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.
–
Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!
Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.
And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
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Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell
Bestseller Jewell (None of This Is True) inaugurates a multi-author series of thrillers set in the Marvel universe with this surprisingly sturdy supernatural noir. Retired superhero Jessica Jones now runs a private detective agency from her Hell’s Kitchen apartment, which has descended into disrepair as her drinking has worsened. In walks wealthy divorcée Amber Randall, who’s concerned because her 16-year-old twins, Lark and Fox, have returned from a summer in England with their father sporting porcelain-perfect skin, flawless manners, and an eerie Stepford vibe. Moved by Amber’s desperation, Jessica sets off for Barton Wallop, the village where Lark and Fox spent their summer. There, she meets a young woman named Belle, whom the twins claimed to know, and who appears to be the ward of an old witch whose influence over the locals makes Jessica uneasy. Things fly off the rails by the climax, with one too many sinister supernatural forces in the mix, but Jewell’s knack for pacing and atmosphere makes this feel more like a juicy campfire story than a corporate cash grab. Jewell’s fans will enjoy seeing her flex some unfamiliar muscles. – Publishers Weekly Review
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The Cliffs by J. Coutney Sullivan
This highly anticipated novel from Sullivan (Friends and Strangers) was worth the wait. Protagonist Jane is a Harvard archivist who, like her mother and sister, is addicted to alcohol. After getting blackout drunk at a work event, she finds her job, as well as her marriage, in jeopardy, making this the perfect time to escape from all her troubles. She heads up to Maine to settle her late mother’s estate, which is complicated by the fact that her mother was a hoarder. As a teenager, Jane found an old abandoned Victorian house up high on a cliff nearby, which became her refuge. As an adult, she is surprised to learn that a wealthy young family has bought the house and turned it into a typical beach McMansion. The owner, who fears that the house is haunted, possibly due to some unsavory work she had done, hires Jane to research the house’s history. That research is at the heart of this novel that spans generations and covers colonialism, Indigenous history, spiritualism, the Shakers, and so much more.
VERDICT A beautifully written, expansive novel, sure to please fans of Daniel Mason’s North Woods or the work of Kate Morton and Susanna Kearsley. -Library Journal Review
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Confessions of the Dead by James Patterson and J. D. Barker
In this chilling mystery from a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a small New England town is hit with a wave of crimes after the arrival of a mysterious stranger who brings more questions than answers.
Hollows Bend, New Hampshire, is a picture-perfect New England town where weekend tourists flock to see fall leaves and eat breakfast at the Stairway Diner. The crime rate—zero—is a point of pride for Sheriff Ellie Pritchett.
The day the stranger shows up is when the trouble starts. The sheriff and her deputy investigate the mysterious teenage girl. None of the locals can place her. She can’t—or won’t answer any questions. She won’t even tell them her name.
While the girl is in protective custody, the officers are called to multiple crime scenes leading them closer and closer to a lake outside of town that doesn’t appear on any map…
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Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt
A favor for his friend and associate Marcus Clark lands Paterson, New Jersey, attorney Andy Carpenter back in the courtroom for another impossible defense. A man shows up at the offices of Moore Law and uses six bullets to kill six people, leaving only attorney Sally Montrose and paralegal Laura Schauble alive to identify him from his tattoo and distinctive footgear as handyman Nick Williams. Even a tyro would realize that the murders are the work of a professional hit man, but lead prosecutor Richard Wallace is no tyro, and when the cops find the murder weapon in a trash bin a few blocks from Nick’s home with Nick’s fingerprint on it, he seems done for. Along the way, though, Marcus, who’s served as an informal mentor to Nick and his friend Rafe Duran, asks Andy to defend him. Much as he hates the practice of law, Andy can’t say no to Marcus, and he’s soon gathering evidence that will link the six killings–more will follow, since Andy has a habit of warning suspicious characters that they have only a day or so to fess up before he turns them in–to a complex series of insurance frauds whose basis turns out to be beautifully simple. Andy jokes less than usual (a definite minus), presumably because the evidence against his client is overwhelming, but the international intrigue behind so many of his recent cases is mercifully absent here (a definite plus). Solid legal thrills from a master of the light touch. And the dog you’d forgotten about turns up to brighten the final scene. – Kirkus Review
Reader’s Note: Dog Day Afternoon is the twenty-ninth book in the Andy Carpenter Series, if you’d like to binge read from the beginning, check out book one: Open And Shut (2002).
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Just Add Water: My Swimming Life by Katie Ledecky
New York Times Bestseller
A candid and inspiring memoir from Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and one of the best swimmers ever to compete: Katie Ledecky.
Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level.
Again and again, Ledecky has broken records: those of others and, increasingly, her own. She is both consistent and innovative—consistent at setting goals and shattering them, and innovative in the way she approaches her training. A true competitor, she sets her goals by choosing the ones that feel the scariest. But, crucially, she never sacrifices the joy of competition, even in the face of adversity. Her positive mental outlook and a great support system provides the springboard to her success.
Just Add Water charts Ledecky’s life in swimming. It details her start in Bethesda, Maryland, where she played sharks and minnows and first discovered the joy of the pool; her early foray into the Olympics at the tender age of fifteen where, as the youngest member of the American team, she stunned everyone by winning her first gold medal; her time balancing competition and her education at Stanford University; how she developed a champion’s mindset that has allowed her to persevere through so many meets, even under intense pressure; and how she has maintained her dominance in a sport where success depends on milliseconds. You learn how every element of her life—from the support of her family to the tutelage of her coaches, from her childhood spent in summer league swimming to the bright lights of Olympic pools in London, Rio, and Tokyo—set her up to become the champion she is.
In the end, Katie’s story is about testing yourself against the difficult, and seeing who you become on the other side.
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Happy reading!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.
The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on 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.
The Hoopla Catalog features on demand 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 companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.
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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Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.
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Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here is the list of New York Times Bestsellers for this week. All titles can be requested/checked out through the library. If you’d like to go the traditional route to request a title on this list and drop by, or call, the library – please do!
Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713
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FICTION
1. THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah: In 1965, a nursing student follows her brother to serve during the Vietnam War and returns to a divided America.
2. ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker: Questions arise when a boy saves the daughter of a wealthy family amid a string of disappearances in a Missouri town in 1975.
3. THE HOUSEMAID IS WATCHING by Freida McFadden: The third book in the Housemaid series. Dangers lurk in a quiet neighborhood.
4. SWAN SONG by Elin Hilderbrand: Nantucket residents are alarmed when a home, recently sold at an exorbitant price, goes up in flames and someone goes missing.
5. 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.
6. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas: After killing a wolf in the woods, Feyre is taken from her home and placed inside the world of the Fae.
7. RESURRECTION by Danielle Steel: After a shocking discovery and the onset of a global health crisis, a successful blogger begins to see new possibilities while staying in France.
8. ERUPTION by Michael Crichton and James Patterson: The Big Island of Hawaii comes under threat by a volcano at the same time a secret held by the military comes to light.
9. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas: The second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. Feyre gains the powers of the High Fae and a greater evil emerges.
10. CAMINO GHOSTS by John Grisham: The third book in the Camino series. The last living inhabitant of a deserted island gets in the way of a resort developer.
11. JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez: Justin and Emma, whose exes find soulmates after breaking up with them, have a fling on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
12. FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry: After their exes run off together, Daphne and Miles form a friendship and concoct a plan involving misleading photos.
13. A NOVEL LOVE STORY by Ashley Poston: A literature professor winds up in a town from her favorite romance series and encounters a bookstore owner with an irritatingly sexy mouth.
14. THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET by Freida McFadden: The second book in the Housemaid series. The sound of crying and the appearance of blood portend misdeeds.
15. NOT IN LOVE by Ali Hazelwood: A biotech engineer at a food science start-up has a secret affair with one of the business partners who took over the company.
NON-FICTION
1. ON CALL by Anthony S. Fauci: The physician-scientist and immunologist chronicles his six decades of public service, including his work during the AIDS crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.
2. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt: A co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.
3. THE DEMON OF UNREST by Erik Larson: The author of “The Splendid and the Vile” portrays the months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War.
4. THE SINGULARITY IS NEARER by Ray Kurzweil: A look at the potentially positive and negative aspects of biotechnology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.
5.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.
6. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk: How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.
7. WHAT THIS COMEDIAN SAID WILL SHOCK YOU by Bill Maher: The host of “Real Time With Bill Maher” gives his take on a variety of subjects in American culture and politics.
8. AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY by Doris Kearns Goodwin: A trove of items collected by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian’s late husband inspired an appraisal of central figures and pivotal moments of the 1960s.
9. LOVE & WHISKEY by Fawn Weaver: A portrayal of the bond between Jack Daniel and the African American distiller Nearest Green.
10. THE WAR ON WARRIORS by Pete Hegseth: The “Fox & Friends Weekend” host shares his experiences serving in the Army and his views on the current state of the American military.
11. WHEN THE NIGHT COMES FALLING by Howard Blum: The author of “American Lightning” delves into the murders of four students at the University of Idaho.
12. 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.
13. THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB by Griffin Dunne: The actor and director mixes stories from his family with tales of celebrities.
14 EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton: The British journalist shares stories and observations; the basis of the TV series.
15. A WALK IN THE PARK by Kevin Fedarko: The author of “The Emerald Mile” goes with a friend on a journey to hike the Grand Canyon from end to end.
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THE CATALOGS:
Catalog 1: StarCat
StarCat is the catalog of physical materials including print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. StarCat is available to all patrons of all public libraries in the Southern Tier Library System*
The Digital Catalog (and its companion app Libby) offers all Southern Tier Library System member library patrons access to eBooks, eAudiobooks & eMagazines via a lending model known in Library-ese as “one copy/one user;” that library speak means that eBooks & eAudiobooks found in The Digital Catalog/Libby are like print books found on library shelves, only one patron can check out a copy of a title at a time.
Exception: Magazines found in the digital catalog are available via a different lending model known as simultaneous access. And that fancy library speak means that magazines are available for all patrons to check out at the same time, i.e. if you and all your family and friends wish to read the latest digital edition of Newsweek, all of you can check out the e version of the magazine and read it at the same time.
The Digital Catalog/Libby checkout limit is 5 titles a time.
The Hoopla Digital Catalog (and its companion app, also called Hoopla) offers Southeast Steuben County Library patrons access to a second digital catalog with an on-demand lending model. In library speak, this lending model, like The Digital Catalog/Libby’s magazine lending model, is known as “simultaneous access.” The difference is, the Hoopla catalog offers access to more formats: eBooks, eAudiobooks, eComics, digital albums, TV shows & movies – and all items, in all those formats, are available for patrons to checkout immediately. The Hoopla check out limit is ten titles per month.
Hoopla Formats: All Hoopla content can be accessed on a computer or mobile device, and TV shows and movies can be accessed on computers, mobile devices, smart TVs and media streaming players, i.e. Roku or Apple TV.
This blog post includes all the new titles that have been ordered by the library in July 2024.
Some of these titles have arrived and can be requested through StarCat; other titles are not yet published and/or are not yet ready to circulate (and thus are not yet found in StarCat).
So, if you see a book you’d love to read, but don’t find it listed in StarCat, send me an email and let me know which title you’d like to read; and I will place it on hold for you, when it is ready to circulate.
New Books is a monthly post, usually published the first weekday of each month; and occasionally published the second day of the month, as is the case this month!
The next New Books Coming Your Was post will be out on August 1, 2024.
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And here is the list the list of New Books Coming Your Way for this month!
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.
–
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.
–
Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here are our streaming recommendations for July 2024, a few days early since many people are lucky to have a long holiday weekend and might be looking for something new to watch!
The next Suggested Viewing post will be out the first Saturday in August.
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July 1
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 (2024) (Netflix)
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July 3
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) (Netflix)
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July 4
Godzilla X Kong (2024) (Max)
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July 9
Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken (2024) (Paramount+)
Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!
Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.
And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, July 10, 2045.
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Blood In The Cut: A Novel by Alejandro Nodarse
A Cuban American ex-con fights to hold his family together in Nodarse’s standout debut. After being released from prison following a three-year drug sentence, Iggy Guerra returns to Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood with hopes of reconnecting with his family and putting the past behind him. With his mother’s recent death in an auto accident, however, plus his father’s mounting debt, his younger brother’s intentions of quitting high school, and the family butcher shop on the brink of closing under pressure from an arrogant competitor, Iggy finds his family in shambles. All responsibility falls on him, it seems, to fix the mess. Things become even more complicated when Iggy’s father is arrested for butchering illegally killed game for an unscrupulous Everglades rancher. Then Iggy discovers that his mother’s death may not have been an accident, and he’s compelled to seek street justice against her killer without ending up back behind bars. Nodarse draws taut suspense from intermingling the fate of the butcher shop, Iggy’s father’s shady dealings, and the mystery of his mother’s death, tying everything together with a stirring conclusion. He enhances the action with indelible descriptions of the Florida setting that underline the state’s intoxicating blend of beauty and danger. S.A. Cosby fans, take note: this jagged Southern neo-noir is not to be missed. – Starred Publisher’s Weekly Review
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The Cottage Fairy Companion: A Cottagecore Guide To Slow Living, Connecting To Nature, And Becoming Enchanted by Paola Merrill
Merrill (Cottage Fairy YouTube channel) discusses what she has learned about her cottage and herself as the seasons change. She discusses her transition from city to country living, and while the book focuses on country life, solutions for connecting to the seasons and nature are offered for city dwellers as well. The book embraces the cottagecore trend, and while the word “hygge” is never used, it is embodied in the text. Merrill’s subscribers–more than a million–will embrace this work, and readers unfamiliar with her YouTube channel may also find it enjoyable. Readers will find recipes, crafts, guided activities, and a meditation for each season. The sections also include questions to guide readers on their path to mindfulness.
VERDICT This book presents an easy entry point for readers interested in exploring mindfulness and the cottagecore lifestyle. – Library Journal
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A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
Stranger Than Fiction meets Virgin River in this incandescently clever meta rom-com from Poston (The Seven Year Slip). English professor Eileen “Elsy” Merriweather feels frozen in place after her fiancé breaks up with her a week before their wedding. Thankfully, there’s the promise of a “week of wine and happily ever afters” when her Super Smutty Book Club vacations together in a cabin in the Catskills. When Elsy gets lost in a storm on the way there, however, she winds up in Eloraton, the fictional small-town setting of bestseller Rachel Flowers’s hit Quixotic Falls series, the romances that brought the Super Smutty Book Club together in the first place. Flowers died before she could finish the series and Eloraton is stuck at the point where she stopped writing. The owner of the local bookstore, Anderson Sinclair, is the only person aware there’s anything odd about the town. He warns Elsy not to make ripples or change things, but she feels compelled to help her favorite characters find the happy endings their author planned for them. Poston gracefully walks the line between women’s fiction and romance—with just a hint of magic—providing an inspirational story of personal growth and second-chance romance alongside a fascinating exploration of transformative fiction, how readers and writers cocreate and share stories, and the value and purpose of escaping into one’s favorite novels. Readers will want to escape into this one again and again. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review
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Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren
In the latest entry into the Mean to Be series, the romance duo writing as Christina Lauren reimagine Disney’s Tangled as a grumpy/sunshine road trip romance. Raised on a homestead by overprotective parents, 22-year-old Ren is eager to start her education at Corona College and experience the real world. Edward “Fitz” Fitzsimmon has a plan: graduate, go to law school, and keep anyone from getting too close. Naïve, friendly Ren is not part of his plan. But when a class DNA test reveals secrets about Ren’s parents, she convinces Fitz to let her tag along on his trip to Nashville. As they drive towards their destination, Ren and Fitz find themselves opening up to the world and to each other. But are they able to maintain their relationship in spite of major revelations, or will it all fall apart?
Christina Lauren smartly updates the Rapunzel story for a modern audience. Ren and Fitz both feel like real people in the real world with real problems who also have fairy-tale chemistry. Even Rapunzel skeptics will find themselves rooting for Ren and Fitz’s relationship to have a happily ever after. – Booklist Review
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Two Sides To Every Murder by Danielle Valentine
From the author of How to Survive Your Murder comes a propulsive thriller about two teens who return to Camp Lost Lake, site of the cold case that sealed their fates.
“A must-read for fans of true crime, dark family secrets, and intricate mysteries.” —Ryan La Sala, bestselling author of The Honeys
Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report—but Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. Seventeen years later, Olivia’s life looks pretty perfect . . . until she discovers the man she calls dad is not her biological father. Now she wants answers about her bloodline, and the only place she knows to look is Camp Lost Lake.
Most people don’t spend their formative years on the run with an alleged murderer—but Reagan did. In the court of public opinion, her mom was found guilty of the deaths at Camp Lost Lake, and both of them have been in hiding ever since. But Reagan believes in her mother’s innocence and is determined to clear her name.
Luckily for Olivia and Reagan, Camp Lost Lake is finally reopening, providing the perfect opportunity to find answers. But someone else is dead set on keeping the past hidden, even if it means committing murder.
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Bonus Fourth of July Weekend Suggestions:
A DVD/Streaming Video
1776 (1972) starring William Daniels, Howard Da Silva & Ken Howard and an ensemble cast
Adapted from the Sherman Edwards/Peter Stone Broadway show, 1776 recounts events in Congress during the hot and stormy Philadelphia month leading up to the July 4th signing of the Declaration of Independence. A versatile cast — led by William Daniels as the fiery John Adams and Howard Da Silva as the cagey Ben Franklin — breathes life and humanity into the nation’s defining moment. The film deftly mingles a variety of tones. The spellbinding political debates over the Declaration’s text, for instance, remain mostly true to the historical record while benefiting from sharpened dialogue and dollops of wit. There is also whimsy and even romance, as the yearning, long-distance romance between John and Abigail Adams (Virginia Vestoff) is dramatized in split screens, as they act out their daily letters back and forth. Interspersed into the narrative are rousing refrains such as “But, Mr. Adams” and “The Egg,” and tender tunes like “Till Then.” For fans of the original film, or anyone interested in a playful interpretation of American history, this DVD release marks the triumphant return of a true musical classic. – Barnes & Noble Review
(Linda has seen this movie many times and concurs with the B&N Review!)
And if you’re looking for more movies to watch this weekend, check out this Fourth of July list from Country Living:
American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence by Pauline Maier
Maier sets the stage for her fascinating history of the Declaration of Independence with a concise and well-written introduction into the political background of the American Revolution. She provides the context for the document within the British tradition of declarations, addresses, and petitions and relates it to the many local and state declarations that aimed to mobilize support for independence. The thrust of her work is a careful examination of the drafting of the document by Jefferson and the Congressional committee; she then describes how Congress edited it into its final form. The latter third of the book is dedicated to the ways in which the Declaration has been redefined and used by different groups of Americans. Combining meticulous scholarship with clear prose, Maier tells a compelling story that will succeed in winning her a general audience. Highly recommended. – Library Journal Review
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The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For by David McCullough
Historian McCullough (Truman; John Adams), a Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author, presents this collection of 15 inspiring speeches in which he celebrates America’s talent for curiosity, intelligence, goodwill, and humanity. McCullough is an eloquent writer, and the speeches are designed to be uplifting and celebratory. Amid all of the dissimulation and discourtesy that demands our attention, these brief essays celebrating national aspirations are intended to remind readers that, regardless of shortcomings, Americans have largely strived to better themselves and their country. Whether discussing the building of the U.S. capitol or the storied career of physician Benjamin Rush, McCullough manages to celebrate the people who have helped improve or build upon the nation’s founding.
VERDICT A concise read that will be well-received in public and academic history collections. – Starred Library Journal Review
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Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood
New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gordon S. Wood elucidates the debates over the founding documents of the United States.
The half century extending from the imperial crisis between Britain and its colonies in the 1760s to the early decades of the new republic of the United States was the greatest and most creative era of constitutionalism in American history, and perhaps in the world. During these decades, Americans explored and debated all aspects of politics and constitutionalism—the nature of power, liberty, representation, rights, the division of authority between different spheres of government, sovereignty, judicial authority, and written constitutions. The results of these issues produced institutions that have lasted for over two centuries.
In this new book, eminent historian Gordon S. Wood distills a lifetime of work on constitutional innovations during the Revolutionary era. In concise form, he illuminates critical events in the nation’s founding, ranging from the imperial debate that led to the Declaration of Independence to the revolutionary state constitution making in 1776 and the creation of the Federal Constitution in 1787. Among other topics, he discusses slavery and constitutionalism, the emergence of the judiciary as one of the major tripartite institutions of government, the demarcation between public and private, and the formation of states’ rights.
Here is an immensely readable synthesis of the key era in the making of the history of the United States, presenting timely insights on the Constitution and the nation’s foundational legal and political documents.
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The Quartet: Orchestrating The Second American Revolution by Joseph J. Ellis
Few can tell a historical tale as well as Ellis, as many readers will be aware from his eight previous studies of the Revolutionary War era (Revolutionary Summer, etc.). True to form, here he reviews this short but important time in America’s history through the eyes of its major figures—George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison—rather than offering an analysis of the weighty interval between the nation’s failed first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, and the ratification of the second (and successful) constitution and its first 10 amendments, which we now know as the Bill of Rights. Ellis’s approach employs deft characterizations and insights into these politicians and philosophers, who bested their opponents by “imposing their more expansive definition of the American Revolution” on the American people. With his usual skill, Ellis brings alive what otherwise might seem dry constitutional debates, with apt quotations and bright style. There may be equally solid surveys of “the second American Revolution,” a term Ellis borrows from other historians, but this one will be considered the standard work on its subject for years to come. It lacks the fresh interpretations and almost lyrical prose of Ellis’s previous books, but it’s a readable, authoritative work. – Publishers Weekly Review
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What Unites Us: Reflections On Patriotism by Dan Rather
There is no question that America has become deeply divided over race, religion, economics, and, of course, politics. The polarization has become so extreme it has led Rather to wonder what it means to love one’s country in this time of relentlessly bleak rhetoric and flash-point violence. The essential values that have long formed our national character seem to have been misplaced, and Rather, with journalist Kirschner, undertakes the search for those bedrock rallying points by reminding readers how they came to be in the first place. From his vantage point as one of this country’s most revered broadcasters, Rather analyzes the current state of disconnected discourse in a series of reflective essays that go to the heart of what it means to be an American. From empathy to immigration, education to the environment, politics to the press, institutions and attitudes that once were unassailable are now endangered. Rather views them as a child of the Great Depression and as a chronicler of the definitive events of the past 60 years. While he spares no disdain for the forces that currently threaten the best America has to offer, he extols those who continue to cherish and protect its abiding foundations. Honest and heartfelt, Rather’s is a reliably reassuring voice in times of turmoil. – Starred Booklist Review
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Happy reading!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.
The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on 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.
The Hoopla Catalog features on demand 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 companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.
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.
–
Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.
–
Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here is the list of New York Times Bestsellers for this week. All titles can be requested/checked out through the library. If you’d like to go the traditional route to request a title on this list and drop by, or call, the library – please do!
Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713
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If you’d like to checkout and/or request New York Times Bestsellers online, you can do that too!
There are currently three catalogs available to Southeast Steuben County Library patrons online, that you can access to search for and request New York Times Bestsellers, and other popular books and materials.
All you need is a library card to get started!
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First, the list of bestsellers for this week, and after more information on the three catalogs!
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THE BESTSELLERS
FICTION
1. RED SKY MOURNING by Jack Carr: The seventh book in the Terminal List series. Questionable allegiances and various threats bring James Reece back into action.
2. THE HOUSEMAID IS WATCHING by Freida McFadden: The third book in the Housemaid series. Dangers lurk in a quiet neighborhood.
3. SWAN SONG by Elin Hilderbrand: Nantucket residents are alarmed when a home, recently sold at an exorbitant price, goes up in flames and someone goes missing.
4. WINTER LOST by Patricia Briggs: The 14th book in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy and Adam are trapped with strangers during a storm.
5. THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah: In 1965, a nursing student follows her brother to serve during the Vietnam War and returns to a divided America.
6. ERUPTION by Michael Crichton and James Patterson: The Big Island of Hawaii comes under threat by a volcano at the same time a secret held by the military comes to light.
7. 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.
8. THE MIDNIGHT FEAST by Lucy Foley: An opening night party turns deadly at a luxury resort located near an ancient forest.
9. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by Riley Sager: Thirty years after the disappearance of his friend, Ethan returns to his childhood home and encounters unsettling experiences.
10. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas: After killing a wolf in the woods, Feyre is taken from her home and placed inside the world of the Fae.
11. NOT IN LOVE by Ali Hazelwood: A biotech engineer at a food science start-up has a secret affair with one of the business partners who took over the company.
12. CAMINO GHOSTS by John Grisham: The third book in the Camino series. The last living inhabitant of a deserted island gets in the way of a resort developer.
13. LOVE UNWRITTEN by Lauren Asher: The second book in the Lakefront Billionaires series. A workaholic becomes attracted to the songwriter who had a crush on him in high school.
14. JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez: Justin and Emma, whose exes find soulmates after breaking up with them, have a fling on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
15. FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry: After their exes run off together, Daphne and Miles form a friendship and concoct a plan involving misleading photos.
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NON-FICTION
1. ON CALL by Anthony S. Fauci: The physician-scientist and immunologist chronicles his six decades of public service, including his work during the AIDS crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.
2. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt: A co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.
3. THE DEMON OF UNREST by Erik Larson: The author of “The Splendid and the Vile” portrays the months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War.
4. THE WAR ON WARRIORS by Pete Hegseth: The “Fox & Friends Weekend” host shares his experiences serving in the Army and his views on the current state of the American military.
5. LOVE & WHISKEY by Fawn Weaver: A portrayal of the bond between Jack Daniel and the African American distiller Nearest Green.
6. APPRENTICE IN WONDERLAND by Ramin Setoodeh: An editor in chief for Variety chronicles Donald J. Trump’s time in reality TV.
7. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk: How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.
8. WHAT THIS COMEDIAN SAID WILL SHOCK YOU by Bill Maher: The host of “Real Time With Bill Maher” gives his take on a variety of subjects in American culture and politics.
9. THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB by Griffin Dunne: The actor and director mixes stories from his family with tales of celebrities.
10. 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.
11. A WALK IN THE PARK by Kevin Fedarko: The author of “The Emerald Mile” goes with a friend on a journey to hike the Grand Canyon from end to end.
12. THE SITUATION ROOM by George Stephanopoulos with Lisa Dickey: The ABC host and former adviser to President Clinton describes the location where and conditions under which a dozen presidential administrations handled crises.
13. WHEN THE CLOCK BROKE by John Ganz: How discontent at the end of the 20th century led to our current era of polarization and extremism.
14. OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford: A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.
15. AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY by Doris Kearns Goodwin: A trove of items collected by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian’s late husband inspired an appraisal of central figures and pivotal moments of the 1960s.
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Have a great week!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
THE CATALOGS:
Catalog 1: StarCat
StarCat is the catalog of physical materials including print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. StarCat is available to all patrons of all public libraries in the Southern Tier Library System*
The Digital Catalog (and its companion app Libby) offers all Southern Tier Library System member library patrons access to eBooks, eAudiobooks & eMagazines via a lending model known in Library-ese as “one copy/one user;” that library speak means that eBooks & eAudiobooks found in The Digital Catalog/Libby are like print books found on library shelves, only one patron can check out a copy of a title at a time.
Exception: Magazines found in the digital catalog are available via a different lending model known as simultaneous access. And that fancy library speak means that magazines are available for all patrons to check out at the same time, i.e. if you and all your family and friends wish to read the latest digital edition of Newsweek, all of you can check out the e version of the magazine and read it at the same time.
The Digital Catalog/Libby checkout limit is 5 titles a time.
The Hoopla Digital Catalog (and its companion app, also called Hoopla) offers Southeast Steuben County Library patrons access to a second digital catalog with an on-demand lending model. In library speak, this lending model, like The Digital Catalog/Libby’s magazine lending model, is known as “simultaneous access.” The difference is, the Hoopla catalog offers access to more formats: eBooks, eAudiobooks, eComics, digital albums, TV shows & movies – and all items, in all those formats, are available for patrons to checkout immediately. The Hoopla check out limit is ten titles per month.
Hoopla Formats: All Hoopla content can be accessed on a computer or mobile device, and TV shows and movies can be accessed on computers, mobile devices, smart TVs and media streaming players, i.e. Roku or Apple TV.
Tech & Book Talk at SSCL 