Month: September 2024

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, September 13, 2024.

–

This week we’re going to do an artist spotlight on two musicians that are terrific, and not as well known as they should be, and are both members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Big Mama Thornton and Big Bill Broonzy.

–

Big Mama Thornton was born Willie Mae Thornton (1926 – 1984); she was a blues singer extraordinaire and a great influencer on subsequent generations of rock and blues musicians.

For more information check out a short bio on Big Mama Thornton found on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame site:

https://rockhall.com/inductees/big-mama-thornton/

And a neat article on the enduring influence of Big Mama, via a 2023 concert honoring the late blues singer; found here:

https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/rocky-mountain-pbs/big-mama-thornton-colorado

–

And on with the music!

Hound Dog (featuring a young guitarist named Buddy Guy!)

–

Ball And Chain

–

They Call Me Big Mama

–

Big Mama’s Blues (My Love)

–

I’m Feeling Alright

–

Want to hear more?

Check out the Smithsonian album:

Big Mama Thornton With the Muddy Waters Blues Band 1966,

–

Big Bill Broonzy (1903-1958), born William Lee Conley Broonzy was a great singer and guitarist during 1930s, 1940s and into the 1950s.

To learn more about Big Bill Broonzy, you can find an overview of his life and career on the Guitar World site, via the following link https://www.guitarworld.com/features/big-bill-broonzy-blues-guitar-pioneer

And NPR offers a cool article that discusses his influence on subsequent generations of musicians:

https://www.npr.org/2011/06/25/137398692/big-bill-broonzy-historys-musical-chameleon

And here are five of his classic songs!

Key To The Highway  

–

Mississippi River Blues 

–

Baby I Done Got Wise  

–

In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down 

–

Minding My Own Business

–

Want to hear more?

Check out the album Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs (1956)

 

–

Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

–

The Digital Catalog, web version of Libby

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

–

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 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, September 11, 2024.

–

Death at the Sign of the Rook: A Jackson Brodie Book by Kate Atkinson

Atkinson’s deliciously witty sixth adventure for Jackson Brodie (after Big Sky) finds the British PI entangled in a weekend-long murder mystery party. Brodie’s newest clients are Ian and Hazel Padgett, “pensionable-aged” siblings who have discovered, while divvying up their deceased mother’s possessions, that one of her oil paintings has gone missing. With the help of his friend, Det. Const. Reggie Chase, Brodie digs into the siblings’ suspicions that their mother’s caretaker, Melanie Hope, swiped the heirloom. Soon, Brodie and Chase’s investigation unearths art thefts linked to Burton Makepeace House, a crumbling mansion recently converted into a hotel and managed by the self-aggrandizing Piers Milton. Brodie and Chase head to Burton Makepeace and start poking around while an elaborate “Murder Mystery Weekend” event that Piers has organized is underway; before long, a snowstorm strands the duo with the participants and knocks out everyone’s cell reception. Atkinson keeps things fast, funny, and fair, delivering a twist-filled mystery that will stump armchair sleuths and a well-sketched supporting cast that’s easy to fall in love with. This is sure to delight series fans and newcomers alike. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review 

Reader’s Note: As noted, Death At The Sign Of The Rook is the sixth book in the Jackson Brodie Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: Case Histories.  

–  

Fatal Intrusion by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

his sure-footed collaboration between bestseller Deaver (The Bone Collector) and Maldonado (The Cipher) centers on special agent Carmen Sanchez, who’s recently been assigned to Homeland Security investigations in Southern California. Sanchez’s rash approach to a hostage situation in the desert town of Ario infuriates her by-the-book colleague, Kevin Albright, who wants her arrested for reckless endangerment. Their boss persuades Albright to keep the handcuffs off Sanchez, but as soon as she’s in the clear, she gets thrown into another intense situation: her younger sister, Sara, has been physically assaulted outside a café near her university. Sanchez takes the cell phone dropped by Sara’s attacker to her friend, private security expert Jacoby Heron, who unlocks the phone and deciphers its encrypted files. Sifting through the data, Sanchez and Jacoby unravel a complex plot connecting Sara’s assailant to a series of homicides and a cyberterrorism ring intent on fostering political discord across California. Slick, cinematic action and fastidiously detailed investigative work bring this series launch to life. Deaver and Maldonado make a good match. – Publisher’s Weekly Review  

– 

Life Impossible by Matt Haig 

Haig’s anxiously awaited follow-up to The Midnight Library (2020) proves that it’s never too late to change your life. Grace Winters is a retired math teacher and widow who lost a young son many years ago. In an extended letter to a former student, Grace spins the tale of her move to Ibiza, a Mediterranean island off the coast of Spain. An old friend has willed Grace a home there. While she is shocked, she is compelled to go, even at the age of 72. The island is lush and green; the house is not so much, but Grace is entranced all the same. When she realizes that her friend may have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Grace becomes obsessed with finding out what happened. It turns out the answer is far more complicated than a simple murder or kidnapping, and it leads Grace to a bizarre and transformative experience deep under the sea. Haig’s incomparable style, complete with short chapters and lovely descriptions, will draw readers back; they will be captivated by Grace’s shrewdness and bravery. – Booklist Review  

– 

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley 

Flavia de Luce is in top form in the eleventh book of Bradley’s beloved series, following The Golden Tresses of the Dead (2019), and set shortly after WWII in the English countryside. Flavia is still the most precocious (and only) adolescent detective in the tiny town of Bishop’s Lacey, still a frighteningly accomplished chemist, and still making her biting observations. But her father’s recent death has made Flavia an orphan and left her in the haphazard care of her sister Daffy and the estate staff. When beloved housekeeper Mrs. Mullet is suspected of murder after serving a dish of poisonous mushrooms to their reclusive neighbor, Major Greyleigh, a retired public hangman, Flavia investigates. A labyrinthine series of clues leads her to a shocking personal discovery that completely changes her world–and opens up interesting possibilities for future investigations. The return of Undine, her “pestilent little cousin,” is a bonus, as is the continued presence of Dogger, the estate’s gardener and Flavia’s faithful partner in crime. Bradley gives his loyal readers a story that will more than satisfy their expectations while also inviting new readers to discover an endlessly entertaining amateur young sleuth who has much to teach her elders. – Starred Booklist Review  

Reader’s Note: As mentioned, What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust is the eleventh book in the Flavia de Luce Mystery Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: The Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie. 

– 

You Belong with Me: A Novel by Mhairi McFarlane

Edie Thompson’s world turns upside down when renowned actor Elliot Owen, her once-in-a-lifetime love, reappears at her doorstep, seeking a second chance. Edie is shocked, to say the least. While Edie is overjoyed at the prospect of rekindling their romance, the challenges of dating a celebrity prove more daunting than she ever anticipated. Caught in a whirlwind of paparazzi-documented scandals and personal demons, Edie and Elliot must navigate the treacherous waters of fame and trust. As Elliot juggles international filming commitments, Edie grapples with her own insecurities and the presence of a newfound confidant in her life. Amid the chaos, they must also confront the unsettling reality that someone in their inner circle might be fueling the tabloid frenzy that threatens to tear them apart.

VERDICT McFarlane’s (Between Us) deft storytelling brings to life a cast of characters who resonate with wit, charm, and vulnerability. Through Edie and Elliott’s trials and triumphs, this novel offers a poignant exploration of love’s resilience and the tumultuous journey toward a happily-ever-after in the glare of the spotlight. – Library Journal Review  

–

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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

–

Information on the three library catalogs

The 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 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.

–

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

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.

–

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.

–

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 are our ten streaming recommendations for September 2024.

–

September 2 

English Teacher, Season 1 (2024) (FX) 

 

– 

September 4 

 Slow Horses, Season 4 (2024) (Apple TV+) 

 

 

– 

September 5 

The Perfect Couple (2024) (Netflix) 

 

 

– 

September 6 

His Three Daughters (2023) (Netflix) 

 

 

– 

September 12 

Emily In Paris, Season 4, Part 2 (2024) (Netflix) 

 

– 

Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (2024) (Peacock) 

 

– 

The Old Man Season 2 (2024) (FX) 

 

 

– 

September 18 

Agatha All Along (2024) (Disney+) 

 

– 

September 19 

Frasier, Season 2 (2024) (Paramount) 

 

– 

The Penguin (2024) (Max) 

 

– 

September 20 

La Maison, Season 1 (2024) (Apple TV+) 

 

– 

September 25 

Midnight Family, Season 1 (2024) (Apple TV+) 

 

 

– 

September 29 

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol, Season 2 (2024) (AMC+) 

 

– 

Hoopla Movie of the Month 

 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2024) 

And here is the trailer 

 

–

Have a great month,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

Hi everyone, welcome to our Suggested Listening posting for this week; a bit late as I somehow didn’t hit publish last week when I finished the post – so we’ll celebrate the lives and contributions of working class people today, and all through this week!

Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, September 6, 2024.

–

Our recommended songs for this week celebrate the history of American workers, on the occasion of Labor Day weekend (and the week after it!).

The songs are listed in chronological order, with the exception of the last song, This Land Is Your Land, which is certainly a quintessentially American song, celebrating the freedom of all Americans. And as it is a very hopeful song, and hope seeming to be in short supply today, at least if one watches the news – I thought we’d end on that hopeful note!

–

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries by Rudy Vallee

From The Album: The Very Best Of Rudy Vallee (2009)

–

 

Brother Can You Spare A Dime? By Bing Crosby 

From The Album: The Essential Bing Crosby (1932/2003)

–

Midnight Special by Lead Belly

From The Album: Midnight Special — The Library of Congress Recordings, V. 1 (1991)

–

Solidarity Forever by Pete Seeger

From The Album: Talking Union and Other Union Songs (1955)

–

Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford

From The Album: Sixteen Tons (1960)

–

Working On A Chain Gang by Sam Cooke

From The Album: The Best of Sam Cooke (2011)

–

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll by Bob Dylan

From The Album: The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964)

–

Work Song by Nina Simone

From The Album: High Priestess Of Soul (1967)

–

Hoopla Album Of The Week 

The Almanac Singers, Volume 1 by The Almanac Singers

And from the album the song:

Talking Union  by The Almanac Singers

–

Have a great week,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

–

The Digital Catalog, web version of Libby

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

–

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.

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

–

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 in a variety of formats, i.e. print books, eBooks, streaming videos.

All you need is a library card to get started!

Links to the catalogs are found after the list of New York Times Bestsellers.

New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays. And the next NYT blog post will be posted on Sunday,

–

THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover: A battered wife raised in a violent home attempts to halt the cycle of abuse; the basis of the film.

2. IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover: In the sequel to “It Ends With Us,” Lily deals with her jealous ex-husband as she reconnects with her first boyfriend.

3. BY ANY OTHER NAME by Jodi Picoult: A young woman’s play about her ancestor Emilia Bassano, who wrote Shakespeare’s works, is submitted to a festival under a male pseudonym.

4. THIS IS WHY WE LIED by Karin Slaughter: The 12th book in the Will Trent series. Will and Sarah’s honeymoon is interrupted by the murder of the manager of the lodge where they are staying.

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. 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.

7. 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.

8. SPIRIT CROSSING by William Kent Krueger: The 20th book in the Cork O’Connor mystery series. A local politician’s teenage daughter goes missing and the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman is discovered.

9. BETRAYAL ROAD by Christine Feehan: The ninth book in the Torpedo Ink series. Maestro must get close to Azelie quickly in order to break up a human trafficking ring.

10. TOM CLANCY: SHADOW STATE by M.P. Woodward: The 12th book in the Jack Ryan Jr. series. Jack uncovers dangers in Vietnam.

11. 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.

12. THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach: A woman who is down on her luck forms an unexpected bond with the bride at a wedding in Rhode Island.

13. 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.

14. THE HOUSEMAID IS WATCHING by Freida McFadden: The third book in the Housemaid series. Dangers lurk in a quiet neighborhood.

15. THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore: When a 13-year-old girl disappears from an Adirondack summer camp in 1975, secrets kept by the Van Laar family emerge.

–

NON-FICTION

1. IMMINENT by Luis Elizondo: The former head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program shares insights on unidentified anomalous phenomena.

2. HILLBILLY ELEGY by J.D. Vance: The Yale Law School graduate and 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee looks at the struggles of the white working class through the story of his own childhood.

3. 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.

4. WHAT’S NEXT by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack: Two cast members of “The West Wing” share insights into the creation and legacy of the series.

5. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk: How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.

6. THE ART OF POWER by Nancy Pelosi: The representative from California chronicles her journey in politics, including her time as the first woman to serve as speaker of the House.

7. THE DEVIL AT HIS ELBOW by Valerie Bauerlein: An account of the downfall of the personal injury attorney Alex Murdaugh, who was found guilty of murdering his wife and son.

8. OUT OF THE DARKNESS by Ian O’Connor: A portrait of the N.F.L. quarterback Aaron Rodgers detailing his life on and off the field.

9. 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.

10. ON THE EDGE by Nate Silver: The founder of FiveThirtyEight and author of “The Signal and the Noise” profiles professional risk-takers.

11. SHAMELESS by Brian Tyler Cohen: The YouTube host and podcaster gives his take on the current state of the Republican Party.

12. THE TRUTHS WE HOLD by Kamala Harris: A memoir by the daughter of immigrants who is currently serving as the 49th vice president and is the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee.

13. CHAOS by Tom O’Neill with Dan Piepenbring: A reassessment of events surrounding the murders committed by Charles Manson’s followers.

14. OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford: A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.

15. BORN A CRIME by Trevor Noah: A memoir about growing up biracial in apartheid South Africa by the former host of “The Daily Show.”

–

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*

Starcat can be found online at: https://starcat.stls.org/

–

Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

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 Digital Catalog is found online at: https://stls.overdrive.com/

–

Catalog 3: Hoopla

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.

The Hoopla Catalog is found online at: https://www.hoopladigital.com/

–

*The Southern Tier Library System includes the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler & Allegheny counties.

This blog post includes all the new titles that have been ordered by the library for September 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. 

My email address is: reimerl@stls.org 

New Books is a monthly post, usually published the first day of each month.

The next New Books Coming Your Was post will be out on October 1, 2024.

And without further ado, here is the list of New Books Coming Your Way in September 2024!

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSCL