Tech & Book Talk at SSCL

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week.

After each title is a list of all the different formats that title available in; including: Print Books, Large Print Books, Audiobooks on CD, eBooks & Downloadable Audiobooks from the Digital Catalog (OverDrive & Libby apps) and Hoopla eBooks & Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla App).

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

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

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Almost Maine: A Novel by John Cariani (Available Formats: eBook)

Cariani transforms his popular play into a fully realized YA novel of interconnected vignettes. The third-person narration opens on Ginette and Pete going to look at the stars in their hometown of Almost. Although they are beginning to fall in love, a verbal spat leads to Ginette’s leaving. Every subsequent chapter is a two-person vignette, a short story informed by her walk home past various locations. The couples experience the joys and struggles of love, with a magical realism bent, and not all the stories end happily. Of the ten couples featured-one more than found in the play, and including LGBTQ+ representation-only two characters are teenagers, so this may require some handselling to get YAs to fully connect with the stories. It will be worth it. VERDICT For New Adult sections, theater enthusiasts, and born romantics, a charming and whimsical collection.-Nancy McKay, Byron Public Library, IL

 

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Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobook)

Japanese playwright Kawaguchi’s evocative English-language debut is set in a tiny Tokyo café where time travel is possible. In four connected tales, lovers and family members take turns sitting in the chair that allows a person to travel back in time for only as long as it takes a single cup of coffee to cool. In “Husband and Wife,” a nurse goes back in time to visit her husband before his Alzheimer’s erased her from his memory; in “The Sisters,” a woman visits her younger sister, who died in an accident while trying to visit her, to apologize for not seeing her. Kawaguchi’s characters embark on lo-fi, emotional journeys unburdened by the technicalities often found in time travel fiction—notably, they are unable to change the present. The characters learn, though, that even though people don’t return to a changed present, they return “with a changed heart.” Kawaguchi’s tender look at the beauty of passing things, adapted from one of his plays, makes for an affecting, deeply immersive journey into the desire to hold onto the past. This wondrous tale will move readers. – Publishers Weekly Review

 

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The Boatman’s Daughter: A Novel by Andy Davidson (Available Formats: Print Book)

The remote Arkansas bayou is a swirling kaleidoscope of murder, greed, and dark, ancient magic in Bram Stoker Award finalist Davidson’s second novel (In the Valley of the Sun, 2017).

The rotting Holy Day Church and Sabbath House, where the preacher Billy Cotton held his congregants in his thrall, serves as a painful reminder to 21-year-old Miranda Crabtree of the night 10 years ago when she and her father, Hiram, the boatman, took the midwife (and witch) Iskra there to deliver Cotton’s son. As soon as Cotton laid eyes on the infant’s mottled, scaly skin and webbed hands, he called him an abomination and tried to kill him. Iskra had other ideas, and the baby, whom Miranda called Littlefish, survived. But Hiram disappeared that night, and she’s since dreamed of finding his body (because he’s surely dead) and laying him to rest. It’s Miranda’s love for the mute, goodhearted Littlefish that has kept her going, and with Iskra’s help, she’s spent years running her father’s general store and eventually running dope for Cotton and his cruel and corrupt deputy, Charlie Riddle, to make ends meet. Now, Billy Cotton’s kingdom has crumbled around him and his body is riddled with cancer. Before dying, he’s desperate to appease the angry ghost of his wife, who died in childbirth, but he’ll need a sacrifice. On Miranda’s last run for Riddle, she’s ordered to deliver a young girl to Cotton, which she’s not about to do even though she knows her refusal will start a war she might not survive. But she’s ready, and the time for a reckoning has come. Davidson’s captivating horror fable combines the visceral violence of Cormac McCarthy with his own wholly original craftsmanship, weaving rich, folkloric magic with the best elements of a gritty Southern thriller. The book’s lightning-fast pace doesn’t come at the expense of fully realized, flawed, and achingly human characters. Ample bloodshed is offset by beautiful prose, and the bad guys are really, really bad. Luckily, Miranda, a young woman forged in hardship and grief and buoyed by her love of a very special child, is a perfect foil for the evil she’ll have to face.

A stunning supernatural Southern gothic. – Starred Kirkus Reviews

 

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Cobble Hill: A Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar (Available Formats: Print Book)

This amusing romp from von Ziegesar (the Gossip Girl series) centers on an ensemble cast of self-aware, alienated couples in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Cobble Hill. Roy Clarke, famed British novelist of the cult hit Rainbow series, functions as the book’s center, arriving in Cobble Hill at the insistence of his critical wife, Wendy, who had hoped moving from London to New York City to take the features editor job at a fashion magazine would give her life a new direction. Roy, along with Wendy and their awkward adolescent daughter, Shy, hoped to “slip into Brooklyn and discover it quietly, be discovered by it quietly,” and in Roy’s efforts to overcome his six-year writing drought, he finds inspiration in his new neighborhood’s oddball residents: lonely Tupper Paulsen, a commercially successful but superficial artist; Tupper’s eccentric, seldom-seen performance artist wife, Elizabeth; sexy, dimpled Peaches, an English-major dropout and public school nurse with unrealized drummer dreams; Peaches’s awkward teenage son, Liam, who is self-diagnosed with Asperger’s and in love with Shy; and Stuart Little, a former rock star determined to be a good dad and a good husband to his wife, Mandy. The roiling tensions within and between families break into the open during the Bonfire Night party Roy throws for the neighborhood. Von Ziegesar’s quirky novel of lovable misfits will appeal to fans of Tom Perrotta. –Publishers Weekly Review

 

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The Cowboy Way: Stories of the Old West by Elmer Kelton (Available Formats: Print Book)

No one writes the old west like Seven-time Spur Award-winning author Elmer Kelton. In The Cowboy Way, Kelton captures the action, adventure, brotherhood and betrayal of the old west, chronicling the highs and lows of cowboy life in these sixteen stories, collected together for the first time.

Note to Audiobook Fans: There are numerous downloadable audiobooks by this author in the Hoopla catalog!

 

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The Decameron Project: 29 New Stories From the Pandemic edited by Victor LaValle (Available Formats: Print Book)

A stunning collection of new short stories originally commissioned by The New York Times Magazine as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, from twenty-nine authors including Margaret Atwood, Tommy Orange, Edwidge Danticat, and more, in a project inspired by Boccaccio’s “The Decameron.”

When reality is surreal, only fiction can make sense of it.

In 1353, Giovanni Boccaccio wrote “The Decameron”: one hundred nested tales told by a group of young men and women passing the time at a villa outside Florence while waiting out the gruesome Black Death, a plague that killed more than 25 million people. Some of the stories are silly, some are bawdy, some are like fables.

In March of 2020, the editors of The New York Times Magazine created The Decameron Project, an anthology with a simple, time-spanning goal: to gather a collection of stories written as our current pandemic first swept the globe. How might new fiction from some of the finest writers working today help us memorialize and understand the unimaginable? And what could be learned about how this crisis will affect the art of fiction?

These twenty-nine new stories, from authors including Margaret Atwood, Tommy Orange, Edwidge Danticat, and David Mitchell vary widely in texture and tone. Their work will be remembered as a historical tribute to a time and place unlike any other in our lifetimes, and offer perspective and solace to the reader now and in a future where coronavirus is, hopefully, just a memory.

Table of Contents:

“Preface” by Caitlin Roper

“Introduction” by Rivka Galchen

“Recognition” by Victor LaValle

“A Blue Sky Like This” by Mona Awad

“The Walk” by Kamila Shamsie

“Tales from the LA River” by Colm Tóibín

“Clinical Notes” by Liz Moore

“The Team” by Tommy Orange

“The Rock” by Leila Slimani

“Impatient Griselda” by Margaret Atwood

“Under the Magnolia” by Yiyun Li

“Outside” by Etgar Keret

“Keepsakes” by Andrew O’Hagan

“The Girl with the Big Red Suitcase” by Rachel Kushner

“The Morningside” by Téa Obreht

“Screen Time” by Alejandro Zambra

“How We Used to Play” by Dinaw Mengestu

“Line 19 Woodstock/Glisan” by Karen Russell

“If Wishes Was Horses” by David Mitchell

“Systems” by Charles Yu

“The Perfect Travel Buddy” by Paolo Giordano

“An Obliging Robber” by Mia Couto

“Sleep” by Uzodinma Iweala

“Prudent Girls” by Rivers Solomon

“That Time at My Brother’s Wedding” by Laila Lalami

“A Time of Death, The Death of Time” by Julián Fuks

“The Cellar” by Dina Nayeri

“Origin Story” by Matthew Baker

“To the Wall” by Esi Edugyan

“Barcelona: Open City” by John Wray

“One Thing” by Edwidge Danticat

 

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Deception by Gaslight: A Gilded Gotham Mystery by Kate Belli (Available Formats: Print Book, Hoopla eBook, Hoopla Downloadable Audiobook)

Under the guise of Polly Palmer, a journalist for the Globe in New York City in 1888, Genevieve Stewart is an intrepid investigator. Still, she’s uneasy when she follows several men down an alley in Five Points. She’s hoping to uncover information about a thief known as Robin Hood who robs the rich and claims to give the proceeds to the poor. As part of Mrs. Astor’s 400, Genevieve knows some of the thief’s victims. She feels ridiculed, though, when she runs into one of the men from the alley at an exclusive party. Daniel McCaffrey, who inherited the Van Joost fortune, swears he’s not Robin Hood, and he wasn’t slumming. He’s after bigger game. If they have to pretend to be courting to find the truth about an influential group formed for housing reform, Genevieve and Daniel can set aside their mutual distrust. Neither expects Genevieve to be attacked, physically and in print, as they close in on the answers. VERDICT The riveting, carefully researched, well-plotted mystery introduces two well-developed characters, one determined to succeed despite her social position and the other determined on reform. Fans of Alyssa Maxwell’s “Gilded Newport” mysteries will appreciate the historical, social, and political aspects of this debut.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN. Starred Library Journal Review

 

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Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton & Robert K. Oermann (Available Formats: Print Book, Hoopla eBook)

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics is a landmark celebration of the remarkable life and career of a country music and pop culture legend.

As told by Dolly Parton in her own inimitable words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished images from Dolly Parton’s personal and business archives.

Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton highlights 175 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics.

• Packed with never-before-seen photographs and classic memorabilia
• Explores personal stories, candid insights, and myriad memories behind the songs

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics reveals the stories and memories that have made Dolly a beloved icon across generations, genders, and social and international boundaries.

Containing rare photos and memorabilia from Parton’s archives, this book is a show-stopping must-have for every Dolly Parton fan.

• Learn the history behind classic Parton songs like “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” and more.
• The perfect gift for Dolly Parton fans (everyone loves Dolly!) as well as lovers of music history and country

Add it to the shelf with books like Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton, The Beatles Anthology by The Beatles, and Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.

 

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The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

A girl searching for her father finds a whole secret world in 1980s London. Eighteen-year-old Susan Arkshaw goes up to London ahead of her studies so she’ll have time to hunt down the identity of the father she’s never met. Her first night in London, dangerous encounters pull her into the wild world of the booksellers–in between selling books, they’re tasked with policing interactions between what we know as reality and the more mythic levels of existence. Her guide is Merlin, an attractive gender-questioning boy (for now). As the Old World of magic seems to be targeting Susan, Merlin and the booksellers take interest in her as well, especially in helping to solve her mysterious parentage. The worldbuilding is exquisite, hopping from an ’80s punk aesthetic and Margaret Thatcher references to wide-ranging supernatural threats and the customs they uphold; the bookstores themselves are sure to please readers. While certain plot elements may be somewhat expected–Susan’s special by way of birth; Merlin has a personal mystery that eventually ties in to the main plot; and there’s a conspiracy storyline that becomes quickly apparent–the broad, immersive world and the specific rules for types of booksellers maintain a sense of discovery, and Susan and Merlin, the heroic protagonists, have vibrant, entertaining personalities (and a realistic romantic storyline). Susan and Merlin are White; the booksellers are ethnically diverse. Readers will beg for more adventures in this London.

 

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A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.

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Plot descriptions are from the publisher unless otherwise specified.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

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

The Digital Catalog has two companion apps, Libby & OverDrive. Libby is the app for newer devices and the OverDrive app should be used for older devices and Amazon tablets.

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

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

The Hoopla Catalog features instant check outs of eBooks, downloadable audiobook, comic books, albums and streaming videos. Patron check out limit is 4 items per month.

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

The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple devices and most smart TVs & media streaming players.

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StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

The StarCat app is called Bookmyne and is available for Apple and Android devices.

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Also feel free to call the Southeast Steuben County Library and request titles via tel 607-936-3713.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access one-copy-one-user digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices via the Digital Catalog found at https://stls.overdrive.com/ or by using the companion apps Libby (for newer devices) and OverDrive (for older devices and Kindle tablets)

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Have questions?

Feel free to call the library! Our telephone number is 607-936-3713.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

Each title is followed by a listing of which formats it is available in for check out within the three catalogs: StarCat (Print, Large Print & Audiobooks on CD), The Digital Catalog (eBook & Downloadable Audiobook) and the Hoopla Catalog (Hoopla eBook, Hoopla Audiobook etc).

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

 

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FICTION:

 

ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman

(Available Formats: Regular Print & Large Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A failed bank robber holds a group of strangers hostage at an apartment open house.

 

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THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS by Jodi Picoult 

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook, Downloadable Audiobook)

After surviving a plane crash, a death doula travels to Egypt to reconnect with an old flame who is an archaeologist.

 

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THE DIRTY SOUTH by John Connolly

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD & Downloadable Audiobook)

The 18th book in the Charlie Parker series.

 

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THE EVENING AND THE MORNING by Ken Follett

(Available Formats: Regular Print & Large Print, Audiobook on CD, eBook, Downloadable Audiobook)

In a prequel to “The Pillars of the Earth,” a boatbuilder, a Norman noblewoman and a monk live in England under attack by the Welsh and the Vikings.

 

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FORTUNE AND GLORY by Janet Evanovich

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The 27th book in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie deals with a soldier of fortune from Little Havana.

 

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HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT by Jeffrey Archer

(Available Formats: Print Book & Audiobook on CD)

The second book in the William Warwick series.

 

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THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook)

A Faustian bargain comes with a curse that affects the adventure Addie LaRue has across centuries.

 

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LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

A family vacation in an isolated part of Long Island is thrown into confusion when the home’s owners return claiming New York City is having a blackout.

 

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THE RETURN by Nicholas Sparks

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print Book, Audiobook on CD & eBook)

A doctor serving in the Navy in Afghanistan goes back to North Carolina where two women change his life.

 

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THE SEARCHER by Tana French

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

After a divorce, a former Chicago police officer resettles in an Irish village where a boy goes missing.

 

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THE SENTINEL by Lee Child and Andrew Child

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

Jack Reacher intervenes on an ambush in Tennessee and uncovers a conspiracy.

 

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A TIME FOR MERCY by John Grisham

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The third book in the Jake Brigance series. A 16-year-old is accused of killing a deputy in Clanton, Miss., in 1990.

 

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THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern black community at age 16 diverge as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity.

 

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print Book, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

 

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WHITE IVY by Susie Yang

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Years after being sent to China as a punishment by her mother, Ivy Lin reconnects with her teenage crush but her past threatens to catch up to her.

 

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WONDER BOY OF WHISTLE STOP by Fannie Flagg

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD & eBook)

Bud Threadgoode returns to his hometown and sets off some life-changing events.

 

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NON-FICTION:

 

THE BEST OF ME by David Sedaris

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A collection of the humorist’s essays including “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “A Guy Walks Into a Bar Car.”

 

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BLACKOUT by Candace Owens

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The conservative commentator makes her case that Black Americans should part ways with the Democratic Party.

 

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

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

 

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CLANLANDS by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavis

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The stars of “Outlander” use various means of travel to explore Scotland.

 

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ELEANOR by David Michaelis

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD & eBook)

The public and private life of America’s longest-serving first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

 

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD & Downloadable Audiobook)

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

 

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HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A primer for creating a more just and equitable society through identifying and opposing racism.

 

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HUMANS by Brandon Stanton:

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Photos and stories of people from over 40 countries collected by the creator of “Humans of New York.”

 

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IS THIS ANYTHING? by Jerry Seinfeld

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The comedian shares material he collected in an accordion folder over the last 45 years.

 

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KILLING CRAZY HORSE by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

(Available Formats: Print & Large, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The ninth book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series focuses on conflicts with Native Americans.

 

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MY OWN WORDS by Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams

(Available Formats: Print & Large Print, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

A collection of articles and speeches by the Supreme Court justice.

 

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OBAMA by Pete Souza

(Available Formats: Print Book)

More than 300 pictures of the former president by his White House photographer, with behind-the-scenes stories.

 

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SHADE by Pete Souza

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The former White House photographer juxtaposes pictures of former President Obama with tweets, headlines and quotes from the Trump administration.

 

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UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The activist and public speaker describes her journey of listening to her inner voice.

 

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WHITE FRAGILITY by Robin DiAngelo

(Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD, eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

Historical and cultural analyses on what causes defensive moves by white people and how this inhibits cross-racial dialogue.

 

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Be well and read on!

Linda Reimer, SSL

 

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

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

The Digital Catalog has two companion apps, Libby & OverDrive. Libby is the app for newer devices and the OverDrive app should be used for older devices and Amazon tablets.

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

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

The Hoopla Catalog features instant check outs of eBooks, downloadable audiobook, comic books, albums and streaming videos. Patron check out limit is 4 items per month.

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

The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple devices and most smart TVs & media streaming players.

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StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.

The StarCat app is called Bookmyne and is available for Apple and Android devices.

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Southeast Steuben County Library Tel: 607-936-3713

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, welcome to our Suggested Listening posting for this week!

Our Suggested Listening postings focus on the music of the past, with a few new songs mixed in for good measure.

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Suggested Listening postings come out weekly, on Fridays, and  the next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, November 20, 2020.

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Another Door by The Bats (Genre: Indie Rock)

From the album The Foothills (2020) by the New Zealand indie rockers – The Bats

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Baja by The Astronauts (Genre: Surf, Guitar)

From the Rhino Legends of Guitar album Legends of Guitar: Surf, Vol. 1 and the band’s debut album Surfin’ With The Astronauts (1963).

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Black Coffee by Peggy Lee (Genre: Vocal)

From Peggy’s classic album Black Coffee (1956).

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The Boy in the Bubble by Paul Simon (Genre; Folk, Rock)

A song from Paul’s smash 1986 album Graceland.

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Curious by The Innocence Mission (Genre: Folk-Rock, Pop)

A catchy tune from the band’s 1989 debut The Innocence Mission for Quiet Corner.

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Life Is A Rock But The Radio Rolled Me by Reunion (Genre: Pop, Classic Pop)

A classic one hit wonder for the band Reunion from the various artists compilation Radio Hits of the Seventies, among other various artists collection.

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Red Rubber Ball by The Cyrkle (Genre: Pop)

A sixties pop classic from the band’s 1966 self-titles debut LP.

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Segunda by Nels Cline & The Nels Cline Singers (Genre: Jazz)

From jazz guitarist Cline’s new LP Share The Wealth (2020)

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Your My Thrill by Cécile McLorin Salvant (Genre: Jazz)

I’ve only just discovered the music of Cécile McLorin Salvant – and she is really a terrific singer! This song is from her double album Dreams and Daggers (2017)

Terry Gross recently interviewed McLorin Salvant on Fresh Aire – here is the link to listen to the interview :
https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2020/11/06/932065663/fresh-air-for-nov-6-2020-jazz-singer-c-cile-mclorin-salvant-remembering-marge-ch

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You’ll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini) by Ella Fitzgerald (Genre: Jazz)

From the Decca collection The Early Years, Pt. 1 (1935-1938)

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Hoopla Pick of the Week

Anymore For Anymore by Ronnie Laine

Available for instant check out via Hoopla (Southeast Steuben County Library card required)

Anymore For Anymore is Faces and Small Faces guitarist and singer Ronnie Laine’s solo debut from 1974.

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Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

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Gross, Terry., Jazz Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant Doesn’t Want To Sound ‘Clean And Pretty’, NPR.,
https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2020/11/06/932065663/fresh-air-for-nov-6-2020-jazz-singer-c-cile-mclorin-salvant-remembering-marge-ch

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, consisting entirely of eBooks & downloadable audiobooks available through the Digital Catalog.

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

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American Gospel: A Novel by Lin Enger (Available Formats: Print Book)

Radically personal and quintessentially American, an intimate drama at the heart of an apocalyptic vision … On a small farm beside a lake in Minnesota’s north woods an old man is waiting for the Rapture, which God has told him will happen in two weeks, on August 19, 1974. When word gets out, Last Days Ranch becomes ground zero for The End, drawing zealots, curiosity seekers, and reporters–among them the prophet’s son, a skeptical New York writer suddenly caught between his overbearing father and the news story of a lifetime. Into the mix comes Melanie Magnus, a glamorous actress who has old allegiances to both father and son. Meanwhile, Nixon’s resignation has transfixed the nation.

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Blackwood by Michael F. Smith (Available Formats: Print Book)

In this timeless, mythical tale of unforgiving justice and elusive grace, rural Mississippi townsfolk shoulder the pain of generations as something dangerous lurks in the enigmatic kudzu of the woods.

he town of Red Bluff, Mississippi, has seen better days, though those who’ve held on have little memory of when that was. Myer, the county’s aged, sardonic lawman, still thinks it can prove itself — when confronted by a strange family of drifters, the sheriff believes that the people of Red Bluff can be accepting, rational, even good.
The opposite is true: this is a landscape of fear and ghosts — of regret and violence — transformed by the kudzu vines that have enveloped the hills around it, swallowing homes, cars, rivers, and hiding a terrible secret deeper still.

Colburn, a junkyard sculptor who’s returned to Red Bluff, knows this pain all too well, though he too is willing to hope for more when he meets and falls in love with Celia, the local bar owner. The Deep South gives these noble, broken, and driven folks the gift of human connection while bestowing upon them the crippling weight of generations. With broken histories and vagabond hearts, the townsfolk wrestle with the evil in the woods — and the wickedness that lurks in each and every one of us.

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The Blind Light: Novel by Stuart Evers (Available Formats: Print Book)

A multigenerational story about two families living in the shadow of nuclear apocalypse. The year is 1959. Two young soldiers, Drummond and Carter, one working-class, the other privileged, form an intense and unlikely friendship at ‘Doomtown’, a training center that simulates the aftermath of an atomic strike. Years later, the men watch the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis unfold in horror. Carter, now a high-ranking British government official, offers Drummond a way to save himself and his family in the event of a nuclear strike. Their pact, kept secret, will have devastating consequences for the very lives they seek to protect. Spanning decades, from the 1950s to the present, this ambitious, original novel offers a nuanced and absorbing portrait of friendship and rivalry that explores class divisions and the psychological legacy of the nuclear age.

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Jingle All The Way by Debbie Macomber (Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print Book, Audiobook on CD)

A young workaholic avoiding home for the holidays discovers that you can’t run away from who you are. Everly Lancaster always dreamed of leaving her hometown in rural Illinois. Now she helps run a burgeoning startup in Chicago, where her professional goals leave little time for friends … or a vacation. When a massive snowstorm hits, Everly’s mother urges her to come home for Christmas, but she hesitates to return to the life she’s worked so hard to escape. Searching for other holiday plans, Everly tasks her assistant with booking her a cruise – the perfect getaway. Embarking on a week long tour of the Amazon guided by charming naturalist Asher Adams, Everly slowly but surely begins to realize that relationships are more important than work – and just might decide to journey home just in time for Christmas Day.

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The Lady Brewer of London by Karen Books (Available Formats: Print Book)

1405: The daughter of a wealthy merchant, Anneke Sheldrake suddenly finds her family bankrupted when her father’s ship is swept away at sea. Forced to find a way to provide for herself and her siblings, Anneke rejects an offer of marriage from a despised cousin and instead turns to her late mother’s family business: brewing ale. Armed with her mother’s recipes, she then makes a bold deal with her father’s aristocratic employer, putting her home and family at risk. Thanks to her fierce determination, Anneke’s brew wins a following and begins to turn a profit. But her rise threatens some in her community and those closest to her are left to pay the price. As Anneke slowly pieces her life together again, she finds an unlikely ally in a London brothel owner. Determined not only to reclaim her livelihood and her family, Anneke vows not to let anyone stand in the way of her forging her own destiny

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The Land by Thomas Maltman (Available Formats: Print Book)

Recovering from a terrible auto accident just before the turn of the millennium, college dropout and hobbyist computer-game programmer Lucien Swenson becomes the caretaker of a house in northern Minnesota. Lucien sets out to find a missing woman he had been having an affair with, who vanished along with money stolen from the bank where they had worked together. His search will take him to Rose of Sharon, a white supremacist church deep in the wilderness, where a cabal of outcasts wait for the end of the world at a place they call The Land. Lucien is visited at the house by wolves and a mysterious guest, who may not be who she claims, as well as a vast flock of violent ravens out of an apocalyptic vision. At once a mystery and spiritual noir, [this book] explores the dark side of belief, the uniquely American obsession with end times and racial identity, and the sacrifices we make for those we love.

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The Nightworkers by Brian Selfon (Available Formats: Print Book)

“Electric, surprising, and tightly plotted . . . A compelling writer to watch.” –Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire

“A gripping, big-hearted thriller . . . whip-smart and surprisingly funny.” –Harlan Coben

The Nightworkers is an electrifying debut crime novel from Brian Selfon about a Brooklyn family of money launderers thrown into chaos when a runner ends up dead and a bag of dirty money goes missing.

Shecky Keenan’s family is under fire–or at least it feels that way. Bank accounts have closed unexpectedly, a strange car has been parked near the house at odd hours, and Emil Scott, an enigmatic artist and the family’s new runner, is missing–along with the $250,000 of dirty money he was carrying.

Shecky lives in old Brooklyn with his niece Kerasha and nephew Henry, and while his deepest desire is to keep his little makeshift family safe, that doesn’t stop him from taking advantage of their talents. Shecky moves money for an array of unsavory clients, and Henry, volatile and violent but tenderhearted, is his bagman. Kerasha, the famed former child-thief of Bushwick, is still learning the family trade, but her quick mind and quicker fingers are already being put to use. They love one another, but trust is thin when secrets are the family trade. And someone will be coming for that missing money–soon.

Inspired by a career that has included corruption cases and wiretaps as an investigative analyst for New York law enforcement, Brian Selfon unspools a tale of crime and consequence through shifting perspectives across the streets, alleys, bodegas, and art studios of Brooklyn. The Nightworkers is an evocative blend of genres: a literary crime thriller with a mystery at the center of its big beating heart: What really happened to Emil Scott, and what can the future possibly hold for a family when crime is what keeps them together?

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One Of Our Own by Jane Haddam (Available Formats: Print Books)

In Jane Haddam’s One of Our Own, Gregor Demarkian, former FBI agent and police consultant, returns for his final case-a surprising murder and an attempted murder, which threaten the safety of his Philadelphia neighborhood. A mysterious black van is spotted by several people at various times in the area around Cavanaugh Street, Philadelphia’s Armenian-American enclave. Presumed by some to be related to the increasing ICE raids around the area, the mystery deepens one night when a body falls out of the back of the van when speeding through the neighborhood. Marta Warkowski, a reclusive older woman, is found bound up in a garbage bag after it falls out of the van. In a coma, Warkowski is unable to tell police how she ended up as she did. When they go to search her apartment, the police find the dead body of her building’s super, a man with whom she has a history of conflict. How did she end up in garbage bag in the back of a mysterious van? How did he end up dead in her locked apartment? What does all of this have to do with the real estate holdings of infamous local developer, Cary Alder? Gregor Demarkian, former FBI agent and consultant, is ready to retire. He and his wife Bennis have agreed to foster a child, Javier, with a mysterious past and limited language skills. But he is pulled in once again, for a final case, to uncover the truth about the murder-and attempted murder-on Cavanaugh Street”

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The Traveller: And Other Stories by Stuart Neville (Available Formats: Print Book)

The book is divided into two parts: New Monsters, which contains seven chilling stand-alone tales that traverse and blend the genres of crime fiction, horror, and speculative fiction; and Old Friends, which contains five short pieces that reveal the origins or hidden backstories of Neville fan-favorite characters like Albert Ryan, Roberta Garrick, and of course Gerry Fegan. It also contains the long-awaited novella The Traveller, the companion piece to The Ghosts of Belfast and Collusion, which answers the question of what happened to Jack Lennon and his daughter, Ellen, after they fled Belfast seven years ago. The thirteen stories in this collection, which includes never-before-published pieces, span the decade since the publication of the now-classic The Ghosts of Belfast, and in his revelatory personal introduction Neville describes how each story fit into his career as a writer. Complete with a foreword from Irish crime fiction legend John Connolly, this volume is the perfect indulgence for fans of ghost stories and noir, and is a must-have for devotees of Neville’s prizewinning Belfast Cycle novels.

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When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor (Available Formats: Print Book)

China, December 1941. Elspeth Kent left England for a teaching post at a missionary school in northern China. Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer has always felt safe at Chefoo School, protected by her British status. When Japan declares war on Britain and America, Japanese forces take control of the school. Nancy and her friends face privation, uncertainty and fear. The children look to their teachers- to Miss Kent and her new Girl Guide patrol especially- to provide a sense of unity and safety. Sent to a distant internment camp, even greater uncertainty and danger await.

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Plot descriptions are from the publisher unless otherwise specified.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

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Catalog Links:

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

The Digital Catalog has two companion apps, Libby & OverDrive. Libby is the app for newer devices and the OverDrive app should be used for older devices and Amazon tablets.

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

The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple devices and most smart TVs & media streaming players.

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StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

The StarCat app is called Bookmyne and is available for Apple and Android devices.

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Southeast Steuben County Library Tel: 607-936-3713

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access one-copy-one-user digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices via the Digital Catalog found at https://stls.overdrive.com/ or by using the companion apps Libby (for newer devices) and OverDrive (for older devices and Kindle tablets)

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Hoopla

If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here is the weekly list of New York Times Bestsellers available in the Digital Catalog.

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If you have questions about how to access digital content, you can write a comment and post it on the blog, or send me, SSCL Librarian Linda Reimer, questions via email: reimerl@stls.org

 

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FICTION:

 

ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman (eBook)

A failed bank robber holds a group of strangers hostage at an apartment open house.

 

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THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS by Jodi Picoult (eBook)

After surviving a plane crash, a death doula travels to Egypt to reconnect with an old flame who is an archaeologist.

 

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THE EVENING AND THE MORNING by Ken Follett (eBook)

In a prequel to “The Pillars of the Earth,” a boatbuilder, a Norman noblewoman and a monk live in England under attack by the Welsh and the Vikings.

 

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THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab (eBook)

A Faustian bargain comes with a curse that affects the adventure Addie LaRue has across centuries.

 

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LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam (eBook)

A family vacation in an isolated part of Long Island is thrown into confusion when the home’s owners return claiming New York City is having a blackout.

 

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THE RETURN by Nicholas Sparks (eBook)

A doctor serving in the Navy in Afghanistan goes back to North Carolina where two women change his life.

 

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THE SEARCHER by Tana French (eBook)

After a divorce, a former Chicago police officer resettles in an Irish village where a boy goes missing.

 

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THE SENTINEL by Lee Child and Andrew Child (eBook)

Jack Reacher intervenes on an ambush in Tennessee and uncovers a conspiracy.

 

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A TIME FOR MERCY by John Grisham (eBook)

The third book in the Jake Brigance series. A 16-year-old is accused of killing a deputy in Clanton, Miss., in 1990.

 

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TROUBLES IN PARADISE by Elin Hilderbrand (eBook)

The final installment of the trilogy that includes “Winter in Paradise” and “What Happens in Paradise.”

 

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THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett (eBook)

The lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern black community at age 16 diverge as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity.

 

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens (eBook)

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

 

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WONDER BOY OF WHISTLE STOP by Fannie Flagg (eBook)

Bud Threadgoode returns to his hometown and sets off some life-changing events.

 

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NON-FICTION:

 

American Crisis by Andrew Cuomo (eBook)

The New York State governor gives his perspective on the Covid-19 crisis and prescribes ways to deal with future disasters.

 

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BLACKOUT by Candace Owens (eBook)

The conservative commentator makes her case that Black Americans should part ways with the Democratic Party.

 

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk (eBook)

 

 

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

 

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson (Downloadable Audiobook)

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

 

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey (Downloadable Audiobook)

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

 

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HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi (eBook)

A primer for creating a more just and equitable society through identifying and opposing racism.

 

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IS THIS ANYTHING? by Jerry Seinfeld (eBook)

The comedian shares material he collected in an accordion folder over the last 45 years.

 

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KILLING CRAZY HORSE by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (eBook)

The ninth book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series focuses on conflicts with Native Americans.

 

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MY OWN WORDS by Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams (eBook)

A collection of articles and speeches by the Supreme Court justice.

 

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RAGE by Bob Woodward (eBook)

Based on 17 on-the-record interviews with President Trump and other reporting, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist details the president’s perspective on multiple crises.

 

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SHADE by Pete Souza (eBook)

The former White House photographer juxtaposes pictures of former President Obama with tweets, headlines and quotes from the Trump administration.

 

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UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle (eBook)

The activist and public speaker describes her journey of listening to her inner voice.

 

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Be well and read on!

Linda Reimer, SSL

 

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Note: this list contains all the New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that are owned by libraries within the Southern Tier Library System.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, welcome to our Suggested Listening posting for this week!

Our Suggested Listening postings focus on the music of the past, with a few new songs mixed in for good measure.

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Suggested Listening postings come out weekly, on Fridays, and  the next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, November 13, 2020.

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Bye Bye Blackbird by Miles Davis (Genre: Jazz)

Bye Bye Blackbird is from Davis’s seminal album ‘Round About Midnight (1957).

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I.G.Y. by Donald Fagen (Genre: Pop-Rock, Jazz)

A great album from Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen; from his terrific album The Nightfly (1982).

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In The Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett (Genre: R&B, Vocal, Pop)

A classic song from Pickett’s vintage, and appropriately titled, album The Exciting Wilson Pickett (1966).

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I’ve Been Loving You too Long by Otis Redding (Genre: R&B, Vocal, Pop)

A classic song from one of the best American singers. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long is from Redding’s 1965 album Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul.

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Make Someone Happy by Jimmy Durante (Genre: Vocal, Pop, Soundtrack)

Durante recorded the song Make Someone Happy for his 1965 album Jimmy Durante’s Way of Life; more recently the song appeared on the soundtrack to the Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan film Sleepless in Seattle (1993).

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One Day by Yellowjackets & WDR Big Band (Genre: Jazz)

One Day is a smooth, upbeat song from the new album XL by Yellowjackets & WDR Big Band.

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Strike The Bell by Fisherman’s Friends (Genre: Folk)

Sea shanties are front and center! Courtsey of the wonderful ten-piece Cornish band Fisherman’s Friend!

Strike The Bell is from the group’s 2018 release Sole Mates.

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Soul Shake by Delaney & Bonnie (Genre: Roots Rock)

Delaney & Bonnie were singer and guitarist Delaney Bramlett and singer Bonnie Bramlett who recorded several terrific roots rock albums in the 1970s, including the album that features Soul Shake – To Bonnie from Delaney (1970).

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This Little Babe by Clare College Choir, Cambridge with Graham Ross conducting (Genre: Choral, Classical, Holiday)

From the Clare College Choir’s new album Britten: A Ceremony of Carols (2020).

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When You Wish Upon A Star by Cliff Edward (AKA Jiminy Cricket)

Cliff Edwards, also known as Ukulele Ike, is best known today for singing this upbeat song, from the soundtrack of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio.

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Hoopla Pick of the Week

The new Joni Mitchell album Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) – available for instant check out via Hoopla (Southeast Steuben County Library card required)

About The Album:

ARCHIVES VOL. 1 reveals just how prolific a songwriter Mitchell was at the time. In addition to early versions of songs that would appear on Song To A Seagull (“Michael From Mountains” and “I Had A King”), the set also features songs destined for later albums: “Chelsea Morning” “Both Sides Now” (Clouds, 1969); “The Circle Game” (Ladies of the Canyon, 1970); and “Little Green” (Blue, 1971).

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More than a just historic document, these recordings crackle with energy thanks to a vibrant and enchanting Mitchell. On many, you can hear her turning tuning her guitar and telling a story about the song before playing it. That includes her rare 1967 cover of Neil Young’s “Sugar Mountain,” a song she says inspired her to write “The Circle Game.”

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The collection begins in 1963 with her earliest-known recording as a 19-year-old Mitchell performs at CFQC AM, a radio station in her hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The box culminates with a stirring, three-set 1967 nightclub performance recorded at the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. – collection summary by Rhino Records

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Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, consisting entirely of eBooks & downloadable audiobooks available through the Digital Catalog.

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

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Reader’s Note: This is the first posting to feature a change in format!

Since our library is now offering patrons access to three online catalogs and their companion apps, I’m going to stop linking each recommended book to a specific catalog and instead simply note the different formats & catalogs the books, eBooks and audiobooks are available in.

And at the end of each weekly suggested reading posting, you’ll find links to the two digital content catalogs: OverDrive (Libby & OverDrive apps) and Hoopla (Hoopla app), to StarCat the catalog of physical library materials i.e. print books, DVDs, music CDs etc., and for those who prefer to request titles by phone, the library’s phone number as well.

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And without further ado, on to the recommended titles of the week:

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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Format: Downloadable Audiobook, Print Book, Audiobook on CD)

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

A god will return

When the earth and sky converge

Under the black sun

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.

Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created an epic adventure exploring the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in the most original series debut of the decade.

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A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry (Available Formats: Print Book)

A smitten woman is about to marry a dangerous man—unless Detective Hooper and his new wife, Celia, can prevent it—in this wickedly tangled holiday mystery from bestselling author Anne Perry.

Detective John Hooper, William Monk’s right-hand man at the Thames River Police, is blissfully happy in his new marriage to Celia, the cousin of a victim in one of the river police’s recent murder cases. Celia wants the same happiness for her good friend Clementine, who’s just announced her engagement to Seth Marlowe, a member of her church. Christmas is nearing, and this should be extra cause for celebration, but when Marlowe begins receiving threatening letters about his first wife’s death, it becomes clear that he is far from the devout man Clementine thought he was. In his rage, Marlowe accuses Celia of sending the letters, claiming she wants to ruin his engagement to Clementine. At a loss as to how to defend herself, Celia enlists Hooper to investigate the letters’ claims, and what he finds makes her desperate to show Clementine the truth about her soon-to-be husband.

But Celia herself has not always been truthful, especially not during the murder trial following her cousin’s death. How can she be believed now, when she lied on the stand? Especially when Marlowe knows that she did, and could use it against her. This Yuletide season finds love and faith put to the test—and Celia’s and Clementine’s lives on the line.

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Duke of Caladan by Brian Herbert (Available Format: Print Book)

A legend begins in Dune: Duke of Caladan, first in The Caladan Trilogy by New York Times bestselling authors Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Leto Atreides, Duke of Caladan and father of the Muad’Dib. While all know of his fall and the rise of his son, little is known about the quiet ruler of Caladan and his partner Jessica. Or how a Duke of an inconsequential planet earned an emperor’s favor, the ire of House Harkonnen, and set himself on a collision course with his own death. This is the story.

Through patience and loyalty, Leto serves the Golden Lion Throne. Where others scheme, the Duke of Caladan acts. But Leto’s powerful enemies are starting to feel that he is rising beyond his station, and House Atreides rises too high. With unseen enemies circling, Leto must decide if the twin burdens of duty and honor are worth the price of his life, family, and love.

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Elsewhere: A Novel by Dean Koontz (Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD)

Since his wife, Michelle, left seven years ago, Jeffy Coltrane has worked to maintain a normal life for himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Amity, in Suavidad Beach. It’s a quiet life, until a local eccentric known as Spooky Ed shows up on their doorstep. Ed entrusts Jeffy with hiding a strange and dangerous object-something he calls “the key to everything”-and tells Jeffy that he must never use the device. But after a visit from a group of ominous men, Jeffy and Amity find themselves accidentally activating the key and discovering an extraordinary truth. The device allows them to jump between parallel planes at once familiar and bizarre, wondrous and terrifying. And Jeffy and Amity can’t help but wonder, could Michelle be just a click away? Jeffy and Amity aren’t the only ones interested in the device.

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Fortune and Glory by Janet Evanovich (Available Formats: Print Book & Coming soon to the Digital Catalog in eBook & audiobook formats)

The twenty-seventh entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series isn’t just the biggest case of Stephanie Plum’s career. It’s the adventure of a lifetime.

When Stephanie’s beloved Grandma Mazur’s new husband died on their wedding night, the only thing he left her was a beat-up old easy chair…and the keys to a life-changing fortune.

But as Stephanie and Grandma Mazur search for Jimmy Rosolli’s treasure, they discover that they’re not the only ones on the hunt. Two dangerous enemies from the past stand in their way—along with a new adversary who’s even more formidable: Gabriela Rose, a dark-eyed beauty from Little Havana with a taste for designer clothes. She’s also a soldier of fortune, a gourmet cook, an expert in firearms and mixed martial arts—and someone who’s about to give Stephanie a real run for her money.

Stephanie may be in over her head, but she’s got two things that Gabriela doesn’t: an unbreakable bond with her family and a stubborn streak that will never let her quit.

She’ll need both to survive because this search for “fortune and glory” will turn into a desperate race against time with more on the line than ever before. Because even as she searches for the treasure and fights to protect her Grandma Mazur, her own deepest feelings will be tested—as Stephanie could finally be forced to choose between Joe Morelli and Ranger.

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Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews (Available Formats: Print Book, Downloadable Audiobook)

The 28th book and the seventh Christmas mystery in the Meg Langslow series, The Gift of the Magpie is yet another wonderfully merry and funny book from New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews.

Meg’s running Caerphilly’s Helping Hands for the Holidays project, in which neighbors help each other with things they can’t do and can’t afford to have done. Her hopes for a relatively peaceful (if busy) Christmas vanish when someone murders Harvey the Hoarder, whose house the Helping Hands were decluttering. Was there any truth to the rumor that he had something valuable hidden beneath all his junk? Was one of his friends, neighbors, or relatives greedy enough to murder him for the rumored treasure? And what about the magpie that has been bringing her family bits of tinsel and costume jewelry—does the bird’s latest gift hold a clue to solving the crime?

Full of intrigue, this Christmas mystery will take readers home to Caerphilly, where the suspense falls as thick as the snow.

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Hidden in Plain Sight by Jeffery Archer (Available Formats: Print Book, Audiobook on CD)

Jeffrey Archer’s Hidden in Plain Sight is the second novel featuring Detective William Warwick, by the master storyteller and #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles

William Warwick has been promoted to Detective Sergeant, but his promotion means that he, along with the rest of his team, have been reassigned to the Drugs Squad. They are immediately tasked with apprehending Ahmed Rashedi, a notorious drug dealer, who operates his extensive network out of South London.

As the investigation progresses, William runs into enemies old and new: Adrian Heath, from his school days, now a street dealer who he convinces to turn informer; and financier Miles Faulkner, who makes a mistake that could finally see him put behind bars. Meanwhile, William and his fiancée Beth enjoy making preparations for their upcoming wedding, though an unpleasant surprise awaits them at the altar.

As William’s team closes the net around a criminal network like none they have ever faced before, he devises a trap they would never expect, one that is hidden in plain sight . . .

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An Irish Country Welcome by Patrick Taylor (Available Formats: Print Book)

An Irish Country Welcome is a charming entry in Patrick Taylor’s internationally bestselling Irish Country series.

In the close-knit Northern Irish village of Ballybucklebo, it’s said that a new baby brings its own welcome. Young doctor Barry Laverty and his wife Sue are anxiously awaiting their first child, but as the community itself prepares to welcome a new decade, the closing months of the 1960s bring more than a televised moon landing to Barry, his friends, his neighbors, and his patients, including a number of sticky questions.

A fledgling doctor joins the practice as a trainee, but will the very upper-class Sebastian Carson be a good fit for the rough and tumble of Irish country life? And as sectarian tensions rise elsewhere in Ulster, can a Protestant man marry the Catholic woman he dearly loves, despite his father’s opposition? And who exactly is going to win the award for the best dandelion wine at this year’s Harvest Festival?

But while Barry and Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly and their fellow physicians deal with everything from brain surgery to a tractor accident to a difficult pregnancy, there’s still time to share the comforting joys and pleasures of this very special place: fly-fishing, boat races, and even the town’s very first talent competition!

Welcome back to Ballybucklebo, as vividly brought to life by a master storyteller

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Reverie by Ryan La Sala (Available Formats: eBook, Downloadable Audiobook, Print Book, eBook via Hoopla)

This title is the current OverDrive (Digital Catalog) Big Read title – which means it is currently available for everyone to check out and read, on demand, from the Digital Catalog and through its companion apps Libby & OverDrive!

Here’s the plot description:

A B&N’s YA Book Club Pick * Walmart Buzz Pick * Indie Next Pick * Book of the Month Club YA Box

A “joyously, riotously queer” (Kirkus) young adult fantasy from debut author Ryan La Sala, Reverie is a wildly imaginative story about dreams becoming reality, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Laini Taylor.

A few weeks ago, Kane Montgomery was in an accident that robbed him of his memory. The only thing he knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. The world as he knows it feels different—reality seems different. And when strange things start happening around him, Kane isn’t sure where to turn.

And then three of his classmates show up, claiming to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what’s truly going on. Kane doesn’t know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into increasingly fantastical dream worlds drawn from imagination, it becomes clear that there is dark magic at work. Nothing in Kane’s life is an accident, and only he can keep the world itself from unraveling.

Reverie is an intricate and compelling LGBT young adult book about the secret worlds we hide within ourselves and what happens when they become real.

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The Wonder Boy at the Whistlestop Café (Format: Print Book, Large Print, eBook)

A heartwarming novel about secrets of youth rediscovered, hometown memories, and the magical moments in ordinary lives, from the beloved author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

“Reading this novel is like entering a second childhood.”—Kirkus Reviews

Bud Threadgoode grew up in the bustling little railroad town of Whistle Stop with his mother, Ruth, church-going and proper, and his Aunt Idgie, the fun-loving hell-raiser. Together they ran the town’s popular Whistle Stop Cafe, known far and wide for its fun and famous fried green tomatoes. And as Bud often said of his childhood to his daughter Ruthie, “How lucky can you get?”
But sadly, as the railroad yards shut down and Whistle Stop became a ghost town, nothing was left but boarded-up buildings and memories of a happier time.

Then one day, Bud decides to take one last trip, just to see what has become of his beloved Whistle Stop. In so doing, he discovers new friends, as well as surprises about Idgie’s life, about Ninny Threadgoode and other beloved Fannie Flagg characters, and about the town itself. He also sets off a series of events, both touching and inspiring, which change his life and the lives of his daughter and many others. Could these events all be just coincidences? Or something else? And can you really go home again?

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Catalog Links:

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

The Digital Catalog has two companion apps, Libby & OverDrive. Libby is the app for newer devices and the OverDrive app should be used for older devices and Amazon tablets.

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

The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple devices and most smart TVs & media streaming players.

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StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org

The StarCat app is called Bookmyne and is available for Apple and Android devices.

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Southeast Steuben County Library Tel: 607-936-3713

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

For mobile devices simply download the Libby (eBooks & downloadable audiobooks) or the RB Digital app (on-demand magazines), from your app store to get started. And if you’re using a PC or Mac simply click on the following link: https://stls.overdrive.com/

If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here is the weekly list of New York Times Bestsellers available in the Digital Catalog.

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If you have questions about how to access digital content, you can write a comment and post it on the blog, or send me, SSCL Librarian Linda Reimer, questions via email: reimerl@stls.org

 

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FICTION:

 

ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman (eBook)

A failed bank robber holds a group of strangers hostage at an apartment open house.

 

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THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS by Jodi Picoult (eBook)

After surviving a plane crash, a death doula travels to Egypt to reconnect with an old flame who is an archaeologist.

 

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THE EVENING AND THE MORNING by Ken Follett (eBook)

In a prequel to “The Pillars of the Earth,” a boatbuilder, a Norman noblewoman and a monk live in England under attack by the Welsh and the Vikings.

 

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THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley (eBook)

A wedding between a TV star and a magazine publisher on an island off the coast of Ireland turns deadly.

 

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THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab (eBook)

A Faustian bargain comes with a curse that affects the adventure Addie LaRue has across centuries.

 

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THE LAST DRUID by Terry Brooks (eBook):

The fourth book in the Fall of Shannara series.

 

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LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam (eBook)

A family vacation in an isolated part of Long Island is thrown into confusion when the home’s owners return claiming New York City is having a blackout.

 

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MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (eBook):

In 1950s Mexico, a debutante travels to a distant mansion where family secrets of a faded mining empire have been kept hidden.

 

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig (eBook):

Nora Seed finds a library beyond the edge of the universe that contains books with multiple possibilities of the lives one could have lived.

 

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THE RETURN by Nicholas Sparks (eBook)

A doctor serving in the Navy in Afghanistan goes back to North Carolina where two women change his life.

 

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THE SEARCHER by Tana French (eBook)

After a divorce, a former Chicago police officer resettles in an Irish village where a boy goes missing.

 

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A TIME FOR MERCY by John Grisham (eBook):

The third book in the Jake Brigance series. A 16-year-old is accused of killing a deputy in Clanton, Miss., in 1990.

 

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TROUBLES IN PARADISE by Elin Hilderbrand (eBook)

The final installment of the trilogy that includes “Winter in Paradise” and “What Happens in Paradise.”

 

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THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett (eBook)

The lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern black community at age 16 diverge as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity.

 

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens (eBook)

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

 

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NON-FICTION:

 

American Crisis by Andrew Cuomo (eBook)

The New York State governor gives his perspective on the Covid-19 crisis and prescribes ways to deal with future disasters.

 

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BLACKOUT by Candace Owens (eBook)

The conservative commentator makes her case that Black Americans should part ways with the Democratic Party.

 

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson (Downloadable Audiobook)

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

 

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DISLOYAL by Michael Cohen (eBook):

An account of President Trump’s business empire, political campaign and presidential administration by his former personal attorney.

 

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey (Downloadable Audiobook):

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

 

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HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi (eBook)

A primer for creating a more just and equitable society through identifying and opposing racism.

 

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IS THIS ANYTHING? by Jerry Seinfeld (eBook)

The comedian shares material he collected in an accordion folder over the last 45 years.

 

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KILLING CRAZY HORSE by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (eBook)

The ninth book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series focuses on conflicts with Native Americans.

 

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RAGE by Bob Woodward (eBook)

Based on 17 on-the-record interviews with President Trump and other reporting, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist details the president’s perspective on multiple crises.

 

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SHADE by Pete Souza (eBook)

The former White House photographer juxtaposes pictures of former President Obama with tweets, headlines and quotes from the Trump administration.

 

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TEN LESSONS FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD by Fareed Zakaria (eBook)

The CNN host posits what might happen on the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

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UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle (eBook)

The activist and public speaker describes her journey of listening to her inner voice.

 

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Be well and read on!

Linda Reimer, SSL

 

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Note: this list contains all the New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that are owned by libraries within the Southern Tier Library System.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, welcome to our Suggested Listening posting for this week!

Our Suggested Listening postings focus on the music of the past, with a few new songs mixed in for good measure.

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Suggested Listening postings come out weekly, on Fridays, and  the next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, November 6, 2020.

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To celebrate the Halloween season, here is a collection of music videos featuring spooky music!

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The Black Cat – Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra

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Black Magic Woman by Santana

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Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.

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The Great Pumpkin Waltz by Vince Guaraldi

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Haunted Blues by Memphis Minnie

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The Haunted House by Ray Noble & His Orchestra

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The Headless Horseman by Kay Starr & Billy Butterfield Quintet

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I Put A Spell On You by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

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Love Potion No. 9 by The Searchers

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Monster Mash by Bobby Boris Pickett & introduced by Dick Clark

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Mr. Ghost Goes To Town by Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang

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Music to be Murdered By by Alfred Hitchcock & His Orchestra

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Spooks by Louis Armstrong

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Swinging at the Séance by Glenn Miller & his Orchestra

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Bonus Non-Music Clip: Super Relaxing Fireplace Sounds
For those of us who like to read and relax in front of a cozy, crackling fire in a fire place – but don’t have a fire place; here is a video offering 12 hours of a cheerful and relaxing fire – great for putting up on the large screen TV in your living room!

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Hoopla Pick of the Week

This album features a collection of top-notch, spooky classical music!

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Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, consisting entirely of eBooks & downloadable audiobooks available through the Digital Catalog.

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

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Since Halloween is this Saturday, and this is the perfect time of year to listen to spooky stories in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, even if the crackling fire place is a virtual one! So, our recommended “reads” for this week are all spooky downloadable audiobooks – most of which are new to the catalog having migrated from the RB Digital Catalog.

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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge written by Ambrose Bierce & read by Mark Hammer

A collection of stories of the supernatural, of ghosts and “strange doings” by a master teller of tales. Includes these stories: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge; The Damned Thing; A Watcher by the Dead; An Inhabitant of Carcosa; The Famous Gilson Bequest; The Eyes of the Panther; The Secret of Macarger’s Gulch; The Night-Doings at Deadman’s

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The Body Snatchers and Other Stories written by Robert Louis Stevenson & read by Alexander Spencer

The Body-Snatchers is a “crawler” in Stevenson’s words, a tale of an avenging ghost and two medical students assigned to procure a corpse for an anatomy class. Includes: The Isle of Voices and The Waif Woman

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Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley & read by George Guidall

On the deck of his ice-imprisoned ship, explorer Robert Walton watches from a great distance as an enormous apparition travels with much haste across the frozen shore. The next day, Walton fishes from the sea a melancholy scientist named Frankenstein, who shares with Walton the horrifying account of his life and of the “hideous progeny” he set loose upon the world. Frankenstein was written while 19-year-old Mary Shelley vacationed in Geneva with poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. An incessantly rainy summer prompted Byron to challenge the members of the party to write a tale of the supernatural. While listening to a discussion concerning the theory of electrical reanimation, Mary Shelley was struck, almost to terror, with the idea for Frankenstein: “The idea so possessed my mind that a thrill of fear ran through me, and I wished to exchange the ghastly image of my fancy for the realities around.” A universal classic, Mary Shelley’s romantic tale of an ambitious doctor who places himself in the dangerous role of God was first published anonymously in 1818. Master narrator George Guidall skillfully brings to life the doctor and his unhappy creation.

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The House of the Seven Gables written by Nathaniel Hawthorne & read by Roslyn Alexander

The House of the Seven Gables, a fixture in Hawthorne’s Salem, serves as the ancestral home of the fictional Pyncheon family—whose distinguished legacy is tainted by pious thievery. When country cousin Phoebe arrives at the house, she is like a cool breeze, refreshing a room that has been sealed for too long. The resulting mixture of dark and light imagery, illustrated by Hawthorne’s rich prose, makes this romance an important American classic.

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The Invisible Man written by H.G. Wells & read by Victoria Morgan

“I had not expected the suffering. A night of racking anguish, sickness and fainting. I became insensible and woke languid in the darkness. I shall never forget that dawn, and the strange horror of seeing that my hands had become as clouded glass, and watching them grow clearer and thinner as the day went by. My limbs became glassy, the bones and arteries faded, vanished, and the little white nerves went last. At last only the dead tips of the fingernails remained, pallid and white. I went and stared at nothing in my shaving glass. I had become an invisible man.” Vicki Morgan’ s entertaining narration of this science fiction classic is a great introduction to the fantastic world of H.G. Wells and the brilliant imagination, the psychological insight, and startlingly accurate scientific predictions that made him one of the most influential writers of his day.

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The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde & read by Steven Crossley

Moral fantasy novel by Oscar Wilde, published in an early form in Lippincott’s Magazine in 1890. The novel had six additional chapters when it appeared in book form in 1891. An archetypal tale of a young man who purchases eternal youth at the expense of his soul, the novel was a romantic exposition of Wilde’s aestheticism. Dorian Gray is a wealthy Englishman who gradually sinks into a life of dissipation and crime. Despite his unhealthy behavior, his physical appearance remains youthful and unmarked by dissolution. Instead, a portrait of himself catalogues every evil deed by turning his once handsome features into a hideous mask. When Gray destroys the painting, his face turns into a human replica of the portrait, and he dies.Gray’s final negation, “ugliness is the only reality,” neatly summarizes Wilde’s aestheticism, both his love of the beautiful and his fascination with the profane.

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Rip Van Winkle and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow written by Washington Irving & read by James Hamilton

This selection includes two world-famous children’s tales by American author, Washington Irving, well known for his ability to bring humor to the silly vanities that characterize human nature. In the first story, Rip Van Winkle falls asleep only to wake up 20 years later, finding he has literally slept his life away. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow tells the tale of the gawky schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, and his rival Brom Bones, who each woo pretty Katrina Van Tassel until a Headless Horseman makes his ghostly ride. Washington Irving was one of America’s earliest and most popular writers. Famous for his short stories, Irving was also a chronicler of the frontier, a folklorist and a noted political satirist and essayist. In The Sketch Book, of which these two selections are a part, Irving drew upon the myths and legends of local and European folklore. His original creations of characters like Ichabod Crane and Rip Van Winkle have become lasting contributions to our national literary heritage, as distinctly American as Natty Bumppo, Captain Ahab, and Huckleberry Finn.

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Tales of Terror written by Edgar Allan Poe and read by Jack Foreman

If you have never heard a tale by the Master of Terror, a treat awaits you. If you have, now you can listen with the lights out! With these stories: The Tell-Tale Heart; The Black Cat; The Cask of Amontillado; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Masque of the Red Death; The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar; Hop Frog; The Fall of the House of Usher; and The Murders in the Rue Morgue

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The Turn of the Key written by Ruth Ware & read by Imogen Church

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lying Game and The Death of Mrs. Westaway comes this thrilling novel that explores the dark side of technology.

When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the home’s cameras, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder—but somebody is.

Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, The Turn of the Key is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

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The Turn of the Screw written by Henry James & read by Bianca Amato

The Turn of the Screw is a fireside tale of evil and mystery. Filled with extraordinary drama, Henry James’ story has been widely popular ever since its publication in 1898. It also inspired a film, a play, and an opera. A governess has been hired to care for two orphaned young children in their uncle’s English country home. But soon after she meets the boy and his sister, the governess begins to see fearful apparitions. With growing alarm, she must wonder about the target of the ghostly presences. Are they haunting her, or the sweet, innocent children? Henry James gives no answers to this question. Instead, he leaves the listener to ponder the relationships between evil and horror, imagination and reality.

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Hoopla Reading Recommendation of the Week

The Woman in the Mirror written by Rebecca James and read by Charlotte Newton-John & Katharine Mangold (Format: Downloadable Audiobook)

Rebecca James unveils a chilling modern gothic novel of a family consumed by the shadows and secrets of its past in The Woman in the Mirror.

For more than two centuries, Winterbourne Hall has stood atop a bluff overseeing the English countryside of Cornwall and the sea beyond.

In 1947, Londoner Alice Miller accepts a post as governess at Winterbourne, looking after Captain Jonathan de Grey’s twin children. Falling under the de Greys’ spell, Alice believes the family will heal her own past sorrows. But then the twins’ adoration becomes deceitful and taunting. Their father, ever distant, turns spiteful and cruel. The manor itself seems to lash out. Alice finds her surroundings subtly altered, her air slightly chilled. Something malicious resents her presence, something clouding her senses and threatening her very sanity.

In present day New York, art gallery curator Rachel Wright has learned she is a descendant of the de Greys and heir to Winterbourne. Adopted as an infant, she never knew her birth parents or her lineage. At long last, Rachel will find answers to questions about her identity that have haunted her entire life. But what she finds in Cornwall is a devastating tragic legacy that has afflicted generations of de Greys. A legacy borne from greed and deceit, twisted by madness, and suffused with unrequited love and unequivocal rage.

Note: You must have a Southeast Steuben County Library Card to check out Hoopla eBooks.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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StarCat

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content, i.e. eBooks & downloadable audiobooks, on PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

For mobile devices simply download the Libby (eBooks & downloadable audiobooks) or the RB Digital app (on-demand magazines), from your app store to get started. And if you’re using a PC or Mac simply click on the following link: https://stls.overdrive.com/

If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.