Month: January 2024

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

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

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Wednesdays.

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.

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The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake  

The Atlas Complex marks the much-anticipated, heart-shattering conclusion in Olivie Blake’s trilogy that began with the New York Times bestselling phenomenon, The Atlas Six. 

Only the extraordinary are chosen. 

Only the cunning survive. 

An explosive return to the library leaves the six Alexandrians vulnerable to the lethal terms of their recruitment. 

Old alliances quickly fracture as the initiates take opposing strategies as to how to deal with the deadly bargain they have so far failed to uphold. Those who remain with the archives wrestle with the ethics of their astronomical abilities, while elsewhere, an unlikely pair from the Society cohort partner to influence politics on a global stage. 

And still the outside world mobilizes to destroy them, while the Caretaker himself, Atlas Blakely, may yet succeed with a plan foreseen to have world-ending stakes. It’s a race to survive as the six Society recruits are faced with the question of what they’re willing to betray for limitless power—and who will be destroyed along the way. 

Also by Olivie Blake 

The Atlas Six 

The Atlas Paradox 

Alone with You in the Ether 

One for My Enemy 

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The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz 

Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time. 

How strange—though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation. 

In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.

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Blizzard by Marie Vingtras 

In this elegant debut, Vingtras details the high-stakes search for a missing child from the alternating perspectives of four narrators. Bess, an attractive young woman, has lost track of a precocious, initially unnamed 10-year-old boy in the middle of a heavy snowstorm somewhere in Alaska (“I let go of his hand to retie my laces and I lost him”). As the storm grows fiercer, Bess’s search for the boy intensifies, and the three other narrators come into focus. Benedict lives with Bess for unspecified reasons and is particularly invested in recovering the child; Cole is their rage-filled, alcoholic neighbor; and Freeman, a military veteran and ex-cop, has traveled to Alaska on a mysterious assignment. In short, spiky chapters, Vingtras slowly doles out clues about the characters’ connections to one another, keeping readers deliciously off-balance as Bess’s search for her charge joins up with larger, more sinister machinations. With masterly pacing, the author knits together a noirish and affecting tale about desperate souls colliding. It’s worth staying up all night to finish. – Publishers Weekly Review

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Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time by Robert Downey Jr., Thomas Kostigen 

“Blackstone Publishing, known for high-octane thrillers, detective fiction, and sci-fi, is touting an idiosyncratic forthcoming title as well: Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen’s Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time. If Iron Man fans didn’t know that Downey believes in environmentally sustainable eating habits and has the recipes to prove it, they will now.” – From the Publishers Weekly Review

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The Excitements: A Novel by C. J. Wray 

In this irresistible caper from Wray (a pseudonym for Proper Family series author Chrissie Manby), the past comes to bear on nonagenarian British WWII veteran sisters, Penny and Josephine Williamson. As the women prepare to receive yet another award for their service (this time for their help liberating France), their doting great-nephew, Archie, whisks them off to Paris, where his former lover happens to be auctioning off a spectacular jewelry collection belonging to the family of Josephine and Penny’s childhood neighbors. Old vendettas emerge, and the sisters prepare to pull off a heist to settle some outstanding debts. As that adventure unfolds, Wray fills in the past 90-plus years of Penny and Josephine’s lives, making readers privy to secrets that neither sister has dared to share with the other, particularly when it comes to their extracurricular activities during wartime. Keeping track of the shifting time periods can require close concentration, but the extra focus is worth it: Wray makes the Williamson sisters and their rich backstories leap off the page, successfully convincing readers that their joie de vivre has been a lifelong condition that shows no signs of letting up. Filled with surprise, poignancy, and excitement, this is a surefire winner. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review 

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The Last Resort by Christopher Golden 

Best seller Golden (All Hallows) is back with another masterclass in horror, this time featuring a young Boston couple, Tommy and Kate, who leave the rat race behind to claim a crumbling mansion for only one euro on the island of Sicily, in the same small town where Tommy’s grandparents live. On their first day there, an earthquake rumbles, Kate is pretty sure she’s seen a ghost, and Tommy’s grandmother’s visit ends with her upset that they bought the notorious home known as “the House of Last Resort.” With a creepy omniscient point of view, Golden weaves a tense tale, carefully detailing the history of the place and its characters. The tone builds from uneasy to sinister at a relentless pace, culminating with Tommy and Kate in a desperate race for their souls and battling centuries of secrets buried deep beneath their new home, including some that rock the foundation of Tommy’s own family. VERDICT Golden is already a library favorite, and his latest will be eagerly devoured. This title would make a great suggestion for fans of The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. – Library Journal Review  

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The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods 

The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets. ‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’ On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found… For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems. 

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Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden 

Georgia May has worked her entire life to become a world-class chef, growing her career from Texas to Paris, all while following Julia Child as her guiding light. Just as she approaches the life she’s always dreamed of, a sudden betrayal rips almost everything away, including her boyfriend, her job, and even the sense of taste needed for her craft. The moment Georgia has nowhere to turn, her estranged mother reaches out, asking her to visit on San Juan Island in Washington State. As Georgia begins to open up towards her mother, secrets are revealed to her, encouraging her to experience new things. Slowly, Georgia’s sense of taste returns, her cooking skills expand, and her ability to connect with other people begins to flourish. This poignant story folds in themes of food and cooking with magical realism, grace, and a touch of romance. Recipe for a Charmed Life is spiritual but not overtly religious, and readers of Linden’s previous novels will be charmed by it, as will Heather Webber fans. – Booklist Review

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Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher 

Harrow is a Seer, an Elemental who uses water magic to discern dreams and signs. Ever since her entire Seer tribe was annihilated by the fire queen’s mythical wraiths, Harrow has been hiding out in an Elemental circus pretending to be a human fortune teller. When she comes across a caged man with fiery eyes in the circus, the Water tells her this man is important. He calls himself Raith because he’s believed to be one. Harrow doesn’t believe he is, because wraiths never take human form. The Water compels her to save Raith, and together they escape the circus. Once alone, they explore their unbridled desire for each other and plan a future together. But when Raith’s ties to her past are revealed in a dream, Harrow learns the truth behind his fiery eyes that may be their undoing. Ascher’s latest is a fantasy romance that has everything nice–a hot love interest, a relatable main character, female friendship–and plenty of (consensual) spice. Fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Sarah J. Maas will enjoy this one. 

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Who To Believe by Edwin Hill  

In this excellent small-town spine-tingler, Hill (The Secrets We Share) shuffles through multiple perspectives to examine the murder of a restaurant owner. Readers are first introduced to sleepy Monreith, Mass., by psychotherapist Farley Drake, who notes that gossip gleaned from his patients has helped him piece together the details of a local tragedy. Shady restaurant owner Laurel Thibodeau was found by her husband, Simon, suffocated to death and tied to the bed in her home. Rumored to be heavily in debt and to have taken out a lucrative life insurance policy on Laurel, Simon is the obvious suspect in his wife’s death. However, some Monreith residents, including true crime documentarian Damian Stone, have other ideas. Damian believes a serial killer might be responsible and shares his suspicions at financial planner Alice Stone’s birthday party, where attendees include the town’s police chief, a resentful local mechanic, an overworked minister, and others, each of whom divulges their own theories about what happened to Laurel. As soon as readers think they’ve found a safe landing place for their sympathies, Hill detonates one of the series of game-changing twists he’s planted throughout the narrative. Fans of Riley Sager will want to check this out. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review  

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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.

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout/download content to a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

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, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 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, 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.

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

New York Times Bestsellers can be requested through StarCat (for print books) & The Digital Catalog/Libby for eBooks and Downloadable Audiobooks. Select titles may also be checked out, on demand, through the Hoopla Catalog.

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

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New York Times Bestseller blog posts are published on Sundays.

And the next New York Times blog post will be posted in two weeks on Sunday, February 4, 2024.

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FICTION

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A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas

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

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THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese

Three generations of a family living on South India’s Malabar Coast suffer the loss of a family member by drowning.

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DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver

Winner of a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A reimagining of Charles Dickens’s “David Copperfield” set in the mountains of southern Appalachia.

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EMILY WILDE’S MAP OF THE OTHERLANDS by Heather Fawcett

The second book in the Emily Wilde series. Emily goes with Bambleby to the Austrian Alps to release him from his family’s plans.

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THE EXCHANGE by John Grisham

In a sequel to “The Firm,” Mitch McDeere, who is now a partner at the world’s largest law firm, gets caught up in a sinister plot.

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FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston

A woman who works for a mysterious boss takes on a new identity to dig up information on someone. 

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FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros

Violet Sorrengail is urged by the commanding general, who also is her mother, to become a candidate for the elite dragon riders.

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THE FURY by Alex Michaelides

Violence erupts when a former movie star brings a group of her friends to her private Greek island for Easter.

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THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride

Secrets held by the residents of a dilapidated neighborhood come to life when a skeleton is found at the bottom of a well.

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HOLMES, MARPLE & POE by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

Three private investigators working in New York City draw the attention of an N.Y.P.D. detective. 

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THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden

Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

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HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas

Passion arises between Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they seek to avenge the deaths of Bryce’s friends. 

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HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH by Sarah J. Maas

The second book in the Crescent City series. Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar must choose to fight or stay silent.

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ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace

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Anastasia might need the help of the captain of a college hockey team to get on the Olympic figure skating team.

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IRON FLAME by Rebecca Yarros

The second book in the Empyrean series. Violet Sorrengail’s next round of training might require her to betray the man she loves.

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IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover

A battered wife raised in a violent home attempts to halt the cycle of abuse.

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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

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A scientist and single mother living in California in the 1960s becomes a star on a TV cooking show.

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THE LITTLE LIAR by Mitch Albom

The actions of an 11-year-old boy help facilitate the delivery of Jewish residents, including his family, to Auschwitz.

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A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara

Four college friends, one with a traumatic past, move to New York seeking fame and fortune.  

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MIDNIGHT RUIN by Katee Robert

The sixth book in the Dark Olympus series. Orpheus wants to get Eurydice back but things are complicated by Charon. 

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REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt

A widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium is aided in solving a mystery by a giant Pacific octopus living there.

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SANCTUARY OF THE SHADOW by Aurora Ascher

When Harrow takes an interest in a winged beast new to the area, old enemies turn up to get their revenge on her. 

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TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett 

Three daughters, who return to their family orchard in the spring of 2020, learn about their mother’s relationship with a famous actor.

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NON-FICTION

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BEING HENRY by Henry Winkler with James Kaplan

The Emmy Award-winning actor shares how playing roles such as the Fonz and his struggles with dyslexia affected his life.

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

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

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THE BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown

The story of the American rowers who pursued gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games; the basis of the film.  

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson

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

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ELON MUSK by Walter Isaacson

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The author of “The Code Breaker” traces Musk’s life and summarizes his work on electric vehicles, private space exploration and artificial intelligence.

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EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton

The British journalist shares stories and observations; the basis of the TV series.  

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FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING by Matthew Perry

The late actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends,” shares stories from his childhood and his struggles with sobriety.  

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I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy

The actress and filmmaker describes her eating disorders and difficult relationship with her mother.

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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann

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

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KING: A LIFE by Jonathan Eig

A biography of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., which includes new archival material and reflections from some who worked, lived and fought with him.

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THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY by Tim Alberta

The author of “American Carnage” looks at divisions within the American evangelical movement.

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MORE by Molly Roden Winter

A couple with small children choose to have an open marriage.

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OATH AND HONOR by Liz Cheney

The former congresswoman from Wyoming recounts how she helped lead the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6. Attack on the United States Capitol. 

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OUR HIDDEN CONVERSATIONS by Michele Norris

Stories, essays and photographs exploring race and identity in America.

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OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford

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A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.

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POVERTY, BY AMERICA by Matthew Desmond

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Evicted” examines the ways in which affluent Americans keep poor people poor.

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PREQUEL by Rachel Maddow

The MSNBC host and co-author of “Bag Man” details a campaign to overthrow the U.S. government and install authoritarian rule prior to and during our involvement in World War II. 

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THE WAGER by David Grann

The survivors of a shipwrecked British vessel on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain have different accounts of events.

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

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

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THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears

The Grammy Award-winning pop star details her personal and professional experiences, including the years she spent under a conservatorship overseen by her father.  

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Search for and request books online!

eBooks & Audiobooks Through The Digital Catalog & Libby

Through The Digital Catalog (online) : https://stls.overdrive.com/

Through the Digital Catalog companion app Libby, which is found in your app store.

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

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Through Hoopla!

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

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

The Hoopla App is available online, 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 throughout the Southern Tier Library System.

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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 Telephone Number: 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, February 2, 2024.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Car Wash by Rose Royce 

 

From The Soundtrack: Car Wash (1976) 

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Celebrate by Kool & The Gang 

 

From The Album: Celebrate (1980) 

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A Hard Time In Coleman’s Mines by Aunt Molly Jackson 

 

From The Album: The Songs and Stories of Aunt Molly Jackson (2012) 

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Happy Together by The Turtles 

 

From The Album: Save the Turtles: The Turtles Greatest Hits (2009) 

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Ida, Whispering, Nobody’s Sweetheart, Who Cares & China Boy by Fred Nichols And His Five Pennies (recorded in 1929) 

 

Some of the songs in this collection are found on the album: The Best of Red Nichols & His Five Pennies (2014) 

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I’m A Believer by Neil Diamond 

 

From The Album: All-Time Greatest Hits (2014) 

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Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) by Melanie with the Edwin Hawkins Singers 

 

Studio Version Found On The Album: Candles In The Rain (1970) 

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My Special Friend Is Back In Town by Ethel Waters 

 

From The Album: The Chronological Ethel Waters: 1926 to 1929 (1996) 

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Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & The Comets  

 

From The Album: Rock Around The Clock (1955) 

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Splish Splash by Bobby Darin  

 

From The Album: The Ultimate Bobby Darin (1986) 

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

American Originals: 1918 (live) (2018) by The Cincinnati Pops & Guests 

 

And from the album the song: 

I Ain’t Gonna Play No Second Fiddle by The Cincinnati Pops with Rhiannon Giddens 

 

 

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Have questions about library materials, programs or services?

Give us a call at: 607-936-3713

The staff is always happy to help!

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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, web version of Libby

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

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The Libby App

Libby is the companion app to the Digital Catalog and may be found in the Apple & Google app.

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Hoopla

A catalog of instant check out items, including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, TV shows and movies 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!

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

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are  usually published on Wednesday; unless yours truly is swamped, and then they are occasionally published on Thursdays, as is the case this week.

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

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1812: The War That Forged a Nation by Watler Borneman

This thoroughly readable popular history of the War of 1812 may exaggerate in its claim that the war forged America’s national identity; after all, there were enough regional identities left lying around after the conflict to cause a national civil war. But otherwise it’s a fine narrative history that traces the major of events of the war, from the preliminary plots by James Wilkinson and Aaron Burr that revealed the ambitions of Westerners for territorial expansion, through New England’s secessionist Hartford Convention to the Battle of New Orleans, which wrapped up the war in 1815. Borneman makes clear that the performance of the American army was mostly disgraceful, that the Canadians can pat themselves on the back for courage and endurance and that the decisive victory of the American navy was not the famous frigate duels but the Battle of Lake Champlain in 1814. Borneman (Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land) is also strong in vivid personal portraits (the gigantic Winfield Scott and the diminutive and sickly James Madison) and evenhanded as far as atrocities (too many, by all parties) are concerned. Even the annotation and bibliography of this sound introduction will propel those whose curiosity is piqued to read further in all directions. -Publishers Weekly Review

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Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

The beguiling first installment of a new fantasy trilogy from El-Arifi (The Final Strife) introduces a mystical world filled with conflict. Elves were born of the moon, fae were born of the sun, and humans were born of the earth, or so the myth goes. Now, only elves remain, and all is not well. The Forever War between elven tribes has raged on for as long as sisters Lettle and Yeeran have been alive. Yeeran is a decorated soldier determined to help the Waning Tribe win and thrive. Lettle, a diviner, is repulsed by the conflict but driven to prove her worth to her sister. When one of Yeeran’s command decisions ends in tragedy, she’s exiled to the harsh environment outside of the Elven Lands. Lettle and Rayan, one of Yeeran’s soldiers, follow her by choice, and all three find themselves unexpectedly drawn into the world of the fae, creatures they believed were long extinct. Relying on their scant knowledge from old stories, the sisters and Rayan must navigate this strange, underground world, replete with magic, secrets, and romance beyond their wildest imaginings. The worldbuilding is lush and exciting, and the focus on character development and relationships makes for a cast that readers will be excited to revisit in future installments. El-Arifi is off to a great start. – Publishers Weekly Review

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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarrows

Violet Sorrengail wanted to be a scribe rather than join her siblings as dragon riders defending Navarre’s borders, but her mother, a decorated general, had other ideas. She’s forced Violet to enlist as a rider cadet in the Basgiath War College, even though Violet’s hypermobility–a disorder that destabilizes her joints and leaves her easily injured–puts her at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, Violet has been assigned to the Fourth Wing, led by Xaden Riorson, the son of a rebel leader whom her mother executed. Surrounded by dangers in a school designed to weed out the weak, Violet must use her wits and skill to overcome brutal challenges and vicious opponents. The bonds Violet forms with her fellow cadets offset the college’s constant violence, and her slowly developing enemies-to-lovers relationship with Xaden will appeal to fans of the trope. Violet’s hypermobility gives her a unique way of moving through the world, and Yarros (The Things We Leave Unfinished) uses characters’ reactions to thoughtfully explore the ways in which others respond to the lived realities of people with disabilities.

VERDICT A good selection for fans of Naomi Novik’s “Scholomance” series; will fly off the shelves. – Library Journal Review

Reader’s Note: Fourth Wing is the second book in the ongoing Empyrean Series.

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The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Everyone loves movie star Lana Farrar, especially her closest friend, Elliot, who offers charismatic narration twisted with fantasies, Agatha Christie overtones, and self-serving asides. They met when she was a young starlet and were instantly kindred spirits. So, when Lana discovers that her husband, Jason, has been having an affair with her oldest friend, Kate, she turns to Elliot. In drinks-fueled synergy, they concoct a dramatic plan to out the betrayal. Lana persuades Kate, Jason, and her assistant, Agathi, to join her, Elliot, and her son, Leo, for a getaway on their private island. The island seems to sense their tension, whipped to new heights by the Fury, a legendary wind famous for its malicious power. Lana’s inner circle, infected with barely suppressed resentments, gives the plan a new, darker impetus that ends in murder. Michaelides (The Maidens, 2021) again creates an almost tangible blend of tension, manipulation, and obsession. Even veteran crime-fiction readers will fall prey to Michaelides’ craft, nudged into shifting, sympathetic allegiances to the damaged, unlikable characters in this pitch-perfect, classic crime set-up and modern psychological thriller. – Booklist Review

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Mercury by Amy Jo Burns

In the 1990s, a young woman yearns to become part of one big happy family, and thinks she might be. When teenager Marley West arrives in the Pennsylvania town of Mercury in 1990, she falls in love almost immediately. Not with Baylor Joseph, the swaggering athlete who swoops her up, but with Baylor’s family–or at least what Marley thinks his family is. Baylor soon dumps her, and she falls into the arms of his younger brother, sweet, responsible Waylon. Soon Marley is pregnant and she and Waylon are married and living in a tiny apartment in the Josephs’ sprawling Victorian house. The only child of a hard-working single mother, she’s never experienced the clamor and warmth of a big family. She’s charmed by the three sons (the youngest is tender-hearted Shay Baby), and impressed by patriarch Mick Joseph, a damaged Vietnam vet who runs the roofing company that supports the family and employs most of them. But Marley is most enthralled by Elise Joseph, wife and mother, who rules the household with never a hair out of place. Marley doesn’t just want Elise to love her; she wants to be Elise. But Marley will discover deep fractures within the family and the extreme sacrifices Elise makes–not to mention a literal skeleton, not in the closet but in the attic of a local church. Marley forges her own identity, taking over the finances of the roofing company from the profligate Mick and raising her son, Theo, as her marriage wavers. Although by then it’s the mid-1990s and rights for women and gay people are gaining cultural force, they don’t seem to have any impact on small-town Pennsylvania, where Marley feels the same pressure of tradition Elise does, and another character suffers mightily. Though there’s a large cast, Burns brings depth and insight to each member. Well-drawn, engaging characters and a vivid setting make this is a compelling study of family dynamics. – Kirkus Review

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Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge: A Novel by Lizzie Pook

Pook (Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter) delivers a brilliant historical about a woman’s search for the truth behind her sister’s death during an Arctic expedition. After a tantalizing prologue, Constance Horton, 20, disguises herself as a cabin boy to join the Makepeace on its 1849 journey to the Arctic in search of missing explorer Sir John Franklin, who sought the fabled Northwest Passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Two years later, Constance’s sister, Maude, receives a letter stating only that Constance died by “misadventure.” Maude refuses to accept such a vague explanation, even though the British Admiralty is reluctant to provide her with further details about the accident. Eventually, a clerk surreptitiously hands over the diary that Constance kept while aboard the Makepeace. In it, Maude finds entries that cast suspicion on expedition scientist Edison Stowe. She cozies up to Stowe, accompanying him on a new—and rather grisly—business venture in order to extract whatever details she can about Constance’s death. Pook’s masterful pacing and meticulous attention to historical detail make this sing. Fans of Stuart Tarton’s high seas whodunits will be rapt. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Neon Gods by Katee Roberts

With this deliciously inventive retelling of Greek mythology, the Dark Olympus series launch, Robert (the Bloodline Vampires series) thrusts familiar figures into the present to intoxicating effect. There’s nothing explicitly supernatural here; instead, the gods’ powers are political. When socialite Persephone Dimitriou’s mother, Demeter, tries to force her into a strategic marriage to the much-older, alleged wife killer Zeus, Persephone flees the upper city of Olympus across the River Styx—and straight into the arms of Hades, the infamous ruler of the lower city. Strong, brooding Hades has shouldered the crushing responsibility of protecting the lower city ever since Zeus killed his parents, and very nearly him, when he was a boy. In Persephone he sees an opportunity for revenge—and in Hades, Persephone sees the chance to have an affair so wild and public that Zeus will no longer want her. After agreeing to spend the winter together, Hades introduces Persephone to kink she’s only dreamed of. But as their irresistible erotic connection deepens to love, Zeus will stop at nothing to reclaim his intended wife. Robert brings every element of a must-read dark romance to the table: high stakes, taut pacing, enticing characters, and sizzling chemistry. This red-hot romance is a winner. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review

Reader’s Note: Neon Gods is the first book in the, currently, six book with a seventh coming in August, Dark Olympus Series.

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Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

The latest from Willingham (All the Dangerous Things) is a cunning if somewhat implausible campus thriller. As Margot nears the end of her achingly lonely freshman year—a far cry from the adventurous one she’d imagined with her bestie, Eliza, who had died under suspicious circumstances weeks after their high school graduation—at South Carolina’s Rutledge College, she can’t fathom why Lucy Sharpe, one of the school’s most popular coeds, would invite her to room with her and her wingwomen in the historic off-campus house they’re renting for the summer. Still, Margot leaps at the offer, plunging into what turns out to be a maelstrom of secrets, mind games, and possibly murder. Despite her natural reserve, Margot clicks with the uninhibited Lucy, sliding into a sidekick role similar to the one she played with Eliza. However, as the summer’s booze-soaked partying with the neighboring fraternity winds on, Lucy’s darker side emerges, especially after the arrival of prospective frat pledge Levi Butler—Eliza’s old boyfriend, who was reportedly the last person to see her alive. Flash forward several months: Levi’s dead, Lucy has disappeared, and Margot’s narration has become increasingly unreliable. Though the twisty narrative grows far-fetched as it nears the climax, Willingham’s prose remains evocative, and her deep dive into the thorny nature of female friendship rings true. Though this doesn’t rank among the author’s best work, it’s still a gripping ride. – Publishers Weekly Review

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Random In Death by J. D. Robb

This sturdy entry in Robb’s long-running procedural series featuring New York City police lieutenant Eve Dallas (after Payback in Death) again takes place in the recognizable future of the 2060s. This time around, Dallas and her team are on the hunt for a cunning killer who’s targeting Manhattan teenagers. His first victim is nascent songwriter Jenna Harbough, who’s injected with a cocktail of drugs at the trendy downtown Club Rock It and dies in the alley behind the venue. A short time later, another teenager dies under similar circumstances. Dallas is assigned to the cases and comes to the disturbing conclusion that the killer’s victims were chosen at random. Interwoven throughout the murder investigation are long sections depicting Eve’s idyllic marriage to the sexy, supportive, and ultrawealthy Roarke, including descriptions of the “castle he’d built in the heart of New York City” for the pair to inhabit. These envy-inducing segments can feel more frisky than the rote procedural beats, but Dallas’s final confrontation with the killer has some heat. Series fans will get what they came for. – Publishers Weekly Review

Random In Death is the fifty-eight book in the In Death series. If you’d like to binge read from the beginning, check out book one: Naked In Death.

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Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher

Harrow is a Seer, an Elemental who uses water magic to discern dreams and signs. Ever since her entire Seer tribe was annihilated by the fire queen’s mythical wraiths, Harrow has been hiding out in an Elemental circus pretending to be a human fortune teller. When she comes across a caged man with fiery eyes in the circus, the Water tells her this man is important. He calls himself Raith because he’s believed to be one. Harrow doesn’t believe he is, because wraiths never take human form. The Water compels her to save Raith, and together they escape the circus. Once alone, they explore their unbridled desire for each other and plan a future together. But when Raith’s ties to her past are revealed in a dream, Harrow learns the truth behind his fiery eyes that may be their undoing. Ascher’s latest is a fantasy romance that has everything nice–a hot love interest, a relatable main character, female friendship–and plenty of (consensual) spice. Fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Sarah J. Maas will enjoy this one. – Booklist Review

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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.

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout/download content to a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

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, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 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, 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.

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

New York Times Bestsellers can be requested through StarCat (for print books) & The Digital Catalog/Libby for eBooks and Downloadable Audiobooks. Select titles may also be checked out, on demand, through the Hoopla Catalog.

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

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New York Times Bestseller blog posts are published on Sundays.

And the next New York Times blog post will be posted on Sunday, January 28, 2024.

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FICTION

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ATLAS COMPLEX by Olivie Blake

The third book in the Atlas series. The ethics of the six Society recruits are tested by the possibility of gaining limitless power. 

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A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas

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

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DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver

Winner of a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A reimagining of Charles Dickens’s “David Copperfield” set in the mountains of southern Appalachia.

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THE EXCHANGE by John Grisham

In a sequel to “The Firm,” Mitch McDeere, who is now a partner at the world’s largest law firm, gets caught up in a sinister plot.

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FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston

A woman who works for a mysterious boss takes on a new identity to dig up information on someone. 

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FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros

Violet Sorrengail is urged by the commanding general, who also is her mother, to become a candidate for the elite dragon riders.

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THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride

Secrets held by the residents of a dilapidated neighborhood come to life when a skeleton is found at the bottom of a well.

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HOLMES, MARPLE & POE by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

Three private investigators working in New York City draw the attention of an N.Y.P.D. detective. 

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THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden

Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

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HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas

Passion arises between Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they seek to avenge the deaths of Bryce’s friends. 

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HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH by Sarah J. Maas

The second book in the Crescent City series. Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar must choose to fight or stay silent.

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ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace

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Anastasia might need the help of the captain of a college hockey team to get on the Olympic figure skating team.

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IRON FLAME by Rebecca Yarros

The second book in the Empyrean series. Violet Sorrengail’s next round of training might require her to betray the man she loves.

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IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover

A battered wife raised in a violent home attempts to halt the cycle of abuse.

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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

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A scientist and single mother living in California in the 1960s becomes a star on a TV cooking show.

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THE LITTLE LIAR by Mitch Albom

The actions of an 11-year-old boy help facilitate the delivery of Jewish residents, including his family, to Auschwitz.

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REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt

A widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium is aided in solving a mystery by a giant Pacific octopus living there.

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SANCTUARY OF THE SHADOW by Aurora Ascher

When Harrow takes an interest in a winged beast new to the area, old enemies turn up to get their revenge on her. 

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TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett 

Three daughters, who return to their family orchard in the spring of 2020, learn about their mother’s relationship with a famous actor.

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TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin

Three daughters, who return to their family orchard in the spring of 2020, Two friends find their partnership challenged in the world of video game design.

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TWISTED LOVE by Ana Huang 

The first book in the Twisted series. Secrets emerge when Ava explores things with her brother’s best friend.

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UPSIDE DOWN by Danielle Steel

When they encounter strains in their romantic relationships, a Hollywood actress and her plastic surgeon daughter seek solace in each other. 

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NON-FICTION

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AN IMMENSE WORLD by Ed Yong

The Pulitzer Prize–winning science writer explains the sensory perceptions and ways of communication used by a variety of animals.  

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

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

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THE BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown

The story of the American rowers who pursued gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games; the basis of the film.  

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ELON MUSK by Walter Isaacson

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The author of “The Code Breaker” traces Musk’s life and summarizes his work on electric vehicles, private space exploration and artificial intelligence.

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EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton

The British journalist shares stories and observations; the basis of the TV series.  

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FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING by Matthew Perry

The late actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends,” shares stories from his childhood and his struggles with sobriety.  

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GHOSTS OF HONOLULU by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr.

The story of a Japanese American naval intelligence agent, a Japanese spy and events in Hawaii before the start of World War II.

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey

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

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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann

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

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KILLING THE WITCHES by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

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The 13th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series gives a portrayal of the events of 1692 and 1693 in Salem Village, Mass.

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THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY by Tim Alberta

The author of “American Carnage” looks at divisions within the American evangelical movement.

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MY EFFIN’ LIFE by Geddy Lee with Daniel Richler

The musician known for his work with the band Rush chronicles his life as the child of Holocaust survivors and his time in the limelight.

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MY NAME IS BARBRA by Barbra Streisand

The EGOT winner chronicles her journey in show business and reveals details about some of her personal relationships. 

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OATH AND HONOR by Liz Cheney

The former congresswoman from Wyoming recounts how she helped lead the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6. Attack on the United States Capitol. 

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OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford

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A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.

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PREQUEL by Rachel Maddow

The MSNBC host and co-author of “Bag Man” details a campaign to overthrow the U.S. government and install authoritarian rule prior to and during our involvement in World War II. 

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THE WAGER by David Grann

The survivors of a shipwrecked British vessel on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain have different accounts of events.

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THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears

The Grammy Award-winning pop star details her personal and professional experiences, including the years she spent under a conservatorship overseen by her father.  

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Search for and request books online!

eBooks & Audiobooks Through The Digital Catalog & Libby

Through The Digital Catalog (online) : https://stls.overdrive.com/

Through the Digital Catalog companion app Libby, which is found in your app store.

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

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Through Hoopla!

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

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

The Hoopla App is available online, 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 throughout the Southern Tier Library System.

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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 Telephone Number: 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, January 26, 2024.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Carolina Shout by James P. Johnson 

 

From The Album: Smithsonian Collection Classic Jazz 1 (2007) by Various Artists

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Don’t Worry About Me by Frank Sinatra

From The Album: Live At The Sands Hotel And Casino/1966 (2009)

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Grove Street by Dave Stryker Trio

From The Album: Groove Street (2024)

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How Long Blues by Jimmy Yancey

From The Album: Piano Blues – A Film By Clint Eastwood (2006)

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I’m Going To Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter by Nat King Cole

From The Album: The Very Best Of Nat King Cole (2006)

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The Joy of Singing by Mark Winkler

From The Album: The Rules Don’t Apply (2024)

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Jubliee Hop by Erskine Hawkins featuring Ace Harris

From The Album: Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra the Essential Series (2021)

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Singing The Blues by Frankie Trumbauer

From The Album: The Best Of Ken Burns Jazz (2000) by Various Artists

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Something In The Air Between us by Sophia Milman

From The Album: Make Someone Happy (2007)

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The Tree by Rotem Sivan

From The Album: Dream Louder (2024)

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What A Little Moonlight Can Do by Billie Holiday

From The Album: The Essential Billie Holiday (2010)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

And from the album the song:

You Belong To Me by Annie Lennox

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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, web version of Libby

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

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The Libby App

Libby is the companion app to the Digital Catalog and may be found in the Apple & Google app.

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Hoopla

A catalog of instant check out items, including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, TV shows and movies 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!

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

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are  published on Wednesday.

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

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Baumgartner by Paul Auster

Auster (The Brooklyn Follies) offers a profound character study of a man whose advancing years are shaped by mourning and memory. Sy Baumgartner is a 70-year-old philosophy professor at Princeton who, at the novel’s outset, has spent the past decade grieving his beloved wife Anna’s death in a swimming accident. Though he attends to a banal domestic routine, writes scholarly books, and even proposes marriage to a divorced colleague, Sy is so surrounded by effects of his old life with Anna (including manuscripts of her poetry, a book of which he shepherded into print posthumously) and so steeped in his reminiscences of her that at one point he becomes convinced she’s called him over a long-ago disconnected phone line to assure him “that the living and the dead are connected, and to be as deeply connected as they were when she was alive can continue even in death.” Sy lives simultaneously in both the present and the past, and Auster navigates these two narrative tracks nimbly: an uncovered box of Anna’s postgraduate papers leads to a reverie about her and Sy’s courtship decades earlier; a present-day moment of absentmindedness conjures recollections of Sy’s multigenerational family. The effect builds to a beautiful approximation of memory’s fluidity and allure. This is one to savor. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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A Cold Day For Murder by Dana Stabenow

The Edgar Award-winning introduction to private investigator Kate Shugak, A Cold Day for Murder is the first in Dana Stabenow’s critically acclaimed Kate Shugak mysteries.

Kate Shugak is a native Aleut working as a private investigator in Alaska. She’s five foot, one inch tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat, and owns a half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. Resourceful, strong-willed, defiant, Kate is tougher than your average heroine – and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her.

Somewhere in twenty million acres of forest and glaciers, a ranger has disappeared: Mark Miller. Missing six weeks. It’s assumed by the National Park Service that Miller has been caught in a snowstorm and frozen to death: the typical fate of those who get lost in this vast and desolate terrain. But as a favour to his congressman father, the FBI send in an investigator: Ken Dahl. Last heard from two weeks and two days ago.

Now it’s time to send in a professional. Kate Shugak: light brown eyes, black hair, five foot one with an angry scar from ear to ear. Last seen yesterday…

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The Getaway List: A Novel by Emma Lord

Two best friends come together after being separated for several years, tackling long-anticipated items on their Getaway List. Riley was turned down by all 10 colleges she applied to, and she’s not upset about it, which concerns her–and really bothers her mother. With her history of joining childhood bestie Tom in good-natured troublemaking, Riley has spent the past few years of high school since getting suspended overwhelmed by the extracurriculars and jobs her mother sets up for her. Now that Riley’s graduated, she realizes that she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. Against her mother’s wishes, she travels from Virginia to New York City, back into the life of Tom, who moved there after ninth grade. What starts as a weekend away turns into a summer of discovery and adventure for the two 18-year-olds as they hang out with a quirky group of friends and work to complete the list of activities they started making after Tom’s move. Together, Riley and Tom navigate the intricacies of self-discovery and their changing feelings for one another. This is a beautiful story of family, friendship, romantic love, and personal growth. Riley is a witty, reflective narrator, and the supporting characters are well formed and likable, keeping the humor and engagement high. Riley and Tom are cued white. An entertaining friends-to-lovers story that will have readers laughing and reflecting in equal measure. – Kirkus Review 

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In The Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950 by Nick Bunker

In the years following World War II, the United States’ economic and industrial output were unmatched. President Harry S. Truman hoped to build on FDR’s New Deal legacy with his Fair Deal: a broad set of liberal reforms, including higher taxes for new infrastructure, education, and a national healthcare plan. Historian Bunker (Making Haste from Babylon) details the months between September 1949 and June 1950 when several crises, domestic and foreign, rocked the Truman administration. Strikes by the mine workers and steelworkers, demanding higher wages and job stability, threatened the United States’ economic boom and coal supply during the winter months. Communists solidified control of China and later signed a pact with the Soviet Union, expanding communism over much of Asia, while in the U.S., Democrats maintained control of the House and Senate, but emboldened conservatives advocated for reduced budgets and lower taxes, derailing many of Truman’s proposals. VERDICT Based on extensive primary research, this highly readable account highlights these critical months when the U.S. enjoyed its prosperity, and part of the world descended into violence. An important read for those interested in postwar American history, both domestic and abroad. – Starred Library Journal Review

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Murder In Williamatown by Kerry Greenwood

The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher is up to her elegant eyebrows in mystery once again!

Awakening unusually early one morning, Phryne Fisher finds herself with a rare stretch of free time to fill. After dropping her daughters off for their school-sponsored charity work at the Blind Institute, she visits a university professor whose acquaintance she’d made—and admired—on a prior case. At lunch, the smitten professor invites Phryne to dine at his home in Williamstown later that week.

Bookending her pleasant dinner with her new friend Jeoffrey, Phryne makes two disturbing discoveries: first, a discarded opium pipe in the park, and later the body of a Chinese man on the beach—cause of death not apparent, yet ultimately ruled a homicide. Shortly thereafter, the teenaged sister-in-law of Phryne’s longtime lover Lin Chung disappears from her home. But when one of Jeoffrey’s colleagues is murdered in front of a houseful of guests at a Chinese-themed party he is hosting, Phryne can’t help but wonder—are the incidents all related somehow? And who on earth has been leaving notes in her letterbox, warning her to “REPENT” and that “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”—?

In addition to the formidable and fashionable Phryne, this clever mystery once again features Phryne’s three wards with their own mysteries to solve: Ruth and Jane, tracking an embezzler at the Institute, and Tinker, whose help Phryne enlists to uncover the author of the threatening missives.

Murder In Williamstown is the twenty-second book in the Phryne Fisher Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book 1 titled Cocaine Blues and, also in a different edition, Death by Misadventure.

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My Effin’ Life by Geddy Lee

The thunderous bassist and vocalist for the prog rock band Rush tells all. “It’s a common mistake to assume that when a kid (or an adult for that matter) is quiet, he must be some sort of deep thinker. In my case I’m afraid it was simply that I didn’t have much to say.” So writes Lee, born Gershon Eliezer Weinrib in 1953 to Holocaust-survivor immigrants to Canada. It turns out that he has plenty to say. Part of this mostly good-natured memoir is an account of growing up as a “nerdy Jewish kid” in the Toronto suburbs. Like other budding musicians, Lee found a turning point when Ed Sullivan aired the Beatles, though he was less impressed by the Fab Four than his sister was. Forming a band with schoolmates, he picked up the bass after drawing a literal short straw, which “was fine by me–it had fewer strings.” Eventually falling in with drummer Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson, he formed Rush, opening for the likes of Kiss before becoming a headliner act. Lee is full of good humor as he recounts his experiences on the road: “Rock Star Lesson #1: Do NOT drop psychedelics before an interview.” “Rock Star Lesson #2: Famous people can be dicks.” The author is testier when he writes about his personal politics, and he has high praise for Canada’s social safety net. “Sure, we pay more taxes than many others do,” he writes, “but I prefer to live in a world that gives a shit, even for people I don’t know.” Lee also has choice words for those who criticize his histrionic, high-pitched vocal delivery: “Don’t like the way I sing? Well then, I invite you to fuck the fuck off and move along to something more suitable to your sensitive tastes.” A grand entertainment for fans of Rush and classic rock. – Kirkus Review

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On The Plus Side: A Novel by Jenny L. Howe

Everly Winters is perfectly happy to navigate life like a good neutral paint color: appreciated but unnoticed. That’s why she’s still a receptionist instead of exploring a career in art, why she lurks but never posts on the forums for her favorite makeover show, On the Plus Side, and why she’s crushing so hard on her forever-unattainable co-worker. When no one notices you, they can’t reject you or insist you’re too much.

This plan is working perfectly until someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of On the Plus Side. Overwhelmed by the show’s extremely extroverted hosts and how much time she’ll have to spend on screen, she finds comfort in a surprising friendship with the grumpy but kind cameraman, Logan. Soon Everly realizes that he’s someone she doesn’t mind being noticed by. In fact, she might even like it.

But when their growing connection is caught on camera, it sends the show’s ratings into a frenzy. Learning to embrace all of herself on national TV is hard enough; can Everly risk heartbreak with the whole world watching?

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The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

In 1950 Jim Crow-era Florida, kids Gloria Stephens and Robbie Stephens Jr. are left behind after their mother dies from cancer and their activist father is forced to flee northward. For Gloria and Robbie, like for other Black residents of the county, life is hard, but Gloria and Robbie’s presence in particular makes white people think of their “troublemaker” father. When Robbie kicks a white boy to protect his older sister, he is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory with a notorious history. Told in the alternating perspectives of Gloria and Robbie, Due’s novel follows the action as Gloria works to set Robbie free. The history of the horror that imprisons Robbie has a long tail–but the ghosts who live on the reformatory’s grounds are unwilling to wait for justice any longer. The writing here is spectacular; the pacing, engrossing; the setting, heartbreaking but honest; and the characters are given a nuance and depth rarely seen. VERDICT American Book Award winner Due (The Wishing Pool and Other Stories) has written a masterpiece of fiction whose fear actively surrounds its readers, while the novel speaks to all situations where injustice occurs and compels its audience to act. For fans of The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, The Trees by Percival Everett, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. – Starred Booklist Review

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Saturday The Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman

Rabbi Small returns in this New York Times–bestselling novel to investigate a mysterious death on the Day of Atonement

The day before Yom Kippur, the synagogue sound system is on the blink, the floral arrangements are in disarray, and a member of Rabbi David Small’s congregation—in the Massachusetts town of Barnard’s Crossing—is terribly concerned with how much a Torah weighs. The rabbi is determined not to let these mundane concerns ruin his day of prayer and contemplation. But the holiest day of the Jewish year is interrupted when a member of the congregation is found dead in his car.

Details emerge that suggest the man may have killed himself, but the rabbi’s wife suspects murder. Which is it? Rabbi Small kicks into high detective gear to find out. His search for the culprit among the small town’s cast of eccentric characters leads to nail-biting suspense in this highly entertaining and engrossing mystery.

Reader’s Note: Saturday The Rabbi Went Hungry is the second book in the Rabbi Small Mystery Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning check out book one: Friday, The Rabbi Slept Late.

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Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank: A Short Story by Elle Cosimano

From New York Times bestselling author Elle Cosimano, comes Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank—a hilarious short story diving into Finlay Donovan’s partner-in-crime Vero’s past.

Anyone can spot a window of opportunity, but not everyone can manage to fall straight through one.

Veronica Ruiz is on the run for the first time in her life—though certainly not the last. After being falsely accused of stealing money from her college sorority, she packs up and heads to her cousin Ramón’s apartment, planning to change her name and start over, away from backstabbing girls and university drama (and far, far away from her arrest warrant in Maryland).

At the local bank on the first morning of her new life, it occurs to Vero that she’d be a better bank teller than most of the current employees; she may not have much money, but what little she does have, she knows how to manage. Unfortunately, the only available position is a cleaning job and so, desperate for a fresh start, she takes the bank manager’s offer.

But nothing in Vero’s world has ever been simple so of course, shortly after she begins work, she overhears a conversation between her new boss and a security guard: someone who works there has been stealing. Seeing a window of opportunity, Vero sets out to find the identity of the thief, present the evidence, and then push for the perfect job. All of which would be easier if her irresistibly infuriating childhood crush Javi wasn’t living in the same damn town.

Offering the insight that readers have been craving into fan-favorite Vero’s past and a closer look at the moment Finlay and Vero first meet, Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a can’t-miss addition to the Finlay Donovan series.

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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.

–

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

–

Information on the three library catalogs

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout/download content to a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

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, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 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, 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.

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

New York Times Bestsellers can be requested through StarCat (for print books) & The Digital Catalog/Libby for eBooks and Downloadable Audiobooks. Select titles may also be checked out, on demand, through the Hoopla Catalog.

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

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New York Times Bestseller blog posts are published on Sundays.

And the next New York Times blog post will be posted in two weeks on Sunday, January 21, 2024.

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FICTION

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A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas

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

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THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese

Three generations of a family living on South India’s Malabar Coast suffer the loss of a family member by drowning.

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DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver

Winner of a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A reimagining of Charles Dickens’s “David Copperfield” set in the mountains of southern Appalachia.

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THE EXCHANGE by John Grisham

In a sequel to “The Firm,” Mitch McDeere, who is now a partner at the world’s largest law firm, gets caught up in a sinister plot.

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FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston

A woman who works for a mysterious boss takes on a new identity to dig up information on someone. 

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FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros

Violet Sorrengail is urged by the commanding general, who also is her mother, to become a candidate for the elite dragon riders.

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THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride

Secrets held by the residents of a dilapidated neighborhood come to life when a skeleton is found at the bottom of a well.

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HOLLY by Stephen King

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The private detective Holly Gibney investigates whether a married pair of octogenarian academics had anything to do with Bonnie Dahl’s disappearance.

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THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden

Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

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HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas

Passion arises between Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they seek to avenge the deaths of Bryce’s friends. 

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ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace

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Anastasia might need the help of the captain of a college hockey team to get on the Olympic figure skating team.

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IRON FLAME by Rebecca Yarros

The second book in the Empyrean series. Violet Sorrengail’s next round of training might require her to betray the man she loves.

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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

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A scientist and single mother living in California in the 1960s becomes a star on a TV cooking show.

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THE LITTLE LIAR by Mitch Albom

The actions of an 11-year-old boy help facilitate the delivery of Jewish residents, including his family, to Auschwitz.

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NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah

Two sisters are separated in World War II France: one in the countryside, the other in Paris. 

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NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell

After meeting a woman who shares the same birthday, Alix Summer becomes the subject of her own true crime podcast.

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REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt

A widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium is aided in solving a mystery by a giant Pacific octopus living there.

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THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A movie icon recounts stories of her loves and career to a struggling magazine writer.

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TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett 

Three daughters, who return to their family orchard in the spring of 2020, learn about their mother’s relationship with a famous actor.

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TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin

Three daughters, who return to their family orchard in the spring of 2020, Two friends find their partnership challenged in the world of video game design.

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TWISTED LOVE by Ana Huang 

The first book in the Twisted series. Secrets emerge when Ava explores things with her brother’s best friend.

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UPSIDE DOWN by Danielle Steel

When they encounter strains in their romantic relationships, a Hollywood actress and her plastic surgeon daughter seek solace in each other. 

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WILDFIRE by Hannah Grace 

The second book in the Maple Hills series. Two summer camp counselors who previously had a one-night stand may run afoul of the camp’s rules.

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NON-FICTION

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AN IMMENSE WORLD by Ed Yong

The Pulitzer Prize–winning science writer explains the sensory perceptions and ways of communication used by a variety of animals.  

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

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

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THE BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown

The story of the American rowers who pursued gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games; the basis of the film.  

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ELON MUSK by Walter Isaacson

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The author of “The Code Breaker” traces Musk’s life and summarizes his work on electric vehicles, private space exploration and artificial intelligence.

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EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton

The British journalist shares stories and observations; the basis of the TV series.  

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FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING by Matthew Perry

The late actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends,” shares stories from his childhood and his struggles with sobriety.  

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GHOSTS OF HONOLULU by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr.

The story of a Japanese American naval intelligence agent, a Japanese spy and events in Hawaii before the start of World War II.

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey

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

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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann

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

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KILLING THE WITCHES by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

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The 13th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series gives a portrayal of the events of 1692 and 1693 in Salem Village, Mass.

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THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY by Tim Alberta

The author of “American Carnage” looks at divisions within the American evangelical movement.

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MY EFFIN’ LIFE by Geddy Lee with Daniel Richler

The musician known for his work with the band Rush chronicles his life as the child of Holocaust survivors and his time in the limelight.

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MY NAME IS BARBRA by Barbra Streisand

The EGOT winner chronicles her journey in show business and reveals details about some of her personal relationships. 

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OATH AND HONOR by Liz Cheney

The former congresswoman from Wyoming recounts how she helped lead the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6. Attack on the United States Capitol. 

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OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford

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A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.

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PREQUEL by Rachel Maddow

The MSNBC host and co-author of “Bag Man” details a campaign to overthrow the U.S. government and install authoritarian rule prior to and during our involvement in World War II. 

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THE WAGER by David Grann

The survivors of a shipwrecked British vessel on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain have different accounts of events.

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THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears

The Grammy Award-winning pop star details her personal and professional experiences, including the years she spent under a conservatorship overseen by her father.  

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Search for and request books online!

eBooks & Audiobooks Through The Digital Catalog & Libby

Through The Digital Catalog (online) : https://stls.overdrive.com/

Through the Digital Catalog companion app Libby, which is found in your app store.

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

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Through Hoopla!

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

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

The Hoopla App is available online, 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 throughout the Southern Tier Library System.

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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 Telephone Number: 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, January 19, 2024.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Finest Lovin’ Man by Bonnie Raitt  

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Higher Love by Steve Winwood 

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It’s A Lovely Day Today by Ella Fitgerald

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It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue by Bob Dylan 

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Let It Rain by Eric Clapton 

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Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight & The Pips 

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Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra 

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Sing Sing Sing by Benny Goodman

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Take The A Train by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra  

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Witchy Woman by The Eagles 

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

 And this week, I ran out of week – have a great long weekend & check out the Hoopla catalog where you’ll find many cool albums to listen to, over the long weekend!

https://www.hoopladigital.com/browse/music

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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, web version of Libby

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

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The Libby App

Libby is the companion app to the Digital Catalog and may be found in the Apple & Google app.

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Hoopla

A catalog of instant check out items, including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, TV shows and movies 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!

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

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are  published on Wednesday.

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

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And here are our recommended reads of the week:

Argylle: A Novel by Elly Conway

The globe-trotting spy thriller that inspired the upcoming action blockbuster Argylle (February 2024), featuring a star-studded cast including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Cena, and directed by Matthew Vaughn of Kingsman trilogy fame

A luxury train speeding towards Moscow and a date with destiny.

A CIA plane downed in the jungles of the Golden Triangle.

A Nazi hoard entombed in the remote mountains of South-West Poland.

A missing treasure, the eighth wonder of the world, lost for seven decades.

One Russian magnate’s dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos.

Only Frances Coffey, the CIA’s most legendary spymaster, can prevent it. But to do so, she needs someone special.

Enter Argylle, a troubled agent with a tarnished past who may just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world. If only he can save himself first…

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The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years: A Novel by Shubnum Khan

Trying to cope with the loss of her mother, Sana and her father move from the farm she grew up on to the coast of South Africa and into the manor house Akbar Manzil. The dilapidated manor house, now converted into apartments, is inhabited by eccentric tenants, abandoned rooms, and secrets lurking behind locked doors. While her father navigates his grief, fifteen-year-old Sana is left to her own devices. The manor is like a living thing, full of curiosities just waiting for Sana to discover them. Interspersed with chapters that tell the story of how the house came to be are stories of the people who lived there and the ghosts of the past that have left deep footprints, like memories the house cannot forget. Sana roams the house uncovering artifacts of the past owners and their mysteries, but Sana has secrets of her own, ghosts that haunt her just as the past haunts this house. Beautifully written with intriguing characters and a story line that spans time, this subtle fantasy novel mixes historical fiction with dark fairy tales.- Booklist Review

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The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes

Excited to have moved to a quaint village with partner Joe and expecting their first child, Alice is upended when a dead body is discovered at her prenatal class and she and her classmates are deemed suspects. So they join forces (along with Alice’s rambunctious dog, Helen) to discover the culprit. Cotswolds-based Ailes, who works in publishing as an editor, was short-listed for the Comedy Women in Print Prize for the opening chapters of this debut. – Library Journal Review

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Goodbye Girl: A Novel by James Grippando

Florida defense lawyer Jack Swyteck hasn’t changed much since we last saw him in 2021’s Twenty. He’s still a tough-as-nails crusader, and his latest case is a doozy. In a conflict that resembles the discord over ownership rights between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun, a pop musician is embroiled in a dispute over money with her ex-husband, and to make sure her ex doesn’t get a dime, she encourages her fans to pirate her music. Now the dispute has escalated. She and her ex are accusing each other in the unsolved murder of her former lover, and Jack must figure out who’s telling the truth. This is the eighteenth Swyteck novel since The Pardon, and it’s just as good as the rest. Grippando, who practiced law for several years before becoming a novelist, keeps coming up with complex and timely cases, and this one is first-rate. – Booklist Review

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The Night of the Storm: A Novel by Nishita Parekh

August 25, 2017. Jia Shah has moved to Houston, Texas, after a recent divorce. An immigrant from India, she is coping with single parenthood, a new job, and an ex-husband who wants custody of their teenage son, Ishan. As Hurricane Harvey heads for Houston, Jia gets an evacuation order and heads to her sister’s house in the upscale suburb of Sugarland. Her sister, Seema, enjoys the privileges of wealth while her husband, Vipul, behaves inappropriately with Jia. When Vipul’s brother, Raj, and his white wife, Lisa, show up, things get even more complicated. Grandma, the authoritarian matriarch, plays favorites with her sons and their wives, and everyone considers Jia a problem because she is divorced. As the storm becomes more destructive and two people die mysteriously at the house, the situation becomes dire. Who is the murderer? Will they survive the storm? Parekh’s impressive debut combines a variation on the locked room mystery with social commentary on the immigrant experience and the role of women in Indian culture. – Starred Booklist Review

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Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine by Uché Blackstock, MD

Physician and healthcare consultant Blackstock skillfully blends biography and advocacy in this passionate debut memoir. Blackstock’s mother, Dale, was a pioneering Black doctor in Brooklyn who headed a coalition of Black women physicians in the 1980s. Her example inspired Blackstock and her twin sister, Oni, to follow in their mother’s footsteps. When the sisters were undergraduates at Harvard, Dale died of leukemia at age 47; the siblings went on to graduate from Harvard Medical School in the 2000s as the school’s first Black mother-daughter legacies. After she was matched with Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, Blackstock, like her mother, persevered in the face of prejudice from patients and colleagues. Dedicating herself to fighting racial healthcare inequities, she formed Advancing Health Equity in 2019 to help improve care for patients of color. Blackstock’s inspiring account—which also covers her own health struggles (a misdiagnosis of her appendicitis nearly kills her) and her devastating divorce—is enhanced by her concrete diagnoses of the healthcare industry’s shortcomings and the firm, actionable steps (including engaging Black children in medical education as early as preschool) she provides to fix them. It’s a sobering and knowledge study of medical discrimination from someone with a lifetime of experience.

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Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine’s War of Independence by Yaroslav Trofimov

The aggression and atrocities of Putin’s invasion are matched by the stalwart bravery of Ukrainian resistance. Trofimov, chief foreign affairs correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and a veteran war reporter, traveled across his homeland to talk with the soldiers, civilians, and leaders enduring the violence of the Russian war machine. This in-depth report of his findings offers a detailed picture of the destruction and suffering caused by Russian bombing and shelling. Just as important, Trofimov conveys the will to fight of Ukrainians, in uniform and out, and their determined hopes for victory and Ukraine’s independence. The author does an excellent job placing the unprovoked attack within the historical context of Ukrainian resistance to Russia and Russia’s equal insistence on dominating Ukraine. Trofimov also demonstrates the power of words in war as he examines the slogans, memes, and speeches that Ukrainians rally behind, contrasted with the empty and often ridiculous Russian propaganda used to justify and rationalize Putin’s invasion. This tour de force covers the first year of war in Ukraine and a solid second draft of history, as the author intended. We can hope for a second volume that will be the last, chronicling a truly independent Ukraine. – Starred Booklist Review

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The Sign of Four Spirits by Vicki Delany

Delany’s ninth mystery featuring Cape Cod bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Gemma Doyle (after 2023’s The Game Is a Footnote) is the series’ best yet. London, Mass., is hosting a new psychic fair that has attracted many visitors to the town, and to the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. During the event, Doyle is invited by her friend, Bunny, a former teenage pop star whose daughter, Ashleigh, assists Doyle in running the store, to a séance held by a medium named Madame Lavalier. Despite Doyle’s skepticism about the supernatural, she agrees to attend. When she joins the small gathering, however, Madame Lavalier excludes Doyle from the locked library where the group will attempt to contact the dead, citing the bookseller’s skepticism. The evening ends tragically, when one of the 12 people in the room is killed by a hatpin inserted precisely at the base of their skull. After elbowing her way into the police inquiry, Doyle utilizes her Sherlockian attention to detail to crack the case. The closed-circle setup is brilliantly executed, and will appeal to golden age mystery fans and Holmes fans alike. Delany’s series has plenty of gas left in the tank. – Publishers Weekly Review

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The Waters: A Novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Place is key to Campbell’s resounding novels and short stories, including Once upon a River (2011) and Mothers, Tell Your Daughters (2015). In this tour de force, this intricate, visceral fairy tale, place is the thrumming heart. The Waters is a fertile Michigan swamp, home to generations of women healers, with the indomitable Hermine “Herself” Zook now reigning supreme. She has raised three daughters, Primrose, a lawyer in California; Maryrose, a nurse who lives nearby; and “lazy and beautiful” Rose Thorn. Adored by all and in epic love with farmer Titus, Rose Thorn returns from an ambiguous absence with a baby girl who is not his. Named Dorothy for Rose Thorn’s love of the Oz books and called Donkey for the animal who saved her life, she reaches the age of 11 as an exceedingly tall, curious, and courageous prodigy enthralled by both nature and mathematics. As Rose Thorn holds tight to the anguished secret of Donkey’s violent origins, Herself is mysteriously injured, and Donkey protects a fearsome rattlesnake. Campbell’s intimate knowledge of this vital wetland and the wonders of its plants and creatures infuses every vibrant, bewitching, and wrenching scene as she entwines the struggles of her passionate characters with the creeping decimation wrought by pollution and climate change. This is a verdant, gripping, and clarion saga of home, family, and womanhood, of meaningful work and metamorphosis, of poisons and antidotes, and the urgent need for us to heal and sustain the imperiled living world that heals and sustains us.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Readers cherish Campbell’s fiction and word is out about her magnificent new novel. – Library Journal Review

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Wild And Distant Seas: A Novel by Tara Karr Roberts

Roberts’ sweeping debut novel, a reimagining of Moby-Dick, tells the story of four generations of women. It begins on Nantucket in 1849 with Evangeline Hussey, a young widow who is content running her inn and making her chowders. One day, she is caught off guard by the arrival of a cheerful man who introduces himself as Ishmael. His stay is short-lived; he soon sets sail on the doomed Pequod with Captain Ahab. But his legacy will ripple through the years. In his own way, he is the white whale for Evangeline’s descendants, and their journeys span the globe, taking them from Nantucket to Boston, Brazil, Italy, and Idaho. Each of the women–Evangeline, Rachel, Mara, and Antonia–possesses a touch of magic, each using her own unique ability to her advantage in some way. The magic is subtle, woven seamlessly into the narrative, so it does not feel out of place in this otherwise traditional work of historical fiction. Each woman’s story builds to a beautiful conclusion, and the themes of love, motherhood, and the quest to find one’s purpose in life resonate throughout. Fans of Christina Baker Kline’s The Exiles (2020) and Julie Gerstenblatt’s Daughters of Nantucket (2023) will flock to Roberts’ tale. – Booklist Review

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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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.

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can download titles from The Digital Catalog to a PC. And The Digital Catalog has a companion app, Libby, which you can utilize to download content to your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

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, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 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, 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.

–

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.