Tech & Book Talk at SSCL

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 Tuesdays; unless I’m swamped because I was on vacation last week – and then, sometimes, the posts come out on Wednesdays!

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.

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The Boys from Biloxi: A Legal Thriller by John Grisham

Publication Date: October 18, but you can put it on hold now!

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham returns to Mississippi in his most gripping legal thriller yet, the riveting story of two sons of immigrant families who grow up as friends, but ultimately find themselves on opposite sides of the law. Grisham’s trademark twists and turns will keep you tearing through the pages until the stunning conclusion.

For most of the last hundred years, Biloxi was known for its beaches, resorts, and seafood industry. But it had a darker side. It was also notorious for corruption and vice, everything from gambling, prostitution, bootleg liquor, and drugs to contract killings. The vice was controlled by small cabal of mobsters, many of them rumored to be members of the Dixie Mafia.

Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up in Biloxi in the sixties and were childhood friends, as well as Little League all-stars. But as teenagers, their lives took them in different directions. Keith’s father became a legendary prosecutor, determined to “clean up the Coast.” Hugh’s father became the “Boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground. Keith went to law school and followed in his father’s footsteps. Hugh preferred the nightlife and worked in his father’s clubs. The two families were headed for a showdown, one that would happen in a courtroom.

Life itself hangs in the balance in The Boys from Biloxi, a sweeping saga rich with history and with a large cast of unforgettable characters.

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Chorus: A Novel by Rebecca Kauffman

(Available Formats: Print Book)

In a rural Virginia farmhouse, seven children are born to Jim and Marie Shaw in Kauffman’s (The House on Fripp Island, 2020) lovely fourth novel. Readable and compelling chapters move around in time, ranging from 1903 to 1959, and in perspective, exploring how Marie’s death and one sister’s pregnancy at age 15 reverberate in the unfolding of connected, yet individual lives. Some Shaw children thrive while others struggle, yet all are somehow affected. The novel’s arrangement feels meaningful as turning-point moments in the siblings’ lives take center stage, one after the other. In Henry’s chapter, he spends an atypical day alone with his young daughter at the shore. The day is a parenting success, yet readers’ hearts will break with empathy as they understand how Henry’s own mother’s death influences this time separated from his wife. As the title invites us to consider, perhaps the most profound meaning is not taken from a singular experience but from the collective of family members’ voices. Kauffman’s writing style renders complex dynamics in simple, impactful language and scenes. – Booklist Review

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Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

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

Kingsolver (Unsheltered) offers a deeply evocative story of a boy born to an impoverished single mother. In this self-styled, modern adaptation of Dickens’s David Copperfield, Demon Copperhead, 11, is the quick-witted son and budding cartoonist of a troubled young mother and a stepfather in southern Appalachia’s Lee County, Va.; eventually, his mother’s opioid addiction places Demon in various foster homes, where he is forced to earn his keep through work (even though his guardians are paid) and is always hungry from lack of food. After a guardian steals his money, Demon hitchhikes to Tennessee in search of his paternal grandmother. She is welcoming, but will not raise him, and sends him back to live with the town’s celebrated high school football coach as his new guardian, a widower who lives in a castle-like home with his boyish daughter, Angus. Demon’s teen years settle briefly with fame on the football field and a girlfriend, Dori. But stability is short-lived after a football injury and as he and Dori become addicted to opioids (“We were storybook orphans on drugs”). Kingsolver’s account of the opioid epidemic and its impact on the social fabric of Appalachia is drawn to heartbreaking effect. This is a powerful story, both brilliant in its many social messages regarding foster care, child hunger, and rural struggles, and breathless in its delivery. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

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

Kofi lives a simple life, but it is a life he loves. He’s 11, just on the cusp of becoming a man, and he finds that there are things he must tackle before coming of age: proving his strength by beating his cousin at a swimming match, speaking up so that the girl he likes knows that he admires her, and learning what the elders really mean by their coded language. When Kofi’s brother accidentally kills a neighboring chief’s nephew in a wrestling match, Kofi instinctively knows that everything in the world is going to change; he just doesn’t realize how much. Alexander weaves a breathtaking tale that is ripe with the juxtaposing emotions that come with any coming-of-age story. Through Alexander’s verse, readers are reminded of the beauty and unbounded richness that Ghana and her people have to offer. Simultaneously, while offering a picture of mirth and tangible humanity, Alexander immerses readers in the reality of being Asante during the age of slavery. We see Kofi’s humanity slowly ripped away alongside the dehumanization of an entire race. Alexander has written a masterpiece, one that powerfully and truthfully gives agency to the Black voices of the past. Profound and important reading.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Alexander is one of the biggest names in kidlit right now, and his ardent fans will be eagerly awaiting his latest. – Starred Booklist Review

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The Girl From Guernica by Karen Robards

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

In Guernica in 1937, Sibi is living with her sisters and mother, apart from her father in Germany. Civil war is waging and their time in Guernica is becoming precarious. An absorbing scene of a terrible bombing brings tragedy to Sibi’s family and she forms a kinship with an American OSS officer, Griff, who has taken to making sure Sibi and her sisters are safe. Leaving Guernica for Germany, Sibi walks into an entirely different sort of danger when Nazi officers become interested in her story of the Guernica bombing. Having to lie to the press and the world, Sibi despises the Nazis for what they are making her deny. Becoming a spy to assist Griff with gathering German intelligence is her way of fighting back. Tension builds as the danger increases, and Sibi’s relationship with Griff evolves over the years, notwithstanding their separation due to wartime activities. With gripping descriptions of bombings, fearful interrogations, and a blooming love story, Robards (The Black Swan of Paris, 2020) delivers a fantastic, captivating historical romance. – Booklist Review

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The Library by Bella Osborne

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An unlikely friendship forms between a sixteen-year-old boy and a seventy-two-year-old woman as they rally the community to save their local library.

Tom is invisible. He happily blends into the background of life. But Farah Shah changes everything. Farah makes Tom want to stand up and be seen – at least by her. So Tom quickly decides the best way to learn about women is to delve into romance novels, and he finds himself at the village library where he befriends 72-year-old Maggie.

Maggie has been happily alone for ten years, at least this is what she tells herself. When Tom comes to her rescue after a library meeting, never did she imagine a friendship that could change her life.

As Maggie helps Tom navigate the best way to ask out Farrah, Tom helps Maggie realize the mistakes of her past won’t define her future.

But when the library comes under threat of closure, it’s up to Tom and Maggie to rally the community and save the library!

Will these two unlikely friends be able to bring everyone together and save their library?

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Lightlark by Alex Aster

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

Every century, the island of Lightlark emerges from the tempest cloaking it to host the Centennial, a 100-day competition between the rulers of six cursed realms, in this beguiling series opener from Aster (the Emblem Island series). To break the curse, one ruler must die during the contest, thus also destroying their realm. In 500 years, none of the immensely powerful participants has ever volunteered their life, nor has anyone been bested, but now that the curses have rendered their lands irreparable, this Centennial is sure to end in bloodshed. The situation terrifies teenage Wildling realm ruler Isla Crown, who, unlike her predecessors, was born without the Wildlings’ innate ability to control or wield nature, making her vulnerable to the other participants’ powers. While relying on her wits and training to survive, Isla must hide her secret lest she become an obvious target. Though the novel’s mythology is murky and its supporting cast lacks depth, Isla’s courage, determination, and compassion invest readers in her plight, imparting tension and drive. The story hits many well-loved and familiar beats, and sumptuously detailed feints, twists, and betrayal lend vibrancy and intrigue. Characters have varying skin tones. – Booklist Review

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Righteous Prey by John Sandford

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

A vigilante group calling itself “”The Five”” is killing “people who need to be murdered”–at least that’s what the group’s press releases say. Who are these mysterious killers? Well, basically, they’re the idle rich: people with too much money who are looking for something to spice up their lives. When one of the murders takes place in the Twin Cities, it falls to U.S. marshal Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, an agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, to bring the vigilantes to justice. Between them, Davenport and Flowers have starred in more than 40 novels, and fans have come to know both men quite well. Is there, in fact, anything left for Sandford to say about them? As it turns out, yes: Sandford’s characters seem to have limitless unexplored nooks and crannies to their personalities. And for devotees of the series, it’s always nice to spend time with people we really like. The story is well constructed, too, with some bad people we can’t look away from. A solid entry from a writer who consistently gives his readers just what they want.- Booklist Review

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A Turn of the Tide by Kelley Armstrong

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

In Thorne Manor there is one locked door. Behind it lies a portal to the twenty-first century, and nothing is going to stop Miranda Hastings from stepping through. After all, she is a Victorian writer of risqué pirate adventures—traveling to the future would be the greatest adventure of them all.
When Miranda goes through, though, she lands in Georgian England…and in the path of Nicolas Dupuis, a privateer accused of piracy. Sheltered by locals, Nico is repaying their kindness by being their “pirate Robin Hood,” stealing from a corrupt lord and fencing smuggled goods on the village’s behalf.

Miranda embraces Nico’s cause, only to discover there’s more to it than he realizes. Miranda has the second sight, and there are ghosts at play here. The recently deceased former lord is desperate to stop his son from destroying his beloved village. Then there’s the ghost of Nico’s cabin boy, who he thought safe in a neighboring city. Miranda and Nico must solve the mystery of the boy’s death while keeping one step ahead of the hangman.

It may not be the escapade Miranda imagined, but it is about to be the adventure of a lifetime.

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Voice of Fear by Heather Graham

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

FBI agent Jordan Wallace is close to cracking the human trafficking case she’s been working, when she does the one thing she should never do: let her guard down. The botched undercover mission is semi-salvaged by the last-minute appearance of criminal psychologist Patrick Law, but Jordan can’t imagine making a worse first impression. Especially when she’s partnered with Patrick moving forward.

Patrick’s innate ability to get inside a criminal’s head is an asset for the Krewe of Hunters. But Jordan wishes she could protect her own thoughts from her new partner. Patrick assures her that both she and her thoughts are safe with him, but Jordan’s less sure about her heart. Letting someone have her back has never been her strong suit, but with a dangerous killer still at large, trusting in Patrick might be the only thing keeping them alive.

Reader’s Note: This is the thirty-eight book in the Krewe of Hunters series; if you’d like to dive and read the series from the beginning checkout book one: Phantom Evil.

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

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*Information on the three catalogs*

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, digital magazines and a handful of streaming videos. The catalog, which allows one to download content to a PC, also has a companion app, Libby, which you can download to your mobile device; so you can enjoy eBooks and downloadable audiobooks 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 instant checkouts of eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV series. Patron check out limit is 6 items per month.

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

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

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

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

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Format Note: Under each book title you’ll find a list of all the different formats that specific title is available in; including: Print Books, Large Print Books, CD Audiobooks, eBooks & Downloadable Audiobooks from the Digital Catalog (Libby app) and Hoopla eBooks & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla app).

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

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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.

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 Tuesdays.

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

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Blackout by Simon Scarrow

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

Horst Schenke, the protagonist of this exceptional mystery set in 1939 Berlin from British author Scarrow (the Eagles of the Empire series), became a respected Kriminalpolizei inspector after a near-fatal accident six years earlier ended his career as a racing driver. His decision not to join the Nazi party has stymied any hopes for advancement, but his distance from the party leads to his being tapped to investigate a high-profile homicide. Once-prominent film star Gerda Korzeny, ex-mistress of Josef Goebbels and wife of the Nazi attorney “who rewrites certain laws to make the party’s actions legal,” was found near some railroad tracks, her skull crushed by a single blow. Korzeny’s possessions were undisturbed, and her state of undress suggests she was resisting a sexual assault. Schenke’s role is to reduce the prospects of friction between Nazi factions and to serve as a scapegoat if things go south. Scarrow plausibly conveys the complexities of his hero’s efforts to do an honest job of seeking justice while serving under a corrupt and criminal regime. Fans of Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther will hope for a sequel. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Blowback by James Patterson & Brendan DuBois

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD audiobook)

Early in this fast-moving thriller from bestseller Patterson (the Alex Cross series) and DuBois (the Lewis Cole series), President Keegan Barrett, a former CIA director, tells CIA officers Liam Grey and Noa Himel that he’s tired of America being “the world’s punching bag.” He’s setting up two CIA teams, one domestic and one foreign, with authorization to “break things, kill bad guys, and bring back our enemies’ heads in a cooler.” Despite it being illegal for the CIA to operate on American soil, Liam and Noa carry out a series of successful missions on Keegan’s behalf. Eventually, the two begin to have doubts about what they’re doing, and it becomes clear that Keegan—who has expanded his personal kill list—is sounding more than a little delusional. The president is soon acting totally paranoid, good people start to die, and war with China looms. The authors offer nothing new, but they throw in some historical anecdotes of interest, deliver tense action scenes, and tie up all the loose ends. Those who haven’t already encountered the insane president plot will have fun. – Publishers Weekly Review

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The Golden Couple: A Novel by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD audiobook, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

Never mind that Avery Chambers’s approach to therapy is so controversial that she’s lost her license. Marissa Bishop willingly signs up herself and her husband because Avery says she’ll take on only clients whose problems she can mend in ten sessions. Marissa intends to confess her infidelity, but far more dangerous secrets sneak into the room when the “golden” Bishops join their new therapist to talk. – Library Journal Review

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The Hunt by Faye Kellerman

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD audiobook)

Pete Decker and Rina Lazarus are mainly supporting players in this twenty-seventh installment of Kellerman’s ever-popular series. This one focuses on Teresa “”Terry”” McLaughlin, Pete and Rina’s old friend and the biological mother of their foster son, Gabe. Facing an ugly divorce, Terry has fled to L.A., where she is attacked, and her two kids are abducted. She calls Gabe for help, and he enlists Rina, Pete, and Terry’s ex-husband (and his biological father), the hitman-turned-brothel-owner Christopher Donatti. Fans of the Decker and Lazarus novels are familiar with both Terry and Chris; they’ve been in and out of the series for years. But we’ve never seen them quite like this: Terry is fragile to the point of breaking, and Chris, who freely admits he’s a despicable person, is vulnerable and appears to be making a good-faith effort to be gentle and welcoming. Of course, Chris has anything but a heart of gold, and we can’t help waiting for him to explode into violence at any moment. And, even though they’re mostly in the background, Pete and Rina remain among the genre’s most appealing partnerships. – Booklist Review

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The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland

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

In the new thriller from the author of You Can Run (2021), Cleveland has carefully constructed a story about Beth Bradford, a CIA counterintelligence analyst who’s trying to identify a traitor living in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac–or, and the narrative makes this seem like a distinct possibility, perhaps Beth is becoming steadily more ensnared by a paranoid delusion. The author, a former CIA analyst specializing in counterintelligence, uses her insider knowledge of tradecraft and the workings of the CIA to imbue the novel with realism; in Beth Bradford, she’s created a character of substantial complexity. We want Beth to unmask the traitor known as The Neighbor, but, at the same time, we see some of the things Beth does, and they seem like the actions of someone who’s definitely confused. Full of surprises and revelations, steeped in paranoia and fear, this is a thriller that keeps readers guessing right up until the final moments. A sequel is hinted at and much to be desired. – Booklist Review

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Red Flags by Lisa Black

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

This solid series launch from bestseller Black (the Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner series) introduces forensics experts Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies. Ellie, part of the FBI’s evidence response team in Washington, D.C., arrives at a mansion on the banks of the Potomac to investigate the disappearance of four-month-old Mason Carlisle, who vanished from his crib in the middle of the afternoon with no trace and, so far, no ransom demand. The baby’s father, Hunter, owns a lobbying firm, and his mother, Rebecca, is a policy adviser to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. She also happens to be Ellie’s cousin, with whom she hasn’t communicated in more than 15 years. Hunter, not satisfied with the FBI’s progress, calls in Rachael from the Locard Institute, one of the best equipped forensics labs in the country, to help with the investigation. Soon other children whose parents are connected to an online gaming site are kidnapped, and Ellie and Rachael join forces to solve a multilayered crime. Black packs the novel with fascinating details for crime scene buffs, who will eagerly await the next case for the intrepid CSIs. – Publishers Weekly Review

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The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Readers who are initially alarmed at the page count of Walters’s (“Last Hours” series) latest historical novel will come to the end and wonder why the story couldn’t have gone on longer. During the English Civil War in 1642, families and friends are divided between the warring Parliamentarians and Royalists. Jayne, daughter of Royalists, was already a respected physician who treated the wealthy and the poor. She chooses neutrality to continue her work, treating persons from both sides. While on her way to help a sick child, Jayne’s chance meeting with Lady Alice Stickland and her mysterious footman, William Harrier, kicks off a series of events that present Jayne with difficult choices she never expected, with joy and sorrow coming in equal measure. Walters’s characters are true to their historical period, yet relatable to a modern audience, and notable historical figures and events are described accurately in detail—informative and full of dramatic tension. An author’s note provides a brief summation of the book’s era, and there are maps for better understanding. VERDICT Endearing characters spark life into centuries-old history in Walters’s latest, which will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory, Margaret George, and Sharon Kay Penman. Starred Library Journal Review

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Treasure State by C. J. Box

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD audiobook)

Edgar winner Box’s excellent fifth Cassie Dewell novel (after 2019’s The Bitterroots) sets the former police officer, now a PI in Bozeman, Mont., on the trail of a con man who bilked wealthy widow Candyce Fly out of $5 million and vanished. Fly earlier employed another PI—the marvelously noxious J.D. Spengler—to track the man down, but both Spengler and his quarry disappeared into the old mining town of Anaconda, Mont. Cassie travels there to investigate, and soon realizes that she has stumbled on a lethal conspiracy that goes far beyond the victimization of her client. A second case involving a buried treasure adds to the intrigue. Box has rarely been better in his plotting, with shifting timelines revealing the scope of the crimes. The criminal conspirators are both inventively corrupt and chilling, and the cleverly constructed mystery is leavened with generous doses of Montana history, along with the welcome appearances of characters from earlier Cassie novels. The story culminates with one of Box’s most satisfying payoffs. Hopefully, fans won’t have to wait another three years for the intrepid Cassie’s next adventure. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Twice A Quinceañera by Yamile Saied Mendez

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Nadia kicks out her cheating longtime lover-turned-fiancé one month before their wedding day. With her thirtieth birthday coming up and the fact that she stands to lose the money for her wedding venue, she decides to have a second quinceañera after reading about this trend in a magazine. In short, Nadia decides to use the venue to celebrate herself. What she doesn’t expect is to find her boyfriend from college, the man she never forgot, running the facility. Marcos never wanted to manage the family wedding-venue business, but when his sister is on vacation, he finds he wants to prevent his ailing father from selling it to his uncles. He then becomes fascinated with Nadia all over again, remembering how much she meant to him when they dated before. This second-chance romance is a warm, romantic story made all the more compelling by the focus on Nadia and Marcos learning what they truly want for their lives. The details about what a second quinceañera is all about add to the vivid romance. –Booklist Review

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The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The friendship of Gwen Bainbridge and Iris Sparks, the “intelligent and resourceful” owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, is tested in Montclair’s exemplary fourth mystery set in post-WWII London (after 2021’s A Rogue’s Company). When someone is shot to death in Iris’s flat, where an ex-boyfriend of hers has been living as a renter, Iris’s ability to be fully frank with Scotland Yard is limited by the connection of the victim to her previous life as a British intelligence operative. Iris decides to investigate on her own and asks Gwen to help search for the killer. The case comes at a fraught time for Gwen, who attempted suicide in 1944 after learning her husband was killed in battle; she was subsequently institutionalized in an asylum. Gwen is in the process of petitioning to end the guardianship controlling her life, which could be jeopardized if she once again probes a murder. The solution to the crime is both surprising and fair to the careful reader. Montclair’s capable, funny, and fully developed leads set a gold standard for the amateur sleuth subgenre. Dorothy Sayers’s fans will hope this series has a long run. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

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*Information on the three catalogs*

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, digital magazines and a handful of streaming videos. The catalog, which allows one to download content to a PC, also has a companion app, Libby, which you can download to your mobile device; so you can enjoy eBooks and downloadable audiobooks 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 instant checkouts of eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV series. Patron check out limit is 6 items per month.

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

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

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

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

–

Format Note: Under each book title you’ll find a list of all the different formats that specific title is available in; including: Print Books, Large Print Books, CD Audiobooks, eBooks & Downloadable Audiobooks from the Digital Catalog (Libby app) and Hoopla eBooks & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla app).

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

–

Have questions or want to request a book?

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

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,

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And here are the “baker’s ten” recommended songs of the week!

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Bad To Me by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas (Genre: Classic Rock, British Invasion)

From The Album: The Best of Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas: The Definitive Collection (1991)

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Caravan by Art Blakley (Genre: Jazz)

From The Album: Caravan (1962)

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Coyote by Joni Mitchell (Genre: Singer-Songwriter)

From The Album: Hejira (1976)

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Deacon Blues by Steely Dan (Genre: Rock, Jazz)

From The Album: Aja (1977)

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Gypsy Queen by Larry Coryell (Genre: Jazz, Guitar)

From The Album: Barefoot Boy (1971)

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Into The Mystic by Van Morrison (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Rock, Folk, R&B etc.)

From The Album: Moondance (1970)

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Pearly Queen by Traffic (Genre: Rock)

From The Album: Traffic (1968)

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Pretty Eyes by The Horace Silver Quintet (Genre: Jazz, Piano)

Studio Version From The Album: The Cape Verdean Blues (1965)

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Soul Sacrifice by Santana (Genre: Pop/Rock, Latin, Blues/Jazz etc.)

From The Album: Santana (1969)

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Time of the Season by The Zombies (Genre: Classic Rock)

From The Album: Odessey & Oracle (1968)

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Waiting On A Friend by The Rolling Stones (Genre: Rock)

From The Album: Tattoo You (1981)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

Fifty (2022) by The Manhattan Transfer (Genre: Vocal, Jazz)

And from the album the song:

Agua by Manhattan Transfer (Genre: Jazz, Vocal)

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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 streaming recommendations for October.

The next streaming recommendation post will be out the first Saturday, in November.

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The Man In The Hat (2022) (YouTube) (Available to stream now)

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Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+) (September 30)

(Not quite coming out in October – but Halloween is coming!)

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Interview With A Vampire (AMC+) (October 2)

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Pennyworth Season 3 (HBO Max) (October 6)

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Catherine Called Birdy (2022) (Amazon Prime) (October 7)

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The Winchesters (The CW) (October 11)

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The School for Good and Evil (Netflix) (October 19)

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Descendant (Netflix) (October 21)

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Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix) (October 25)

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Star Trek: Prodigy (Paramount+) (October 27)

Viewer’s Note: This viewer finds this series both fun and hopeful. The first ten episodes of season one have been out for months; the second ten will start airing on October 27.

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And as a bonus, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the debut of the TV series this fall; I’m going to recommend all eleven seasons of MASH!

(Stream with a Hulu subscription; purchase from Apple, Amazon & Google Play; or check out the DVD from the Southeast Steuben County Library- all eleven seasons!)

Mash (1972-1983)

References

Alan Alda on ‘M*A*S*H’: ‘Everybody Had Something Taken From Them’ As the acclaimed “situation tragedy” turns 50, the star reflects on its innovations: “The crazy behavior wasn’t just to be funny. It was a way of separating yourself for a moment from the nastiness.” Written by Saul Austerlitz for The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/arts/television/alan-alda-mash-anniversary.html

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Five International Movies to Stream Now by Devika Girish for the New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/23/movies/five-international-movies-to-stream-now.html

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Movies Coming in 2022 From Marvel, Netflix, DC and More: 2022 brings us Knives Out 2, Avatar 2, a few original movies and more delays. Check out the latest blockbuster release dates written by Richard Trenholm for CNET, https://www.cnet.com/pictures/movies-coming-in-2022-from-marvel-netflix-dc-and-more/

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Netflix Sets Sundance Award-Winning Doc ‘Descendant’ for October Release (EXCLUSIVE) Netflix Sets Sundance Award-Winning Doc ‘Descendant’ for October Release (EXCLUSIVE), https://variety.com/2022/film/news/descendant-netflix-release-date-1235336723/

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New Netflix movies and shows coming in October 2022 written by Reed Gaudens for Fansided, https://netflixlife.com/2022/09/06/new-netflix-movies-and-shows-coming-october-2022/

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What to watch in October 2022: 19 new movies and shows on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video and more by Kelly Woo for Tom’s Guide, https://www.tomsguide.com/news/what-to-watch-in-october-2022-19-new-movies-and-shows-on-netflix-disney-plus-prime-video-and-more

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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,

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Blood And Roses by The Smithereens

From The Album: Especially For You (1986)

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Do  You Know The Way to San Jose? By Dionne Warwick

From The Album: Valley of the Dolls (1968)

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Hot House Ball by Bruce Hornsby (Genre: Pop/Rock, Piano, Jazz)

From The Album: Hot House (1995)

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In These Times by Makaya McCraven

Studio Version From The LP: In These Times (2022)

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Respect by Aretha Franklin (Genre: Vocal, R&B)

From The Album: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)

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Thank You Girl by John Hiatt (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Country)

From The Album: Bring The Family (1987)

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There’s A Place by The Beatles (Genre: Rock)

From The Album: Please, Please Me (1963)

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Wilson Boulevard by The Honeydogs (Genre: Pop/Rock)

From The Album: Here’s Luck (2001)

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Waltzing For Dreamers by Richard Thompson (Singer-Songwriter, Folk-Rock)

From The Album: Live From Honolulu (2022)

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A Woman’s Worth by Alicia Keys (Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Piano)

From The Album: Songs in A Minor (2001)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

Things Happen That Way by Dr. John (2022) (Genre: Classic Rock, Blues etc.)

And from the album, the song:

Funny How Time Slips Away by Dr. John

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And as a bonus, just because it is a great song and I love the blues!

What’s Wrong With That by the great blues artists Buddy Guy and Bobby Rush (Genre: Most definitely blues!)

From The Album: What’s Wrong With That (2022)

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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 is the weekly list of New York Times Bestsellers.

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

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 usually published on Sundays; but in this case since I’ve accidentally published it on Friday I’m going to leave it up!

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Next week I shall be on vacation. So the next New York Times Bestseller list will be published to this blogs in two weeks, on Sunday, October 11, 2022.

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FICTION

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6:20 MAN by David Baldacci

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD audibook, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

When his ex-girlfriend turns up dead in his office building, an entry-level investment analyst delves into the halls of economic power.

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ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A journalist who returns to her hometown vows to find a missing girl and solve a 20-year-old cold case.

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BLOWBACK by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD audiobook)

President Keegan Barrett’s power grab tests the loyalties of two C.I.A. agents.

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BULLET THAT MISSED by Richard Osman

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

The third book in the Thursday Murder Club series. A decade-old cold case and a new foe spark the latest adventure.

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THE BUTCHER AND THE WREN by Alaina Urquhart

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla instant checkout audiobook)

A forensic pathologist is on the trail of a serial killer in the Louisiana bayou.

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CARRIE SOTO IS BACK by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

A tennis player comes out of retirement and trains with her father to defend her record.

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DESPERATION IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

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

The 55th book of the In Death series. Eve Dallas is reminded of her past as she investigates a possible sex trafficking ring.

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DREAMLAND by Nicholas Sparks

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD audiobook)

Musicians from different backgrounds are attracted to each other and a mother flees with her son from an abusive husband.

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FAIRY TALE by Stephen King

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

A high school kid inherits a shed that is a portal to another world where good and evil are at war.

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IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

A battered wife raised in a violent home attempts to halt the cycle of abuse.

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LESS IS LOST by Andrew Sean Greer

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

A follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Less,” in which Arthur Less goes on a road trip across America.

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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

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

A scientist and single mother living in California in the 1960s becomes a star on a TV cooking show.

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MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O’Farrell

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

In 1550s Florence, the future of the third daughter of the grand duke seems uncertain after she is thrust into a marriage.

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MAYBE NOW by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

The third book in the Maybe Someday series. Maggie, Ridge and Sydney are forced to deal with the dynamics of their relationships.

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

(Available Formats: Print Book, Libby eBook & audiobook)

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

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NOVEMBER 9 by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

Is Ben using his relationship with Fallon as fodder for his novel?

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THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

A movie icon recounts stories of her loves and career to a struggling magazine writer.

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SWEETWATER AND THE WITCH by Jayne Castle

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A woman accused of being a witch gets involved with her matchmaking client, who is involved in industrial espionage and hunts monsters.

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UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Tate Collins and Miles Archer, an airline pilot, think they can handle a no strings attached arrangement. But they can’t.

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VERITY by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Lowen Ashleigh is hired by the husband of an injured writer to complete her popular series and uncovers a horrifying truth.

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VINCE FLYNN: OATH OF LOYALTY by Kyle Mills

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

The 21st book in the Mitch Rapp series. President Cook, a team of assassins and a killer known as Legion confront Rapp on different fronts.

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VIPER by J.R. Ward

(Available Formats: Print Books)

The third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp series.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

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

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

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NON-FICTION:

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BIGGEST IDEAS IN THE UNIVERSE by Sean Carroll

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The ways in which physics can be used to explain how some things function in the universe.

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

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

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BREAKING HISTORY by Jared Kushner

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An account of time spent in the Trump White House by the former president’s son-in-law and senior adviser.

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DINNERS WITH RUTH by Nina Totenberg

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

The NPR legal affairs correspondent details her professional accomplishments and friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

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THE DIVIDER by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The married journalists who write for The New York Times and The New Yorker posit that Donald Trump began to emulate the foreign autocrats he admired.

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HOLDING THE LINE by Geoffrey Berman

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York gives his account of pushing back against the Trump Justice Department.

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I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

The actress and filmmaker describes her eating disorders and difficult relationship with her mother.

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LADY JUSTICE by Dahlia Lithwick

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The senior legal correspondent at Slate chronicles the work of some women lawyers during the Trump presidency.

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LIKE A ROLLING STONE by Jann S. Wenner

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

A memoir by the founder, co-editor and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine.

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MOSQUITO BOWL by Buzz Bissinger

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist depicts the service of college football players who served in the Marines during World War II.

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MYTH OF NORMAL by Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The potential ways in which trauma and stress from modern-day living can affect our physical health.

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PROFILES IN IGNORANCE by Andy Borowitz

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The creator of “The Borowitz Report” looks at the declining knowledge of some public officials over the last 50 years.

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WHAT IF? 2 by Randall Munroe

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The creator of the web comic “xkcd” and former NASA roboticist looks into hypothetical and oddball scenarios.

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSL

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 Tel: 607-936-3713

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here is the latest edition of Library Connections, our weekly readers’ and listeners’ advisory videocast.

The next Library Connections video will be posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.

Library Connections videos may also be accessed via the Southeast Steuben County Library’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SESTEUBENCOLIBRARY

Have a great week!
Linda Reimer, SSCL

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 Tuesdays.

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

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Act Of Oblivion: A Novel by Robert Harris

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The latest novel by the author of V2 (2020) and Imperium (2006), among many others, is set in Massachusetts in 1660. It’s been 11 years since King Charles I was executed during the Civil War of 1642-51. Several of the people behind the king’s murder are still free. Richard Nayler, an officer of the Privy Council, is determined to bring them to justice. Harris focuses on two of the “regicides,” Edward Whalley and William Goffe, who fled to Massachusetts. Like most of the characters in the book, Whalley and Goffe are real people, and, as he usually does, Harris sticks closely to the known facts as much as he can (Nayler, the manhunter, is fictional, as is the story of his pursuit of the two regicides). It will come as no surprise to readers familiar with Harris’ work that this is a splendidly written historical novel. Harris really is a joy to read, and it’s interesting to see how he adjusts his writing style with each book to reflect the story’s time period (this one is less ornate than his books set in ancient Rome but more ornate than his WWII novels). Another top-flight effort from a master storyteller. – Booklist

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Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower

(Available Formats: eBook)

Emily Dickinson plays sleuth in this sprightly series launch from Flower (the Magical Bookshop mysteries). One night in 1855, Henry Noble, a stable hand with a tendency to get into trouble, tells his sister, Willa, a shy, insecure maid who’s just been hired to work for the Dickinsons, a well-to-do family in Amherst, Mass., that he’s about to make enough money to change both their lives—but he won’t tell her how until this coming Sunday. When Henry dies in a seeming accident at the town stable before Sunday, 25-year-old Emily, moved by Willa’s grief, insists that she and Willa launch their own investigation, starting with the stable. Courageous and intelligent, Emily asks uncomfortable questions of those with money and power, not just in Amherst but in Washington, D.C., a trip that the Dickinson family actually made by train in 1855. This mystery works best when it delves into the complexities of the Dickinson family, particular its depiction of Emily’s cold father, Congressman Edward Dickinson, and her controlling sister, Lavinia. This is a good start to what could be a rich historical series. – Publishers Weekly Review

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Gather The Bones by Alison Stuart

(Available Formats: Print Book, Hoopla instant checkout eBook & audiobook)

Likable, relatable characters augment Stuart’s compelling romantic ghost story set in post-WWI England. When war widow Helen Morrow visits the family home of Charlie, her deceased husband, for the first time, she is greeted by his resentful mother. The fact that Helen is Australian is enough to turn Lady Evelyn Morrow and all of her peers against the “colonial interloper,” even to the point of snubbing Helen and Charlie’s young child. Helen’s only ally is Charlie’s cousin Paul, a recluse recovering from his own war injuries and tortured by painful memories. When eerie manifestations begin to haunt the pair, it’s easy for Paul to dismiss them as nothing—or perhaps as symptoms of his battle-related trauma. But as ghosts from both the recent and the distant past encroach, Paul and Helen are drawn toward each other. A little predictability doesn’t detract from Stuart’s beautifully drawn story about the damage wrought by war and xenophobia, and the transcendent power of love.

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Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

Suggested way to listen to this audiobook–one “gmorning” and “gnight” at a time, when you wake up and before you go to sleep. That way, you’ll begin and end your day with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s gentle, encouraging voice offering tiny but powerful doses of affirmation and inspiration. The audiobook is an intimate experience: Listeners hear Miranda deliberately take a deep breath, or yawn, or let out a long groan, or sip a cup of coffee as he shares these sometimes sweet, sometimes moving, sometimes funny greetings, compiled from years of his posts on Twitter. It’s like having a friend in your ear reminding you that you’re not alone, that you’ll get through this, that there’s always a chance for a fresh start, and a rest at the end of it. – AudioFile Review

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The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD audiobook, eBook, downloadable audiobook, Hoopla instant checkout eBook & audiobook)

If you aren’t already a Lord of the Rings fan, you will be once you read The Hobbit. Tolkien’s writing is ethereal, his vivid imagery and detailed descriptions fully immersing you into his fictional world of Middle-earth. So go ahead, go on this adventure with Bilbo Baggins as he finds himself roped into a quest to defeat Smaug the dragon!

The journey through Middle-earth begins here with J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy.

“A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible… All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts.”—The New York Times Book Review

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” So begins one of the most beloved and delightful tales in the English language—Tolkien’s prelude to The Lord of the Rings. Set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale, The Hobbit is one of literature’s most enduring and well-loved novels.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

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The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

Dorothy Parker’s wit is famous (if not infamous), but her fragile ego and intense longing are less often discussed. In her latest piece of historical fiction, Paul introduces the reader to Parker’s circle of friends in early 1920s New York. Parker’s acerbic sense of humor lays the foundations for the group at the “Gonk” (the Algonquin Hotel) to chat and gossip and drink. Among Parker’s closest friends are Jane Grant, the first woman reporter at the New York Times; Winifred Lenihan, Broadway star; and Peggy Leach, a brilliant writer disguised as a mousy spinster. Each woman takes a turn narrating as Paul moves around Manhattan, from speakeasies to run-down, walk-up apartments. The women must navigate the heady and confusing atmosphere of postwar NYC. They become united in their efforts to keep Parker from falling completely apart when her marriage begins to falter. Paul (The Lost Daughter, 2019) strikes a balance between the cynicism of the Lost Generation and the characters’ sincere desires to find happiness and stability. Witty, emotional, and intelligent. – Booklist Review

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Need To Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence by Nicholas Reynolds

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Former CIA officer Reynolds (Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy) delivers an exhaustively researched critical history of American military intelligence from 1940 to the beginning of the Cold War. Before WWII, Reynolds notes, the U.S. had no permanent spy agency. At the war’s outset, President Franklin Roosevelt’s “haphazard approach” led to multiple counterintelligence programs: the Army and Navy each had its own systems for tracking and breaking encrypted messages; J. Edgar Hoover’s nascent FBI had begun foreign campaigns in Latin America; and William “Wild Bill” Donovan’s Office of Strategic Services, an independent department based on the British intelligence services, changed its mission according to the whims of its impulsive founder. Reynolds spends little time recounting far-flung spy missions, choosing instead to focus on the internal conflicts and personality clashes that roiled these intelligence agencies, including the battle for power between Donovan and Hoover. Light is also shed on lesser-known figures including Kenneth A. Knowles, a former gunnery officer who led the Navy’s efforts to track German U-boats in the Atlantic. Though the extensive cast of characters can be hard to keep track of, Reynolds’s scrupulous and well-rounded approach reveals the good, the bad, and the reckless in the early days of U.S. intelligence. Espionage buffs will be fascinated. – Publishers Weekly Review

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The Old Place by Bobby Finger

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Long-buried secrets lurk everywhere in Billington, the small Texas town of this debut from journalist and Who? Weekly celebrity podcast cohost Finger. Curmudgeonly protagonist Mary Alice, a widow, lost her only son when he was just 18; both her husband’s and her son’s deaths occurred under bizarre circumstances. Her best friend, Ellie, lost a son, too, just before Mary Alice’s son passed. Finally retired from her position teaching math at the local high school, where she had become an institution, Mary Alice is irked by her replacement, Josie. New York City transplant Josie’s urbanity triggers something scornful inside Mary Alice, and this is when things really begin to unravel. The return of Mary Alice’s estranged sister Katherine further sends Mary Alice’s quaint routine into upheaval. The repercussions of spilled secrets and the appearance of town ghosts could mean the rewriting of history . . . something Mary Alice fears she is not built to survive. Cozy, enthralling, and driven by complex, endearing women, The Old Place explores the mysterious act of realizing the worst in oneself and pushing forward anyway. – Booklist Review

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On The Rooftop: A Novel by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

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

For years, Vivian trained her daughters, Ruth, Esther, and Chloe, on their building’s rooftop to sing as the Salvations. In 1953, her dream of a better life for them is on the cusp of coming true. Vivian and her late husband, whom she still grieves, came to San Francisco from Louisiana to escape white hoods and threats. When Vivian shares the news that a man with connections wants to manage the Salvations on a national tour, Ruth has news of her own. Later, Esther is drawn to a cause, and Chloe to a man that she perhaps shouldn’t be. All this unfolds as their supportive, Black-owned neighborhood is targeted by white gentrifiers. Sexton (The Revisioners, 2019) offers another rich, complex novel that tells deeply personal stories against a national and historical backdrop. Narrating duties rotate among Vivian and each of her daughters, illuminating the stressors and conflicting values that the women must navigate as they try to find themselves within their singing family, their Black community, and their unjust country. Once again, Sexton delivers. – Booklist Review

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Seasonal Work: Stories by Laura Lippman

(Available Formats: Print Book)

These 12 stories were written between 2007 and 2019 and appeared in various anthologies, except for “”Just One More,”” a never-previously-published novella about a married couple in the midst of the pandemic who decide to sign up for a dating app just for fun–something to vary the routine of streaming Columbo. This excruciatingly timely story perfectly captures the quotidian sameness of life during lockdown until it corkscrews into something very different. Throughout the collection, Lippman showcases a pitch-perfect sense of how to end a short piece, surprising us with revelatory twists but never doing so in a formulaic, O. Henry way. Also on display is Lippman’s ability to create compelling female characters of varying ages, from forty-somethings to teens and children, who combine resolute determination with sometimes-heartbreaking personal vulnerability. Fans will be pleased to find two Tess Monaghan stories here, along with one about the early lives of Tess’ parents, Judith and Patrick. The outstanding title story has Tess, still a reporter before launching her PI business, exposing an audacious Christmas scam but being outmaneuvered by the teenager she attempts to rescue. (Lippman’s great feel for teen characters inspires hope that a YA thriller might be in her future.) All in all, this is a first-rate collection, an obvious must for the legions of Lippman fans, but also great reading for anyone who savors short crime fiction. – Booklist Review

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Have a great week!

Linda Reimer

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

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

The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, digital magazines and a handful of streaming videos. The catalog, which allows one to download content to a PC, also has a companion app, Libby, which you can download to your mobile device; so you can enjoy eBooks and downloadable audiobooks 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 instant checkouts of eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV series. Patron check out limit is 6 items per month.

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

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

–

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

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

–

Format Note: Under each book title you’ll find a list of all the different formats that specific title is available in; including: Print Books, Large Print Books, CD Audiobooks, eBooks & Downloadable Audiobooks from the Digital Catalog (Libby app) and Hoopla eBooks & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla app).

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

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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.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

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

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

–

New York Times Bestseller blog posts are published on Sundays. The next New York Times Bestseller list will be published to this blog on Sunday, October 2, 2022.

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FICTION

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6:20 MAN by David Baldacci

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print, CD audibook, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

When his ex-girlfriend turns up dead in his office building, an entry-level investment analyst delves into the halls of economic power.

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ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A journalist who returns to her hometown vows to find a missing girl and solve a 20-year-old cold case.

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ALL YOUR PERFECTS by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

Quinn and Graham’s marriage depends on past promises.

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BLOWBACK by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

(Available Formats: Print Book, Large Print & CD audiobook)

President Keegan Barrett’s power grab tests the loyalties of two C.I.A. agents.

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THE BUTCHER AND THE WREN by Alaina Urquhart

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla instant checkout audiobook)

A forensic pathologist is on the trail of a serial killer in the Louisiana bayou.

–

CARRIE SOTO IS BACK by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

A tennis player comes out of retirement and trains with her father to defend her record.

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CLIVE CUSSLER’S HELLBURNER by Mike Maden

(Available Format: Print Book, Large Print & CD audiobook)

The 16th book in the Oregon Files series. A criminal syndicate has a torpedo that could obliterate entire cities.

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A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook, downloadable audiobook & Hoopla instant checkout audiobook)

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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DESPERATION IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

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

The 55th book of the In Death series. Eve Dallas is reminded of her past as she investigates a possible sex trafficking ring.

–

FAIRY TALE by Stephen King

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

A high school kid inherits a shed that is a portal to another world where good and evil are at war.

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FIRE AND BLOOD by George R.R. Martin

(Available Formats: Print Book, CD audiobook & downloadable audiobook)

Set 300 years before the events of “A Game of Thrones,” this is the first volume of the two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros.

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IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

A battered wife raised in a violent home attempts to halt the cycle of abuse.

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LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

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

Hannah Hall discovers truths about her missing husband and bonds with his daughter from a previous relationship.

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LESSONS by Ian McEwan

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Roland Baines looks back at his personal regrets and the historical upheavals in his lifetime.

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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

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

A scientist and single mother living in California in the 1960s becomes a star on a TV cooking show.

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MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O’Farrell

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

In 1550s Florence, the future of the third daughter of the grand duke seems uncertain after she is thrust into a marriage.

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

(Available Formats: Print Book, Libby eBook & audiobook)

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

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NONA THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Six months after waking up in a stranger’s body, Nona is torn between living an ordinary life or saving those around her from strange forces.

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NOVEMBER 9 by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

Is Ben using his relationship with Fallon as fodder for his novel?

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THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

A movie icon recounts stories of her loves and career to a struggling magazine writer.

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SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides

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

Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

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UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Tate Collins and Miles Archer, an airline pilot, think they can handle a no strings attached arrangement. But they can’t.

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VERITY by Colleen Hoover

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Lowen Ashleigh is hired by the husband of an injured writer to complete her popular series and uncovers a horrifying truth.

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VINCE FLYNN: OATH OF LOYALTY by Kyle Mills

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

The 21st book in the Mitch Rapp series. President Cook, a team of assassins and a killer known as Legion confront Rapp on different fronts.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

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

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

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NON-FICTION:

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AMERICAN PSYCHOSIS by David Corn

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine gives his take on the Republican Party over the last seven decades.

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

(Available Formats: Print Book, eBook & downloadable audiobook)

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

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BREAKING HISTORY by Jared Kushner

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An account of time spent in the Trump White House by the former president’s son-in-law and senior adviser.

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DAUGHTER OF AUSCHWITZ by Tova Friedman and Malcolm Brabant

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A survivor of Auschwitz describes her childhood during the Holocaust, and her time in a Nazi labor camp and the extermination camp known as Auschwitz-Birkenau.

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DIANA, WILLIAM, AND HARRY by James Patterson and Chris Mooney

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

A biography of the late Princess of Wales and her sons.

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DINNERS WITH RUTH by Nina Totenberg

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

The NPR legal affairs correspondent details her professional accomplishments and friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

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FINDING ME by Viola Davis

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

The multiple award-winning actress describes the difficulties she encountered before claiming her sense of self and achieving professional success.

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HOLDING THE LINE by Geoffrey Berman

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York gives his account of pushing back against the Trump Justice Department.

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I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy

(Available Formats: Print Book & downloadable audiobook)

The actress and filmmaker describes her eating disorders and difficult relationship with her mother.

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LIKE A ROLLING STONE by Jann S. Wenner

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

A memoir by the founder, co-editor and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine.

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MYTH OF NORMAL by Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The potential ways in which trauma and stress from modern-day living can affect our physical health.

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PRISONERS OF THE CASTLE by Ben Macintyre

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The author of “The Spy and the Traitor” profiles Allied prisoners detained by the German Army in Colditz Castle during World War II.

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PROFILES IN IGNORANCE by Andy Borowitz

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The creator of “The Borowitz Report” looks at the declining knowledge of some public officials over the last 50 years.

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WHAT IF? 2 by Randall Munroe

(Available Formats: Not yet available in any catalog)

The creator of the web comic “xkcd” and former NASA roboticist looks into hypothetical and oddball scenarios.

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSL

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*Information on the Three Catalogs*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 Tel: 607-936-3713

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

Suggested Listening postings are published on Fridays; and our next Suggested Listening posting will be out on Friday, September 30, 2022 (the last day of September, already? How did that happen!)

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Get Up In The Mornin’ by Leadbelly (Blues, Folk-Blues)

From The Album: Midnight Special — The Library of Congress Recordings, V. 1 (1991)

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Good On You Son by Mark Knopfler (Genre: Rock, Roots Rock)

From The Album: The Road Wherever (2018)

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Help Me by Joni Mitchell (Genre: Singer-Songwriter)

From The Album: Court And Spark (1974)

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I Ain’t Gonna Cry No More by Son House & J. D. Short (Genre: Blues)

From The Album: Blues From The Mississippi Delta: The Library of Congress Recordings (1963/2004)

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I Be Bound To Write To You Muddy Waters (Genre: Blues)

From The Album: The Complete Plantation Recordings (1993)

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In Tall Buildings by Sam Bush (Genre: Folk)

From The Forthcoming Album: Radio John: Songs of John Hartford (November 11, 2022 release)

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Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival (Genre: Classic Rock)

From The Album: At the Royal Albert Hall, April 14, 1970 (2022)

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Sweet Pumpkin [feat. Pasquale Grasso] by Samara Joy & Pasquale Grasso (Genre: Jazz)

From The Album: Linger Awhile (2022)

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This Little Light of Mine by Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Genre: Blues, R&B, Gospel)

Recorded live at the 1st Antibes Juan-les-Pins Jazz Festival in 1960.

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What Kinda Guy? By Steve Forbert (Genre: Folk)

From The Album: Alive On Arrival (1978); Also found on the Rhino album: Troubadours of Folk 5, Singer-Songwriter’s of the ’80s (2007)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

Revival (1996) by Gillian Welch (Genre: Folk)

And from the album the song:

Pass You By by Gillian Welch

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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.