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this “delightful” (New York Times Book Review) novel about a fourteen-year-old girl’s coming of age in 1970s Baltimore, caught between her straight-laced family and the progressive family she nannies for—who happen to be secretly hiding a famous rock star and his movie star wife for the summer.

In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane’s mother says. In a respectable house.

The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, Impeachment: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane’s mother to know, which she does not): the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in.

Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she’s going to be.

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The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M. White

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

1906. Lady Elizabeth “Libby” Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn’t favored in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer and stumbles into the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage’s former occupant, also named Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished.

Oliver Tremayne—gentleman and clergyman—is determined to discover what happened to his sister, and he’s happy to accept the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth’s summer cottage . . . especially when he realizes it’s the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can’t quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him.

As Libby and Oliver work together, they find ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.

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The Night Always Comes: A Novel by Willy Vlautin

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Set in contemporary Portland, OR, this latest by Vlautin (Don’t Skip Out on Me) is filled with darkness. Lynette has scrimped for three years to save enough money for the down payment on the house she shares with her mentally impaired older brother and her hard-drinking, chain-smoking mother. Now, just when Lynette’s plan is about to pay off, her mother tosses in a huge monkey wrench, forcing Lynette into the night and a series of life-threatening situations with the sketchiest characters imaginable. Her overnight odyssey brings her face-to-face not only with scummy people but also with a past not overfilled with happiness.

This fairly short novel is structured in one continuous 48-hour flow, which makes it seem even shorter. The story resonates, with characters we come to feel we know and dialog that is so natural we hear it, not just read it. Lynette may be, as her mother says, “just born to fail.” But in spite of everything that has gone wrong for her, in the end she is not defeated. Though alone in the world by story’s end, she departs home without bitterness, heading east toward the rising sun.

VERDICT This is literary art that will keep readers in their seats until the last page.–Michael Russo, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge – Starred Library Journal Review

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Project Hail Mary: A Novel by Andy Weir

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Waking up and not knowing where you are, but knowing that you have been asleep for a long time, would be challenging to anyone. Waking up with all of that, plus two dead people and no idea who you are? Even worse. But Ryland Grace will slowly gain his memory back and realize that he may be the last chance for Earth and humanity to survive. Now years and galaxies away from home, he will need to use everything at his disposal in his small ship to find a way to reverse the planet’s looming extinction all by himself. Then he discovers he’s not the only one looking for a solution. The book’s witty narrator, hard science, and flashbacks all blend into a high-stakes adventure of galactic proportions, while presenting some exciting twists and strong themes of collaboration and friendship.

VERDICT Weir brings back the pace, intelligence, and humor of The Martian and increases it exponentially. Scientific mysteries and survival instincts abound in this compelling and exciting novel.–Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton – Starred Library Journal Review

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The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts

(Available Formats: eBook)

Penniless, homeless, and given a dire health prognosis at 63, Annie Wilkins set out to do the one thing she’d always wanted to do, see the Pacific Ocean. In late fall 1954, she loaded up her new Morgan horse, Tarzan, and with her faithful dog Depeche Toi headed south and west away from her home in rural Maine. In this era before cell phones, GPS, and credit cards, Wilkins would rely on her wits or die trying. She battled blizzards and floods, icy bridges and arid deserts and received acts of kindness from strangers who emerged at just the right moment with a meal, a bed, or a stable for Tarzan. This was during the heyday of local journalism and word of Wilkins’ unusual odyssey not only preceded her from town to town but also garnered national attention. In describing the road conditions, towns, and people, including celebrities, Wilkins encountered on her four-thousand-mile journey, Letts creates a nostalgic travelogue and a vibrant history of life in 1950s America. Thanks to deeply sourced research and her own travels along Wilkins’ route, Letts vividly portrays an audacious woman whose optimism, courage, and good humor are to be marveled at and admired. Upbeat and touching, Wilkins’ story is the perfect pandemic escapist read. Booklist Review

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The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent

(Available Format: eBook)

DEBUT: Dent hits a home run with her first novel. Elizabeth “Birdy” Finch and her best friend Heather could not be more different. Birdy flits from job to job and relationship to relationship, never really giving it her all. Heather has worked hard to become a sommelier. When Heather decides to chase romance in Italy, Birdy attends a wine awards ceremony in her place. A case of mistaken identity ensues, and Birdy, jobless and near homeless, travels to a hotel in Scotland to take a sommelier job under Heather’s name. We follow Birdy on her journey of self-discovery as she makes new friends, deals with her somber past, falls in love, and learns everything she can about wine.

VERDICT This witty, banter-filled novel seems frothy at first, but aptly balances the humor with darker subjects. Lovely descriptions of Scotland, quirky supporting characters, and a thoroughly lovable heroine make this a sure bet for fans of Jenny Colgan.–Nanci Milone Hill, M.G. Parker Memorial Lib., Dracut, MA – Starred Library Journal Review

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A Theater For Dreamers by Polly Samson

(Available Formats: Hoopla eBook & instant checkout audiobook)

It’s 1960, and the world teeters on the edge of cultural, political, sexual, and artistic revolution. On the Greek island of Hydra, a proto-commune of poets, painters, and musicians revel in dreams at the feet of their unofficial leaders, the writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston, troubled queen and king of bohemia. At the center of this circle of misfit artists are the captivating and inscrutable Axel Jensen, his magnetic wife Marianne Ihlen, and a young Canadian ingenue poet named Leonard Cohen.

When eighteen-year-old Erica stumbles into their world, she’s fresh off the boat from London with nothing but a bundle of blank notebooks and a burning desire to leave home in the wake of her mother’s death. Among these artists, she will find an unraveling utopia where everything is tested-the nature of art, relationships, and her own innocence.

Intoxicating and immersive, A Theater for Dreamers is a spellbinding tour-de-force about the beauty between naïveté and cruelty, chaos and utopia, artist and muse-and about the wars waged between men and women on the battlegrounds of genius. Roiling with the heat of a Grecian summer, A Theater for Dreamers is, according to the Guardian, “a blissful piece of escapism” and “a surefire summer hit.”

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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.

The next Library Connections video will be posted on Monday, May 31, 2021.

Have a great day,
Linda Reimer, SSCL

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, May 30, 2021.

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FICTION

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21ST BIRTHDAY by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD Audiobook; coming soon to the Digital Catalog!)

The 21st book in the Women’s Murder Club series. New evidence changes the investigation of a missing mother.

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THE DEVIL MAY DANCE by Jake Tapper

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The second book in the Charlie and Margaret Marder Mystery series. Attorney General Robert Kennedy asks the Marders to look into a threat, which brings them into contact with the Rat Pack and the Church of Scientology.

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FINDING ASHLEY by Danielle Steel

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

Two estranged sisters, one a former best-selling author, the other a nun, reconnect as one searches for the child the other gave up.

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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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A GAMBLING MAN by David Baldacci

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

Aloysius Archer, a World War II veteran, seeks to apprentice with Willie Dash, a private eye, in a corrupt California town.

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THE HILL WE CLIMB by Amanda Gorman

(Available Formats: Print, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The poem read on President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day, by the youngest poet to write and perform an inaugural poem.

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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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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Hannah Hall discovers truths about her missing husband and bonds with his daughter from a previous relationship.

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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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THE NEWCOMER by Mary Kay Andrews

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

After discovering her sister dead, Letty Carnahan drives away with her niece and finds potential trouble with a police detective at a Florida motel.

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PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Opposites Poppy and Alex meet to vacation together one more time in hopes of saving their relationship.

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PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides

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

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

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SOOLEY by John Grisham

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

Samuel Sooleymon receives a basketball scholarship to North Carolina Central and determines to bring his family over from a civil war-ravaged South Sudan.

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THE SUMMER OF LOST AND FOUND by Mary Alice Monroe

(Available Formats: Coming as a print book – soon!)

The seventh book in the Beach House series. A love triangle is complicated by Covid-19.

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THAT SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner

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

Daisy Shoemaker receives emails intended for a woman leading a more glamorous life and finds there was more to this accident.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

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

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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WHILE JUSTICE SLEEPS by Stacey Abrams

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

When Justice Wynn slips into a coma, his law clerk, Avery Keene, must unravel the clues of a controversial case.

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NON-FICTION:

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THE 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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BOMBER MAFIA by Malcolm Gladwell

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

A look at the key players and outcomes of precision bombing during World War II.

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BRAT by Andrew McCarthy

(Available Formats: Coming soon as a print book!)

The travel writer and television director describes coming of age in the New York area and starring in iconic 1980s movie roles.

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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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CRYING IN H MART by Michelle Zauner

(Available Formats: eBook)

The daughter of a Korean mother and Jewish-American father, and leader of the indie rock project Japanese Breakfast, describes creating her own identity after losing her mother to cancer

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FACING THE MOUNTAIN by Daniel James Brown

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

The story of four Japanese-American families, who faced bigotry, and their sons, who volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.

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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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KILLING THE MOB by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The 10th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series looks at organized crime in the United States during the 20th century.

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A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, 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 PREMONITION by Michael Lewis

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Stories of skeptics who went against the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of Covid-19.

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THINK AGAIN by Adam Grant

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

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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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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WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

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

An approach to dealing with trauma that shifts an essential question used to investigate it.

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Happy reading!

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.

–

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.

–

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.

–

Also of Note: If a New York Times Bestseller isn’t yet available in any of the three catalogs; you can contact the library and request to be notified when it becomes available.

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, May 28, 2021.

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NEW HOURS: The library now has expanded hours; increasing the number of hours we are open a week to 55 per week!

The Southeast Steuben County Library is now open:

Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

&

Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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And without further ado, on to the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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All I Really Want To Do by Cher (Vocal, Pop)

When Sonny & Cher hit it big in the mid-sixties, Sonny negotiated a contract for Cher to record her first solo album; All I Really Want To Do; the title track being a cheerful version of the Bob Dylan penned classic – enjoy!

From The Album: All I Really Want To Do (1965).

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Better Days Ahead by John Pizzarelli (Jazz, Guitar, Instrumental)

Better Days is an upbeat song from Jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli from his equally upbeat new album!

From The Album: Better Days Ahead (Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny) (2021).

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Destiny by The Chills (Genre: Pop-Rock)

The Chills are a terrific New Zealand indie (AKA traditional) rock band led by songwriter, guitarist and lead singer Martin Phillipps.

From The Album: Scatterbrain (2021)

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Reet’s Neat by Phil Woods, Tommy Flanagan & Red Mitchell (Genre: Jazz)

Saxophonist Woods, pianist Flanagan & and bassist Mitchell recorded these sessions together with no other musicians – which allowed them space to musically spread out and instantly respond to each other as they played. A great set!

From The Album: Three For All (1981)

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Right Now by Billy Preston

Right Now is a great organ-centric seventies tune; from singer-keyboardist Preston’s upbeat debut Apple (Beatles not tech!) LP Encouraging Words.

From The Album: Encouraging Words (1970)

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Television by Lula Wiles (Genre: Folk)

Lula Wiles is a folk trio consisting of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Isa Burke, fiddler Eleanor Buckland and bassist Mali Obomsawin. The trio first met at summer camp. All three musicians attended the Berklee School of Music, and then formed the band Lula Wiles, releasing their first album, simply titled Lula Wiles, in 2016. Their new album features songs that highlight the transitional era we are living through – check it out.

From The Album: Shame And Sedition (2021).

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Things That Matter by Alan Jackson (Genre: Country)

Country master Alan Jackson with a song from his first new album in six years.

From The Album: Where Have You Gone (2021).

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Screamin’ And Hollerin’ The Blues by Charley Patton (Genre: Blues)

Guitarist and singer Charley Patton is one of the most influential early, Delta Blues, musicians. His acoustic guitar playing and singing are raw and earthy = great blues music

From The Album: Founder of the Delta Blues

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To Susan on The West Coast Waiting by Donovan (Genre: Folk, Pop-Rock)

British folk singer Donovan was at his youthful creative peak with this great folk-pop album from 1969. The narrator of the song To Susan on The West Coast Waiting is Vietnam era soldier – so listeners get a small glimpse of the Vietnam era through the song.

From The Album: Barabajagal (1969)

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Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Laurie Anderson (2021)

The talented experimental singer-songwriter and musician offers listeners a treat with this newly released NPR (at home) Tiny Desk Concert.

Songs include Let X=X, Violin Cello Improv & O Superman.

Laurie is accompanied by Roman Baran on synthesizer and Rubin Kodheli on cello.

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

Long Lost (2021) by Lord Huron

Lord Huron is a LA based indie rock group led by Michigan native Ben Schneider, thus the name of the group – taken from the Great Lake – Michigan. Long Lost is a wistful album perhaps best appreciated by those of us who can think back twenty years to what was.

And from the album, the song:

Twenty Long Years Ago

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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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References Of The Week

NPR’s 50 Favorite Songs Of 1971. (2021, May 3). NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2021/05/03/992097225/nprs-50-favorite-songs-of-1971

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

–

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.

–

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the last three editions of Library Connections, our weekly readers, viewers and listeners advisory videocast.

As you may know, the first week of May the library expanded its hours!

The Southeast Steuben County Library is now open the following hours:

Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

And on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Staff is getting used to the new hours and schedule; but I’ll admit, going from working at home on Monday mornings to working at the library all day on Mondays – it completely slipped my mind to post the links for Library Connections the last two Mondays.

I now have it on my calendar and will remember next week!

And I apologize for the tardiness!

And without further ado, here links to the last two Library Connections videos:

Library Connections: May 7, 2021

Library Connections: May 14, 2021

And I see I really did wear the same blue shirt for the intro and ending two weeks in row!

I must admit, I like that shirt!

Having said that, I will wear a different shirt for the intro/ending of the next episode.

Have a great day,
Linda Reimer, SSCL

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, May 25, 2021.

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Call It Horses by Jessie Van Eerden

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

Desperate to leave “”the bog”” of West Virginia before cancer overtakes her, Mave resolves to see Georgia O’Keefe’s West. She enlists her niece, Frankie, to drive her westward, but unreliable vehicles threaten to stall Mave’s last trip. Nan, who is fleeing her abusive husband, Dillon, provides a car. This is the same Dillon whom Frankie still loves, even though she is married to Clay. At the last moment, Clay’s hound dog, Ellis, comes along for the ride. Though the setup may sound like a soap opera, this picaresque novel is anything but. Van Eerden’s sentences spill over with lush imagery and stunning language; she knows and loves these women, and readers will come to feel tenderly toward hard-edged Mave, who returned to Appalachia after her one great love, Ruth, died. Frankie has lived a small life, but she sees regions within people. Her thoughts drive the story in the form of unsent letters to the long-dead Ruth, who, through Mave, saw Frankie’s facility with words, and again, through Mave, encouraged her. For her part, Mave, even through gasping breaths, tells Frankie to “”write it all.”” Even Nan, who seems vain and empty, reveals surprising depths. A thoughtful, sometimes humorous, novel. Starred Booklist Review

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Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole by Tiffany the Budgetnista Aliche

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Fixing one’s finances is a lot of work, but it’s worth it every time, cheerleads financial educator Aliche (The One Week Budget) in this encouraging guide to “financial wholeness.” Being financially whole, Aliche writes, means having a “plan for each area of your finances so that they are constantly working on your behalf, regardless of where you currently are in life.” Aliche divides her advice into 10 topics—budgeting, saving, digging out of debt, etc.—and for each shares steps for planning and executing: one chapter shows how to create and maintain a budget, and breaks down the steps to accomplish it. While topics such as investing and planning one’s estate are familiar, Aliche’s guidance shines in the practical, spirited advice: “My plan shifts your mindset to one of savings being a tool to help you weather a financial storm,” she writes. Aliche addresses the emotional side of money, as well, and urges readers to “focus on the solution” and make the fixes they need to achieve financial freedom. Aliche’s can-do attitude makes this an excellent primer for anyone looking to improve their financial picture. Publishers Weekly Review

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Lemon Drop Dead by Amanda Fowler

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

A small Ohio town where both Amish and “English” people live attracts tourists, babies, and killers. Bailey King is not Amish, but the grandmother with whom she runs Swissmen Sweets is, so she has a foot in both camps in Harvest. She also has a cable television show filmed in New York and a busy boyfriend in Deputy Aiden Brody, whom she’s helped solve several murder cases. Long ago, when her assistant, Emily Keim, was a teenager, the girl’s family forced her to give up a baby she bore out of wedlock. Now that Emily’s pregnant again, her friends decide to have a baby shower, something Esther Esh, Emily’s grumpy sister, would never have thought of on her own. Soon after a stranger approaches Emily and says she’s looking forward to Emily’s baby meeting her older sibling, the stranger’s found dead in the family pretzel shop Esther runs. Bailey knows that she must investigate to protect Emily. A threatening letter from Esther that Aiden finds on the body identifies the stranger as Rosemary Weiss, from nearby Wooster. Although Bailey’s shaken by a job offer Aiden’s received from Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which would take him away from Harvest, she soldiers on. Tracking down Emily’s daughter, Hannah, is the easy part of her quest for the truth. The hard part is choosing the most likely suspect from among the many Rosemary’s past provides before the guilty party strikes again. Quirky characters add depth to a romantic mystery that explores cultural divides. Kirkus Review

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Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Carter (Further Out than You Thought) brilliantly fictionalizes surrealist painter Leonora Carrington’s coming-of-age amid the Nazi occupation of France and her consuming affair with fellow artist Max Ernst. When the two meet in 1937 London, Leonora is a 20-year-old art student already enamored of 46-year-old Max. She chooses love and art over her family’s money, and dives into the surrealist movement. Her life in Paris and beyond is studded with famous contemporaries, including André Breton, Paul and Nusch Éluard, Leonor Fini, and Lee Miller. But as Leonora and Max establish a haven in southern France, the country falls to the Germans. The Gestapo send Max to an internment camp, leading the unmoored Leonora to flee to Madrid, where she has a breakdown. The story jumps to Lisbon and then America as European artists flee with the help of art collector Peggy Guggenheim. Through Leonora, Carter contemplates the magic of young love, the trauma of war, and the vagaries of artistic vision: “To become the master, she has killed the muse. It is that simple.” There isn’t one misstep in here. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Life’s A Beach by Portia MacIntosh

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook & audiobook)

Sun, sea and inescapable exes…

Peach is excited to hear that her sister, Di, is getting married. Of course, she would have preferred her little sister to be engaged to someone she’s known longer than a week – and the fact that his name is Charles doesn’t bode well – but who is she to judge?! After all, her own love life is non-existent, and who doesn’t love a destination wedding…?

Whisked away to the gorgeous Italian coast, Peach assumes her role as chief bridesmaid and, despite her reservations about the groom, she tries to ensure everything goes to plan.

But weddings are never straightforward affairs… throw in some unexpected guests in the form of ex-boyfriends and one night stands, and soon enough there is more drama than a reality tv show.
Can Peach keep the show on the road, or might she end up in a whirlwind romance of her own…?

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Margreete’s Harbor: A Novel by Eleanor Morse

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Morse’s engrossing new novel charts the transitions of a family set against the shifting social landscapes of 1960s America. When Liddie’s mother, Margreete, is no longer able to care for herself, Liddie has no choice but to uproot her family–husband Harry and young children Bernie and Eva–to live with Margreete in her small hometown on the coast of Maine. Liddie, a cellist, finds herself caught between her professional desires and caring for her family, a struggle further compounded by the arrival of their third child. Harry, a teacher, must reconcile his drive for social activism with more private passions. Twined with their journey is that of their children. Bernie, an outcast at school, comes into his own through his relationships and reckonings. Spirited yet cautious Eva focuses on her ambitions as she navigates a harrowing adolescence. Impenetrable Margreete, the family compass, recounts her past in fruitful moments of understanding. Morse weaves an entrancing tale that explores the intricacies of familial, social, and personal transformation and the lingering mystery of what may come. Booklist Review

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Permission To Dream by Chris Gardener

(Available Formats: Print Book)

On a bitterly cold day in Chicago, businessman Gardner takes his granddaughter to a music shop to buy her the harmonica of her dreams. What might have been a simple errand becomes a transformative exploration of the power of dreams, which Gardner retells in this work of narrative nonfiction. In the tradition of oral storytelling, Gardner, along with co-author Rivas, easily weaves history, spirituality, and philosophy into biographical stories shared in conversation with his granddaughter. Believing in and pursuing his dreams helped the author survive a troubled childhood and inspired him to join the navy, which in turn led to a career in finance. Gardner’s dreams also helped him get through a difficult period of single fatherhood while experiencing homelessness, as detailed in his previous best-selling work, The Pursuit of Happyness. By sharing his experiences with his granddaughter, he realizes what his own next step in life should be—to become a motivational speaker for young people—and is able to start to heal from the experience of his longtime partner’s recent death.

VERDICT This fable-like tale, which blends biography and self-help, is an inspirational reminder to dream big and dream often. Gardner’s latest memoir will especially resonate with readers of Mitch Albom and Paulo Coelho.—Anitra Gates, Erie Cty. P.L., PA – Library Journal

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A Sprinkling of Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber

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

At the start of this enchanting series launch from Agatha Award winner Gerber (the French Bistro mysteries), Courtney Kelly, the owner of Open Your Imagination, a fairy garden and tea shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., directs a five-year-old customer’s attention to a planter on the shop’s patio where she hopes the girl will see a fairy named Fiona. The girl does see Fiona. Courtney considers it part of her mission to encourage young and old to see and enjoy fairies, though only believers can do so. When Mick Watkins, the owner of the neighboring dog grooming salon, is found murdered inside Courtney’s shop, feisty Fiona joins Courtney and friends in giving Det. Dylan Summers of the Carmel PD some unwanted help in solving the crime. Issues with Courtney and Mick’s landlord, the victim’s open affair with a prominent councilwoman, his wife’s understandable jealousy, and his mysterious manuscript based on a decades-old local tragedy provide the sleuths plenty to investigate. Gerber makes what could have been unbearably cute convincing. Cozy fans will wish upon a star for more. Publishers Weekly Review

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Saving Grace by Debbie Babitt

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A Southern gothic thriller replete with sins real and imagined. Mary Grace Dobbs’ life has changed dramatically since murder stalked her hometown, but the sins of the past still color her present. Following the deaths of her parents in a car accident, she was raised by her aunt and uncle in the Bible Belt hamlet of Repentance, Arkansas. Her childhood was clouded by feelings of insecurity and bullying by mean girls, but her skill as a softball player brought her some comfort. So did the arrival of troublemaker Nadia Doshenko, who befriended her. But then Nadia vanished, soon followed by another girl. At the time, mechanic Darryl Stokes was suspected of killing both girls. Even though someone else eventually confessed, Darryl’s reappearance 24 years later causes general unease. In the interval, Mary Grace had left town, borne an illegitimate daughter, and finally returned to become the Repentance sheriff over the disapproval of conservative townsfolk. When another girl disappears, the past comes back with a vengeance to haunt Mary Grace, whose daughter, Felicity, is also a softball star and part of a group of popular girls. Mary Grace is still in love with Parnell Vaughan III, her high school crush who’s barely spoken to her since those days long ago, and she feels guilty about what she imagines to be her part in the ancient mystery. But now it’s up to her to solve the fresh murder and protect her own daughter. Nothing is what it seems in Babitt’s disturbing debut, a creepy tale of hate, evil, and redemption

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‘Til I Want No More by Robin W. Pearson

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Pearson (A Long Time Comin’) delivers a satisfying tale of one woman’s secrets returning to haunt her. Maxine Owens is preparing for her wedding to Theodore Charles when she decides it’s time for her to come clean about a secret she’s been keeping from Theodore and his family: Maxine’s 13-year-old adopted sister, Celeste, is actually her daughter. Maxine, who was 17 and unprepared for motherhood, gave up rights to Celeste, and even Celeste still believes Maxine is her sister. As Maxine debates how and when to tell Theodore, her ex-husband, JD, comes back to town to help with his mother’s illness and to connect with the daughter he never met.

When Maxine and Theodore meet with Maxine’s pastor and his wife for their premarital counseling sessions, Maxine is reminded that she is not condemned for her past and her faith plays a vital role in her healing. As Maxine comes to feel her “sins are… only a hair’s breadth” away, her desire to confront her past intensifies and tension rises between Maxine and the people who know her secrets and those who don’t. Pearson’s excellent characters and plotting capture the complexity and beauty of family, the difficulty of rectifying mistakes, and the healing that comes from honesty. Pearson rises to another level with this excellent story. Publishers Weekly Review

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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.

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

–

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 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, May 23, 2021.

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FICTION

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21ST BIRTHDAY by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD Audiobook; coming soon to the Digital Catalog!)

The 21st book in the Women’s Murder Club series. New evidence changes the investigation of a missing mother.

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FINDING ASHLEY by Danielle Steel

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

Two estranged sisters, one a former best-selling author, the other a nun, reconnect as one searches for the child the other gave up.

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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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A GAMBLING MAN by David Baldacci

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

Aloysius Archer, a World War II veteran, seeks to apprentice with Willie Dash, a private eye, in a corrupt California town.

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GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An actress immerses herself in the role of a pioneering woman aviator who disappeared in Antarctica.

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THE HILL WE CLIMB by Amanda Gorman

(Available Formats: Print, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The poem read on President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day, by the youngest poet to write and perform an inaugural poem.

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THE HOUR OF THE WITCH by Chris Bohjalian

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

In 1662 Boston, a young Puritan woman seeks to escape from a cruel husband and rumors that might mean her death.

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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.

–

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Hannah Hall discovers truths about her missing husband and bonds with his daughter from a previous relationship.

–

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.

–

THE NEWCOMER by Mary Kay Andrews

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

After discovering her sister dead, Letty Carnahan drives away with her niece and finds potential trouble with a police detective at a Florida motel.

–

OCEAN PREY by John Sandford

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD audiobook & eBook)

The 31st book in the Prey series. When federal officers are killed, Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers team up to investigate matters.

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PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

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SENTINEL by Lee Child and Andrew Child

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

Jack Reacher intervenes on an ambush in Tennessee and uncovers a conspiracy.

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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides

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

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

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SOOLEY by John Grisham

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

Samuel Sooleymon receives a basketball scholarship to North Carolina Central and determines to bring his family over from a civil war-ravaged South Sudan.

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SUMMER ON THE BLUFFS by Sunny Hostin

(Available Formats: Print Books)

Amelia Vaux Tanner plans to give a cottage in a Black beach community to one of her three favorite guests.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

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

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:

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BECOMING by Michelle Obama

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

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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THE 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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BOMBER MAFIA by Malcolm Gladwell

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

A look at the key players and outcomes of precision bombing during World War II.

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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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CRYING IN H MART by Michelle Zauner

(Coming soon to StarCat & The Digital Catalog)

The daughter of a Korean mother and Jewish-American father, and leader of the indie rock project Japanese Breakfast, describes creating her own identity after losing her mother to cancer

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FINDING THE MOTHER TREE by Suzanne Simard

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An ecologist describes ways trees communicate, cooperate and compete.

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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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KILLING THE MOB by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The 10th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series looks at organized crime in the United States during the 20th century.

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ON JUNETEENTH by Annette Gordon-Reed

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Pulitzer Prize winner weaves together American history with personal memoir to show the importance of events in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

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OUT OF MANY, ONE by George W. Bush

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Forty-three portraits by the former president, of men and women who have immigrated to the United States.

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PERSIST by Elizabeth Warren

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The senior senator from Massachusetts shares six influential perspectives that shaped her life and advocacy.

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THE PREMONITION by Michael Lewis

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Stories of skeptics who went against the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of Covid-19.

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THE TYRANNY OF BIG TECH by Josh Hawley

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout audiobook)

The Republican senator from Missouri gives his assessment of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple.

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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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WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

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

An approach to dealing with trauma that shifts an essential question used to investigate it.

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YOU ARE YOUR BEST THING edited by Tarana Burke and Brené Brown

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An anthology of writing on the Black experience and shame resilience.

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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, May 21, 2021.

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NEW HOURS: Last week the library expanded its hours; increasing the number of hours we are open a week to 55. The Southeast Steuben County Library is now open: Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

And with the library’s new hours came new schedules for the staff; and I am just plain running out of week! So here is the recommended listening for this week with light descriptions.

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Better be Good To Me by Tina Turner (Genre: R&B, Pop-Rock)

From The Album: Private Dancer (1984)

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Boot Money by Tony Joe White (Genre: Swamp Rock, Country, Pop-Rock)

From The Album (of just released, previously unreleased demos): Smoke From The Chimney (2021)

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Don’t Cry No More by Bobby Blue Bland (Genre: Blues)

From The Album: Two Steps From The Blues (1961)

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Gravity Falls by The Bottle Rockets (Genre: Roots Rock, Indie Country)

The Brooklyn Side (1995)

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Ise Oluwa (All For Freedom) by Sweet Honey In The Rock (Genre: Folk, Vocal)

From the Album: All For Freedom (1994)

And as a related bonus – the song:

Mr. Spaceman by The Byrds (Genre: Folk, Rock)

From The Album: Fifth Dimension (1966)

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Jesup Wagon (live) by James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet (2021) (Genre: Jazz)

From The Album: Jesup Wagon

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Kansas City by Alex Chilton & Hi Rhythm Section

The great singer, best known for singing lead on the Box Top’s single The Letter in the sixties, and for his work with Big Star in the seventies; played at a benefit concert in 1990, to help pay for his friend, and fellow musician Fred Ford’s exorbitant medical bills, and the terrific set was recorded and just released.

From The Album: Boogie Shoes: Live on Beale Street (2021)

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Pierre by Carole King (Genre: Singer-Songwriter; just plain great music!)

From The Album: Really Rosie (1975)

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Plástico by Rubén Blades & Willie Colón (Genre: Latin, Jazz)

From The Album Siembra (1978)

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Stillness by Will Stratton (Genre: Pop/Rock)

From The Album: The Changing Wilderness (2021)

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Hoopla Recommendation of the Week

The Joshua Tree (1987) by U2

U2 formed the 1970s and recorded five albums before this one, which as a smash hit and their breakthrough album; songs on the LP include With Or Without You, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Running To Stand Still and In God’s Country.

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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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References Of The Week

NPR’s 50 Favorite Songs Of 1971. (2021, May 3). NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2021/05/03/992097225/nprs-50-favorite-songs-of-1971

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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.