Month: May 2026

Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!

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American Revolution at 250: Twenty-Four Historians Reflect on the Founding, edited by Francis D. Cogliano

The preeminent historians of the founding era speak their mind on the anniversary of the United States’ birth 

In these powerful and personal essays, some of the most celebrated historians of the American Revolutionary era reflect on the meaning of 1776 to the nation in 2026, offering fresh insights and food for thought on every page. They tackle the most pressing topics that Americans debated in 1776 and continue to debate today: the meaning of democracy; the nature of information wars; immigration and the rights and obligations of citizenship; race and slavery; public health; the various and conflicting legacies of the founders; and the shifting nature of commemoration itself. Like the Revolutionary generation they know so well, on some issues these scholarly authorities find themselves largely in accord; on others they vehemently disagree. This is historical debate at its most urgent. 

Contributors: Allison Bigelow * T. H. Breen * Katherine Carté * Lindsay M. Chervinsky * Marlene L. Daut * Andrew M. Davenport * Christa Dierksheide * Lauren Duval * Joanne B. Freeman * Annette Gordon-Reed * Eliga H. Gould * Patrick Griffin * Nicholas Guyatt * Ricardo A. Herrera * Woody Holton * Brendan McConville * Michael A. McDonnell * Peter S. Onuf * Robert G. Parkinson * Teresa R. Pollak * John A. Ragosta * Bertrand Van Ruymbeke * Rosemarie Zagarri 

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Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore 

The brand new summer romance set in Dream Harbor from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Café and The Strawberry Patch Pancake House! “Another gentle small-town romance with Hallmark movie vibes… Dream Harbor remains a cozy spot to linger” Publisher’s Weekly “A delightful escape filled with Gilmore’s signature whimsy and coziness” Hannah Bonam-Young, New York Times bestselling author *** The greatest love is the one you never expected to find Daisy is fed up with being unlucky in love. And since Mayor Kelly declared her beloved flower shop cursed in one of his infamous visions, business has been slow. Dream Harbor newcomer Elliot has been adjusting to small-town life following his own relationship turmoil. And until now he’s avoided the flower shop at all costs. If the mayor is correct, he doesn’t need any more bad luck in his life. When he finds himself walking through the door of the Daisy Chain Flower Shop, he doesn’t expect it to be a life-changing moment. But as the petals blossom in the sunlight, might the unluckiest woman in Dream Harbor finally find that love comes when you’re least expecting it? The Daisy Chain Flower Shop is a cozy romantic mystery with a fake relationship dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed. Tropes: Fake relationship Found family Small town He falls first Returning favorite characters Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone. “A setting that rivals the Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow for cozy charm… wonderfully warm and whimsically witty” Booklist 

Reader’s Note: Daisy Chain Flower Shop is the sixth book in the Dream Harbor Mystery Series. If you’d like to binge read from the beginning, check out book one: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe.  

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Dissection Of A Murder by Jo Murray  

Murray’s riveting debut is filled with murky twists and characters whose deceptive veneers cover dark secrets. Leila is determined to be a barrister, and her hard work and determination pay off. Soon after completing her law degree, she joins a prestigious London law firm, where illustrious prosecutor and King’s Counsel Julian Kessler is appointed her mentor. It doesn’t take long for the relationship to morph from mentor and pupil to husband and wife. Unsurprisingly, Leila always feels inferior to her celebrated husband. Determined to prove she can become as successful as he is, she takes on cases other barristers might refuse, like that of Jack Millman, who’s arrested for assault. She loses the case, but that merely spurs her to work harder. Five years later, Jack is arrested again, this time for murder, and to Leila’s surprise, he insists that she defend him. She accepts, determined to win this time . . . until she learns that the prosecutor will be none other than her distinguished husband. Daunted but undeterred, she’ll do everything she can to triumph. As the story progresses, innocence and guilt, shame and blame, secrets and lies, cold ambition and bitter disappointment from the past and present are exposed in this complex legal-psychological thriller. 

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Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune 

Frankie and her best friend, George, have been inseparable since they were eight years old, but their relationship has shifted in the past few years as George travels more for his successful career as a reporter. Now, on the eve of her wedding, Frankie isn’t even sure that he’ll show up to be her best man until she sees him at the rehearsal dinner. When her groom-to-be shockingly and unexpectedly calls off the wedding the next morning, a devastated Frankie doesn’t know what to do next, until George suggests that the two of them go on her already paid-for honeymoon to Tofino, on Canada’s lush west coast. Frankie sees the trip as a chance to fix the rift that has developed between them, even as long-buried feelings surface for both of them. However, George is keeping secrets that might ruin their friendship forever. Frankie and George are compelling main characters, even if the third-act conflict is a bit predictable.  

VERDICT Longtime fans will devour Fortune’s (One Golden Summer) latest, full of her signature lush Canadian scenery and dual-timeline storytelling. Good for all public libraries and contemporary romance fans. – Library Journal Review  

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The Silent House of Sleep by Allan Gaw

A withdrawn pathologist earns the respect of colleagues by solving a grotesque high-profile crime. London, 1928. Scottish pathologist Dr. John Archibald Cuthbert devastates an arrogant prosecutor at trial with his incisive testimony, which leads to the exoneration of an accused widow. He’s next called upon regarding the baffling mystery surrounding the disappearance of popular university student Freddie Dawson, this time to dampen hopes that a recently discovered corpse belongs to the missing young man. Gaw’s offbeat debut novel runs on two interwoven tracks. It’s first and foremost a police procedural long on forensic detail, studded with an account of the taciturn young Cuthbert’s experience at Scotland Yard. Woven into Cuthbert’s methodical investigation is a deep dive into his past, from his years as a soldier in World War I all the way up to his work at Colchester Military Hospital after graduating from college. He harbors a personal secret, gradually revealed, which shadows and potentially jeopardizes his burgeoning career. The Dawson investigation begins in earnest three months after the appearance of that first corpse with the discovery of two others that are bizarrely glued together. One of these bodies is identified as Dawson. It’s all quite a mystery to unravel both who- and howdunit. A prolific nonfiction writer and poet, Gaw has a style that’s precise, concise, and sometimes lyrical. Given the sharp focus on Cuthbert’s character, it’s no surprise this case is also the first in a promised series. A dark and complex mystery with a sympathetic hero and an acute forensic focus. – Kirkus Review 

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.

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

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Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

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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

You can also request titles through StarCat found at https://starcat.stls.org

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THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi: A man travels to a small Southern town, where he purchases pencil drawings of local residents and exchanges them for stories.

2. PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir: Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders; the basis of the movie.

3. YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke: Natalie Heller Mills, a privileged tradwife social media influencer, wakes up to find she is living in the comparatively difficult reality of 1855.

4. PURPLE STATE by Dana Perino: A public relations professional goes with two of her friends to a swing district in Wisconsin and meets a guy with a different perspective.

5. THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans: Letters from someone she used to know push Sybil Van Antwerp toward revisiting her past and finding a way to forgive.

6. WOMAN’S PLACE by Danielle Steel: After the sinking of the Titanic takes her father, Lady Victoria Oldbrooke marries an older industrialist and eventually steps into his business.

7. HOPE RISES by David Baldacci: The second book in the Walter Nash series. Using an alias and some lethal skills, Nash works to bring down a global criminal operation.

8. DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL by Matt Dinniman: A Coast Guard vet named Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, are trapped in a fantasy dungeon.

9. PARADOX by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston: The second book in the Cash & Colcord series. A new case involves money, murder and a secret society.

10. GAME ON by Navessa Allen: The third book of the Into Darkness series. Tyler seeks revenge against his father and pretends to be Stella’s boyfriend.

11. MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth: An elderly woman who was once Australia’s youngest convicted murderer tries to keep her previous life hidden.

12. 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; the basis of the movie.

13. THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson: In a follow-up to “Things I Wish I Told My Mother,”epiphanies occur at Lake Como.

14. THE NIGHT WE MET by Abby Jimenez: Larissa makes a choice after a concert to ride home with Chris’s best friend, which may cause life-changing results.

15. SHADOW STRIKE by Brad Taylor: The 20th book in the Pike Logan series. Pike and his team pursue an assassin known as the Ghost.

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NON-FICTION

1. STRANGERS by Belle Burden: Burden retraces her marriage of 20 years in search of clues to help shape her understanding about its demise and to find a way forward.

2. WHEN WE SEE YOU AGAIN by Rachel Goldberg-Polin: A mother recounts the capture of her son, Hersh, from the Nova Music Festival and his subsequent execution.

3. FAMESICK by Lena Dunham: The author of “Not That Kind of Girl” evaluates the effects that pursuing her creative endeavors had on her.

4. LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe: The author of “Say Nothing” details the efforts by the parents of a 19-year-old Londoner to uncover the truth about his mysterious death and secret life.

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

6. THIS VAST ENTERPRISE by Craig Fehrman: A revisionist history of the Lewis and Clark expedition viewed from the perspectives of 10 people connected to it.

7. YOU WITH THE SAD EYES by Christina Applegate: The Emmy Award-winning actress, who received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2021, shares personal stories.

8. A WORLD APPEARS by Michael Pollan: The author of “This Is Your Mind on Plants” explores several perspectives on consciousness.

9. ALITO by Mollie Hemingway: The editor in chief of The Federalist depicts Justice Samuel Alito’s judicial career and his impact on the Supreme Court.

10. THE ROLLING STONES by Bob Spitz: A biography of the rock band that delves into the relationships of its musicians and their output over more than six decades.

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 FUTURE IS PEACE by Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon:A Palestinian and an Israeli share reflections from the journey they took together over the course of a week.

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. FOR THE LOVE OF THE GRIND by Sara Hall: The professional runner describes overcoming obstacles she encountered and becoming a mother through adoption.

15. ON THE HIPPIE TRAIL by Rick Steves: The travel writer and TV host recounts his journey from Istanbul to Kathmandu in the 1970s.

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Have a great Sunday!

Linda

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New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays.

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LIBRARY CATALOGS:

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

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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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For more information on library materials and services, including how to get a library card call the library at 607-936-3713.

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

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring ten songs and two streaming video recommendations, one from a mainstream service and the other from Kanopy, the library’s free to access streaming service (all you need is a library card!).

Happy May Day and Beltane to all who celebrate and happy weekend wishes for everyone!

And now, on to the music; this week we’re turning our listening spotlight on the music of musicians born in May.

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If I Had A Hammer by Pete Seeger (b. May 3, 1919) 

 

Found on the Album: The Essential Pete Seeger (2013) 

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Music! Music! Music! By Teresa Brewer (b. May 7, 1941) 

 

Found on the Album: The Best of Teresa Brewer (1989) 

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Aries by Mary Lou Williams (b. May 8, 1910) 

 

Found on the Album: Zodiac Suite (1995)  

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Avalon by Red Nichols (b. May 8, 1905) and His Five Pennies 

Found on the Album: Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (Miff Mole – Jimmy Dorsey – Glenn Miller – Pee Wee Russell) [Recorded 1928 -1930) Encore 2 (2020)

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Piano Man by Billy Joel (b. May 9, 1949) 

 

Found on the Album: The Hits (2010) 

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Catch The Wind by Donovan (b. May 10, 1946) 

 

Found on the Album: The Essential Donovan (2012) 

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The Jitterbug Waltz by Fats Waller (b. May 21, 1904) 

 

Found on the Album: The Essential Fats Waller (2014) 

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Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan (b. May 24, 1941) 

 

 

Found on the Album: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963) 

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Moon Dreams by Miles Davis (b. May 26, 1926) 

 

Found on the Album: The Birth of Cool (1957) 

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Come To My Window by Melissa Etheridge (b. May 29, 1961) 

 

Found on the Album: Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled (2005) 

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And onto the Streaming Videos

Recommended Mainstream Stream of the Week

A new title available through one of the usual U.S. streaming services, followed by a Kanopy title that you can check out with your library card and stream on-demand.

Man on Fire (2026) (Netflix) 

 

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Recommended Kanopy Stream of the Week

H is For Hawk Trailer 

Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Information on the four library catalogs 

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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. 

And The Digital Catalog/Libby features titles that may be checked out via the one-copy-one-user lending model, just like print books.  

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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 checkout 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. 

Titles in the Hoopla Catalog are available to be checked out on-demand by all library card holders, with the caveat of being able to check out a maximum of ten titles per month, per card.  

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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en 

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.  

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders! 

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV). 

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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.