Tech & Book Talk at SSCL

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

Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, August 2, 2024.

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This week we’re celebrating the music of the great British bluesman John Mayall, who died this past week at the age of ninety; by featuring a dozen of his songs.

It is hard to sum up the life and music of a figure as influential as John Mayall in a couple of paragraphs, but I will try! (And yes indeed, as a disclaimer, Linda is a big John Mayall fan!)

John Mayall, was born in Macclesfield, England (U.K.)  in 1933. As a youth, he was a huge music fan and compiled an in-depth record collection of blues artists, while learning to play the piano, organ, harmonica and the guitar; he moved to London in his early thirties and formed a band, which shortly thereafter morphed into his Blues Breakers band*

And it quickly became apparently that Mayall was exceptional at finding talented young   players for his band! His second album, released in 1966, and the first one to be credited to John Mayall & The Blues Breakers, featured a guitarist who was known to music fans, having previously played with The Yardbirds, but was not the internationally renowned guitarist he would shortly become; and his name is Eric Clapton. The full title of that seminal second LP is John Mayall’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966).

Some of the other musicians who played in John Mayall’s band in the sixties, who also became internally well-known include: the great guitarist Peter Green who co-founded Fleetwood Mac with fellow John Mayall’s Blues Breaker alumni John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, guitarist Mick Taylor who replaced Brian Jones in the Rolling Stones; and briefly, after his stint in the Graham Bond Organization and before he co-founded Cream, bassist Jack Bruce; and that is only a few of the great players who went through Mayall’s band over the years.

And too, Mayall came out with some terrific albums all on his own; and kept touring and recording albums for decades, right into the 2020s; indeed, his last studio album, The Sun Is Shining Down, was released in 2022!

And on a related ironic note, I recall listening with amusement to a song on Mayall’s 1990 album, A Sense Of Place, called I Can’t Complain, and during the song he sings “I never got invited to the Grammy show, if my luck every changes…I really don’t know.” And I’m struck by the fact that John Mayall is being inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in October of this year, by being awarded a Musical Influence Award; and unfortunately, he won’t be there to receive the award, although at least he knew that honor was belatedly coming his way. And as a long-time fan, I think he’d probably like it best if instead of watching the Rock Hall of Fame ceremony in October, you listened to some of his music, or any blues music for that matter.

And on that note, you can check out a number of John Mayall albums via the Hoopla catalog, including the three great guitar albums featuring Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor; listed below is a brief, early-to-mid-sixties discography which includes those LPs:

The first five John Mayall albums can be checked out via Hoopla, accessible through the app or line at https://www.hoopladigital.com,  and they are:

1. John Mayall Plays John Mayall (1965) (recorded live and featuring a very young John McVie on bass; McVie can also be heard playing the bass on the albums: John Mayall’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, A Hard Road and Crusade)

2. John Mayall’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

3. A Hard Road (1967) (featuring Peter Green on guitar)

4. Crusade (1967) (featuring Mick Taylor on guitar)

5. The Blues Alone (1967) (Mayall played all the instruments on the LP, except the drums)

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And here are a dozen songs by John Mayall and his band, in chronological order:

R and B Time: Night Train/Lucille by John Mayall 

From The Album: John Mayall Plays John Mayall (1965) (Recorded live in December 1964 and featuring a very young John McVie on bass)

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Hideaway (featuring Eric Clapton on guitar)

From The Album: John Mayall’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966) (this album too features John McVie on bass)

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Rambling On My Mind (featuring Eric Clapton on vocals)

From The Album: From The Album: John Mayall’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966) (Ditto, this album too features John McVie on bass)

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Someday After A While (You’ll Be Sorry) by John Mayall and the Blues Breakers (featuring Peter Green on guitar)

From The Album: A Hard Road (1967)

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The Stumble by John Mayall And The Blues Breakers (featuring Peter Green on guitar)

From The Album: A Hard Road (1967)

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My Time After A While by John Mayall and the Blues Breakers (featuring Mick Taylor on guitar)

From The Album: Crusade (1967)

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Snowy Wood by John Mayall and the Blues Breakers (featuring Mick Taylor on guitar)

From The Album: Crusade (1967)

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Bare Wires Suite by John Mayall and the Blues Breakers (Note: This is a long late sixties jazzy-blues-rock song, clocking in at 22:59!)

From The Album: Bare Wires (1968)

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Vacation by John Mayall

From The Album: Blues From Laurel Canyon (1968)

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Chicago Line by John Mayall’s Blues Breakers

From The Album: Chicago Line (1988)

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I Can’t Complain by John Mayall

From The Album: A Sense Of Place (1990)

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Wake Up Call by John Mayall with Mavis Stapleton on vocals and Mick Taylor on guitar

From The Album: Wake Up Call (1993)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

A Hard Road by John Mayall and the Blues Breakers

And from the album the song

The Super-Natural (featuring Peter Green on guitar)

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* The official John Mayall biography can be found on his website via the following link: https://www.johnmayall.com/bio

And the complete John Mayall discography, can be accessed on the discography page on the same official John Mayall website, found here: https://www.johnmayall.com/discography

 

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

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The Digital Catalog, web version of Libby

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

–

The Libby App

Libby is the companion app to the Digital Catalog and may be found in the Apple & Google app.

–

Hoopla

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

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

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

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

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The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery And Desire In The American Wilderness by Ken Kaufman 

Birder and naturalist Kaufman (A Season on the Wind, 2019) offers a compelling look at the ornithological rivalries of the early 1800s, noting specifically at the start that trying to pin down the details of Audubon’s life and discoveries is like finding oneself in a “”dimly lit hall of mirrors.”” This age of natural history discovery was an exciting period, pitting Audubon against other well-known ornithologists in a race to find and, equally importantly, name newly found bird species. But even these determined naturalists and artists missed a number of not-uncommon species in their quests to be the best. Kaufman muses on how Audubon would have painted these “”missing”” birds had he encountered them, then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaufman experimented with illustrating them in Audubon’s style. Kaufman illuminates this key period and the competitions that jump-started it in a lively narrative in which he also weaves in his own experiences as a budding naturalist-become-science-historian. Kaufman’s blend of history, science, art, biography, and memoir will intrigue birders and readers fascinated by the larger context. – Booklist Review  

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It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant 

This fun and twisty mystery from YA author Bryant (Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling) proves that she can also write for the adult audience. Mavis Miller, a hard-working single mom, lives with her feisty daughter, her retired dad, and a new puppy. Her plate is full, and she doesn’t consider herself PTA mom material. When Trisha, the formidable PTA president at her daughter’s school, asks Mavis if she’d like to run the DEI committee there, Mavis’s first reaction is no, but then she reconsiders. As one of the few Black parents at the school, she thinks maybe she could make a difference there. But after the first contentious meeting, the school principal vanishes under suspicious circumstances. Mavis is determined to get to the bottom of his disappearance. Mavis’s life is about to get very interesting, with the hot school psychologist helping her and her ex back on the scene,   VERDICT Filled with snappy dialogue, laugh-out-loud scenes, quirky characters, a solid mystery, and a dash of romance, here’s hoping there’ll be more stories about Mavis. – Library Journal Review  

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This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter 

Will Trent and Sara Linton have barely arrived for their honeymoon at McAlpine Lodge when screams lead them to lodge manager Mercy McAlpine, who has been savagely stabbed. She whispers her last words in Will’s arms. Will, who has been struggling with the loss of his mother, now must deliver Mercy’s message to her teenage son and secure the scene for local police. But Sheriff Biscuits Hartshorne has already pinned Mercy’s murder on her abusive ex-husband, Dave, and isn’t interested in investigating. Will knows what Dave is capable of. Dave was called “the Jackal” in the group home in which they were placed as kids. But why would he kill Mercy now? Alternative motives abound. Mercy threatened to reveal family secrets that would derail plans to sell the lodge, her brother’s creepy friend Chuck was obsessed with her, and the lodge’s other guests are throwing up a myriad of red flags. The sheer number of motives should stretch credulity, but Slaughter’s skillfully nuanced portrayal of the investigation, exposing abuse, manipulation, and desperate greed, creates a disturbingly realistic page-turner. This bar-raiser for the classic locked-room mystery is in good company with Sarah Pearse’s The Sanitorium (2021), Adrian McKinty’s The Island (2022), and One by One, by Ruth Ware. – Starred Booklist Review  

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Under A Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein 

Blondie guitarist Stein, now 74 years old, begins his engaging memoir with his childhood in New York City. He details his middle-class upbringing in a left-wing family, his school days, his fascination with photography, and the phase that led to his hospitalization due to hallucinogens. He recounts his meeting singer Deborah Harry, the early days of Blondie at the NYC performance space CBGB, and the late-1970s New York punk scene. In the last half of the book, he chronicles the mainstream success of Blondie with the 1978 disco-influenced album Parallel Lines (which contained the song “Heart of Glass”), their increasingly funky pop on the 1980 single “Call Me,” and the group’s 1980 Autoamerican album (featuring “The Tide Is High”). The book ends with a description of Stein’s substance-use disorder, the end of his romantic relationship with Harry, his sobriety and family life, and the band’s ongoing tours and recordings. It also relates engaging stories about such notables as William S. Burroughs, David Bowie, H.R. Giger, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.  

VERDICT Written in an off-the-cuff style, this memoir offers a descriptive, highly impressionistic account of the author’s role in Blondie and his life in New York City. Will engage general readers. – Library Journal Review  

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The Wilds by Sarah Pearse 

“An atmospheric chiller with shocking twists.” —Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door 

Detective Elin Warner unravels the mystery behind the disappearance of a young woman in a propulsive new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium 

Since the dark events that scarred her childhood, Kier Templer escaped her hometown to live life on the road. She and her twin have never lost contact until, on a trip to a Portuguese national park, Kier vanishes without a trace. 

Detective Elin Warner arrives in the same park ready to immerse herself in its vast wilderness – only to hear about Kier’s disappearance, and discover a disturbing map she left behind. The few strangers at an isolated campsite close ranks against Elin’s questions, and the park’s wild beauty starts to turn sinister. 

Elin must untangle the clues to find out what really happened to Kier. But when you follow a trail, you have to be careful to watch your back… 

Sarah Pearse brilliantly introduced readers to Elin Warner in The Sanatorium, with her exploits continuing in The Retreat; here, the series concludes with The Wilds, where the unanswered questions plaguing Elin are finally resolved.  

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

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

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

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

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

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

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

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

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Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.

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Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here is the list of New York Times Bestsellers for this week.

All titles can be requested/checked out through the library.

If you’d like to go the traditional route to request a title on this list and drop by, or call, the library – please do!

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

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If you’d like to checkout and/or request New York Times Bestsellers online, you can do that too!

There are currently three catalogs available to Southeast Steuben County Library patrons online, that you can access to search for and request New York Times Bestsellers, and other popular books and materials in a variety of formats, i.e. print books, eBooks, streaming videos.

All you need is a library card to get started!

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

New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays. And the next NYT blog post will be available on Sunday, July 28, 2024.

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THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. A DEATH IN CORNWALL by Daniel Silva: The 24th book in the Gabriel Allon series. Gabriel forges six impressionist canvases and enlists an unlikely team of operatives to go after a new foe.

2. THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah: In 1965, a nursing student follows her brother to serve during the Vietnam War and returns to a divided America.

3. THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden: Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

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

5. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas: After killing a wolf in the woods, Feyre is taken from her home and placed inside the world of the Fae.

6. THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin: Ten years after a tragedy close to graduation, Hannah and her college friends grapple with turning points in their lives.

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

8. THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET by Freida McFadden: The second book in the Housemaid series. The sound of crying and the appearance of blood portend misdeeds.

9. JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez: Justin and Emma, whose exes find soulmates after breaking up with them, have a fling on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

10. SWAN SONG by Elin Hilderbrand: Nantucket residents are alarmed when a home, recently sold at an exorbitant price, goes up in flames and someone goes missing.

11. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas: The second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. Feyre gains the powers of the High Fae and a greater evil emerges.

12. A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN by Sarah J. Maas: The third book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. As war approaches, Feyre endeavors to take charge of her magical and political powers.

13. FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros: Violet Sorrengail is urged by the commanding general, who also is her mother, to become a candidate for the elite dragon riders.

14. IRON FLAME by Rebecca Yarros: The second book in the Empyrean series. Violet Sorrengail’s next round of training might require her to betray the man she loves.

15. FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry: After their exes run off together, Daphne and Miles form a friendship and concoct a plan involving misleading photos.

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NON-FICTION

1. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt: A co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.

2. THE DEMON OF UNREST by Erik Larson: The author of “The Splendid and the Vile” portrays the months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War.

3. TRUE GRETCH by Gretchen Whitmer with Lisa Dickey: The governor of Michigan recounts defining moments from her life and time in office.

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

5. THE WAR ON WARRIORS by Pete Hegseth: The “Fox & Friends Weekend” host shares his experiences serving in the Army and his views on the current state of the American military.

6. NUCLEAR WAR by Annie Jacobsen: The author of “Operation Paperclip” portrays possible outcomes in the minutes following a nuclear missile launch.

7. THE ART THIEF by Michael Finkel: The author of “The Stranger in the Woods” tells the story of Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole art more than 200 times for the sake of admiring it.

8. ON CALL by Anthony S. Fauci: The physician-scientist and immunologist chronicles his six decades of public service, including his work during the AIDS crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.

9. ASK NOT by Maureen Callahan: The author of “American Predator” puts forward a history of the Kennedy family that describes the abuse of women in its orbit.

10. THE SINGULARITY IS NEARER by Ray Kurzweil: A look at the potentially positive and negative aspects of biotechnology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.

11. FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING by Matthew Perry: The late actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends,” shares stories from his childhood and his struggles with sobriety.

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

13. THE WAGER by David Grann: The survivors of a shipwrecked British vessel on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain have different accounts of events.

14. AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY by Doris Kearns Goodwin: A trove of items collected by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian’s late husband inspired an appraisal of central figures and pivotal moments of the 1960s.

15. WE ARE EXPERIENCING A SLIGHT DELAY by Gary Janetti: The author of “Start Without Me” shares recollections of trips he has taken to various parts of the world.

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THE CATALOGS:

Catalog 1: StarCat

StarCat is the catalog of physical materials including print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. StarCat is available to all patrons of all public libraries in the Southern Tier Library System*

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

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Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

The Digital Catalog (and its companion app Libby) offers all Southern Tier Library System member library patrons access to eBooks, eAudiobooks & eMagazines via a lending model known in Library-ese as “one copy/one user;” that library speak means that eBooks & eAudiobooks found in The Digital Catalog/Libby are like print books found on library shelves, only one patron can check out a copy of a title at a time.

Exception: Magazines found in the digital catalog are available via a different lending model known as simultaneous access. And that fancy library speak means that magazines are available for all patrons to check out at the same time, i.e. if you and all your family and friends wish to read the latest digital edition of Newsweek, all of you can check out the e version of the magazine and read it at the same time.

The Digital Catalog/Libby checkout limit is 5 titles a time.

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

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Catalog 3: Hoopla

The Hoopla Digital Catalog (and its companion app, also called Hoopla) offers Southeast Steuben County Library patrons access to a second digital catalog with an on-demand lending model. In library speak, this lending model, like The Digital Catalog/Libby’s magazine lending model, is known as “simultaneous access.” The difference is, the Hoopla catalog offers access to more formats: eBooks, eAudiobooks, eComics, digital albums, TV shows & movies – and all items, in all those formats, are available  for patrons to checkout immediately. The Hoopla check out limit is ten titles per month.

Hoopla Formats: All Hoopla content can be accessed on a computer or mobile device, and TV shows and movies can be accessed on computers, mobile devices, smart TVs and media streaming players, i.e. Roku or  Apple TV.

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

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

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

Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, July 26, 2024.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Chimes Of Freedom by Bob Dylan

From The Album: Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

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Cuckoo! by Jake Xerxes Fussell

 

From The Album: When I’m Called (2024)

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Dream Rag by Eubie Blake

 

From The Album: Eighty Years Of Eubie Blake (1969)

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Eyes On The Prize by Mavis Staples

 

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

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Hip Trip by Smokey Robinson

From The Soundtrack: Big Time (1977)

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I Feel So Good by Muddy Waters

From The Album: Live At Newport (1960)

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I’m In The Mood by John Lee Hooker

From The Album: I’m John Lee Hooker (1959)

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It’s Always You by Chet Baker

 

From The Album: Chet baker Sings (1954)

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The Lion Turtle by Oded Tzur

 

From The Album: Isabel (2022)

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Mojito Moon (Live) by Jim Messina

From The Album: In The Groove (2021)

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Hoopla Album Of The Week 

With His Hot And Blue Guitar (1957) by Johnny Cash

And from the album, the song:

I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow  by Johnny Cash

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

–

The Digital Catalog, web version of Libby

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

–

The Libby App

Libby is the companion app to the Digital Catalog and may be found in the Apple & Google app.

–

Hoopla

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

–

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here is the list of New York Times Bestsellers for this week. All titles can be requested/checked out through the library. If you’d like to go the traditional route to request a title on this list and drop by, or call, the library – please do!

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

–

If you’d like to checkout and/or request New York Times Bestsellers online, you can do that too!

There are currently three catalogs available to Southeast Steuben County Library patrons online, that you can access to search for and request New York Times Bestsellers, and other popular books and materials in a variety of formats, i.e. print books, eBooks, streaming videos.

All you need is a library card to get started! Links to the catalogs are found after the list of New York Times Bestsellers.

–

THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah: In 1965, a nursing student follows her brother to serve during the Vietnam War and returns to a divided America.

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

3. THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden: Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

4. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas: After killing a wolf in the woods, Feyre is taken from her home and placed inside the world of the Fae.

5. SWAN SONG by Elin Hilderbrand: Nantucket residents are alarmed when a home, recently sold at an exorbitant price, goes up in flames and someone goes missing.

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

7. FLASHPOINT by Catherine Coulter: The 27th book in the F.B.I. thriller series. Cases involving an attempted terrorist attack and an act of embezzlement put Savich and Sherlock in danger.

8. ERUPTION by Michael Crichton and James Patterson: The Big Island of Hawaii comes under threat by a volcano at the same time a secret held by the military comes to light.

9. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas: The second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. Feyre gains the powers of the High Fae and a greater evil emerges.

10. THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET by Freida McFadden: The second book in the Housemaid series. The sound of crying and the appearance of blood portend misdeeds.

11. JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez: Justin and Emma, whose exes find soulmates after breaking up with them, have a fling on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

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

13. ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker: Questions arise when a boy saves the daughter of a wealthy family amid a string of disappearances in a Missouri town in 1975.

14. FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry: After their exes run off together, Daphne and Miles form a friendship and concoct a plan involving misleading photos.

15. CAMINO GHOSTS by John Grisham: The third book in the Camino series. The last living inhabitant of a deserted island gets in the way of a resort developer.

NON-FICTION

1. THE DEMON OF UNREST by Erik Larson: The author of “The Splendid and the Vile” portrays the months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War.

2. ASK NOT by Maureen Callahan: The author of “American Predator” puts forward a history of the Kennedy family that describes the abuse of women in its orbit.

3. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt: A co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.

4. ON CALL by Anthony S. Fauci: The physician-scientist and immunologist chronicles his six decades of public service, including his work during the AIDS crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.

5. THE ART THIEF by Michael Finkel: The author of “The Stranger in the Woods” tells the story of Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole art more than 200 times for the sake of admiring it.

6. THE SINGULARITY IS NEARER by Ray Kurzweil: A look at the potentially positive and negative aspects of biotechnology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.

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

8. FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING by Matthew Perry: The late actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends,” shares stories from his childhood and his struggles with sobriety.

9.  AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY by Doris Kearns Goodwin: A trove of items collected by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian’s late husband inspired an appraisal of central figures and pivotal moments of the 1960s.

10. THE WAGER by David Grann: The survivors of a shipwrecked British vessel on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain have different accounts of events.

11. THE WAR ON WARRIORS by Pete Hegseth: The “Fox & Friends Weekend” host shares his experiences serving in the Army and his views on the current state of the American military.

12. THE SITUATION ROOM by George Stephanopoulos with Lisa Dickey: The ABC host and former adviser to President Clinton describes the location where and conditions under which a dozen presidential administrations handled crises.

13. THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB by Griffin Dunne: The actor and director mixes stories from his family with tales of celebrities.

14. WHAT THIS COMEDIAN SAID WILL SHOCK YOU by Bill Maher: The host of “Real Time With Bill Maher” gives his take on a variety of subjects in American culture and politics.

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

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THE CATALOGS:

Catalog 1: StarCat

StarCat is the catalog of physical materials including print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. StarCat is available to all patrons of all public libraries in the Southern Tier Library System*

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

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Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

The Digital Catalog (and its companion app Libby) offers all Southern Tier Library System member library patrons access to eBooks, eAudiobooks & eMagazines via a lending model known in Library-ese as “one copy/one user;” that library speak means that eBooks & eAudiobooks found in The Digital Catalog/Libby are like print books found on library shelves, only one patron can check out a copy of a title at a time.

Exception: Magazines found in the digital catalog are available via a different lending model known as simultaneous access. And that fancy library speak means that magazines are available for all patrons to check out at the same time, i.e. if you and all your family and friends wish to read the latest digital edition of Newsweek, all of you can check out the e version of the magazine and read it at the same time.

The Digital Catalog/Libby checkout limit is 5 titles a time.

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

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Catalog 3: Hoopla

The Hoopla Digital Catalog (and its companion app, also called Hoopla) offers Southeast Steuben County Library patrons access to a second digital catalog with an on-demand lending model. In library speak, this lending model, like The Digital Catalog/Libby’s magazine lending model, is known as “simultaneous access.” The difference is, the Hoopla catalog offers access to more formats: eBooks, eAudiobooks, eComics, digital albums, TV shows & movies – and all items, in all those formats, are available  for patrons to checkout immediately. The Hoopla check out limit is ten titles per month.

Hoopla Formats: All Hoopla content can be accessed on a computer or mobile device, and TV shows and movies can be accessed on computers, mobile devices, smart TVs and media streaming players, i.e. Roku or  Apple TV.

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

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

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

Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, July 19, 2024.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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500 Miles by Peter, Paul & Mary

From The Album: Peter, Paul & Mary (1962)

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America by Simon & Garfunkel

From The Album: Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits (1972)

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Down by the Riverside by Sister Rosetta Tharpe

 

From The Album: The Authorized Sister Rosetta Tharpe Collection (2011)

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Folson Prison Blues by Johnny Cash

From The Album: Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968)

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I’m Going Away by Elizabeth Cotton

From The Album: Shake Sugaree (2004)

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King Of The Road by Roger Miller

From The Album: The Best Of Roger Miller Volume Two: King Of The Road (1992)

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Hobo’s Lullaby by Pete Seeger

From The Album: The Essential Pete Seeger (2013)

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Key To The Highway by Big Bill Broonzy

From The Album: The Big Bill Broonzy Story (1960)

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Midnight Bus by John D. Loudermilk

From The Album: Sittin’ In The Balcony – The Songs Of John D. Loudermilk

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Run Mountain by Carolina Chocolate Drops

From The Album: Leaving Eden (2012)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

Genuine Negro Jig by Caroline Chocolate Drops (2010)

Snowden’s Jig (Genuine Negro Jig) by Carolina Chocolate Drops

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

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The Digital Catalog, web version of Libby

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

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The Libby App

Libby is the companion app to the Digital Catalog and may be found in the Apple & Google app.

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Hoopla

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

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

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

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

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Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell

Bestseller Jewell (None of This Is True) inaugurates a multi-author series of thrillers set in the Marvel universe with this surprisingly sturdy supernatural noir. Retired superhero Jessica Jones now runs a private detective agency from her Hell’s Kitchen apartment, which has descended into disrepair as her drinking has worsened. In walks wealthy divorcée Amber Randall, who’s concerned because her 16-year-old twins, Lark and Fox, have returned from a summer in England with their father sporting porcelain-perfect skin, flawless manners, and an eerie Stepford vibe. Moved by Amber’s desperation, Jessica sets off for Barton Wallop, the village where Lark and Fox spent their summer. There, she meets a young woman named Belle, whom the twins claimed to know, and who appears to be the ward of an old witch whose influence over the locals makes Jessica uneasy. Things fly off the rails by the climax, with one too many sinister supernatural forces in the mix, but Jewell’s knack for pacing and atmosphere makes this feel more like a juicy campfire story than a corporate cash grab. Jewell’s fans will enjoy seeing her flex some unfamiliar muscles. – Publishers Weekly Review

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The Cliffs by J. Coutney Sullivan

This highly anticipated novel from Sullivan (Friends and Strangers) was worth the wait. Protagonist Jane is a Harvard archivist who, like her mother and sister, is addicted to alcohol. After getting blackout drunk at a work event, she finds her job, as well as her marriage, in jeopardy, making this the perfect time to escape from all her troubles. She heads up to Maine to settle her late mother’s estate, which is complicated by the fact that her mother was a hoarder. As a teenager, Jane found an old abandoned Victorian house up high on a cliff nearby, which became her refuge. As an adult, she is surprised to learn that a wealthy young family has bought the house and turned it into a typical beach McMansion. The owner, who fears that the house is haunted, possibly due to some unsavory work she had done, hires Jane to research the house’s history. That research is at the heart of this novel that spans generations and covers colonialism, Indigenous history, spiritualism, the Shakers, and so much more.

VERDICT A beautifully written, expansive novel, sure to please fans of Daniel Mason’s North Woods or the work of Kate Morton and Susanna Kearsley. -Library Journal Review

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Confessions of the Dead by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

In this chilling mystery from a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a small New England town is hit with a wave of crimes after the arrival of a mysterious stranger who brings more questions than answers.

Hollows Bend, New Hampshire, is a picture-perfect New England town where weekend tourists flock to see fall leaves and eat breakfast at the Stairway Diner. The crime rate—zero—is a point of pride for Sheriff Ellie Pritchett.

The day the stranger shows up is when the trouble starts. The sheriff and her deputy investigate the mysterious teenage girl. None of the locals can place her. She can’t—or won’t answer any questions. She won’t even tell them her name.

While the girl is in protective custody, the officers are called to multiple crime scenes leading them closer and closer to a lake outside of town that doesn’t appear on any map…

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Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

A favor for his friend and associate Marcus Clark lands Paterson, New Jersey, attorney Andy Carpenter back in the courtroom for another impossible defense. A man shows up at the offices of Moore Law and uses six bullets to kill six people, leaving only attorney Sally Montrose and paralegal Laura Schauble alive to identify him from his tattoo and distinctive footgear as handyman Nick Williams. Even a tyro would realize that the murders are the work of a professional hit man, but lead prosecutor Richard Wallace is no tyro, and when the cops find the murder weapon in a trash bin a few blocks from Nick’s home with Nick’s fingerprint on it, he seems done for. Along the way, though, Marcus, who’s served as an informal mentor to Nick and his friend Rafe Duran, asks Andy to defend him. Much as he hates the practice of law, Andy can’t say no to Marcus, and he’s soon gathering evidence that will link the six killings–more will follow, since Andy has a habit of warning suspicious characters that they have only a day or so to fess up before he turns them in–to a complex series of insurance frauds whose basis turns out to be beautifully simple. Andy jokes less than usual (a definite minus), presumably because the evidence against his client is overwhelming, but the international intrigue behind so many of his recent cases is mercifully absent here (a definite plus). Solid legal thrills from a master of the light touch. And the dog you’d forgotten about turns up to brighten the final scene. – Kirkus Review

Reader’s Note: Dog Day Afternoon is the twenty-ninth book in the Andy Carpenter Series, if you’d like to binge read from the beginning, check out book one: Open And Shut (2002).

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Just Add Water: My Swimming Life by Katie Ledecky

New York Times Bestseller

A candid and inspiring memoir from Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and one of the best swimmers ever to compete: Katie Ledecky.

Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level.

Again and again, Ledecky has broken records: those of others and, increasingly, her own. She is both consistent and innovative—consistent at setting goals and shattering them, and innovative in the way she approaches her training. A true competitor, she sets her goals by choosing the ones that feel the scariest. But, crucially, she never sacrifices the joy of competition, even in the face of adversity. Her positive mental outlook and a great support system provides the springboard to her success.

Just Add Water charts Ledecky’s life in swimming. It details her start in Bethesda, Maryland, where she played sharks and minnows and first discovered the joy of the pool; her early foray into the Olympics at the tender age of fifteen where, as the youngest member of the American team, she stunned everyone by winning her first gold medal; her time balancing competition and her education at Stanford University; how she developed a champion’s mindset that has allowed her to persevere through so many meets, even under intense pressure; and how she has maintained her dominance in a sport where success depends on milliseconds. You learn how every element of her life—from the support of her family to the tutelage of her coaches, from her childhood spent in summer league swimming to the bright lights of Olympic pools in London, Rio, and Tokyo—set her up to become the champion she is.

In the end, Katie’s story is about testing yourself against the difficult, and seeing who you become on the other side.

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!

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

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

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.

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

The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.

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

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

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Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.

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Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here is the list of New York Times Bestsellers for this week. All titles can be requested/checked out through the library. If you’d like to go the traditional route to request a title on this list and drop by, or call, the library – please do!

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

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FICTION

1. THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah: In 1965, a nursing student follows her brother to serve during the Vietnam War and returns to a divided America.

2. ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker: Questions arise when a boy saves the daughter of a wealthy family amid a string of disappearances in a Missouri town in 1975.

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

4. SWAN SONG by Elin Hilderbrand: Nantucket residents are alarmed when a home, recently sold at an exorbitant price, goes up in flames and someone goes missing.

5. THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden: Troubles surface when a woman looking to make a fresh start takes a job in the home of the Winchesters.

6. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas: After killing a wolf in the woods, Feyre is taken from her home and placed inside the world of the Fae.

7. RESURRECTION by Danielle Steel: After a shocking discovery and the onset of a global health crisis, a successful blogger begins to see new possibilities while staying in France.

8. ERUPTION by Michael Crichton and James Patterson: The Big Island of Hawaii comes under threat by a volcano at the same time a secret held by the military comes to light.

9. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas: The second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. Feyre gains the powers of the High Fae and a greater evil emerges.

10. CAMINO GHOSTS by John Grisham: The third book in the Camino series. The last living inhabitant of a deserted island gets in the way of a resort developer.

11. JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez: Justin and Emma, whose exes find soulmates after breaking up with them, have a fling on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

12. FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry: After their exes run off together, Daphne and Miles form a friendship and concoct a plan involving misleading photos.

13. A NOVEL LOVE STORY by Ashley Poston: A literature professor winds up in a town from her favorite romance series and encounters a bookstore owner with an irritatingly sexy mouth.

14. THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET by Freida McFadden: The second book in the Housemaid series. The sound of crying and the appearance of blood portend misdeeds.

15. NOT IN LOVE by Ali Hazelwood: A biotech engineer at a food science start-up has a secret affair with one of the business partners who took over the company.

NON-FICTION

1. ON CALL by Anthony S. Fauci: The physician-scientist and immunologist chronicles his six decades of public service, including his work during the AIDS crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.

2. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt: A co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.

3. THE DEMON OF UNREST by Erik Larson: The author of “The Splendid and the Vile” portrays the months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War.

4. THE SINGULARITY IS NEARER by Ray Kurzweil: A look at the potentially positive and negative aspects of biotechnology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.

5.FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING by Matthew Perry: The late actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends,” shares stories from his childhood and his struggles with sobriety.

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

7. WHAT THIS COMEDIAN SAID WILL SHOCK YOU by Bill Maher: The host of “Real Time With Bill Maher” gives his take on a variety of subjects in American culture and politics.

8. AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY by Doris Kearns Goodwin: A trove of items collected by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian’s late husband inspired an appraisal of central figures and pivotal moments of the 1960s.

9. LOVE & WHISKEY by Fawn Weaver: A portrayal of the bond between Jack Daniel and the African American distiller Nearest Green.

10. THE WAR ON WARRIORS by Pete Hegseth: The “Fox & Friends Weekend” host shares his experiences serving in the Army and his views on the current state of the American military.

11. WHEN THE NIGHT COMES FALLING by Howard Blum: The author of “American Lightning” delves into the murders of four students at the University of Idaho.

12. THE WAGER by David Grann: The survivors of a shipwrecked British vessel on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain have different accounts of events.

13. THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB by Griffin Dunne: The actor and director mixes stories from his family with tales of celebrities.

14 EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton: The British journalist shares stories and observations; the basis of the TV series.

15. A WALK IN THE PARK by Kevin Fedarko: The author of “The Emerald Mile” goes with a friend on a journey to hike the Grand Canyon from end to end.

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THE CATALOGS:

Catalog 1: StarCat

StarCat is the catalog of physical materials including print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. StarCat is available to all patrons of all public libraries in the Southern Tier Library System*

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

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Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

The Digital Catalog (and its companion app Libby) offers all Southern Tier Library System member library patrons access to eBooks, eAudiobooks & eMagazines via a lending model known in Library-ese as “one copy/one user;” that library speak means that eBooks & eAudiobooks found in The Digital Catalog/Libby are like print books found on library shelves, only one patron can check out a copy of a title at a time.

Exception: Magazines found in the digital catalog are available via a different lending model known as simultaneous access. And that fancy library speak means that magazines are available for all patrons to check out at the same time, i.e. if you and all your family and friends wish to read the latest digital edition of Newsweek, all of you can check out the e version of the magazine and read it at the same time.

The Digital Catalog/Libby checkout limit is 5 titles a time.

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

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Catalog 3: Hoopla

The Hoopla Digital Catalog (and its companion app, also called Hoopla) offers Southeast Steuben County Library patrons access to a second digital catalog with an on-demand lending model. In library speak, this lending model, like The Digital Catalog/Libby’s magazine lending model, is known as “simultaneous access.” The difference is, the Hoopla catalog offers access to more formats: eBooks, eAudiobooks, eComics, digital albums, TV shows & movies – and all items, in all those formats, are available  for patrons to checkout immediately. The Hoopla check out limit is ten titles per month.

Hoopla Formats: All Hoopla content can be accessed on a computer or mobile device, and TV shows and movies can be accessed on computers, mobile devices, smart TVs and media streaming players, i.e. Roku or  Apple TV.

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

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