Tech & Book Talk at SSCL

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

Each title is followed by a listing of which formats it is available in for check out within the three catalogs: StarCat (Print, Large Print & CD Audiobooks), 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 postings are published on Sundays; and the next New York Times Bestselling blog posting will be published on Sunday, August 29, 2021.

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FICTION

BLACK ICE by Brad Thor

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

The 20th book in the Scot Harvath series. The American spy faces dangers in the Arctic Circle.

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BILLY SUMMERS by Stephen King

(Print Book, Large Print, CD Audiobook & eBook)

A killer for hire who only takes out bad guys seeks redemption as he does one final job.

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THE CELLIST by Daniel Silva

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

The 21st book in the Gabriel Allon series. A private intelligence service plans an act of violence that will aid Russia and divide America.

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BLIND TIGER by Sandra Brown

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

During Prohibition, Thatcher Hutton and Laurel Plummer wind up on opposite sides of a moonshine war in Texas.

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CELLIST by Daniel Silva

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

The 21st book in the Gabriel Allon series. A private intelligence service plans an act of violence that will aid Russia and divide America.

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THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah

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

As dust storms roll during the Great Depression, Elsa must choose between saving the family and farm or heading West.

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GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley

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

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

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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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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

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

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MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of summer. But over the course of 24 hours, their lives will change forever.

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

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

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

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THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller

(Available Formats: Print Book)

After an extramarital dalliance, Elle must choose between her husband and her childhood love.

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PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Opposites Poppy and Alex meet to vacation together one more time in hopes of saving their relationship.

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PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

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

Matthew Keating, a past president and former Navy SEAL, goes on his own to find his abducted teenage daughter.

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PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

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THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

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

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THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller

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

A reimagining of Homer’s “Iliad” that is narrated by Achilles’ companion Patroclus.

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VERITY by Colleen Hoover

(Print Book: Print Book)

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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VORTEX by Catherine Coulter

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

The 25th book in the F.B.I. Thriller series. A college frat rave and a mission in Iran offer clues for agents Sherlock and Savich.

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WE WERE NEVER HERE by Andrea Bartz

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Will the secrets Emily shares with Kristen about violent incidents in the past ruin her life?

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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 MARXISM by Mark R. Levin

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Fox News host gives his take on the Green New Deal, critical race theory and social activism.

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

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

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

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BOMBER MAFIA by Malcolm Gladwell

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

A look at the key players and outcomes of precision bombing during World War II.

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BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer

A botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation espouses having an understanding and appreciation of plants and animals.

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson

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

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

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CRYING IN H MART by Michelle Zauner

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The daughter of a Korean mother and Jewish-American father, and leader of the indie rock project Japanese Breakfast, describes creating her own identity after losing her mother to cancer.

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey

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

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

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HERE, RIGHT MATTERS by Alexander Vindman

The retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel recounts his actions that led to the impeachment of President Trump and his testimony before Congress.

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HOW I SAVED THE WORLD by Jesse Watters

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Fox News host recounts his career and prescribes ways to defend against what he considers left-wing radicalism.

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I ALONE CAN FIX IT by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker

The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters examine Trump’s final year in office, with a focus on the key players around him.

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KILLING THE MOB by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The 10th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series looks at organized crime in the United States during the 20th century.

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THE PREMONITION by Michael Lewis

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Stories of skeptics who went against the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of Covid-19. The profiles include a local public-health officer and a group of doctors nicknamed the Wolverines.

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UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

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

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

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WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

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

An approach to dealing with trauma that shifts an essential question used to investigate it.

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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.

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

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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, August 27 2021; unless I’m called to jury duty – which is a possibility – in which case, the next Suggested Listening posting will be up on Friday, September 3, 2021!

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week; and a couple extra too, as I couldn’t count this week!

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Between Midnight And Day by Son House (Genre: Blues, Acoustic Blues, Delta Blues)

Between Midnight And Day was recorded live at London’s 100 Club in the summer of 1970. The great blues singer and guitarist Son House was discovered by main stream music fans during the blues/rock boom of the 1960s, and on this song his back up band is the blues-rock group Canned Heat, best known for their performance at the original Woodstock Festival in 1969.

From The Album: Delta Blues & Spirituals (1970).

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Happy Together by The Turtles (Genre: Pop-Rock, Classic Rock)

Happy Together is one of the most upbeat rock songs ever recorded!

And of course, the song was recorded by the musically harmonious rock group, The Turtles, led by Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman.

From The Album: Happy Together (1967)

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Hard Times Killing Floor Blues by Skip James (Genre: Blues, Acoustic Blues, Delta Blues)

Hard Times Killing Floor Blues is classic song by the great blues musician Skip James; this version was recorded live at the American Folk and Blues Festival in Cologne, Germany on October 9, 1967.

From The Album: Skip James Today! (1965)

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If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow (Genre: Rock, Pop-Rock)

If It Makes You Happy is a modern rockin’ classic from a master of modern rock – Sheryl Crow!

From The Album: Sheryl Crow (1996).

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I’m In The Mood by John Lee Hooker (Genre: Blues, Chicago Blues)

I’m In The Mood is a great song written by John Lee Hooker and Bernard Besman; it is found on one of Hooker’s terrific sixties albums, I’m John Lee Hooker.

From The Album: I’m John Lee Hooker (1960).

And if you’d like to dig deep – here is a version of the song that Hooker performs as a duet with Bonnie Raitt, it is found on his 1989 album The Healer.

I’m In The Mood by John Lee Hooker & Bonnie Raitt (Genre: Blues too!)

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It Had To Be You by Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest (Genre: Vocal, Easy Listening, Big Band)

A duet of the classic song, It Had To Be You, by the vocalists Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest, who had a hit with their version of the perennial classic in the 1940s.

From The Album: Songs That Won The War by Various Artists (2016).

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I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash (Genre: Country)

A great summer-time traveling song; perfect to play while you’re driving down the road with the windows down!

And of course, the song is sung by country legend Johnny Cash.

From The Album: The Legend Of Johnny Cash (2005).

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Joy To The World by Three Dog Night (Genre: Pop-Rock, Classic Pop-Rock)

Joy To The World is a truly joyous rock song, penned by the terrific and under-rated singer-songwriter Hoyt Atxon. The song was a number one hit for Three Dog Night in 1970.

From The Album: Naturally (1970); and if you’re looking for an intro to the group’s music – check out The Complete Singles (2004) – it is available for instant checkout through Hoopla.

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Love At The Five And Dime by Nanci Griffith (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Country)

Love At The Five And Dime is an excellent example of the great storytelling songs written and performed by the crystal voiced singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith. Griffith, recorded more than twenty albums during her thirty odd year career; and one of her best albums, is the one this song appears on, The Last Of The True Believers.

From The Album: The Last Of The True Believers (1986).

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Look Out Heart by Connie Smith (Genre: Country)

Look Out Heart is a song from the brand-new album Cry Of The Heart by the great country singer Connie Smith.

From The Album: Cry Of The Heart (2021).

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Snakes Crawl by Shannon & The Clams (Genre: Pop-Rock)

A rather dreamy tune by Shannon & The Clams, a band that likes to play rock in a variety of historical rock genres.

From The Album: Year Of The Spider (2021)

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What A What a Diff’rence a Day Makes  A Day Makes by Dinah Washington (Genre: Vocal, Jazz, Blues,  R&B)

An upbeat love song by the terrific vocalist Dinah Washington.

From The Album: What a Diff’rence a Day Makes (1959).

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

A Boy Named Charlie Brown by The Vince Guaraldi Trio (Genre: Instrumental, Soundtrack, Jazz)

I’m probably showing my vintage, but if you grew up watching the Charlie Brown TV specials on TV, you too heard the great music that backed the action!

And that terrific music was performed by the jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi and the other members of his trio. And this album, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, features that terrific music!

And from the album, the song:

Linus & Lucy by the Vince Guaraldi Trio

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

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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

The Digital Catalog, web version

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 stores.

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Hoopla

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

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

The next Library Connections video will be posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

Have a great day,
Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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 (OverDrive & Libby apps) and Hoopla eBooks & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla App).

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

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

The next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

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Above the Rain: A Novel by Víctor Del Árbol

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

This translation of the contemplative 2017 novel by former police officer del Arbol (A Million Drops) spans decades and nations to tell an epic story about two death-haunted people trying to outrun their pasts. When Miguel and Helena meet in a nursing home in southernmost Spain–he a Spanish former bank executive in the early stages of Alzheimer’s; she a Tangiers-born Briton whose mother tried to kill her as a child before killing herself–they find connection with one another. The suicide of a mutual acquaintance leads them on a journey to Sweden. There, in a separate narrative, Yasmina, a beautiful young Moroccan woman in a “complicated situation” with a deputy police chief, is forced to help pay off her loathsome grandfather’s debt to the criminal underworld. The sprawling narrative, Vargas Llosian in scope, swells even further to include political undercurrents dating back to the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Francoism. Del Arbol writes insightfully about aging and the effects of generational trauma, and his characters are richly drawn, but too often they get bogged down by portentous dialogue.

VERDICT Readers of his previous works will welcome the author’s ambition, but fans of crime fiction may struggle with the meandering pace and abandon the story before he successfully pulls all the threads together. –Michael Pucci, South Orange P.L., NJ

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The Bone Fire by György Dragomán

(Available Format: Print Book)

At the start of this evocative work of magic realism from Dragomán (The White King), 13-year-old Emma, who’s been living since the death of her parents in an orphanage in an unnamed city and country that’s recently overthrown its Communist government, is claimed by a grandmother she didn’t know existed. The grandmother convinces Emma with a bit of magic that they’re related. At her grandmother’s house, Emma regularly observes and participates in minor bits of domestic magic, such as interacting with her grandfather’s ghost and engaging in homely rituals. At school, she faces mean girls as she tries to find where she fits in, eventually becoming part of the long-distance running team. Some accuse her grandfather of having been an informer for the previous regime, but others dismiss that as nonsense. Below the surface, violence is still simmering from the revolution that could strike close to Emma. One small incident follows another until some dramatic action in the final pages. The striking mix of magical elements and post-Communist setting compensates for the lack of much of a plot. Fans of Gabriel García Márquez may want to have a look.

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Bluegrass Undercover by Kathleen Brooks

(Available Formats: Print Book)

This is the first book in the Bluegrass Brothers series, which includes USA Today BestSelling titles Rising Storm and Acquiring Trouble. This is the follow-up series to the bestselling Bluegrass Series.

When danger and passions flare it’s best to find cover…

Cade Davies is a former Special Forces soldier who is now a high school teacher and football coach. And something is trying to kill his players. He’s been too busy trying to keep his players alive, while also avoiding the Davies Brothers marriage trap set by half the town, to pay attention and to the fiery redhead who has swept into his small town.

DEA Agent Annie Blake was undercover to bust a drug ring that preys on high school athletes in the adorable, small town of Keeneston. She had thought to keep her head down and listen to the local gossip to find the maker of this deadly drug. What Annie didn’t count on was becoming the local gossip. With marriage bets being placed and an entire town aiming to win the pot, Annie looks to Cade for help in bringing down the drug ring before another kid is killed. What she didn’t intend on was becoming the next target.

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Damnation Spring: A Novel by Ash Davidson

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The giant redwood was named the 24-7 about 100 years ago, when it was 24 feet, 7 inches wide. By 1977, it was more than 30 feet wide. For Rich Gundersen, the 24-7 and the ridge of unfelled forest it inhabits represent generations of dreams, and when he gets the chance to buy it, he takes it. He doesn’t immediately tell his wife, Colleen, younger by 19 years and suffering after the latest in a series of miscarriages. But mysterious skulls, illnesses, mudslides, and threats soon endanger his plans. The couple and their one child, a five-year-old boy, are surrounded by a close-knit timber community, including Colleen’s sister and her brood of six kids, an old friend who leaves his property with a drive-through redwood tree about once a decade but still knows all the goings-on about town, and Daniel, Colleen’s Yurok ex-boyfriend, who comes back into the picture. Their struggles and heartbreaks play out on the richly rendered backdrop of a community on the brink of major change. Booklist Review

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The Gospel According To Billy The Kid

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Like many good stories of the old West, this one begins in a saloon. In 1914 in El Paso, Texas, two strangers strike up a conversation at the bar—Bill Roberts, a real-life figure who died in Hico, Texas, in 1950, and a former US Army scout whose brother knew Roberts by another name: Billy the Kid.

So begins The Gospel According to Billy the Kid, a tale of the old New Mexico territory, corrupt lawmen, honest ranchers, murder, betrayal, and the explosive events of the Lincoln County War that sent young Billy off seeking justice—and headed toward a bloody rendezvous with a sheriff hired to track him down. In the saloon Roberts has us imagine another story, told thirty-three years later over shots of whiskey, about a young outlaw given a second chance to find himself, to find peace, and to finally grow up and out from under the shadow of his own infamy.

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Puppet Master by Dale Brown

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

In Dale Brown’s Puppet Master, intelligent machines take center stage as America battles the Russian mafia in Eastern Europe

Louis Massina is revolutionizing the field of robotics. His technological wonders are capable of locating disaster survivors, preventing nuclear meltdowns, and replacing missing limbs. After one of Massina’s creations makes a miraculous rescue, an FBI agent recruits him to pursue criminals running a massive financial scam—and not coincidentally, suspected of killing the agent’s brother. Massina agrees to deploy a surveillance “bot” that uses artificial intelligence to follow its target. But when he’s thrust into a dangerous conspiracy, the billionaire inventor decides to take matters into his own hands, unleashing the greatest cyber-weapons in the world and becoming the Puppet Master.

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Red Traitor: A Novel by Owen Matthews

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Matthews returns to the story of Alexander Vasin, a KGB major during the height of the Cold War (following Black Sun, 2019). Here Vasin finds himself caught in a power struggle between his superior and the head of the GRU, the KGB’s rival security agency. With the Cuban Missile Crisis coming to a boil, Vasin is tracking a suspected GRU spy who may be feeding secret documents to the Americans. Working his sources, Vasin picks up hints that a submarine flotilla is nearing Cuba, with each ship secretly carrying nuclear-tipped torpedoes. Expertly jumping between Vasin’s dilemma–his boss wants him to sit on the as-yet-unconfirmed submarine story, hoping it will blow up in the face of the GRU chief–and the equally fraught drama faced by the commander of the flotilla, Vasily Arkhipov, who is in a power struggle of his own. Arkhipov directs the flotilla, but the subs remain under the operational command of their captains. Unfortunately, Arkhipov’s sub, out of radio contact and being tracked by American destroyers, is controlled by a hotheaded captain eager to deploy his secret weapon. Basing both his plotlines on actual events and real people, Matthews generates remarkable tension in this perfectly executed two-pronged thriller, with the submarine story proving especially dramatic, evoking both The Hunt for Red October and the high-tension cat-and-mouse game portrayed in the classic WWII submarine film The Enemy Below. Booklist Review

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The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Adams’s winsome debut follows a widower who takes up reading in order to honor the memory of his wife. After Londoner Mukesh’s wife, Naina, dies, he picks up the book she was reading before she died, The Time-Traveler’s Wife, hoping “to turn the black letters and yellowed pages into a letter from Naina to him.” When he later returns the book to the library, he meets the restless and prickly 17-year-old library worker Aleisha, who reluctantly took the job after encouragement from her troubled older brother, also a bookworm. As time passes, Mukesh and Aleisha become good friends, with Mukesh and his granddaughter, Priya, joining in on a reading list Aleisha found tucked in a returned book, which includes such classics as To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women, and Beloved. When the creator of the list is revealed, there isn’t much in the way of surprise, but it gains emotional resonance after Adams links the list to a late-breaking tragic event. Adams is a brisk and solid plotter, and has an easy hand with creating characters who are easy to root for. Readers will be charmed and touched. Publishers Weekly Review

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The Rehearsals by Annette Christie

(Available Formats: Print Book)

In this delightful and romantic debut novel―with a Groundhog Day twist―a couple calls off their wedding after a disastrous rehearsal dinner, only to wake up the next morning trapped in a time loop. Together.

Two people. One wedding. No end in sight.

“A sweet, delightful romance.” —People

“Irresistible.” —Elin Hilderbrand

“An enchanting and compelling look at life’s what-if’s.” —Helen Hoang

“Terrific fun from beginning to end.” —Sarah Haywood

Megan Givens and Tom Prescott are heading into what is supposed to be their magical wedding weekend on beautiful San Juan Island. But with two difficult families, ten years of history, and all too many secrets, things quickly go wrong. After a disastrous rehearsal dinner they vow to call the whole thing off—only to wake up the next morning stuck together in a time loop. Are they really destined to relive the worst day of their lives, over and over? And what happens if their wedding day does arrive?

A funny, romantic, and big-hearted debut novel, The Rehearsals imagines what we might do if given a second chance at life and at love—and what it means to finally get both right.

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The Turnout by Meghan Abbott

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick
Bestselling and award-winning author Megan Abbott’s revelatory and mesmerizing new novel set against the hothouse of a family-run ballet studio.

With their long necks and matching buns and pink tights, Dara and Marie Durant have been dancers since they can remember. Growing up, they were homeschooled and trained by their glamorous mother, founder of the Durant School of Dance. After their parents’ death in a tragic accident nearly a dozen years ago, the sisters began running the school together, along with Charlie, Dara’s husband and once their mother’s prized student.

Marie, warm and soft, teaches the younger students; Dara, with her precision, trains the older ones; and Charlie, sidelined from dancing after years of injuries, rules over the back office. Circling around one another, the three have perfected a dance, six days a week, that keeps the studio thriving. But when a suspicious accident occurs, just at the onset of the school’s annual performance of The Nutcracker—a season of competition, anxiety, and exhilaration—an interloper arrives and threatens the sisters’ delicate balance.

Taut and unnerving, The Turnout is Megan Abbott at the height of her game. With uncanny insight and hypnotic writing, it is a sharp and strange dissection of family ties and sexuality, femininity and power, and a tale that is both alarming and irresistible.

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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, a catalog containing eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, Digital Magazines and a handful of streaming videos, 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 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.

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

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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 Audiobooks), 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 postings are published on Sundays; and the next New York Times Bestselling blog posting will be published on Sunday, August 22, 2021.

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FICTION

BILLY SUMMERS by Stephen King

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

A killer for hire who only takes out bad guys seeks redemption as he does one final job.

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BLACK ICE by Brad Thor

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

The 20th book in the Scot Harvath series. The American spy faces dangers in the Arctic Circle.

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BLIND TIGER by Sandra Brown

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

During Prohibition, Thatcher Hutton and Laurel Plummer wind up on opposite sides of a moonshine war in Texas.

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THE CELLIST by Daniel Silva

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

The 21st book in the Gabriel Allon series. A private intelligence service plans an act of violence that will aid Russia and divide America.

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CLASS ACT by Stuart Woods

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

The 58th book in the Stone Barrington series. An old feud flares up again in New York City.

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THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley

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

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

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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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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

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

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MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of summer. But over the course of 24 hours, their lives will change forever.

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

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

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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NOT A HAPPY FAMILY by Shari Lapena

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

Questions arise when a rich couple are murdered after an Easter dinner with their three adult children.

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ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES by Charlotte McConaghy

(Available Formats: Print Book)

Twin sisters lead a team of biologists to reintroduce 14 gray wolves into the Scottish Highlands.

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THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller

(Available Formats: Print Book)

After an extramarital dalliance, Elle must choose between her husband and her childhood love.

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PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Opposites Poppy and Alex meet to vacation together one more time in hopes of saving their relationship.

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PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

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

Matthew Keating, a past president and former Navy SEAL, goes on his own to find his abducted teenage daughter.

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THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

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

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TURNOUT by Megan Abbott

(Available Formats: Print Book)

An accident upsets the composure of a family-run ballet studio.

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WE ARE THE BRENNANS by Tracey Lange

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

After a drunken-driving incident, Sunday Brennan returns to her family in New York where her past follows her.

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WE WERE NEVER HERE by Andrea Bartz

(Available Formats: eBook)

Will the secrets Emily shares with Kristen about violent incidents in the past ruin her life?

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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 MARXISM by Mark R. Levin

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Fox News host gives his take on the Green New Deal, critical race theory and social activism.

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

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

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

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson

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

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

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CRYING IN H MART by Michelle Zauner

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The daughter of a Korean mother and Jewish-American father, and leader of the indie rock project Japanese Breakfast, describes creating her own identity after losing her mother to cancer.

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey

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

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

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HERE, RIGHT MATTERS by Alexander Vindman

(Available Formats: Print Book & Large Print)

The retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel recounts his actions that led to the impeachment of President Trump and his testimony before Congress.

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HOW I SAVED THE WORLD by Jesse Watters

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Fox News host recounts his career and prescribes ways to defend against what he considers left-wing radicalism.

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I ALONE CAN FIX IT by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker

(Available Formats: eBook & Downloadable Audiobook)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters examine Trump’s final year in office, with a focus on the key players around him.

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KILLING THE MOB by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The 10th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series looks at organized crime in the United States during the 20th century.

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THE PREMONITION by Michael Lewis

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Stories of skeptics who went against the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of Covid-19. The profiles include a local public-health officer and a group of doctors nicknamed the Wolverines.

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THIS IS YOUR MIND ON PLANTS by Michael Pollan

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A look at arbitrary beliefs surrounding opium, caffeine and mescaline, which are derived from plants.

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UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

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

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

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WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

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

An approach to dealing with trauma that shifts an essential question used to investigate it.

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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.

–

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

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

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

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

–

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

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

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

–

Also 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, August 20, 2021.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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Back In Baby’s Arms by Allen Toussaint (Genre: R&B, Pop-Rock)

Back In Baby’s Arms is one of the ten great songs on Toussaint’s classic album Southern Nights.

From The Album: Southern Nights (1975)

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Because They’re Young by Duane Eddy (Genre: Instrumental, Rock)

A classic song from the Corning-born guitarist Duane Eddy – a hit in 1960.

From The Album: $1,000,000 Worth Of Twang (1960)

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Lost And Lookin’ by Sam Cooke (Genre: Vocal, R&B)

A terrific song and album by the great soul singer Sam Cooke!

From The Album: Night Beat (1963)

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Love Shack by the B-52s (Genre: Pop-Rock, Dance, New Wave)

The B 52’s formed in 1976, the original line-up consisting of Fred Schneider on vocals and percussion, Ricky Wilson on guitar, multi-instrumentalist Kate Pierson on vocals,  multi-instrumentalist  Cindy Wilson on vocals and Keith Strickland on drums, guitar and keyboards. Ricky Wilson died in 1985 and the band, from then on a quartet, continues to perform and record. Love Shack was a big hit for the quartet in 1989.

From The Album: Cosmic Thing (1989)

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Maybe Baby by Buddy Holly & The Crickets (Genre: Rock, Classic Rock)

One of the best rock songs of all time, recorded by the great singer and guitarist Buddy Holly!

From The Album: Chirping Crickets (1957)

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Party Time by The Heptones (Genre: Reggae, Party Music, Dance)

A mellow party song from the Jamaican based Heptones, led by vocalist and bassist Leroy Sibbles

From The Album: On Top (1970)

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Party Time by Marcia Ball (Genre: Blues)

Pianist and singer Marcia Ball is a gem of a blues musician, who isn’t nearly as well known as she should be! She launched a recording career in the seventies, has released a number of albums for Rounder Records and Alligator Records over the years and played many concerts. The song Party Time has just been reissued on the celebratory collection “Alligator Records 50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin’ Music.”

From the Albums: Alligator Records 50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin’ Music (2021) by various artists and Peace, Love & BBQ (2008) by Marcia Ball.

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Some Ancient Misty Morning by Jackie Leven (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk)

Jackie Leven was a talented singer-songwriter and musician who played music in a variety of styles including folk, blues and punk. He was a founding member and lead singer of the punk group Doll by Doll in the seventies and eighties. Leven took a long break from recording from the early eighties to the mid-nineties and then launched a solo recording career recording 20 albums under his own name from 1995 to 2008, and several other albums under the name Sir Vincent Lone. His solo work tends to be grounded in folk music and this year – his first ever greatest hits collection has been released – Straight Outtta Caledonia (2021).

From The Album: Straight Outta Caledonia: The Songs of Jackie Leven (2021)

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To Sir, With Love by Lulu (Genre: Pop, Vocal)

From The Album(s): Originally from the soundtrack to the film To Sir, From Love (1967); now available on the album: Greatest Hits (1976) by Lulu.

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Your Mind Is On Vacation by Mose Allison (Genre: Jazz, Piano)

A humorous song that features a singer contemplating the joys of silence – ironically, while offering listeners great piano playing.

From The Album: Complete Atlantic/Electra Albums 1962-1983 (2021) (Genre: Jazz)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

Back To The Crossroads: The Roots of Robert Johnson (2004) by Various Artists

A collection of classic acoustic blues songs, recorded in the early twentieth century, by artists who influenced the monumental blues guitarist and singer – Robert Johnson.

And from the album, the song:

Life Saver Blues (1927) by Lonnie Johnson

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

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The Digital Catalog (OverDrive & Libby Apps)

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

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Hoopla

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

–

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

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

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 (OverDrive & Libby apps) and Hoopla eBooks & Hoopla Downloadable Audiobooks (Hoopla App).

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

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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Tuesdays.

The next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Tuesday, August 17, 2021.

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Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books by Jess McHugh

(Available Formats: Print Book)

In a work spanning literary criticism and history, journalist McHugh explores a series of popular nonfiction books that fostered stereotypical American values, such as entrepreneurship, individualism, or fealty to family and community, and also conveyed practical knowledge. She investigates primarily works written by Christian white men’s works whose books were used to encourage assimilation in people who were perceived as “other.”

Her analysis includes works such as The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Webster’s spellers and dictionaries, the fictional Betty Crocker’s cookbooks, McGuffey Readers, and Catharine Beecher’s A Treatise on Domestic Economy. Notably, she also examines Emily Post’s Etiquette, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, David Reuben’s Everything You Always Wanted To Know about Sex (But Were Afraid To Ask), and the rise of self-help books during the 1980s. McHugh used distribution data to select the 13 prescriptive books of the title, volumes that became part of the national conversation, illuminating social and cultural concerns and pointing to characteristics that came to be associated with American national identity. General readers and history devotees might enjoy this compilation and its use of corporate archival and secondary sources; they might also have additions to suggest.

VERDICT McHugh’s work is distinctive and engaging as it describes American social history through the lens of mainstream nonfiction advice books, and explores how they define or redefine us.– Library Journal Review

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Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

(Available Format: Print)

The giant redwood was named the 24-7 about 100 years ago, when it was 24 feet, 7 inches wide. By 1977, it was more than 30 feet wide. For Rich Gundersen, the 24-7 and the ridge of unfelled forest it inhabits represent generations of dreams, and when he gets the chance to buy it, he takes it. He doesn’t immediately tell his wife, Colleen, younger by 19 years and suffering after the latest in a series of miscarriages. But mysterious skulls, illnesses, mudslides, and threats soon endanger his plans. The couple and their one child, a five-year-old boy, are surrounded by a close-knit timber community, including Colleen’s sister and her brood of six kids, an old friend who leaves his property with a drive-through redwood tree about once a decade but still knows all the goings-on about town, and Daniel, Colleen’s Yurok ex-boyfriend, who comes back into the picture. Their struggles and heartbreaks play out on the richly rendered backdrop of a community on the brink of major change.

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Don’t Let It Get You Down by Savala Nolan

(Available Formats: Print Book)

In her book of vulnerable yet voluble personal essays on weight and multiracial identity, Nolan (executive director, Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, Univ. of California Berkeley Sch. of Law) shares her experiences of feeling “like a spy,” an outsider in the relationships she formed with people whose privilege invests them with “layers of meaning even they didn’t understand because fish never fully understand the water.” She describes her writing as a new cartography–a body mapping of sorts, through which she takes the relentless dislocations that created her identity and transforms them into her own narratives. She writes with humor and power about seeking approval from white men because of their aura of authority, and she telescopes out of specific experiences to explore how we uncomfortably navigate society to carve out our own valuable space within a social hierarchy. Nolan writes that her self-loathing led to a series of destructive romantic and platonic relationships. She’s notably honest about navigating various contradictions in her life and demonstrates how the insistence on “either/or” rigidity limits relationships, both between and within individuals. VERDICT Nolan’s writing on identity and self-worth is captivating from start to finish; her words will resonate long after the last page.- Starred Library Journal Review

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Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

New to The Hague, an unnamed interpreter works in the International Court, her job “to ensure that there would be no escape route between languages.” Describing herself as “guarded,” she has one close friend and dates Adriaan, who’s in a protracted separation from his wife and children. The day before his departure, Adriaan informs the interpreter that he must visit his family in Lisbon and will be gone for a week, maybe more. As a week becomes a month and his communication with her wanes, she’s assigned the high-profile case of a former president accused of election tampering and ethnic cleansing. The defense team for the accused, inured by now to descriptions of his crimes, in addition to requiring her interpretation skills, exploits her emotions as a barometer for the court’s reaction to them. Like her protagonist, Kitamura (A Separation, 2017) is a master of precisely evocative language. In her work and in her isolation, the interpreter recognizes how familiarity can obscure intimacy, while its lack can yet lead to discomfiting proximity. The novel takes place so deeply within her that it’s truly personlike, at once forthright and mysterious, a piercing and propulsive meditation on closeness of many sorts.

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Lighthouse Island: A Novel by Paulette Jiles

(Available Formats: Print Book & Hoopla Instant checkout eBook)

Paulette Jiles, the bestselling author of the highly praised novels The Color of Lightning, Stormy Weather, News of the World, and Enemy Women, pushes into new territory with Lighthouse Island-a captivating and atmospheric story set in the far future-a literary dystopian tale resonant with love and hope. In the coming centuries the world’s population has exploded. The earth is crowded with cities, animals are nearly all extinct, and drought is so widespread that water is rationed. There are no maps, no borders, no numbered years, and no freedom, except for an elite few. It is a harsh world for an orphan like Nadia Stepan. Growing up, she dreams of a green vacation spot called Lighthouse Island, in a place called the Pacific Northwest. When an opportunity for escape arises, Nadia embarks on a dangerous and sometimes comic adventure. Along the way she meets a man who changes the course of her life: James Orotov, a mapmaker and demolition expert. Together, they evade arrest and head north toward a place of wild beauty that lies beyond the megapolis-Lighthouse Island.

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Sea Wolf by Anna Burke

(Available Formats: Hoopla instant checkout eBook)

In the year 2514, the only thing more dangerous than the seas is those who sail them.

Life aboard the mercenary ship Man o’ War is rarely dull as hurricanes, swarms of jellyfish, and man-eating squid pose daily doses of danger. As intrigue and subterfuge from enemies old and new begin to surround its captain, the infamous Miranda Stillwater, even an uncanny sense of direction won’t be enough to help Compass Rose navigate these dangerous straits. As dark secrets bubble to the surface and everything she’s fought so hard for begins to crumble, Rose learns the hard way that she’ll have to rely on the only person who can save her from certain disaster. Unfortunately, that person is Compass Rose herself.

This swashbuckling 26th-century high-seas adventure novel is fast-paced, whip-smart, and quirky, yet it manages to deliver a healthy dose of heart, humor, and humility on every single page.
Readers’ Note: This is the second book in the Rose Compass series; the first book titled simply Compass Rose, is available for instant checkout through Hoopla.

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The Stranger Behind You: A Novel by Carol Goodman

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The same night that magazine journalist Joan Lurie, the narrator of this superior thriller from Mary Higgins Clark Award winner Goodman (The Sea of Lost Girls), celebrates the publication of her article exposing newspaper tycoon Caspar Osgood as a sexual predator, she’s attacked outside her Manhattan apartment. With a hefty advance for a book based on her story, Joan moves for her safety into the Refuge, an imposing, high-security building uptown, which once housed unwed mothers who were treated as near prisoners by the resident nuns. Osgood commits suicide in the wake of the exposé, leaving his wife, Melissa, in disgrace with insurmountable debt. Looking for revenge, Melissa moves into the Refuge, planning to discredit Joan’s story. Meanwhile, Joan befriends elderly Lillian Day, a longtime Refuge resident, whose tales of her youth resonate with Joan. Joan’s discovery of a link between her book and Lillian raises the stakes. The plot takes many terrifying twists and turns en route to the surprising climax. Those with a taste for the gothic will be richly rewarded. Starred Publishers Weekly Review

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The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Another twisty and unsettling domestic psychological thriller (following The Wife Stalker, 2020) from established book-club favorite Liv Constantine, the pen name of sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine. Their previous titles are in development for both TV and film. So who is Addison Hope? She doesn’t even know. Two years ago, she was rescued by a kind driver who found her injured on the side of the road. She does not remember anything that happened before that, but is tortured by intermittent violent images from what she assumes is her earlier life. Addie has made a new life for herself in Philadelphia and is engaged to be married. Her wealthy prospective mother-in-law hires a private investigator to investigate what she fears is feigned amnesia. Meanwhile, a man in Boston wonders what happened to his wife, who disappeared without a trace, leaving him and their seven-year-old daughter behind. At the intersection of their lives there is a shattering truth that unfolds in a toney drama, certain to appeal to fans of the genre. Booklist Review

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Strangers On A Train by Patricia Highsmith

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

In Patricia Highsmith’s debut novel, we encounter Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno, passengers on the same train. But while Guy is a successful architect in the midst of a divorce, Bruno turns out to be a sadistic psychopath who manipulates Guy into swapping murders with him. As Bruno carries out his twisted plan, Guy is trapped in Highsmith’s perilous world-where, under the right circumstances, anybody is capable of murder. The inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1951 film, Strangers on a Train launched Highsmith on a prolific career of noir fiction, and proved her mastery of depicting the unsettling forces that tremble beneath the surface of everyday contemporary life.

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The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta

(Available Formats: eBook)

Married couple Clements and Datta use a playful trope to confront weighty issues in their excellent debut, a romance that’s as timely as it is heartfelt. British Indian actor Whitman “Win” Tagore is an A-lister who’s used to keeping tight control of her public image—and lately, she’s been working double time. When her ex-boyfriend has a public meltdown and Win is caught in the fray, it’s Leo Milanowski, her longtime friend and frequent faux beau, who comes to her rescue. For seven years, the white, wealthy playboy has played Win’s on-again, off-again lover for the tabloids, so Win’s publicist arranges for the pair to be spotted having a summer fling on the French Riviera to steal the attention away from Win’s breakup. Leo and Win easily fall back into their established patterns, but just when the line between reality and pretend starts to blur, a secret from Leo’s past surfaces and the validity of their relationship—both personally and professionally—is called to question. The authors’ slow-burning approach to Leo and Win’s relationship and fearless tackling of racism breathes new life into a favorite trope. The characters leap off the page, and their dialogue, whether flirting or fighting, is always believable. Readers will come for the swoon-worthy romance and stay for the beautiful prose. 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, a catalog containing eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, Digital Magazines and a handful of streaming videos, 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 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.

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

–

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 latest edition of Library Connections, our weekly readers, viewers and listeners advisory videocast.

The next Library Connections video will be posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2021.

Have a great day,
Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

Each title is followed by a listing of which formats it is available in for check out within the three catalogs: StarCat (Print, Large Print & CD Audiobooks), 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 postings are published on Sundays; and the next New York Times Bestselling blog posting will be published on Sunday, August 15, 2021.

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FICTION

BLACK ICE by Brad Thor

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

The 20th book in the Scot Harvath series. The American spy faces dangers in the Arctic Circle.

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THE CELLIST by Daniel Silva

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

The 21st book in the Gabriel Allon series. A private intelligence service plans an act of violence that will aid Russia and divide America.

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DEVIL IN DISGUISE by Lisa Kleypas

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The seventh book in the Ravenels series. Lady Merritt Sterling falls for a Scottish whisky distiller who is in danger.

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THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah

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

As dust storms roll during the Great Depression, Elsa must choose between saving the family and farm or heading West.

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GOLDEN GIRL by Elin Hilderbrand

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

A Nantucket novelist gets one final summer to watch what happens from the great beyond

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

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

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

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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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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

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

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THE MAIDENS by Alex Michaelides

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

A therapist suspects a Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University of committing murder.

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MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid

(Available Formats: Print Book & Downloadable Audiobook)

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of summer. But over the course of 24 hours, their lives will change forever.

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

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

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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NOT A HAPPY FAMILY by Shari Lapena

(Available Formats: Print Book & CD Audiobook)

Questions arise when a rich couple are murdered after an Easter dinner with their three adult children.

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THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller

(Available Formats: Print Book)

After an extramarital dalliance, Elle must choose between her husband and her childhood love.

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PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Opposites Poppy and Alex meet to vacation together one more time in hopes of saving their relationship.

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PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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

A Black woman who becomes one of the most powerful people in the art and book world is forced to hide her true identity.

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PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

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

Matthew Keating, a past president and former Navy SEAL, goes on his own to find his abducted teenage daughter.

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PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

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THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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

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

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THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller

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

A reimagining of Homer’s “Iliad” that is narrated by Achilles’ companion Patroclus.

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SOOLEY by John Grisham

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

Samuel Sooleymon receives a basketball scholarship to North Carolina Central and determines to bring his family over from a civil war-ravaged South Sudan.

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A TIME FOR MERCY by John Grisham

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

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

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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 MARXISM by Mark R. Levin

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The Fox News host gives his take on the Green New Deal, critical race theory and social activism.

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THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk

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

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

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BOMBER MAFIA by Malcolm Gladwell

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

A look at the key players and outcomes of precision bombing during World War II.

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BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer

A botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation espouses having an understanding and appreciation of plants and animals.

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CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson

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

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

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CRYING IN H MART by Michelle Zauner

(Available Formats: Print Book & eBook)

The daughter of a Korean mother and Jewish-American father, and leader of the indie rock project Japanese Breakfast, describes creating her own identity after losing her mother to cancer.

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GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey

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

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

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I ALONE CAN FIX IT by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker

The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters examine Trump’s final year in office, with a focus on the key players around him.

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KILLING THE MOB by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

(Available Formats: Print Book)

The 10th book in the conservative commentator’s Killing series looks at organized crime in the United States during the 20th century.

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THINK AGAIN by Adam Grant

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

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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THIS IS YOUR MIND ON PLANTS by Michael Pollan

(Available Formats: Print Book)

A look at arbitrary beliefs surrounding opium, caffeine and mescaline, which are derived from plants.

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UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

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

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

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THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS by Isabel Wilkerson

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

An account of the Great Migration of 1915-70, in which nearly six million African-Americans abandoned the South.

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WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

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

An approach to dealing with trauma that shifts an essential question used to investigate it.

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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.

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

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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, August 13, 2021.

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And here are the 10 recommended songs of the week!

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It Had To Be You by Ray Charles (Genre: Vocal, R&B)

From The Album: The Genius of Ray Charles (1959)

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Love Special Delivery by Los Lobos (Genre: Americana, Pop-Rock, Folk, Country)

From The Album: Native Sons (2021)

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Moondance by Van Morrison (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Pop-Rock, Vocal, Folk)

From The Album: Moondance (1970)

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Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (Genre: Big Band, Swing)

From The Album: The Essential Glenn Miller (2005)

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One For My Baby, And One More For The Road by Frank Sinatra (Genre: Vocal, Pop)

From The Album: The Ultimate Sinatra (2015)

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Summer Breeze by Seals & Croft (Genre: Pop, Rock)

From The Album: Summer Breeze (1972)

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Today by Jefferson Airplane (Genre: Rock, Classic Rock)

From The Album: Surrealistic Pillow (1967)

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What’s The Matter Now by James McMurtry (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Country, Americana)

Genre: The Horses and the Hounds (2021).

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Wild Is The Wind by Ledisi (Genre: Vocal, Jazz, R&B)

From The Album: Ledisi Sings Nina (2021)

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You’ve Got What It Takes by Dinah Washington & Brooks Benton (Genre: Vocal, R&B, Jazz)

From The Album: The Two Of Us (1960)

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Hoopla Recommend Album of the Week

The Complete Studio Albums by The Doors (Genre: Rock)

All the studio albums of the great rock band!

And from the collection, the song:

Riders On The Storm

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And as a Doors related bons – here is a great version of the same song, Riders On The Storm by George Winston

From The George Winston Album: Night Divides The Day: The Music of the Doors (2002).

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Have a great weekend,

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

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Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

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The Digital Catalog (OverDrive & Libby Apps)

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

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Hoopla

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

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Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.