Month: November 2024

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, November 13, 2024.

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Good Night, Irene: A Novel by Luis Alberto Urrea 

Urrea (The House of Broken Angels) transports readers to the Western Front of WWII in his stunning latest. Irene Woodward, a tough New Yorker, covers up the bruises received from her abusive fiancé with concealer and sweaters, throws her engagement ring down the drain, and joins America’s war effort as a member of the Red Cross Clubmobile. Tasked with high expectations—keep driving and keep smiling—Irene is sent to England alongside Dorothy Dunford, who, much like Irene, is looking for an escape from her life. The two become fast friends while serving coffee and doughnuts and trying to comfort the soldiers, a nebulous task defined in the chaste terms of the day (they should act like a “big sister, girl next door, mom or sweetheart”). As the U.S. efforts advance, Irene fears she has lost Dorothy, who’s become like a sister, after they are separated in an accident; eventually, she goes home to New York to rebuild a life marred with survivor’s guilt and shell shock. In a move that could feel contrived but only further elevates the work, Urrea bookends the wrenching narrative with a surprising discovery 50 years later. It’s a moving and graceful tribute to friendship and to heroic women who have shouldered the burdens of war. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review  

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Homestead by Melinda Moustakis 

Fleeing memories of his abbreviated service, Korean War veteran Lawrence stakes his claim on a parcel of free land in the Alaska Territory. At an Anchorage bar, he meets Marie, a young woman ostensibly visiting her sister in Alaska, who is determined not to return to her native Texas. The promise of Lawrence’s 150 acres is all that it takes for her to agree to a date and then marriage. Virtual strangers, their first year of marriage is marked by joy and tragedy, birth and death as Lawrence struggles to tame both the wilderness and his own demons, and Marie seeks to reconcile her troubled childhood with the woman she has become. Under U.S. law, living on the land in a habitable dwelling and farming 20 acres constitutes ownership. But what rights are given to those who have spilled their blood or birthed and buried children there? And what about the Native people for whom this very land was home for generations? Inspired by Moustakis’ own family history and set during the Alaskan Territory’s bid for statehood, this stunning debut novel considers what it truly means to own land. Recommended for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone (2018). – Starred Booklist Review  

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Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler’s Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything by Neil Degrasse Tyson 

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry takes readers on an entertaining and edifying tour of the universe. 

In Neil deGrasse Tyson’s delightful journey through the cosmos, his fictional character Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike. Merlin, a timeless visitor from Planet Omniscia in the Andromeda Galaxy, has observed firsthand many of the major scientific events of Earth’s history. Merlin’s friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time—da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein, and Hubble. While Merlin occasionally recounts playful conversations with these luminaries, all questions are answered with authentic science, infused with wit, wisdom, and an occasional rhyme. With the help of intermittent humorous cartoons, Merlin clarifies the details of familiar phenomena like gravity, light, space, and time, and travels to distant stars and galaxies to describe what makes them tick, rotate, explode, and collapse. 

Merlin’s Tour of the Universe is perfect for anyone who harbors burning questions on how the cosmos works. 

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The Queen of Dirt Island A Novel by Donal Ryan 

Beginning at the end and ending with a bright beginning, this latest offering from award-winning Irish novelist Ryan (Strange Flowers; The Spinning Heart) is a broad-sweeping, satisfying family saga. It is a story of stories. The generations of Aylward women of Nenagh, County Tipperary, are tenacious and fiercely loyal. They have survived famine, death, poverty, gun-runners, and men who are either dead or useless and all the while have ignored the whispers of their neighbors. As granddaughter Saoirse navigates teenage pregnancy and a bitter family rift over a potential land grab, deep family darkness and suffering are revealed. Can Saoirse mature fast enough to survive this turbulence? Her future and that of her daughter could be in real peril from the pain wrought by people on the periphery of their lives.  

VERDICT This could be an incredibly sad story were it not for Ryan’s ability to infuse the irony of Irish humor into its darkest corners. Light glimmers just as the story fades to black. His expert storytelling and the strength and resilience of his characters make this so much more than just another Irish family saga. Highly recommended. – Starred Library Journal Review  

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The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar 

Salazar’s best novel yet, following Angels of the Resistance (2022), brings the roaring 1920s to life in a heartfelt tale about a young woman coming into her own in Prohibition-era Seattle. Zora Hough grew up in poverty, but her childhood was always happy, at least until her father’s lumberyard accident. Now her days are spent sewing with her mother, corralling her younger siblings, and trying to get by. When tragedy strikes again, she is forced to look outside the home for a better job to support her family. Her new position as a live-in nanny gives her more free time, and she is introduced to the exciting and sultry Seattle underworld. Zora has always wanted to be a fashion designer, and the diverse clubs filled with beautiful people provide infinite inspiration. There are also seemingly infinite suitors, but Zora finds that she is only drawn to the dapper Harley Aldridge, and the feelings are mutual. Her rise to the top as Zora Lily is not without trials, and Salazar expertly entrances readers with Zora’s dramatic story, which is bookended with a modern-day reflection on her achievements. While this is a work of fiction, Salazar brings the 1920s to historically detailed life in this inspiring, feel-good tale. – 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.

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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.

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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.

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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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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.

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 the library, or give us a call – please do!

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

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New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays. And the next NYT blog post will be posted on Sunday, November 10, 2024.

THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. IN TOO DEEP by Lee Child and Andrew Child: The 29th book in the Jack Reacher series. Reacher wakes up in a precarious position with no memory of how he got there.

2. THE STRIKER by Ana Huang: A former prima ballerina gets close to a controversial and well-known footballer whom she must train over the summer.

3. THE BOYFRIEND by Freida McFadden: A series of recent deaths causes Sydney Shaw to become suspicious of the handsome doctor she started dating.

4. THE WAITING by Michael Connelly: The sixth book in the Ballard and Bosch series. Bosch’s daughter, Maddie, becomes a new volunteer on the cold case unit.

5. 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.

6. BLOODGUARD by Cecy Robson: An elven royal named Maeve offers the battle-scarred Leith of Grey an opportunity to win the title of Bloodguard.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. THE FURY OF THE GODS by John Gwynne: The third book in the Bloodsworn series. The final battle in Snakavik looms.

10. COUNTING MIRACLES by Nicholas Sparks: A man in search of the father he never knew encounters a single mom and rumors circulate of the nearby appearance of a white deer.

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. 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.

13. ABSOLUTION by Jeff VanderMeer: The fourth book in the Southern Reach series. The story of the first mission into the Forgotten Coast before it was known as Area X.

14. 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.

15. HERE ONE MOMENT by Liane Moriarty: Passengers on a short and seemingly unremarkable flight learn how and when they are going to die.

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NON-FICTION

1. FRAMED by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey: Our criminal justice system viewed through the struggles of 10 wrongfully convicted people to achieve exoneration.

2. BROTHERS by Alex Van Halen: The drummer of the iconic rock band Van Halen shares stories about his partnership in life and music with his late brother Edward.

3. PATRIOT by Alexei Navalny: A posthumously published memoir by the late Russian political opposition leader and political prisoner who began writing this after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020.

4. WAR by Bob Woodward: The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist looks at our contentious time through battles in Ukraine and the Middle East and for the American presidency.

5. THE MESSAGE by Ta-Nehisi Coates: The author of “Between the World and Me” travels to three locations to uncover the dissonance between the realities on the ground and the narratives shaped about them.

6. MELANIA by Melania Trump: The former first lady describes her work as a fashion model, marriage to Donald Trump and time in the White House.

7. FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough: Presley’s memoir, completed by her daughter, explores her relationships and challenges.

8. REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell: Through a series of stories, Gladwell explicates the causes of various kinds of epidemics.

9. BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten: A memoir by the cookbook author and Food Network host known as the Barefoot Contessa.

10. DINNER FOR VAMPIRES by Bethany Joy Lenz: The actress, known for her role on “One Tree Hill,” describes her time in a cult and how she stepped away from it.

11. CONFRONTING THE PRESIDENTS by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard: The conservative commentator evaluates the legacies of American presidents.

12. AMERICAN HEROES by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Tim Malloy: A collection of stories of soldiers who served in conflicts overseas.

13. 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.

14. SONNY BOY by Al Pacino: The multiple award-winning actor traces his steps from the South Bronx to avant-garde theater in New York to the creation of his iconic roles.

15. 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.

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Have a great Sunday!

Linda

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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*

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

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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/

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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/

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

Hi everyone, here are our ten streaming recommendations for November 2024.

The next Suggested Viewing post will be out the first Saturday in December.

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November 13 

NOVA: Building Stuff: Boost It! (2024) (PBS) 

 

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November 14 

The Day of The Jackal (2024) (Peacock) 

 

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Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley (2024) (Netflix) 

 

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November 15 

Silo, Season 2 (2024) (Apple TV+) 

 

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November 17 

Dune Prophecy (2024) (Max)  

 

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November 21 

A Man On the Inside (2024) (Netflix) 

 

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November 22 

Blitz (2024) (Apple TV+) 

 

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Outlander, Season 7, Part 2 (2024) (Starz) 

 

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The Piano Lesson (2024) (Apple TV+) 

 

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November 29 

The Agency (2024) (Paramount+) 

 

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Hoopla Recommended Stream Of The Month 

American Buffalo: A Film by Ken Burns (2008) 

And here’s the trailer:

 

You can stream TV shows & movies from Hoopla online, or via the Hoopla app for free – all you need is a library card to get started! 

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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, November 8, 2024.

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As Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 5, 2024; I’ve created an upbeat collection of songs that focus on civics in general, and voting in particular – to celebrate the history of voting in the United States. Enjoy!

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1776 Overture, written by Peter Sherman for the play/film 1776

From The Album: 1776 (Original Broadway Cast Recording)  (1969)

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19th Amendment by Dolly Parton   

From The Album: 27: The Most Perfect Album (2018) by Various Artists

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23 Amendment by Duke Ellington 

From The Album: 27: The Most Perfect Album (2018) by Various Artists

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Electoral College (From the School House Rock)

From the video series: The School House Rock

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 Eyes on the Prize by Mavis Staples  

From The Album: We’ll Never Turn Back (2007)

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I’m Just A Bill (from the School House Rock)

From the video series: The School House Rock

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The Lees of Old Virginia w/ Reprise (from the 1972 film 1776)

From the 1972 film 1776.

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People Have the Power by Patti Smith  

From: Patti Smith’s 2000 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony; the song also appears on the album: Dream Of Life (1988)

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Sufferin’ Till Suffrage (from the School House Rock) 

From the video series: The School House Rock

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This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie

From The Album: This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1 (1997)

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Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream by Simon & Garfunkel

From The Album: Wednesday Morning 3 AM (1964)

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The Preamble from the School House Rock

From the video series: The School House Rock

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Turn the World Around by Harry Belafonte  

From The Album: Turn The World Around (1977)

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We Shall Overcome by Pete Seeger  

From The Album: The Bitter And The Sweet (1962) & The Essential Pete Seeger (2013)

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Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom by Sweet Honey in the Rock

From The Album: Freedom Song (TV Soundtrack) (2000)

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Yankee Doodle Dandy by James Cagney 

From the film Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

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Hoopla Album of the Week 

Freedom Highway (2017) by Rhiannon Giddens  

And from the album, the title track:

Freedom Highway by Rhiannon Giddens with Bhi Bhi 

 

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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.

This blog post includes all the new titles that have been ordered by the library for November 2024.

And on a beginning note, I should note; our ordering calendar year for physical materials runs January – October.

With that in mind, the items we order for the months of November & December are digital only, i.e. available in Libby or for Netflix style titles on demand – check out the digital content in the Hoopla catalog.

And I should also note, that new eBooks & eAudios purchased for Libby & its online companion The Digital Catalog (web version of Libby), are purchased by all the member libraries in the Southern Tier Library System during the year – translation: The new titles our library has purchased for the catalog, for November, may not be the only new titles you’ll see in Libby in November!

As usual, if there is a book you’d love to read, but you don’t find it listed in StarCat or Libby, send me an email and let me know which title you’d like to read; and we will get a copy and place it on hold for you, when it is ready to circulate. 

My email address is: reimerl@stls.org 

And here is the list the list of new eBooks & eAudiobooks coming to the Libby catalog this month!

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New eBooks & eAudios Coming Your Way (to Libby): November 2024

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSCL