Tech & Book Talk at SSCL

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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The next New York Times Bestselling blog posting will be published on Sunday, January 10, 2021 – Happy holidays!

 

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FICTION:

AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins

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

A bookseller flees Mexico for the United States with her son while pursued by the head of a drug cartel.

 

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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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AWAKENING by Nora Roberts

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

The first book in the Dragon Heart Legacy series. Breen Kelly travels through a portal in Ireland to a land of faeries and mermaids.

 

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DAYLIGHT by David Baldacci

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

The F.B.I. agent Atlee Pine’s search for her twin sister overlaps with a military investigator’s hunt for someone involved in a global conspiracy.

 

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DEADLY CROSS by James Patterson

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

The 28th book in the Alex Cross series. An investigation of a double homicide sends Alex Cross to Alabama.

 

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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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HOME BODY by Rupi Kaur 

(Available Formats: Hoopla eBook)

Poems and illustrations by the author of “Milk and Honey” and “The Sun and Her Flowers.”

 

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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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THE LAW OF INNOCENCE by Michael Connelly

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

The sixth book in the Mickey Haller series. Haller defends himself when police find the body of a former client in his car’s trunk.

 

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READY PLAYER TWO by Ernest Cline

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

In a sequel to “Ready Player One,” Wade Watts discovers a technological advancement and goes on a new quest.

 

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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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RHYTHM OF WAR by Brandon Sanderson

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The fourth book in the Stormlight Archive series. Technological discoveries and an ensuing arms race change how a war is fought.

 

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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 Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook, 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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NON-FICTION:

 

THE ANSWER IS …by Alex Trebek

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

A memoir by the host of the TV game show “Jeopardy!,” from 1984 to 2020.

 

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BECOMING by Michelle Obama

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

The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

 

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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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DOLLY PARTON, SONGTELLER by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann

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

The country music icon offers insights on 175 of her songs

 

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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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HILLBILLY ELEGY by J.D. Vance

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

A Yale Law School graduate looks at the struggles of the white working class through the story of his own childhood.

 

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HUMANS by Brandon Stanton:

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

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 Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook & eBook)

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

 

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LET US DREAM by Pope Francis and Austin Ivereigh:

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church shares difficult experiences and mines lessons from the pandemic.

 

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THE MAMBA MENTALITY by Kobe Bryant:

(Available Format: Print Book & eBook)

 

Various skills and techniques used on the court by the late Los Angeles Lakers player.

 

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MODERN WARRIORS by Pete Hegseth

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The Fox News host and former combat veteran interviews soldiers about the different kinds of battles they encountered. Not available in any catalog.

 

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NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE by Michael J. Fox

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

The actor discusses the challenges he has faced with Parkinson’s disease and other setbacks that caused him to reassess his outlook.

 

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A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama

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

In the first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama offers personal reflections on his formative years and pivotal moments through his first term.

 

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SAVING FREEDOM by Joe Scarborough

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

The MSNBC host and former congressman describes the struggles Harry Truman faced before and during his time as president.

 

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THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE by Erik Larson:

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

An examination of the leadership of the prime minister Winston Churchill.

 

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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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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, December 18, 2020.

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Charade: Suite by Henry Mancini (Genre: Soundtrack, Score)

From the soundtrack to the 1963 film starring Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn.

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Classical Music for Winter (Genre: Classical, Easy Listening)

This video features a relaxing winter scene with two hours of light classical music by Debussy, Mozart, Grieg, Saint-Saens, Schubert and more.

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Closer To Fine by The Indigo Girls (Genre: Folk, Pop)

From the duo’s second album The Indigo Girls (1989).

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The Gambler by Kenny Rogers (Genre: Country, Pop-Rock)

One of Kenny’s best! From his album of the same name – The Gambler (1978).

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Lester Left Town by Art Blakey (Genre: Jazz)

From the album the Big Beat (1960) by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers.

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Stairway to Heaven by Heart (Genre: Rock)

From the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors honors concert.

The original version is found on the Led Zeppelin album Led Zeppelin IV (1971). And the song was recorded by Heart for their album Little Queen (1977).

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That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll by Billie Joe Armstrong (Genre: Rock)

Billie Joe Armstrong, of Green Day, got bored during the long months of the pandemic and decided to record an album of covers, including this fun song that I first heard via Shaun Cassidy (and I’m showing my vintage!); but that was written and first recorded by Eric Carmen for his debut solo album – Eric Carmen (1975). This version of the song is from Armstrong’s new album No Fun Mondays (2020).

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Tulsa Time by Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill & Albert Lee

Recorded during the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival; there is also a great version of this song on Clapton’s live double-album Just One Night (1980).

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Rhapsody In Blue by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (1976)

The Gershwin classic performed by the New York Philharmonic with the great conductor Leonard Bernstein on piano.

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Uptown Girl by Billy Joel (Genre: Rock, Singer-Songwriter)

A cheerful rock tune from Joel’s album An Innocent Man (1983).

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Hoopla Pick of the Week

American Standards (2020) by James Taylor (Genre: Vocal, Folk)

James Taylor’s Grammy nominated album, American Standards, features songs from the great American songbook including Moon River, As Easy As Rolling Off A Long, Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The boat, God Bless the Child, Pennies From Heaven and It’s Only A Paper Moon.

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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.

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The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

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Hoopla

A catalog of instant check out items, including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, TV shows and movies for for patrons of the Southeast Steuben County Library.

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended reads 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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American Follies: A Novel by Norman Locke

(Available Formats: Hoopla eBook)

“[Norman Lock’s fiction] shimmers with glorious language, fluid rhythms, and complex insights.” -NPR

In the seventh stand-alone book of The American Novels series, Ellen Finch, former stenographer to Henry James, recalls her time as an assistant to Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, heroes of America’s woman suffrage movement, and her friendship with the diminutive Margaret, one of P. T. Barnum’s circus “eccentrics.” When her infant son is kidnapped by the Klan, Ellen, Margaret, and the two formidable suffragists travel aboard Barnum’s train from New York to Memphis to rescue the baby from certain death at the fiery cross.

A savage yet farcical tale, American Follies explores the roots of the women’s rights movement, its relationship to the fight for racial justice, and its reverberations in the politics of today.

Norman Lock is the award-winning author of novels, short fiction, and poetry, as well as stage, radio, and screenplays. He lives in Aberdeen, New Jersey, where he is at work on the next books of The American Novels series.

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Billion Dollar Bracket by Drew Bridges

(Available Formats: Hoopla eBook)

Many lives collide in this quest to win a billion dollars for picking all the winners in the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament. Some are looking for riches, others for simple survival and personal redemption.

Mathematician Sinclair Dane sponsors the contest, seeking money for a safety net for her troubled mother. She does not have a billion dollars to pay a winner. Risking her reputation and possible legal charges for fraud, she pins her hopes on the astronomical odds against anyone picking all the winners.

Math professor Lewis Cusac uses the basketball contest to teach remedial math to college students, two of whom are playing in the tournament. He enters the contest and finds himself having selected all the winners with only three games remaining. He also gets a call from the NCAA investigators for suspicion of trying to fix the outcomes of games.

Add to the mix a retired casino operator, a group of twenty-something social media wizards, and professional basketball’s next megastar.

As the contest goes global, the story races to an ending that will surprise the reader.

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A Castaway In Cornwall by Julie Clawson

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla eBook)

Laura Callaway daily walks the windswept Cornwall coast, known for many shipwrecks but few survivors. She feels like a castaway, set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers. Now living with her parson uncle and his parsimonious wife in North Cornwall, Laura is viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong somewhere again.

When ships sink, wreckers scour the shore for valuables, while Laura searches for clues to the lives lost. She has written letters to loved ones and returned keepsakes to rightful owners. She collects seashells and mementos, and when a man is washed ashore, she collects him too.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the castaway, the mystery surrounding him grows. He has abrasions and a deep cut that looks suspiciously like a knife wound, and he speaks in careful, educated English, yet his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Their attraction grows, and while she longs to return the man to his rightful home, evidence against him mounts. With danger pursuing them from every side, will Laura ever find the answers and love she seeks?

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Christmas On 4th Street by Susan Mallery

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, eBook & Hoopla eBook)

There’s nowhere better to spend the holidays than with New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery in the town of Fool’s Gold, where love is always waiting to be unwrapped…

Noelle Perkins just got a second chance at life, and she intends to make the most of every minute. That’s why she ditched a frustrating legal career to open her own store in Fool’s Gold, California. The Christmas Attic celebrates everything that’s magical about her favorite season. Business is booming, and as a bonus, gorgeous army doctor Gabriel Boylan has offered to help out during the holiday rush.

Gabriel’s memories of Christmas past contain more sour grapes than sugar plums, thanks to a drill sergeant father who ran his home like a boot camp. Spending the holidays with his family while he recuperates from injury sounds as appetizing as last year’s eggnog. Still, there are some enjoyable distractions in town, including sunny, sexy Noelle…and the red-hot mistletoe kisses they can’t stop sharing.

Gabriel didn’t think he was made for happily-ever-afters. But when fate hands you a love as sweet and surprising as this, only a fool could refuse….

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Covent Garden In The Snow by Jules Wake

(Available Formats: Hoopla eBook)

The perfect Christmas romance for fans of Karen Swan. Tilly Hunter has fabulous friends, her dream job as a make-up artist with a prestigious opera company and Felix, her kind and caring husband to be. It looks set to be the most perfect Christmas yet! But when a monumental blunder forces her to work closely with new IT director Marcus Walker, it’s not only the roast chestnut stalls on the cobbles of her beloved Covent Garden that cause sparks to fly… Super serious and brooding, Marcus hasn’t got a creative bone in his sharp-suited body. For technophobe Tilly, it’s a match made in hell. And yet, when Tilly discovers her fiancé isn’t at all what he seems, it’s Marcus who’s there for her with a hot chocolate and a surprisingly strong shoulder to cry on … He might just be the best Christmas present she’s ever had.

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The Girls Of Brackenhill: A Thriller by Kate Moretti

(Available Formats: Print Book)

In 2019, Hannah Maloney, the heroine of this riveting thriller from bestseller Moretti (The Vanishing Year), is living in Virginia with her fiancé, Huck, when she receives a phone call letting her know that her aunt Fae has been in a car accident. Though Hannah hasn’t spoken to Fae in 17 years, she’s listed as Fae’s emergency contact. After Hannah and Huck arrive at Brackenhill, her aunt Fae and uncle Stuart’s castle home in the Catskills, Hannah learns that Fae has died from her injuries, and Stuart is gravely ill with cancer. Hannah and her sister, Julia, used to spend summers at Brackenhill, until the summer 17 years earlier that Julia disappeared. When Hannah’s dog uncovers a human bone on her aunt’s property, the police, led by police officer Wyatt McCarran, who was Hannah’s first boyfriend in their teens, investigate, though Hannah is sure the bone is her sister’s. Meanwhile, Hannah has disturbing dreams and episodes of sleepwalking, and she’s again attracted to Wyatt. Flashbacks to the summer Julia vanished heighten the suspense. Fans of gothic mysteries with a touch of the supernatural will be richly rewarded. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Hot to Trot: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

The late Beaton’s superb 31st outing for Agatha Raisin (after 2019’s Beating About the Bush) finds the witty and irascible Agatha, who runs a private detective agency in the Cotswold village of Carsely, fuming about the upcoming nuptials of her friend and former lover, Sir Charles Fraith, to his “vile fiancée,” Mary Brown-Field. No stranger to gate-crashing, Agatha shows up at an extravagant postwedding masked ball held at Charles’s grand house, where a shoving match takes place between Agatha and the new lady of the manor. When Mary is later found dead in the estate’s stables, both Agatha and Charles come under scrutiny by the police. Agatha’s investigations take her into the competitive world of horse show-jumping, as well as on a couple of edifying trips to a château in Bordeaux. This lively entertainment includes an elegantly amusing introduction by Beaton (1936–2019), outlining her road to becoming a writer, as well as an affectionate foreword by longtime friend and journalist Green, who collaborated on this book. Beaton’s fans will sorely miss her. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Murder by Milk Bottle by Lynne Truss

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobook)

In bestseller Truss’s outstanding third Constable Twitten mystery (after 2019’s The Man That Got Away), three murders by milk bottle over three hours in 1957 Brighton, England, lead to editorials wondering whether the city has become “the new milk-bottle murder capital of Great Britain.” The dead are “a young beauty-contest runner-up barely old enough to have enemies; the second, a much-loved patrolman of spotless record; the third, a visiting radio celebrity known for ‘skits’ involving female impersonation.” The victims apparently have nothing in common except the killer’s m.o.—each was stunned with a pint bottle of milk before the bottle was shattered and the shards used to fatally stab them. The killings are an unwelcome development for by-the-book Constable Twitten, who longs for routine pounding-of-the-beat rather than yet another bizarre whodunit to unravel. Meanwhile, he continues to contend with the machinations of the police charlady, Mrs. Groynes, who only he knows is a master criminal, and with the antics of his clueless boss, Insp. Geoffrey Steine. In her ability to blend crime and farce, Truss is in a class of her own. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers by Tessa Arlen

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobook)

Set in 1942, Arlen’s enticing second Poppy Redfern Mystery (after 2019’s Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders) finds Poppy working as scriptwriter for London’s Crown Film Unit, a production company responsible for creating propaganda films. Poppy’s first assignment is to write the script for a recruiting film about the Air Transport Auxiliary Flyers (aka Attagirls), an elite unit of civilian women pilots who transport military airplanes to factories and air fields around Britain. When the unit’s best pilot dies in an accident while being filmed flying a Spitfire, Poppy is stunned. But when a second pilot also perishes in a crash, Poppy and her would-be boyfriend, U.S. Army fighter pilot Griff O’Neal, set out to discover who has it in for the ATAs before another flyer can die. Arlen’s depiction of the heroic ATAs is a fascinating nod to a little-known aspect of WWII history. Cozy fans will enjoy spending time with good-hearted, very English Poppy and friends, including her charming corgi. Publishers Weekly Review

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The Thirty Names Of Night: A Novel by Zeyn Joukhadar

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2020 by The Millions, Electric Literature, Bustle, and HuffPost

Named a Best Book of Fall by USA TODAY, PopSugar, Alma, and Goodreads

The author of the “vivid and urgent…important and timely” (The New York Times Book Review) debut The Map of Salt and Stars returns with this remarkably moving and lyrical novel following three generations of Syrian Americans who are linked by a mysterious species of bird and the truths they carry close to their hearts.

Five years after a suspicious fire killed his ornithologist mother, a closeted Syrian American trans boy sheds his birth name and searches for a new one. He has been unable to paint since his mother’s ghost has begun to visit him each evening. As his grandmother’s sole caretaker, he spends his days cooped up in their apartment, avoiding his neighborhood masjid, his estranged sister, and even his best friend (who also happens to be his longtime crush). The only time he feels truly free is when he slips out at night to paint murals on buildings in the once-thriving Manhattan neighborhood known as Little Syria.

One night, he enters the abandoned community house and finds the tattered journal of a Syrian American artist named Laila Z, who dedicated her career to painting the birds of North America. She famously and mysteriously disappeared more than sixty years before, but her journal contains proof that both his mother and Laila Z encountered the same rare bird before their deaths. In fact, Laila Z’s past is intimately tied to his mother’s–and his grandmother’s–in ways he never could have expected. Even more surprising, Laila Z’s story reveals the histories of queer and transgender people within his own community that he never knew. Realizing that he isn’t and has never been alone, he has the courage to officially claim a new name: Nadir, an Arabic name meaning rare.

As unprecedented numbers of birds are mysteriously drawn to the New York City skies, Nadir enlists the help of his family and friends to unravel what happened to Laila Z and the rare bird his mother died trying to save. Following his mother’s ghost, he uncovers the silences kept in the name of survival by his own community, his own family, and within himself, and discovers the family that was there all along.

Featuring Zeyn Joukhadar’s signature “magical and heart-wrenching” (The Christian Science Monitor) storytelling, The Thirty Names of Night is a timely exploration of how we all search for and ultimately embrace who we are.

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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.

–

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.

–

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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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:

ALL THAT GLITTERS by Danielle Steel

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook, eBook

Just as Coco is about to graduate from Columbia, tragic events in her family send her on a journey of self-discovery.

 

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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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ARCHANGEL’S SUN by Nalini Singh

(Available Formats: Hoopla Downloadable Audiobook)

The 13th book in the Guild Hunter series. Titus must stop dangerous creatures called the reborn.

 

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AWAKENING by Nora Roberts

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

The first book in the Dragon Heart Legacy series. Breen Kelly travels through a portal in Ireland to a land of faeries and mermaids.

 

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DAYLIGHT by David Baldacci

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

The F.B.I. agent Atlee Pine’s search for her twin sister overlaps with a military investigator’s hunt for someone involved in a global conspiracy.

 

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DEADLY CROSS by James Patterson

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

The 28th book in the Alex Cross series. An investigation of a double homicide sends Alex Cross to Alabama.

 

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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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HOME BODY by Rupi Kaur 

(Available Formats: Hoopla eBook)

Poems and illustrations by the author of “Milk and Honey” and “The Sun and Her Flowers.”

 

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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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THE LAW OF INNOCENCE by Michael Connelly

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

The sixth book in the Mickey Haller series. Haller defends himself when police find the body of a former client in his car’s trunk.

 

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READY PLAYER TWO by Ernest Cline

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

In a sequel to “Ready Player One,” Wade Watts discovers a technological advancement and goes on a new quest.

 

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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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RHYTHM OF WAR by Brandon Sanderson

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The fourth book in the Stormlight Archive series. Technological discoveries and an ensuing arms race change how a war is fought.

 

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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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WAR LORD by Bernard Cornwell

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

The 13th book in the Saxon Tales series. Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg prepares for what might be his final battle.

 

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NON-FICTION:

 

THE ANSWER IS …by Alex Trebek

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

A memoir by the host of the TV game show “Jeopardy!,” from 1984 to 2020.

 

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BECOMING by Michelle Obama

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

The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

 

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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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DOLLY PARTON, SONGTELLER by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann

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

The country music icon offers insights on 175 of her songs

 

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FRONTIER FOLLIES by Ree Drummond

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

The host of the Food Network show “The Pioneer Woman” shares stories on motherhood and marriage.

 

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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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HILLBILLY ELEGY by J.D. Vance

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

A Yale Law School graduate looks at the struggles of the white working class through the story of his own childhood.

 

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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 Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook & 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

(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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MODERN WARRIORS by Pete Hegseth

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The Fox News host and former combat veteran interviews soldiers about the different kinds of battles they encountered. Not available in any catalog.

 

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NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE by Michael J. Fox

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

The actor discusses the challenges he has faced with Parkinson’s disease and other setbacks that caused him to reassess his outlook.

 

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A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama

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

In the first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama offers personal reflections on his formative years and pivotal moments through his first term.

 

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SAVING FREEDOM by Joe Scarborough

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

The MSNBC host and former congressman describes the struggles Harry Truman faced before and during his time as president.

 

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UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN by Emmanuel Acho

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

A look at some questions and concepts needed to address systemic racism.

 

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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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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.

–

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.

–

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.

–

Southeast Steuben County Library Tel: 607-936-3713

–

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, December 11, 2020.

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The Captain and the Kid by Jimmy Buffett (Genre: Singer-Songwriter)

From the album Songs You Don’t Know By Heart (2020)

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Driftin’ Blues by Charles Brown (Genre: Blues, Piano, Vocal)

The title track from Brown’s 1963 album Driftin’ Blues; although the original version was recorded in 1945.

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Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman (genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Pop)

From Chapman’s 1995 album A New Beginning.

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If She Knew What She Wants by The Bangles

From the band’s debut album A Different Light (1987).

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In The Still Of The Night by The Five Satins (Genre: R&B, Pop, Vocal)

One of the quintessential Doo-Wop songs and a huge hit for the New Haven, Connecticut based group in 1956.

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Rocky Top by The Osborne Brothers (Genre: Traditional Country, Bluegrass)

From the album Yesterday, Today & the Osborne Brothers (1968).

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She’s About A Mover by the Sir Douglas Quintet (Genre: Classic Rock)

From the album The Best of the Sir Douglass Quintet (1966).

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Tuxedo Junction by Erskine Hawkins (Genre: Blues)

From the double-album The Complete Erskine Hawkins, Vol. 1-2; originally released as a single in 1939.

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The Waiting by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Genre: Rock & Roll)

From Petty’s fourth album Hard Promises (1981).

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You’ve Got A Friend by Carole King (Genre: Singer-Songwriter)

From her smash album A Natural Woman (1971).

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Hoopla Pick of the Week

All Day Music (1971) by War

The second album by the groovin’ seventies band led by lead singer and former Animals front man Eric Burden.

 

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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/

–

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 reads 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*

–

Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

 

–

 

The Big Tow: An Unlikely Romance: An Unlikely Romance by Ann McMan

(Available Format: Print Book & Hoopla eBook)

Vera “Nick” Nicholson is an overtaxed and underpaid attorney wasting away on the bottom rung of the gilded ladder at Turner, Witherspoon, Anders, and Tyler in Winston-Salem, NC. When a high-priced luxury car belonging to one of the firm’s top clients goes missing, Nick gets saddled with the unenviable job of recovering the vehicle―and its mysterious contents―without involving the cops. Enter Fast Eddie and his quirky band of misfits at The National Recovery Bureau, a repo agency located in a sleepy town called K-Vegas.

When Nick is unceremoniously furloughed from TWAT, she throws caution to the wind and signs on to become the newest agent of the NRB, teaming up with moonlighting third-grade schoolteacher, Frances “Frankie” Stohler. Frankie’s mortician father and beautician mother are stalwarts of the Winston-Salem community―so it’s no surprise that everyone across three counties has some connection to her family. What is surprising, however, is the Slim Jim Frankie carries in her purse and her preternatural talent for jacking cars.

Nick and Frankie’s stumbling entrée into the surreal world of asset recovery takes them on a hilarious, fast-paced and mind-bending journey across the back roads and byways of the Tar Heel state, setting into motion a chain of misadventures that lead them both toward financial independence, cataclysmic legal jeopardy, and the discovery that true love can sometimes lurk in the most unlikely places.

 

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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

(Available Format: Print Book, CD Audiobook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The opening of Hugo- and Nebula Award–winner Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky series draws inspiration from the indigenous cultures of North and Central America to deliver a razor-sharp examination of politics, generational trauma, and the path to redemption. Sun Priest Naranpa, the highest religious authority in the holy city of Tova, faces prejudice for her low birth despite her high rank, and her radical desire for her priests to be more accessible to Tova’s people makes her an object of resentment.

Meanwhile, in the Obregi Mountains, a young boy named Serapio, raised to become the vessel of the god Grandfather Crow and take revenge for the Night of Knives, a massacre committed against his people, sets out to fulfill his destiny.

Sea captain Xiala, a Treek who commands powerful sea-born magic, may be her own worst enemy of many, but she proves a welcome friend to Serapio as he voyages across the sea to avenge his people by ending the Sun Priest’s reign.

All three formidable characters are on a collision course that keeps the pages flying. Roanhorse (the Sixth World series) strikes a perfect balance between powerful worldbuilding and rich thematic exploration as the protagonists struggle against their fates. Fantasy fans will be wowed. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

 

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The Blind Light by Stuart Evers

(Available Format: 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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The Gift of Family by Mary Monroe

(Available Format: Print Book & eBook)

From acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe comes the captivating and heartfelt tale of a couple who has everything—except the dream they long for most. But this Christmas, a reunion with someone from the past could gift them a once-in-a-lifetime last chance . . .

Successful, secure, and still very much in love, middle-aged couple Eugene and Rosemary Johnson have never given up on one special wish—to be parents. And while Christmas always brings happiness and a whirlwind of holiday fun, their hopes for children of their own seem further away than ever. Especially this year, when Rosemary must have emergency surgery and home help to recuperate. Wanting to lift his wife’s spirits, Eugene suddenly has an inspiration from back in the day . . .

Faithful and sensible, Ethel Perkins raised Eugene and his brother. Unforeseen tragedy has left the sixty-something widow struggling with little money and two jobs to keep her great-grandchildren off the streets. She’s glad to help Rosemary back on her feet. But she can only stay until Rosemary is well enough to resume her normal routine. For Ethel, survival means keeping to her grueling schedule, being there for everyone but herself, and, as always, handling her troubles all on her own . . .

As Ethel’s problems go from bad to much worse, Rosemary and Eugene find themselves helping her more and more—and growing close to her lively youngsters. Soon, there’s only one way both families can salvage the season: by celebrating it together. But will their temporary family work into the future . . . and possibly make a lifetime of happiness?

 

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The Golfer’s Carol by Robert Bailey

(Available Format: Print Book)

On the morning of his fortieth birthday, Randy Clark believes the only way he can help his family is to end it all. Standing on the Tennessee River Bridge in Decatur, Alabama, with his dreams of a pro golf career long gone, his marriage struggling, and facing financial ruin, Randy sees no other alternative to help his wife and daughter but to jump, which he plans to do in the next twenty-four hours. But his plans are put on hold when the ghost of his best friend–who did live out the fantasy of playing the PGA tour–reveals to Randy that he will be given a wonderful gift: four rounds of golf with his four heroes, the champions he’s looked up to his whole life, each with a life-changing lesson to impart. For anyone who has ever dealt with tragedy, adversity, or failure, The Golfer’s Carol will bring grace that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

 

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The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain by Mark Salter

(Available Format: Print Book)

Salter (coauthor, The Restless Wave), a former speechwriter and chief of staff for Sen. John McCain (1936–2018), offers an intimate and inspirational portrait of the Arizona Republican and two-time presidential candidate.

Drawing on material gathered for the seven books he wrote with McCain, Salter documents his former boss’s peripatetic upbringing as the son of a U.S. Navy admiral and harrowing five-year ordeal as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Salter renders the physical and mental torture McCain endured in vivid detail, making McCain’s decision to refuse an offer of early release seem all the more heroic.

Elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and the Senate in 1986, McCain’s legislative record showcases “his refusal to give up causes that appeared hopeless,” Salter writes, noting that in the months after his 2017 brain cancer diagnosis, McCain began his fourth attempt at passing a bipartisan immigration bill.

Salter expresses admiration for McCain’s candor and tenacity, but takes issue with a handful of decisions, including his selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate in 2008 and his support for the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Though Salter’s critiques aren’t exactly hard-hitting, they give the book credibility. Political history buffs will savor this well-rounded account. Publishers Weekly Review

 

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One Night Two Souls Went Walking by Ellen Cooney

(Available Format: Print Book & Hoopla eBook)

Cooney’s brief but compelling novel—in which an unnamed chaplain takes readers on her rounds during one night at a large Northeastern hospital—explores issues like mortality, spiritual survival, and human connection.

The 36-year-old Episcopal chaplain, frizzy-haired and pear-shaped, has what her boss calls a natural gift for telling people what they need to hear. Her instinctive ability to soothe becomes increasingly evident as she travels from one patient to another. She is spiritual but practical. While she asks “What is a soul?” in the novel’s first line—and returns to the question in different guises throughout—the narrator’s spiritual quest does not cause her moral qualms about lying when necessary, whether to soothe a doctor who fears she’s sinned or give hope to a dying chef who expects his former restaurant patrons to visit en masse.

Her favorite patients are an elderly, deeply lonely librarian and a 15-year-old boy who’s survived a catastrophic accident physically shattered but with his gentle magnetism intact. Less appealing characters, like a lawyer who is rude to the staff, also receive her understanding. Each has a story. Often the stories lead the chaplain to stories from her own past.

A subtle plot takes shape almost between the lines concerning the chaplain’s unresolved relationship with Plummy, a neuroscientist 10 years her junior now living in Germany, who’s fascinated by out-of-body experiences, what he calls oobs; confronted during her shift with two possible oobs, the chaplain is forced to reexamine the idea of soul yet again but also to reconsider her relationship with Plummy. Those oob walks of the title may stretch credibility, but Cooney does a remarkable job structuring a novel of vignettes and stories within stories into a cohesive whole. Equally remarkable is her portrait of the chaplain as a personification of the potential for human goodness. Though introspective, the narrator is never self-absorbed. Her voice, funny and direct, keeps sentimentality at bay.

The perfect novel to combat pandemic angst. Starred Kirkus Review

 

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A Resolution At Midnight by Shelley Noble

(Available Format: Print Book)

Christmas in 1907 New York City provides the backdrop for Noble’s enticing third Lady Dunbridge mystery (after 2019’s Tell Me No Lies). Since moving to New York, the beautiful, witty Philomena Amesbury, widowed Countess of Dunbridge, has been carrying out the occasional undercover detective operation for the mysterious Mr. X. Lady Phil’s latest assignment is to meet a source at a movie theater, but when she arrives, she finds the man dead, his throat cut. The murdered man, Tommy Green, a reporter for the New York Times, was going to pass off some important information for Mr. X. But the newspaper reports that Green’s body was found at the docks. Why is the murder being covered up, and by whom? With the help of her faithful, clever servants and an intrepid female reporter who is desperate to get off the society beat, Phil uncovers a complex scheme involving blackmail, greed, and family secrets that lead directly to the top of New York society. Colorful period details include the first Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop in 1908. Historical fans will be well satisfied. Publishers Weekly Review

 

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The Short, the Long and the Tall: Short Stories by Jeffery Archer

(Available Format: Print Book)

New York Times number one bestselling author Jeffrey Archer is a master of the short-story form, creating classic tales beloved by his fans. Now the award-winning writer joins forces with renowned illustrator Paul Cox to re-imagine twenty of his most popular and fêted short stories alongside beautifully rendered watercolor illustrations in The Short, The Long and the Tall.

Find out what happens to the hapless young detective from Naples who travels to an Italian hillside town to solve a murder and ends up falling in love; and the pretentious schoolboy whose discovery of the origins of his father’s wealth changes his life forever. Revel in the stories of the woman who dares to challenge the men at her Ivy League university during the 1930s, and another young woman who thumbs a lift and has an encounter she will never forget. Discover the haunting story about four men whose characters are tested to the point of death. Finally, a short parable about how pointless war is, and how decent people are caught up in the crossfire of their leaders’ ambitions.

This will be a must-buy for dedicated fans of the work of both author and illustrator, and includes the following short stories:

Never Stop on the Motorway
Cheap At Half the Price
Who Killed the Mayor?
It Can’t Be October Already
Stuck on You
The Grass is Always Greener
The Queen’s Birthday Telegram
Clean Sweep Ignatius
The First Miracle
Caste Off
A Wasted Hour
Just Good Friends
Christina Rosenthal
A Gentleman and a Scholar
The Road To Damascus
Old Love
A Good Toss To Lose
One Man’s Meat
Endgame
Confession

 

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A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire

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

After brilliantly reimagining the worlds of Oz, Wonderland, Dickensian London, and the Nutcracker, the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked turns his unconventional genius to Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans,” transforming this classic tale into an Italian-American girl’s poignant coming-of-age story, set amid the magic of Christmas in 1960s New York.

Following her brother’s death and her mother’s emotional breakdown, Laura now lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in a lonely townhouse she shares with her old-world, strict, often querulous grandparents. But the arrangement may be temporary. The quiet, awkward teenager has been getting into trouble at home and has been expelled from her high school for throwing a record album at a popular girl who bullied her. When Christmas is over and the new year begins, Laura may find herself at boarding school in Montreal.
Nearly unmoored from reality through her panic and submerged grief, Laura is startled when a handsome swan boy with only one wing lands on her roof. Hiding him from her ever-bickering grandparents, Laura tries to build the swan boy a wing so he can fly home. But the task is too difficult to accomplish herself. Little does Laura know that her struggle to find help for her new friend parallels that of her grandparents, who are desperate for a distant relative’s financial aid to save the family store.

As he explores themes of class, isolation, family, and the dangerous yearning to be saved by a power greater than ourselves, Gregory Maguire conjures a haunting, beautiful tale of magical realism that illuminates one young woman’s heartbreak and hope as she begins the inevitable journey to adulthood.

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Plot descriptions are from the publisher unless otherwise specified.

 

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

 

–

 

*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.

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

–

Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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

–

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:

ALL THAT GLITTERS by Danielle Steel

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook, eBook

Just as Coco is about to graduate from Columbia, tragic events in her family send her on a journey of self-discovery.

 

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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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DAYLIGHT by David Baldacci

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

The F.B.I. agent Atlee Pine’s search for her twin sister overlaps with a military investigator’s hunt for someone involved in a global conspiracy.

 

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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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HOME BODY by Rupi Kaur 

(Available Formats: Hoopla eBook)

Poems and illustrations by the author of “Milk and Honey” and “The Sun and Her Flowers.”

 

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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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I WOULD LEAVE ME IF I COULD by Halsey

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A debut collection of poems by the Grammy Award-nominated musician.

 

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THE LAW OF INNOCENCE by Michael Connelly

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

The sixth book in the Mickey Haller series. Haller defends himself when police find the body of a former client in his car’s trunk.

 

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MARAUDER by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison

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

The 15th book in the Oregon Files series. A billionaire’s dying wish bestows a paralyzing chemical to a terrorist group.

 

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PIECE OF MY HEART by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

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

As their wedding approaches, a television producer and her fiancée must search for his missing 7-year-old nephew.

 

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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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RHYTHM OF WAR by Brandon Sanderson

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The fourth book in the Stormlight Archive series. Technological discoveries and an ensuing arms race change how a war is fought.

 

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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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TOM CLANCY: SHADOW OF THE DRAGON by Marc Cameron

(Available Formats: Print, CD Audiobook & eBook)

A missing scientist, strange noises under the Arctic ice and a mole who infiltrated American intelligence bedevil President Jack Ryan.

 

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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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NON-FICTION:

 

THE ANSWER IS …by Alex Trebek

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

A memoir by the host of the TV game show “Jeopardy!,” from 1984 to 2020.

 

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BECOMING by Michelle Obama

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

The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

 

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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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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.

 

–

 

DOLLY PARTON, SONGTELLER by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann

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

The country music icon offers insights on 175 of her songs

 

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FIRST PRINCIPLES by Thomas E. Ricks

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist explains the influence of the ancient Greeks and Romans on the thinking of America’s founding fathers.

 

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FRONTIER FOLLIES by Ree Drummond

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

The host of the Food Network show “The Pioneer Woman” shares stories on motherhood and marriage.

 

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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.

 

–

 

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.”

 

–

 

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.

 

–

 

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.

 

–

 

NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE by Michael J. Fox

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

The actor discusses the challenges he has faced with Parkinson’s disease and other setbacks that caused him to reassess his outlook.

 

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A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama

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

In the first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama offers personal reflections on his formative years and pivotal moments through his first term.

 

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UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN by Emmanuel Acho

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

A look at some questions and concepts needed to address systemic racism.

 

–

 

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.

 

–

 

Be well and read on!

Linda Reimer, SSL

 

–

*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.

–

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.

–

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.

–

Southeast Steuben County Library Tel: 607-936-3713

–

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.

–

Suggested Listening postings come out weekly, on Fridays, and the next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, December 4, 2020.

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Ambience ASMR New York of 1920s with Fireplace & Music (Genre: Ambience, Background Music)

One of the many, many relaxing background musical scene videos available through YouTube.

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Capital Theatre Concert by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers – Set 1 – 06/18/82 (Genre: Blues)

For this 1982 concert, the Bluesbreakers includes former members Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones) on guitar and John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) on bass.

Guest artists include blues greats Albert King, Sippie Wallace, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Hubert Sumlin & Etta James.

A fun video to celebrate the birthdays of both John Mayall (11/29) and John McVie (11/26).

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A Hundred Years From Now, Take 1 by Elvis Presley (Genre: Classic Rock, Vocal)

From the just released album Elvis in Nashville (2020), recorded in 1970.

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I Try by Kacey Johansing (Genre: Pop, Vocal)

From her new album No Better Time (2020).

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J.S. Bach: Complete Concertos Vol. 1 (Full Album) (Genre: Classical)

Volume 1 of the Complete Concerts collection published by the Brilliant label.

The Players:
Pieter-Jan Belder harpsichord
Christine Schornsheim harpsichord
Musica Amphion
Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum
Netherlands Bach Ensemble

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Tiny Desk Concert (NPR) by Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon with Jon Fishman (Genre: Folk, Guitar)

SET LIST
“Flat Top”
“The Only One”
“Sheets”
“I Am Random”

All four songs are from the new Kottke and Gordon album Noon (2020).

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Turn On The Lights by Jamie Cullum (Genre: Pop, Holiday)

From his new album Pianoman at Christmas (2020).

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When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano – Glenn Miller with Ray Eberle on vocals (Genre: Swing, Vocal)

A mellow song from the Glenn Miller Orchestra – from 1940.

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Wheel of Fortune by Josephine Foster (Genre: Folk)

From her new album No Harm done (2020).

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You’ve Undone Me by English Baroque Soloist & Monteverdi Choir with John Eliot Gardiner conducting (Genre: Classical)

Contralto Vocals: Catherine Denley
Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists
Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner
Counter-tenor Vocals: Timothy Penrose
Composer: George Frideric Handel
From the new album Handel: Semele (2020)

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Hoopla Pick of the Week

All The Good Times Are Past & Gone (2020) by Gillian Welch (Genre: Folk, Country)

The new album by singer-songwriter Gillian Welch who is accompanied by her long-time musical partner Dave Rawlings.

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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.

–

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended reads 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*

–

Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

–

Barack Before Obama: Life Before The Presidency by David Katz

(Available Format: Print Book)

An appealing pictorial biography of the pre-presidential Barack Obama. In early 2004, Katz joined Obama’s senatorial campaign as a volunteer driver and then photographer and aide. In this well-rendered photographic celebration, he shows the trajectory of Obama from state politician to leader of the free world. The photos are all high quality and cover a vast range of moments, from Obama getting his haircut by his longtime barber near Hyde Park to the presidential hopeful in tears when he learned, two days before the 2008 election, that the grandmother who raised him had just died.

Throughout, Katz emphasizes his theme of the “many small moments in Obama’s life when his political career was just gaining traction.” It all began when the budding photographer decided that the unknown Obama needed “more compelling” pictures on his website. The campaign had only 10 staffers and couldn’t pay Katz, but they offered him a volunteer position. So he spent 10 months driving the candidate around the state before becoming his personal aide.

Alongside the photos, the author offers illuminating commentary–on the role of the Secret Service, Michelle’s take, the Al Smith dinner, a rally with Bruce Springsteen–and it’s interesting to consider how Katz designed the layout. He made the wise choice to group together many shots, so we have a set with Stevie Wonder and Robin Williams, Oprah Winfrey, George Soros, Nelson Mandela, the Bidens, and Leonardo DiCaprio, among many others. Along the way, readers will learn how politicians rise as they connect with celebrities and funders, and the narrative is packed with entertaining vignettes. For example, Oprah didn’t think the Obamas’ Chicago apartment was the right setting for O, The Oprah Magazine, so she took the shoot outdoors. The book also features a foreword by Obama himself. A brilliantly photographed tribute to the rise of the 44th president. – Starred Kirkus Review

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Big Girl, Small Town: A Novel by Michelle Gallen

(Available Format: Print Book)

DEBUT Majella O’Neill keeps a running list in her head of top 10 things she likes and dislikes. The dislikes list actually runs to a full 97 items, with subcategories, but she sometimes thinks it could be distilled to one item: other people. She lives in Aghybogey, a small village in Northern Ireland still feeling the effects of the Troubles. Working at the local chip shop, she regularly cleans up after her needy, alcoholic mother. Years have passed since the unexplained disappearance of Majella’s father, and her grandmother’s murder has just rattled the village. Majella finds comfort in her routines–wearing the same clothes, spending Sunday evenings at the pub, eating microwaved dinners from the chip shop while tucked into bed watching DVDs of Dallas, the greatest show ever–but is deeply shaken by the death of her grandmother. Majella is a compelling character caught in a fascinating slice of time, and her journey is exquisitely rendered.

VERDICT With echoes of Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine crossed with the 1990s-set British sitcom Derry Girls, this debut is recommended for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, Emma Donoghue, and Sally Rooney.–Julie Kane, Washington & Lee Lib., Lexington, VA – Starred Library Journal Review

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Confessions in B-Flat by Donna Hill

(Available Formats: Print Book, Hoopla Downloadable Audiobook)

Jason Tanner, protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has been by his mentor’s side in New York to spread the message of passive resistance. In Harlem, the epicenter of black culture, poet Anita Hopkins tries to capture the message of Malcolm X, which she believes with all her heart: the time is now; enough is enough.

When Jason goes to the iconic B Flat lounge and sees Anita perform, he’s transfixed. Her passion for what she believes runs as deep as his. And Anita has never met anyone who can match her wit for wit like this. Their scorching desire for each other clashes with their fundamentally opposed beliefs… until, in a cruel twist of fate, Jason is drafted for Vietnam.

With the country at a breaking point and their romance caught in the center, both Anita and Jason are going to have to redefine heart, home, and what they truly desire.

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Daylight by David Baldacci

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

FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s search for her sister Mercy clashes with military investigator John Puller’s high-stakes case, leading them both deep into a global conspiracy — from which neither of them will escape unscathed.

For many long years, Atlee Pine was tormented by uncertainty after her twin sister, Mercy, was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Now, just as Atlee is pressured to end her investigation into Mercy’s disappearance, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough yet: the identity of her sister’s kidnapper, Ito Vincenzo.

With time running out, Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum race to Vincenzo’s last known location in Trenton, New Jersey — and unknowingly stumble straight into John Puller’s case, blowing his arrest during a drug ring investigation involving a military installation.

Stunningly, Pine and Puller’s joint investigation uncovers a connection between Vincenzo’s family and a breathtaking scheme that strikes at the very heart of global democracy. Peeling back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups, Atlee finally discovers the truth about what happened to Mercy. And that truth will shock Pine to her very core.

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Deadly Cross by James Patterson

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

A scandalous double homicide in the nation’s capital opens the psychological case files on Detective Alex Cross. Until Kay Willingham’s shocking murder inside a luxury limousine, the Georgetown socialite, philanthropist, and ex-wife of the sitting vice-president led a public life. Yet few, including her onetime psychologist, had any inkling of Kay’s troubled past in the Deep South. Murdered alongside her is Randall Christopher, a respected educator whose political ambitions may have endangered both their lives. While John Sampson of DC Metro Police tracks Randall’s final movements, Alex Cross and FBI Special Agent Ned Mahoney travel to Alabama to investigate Kay’s early years. They discover that although Kay had many enemies, all of them needed her alive. Alex is left without a viable suspect, even as he faces a desperate choice between breaking a trust and losing his way, as a detective, and as the protector of his family.

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Last American Aristocrat: The Brilliant Life and Improbable Education of Henry Adams by David S. Brown

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Historian Brown (Paradise Lost: A Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald) delivers a splendid biography of Harvard professor and memoirist Henry Adams (1838–1918). The direct descendant of two presidents and a diplomat, Adams, who is best known for his autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, sardonically referred to himself as a “failure.” Yet he managed to emerge from his prominent family’s shadow and make a worthy and memorable life for himself, Brown reveals. He vividly describes Adams’s milieu during a period of sweeping social change in America, detailing his marriage to socialite and photographer Marian “Clover” Hooper, who committed suicide in 1885; his friendships with Henry James, Edith Wharton, and Henry Cabot Lodge; and his travels in Cuba, Japan, Russia, and the South Pacific. Brown also tracks how Adams’s views on the Civil War shifted during his tenure as his father’s personal secretary in London, and notes his stances against the spoils system, the gold standard, and imperialism, as well as his ethnic and racial prejudices. The fully fleshed-out Adams that emerges in these pages is irascible, self-contradictory, and always fascinating. Readers will be thrilled by this standout portrait of the man and his era.

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Marauder: A Novel of the Oregon Files by Clive Cussler

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

In 2019’s The Final Option, Juan Cabrillo, the captain of the Oregon, was forced to sink his beloved ship in a dire emergency. Now, in the late Cussler’s suspenseful 15th Oregon Files novel, also coauthored with Morrison, Cabrillo, the chairman of the organization known as the Corporation, is taking the rebuilt Oregon on a sea trial in the Strait of Malacca when he gets a report of a tanker under terrorist attack. Cabrillo and crew rush to the rescue. Meanwhile, April Jin and her husband, Angus Polk, who each recently spent time in an Australian prison for treason, receive a posthumous message from their one-time employer, Chinese industrialist Lu Yang, asking them to continue a mission he was involved in shortly before his death. Jin and Polk, operating from a trimaran that’s armed with an experimental plasma weapon and a new paralyzing gas, set out to achieve Lu’s goal of taking over Australia. Only Cabrillo and the fabulous new Oregon with its cutting-edge weaponry stand in their way. Readers will race through the pages to see what happens next. Fans will hope this isn’t the last adventure from Cussler (1931–2020).- Publishers Weekly Review

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Nights When Nothing Happened by Simon Han

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Chengs live in Plano, Texas, where nothing much seems to happen. At 11, Jack sees himself as his sister Annabel’s protector, and wakes up every time she sleepwalks to follow her and bring her back to bed without alerting his parents. Annabel, an affectionate five-year-old, doesn’t seem disturbed by anything until she goes to sleep. Their mother, Patty, works long hours at her tech job near Dallas, while father Liang watches over the kids. From the outside, they seem like the model immigrant family. But when Child Protective Services shows up, all four of them are suddenly forced to unveil the secret fears they have of one another, and forge a new understanding of familial intimacy and trust. In this exemplary debut, Han explores childhood trauma and the impact words and silence can have on both building and harming relationships. He writes with sensitivity and tenderness, allowing his fully fleshed-out characters to take on lives of their own and tell their heartbreaking perspectives directly to readers. Readers will be gripped by this beautiful debut.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.) – Booklist Review

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That Time of Year: A Minnesota Life by Garrison Keillor

(Available Format: Print Book)

With the warmth and humor we’ve come to know, the creator and host of A Prairie Home Companion shares his own remarkable story.

In That Time of Year, Garrison Keillor looks back on his life and recounts how a Brethren boy with writerly ambitions grew up in a small town on the Mississippi in the 1950s and, seeing three good friends die young, turned to comedy and radio. Through a series of unreasonable lucky breaks, he founded A Prairie Home Companion and put himself in line for a good life, including mistakes, regrets, and a few medical adventures. PHC lasted forty years, 750 shows, and enjoyed the freedom to do as it pleased for three or four million listeners every Saturday at 5 p.m. Central. He got to sing with Emmylou Harris and Renee Fleming and once sang two songs to the U.S. Supreme Court. He played a private eye and a cowboy, gave the news from his hometown, Lake Wobegon, and met Somali cabdrivers who’d learned English from listening to the show. He wrote bestselling novels, won a Grammy and a National Humanities Medal, and made a movie with Robert Altman with an alarming amount of improvisation.

He says, “I was unemployable and managed to invent work for myself that I loved all my life, and on top of that I married well. That’s the secret, work and love. And I chose the right ancestors, impoverished Scots and Yorkshire farmers, good workers. I’m heading for eighty, and I still get up to write before dawn every day.”

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Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

(Available Format: Print Book)

Winter sends animals to hibernation and people to their homes to settle before a fire. But winter, according to May, can come at any season. Hers started in early autumn with her husband’s appendicitis and her own illness. Suddenly her days bring slow-cooked meals and coloring with her son rather than university lectures and frantic writing schedules. As the author draws into herself, she begins to see the healing powers of cold and quiet. Moving through the calendar year, May talks to men and women who have mastered the art of living in the cold. She interviews a Finnish woman whose childhood revolved around months of snow; she discovers a man who tracks wolves to keep them away from flocks and safe from hunters. May attends a St. Lucia festival, visits Stonehenge, swims in frigid water, and crosses the Arctic Circle in search of the northern lights and guidance. And through it all, she ponders her son’s difficulties in school and her own loss of voice. In this introspective, beautifully written mix of memoir and philosophy, May explores life’s hardest season and the lessons of acceptance. With a pandemic keeping us isolated in so many ways, May offers much-needed solace and comfort and a reminder that seasons eventually turn. – Starred Booklist Review

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Plot descriptions are from the publisher unless otherwise specified.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

–

*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.

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

–

Have a great week!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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

–

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)

–

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*

 

–

 

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 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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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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I WOULD LEAVE ME IF I COULD by Halsey

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A debut collection of poems by the Grammy Award-nominated musician.

 

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THE LAW OF INNOCENCE by Michael Connelly

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

The sixth book in the Mickey Haller series. Haller defends himself when police find the body of a former client in his car’s trunk.

 

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LEOPARD’S RAGE by Christine Feehan

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The leopard shifter Sevastyan Amurov protects Flambe Carver from a stalker.

 

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MARAUDER by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison

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

The 15th book in the Oregon Files series. A billionaire’s dying wish bestows a paralyzing chemical to a terrorist group.

 

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MOONFLOWER MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz

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

Cecily Trehearne goes missing from a Greek island hotel that is run by a former publisher after reading the mystery “Atticus Pünd Takes the Case.”

 

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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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NON-FICTION:

 

THE ANSWER IS …by Alex Trebek

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

A memoir by the host of the TV game show “Jeopardy!,” from 1984 to 2020.

 

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BECOMING by Michelle Obama

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

The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

 

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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.

 

–

 

FIRST PRINCIPLES by Thomas E. Ricks

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist explains the influence of the ancient Greeks and Romans on the thinking of America’s founding fathers.

 

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GREATEST BEER RUN EVER by John “Chick” Donohue and J.T. Molloy

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

In 1967, a former Marine agrees to sneak into Vietnam to deliver brews to friends still serving.

 

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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.

 

–

 

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.”

 

–

 

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.

 

–

 

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.

 

–

 

ONE LIFE by Megan Rapinoe with Emma Brockes

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The life and career of the Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion.

 

–

 

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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THE TRUTHS WE HOLD by Kamala Harris

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

A memoir by the daughter of immigrants who is now the vice president-elect.

 

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UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN by Emmanuel Acho

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

A look at some questions and concepts needed to address systemic racism.

 

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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.

 

–

 

Be well and read on!

Linda Reimer, SSL

 

–

*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.