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 recommended reads for the week!
*More information on the three catalogs and available formats is found at the end of the list of recommended reads*
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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Wednesdays.
And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.
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At First Spite by Olivia Dade
Athena Greydon’s fiancé, Johnny Vine, has broken off their engagement days before the wedding, leaving Athena nowhere to live–nowhere except the house that she bought him as a wedding gift, using almost all of her savings. There, only an alleyway separates her from Johnny’s brother, Matthew, the man who told Johnny to ditch her. While Athena has no choice about where she lives, she can make Matthew pay, whether that means putting creepy dolls in the windows or playing monster erotica at top volume. Matthew knows he made the right decision when he convinced Johnny to leave Athena, but he also understands that he’s messed up her life, so he’ll do everything he can to make things easier for her–while secretly wishing he could have her for himself. This swoony contemporary romance is well-written and paced, but what really makes it shine are the intricate characters that Dade (Ship Wrecked) has brought to life. Readers will connect emotionally with Athena and Matthew, laughing at their witty banter and tearing up when they’re vulnerable.
VERDICT Buy multiple copies of this title, because it won’t stay on the shelf. – Starred Library Journal Review
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Crosshairs by James Patterson & James O. Born
A killer uses fearsome precision to take out impossible targets.
Detective Michael Bennett teams with a shooting expert—a former Army Ranger and sniper with NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit. But Officer Rob Trilling seems more comfortable with rifles than he is with people.
When his new partner begins to log unexplained absences from duty, only Bennett can prove whether the decorated officer is a lonely hunter or a hardened assassin.
Reader’s Note: Crosshairs is the sixteenth book in the Michael Bennett series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning check out book one: Step On A Crack.
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Dead Man’s Hand by Brad Taylor
In the new, ripped-from-the-headlines Pike Logan thriller, the American intelligence operative is sent to Sweden, where a Russian assassin is apparently planning to carry out a deadly plan to keep Sweden from joining NATO as part of a larger scheme hatched by Vladimir Putin to finally win the war with Ukraine. If, that is, a splinter group of Ukrainian nationalists doesn’t assassinate him first. Taylor’s latest Logan novel, the eighteenth in the series, couldn’t be more timely, what with Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine keeping it in rotation as a top news story. The author, a former Special Forces operative who has made a remarkably smooth transition to novelist, has always kept the Logan novels grounded in actual geopolitical events, which is one of the things that makes them so readable and resonant. The politics are familiar and the characters seem very much like real people navigating a real world. Fans of the series will be lining up for this one. – Booklist Review
Reader’s Note: Dead Man’s Hand is the eighteenth book in the Pike Logan series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: One Rough Man.
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Dear Mom And Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew by Patti Davis
Davis, the 71-year-old daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, pens a healing letter to her late parents. She attempts to look differently at the dysfunctional life they lived together. Her reflections show she believed that her mother was always displeased with her, and later, that her parents were an “island of two,” who would have been fine together without her or her younger brother, Ron. But early home movies and walks in her childhood California neighborhood stir up loving memories. She acknowledges that her father’s inattentiveness could have been modeled on his father. She also understands that her mother felt abandoned by her own mother. Davis also shares her discoveries and reflections of her father’s loss of his infant daughter with his previous wife, actress Jane Wyman; the 1981 attempted assassination; her thoughts on of some of his political views and his mishandling of the AIDS crisis; his Alzheimer’s disease; and her regret about writing an earlier tell-all memoir.
VERDICT This book about Davis’s relationship with her parents, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, unpacks a lot. Her eloquent writing and reassessment of her family bonds will keep readers intrigued. – Library Journal Review
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Flowers Over The Inferno by Ilaria Tuti
Set in Northern Italy, Tuti’s exhilarating debut and series launch introduces Supt. Teresa Battaglia, a tough, solitary woman in her 60s who has earned her place as the head of an all-male homicide team and is keeping her battle with declining health secret from her colleagues. When a middle-aged man’s naked body with its eyes gouged out is found in the densely wooded Dolomite Mountains near the Austrian border, Teresa takes charge of the investigation. An effigy made out of the victim’s bloodied clothing close to the body prompts Teresa to observe, “The effigy is a representation of the killer. He stood here contemplating his work, and wanted us to know…” Other victims follow who are left alive but mutilated. The kidnapping of a baby raises the stakes. Interspersed with the present-day action are horrific chapters set in an Austrian orphanage in 1978 that shed light on the killer’s psychology. Teresa, who must deal with casual and constant sexism in her position of authority, is an unforgettable character readers will want to see a lot more of. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review
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The Last Days Of The Midnight Ramblers by Sarah Tomlinson
Mari, a struggling writer, believes she’s been handed the opportunity of a lifetime when she is hired to ghostwrite the memoir of former model Anke Berben, who is best known for her relationships with three different members of the world-famous rock band the Midnight Ramblers. Speculation still swirls around the band and Anke decades after the death of their lead singer, Mal, to whom Anke was married at the time he died. Mari delves into Anke’s story, determined to uncover the real cause of Mal’s death, but will getting to know the band members and the charming but mercurial Anke influence her objectivity? In her fiction debut, Tomlinson, the ghostwriter of many celebrity memoirs herself, ably demonstrates the fragile balance Mari must strike to earn her subjects’ trust while still uncovering the story readers want to hear. Comparisons to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & the Six (2019) are inevitable, but this novel is less a juicy, behind-the-scenes tell-all about a fictional band and instead an exploration of the many ways celebrities can wield their wealth and power, especially against each other. – Booklist
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Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major
Major (The Silent Hours) draws on Groundhog Day for a poignant tale of love, regret, and second chances involving a London couple. High-powered literary agent Emma, married with two children to hopeless romantic Dan, has forgotten to write him a letter on Monday, December 3—the day the two met on a London tube. Dan has come to expect these letters each year, and after a tiff, he goes out to walk the dog—and gets hit by a car and dies. Or does he? Emma wakes up the next morning and suddenly it’s Monday, December 3, all over again, and she has a second chance to show Dan how much she loves him. For months, Emma and Dan are caught in a time loop of endless Mondays, and despite Emma’s most fervent efforts—ignoring the constant pings from WhatsApp is a significant sacrifice—Dan dies every time, whether by car, heart attack, or other circumstance. Things culminate in a surprising coincidence, and Major caps it all off with an ambiguous ending. Well-drawn supporting characters add depth, in particular Emma’s sister-in-law, Hattie, with whom the couple is especially close, and whom Emma forces herself to make more time for as well. Women’s fiction fans will love this tearjerker. – Publishers Weekly
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The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn & Janie Chang
Quinn (The Diamond Eye) and Chang (The Porcelain Moon) team up for a stirring story involving opera, prized antiquities, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Gemma Garland, a soprano in New York’s Metropolitan Opera, is hoping to revive her lagging career. Shortly after her arrival with the Met’s traveling company in San Francisco, where she’s slated to perform with Enrico Caruso, Gemma meets and falls for charming railroad magnate Henry Thornton. Soon, she’s singing at his house for members of high society. Her affection for Henry curdles, however, after she learns about his dark side from Chinese embroiderer Suling Feng, whom Henry has hired to mend a damaged robe from a Beijing palace. Among his other collectibles is an ornate crown, also taken from the palace. It turns out Suling’s lover Reggie has disappeared, and she tells Gemma that Henry is to blame. The women confront him just as the earthquake hits, after which Henry and the crown disappear. The authors ably develop the two main characters as they discover a shared sense of independence and join in common cause while reckoning with the mixed blessings of a powerful man’s patronage. Readers of historicals with strong female leads will savor this. – Publishers Weekly Review
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The Rehearsals by Annette Christie
Megan and Tom have been together since their freshman year of college, and when their wedding weekend finally arrives, it’s a perfect day–until two relationship-destroying secrets are revealed at their rehearsal dinner. Years ago, Megan had a one-night stand with Tom’s best friend, Leo. Tom, whose life is ruled by his cold, WASPy parents, hasn’t told Megan that he’s accepted a job in Missouri. The night ends with the formerly happy couple calling off their wedding, only to wake up the next morning to find that they’re stuck in a time loop, forced to relive the worst day of their lives until they finally get it right. Each day, the choices Megan and Tom make vary, from Megan running off with Leo to Tom finally saying “no” to his parents. Debut author Christie keeps the tone light, inserting repeating scenarios into each day, and turning the nightmare time loop into a journey of self-discovery. There’s a feeling of resolution at the end, which isn’t what the characters expected, but it’s what they needed. Fans of Christina Lauren and Meg Cabot will savor this charming relationship comedy. – Booklist Review
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The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais
The Sisterhood has lived at Moonshyne Manor and Distillery for over 80 years. Ivy is the keeper of plants and preparer of elixirs (with witchy recipes included). Tabitha is the animal whisperer. Ursula reads the future. Jezebel casts seduction spells. Queenie is magical with inventions. Ruby has shape-shifting and transitioning powers. Although the magic of these irreverent octogenarians is fraying around the edges, they still love their uniqueness. But all is not well, and Ruby has been gone for 33 years, leaving her sisters on the night of a disaster. The others have longed for her return, but they also need her to lead them to the treasure stolen right before she went away. That is the only thing that will prevent foreclosure of the manor. When Ruby arrives their reunion is anything but magical, and they must confess old secrets if they want to save the Sisterhood.
VERDICT Marais’s (If You Want to Make God Laugh) latest is a quirky Golden Girls with wands that explores women’s empowerment, friendship, and loyalty and addresses racial equality, identity, and gender fluidity. A timely, fun modern-day fable about women who refuse to conform. – Starred Library Journal Review
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Happy reading!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Have questions or want to request a book?
Feel free to call the library! Our telephone number is 607-936-3713.
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Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.
The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout/download content to 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.
The Hoopla Catalog features instant 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 App is available for Android or Apple mobile devices, PCs, Macs*, smart TVs & media streaming players.
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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*You must have an active Internet connection to access Hoopla content on a Mac.
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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here is the weekly list of New York Times Bestsellers.
New York Times Bestsellers can be requested through StarCat (for print books) & The Digital Catalog/Libby for eBooks and Downloadable Audiobooks. Select titles may also be checked out, on demand, through the Hoopla Catalog.
For more information on the three catalogs skip to the section below the bestselling titles*
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New York Times Bestseller blog posts are published on Sundays.
And the next New York Times blog post will be posted on Sunday, February 18, 2024.
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FICTION
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COME AND GET IT by Kiley Reid
What initially appears to be an easy opportunity causes trouble for a senior resident assistant at the University of Arkansas.
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A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas
The fifth book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. Nesta Archeron is forced into close quarters with a warrior named Cassian.
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DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver
Winner of a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A reimagining of Charles Dickens’s “David Copperfield” set in the mountains of southern Appalachia.
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THE EXCHANGE by John Grisham
In a sequel to “The Firm,” Mitch McDeere, who is now a partner at the world’s largest law firm, gets caught up in a sinister plot.
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FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston
A woman who works for a mysterious boss takes on a new identity to dig up information on someone.
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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.
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THE FURY by Alex Michaelides
Violence erupts when a former movie star brings a group of her friends to her private Greek island for Easter.
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GOOD MATERIAL by Dolly Alderton
A struggling stand-up comic tries to work out why the woman he loves stopped loving him.
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GOTHIKANA by RuNyx
A century-old mystery brings Corvina Clemm and Vad Deverell together at a university based in a castle at the top of a mountain with a dark history.
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THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride
Secrets held by the residents of a dilapidated neighborhood come to life when a skeleton is found at the bottom of a well.
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HOLMES, MARPLE & POE by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
Three private investigators working in New York City draw the attention of an N.Y.P.D. detective.
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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.
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HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas
Passion arises between Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they seek to avenge the deaths of Bryce’s friends.
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HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH by Sarah J. Maas
The second book in the Crescent City series. Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar must choose to fight or stay silent.
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ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace
Anastasia might need the help of the captain of a college hockey team to get on the Olympic figure skating team.
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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.
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IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover
A battered wife raised in a violent home attempts to halt the cycle of abuse.
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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus
A scientist and single mother living in California in the 1960s becomes a star on a TV cooking show.
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RANDOM IN DEATH by J.D. Robb
The 58th book of the In Death series. Eve Dallas searches for the person who jabbed a teenager with a vial of toxic substances.
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REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt
A widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium is aided in solving a mystery by a giant Pacific octopus living there.
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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides
Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband..
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NON-FICTION
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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk
How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.
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THE BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown
The story of the American rowers who pursued gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games; the basis of the film.
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CAPOTE’S WOMEN by Laurence Leamer
Truman Capote’s attempt to portray the lives of high society women led to his banishment from their circles; the basis of the TV series “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.”
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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines aspects of caste systems across civilizations and reveals a rigid hierarchy in America today.
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ELON MUSK by Walter Isaacson
The author of “The Code Breaker” traces Musk’s life and summarizes his work on electric vehicles, private space exploration and artificial intelligence.
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EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton
The British journalist shares stories and observations; the basis of the TV series.
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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.
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GRIFT by Clay Cane
An overview of Black Republicanism from the time of President Lincoln to the present.
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I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy
The actress and filmmaker describes her eating disorders and difficult relationship with her mother.
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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann
The story of a murder spree in 1920s Oklahoma that targeted Osage Indians, whose lands contained oil.
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THE IN-BETWEEN by Hadley Vlahos
A hospice nurse shares some of her most impactful experiences and questions some of society’s beliefs around end-of-life care.
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THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY by Tim Alberta
The author of “American Carnage” looks at divisions within the American evangelical movement.
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LEGACY by Uché Blackstock
A Black physician details systemic barriers and inequities that affect Black patients and doctors.
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MADNESS by Antonia Hylton
A Peabody and Emmy award-winning journalist unearths the 93-year-old history of a segregated asylum in Maryland.
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MASTERS OF THE AIR by Donald L. Miller
An account of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II; the basis of the TV series.
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OATH AND HONOR by Liz Cheney
The former congresswoman from Wyoming recounts how she helped lead the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6. Attack on the United States Capitol.
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OUR HIDDEN CONVERSATIONS by Michele Norris
Stories, essays and photographs exploring race and identity in America.
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OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford
A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.
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READ WRITE OWN by Chris Dixon
A technology entrepreneur describes three eras of the internet and argues in favor of blockchain networks.
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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.
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THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears
The Grammy Award-winning pop star details her personal and professional experiences, including the years she spent under a conservatorship overseen by her father.
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Have a great week!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Search for and request books online!
eBooks & Audiobooks Through The Digital Catalog & Libby
Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access
StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries throughout the Southern Tier Library System.
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Also of Note: If a New York Times Bestseller isn’t yet available in any of the three catalogs, you can contact the library and request to be notified when it becomes available.
Southeast Steuben County Library Telephone Number: 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!
Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, February 16, 2024.
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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!
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On this the sixtieth anniversary of the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, on February 9, 1964, a celebratory ten songs by The Beatles!
Kicking things off with three songs the group sang on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964: All My Lovin’, Till There Was You and She Loves You.*
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All My Lovin’
From The Album: With The Beatles (1963)
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Till There Was You
From The Album: With The Beatles (1963)
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She Loves You
From The Album: Originally released as a single; available on several albums including “The Red Album,” the official title of which is The Beatles 1962 – 1966 and “1” a collection of number 1 hits by the band.
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And as a bonus, here is a clip of an entire song The Beatles sang during their second visit to the Ed Sullivan Show on February 16, 1964:
I Want To Hold Your Hand
From The Album: Originally released as a single in the U.K. available on the U.S. release Meet The Beatles (1964), also available on The Beatles 1962-1966, and 1.
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And in addition to the Ed Sullivan related tunes, her are a dozen more for your listening pleasure:
A Hard Day’s Night
From The Album: A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
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You Can’t Do That
From The Album: A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
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Ticket To Ride
From The Album: Help! (1965)
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Help!
From The Album: Help! (1965)
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We Can Work It Out
From The Album: Rubber Soul (1965)
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In My Life
From The Album: Rubber Soul
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Got To Get You Into My Life
From The Album: Revolver (1966)
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With A Little Help From My Friends
From The Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band (1967)
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All You Need Is Love
From The Album: Yellow Submarine (1969)
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Hey Jude
From The Album: 1 (2000)
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Something
From The Album: Abby Road (1969)
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Abbey Road Medley
Listener’s Note: Okay, I’m cheating here, just a little bit!
It is hard to pick just a few great songs by the Beatles!
And these songs have always seemed to me to flow together; so instead of just one song these are all the songs that appeared on the second side of the original vinyl album; as follows You Never Give Me Your Money, Sun King, Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam, She Came in Through The Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End & Her Majesty
So here is the medley!
From The Album: Abbey Road (1969)
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*There are short clips of the Beatles playing on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, but none of them shows the group playing a full song – at least not on YouTube; thus, the clips of the three songs they played on the Ed Sullivan show, are the right songs – but different versions.
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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 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.
–
Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here are our recommended reads for the week!
*More information on the three catalogs and available formats is found at the end of the list of recommended reads*
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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Wednesdays.
And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
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Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—and How You Can Too by Ijeoma Oluo
Bestseller Oluo (So You Want to Talk About Race) affirms that “everyone has different roles in this revolution” in these enlightening profiles of people who’ve put their anti-racist values into action. Each chapter highlights the tie between racial justice and some other topic—such as gender, disability, policing, education, and the arts—through detailed life stories of activists that center their changing understanding of the world and how they managed challenges. For example, a chapter on Richie Reseda relates how his encounters with Black feminist theory in prison led him to found Success Story, a workshop to help incarcerated men think about how internalized patriarchal ideas have shaped and harmed them. Throughout, Oluo showcases a variety of ways to promote anti-racism, many of them intended to be of use to people for whom anti-racist organizing is not necessarily a central focus of their activism. She also admirably demonstrates how she continues to grow through self-education and reflection, at one point frankly addressing earlier shortcomings in her thinking about disability. Readers will find inspiration and clarity. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review
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The Ghost Orchard by Jonathan Kellerman
Psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis confront a baffling, vicious double homicide that leads them to long-buried secrets worth killing for in the riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling “master of suspense” (Los Angeles Times).
LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis sees it all the time: Reinvention’s a way of life in a city fueled by fantasy. But try as you might to erase the person you once were, there are those who will never forget the past . . . and who can still find you.
A pool boy enters a secluded Bel Air property and discovers two bodies floating in the bright blue water: Gio Aggiunta, the playboy heir to an Italian shoe empire, and a gorgeous, even wealthier neighbor named Meagin March. A married neighbor.
An illicit affair stoking rage is a perfect motive. But a “double” in this neighborhood of gated estates isn’t something you see every day. The house is untouched. No forced entry, no forensic evidence. The case has “that feeling,” and when that happens, Milo turns to his friend, the brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware.
As Milo and Alex investigate both victims, they discover two troubled pasts. And as they dig deeper, Meagin March’s very identity begins to blur. Who was this glamorous but conflicted woman? Did her past catch up to her? Or did Gio’s family connections create a threat spanning two continents?
Chasing down the answers leads Alex and Milo on an exploration of L.A.’s darkest side as they contend with one of the most shocking cases of their careers and learn that that some secrets are best left buried in the past.
Reader’s Note: The Ghost Orchard is the thirty-ninth book in the Alex Delaware Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: When The Bough Breaks.
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A Love Song For Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
From the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is an epic love story one hundred years in the making…
Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing.
Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn’t one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she’s the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. Where they’re long-stemmed roses, she’s a dandelion: an adorable bloom that’s actually a weed, born to float wherever the wind blows. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her.
When regal nonagenarian, Ms. Della, invites her to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh beginning. She leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem Renaissance still simmers.
One evening in February as the heady, curiously off-season scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.
Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.
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One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Healed from a checkered past, Arden Ward is in a good place. She is successful in her career as a crisis manager, protecting high-profile clients from PR disasters. But when Arden ends up in a disaster of her own–accused of an affair with a mogul she’s never even gone near–her life goes sideways. Her boss fires her, but he gives her two weeks to work on a final case. This one involves Ned Bannister, a real-estate tycoon who has just been acquitted of a vehicular homicide. Despite the exoneration, Bannister’s wife, Cordelia, is still being ostracized by her PTA and socialite peers. Arden jumps right in, but then Ned’s lawyer is mowed down in another hit-and-run. Accused of yet another crime, Ned goes to Arden, and they begin working together while being pursued by the assistant DA and the police. Ryan (The House Guest, 2023) has built a solid repertoire of unique thrillers, and this one is no exception. Fresh twists, including the unexpected friendship between Arden and Ned, keep the plot barreling forward. – Booklist Review
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The Price You Pay by Nick Petrie
The latest addition to Petrie’s lauded Peter Ash series begins with a familiar setup: there’s Gulf War veteran Peter, with “adrenaline burning his veins like gasoline,” leading a gang of leathery gunmen, and his vengeance-minded pal Lewis, always ready to step up when “the law hadn’t done the job.” Typically, Lewis is helping Peter, but this time it’s the opposite: when somebody steals notebooks full of secrets about Lewis’ past from one of his former criminal associates, Peter steps in to help track them down and keep Lewis and his family safe. Petrie shows off his action-writing chops with a series of vivid, remarkably clear firefights and, in between, pauses to recover. In this series installment, the wiliest fighters are the heroes’ girlfriends, which makes for great fun. But there’s also some gravitas; in a devastating twist on Lewis’ fascination with vengeance, midway through the book we learn of the grief that provoked this bloodbath. – Booklist Review
Reader’s Note: The Price You Pay is the eighth book in Nick Petrie’s Peter Ash Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: The Drifter.
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A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen
Neither Carter Cho nor Mariana Pineda knows exactly what the Hawke accelerator is accelerating. But whatever it is, it shakes the whole universe apart every four days and resets. Initially, Carter is alone in his awareness of the looping, and he’s bored with it all. Until he manages to pull Mariana into his awareness of the loop. As history repeats all around them, Carter and Mariana occupy a little bubble of two, a bubble that explores what’s gone wrong and how to fix it, even as they tentatively reach towards a relationship that neither of them could have expected. Just as they near a solution, Carter slips out of their bubble. Mariana chooses to sacrifice everything to get him back–hopefully saving the world along the way.
VERDICT Combining the sweet redemption and understated romance of Groundhog Day with the multiple explosive resets of Edge of Tomorrow, this novel from Chen (Vampire Weekend) loops its way through a charming story about opposites attracting, the human ability to reset expectations and emotions against all the odds, and the power of one woman willing to make a big sacrifice for a small change that might just save the universe. – Library Journal Review
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Simply The Best by Elizabeth Phillips
(Publication Date: February 13 – you can place a hold via StarCat now!)
As one of Champion Management’s top sports agents, Brett Rivers is used to winning deals, but he has to admit he may finally have met his match in Rory Garrett. Rory’s brother (and Brett’s client) Clint has just become the leading suspect in the suspicious death of Ashley Hart, Clint’s ex-girlfriend. Even though Clint is mad as heck at her for telling him to break up with Ashley, Rory knows Clint had nothing to do with the murder. So when Brett tries to sideline Rory after she begins investigating the crime, she offers Brett a deal. In exchange for Brett sharing his contacts in Clint’s world, Rory will help Brett, who had also told Clint to break up with Ashley, get back in the good graces of his most important client. Sounds fair, right? Readers will want to savor every delectable word in the sublimely talented Phillips’ latest Chicago Stars novel, following When Stars Collide (2021), just as one would enjoy the luscious artisanal bonbons crafted by the book’s heroine. Infused with addictively acerbic wit and graced with a perfectly matched pair of protagonists whose sexual chemistry is hot enough to melt chocolate, this is Phillips at her dazzling best. – Booklist Review
Reader’s Note: Simply The Best is the tenth book in Phillips’s Chicago Stars Series; each book in the series follows the romance of a different set of characters. If you’d like to read the series from the beginning check out book one: It Had To Be You.
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Tales Of The Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan
Tan returns to the spellbinding world of her Celestial Kingdom duology with this collection of nine stories set before, during, and after the novels. The first section, “Dusk,” deepens readers’ understanding of Xingyin’s parents in three stories, contextualizing their fateful decisions: Houyi’s slaughter of the 10 sunbirds and Chang’e’s drinking of the immortality elixir to save herself and her baby. The next section, “Twilight,” spans both books in the duology and recounts important moments and fierce battles from the perspective of other characters, particularly key romantic figures, Liwei and Wenzhi, who weigh their feelings for Xingyin against their duty to family. The final section, “Dawn,”” portrays Wenzhi’s mortal life after his reincarnation and his eventual reunion with Xingyin; the final story serves as a swooningly romantic epilogue to the duology. These insightful character studies and interesting side stories are perfect for readers ready to reimmerse themselves in Tan’s magical storytelling, especially those who have longed for a proper ending to Xingyin and Wenzhi’s tale. – Booklist Review
Reader’s List: The Celestial Kingdom duology consists of two novels: Daughter Of The Moon Goddess and Heart Of The Sun Warrior.
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The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah
Frankie McGrath is just 20 when she enlists in the army to go to Vietnam as a nurse in 1965, planning to follow in the footsteps of her older brother, Finley. Frankie’s parents are dismayed by her decision, even more so once they get the horrible news that Finley has been killed in action. Frankie deploys to Vietnam and is quickly overwhelmed by the horrors of war, but with the help of two new friends, Barb and Ethel, and a handsome doctor, Jamie, she adjusts to the rigors of nursing in a war zone. Her attraction to Jamie is stymied by complications, then she finds love with her brother’s best friend, a charming pilot named Rye. When Frankie’s service comes to an end, she is distressed when she returns to the States to find that Vietnam vets are not lauded as heroes and that many vets don’t acknowledge the service of military women. As she grapples with PTSD and finds her place in antiwar protests, Frankie is dealt a terrible blow. Hannah (The Four Winds, 2021) continues her winning streak of compelling historical novels, capturing the tumultuous atmosphere of the 1960s and ’70s in a moving, gripping tale that pays tribute to the under-appreciated skill and courage of combat nurses.
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Hannah’s popularity ensures enormous interest in each new novel, and the unusual historical context and focus of this one will stir up additional curiosity. – Booklist Review
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Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine
Riley has her life figured out–or as much of a life as she can have in a world where society has been ravaged by a pandemic. The pandemic in question isn’t a virus or bacteria; instead, it sends anyone who makes eye contact with another human into a rage that ends in violent death. To survive, Riley has holed herself away in her late grandmother’s cabin with enough food and water to last for several months of total isolation. When a mysterious stranger moves in down the road, Riley’s conditioned acceptance of the world is shattered. Ellis makes her feel safe, and, despite her best efforts, Riley finds herself making increasingly reckless decisions in her search for human contact. But when she starts to feel eyes constantly tracking her and to experience increasingly frequent losses of time, Riley begins to question just how alone she is. A refreshingly original take on dystopian fiction, Moraine’s latest is as haunting as it is thought-provoking. Fans of Blindness (1998), by Jose Saramago, and Station Eleven (2014), by Emily St. John Mandel, will be gripped by Riley’s deeply human struggles amid a global pandemic. – Booklist Review
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Happy reading!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Have questions or want to request a book?
Feel free to call the library! Our telephone number is 607-936-3713.
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Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.
The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout/download content to 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.
The Hoopla Catalog features instant/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 App is available for Android or Apple devices, PCs, smart TVs & media streaming players.
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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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here is the weekly list of New York Times Bestsellers.
New York Times Bestsellers can be requested through StarCat (for print books) & The Digital Catalog/Libby for eBooks and Downloadable Audiobooks. Select titles may also be checked out, on demand, through the Hoopla Catalog.
For more information on the three catalogs skip to the section below the bestselling titles*
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New York Times Bestseller blog posts are published on Sundays.
And the next New York Times blog post will be posted on Sunday, February 11, 2024.
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FICTION
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A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas
The fifth book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. Nesta Archeron is forced into close quarters with a warrior named Cassian.
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DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver
Winner of a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A reimagining of Charles Dickens’s “David Copperfield” set in the mountains of southern Appalachia.
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THE EXCHANGE by John Grisham
In a sequel to “The Firm,” Mitch McDeere, who is now a partner at the world’s largest law firm, gets caught up in a sinister plot.
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FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston
A woman who works for a mysterious boss takes on a new identity to dig up information on someone.
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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.
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THE FURY by Alex Michaelides
Violence erupts when a former movie star brings a group of her friends to her private Greek island for Easter.
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THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride
Secrets held by the residents of a dilapidated neighborhood come to life when a skeleton is found at the bottom of a well.
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HOLMES, MARPLE & POE by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
Three private investigators working in New York City draw the attention of an N.Y.P.D. detective.
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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.
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HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J. Maas
Passion arises between Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they seek to avenge the deaths of Bryce’s friends.
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HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH by Sarah J. Maas
The second book in the Crescent City series. Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar must choose to fight or stay silent.
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ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace
Anastasia might need the help of the captain of a college hockey team to get on the Olympic figure skating team.
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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.
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IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover
A battered wife raised in a violent home attempts to halt the cycle of abuse.
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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus
A scientist and single mother living in California in the 1960s becomes a star on a TV cooking show.
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THE LITTLE LIAR by Mitch Albom
The actions of an 11-year-old boy help facilitate the delivery of Jewish residents, including his family, to Auschwitz.
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MARTYR! by Kaveh Akbar
The orphaned son of Iranian immigrants discovers new details about his family history through a painting on display in a Brooklyn art gallery.
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RANDOM IN DEATH by J.D. Robb
The 58th book of the In Death series. Eve Dallas searches for the person who jabbed a teenager with a vial of toxic substances.
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REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt
A widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium is aided in solving a mystery by a giant Pacific octopus living there.
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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides
Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.
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TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett
Three daughters, who return to their family orchard in the spring of 2020, learn about their mother’s relationship with a famous actor.
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NON-FICTION
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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk
How trauma affects the body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.
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THE BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown
The story of the American rowers who pursued gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games; the basis of the film.
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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines aspects of caste systems across civilizations and reveals a rigid hierarchy in America today.
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ELON MUSK by Walter Isaacson
The author of “The Code Breaker” traces Musk’s life and summarizes his work on electric vehicles, private space exploration and artificial intelligence.
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EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton
The British journalist shares stories and observations; the basis of the TV series.
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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.
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I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy
The actress and filmmaker describes her eating disorders and difficult relationship with her mother.
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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann
The story of a murder spree in 1920s Oklahoma that targeted Osage Indians, whose lands contained oil.
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THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY by Tim Alberta
The author of “American Carnage” looks at divisions within the American evangelical movement.
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LEGACY by Uché Blackstock
A Black physician details systemic barriers and inequities that affect Black patients and doctors.
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MADNESS by Antonia Hylton
A Peabody and Emmy award-winning journalist unearths the 93-year-old history of a segregated asylum in Maryland.
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MY EFFIN’ LIFE by Geddy Lee with Daniel Richler
The musician known for his work with the band Rush chronicles his life as the child of Holocaust survivors and his time in the limelight.
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OATH AND HONOR by Liz Cheney
The former congresswoman from Wyoming recounts how she helped lead the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6. Attack on the United States Capitol.
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ONE IN A MILLENNIAL by Kate Kennedy
A pop culture podcaster grapples with the agony and ecstasy of the cultural touchstones of her generation.
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ONLY SAY GOOD THINGS by Crystal Hefner
A memoir by the third and last wife of Playboy’s founder, Hugh Hefner.
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OUTLIVE by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford
A look at recent scientific research on aging and longevity.
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PREQUEL by Rachel Maddow
The MSNBC host and co-author of “Bag Man” details a campaign to overthrow the U.S. government and install authoritarian rule prior to and during our involvement in World War II.
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THE SHOWMAN by Simon Shuster
An account of Volodymyr Zelensky’s transformation from a comedic actor to the president of Ukraine during its war with Russia.
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THINK AGAIN by Adam Grant
An examination of the cognitive skills of rethinking and unlearning that could be used to adapt to a rapidly changing world.
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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.
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THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears
The Grammy Award-winning pop star details her personal and professional experiences, including the years she spent under a conservatorship overseen by her father.
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Have a great week!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Search for and request books online!
eBooks & Audiobooks Through The Digital Catalog & Libby
Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access
StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries throughout the Southern Tier Library System.
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Also of Note: If a New York Times Bestseller isn’t yet available in any of the three catalogs, you can contact the library and request to be notified when it becomes available.
Southeast Steuben County Library Telephone Number: 607-936-3713.
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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Hi everyone, here are our streaming recommendations for the month ahead of us!
The next streaming recommendation post will be posted the first Saturday in March.
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Streaming Now:
Genius: MLK/X (2024) (ABC/National Geographic)
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The Marvels (2023) (Disney +)
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024) (Prime Video)
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Surrounded (2023) (Prime Video)
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February 4:
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 12 (HBO)
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February 8:
One Day (2024-present) (Netflix)
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Tokyo Vice Season 2 (2022-present) (Max)
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February 14:
The New Look (Apple TV+)
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February 16:
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home Franklin (2024) (Apple TV+)
This title doesn’t have a trailer – to learn more about the new Peanuts video checkout the description page on the Apple TV+ site, via the following link:
On a side viewing note, our library owns the original Showgun (1980) miniseries, starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshirô Mifune on DVD, if you should wish to check it out.
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Hoopla Stream of the Month
Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein (2023)
Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David RubensteinTrailer:
The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.
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The Libby App
Libby is the companion app to the Digital Catalog and may be found in the Apple & Google app.
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Hoopla
A catalog of instant check out items, including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, TV shows and movies for patrons of the Southeast Steuben County Library.
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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
This blog post includes all the new titles that have been ordered by the library this month.
Some of these titles have arrived and can be requested through StarCat; other titles are not yet ready to circulate (and thus are not yet found in StarCat).
So, if you see a book you’d love to read, but don’t find it listed in StarCat, send me an email and let me know which title you’d like to read; and I will place it on hold for you, when it is ready to circulate.
Hi everyone, here are our recommended reads for the week!
*More information on the three catalogs and available formats is found at the end of the list of recommended reads*
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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Wednesdays.
And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
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The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake
The Atlas Complex marks the much-anticipated, heart-shattering conclusion in Olivie Blake’s trilogy that began with the New York Times bestselling phenomenon, The Atlas Six.
Only the extraordinary are chosen.
Only the cunning survive.
An explosive return to the library leaves the six Alexandrians vulnerable to the lethal terms of their recruitment.
Old alliances quickly fracture as the initiates take opposing strategies as to how to deal with the deadly bargain they have so far failed to uphold. Those who remain with the archives wrestle with the ethics of their astronomical abilities, while elsewhere, an unlikely pair from the Society cohort partner to influence politics on a global stage.
And still the outside world mobilizes to destroy them, while the Caretaker himself, Atlas Blakely, may yet succeed with a plan foreseen to have world-ending stakes. It’s a race to survive as the six Society recruits are faced with the question of what they’re willing to betray for limitless power—and who will be destroyed along the way.
Also by Olivie Blake
The Atlas Six
The Atlas Paradox
Alone with You in the Ether
One for My Enemy
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The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz
Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time.
How strange—though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.
In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.
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Blizzard by Marie Vingtras
In this elegant debut, Vingtras details the high-stakes search for a missing child from the alternating perspectives of four narrators. Bess, an attractive young woman, has lost track of a precocious, initially unnamed 10-year-old boy in the middle of a heavy snowstorm somewhere in Alaska (“I let go of his hand to retie my laces and I lost him”). As the storm grows fiercer, Bess’s search for the boy intensifies, and the three other narrators come into focus. Benedict lives with Bess for unspecified reasons and is particularly invested in recovering the child; Cole is their rage-filled, alcoholic neighbor; and Freeman, a military veteran and ex-cop, has traveled to Alaska on a mysterious assignment. In short, spiky chapters, Vingtras slowly doles out clues about the characters’ connections to one another, keeping readers deliciously off-balance as Bess’s search for her charge joins up with larger, more sinister machinations. With masterly pacing, the author knits together a noirish and affecting tale about desperate souls colliding. It’s worth staying up all night to finish. – Publishers Weekly Review
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Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time by Robert Downey Jr., Thomas Kostigen
“Blackstone Publishing, known for high-octane thrillers, detective fiction, and sci-fi, is touting an idiosyncratic forthcoming title as well: Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen’s Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time. If Iron Man fans didn’t know that Downey believes in environmentally sustainable eating habits and has the recipes to prove it, they will now.” – From the Publishers Weekly Review
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The Excitements: A Novel by C. J. Wray
In this irresistible caper from Wray (a pseudonym for Proper Family series author Chrissie Manby), the past comes to bear on nonagenarian British WWII veteran sisters, Penny and Josephine Williamson. As the women prepare to receive yet another award for their service (this time for their help liberating France), their doting great-nephew, Archie, whisks them off to Paris, where his former lover happens to be auctioning off a spectacular jewelry collection belonging to the family of Josephine and Penny’s childhood neighbors. Old vendettas emerge, and the sisters prepare to pull off a heist to settle some outstanding debts. As that adventure unfolds, Wray fills in the past 90-plus years of Penny and Josephine’s lives, making readers privy to secrets that neither sister has dared to share with the other, particularly when it comes to their extracurricular activities during wartime. Keeping track of the shifting time periods can require close concentration, but the extra focus is worth it: Wray makes the Williamson sisters and their rich backstories leap off the page, successfully convincing readers that their joie de vivre has been a lifelong condition that shows no signs of letting up. Filled with surprise, poignancy, and excitement, this is a surefire winner. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review
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The Last Resort by Christopher Golden
Best seller Golden (All Hallows) is back with another masterclass in horror, this time featuring a young Boston couple, Tommy and Kate, who leave the rat race behind to claim a crumbling mansion for only one euro on the island of Sicily, in the same small town where Tommy’s grandparents live. On their first day there, an earthquake rumbles, Kate is pretty sure she’s seen a ghost, and Tommy’s grandmother’s visit ends with her upset that they bought the notorious home known as “the House of Last Resort.” With a creepy omniscient point of view, Golden weaves a tense tale, carefully detailing the history of the place and its characters. The tone builds from uneasy to sinister at a relentless pace, culminating with Tommy and Kate in a desperate race for their souls and battling centuries of secrets buried deep beneath their new home, including some that rock the foundation of Tommy’s own family. VERDICT Golden is already a library favorite, and his latest will be eagerly devoured. This title would make a great suggestion for fans of The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. – Library Journal Review
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The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets. ‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’ On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found… For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.
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Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden
Georgia May has worked her entire life to become a world-class chef, growing her career from Texas to Paris, all while following Julia Child as her guiding light. Just as she approaches the life she’s always dreamed of, a sudden betrayal rips almost everything away, including her boyfriend, her job, and even the sense of taste needed for her craft. The moment Georgia has nowhere to turn, her estranged mother reaches out, asking her to visit on San Juan Island in Washington State. As Georgia begins to open up towards her mother, secrets are revealed to her, encouraging her to experience new things. Slowly, Georgia’s sense of taste returns, her cooking skills expand, and her ability to connect with other people begins to flourish. This poignant story folds in themes of food and cooking with magical realism, grace, and a touch of romance. Recipe for a Charmed Life is spiritual but not overtly religious, and readers of Linden’s previous novels will be charmed by it, as will Heather Webber fans. – Booklist Review
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Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher
Harrow is a Seer, an Elemental who uses water magic to discern dreams and signs. Ever since her entire Seer tribe was annihilated by the fire queen’s mythical wraiths, Harrow has been hiding out in an Elemental circus pretending to be a human fortune teller. When she comes across a caged man with fiery eyes in the circus, the Water tells her this man is important. He calls himself Raith because he’s believed to be one. Harrow doesn’t believe he is, because wraiths never take human form. The Water compels her to save Raith, and together they escape the circus. Once alone, they explore their unbridled desire for each other and plan a future together. But when Raith’s ties to her past are revealed in a dream, Harrow learns the truth behind his fiery eyes that may be their undoing. Ascher’s latest is a fantasy romance that has everything nice–a hot love interest, a relatable main character, female friendship–and plenty of (consensual) spice. Fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Sarah J. Maas will enjoy this one.
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Who To Believe by Edwin Hill
In this excellent small-town spine-tingler, Hill (The Secrets We Share) shuffles through multiple perspectives to examine the murder of a restaurant owner. Readers are first introduced to sleepy Monreith, Mass., by psychotherapist Farley Drake, who notes that gossip gleaned from his patients has helped him piece together the details of a local tragedy. Shady restaurant owner Laurel Thibodeau was found by her husband, Simon, suffocated to death and tied to the bed in her home. Rumored to be heavily in debt and to have taken out a lucrative life insurance policy on Laurel, Simon is the obvious suspect in his wife’s death. However, some Monreith residents, including true crime documentarian Damian Stone, have other ideas. Damian believes a serial killer might be responsible and shares his suspicions at financial planner Alice Stone’s birthday party, where attendees include the town’s police chief, a resentful local mechanic, an overworked minister, and others, each of whom divulges their own theories about what happened to Laurel. As soon as readers think they’ve found a safe landing place for their sympathies, Hill detonates one of the series of game-changing twists he’s planted throughout the narrative. Fans of Riley Sager will want to check this out. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review
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Happy reading!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Have questions or want to request a book?
Feel free to call the library! Our telephone number is 607-936-3713.
–
Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.
The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout/download content to 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.
The Hoopla Catalog features instant 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 App is available for Android or Apple devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.
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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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Tech & Book Talk at SSCL 