Tag: Corning

Suggested Reading Five: January 15, 2025

Linda Reimer

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

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

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

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Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire  

Giant turtles, impossible ships, and tidal rivers ridden by a Drowned girl in search of a family in the latest in the bestselling Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire. 

Nadya had three mothers: the one who bore her, the country that poisoned her, and the one who adopted her. 

Nadya never considered herself less than whole, not until her adoptive parents fitted her with a prosthetic arm against her will, seeking to replace the one she’d been missing from birth. 

It was cumbersome; it was uncomfortable; it was wrong. 

It wasn’t her. 

Frustrated and unable to express why, Nadya began to wander, until the day she fell through a door into Belyrreka, the Land Beneath the Lake—and found herself in a world of water, filled with child-eating amphibians, majestic giant turtles, and impossible ships that sailed as happily beneath the surface as on top. In Belyyreka, she found herself understood for who she was: a Drowned Girl, who had made her way to her real home, accepted by the river and its people. 

But even in Belyyreka, there are dangers, and trials, and Nadya would soon find herself fighting to keep hold of everything she had come to treasure. 

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Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman by Brooke Shields  

From generational icon Brooke Shields comes an intimate and empowering exploration of aging that flips the script on the idea of what it means for a woman to grow older 

Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinized, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of scrutiny: that of being a “woman of a certain age.” 

And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she’s changing the narrative about women and aging. 

This is an era, insists Brooke, when women are reclaiming agency and power, not receding into the shadows. These are the years when we get to decide how we want to live—when we get to write our own stories. 

With remarkable candor, Brooke bares all, painting a vibrant and optimistic picture of being a woman in the prime of her life, while dismantling the myths that have, for too long, dimmed that perception. Sharing her own life experiences with humor and humility, and weaving together research and reporting, Brooke takes aim at the systemic factors that contribute to age-related bias. 

By turns inspiring, moving, and galvanizing, Brooke’s honesty and vulnerability will resonate with women everywhere, and spark a new conversation about the power and promise of midlife. 

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Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney  

Following the mysterious disappearance of his wife, a struggling London novelist journeys to a remote Scottish island to try to get his mojo back–but all, of course, is not what it seems. Grady Green hits the pinnacle of his publishing career on the same night that his life goes off the rails–first his book lands on the New York Times bestseller list, and then his wife, Abby, goes missing on her way home. A year later, Grady is a mere shadow of his former self: out of money and out of ideas. So, when his agent, Abby’s godmother, suggests that he spend some time on the Isle of Amberly, in a log cabin left to her by one of her writers, it seems as good a plan as any. With free housing for himself and his dog and a beautiful, distraction-free environment, maybe he can finally complete the next novel. But from the very beginning, Grady’s experiences with Amberly seem weird, if not downright ominous: As a visitor, he’s not allowed to bring his car onto the island; the local businesses are only open for a few hours at a time; and there are no birds. At all. Not to mention the skeletal hand he finds buried under the floorboards of the cabin, the creepy harmonica music in the woods, and the occasional sighting of a woman in a red coat who’s a dead ringer for Abby. As Grady falls deeper and deeper into insomnia and alcoholism, he begins to realize his being on the island is no accident–and that should make him very afraid. Through occasional chapters from before Abby’s disappearance, told from her point of view, we learn that Grady is not necessarily a reliable narrator, and the book’s slow unfolding of dread, mystery, and then truth is both creative and well-paced. Every chapter heading is an oxymoron, like the title, reminding us of the contradictions at the heart of every story. “Nasty little fellows…always get their comeuppance,” a movie character once said. Deeply satisfying. – Kirkus Review  

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The Big Empty by Robert Crais  

Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, race to find a terrifying, unidentified killer in this twisting, unpredictable thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais. 

Traci Beller was thirteen when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. Now, ten years later, Traci is a high-profile influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire the best detective she can find: Elvis Cole. 

Elvis heads to Rancha where an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man.  But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a gang of vicious criminals, the missing persons cold case becomes far more sinister. 

Elvis calls his ex-Marine friend, Joe Pike, for help, and they follow Tommy Beller’s trail into the depths of a monstrous, hidden evil. The case flips on its head, victims become predators, predators become prey, and the question becomes:  Can Elvis Cole save them all from this nightmare? 

Reader’s Note: The Big Empty is the twentieth book in the Elvis Cole & Joe Pike series. If you’d like to start reading from the beginning, check out book one: The Monkey’s Raincoat. 

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Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow  

Turow’s latest wraps up the story of Rusty Sabich, Sandy Stern’s unjustly accused client in Presumed Guilty, Turow’s first novel, published in 1987, and in Innocent (2010). Here he transports readers to retired judge Rusty’s quiet life in Mirror Lake with his fiancée, Bea. Rusty and Bea have agreed to supervise her adopted son Aaron’s probation and are proud that he’s maturing into a responsible young man. Unfortunately, Aaron can’t kick his volatile relationship with Mae Potter, the magnetic but self-destructive daughter of a prominent local family. Both families are alarmed when Aaron and Mae drop off the radar; then Aaron finally returns alone. He claims they had a fight while camping and that he hitchhiked home and doesn’t know where Mae is. Mae’s body is soon found, and her autopsy reveals that she was strangled. When Aaron is arrested, Rusty agrees to defend him even though it places his future with Bea on the line. He’ll be fighting uphill. Aaron is Black, has a record, and the population in that section of the state is overwhelmingly white. The trial that follows is a master class in legal suspense as Turow weaves together the devastation of Aaron and Mae’s families, simmering racial prejudice, and the impact of small-town politics within a framework of deliciously tense courtroom dynamics. This is manna for legal-thriller fans.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Given the hit Apple TV+ adaptation of Presumed Innocent, readers will be avid for this conclusion to the trilogy. – Starred Booklist Review  

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Times Bestsellers: January 12, 2025

Linda Reimer

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

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

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

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New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays. And the next NYT blog post will be posted on Sunday, January 12, 2025.

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THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. JAMES by Percival Everett: A reimagining of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” shines a different light on Mark Twain’s classic, revealing new facets of the character of Jim.

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

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

4. WICKED by Gregory Maguire: A misunderstood girl named Elphaba is declared a witch; the basis of the musical and the film.

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

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

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

8. WIND AND TRUTH by Brandon Sanderson: The fifth book in the Stormlight Archive series. The fate of the Cosmere is imperiled as the fighting and chaos reach an apex.

9. IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover: In the sequel to “It Ends With Us,” Lily deals with her jealous ex-husband as she reconnects with her first boyfriend.

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

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

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

13. QUICKSILVER by Callie Hart: Saeris is transported to a dangerous land of ice and snow, where she must contend with a Fae warrior who has suspect agendas.

14. THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon: In Maine, 1789, a midwife seeks to uncover the true cause of the death of a man discovered entombed in the Kennebec River.

15. COUNTING MIRACLES by Nicholas Sparks: A man in search of the father he never knew encounters a single mom and rumors circulate of the nearby appearance of a white deer.

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NON-FICTION

1. THE BACKYARD BIRD CHRONICLES by Amy Tan: Essays and drawings by the author of “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter,” which depict a search for peace through birding.

2. CHER: THE MEMOIR, PART ONE by Cher: In the first part of her memoir, the multiple award-winning pop culture icon traces her childhood and forays into the world of entertainment.

3. FRAMED by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey: Our criminal justice system viewed through the struggles of 10 wrongfully convicted people to achieve exoneration.

4. BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten: A memoir by the cookbook author and Food Network host known as the Barefoot Contessa.

5. MELANIA by Melania Trump: The former and future first lady describes her work as a fashion model, marriage to Donald Trump and time in the White House.

6. THE SERVICEBERRY by Robin Wall Kimmerer: The author of “Braiding Sweetgrass” illuminates how the gift economy in the natural world works and draws lessons for our economy; with illustrations by John Burgoyne.

7. REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell: Through a series of stories, Gladwell explicates the causes of various kinds of epidemics.

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

9. THE SMALL AND THE MIGHTY by Sharon McMahon: A former high school government and law teacher profiles lesser-known Americans who made an impact.

10. GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey: The Academy Award-winning actor shares snippets from the diaries he kept over the last 35 years.

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

12. FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough: Presley’s memoir, completed by her daughter, explores her relationships and challenges.

13. CONFRONTING THE PRESIDENTS by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard: The conservative commentator evaluates the legacies of American presidents.

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

15. NEXUS by Yuval Noah Harari: The author of “Sapiens” delves into how societies and political systems have used information and gives a warning about artificial intelligence.

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Have a great day!

Linda

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THE CATALOGS:

Catalog 1: StarCat

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

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

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Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

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

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

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

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

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Catalog 3: Hoopla

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

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

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

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

New York Times Bestsellers: December 15, 2024

Linda Reimer

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

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

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

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New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays.

And due to the library being closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and rug cleaning from Thursday, November 28 – Saturday, November 30, the next NYT blog post will be posted on Sunday, December 8, 2024

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THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. WICKED by Gregory Maguire: A misunderstood girl named Elphaba is declared a witch; the basis of the musical and the film.

2. THE HOUSE OF CROSS by James Patterson: The 33rd book in the Alex Cross series. Three candidates to the Supreme Court are violently attacked.

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

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

5. JAMES by Percival Everett: A reimagining of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” shines a different light on Mark Twain’s classic, revealing new facets of the character of Jim.

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

7. NOW OR NEVER by Janet Evanovich: The 31st book in the Stephanie Plum series. Caught between two fiancés and not knowing what to do, Plum gets back to business as a bounty hunter.

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

9. TO DIE FOR by David Baldacci: The third book in the 6:20 Man series. Devine digs into the deaths of an orphan’s parents and uncovers a large conspiracy.

10. COUNTING MIRACLES by Nicholas Sparks: A man in search of the father he never knew encounters a single mom and rumors circulate of the nearby appearance of a white deer.

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

12. THE MIRROR by Nora Roberts: The second book in the Lost Bride series. In a haunted mansion, Sonya receives a vision of a bride murdered on her wedding day.

13. THE BOYFRIEND by Freida McFadden: A series of recent deaths causes Sydney Shaw to become suspicious of the handsome doctor she started dating.

14. THE PERFECT MARRIAGE by Jeneva Rose: A criminal defense attorney vows to defend her husband after he is accused of murdering his mistress.

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

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NON-FICTION

1. CHER: THE MEMOIR, PART ONE by Cher: In the first part of her memoir, the multiple award-winning pop culture icon traces her childhood and forays into the world of entertainment.

2. FRAMED by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey: Our criminal justice system viewed through the struggles of 10 wrongfully convicted people to achieve exoneration.

3. MELANIA by Melania Trump: The former and future first lady describes her work as a fashion model, marriage to Donald Trump and time in the White House.

4. THE SERVICEBERRY by Robin Wall Kimmerer: The author of “Braiding Sweetgrass” illuminates how the gift economy in the natural world works and draws lessons for our economy; with illustrations by John Burgoyne.

5. BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten: A memoir by the cookbook author and Food Network host known as the Barefoot Contessa.

6. THE BACKYARD BIRD CHRONICLES by Amy Tan: Essays and drawings by the author of “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter,” which depict a search for peace through birding.

7. CONFRONTING THE PRESIDENTS by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard: The conservative commentator evaluates the legacies of American presidents.

8. REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell: Through a series of stories, Gladwell explicates the causes of various kinds of epidemics.

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

10. FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough: Presley’s memoir, completed by her daughter, explores her relationships and challenges.

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

12. ON TYRANNY by Timothy Snyder: Twenty lessons from the 20th century about the course of tyranny.

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

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

15. HILLBILLY ELEGY by JD Vance: The vice president-elect, in a memoir written shortly after graduating from Yale Law School, looks at the struggles of the white working class through the story of his own childhood.

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Have a great Sunday!

Linda

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THE CATALOGS:

Catalog 1: StarCat

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

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

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Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

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

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

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

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

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Catalog 3: Hoopla

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

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

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

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

Suggested Listening December 6, 2024

Linda Reimer

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 posted on Friday, December 13, 2024.

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And here are our  recommended songs of the week!

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Cold Weather Blues by Muddy Waters

From The Album: Folk Singer (1964)

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The Dark Night of The Soul by Loreena McKennitt

From The Album: The Mask And Mirror Live (2024)

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The Frost Is All Over by The Chieftains

From The Album: Voice Of Ages (2012)

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It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry

From The Album: Highway 61’ Revisited (1965)

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Kisses From The Falling Snow by David Arkenstone

From The Album: Winterlude (2023)

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Like The Weather by 10,000 Maniacs 

From The Album: In My Tribe (1987)

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Shoot The Moon by Norah Jones

From The Album: Come Away With Me (2002)

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Snowfall by Claude Thornhill

From The Album: Snowfall (2002)

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Skating In Central Park by Modern Jazz Quartet

From The Album: The Complete Last Concert (1974)

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Snowy Morning Blues by James P. Johnson

From The Album: Snowy Morning Blues (1991)

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Sometimes In Winter by Blood, Sweat & Tears

From The Album: Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968)

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Winter Lady by Leonard Cohen 

From The Album: Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)

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Winter Moon by Stan Getz

From The Album: Stan Getz With Guest Artist Laurindo Almeida (1963)

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Winter Song by Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles

From The Album: Snowfall EP (2017)

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Hoopla Album of the Week: 

The Winter Winds (2009) by P. E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble  

image

And from the album:

The Winter Winds 

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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

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.

New York Times Bestsellers: November 17, 2024

Linda Reimer

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

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

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713

–

New York Times Bestseller lists are shared via blog post on Sundays. And the next NYT blog post will be posted on Sunday, November 17, 2024.

THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. THE GREY WOLF  by Louise Penny: The 19th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. Shifting alliances complicate the frenzied pursuit of a sinister threat. 

2. IN TOO DEEP by Lee Child and Andrew Child: The 29th book in the Jack Reacher series. Reacher wakes up in a precarious position with no memory of how he got there. 

3. THE BOYFRIEND by Freida McFadden: A series of recent deaths causes Sydney Shaw to become suspicious of the handsome doctor she started dating. 

4. THE WAITING by Michael Connelly: The sixth book in the Ballard and Bosch series. Bosch’s daughter, Maddie, becomes a new volunteer on the cold case unit. 

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

6. THRONE OF SECRETS by Kerri Maniscalco: The second book in the Prince of Sin series. As danger grows, the Prince of Gluttony and a journalist turn to each other. 

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

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

9. THE BLUE HOUR by Paula Hawkins: After a discovery is made in a London art gallery, a woman living alone on an island that once was the home of a famous artist gets a visitor. 

10. COUNTING MIRACLES by Nicholas Sparks: A man in search of the father he never knew encounters a single mom and rumors circulate of the nearby appearance of a white deer. 

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

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

13. THE STRIKER by Ana Huang: A former prima ballerina gets close to a controversial and well-known footballer whom she must train over the summer. 

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

15. LIGHTS OUT by Navessa Allen: As Aly and Josh live out their dark fantasies, someone with sinister intentions impinges on them. 

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NON-FICTION

1. MELANIA by Melania Trump: The former first lady describes her work as a fashion model, marriage to Donald Trump and time in the White House. 

2. FRAMED by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey: Our criminal justice system viewed through the struggles of 10 wrongfully convicted people to achieve exoneration. 

3. WAR by Bob Woodward: The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist looks at our contentious time through battles in Ukraine and the Middle East and for the American presidency. 

4. BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten: A memoir by the cookbook author and Food Network host known as the Barefoot Contessa. 

5. REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell: Through a series of stories, Gladwell explicates the causes of various kinds of epidemics. 

6. FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough: Presley’s memoir, completed by her daughter, explores her relationships and challenges. 

7. THE MESSAGE by Ta-Nehisi Coates: The author of “Between the World and Me” travels to three locations to uncover the dissonance between the realities on the ground and the narratives shaped about them. 

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

9. CONFRONTING THE PRESIDENTS by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard: The conservative commentator evaluates the legacies of American presidents. 

10. PATRIOT by Alexei Navalny: A posthumously published memoir by the late Russian political opposition leader and political prisoner who began writing this after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. 

11. BROTHERS by Alex Van Halen: The drummer of the iconic rock band Van Halen shares stories about his partnership in life and music with his late brother Edward. 

12. HILLBILLY ELEGY by J.D. Vance: The Yale Law School graduate and 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee looks at the struggles of the white working class through the story of his own childhood. 

13. AMERICAN HEROES by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Tim Malloy: A collection of stories of soldiers who served in conflicts overseas. 

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

15. NEXUS by Yuval Noah Harari: The author of “Sapiens” delves into how societies and political systems have used information and gives a warning about artificial intelligence. 

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Have a great Sunday!

Linda

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THE CATALOGS:

Catalog 1: StarCat

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

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

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Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

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

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

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

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

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Catalog 3: Hoopla

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

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

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

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

Looking For Factual news? Try Ground News from Libby!

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, just a quick FYI email. A new library service is available today through Libby/The Digital Catalog to help you make sense of what news, found online, is factual and what stories are likely to be made-up, instead of credible news stories.

This new service is called Ground News and it offers you the tools to:

Compare 50,000 news sources in one convenient place
Get media bias and factuality ratings for news outlets
See how news stories are covered across the political spectrum
Balance your news diet with the My News Bias dashboard
And it is available in: English, Spanish, French

If you use the Libby app to check out library eBooks, eAudiobooks and magazines, you’ll see Ground News listed as a new offering when you open the app, if you’re using a smartphone, it should look like this:

And you just tap on the Ground News icon to access it.

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And if you use The Digital Catalog (that’s the web browser accessed version of Libby); just click on the following link*:

https://stls.overdrive.com/extras/ground-news

The Ground News services looks like this via a web browser:

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Have a great day everyone & as always, if you have questions about library materials or services, please ask the staff – we love questions in Library Land!

Linda

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* The Digital Catalog is found online at https://stls.overdrive.com/ and it should shortly have the new Ground News services prominently displayed on the home page; which it does not at the moment – thus my sharing the direct link to Ground News.

Suggested Listening December 2019 – January 2, 2020

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, as it is the holiday season and everyone is so busy, this suggested listening posting will cover two weeks, from this Friday 12/20 through next 12/27, and will feature holiday music. The first Suggested Listening posting of 2020 will be up on Friday, January 3.

Also, in the next few days I’ll be putting out a Un-Holiday suggested listening posting for those that don’t celebrate the holidays, and those who might be just the tiniest bit tired of hearing Christmas music!

Getting back to this posting, this week I’m going highlight one holiday podcast and albums and playlists from the Freegal Music Service which, for now, is available for free to all library card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries including ours!

The Freegal Music Service allows you to stream and download music and has been very popular with a small group of patrons. However, the eBooks and downloadable audiobooks available through OverDrive & Libby are much, much more popular so Freegl will be discontinued late in the spring of 2020 – so listen for free while you can!

And just a reminder, you can play Freegal music on a PC or Mac and also, via the Freegal Music app, on your smartphone or tablet.

And to access any of the recommended music titles simply click or tap on the album or playlist photo.

 

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The Recommended Podcast:

The podcast I’m recommending is Richard Taylor’s Roots Rock Radio 2019 Christmas Special Edition podcast.

I’ll admit I love roots rock, AKA traditional rock or classic rock!

And if you like roots rock music too – then this is the podcast for you!

You can access the free podcast, which features new roots rock music from around the country, and comes out several times a year, by going to the Richard Taylor’s Roots Rock Radio website located at https://rrradio.com/ or, by subscribing to the podcast through the podcast app on your smartphone or tablet.

The link for the Christmas podcast is right on the RR Radio homepage and, again, the website address for the podcast is:

https://rrradio.com/

And once Richard Taylor has finished his introduction you get to listen to two hours of commercial free, new indie roots rock music!

I haven’t listened to all the songs yet but the songs I’ve listen to so far are full of humorous cheer!

The songs include All I Want For Christmas Is A Carburetor and Down In Christmas Prison (where you wind up if you are naughty instead of nice!)

And on to the Freegal Streamable Music!

Classical & Traditional Holiday Albums & Playlists:

Classical Christmas by Various Artists

Traditional Christmas music by the Rias Chamber Chorus & Rias Sinfonietta & Virtuosi Saxoniae

 

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Classical Christmas by Festive Harp

Festive Harp plays thirty Christmas favorites including Sleigh Ride, White Christmas, Silver Bells, Oh, Christmas Tree and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

 

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English Folk Carols by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band,Sneak’s Noyse

English folk carols including the songs The Sans Day Carol, Oh, Christmas Now Is Drawing Near at Hand, Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child, English Dance & The Boar’s Head.

 

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Country Holiday Albums & Playlists:

Brad Paisley Christmas by Brad Paisley

Brad sings Winter Wonderland, Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Penguin, James Penguin and other holiday favorites.

 

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Christmas 16 Biggest Hits by Various Artists

Christmas classics by classic country artists including Gene Autry, Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson.

 

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Country Christmas Playlist

A 78 song Christmas playlist by country artists old and new including Patty Loveless, Alabama, Sara Evans, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chet Atkins & Kenny Chesney.

 

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Jazz, Swing Holiday & World Music Albums & Playlists:

The Classic Big Band Christmas Album Various Artists

A terrific collection by Christmas music by vintage big band artists including Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee, Eddy Duchin, Isham Jones, Sammy Kaye & Woody Herman

 

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Ella At Christmas by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella sings songs of holiday cheer with grace and gusto! Songs include: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? and Good Morning Blues.

 

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Christmas With Louis Armstrong & Friends by Louis Armstrong & Various Artists

The various artists in this World War II era collection include Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, The Andrew Sisters, Perry Como, Vera Lynn, Judy Garland, Glenn Miller, Les Brown & Lena Horne.

 

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A Jazzy Wonderland Various Artists

This 14 song Christmas set features modern jazz artists including Harry Connick Jr., Nancy Wilson, Grover Washington, Marlon Jordan, Wynton Marsalis & Keith Whalum.

 

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Solstice Live by Paul Winter Consort

Timely songs from the PWC include Fanfare, Tomorrow Is My Dancing Day, Fog On The Hill, Shaman and Buena Nueva.

 

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Pop, Rock & R&B Rock Holiday Albums & Playlists:

Christmas a Go-Go by Various Artists

The eclectic collection of songs features classic rock artists and a few comedians! Artists/comedians include Soupy Sales, Joe Pesci, The Ramones, The Kinks, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Rufus Thomas & The Electric Prunes.

 

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Classic Christmas, Vol. 2 by Various Artist

This album features the type of easy listening music I heard at my grandparents house when I was a kid. I wasn’t fond of it then – but boy is it relaxing now! Artists include Frankie Laine, 101 Strings, June Christy, Stan Kenton, Dana Serenaders, Lionel Hampton & Mel Blanc.

 

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The Classic Christmas Album by Elvis Presley

This “classic” Christmas album features music from Elvis’s Classic Christmas album and two duets, which were made in recent years, I’ll Be Home For Christmas with Carrie Underwood & Blue Christmas with Martina McBride.

 

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A Christmas Gift for You (1963) by Phil Spector & Various Artists

Phil Spector’s early Wall of Sound artists Darlene Love, The Ronettes, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans & The Crystals offer a cozy collection of early sixties pop-Christmas music.

 

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Christmas Goes Gospel: ‘Tis the Season by Various Artists

A Gospel collection featuring Hezekiah Walker, CeCe Winans, Vicki Winans, Jonathan Butler, The Temptations and Take 6.

 

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Christmas Jazz & Blues by Various Artists

This blues and jazz collection features Lightnin’ Hopkins, The Swing Cats, Ray Charles, Oscar McLollie, Freddy King, Bib John Greer, Ronnie Aldrich and Otis Redding.

 

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Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano

Everyone has heard the title track from this album, Feliz Navidad, and indeed it has become a perennial classic in the years since its 1970 release. And here, for your enjoyment is the entire album!

 

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The Glory of Christmas by 101 Strings

Classic instrumental Christmas music by the masters of 1950s and 1960s easy listening music.

 

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The Golden Age of Light Music: Christmas Celebrations by Various Artists

Christmas music by Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra, Percy Faith & His Orchestra, The Melachrino Orchestra, Angela Morley & Her Orchestra, The Boston Pops and Mantovani & His Orchestra.

 

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Jermaine Dupri Presents Twelve Soulful Nights Of Christmas by Various Artists

Featuring Kenny Lattimore, Xscape, K-Ci & JoJo, Alicia Keys, Voices of Soul, Chaka Khan & Faith Evans.

 

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Kwanzaa by Various Artists

Artists include Miriam Makeba, Nathan Mdledle, Mahalia Jackson, Teddy Greaves, Paul Robeson & Bob Marley.

 

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The Magic Of Hanukkah by The Magic Of Hanukkah band

Songs in the collection include The Latke Song, Candle Blessings (Chanukah Blessings), My Dreidel (I Have A Little Dreidel), Al HaNisim & Hanerot Halalu.

 

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Rock This Christmas by The John Lindberg Trio

A collection of roots rock Christmas music including the songs A Good Thing Coming, Rudolph, Christmas Honeymoon, I Want Your Love For Christmas and Stuck With The Sleigh.

 

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Videos Of The Week:

Christmas Oratorio, Sinfornia In G Major by Virtuosi Saxoniae

 

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Sonata Natalis In C Major by Virtuosi Saxoniae

 

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Christmas Carols by Kings College Cambridge

 

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The Christmas Song by Festive Harp

 

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The Twelve Days of Christmas by Festive Harp

 

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Oh, Christmas Now Is Drawing Near At Hand / We’ve Been Awhile a-Wandering / The Waits by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band,Sneak’s Noyse

 

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On Christmas Night by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band, Sneak’s Noyse

 

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Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday by Brad Paisley

 

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Winter Wonderland by Brad Paisley

 

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Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry

 

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Santa Claus is Coming To Town by Merle Haggard

 

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Bells Are Ringing by Mary Chapin Carpenter

 

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Winter Weather by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra with Peggy Lee

 

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Let It Snow by Woody Herman & His Orchestra

 

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Highland Heaven by The Paul Winter Consort

 

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Tomorrow Is My Dancing Day by The Paul Winter Consort

 

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Christmas Songs by Ella Fitzgerald

 

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Christmas In New Orleans by Louis Armstrong

 

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White Christmas by Bing Crosby

 

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Blue Christmas by Grover Washington Jr.

 

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Winter Wonderland by Wynton Marsalis

 

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Santa Drives A Hot Rod by The Brian Setzer Orchestra

 

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Santa Claus Is Surfin’ To Town by Soupy Sales

 

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We Wish You A Merry Christmas by 101 Strings

 

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Merry Christmas Baby by Elvis

 

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Blue Christmas by Elvis

 

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Frosty the Snowman by The Ronettes

 

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Here Comes Santa Claus by Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans

 

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Doo Wop Christmas by Kem

 

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Carol Of The Bells by Mary Mary

 

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Deck The Halls by The Mexicali Brass

 

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Christmas Tears by Freddie King

 

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A Five Pound Box Of Money by Pearl Bailey

 

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Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano

 

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Jingle Bells by Jose Feliciano

 

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It Came Upon A Midnight Clear by 101 Strings

 

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The Twelve Days Of Christmas by 101 Strings

 

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We Three Kings by Percy Faith & His Orchestra

 

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Good King Wenceslas by George Melachrino & His Orchestra

 

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In Love at Christmas by K-Ci & JoJo

 

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The Little Drummer Girl by Alicia Keys

 

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Afro Blue by Cal Tjader

 

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Swahili Song by Teddy Greaves

 

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The Latke Song by The Magic of Hannukkah

 

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S’veevone (S’vivon, Sov Sov Sov) by The Magic of Hanukkah

 

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Christmas Honeymoon by The John Lindberg Trio

 

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A Good Thing Coming by The John Lindberg Trio

 

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Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

 

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The Joys of Christmas by Chris Rea

 

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Twisted Christmas by The Bob Rivers Comedy Troup

 

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Ten Hours Of Crackling Logs (Fireplace w no music)

 

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Instrumental Christmas Music with Fireplace 24/7

 

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Yulesville by Edward “Kookie” Burns

 

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Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney & Wings

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Have a great weekend & holiday season!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

Africa Speaks Review written by Thom Jurek, AllMusic, https://www.allmusic.com/album/africa-speaks-mw0003268513

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS: Libby & RBDigital:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the Libby and/or the RBDigital app, to check out eBooks, downloadable audiobooks and on-demand magazines, from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Suggested Reading December 10, 2018

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Digital Suggestions Of The Week:

Beastie Boys Book written by Michael Diamond & Adam Horovitz (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

A current New York Times Bestseller!

A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, an audiobook as unique as the band itself.

Formed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip hop superstardom. Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the band. Adam “ADROCK” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond offer revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks to budding rappers. For more than thirty years, this band has had an inescapable and indelible influence on popular culture.

With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir, featuring a collection of voices reminiscent of your favorite mixtape.
Photo Credit © 1987 Lynn Goldsmith

Audiobook Cast Includes:
Steve Buscemi
Ada Calhoun
Bobby Cannavale
Exene Cervenka
Roy Choi
Jarvis Cocker
Elvis Costello
Chuck D
Nadia Dajani
Michael Diamond
Snoop Dogg
Will Ferrell
Crosby Fitzgerald
Randy Gardner
Kim Gordon
Josh Hamilton
Adam Horovitz
LL Cool J
Spike Jonze
Pat Kiernan
Talib Kweli
Dave Macklovitch
Rachel Maddow
Tim Meadows
Bette Midler
Mix Master Mike
Nas
Yoshimi O
Rosie Perez
Amy Poehler
Kelly Reichardt
John C. Reilly
Ian Rogers
Maya Rudolph
Rev Run
Luc Sante
Kate Schellenbach
MC Serch
Chloe Sevigny
Jon Stewart
Ben Stiller
Wanda Sykes
Jeff Tweedy
Philippe Zdar

Advance praise for Beastie Boys Book

“This entertaining look at Beastie Boys history is as innovative and raucous as the band’s music.”—
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Beastie Boys fans will devour this book, as will anyone interested in the early days of hip-hop, the art/music/street life of New York City in the 1980s, and the alternative-nation zeitgeist of the ’90s.”—Kirkus Reviews

Day of the Dead: A Frieda Klein Novel by Nicci French (Format: eBook):

LOUISE PENNY says the Frieda Klein novels are “fabulous.”

JOSEPH FINDER says they’re “in the rich vein of Kate Atkinson.”

And TAMI HOAG calls them “truly unique.”

Now the final book in this extraordinary series is here. And it’s an ending you’ll never forget.

A decade ago, psychologist Frieda Klein was sucked into the orbit of Dean Reeve — a killer able to impersonate almost anyone, a man who can disappear without a trace, a psychopath obsessed with Frieda herself.

In the years since, Frieda has worked with — and sometimes against — the London police in solving their most baffling cases. But now she’s in hiding, driven to isolation by Reeve. When a series of murders announces his return, Frieda must emerge from the shadows to confront her nemesis. And it’s a showdown she might not survive.

This gripping cat-and-mouse thriller pits one of the most fascinating characters in contemporary fiction against an enemy like none other. Smart, sophisticated, and spellbinding, it’s a novel to leave you breathless.

The books in the series are:
1. Blue Monday
2. Tuesday’s Gone
3. Waiting for Wednesday
4. Thursday’s Children
5. Friday on my Mind
6. Dark Saturday
7. Sunday Silence

Hot Winter Nights, Made in Montana by Debbi Rawlins (Format: eBook):

Montana in December is cold. Still, struggling actress Lila Loveridge is committed to the independent movie they’re shooting—despite frigid temperatures, an empty wallet and a sneaking suspicion that her acting career has frozen in its tracks. Good thing there’s a Montana cowboy hot enough to keep her warm.

Rancher Clint Landers is one tall, lean and sizzling specimen, and before long, Lila is shivering with pleasure. Their chemistry is impossible to resist. But while every night is deliciously wicked, every day is a reminder that they can’t have a future together. Because in order for Lila to follow her dream, she’ll have to leave her sexy cowboy behind…

Winter at the Door: A Novel by Sarah Graves (Format: eBook):

Perfect for fans of Jenny Milchman, Linda Castillo, and Lisa Gardner—the first book in a suspenseful new crime thriller series featuring the tough but haunted police chief Lizzie Snow, a big-city cop with a mission, taking on a small town with a dark side.

Moving from Boston to remote Bearkill, Maine, isn’t homicide cop Lizzie Snow’s idea of a step up. But breaking away from tragedy and personal betrayal is at least a step in the right direction. Her dead sister’s fate still torments her, as does her long-missing niece’s disappearance. Lizzie hopes to find the mysteriously vanished child here, amid the coming ice and snow. But in the Great North Woods, something darker and more dangerous than punishing winter is also bound for Bearkill.

The town is a world apart in more than distance—full of people who see everything, say little, and know more than they’ll share with an outsider. The only exceptions are the handsome state cop who once badly broke Lizzie’s heart and desperately wants another chance—and Lizzie’s new boss, sheriff Cody Chevrier, who’s counting on her years of homicide experience to help him solve his most troubling case, before it’s too late.

A rash of freak accidents and suicides has left a string of dead men—all former local cops. Now the same cruel eyes that watched them die are on Lizzie—and so is the pressure to find out what sort of monster has his hooks in this town, what his ruthless game is, and just how brutally he’ll play to win. Whatever the truth is, its twisted roots lie in the desolate backwoods of Aroostook County: where the desperate disappear, the corrupt find shelter, and the innocent lose everything. It’s there that a cunning and utterly cold-blooded killer plans the fate of the helpless lives at his mercy—one of whom may be the lost child Lizzie will do anything to save. As a blizzard bears down, and Bearkill’s dark secrets claw their way to the surface, Lizzie gears up for a showdown that could leave the deep, driven snow stained blood red.

Winter Stroll written by Elin Hiderbrand read by Erin Bennett (format: Downloadable Audiobook):

The Quinn family celebrates their most dramatic Christmas yet in this enchanting sequel to Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Winter Street. Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn and his family busily preparing for the holiday season. Though the year has brought tragedy, the Quinns have much to celebrate: Kelley has reunited with his first wife, Margaret; Kevin and Isabelle have a new baby; and Ava is finally dating a nice guy. But when Kelley’s estranged wife, Mitzi, shows up on the island, along with Kevin’s devious ex-wife Norah and a dangerously irresistible old fling of Ava’s, the Inn is suddenly overrun with romantic feuds, not to mention guests. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it’s going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinns-and the Inn-through the holidays intact.

Print Suggestions Of The Week:

Of Blood And Bone by Nora Roberts:

They look like an everyday family living an ordinary life. But beyond the edges of this peaceful farm, unimaginable forces of light and dark have been unleashed. Fallon Swift, approaching her thirteenth birthday, barely knows the world that existed before — the city where her parents lived, now in ruins and reclaimed by nature since the Doom sickened and killed billions. Traveling anywhere is a danger, as vicious gangs of Raiders and fanatics called Purity Warriors search for their next victim. Those like Fallon, in possession of gifts, are hunted — and the time is coming when her true nature, her identity as The One, can no longer be hidden. In a mysterious shelter in the forest, her training is about to begin under the guidance of Mallick, whose skills have been honed over centuries. She will learn the old ways of healing; study and spar; encounter faeries and elves and shifters; and find powers within herself she never imagined. And when the time is right, she will take up the sword, and fight. For until she grows into the woman she was born to be, the world outside will never be whole again.

The Enemy Of My Enemy by W. E. B. Griffin:

Special agent James Cronley Jr. finds that fighting both ex-Nazis and the Soviet NKGB can lead to strange bedfellows, in the dramatic new Clandestine Operations novel about the birth of the CIA and the Cold War. A month ago, Cronley managed to capture two notorious Nazi war criminals, but not without leaving some dead bodies and outraged Austrian police in his wake. He’s been lying low ever since, but that little vacation is about to end. Somebody–Odessa, the NKGB, the Hungarian Secret Police?–has broken the criminals out of jail, and he must track them down again. But there’s more to it than that. Evidence has surfaced that in the war’s last gasps, Heinrich Himmler had stashed away a fortune to build a secret religion, dedicated both to Himmler and to creating the Fourth Reich. That money is still out there in the hands of Odessa, and that infamous organization seems to have acquired a surprising–and troubling–ally. Cronley is fast finding out that the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” can mean a lot of different things, and that it is not always clear which people he can trust and which are out to kill him.

The Labyrinth Index by Charles Stross:

The arrival of vast, alien, inhuman intelligences reshaped the landscape fo human affairs across the world, and the United Kingdom is no exception. Things have changed in Britain since the dread elder god Nyarlathotep ascended to the rank of Prime Minister. Mhari Murphy, recently elevated to the House of Lords and head of the Lords Select Committee on Sanguinary Affairs (think vampires), finds herself in direct consultation with the creeping chaos, who directs her to lead a team of disgraced Laundry personnel into the dark heart of America. It seems the Creeping Chaos is concerned about foreign relations. A thousand-mile-wild storm system has blanketed the midwest, and the President is nowhere to be found. In fact, for reasons unknown the people of America are forgetting that the executive branch ever existed. The government has been infiltrated by the shadowy Black Chamber, and the Pentagon and NASA have been refocused on the problem of summoning Cthulhu. Somewhere, the Secret Service battle to stay awake, to remind the President who he is, and to stay one step ahead of the vampiric dragnet that’s searching for him

The People’s Republic of Everything by Nick Mamatas:

Welcome to the People’s Republic of Everything―of course, you’ve been here for a long time already. Make yourself at home alongside a hitman who always tells the truth, no matter how reality has to twist itself to suit; electric matchstick girls who have teamed up with Friedrich Engels; a telepathic boy and his father’s homemade nuclear bomb; a very bad date that births an unforgettable meme; and a dog who simply won’t stop howling on social media.

The People’s Republic of Everything features a decade’s worth of crimes, fantasies, original fiction, and the author’s preferred text of the acclaimed short novel Under My Roof.

Raylan Goes To Detroit: A Novel by Peter Leonard:

After an altercation with his superiors in Harlan County, Kentucky, Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens is offered two choices. He can either retire or finish his career on the fugitive task force in the crime-ridden precincts of Detroit. Acting on a tip, Raylan and his new partner, deputy marshal Bobby Torres, arrest Jose Rindo, a destructive and violent criminal. Rindo is also being pursued by the FBI, who arrive shortly after he is in custody. Raylan bumps heads with a beautiful FBI agent named Nora Sanchez, who wants Rindo for the murder of one of their own. When Rindo escapes from the county jail and is arrested in Ohio, Raylan and FBI Special Agent Sanchez drive south to pick up the fugitive and bring him back to stand trial. Later, when Rindo escapes again, Raylan and Nora–still at odds–are reunited and follow the elusive fugitive’s trail across Arizona to El Centro, California, and into Mexico, where they have no jurisdiction or authority. How are they going to bring Rindo, a Mexican citizen, across the border without anyone knowing?

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Suggested Reading December 3, 2018

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Digital Suggestions Of The Week:

The Bookshop on the Corner: A Novel written by Jenny Colgan & narrated by Lucy Price-Lewis (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

Nina Redmond is a librarian with a gift for finding the perfect book for her readers. But can she write her own happy-ever-after? In this valentine to readers, librarians, and book-lovers the world over, the New York Times-bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakery returns with a funny, moving new novel for fans of Meg Donohue, Sophie Kinsella, and Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop.

Later Gator by Jana DeLeon (Format: eBook):

A poacher is at work in Sinful, Louisiana, and Deputy Carter LeBlanc is hot on the trail of the outlaw, trying to apprehend him before the state gets wind of the crime and sends a game warden to take over his investigation. Unfortunately, he’s hindered every step of the way by Sinful’s current mayor and all-around horrible person, Celia Arceneaux, who wants nothing more than to drive Carter to resign.

When a game warden turns up with evidence that implicates a relative of Gertie’s, Carter is left with no choice but to arrest the boy, even though no one thinks he did it. With Carter under the watchful eye of Celia and the state,

Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie decide to catch a poacher…before he gets away.

Later Gator is the 9th book in the Miss Fortune Mystery Series

Here is a listing of all the books in the series to date:
1. Louisiana Longshot
2. Lethal Bayou Beauty
3. Swamp Sniper
4. Swamp Team 3
5. Gator Bait
6. Soldiers Of Fortune
7. Hurricane Force
8. Fortune Hunter
9. Later Gator

Scrooge (1970) (Format: Streaming Video):

Scrooge was designed as a follow-up to 1968’s Oliver, the Oscar-winning musicalization of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. The umpteenth musical version of Dickens’ 1843 novelette A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is blessed with several sprightly Leslie Bricusse songs, including the bonafide hit Thank You Very Much. Once more buried under mounds of latex, Albert Finney is perfection itself as Ebeneezer Scrooge, proving as effective as a young (un-made up) man as the old skinflint we’ve grown to love. The Three Ghosts who turn the miserly Scrooge’s life around on Christmas Eve are portrayed by Edith Evans (Past), Kenneth More (Present) and Paddy Stone (Yet to Come). Our favorite among the huge, predominantly British supporting cast is Sir Alec Guinness as a fussy, slightly effeminate Marley’s Ghost. Best of all, Finney performs his many songs “live” and not lip-synched to a pre-recording.

Seven Days of Us: A Novel by Francesca Hornak (Format: eBook):

A family can’t escape their secrets when they’re forced to spend a week in quarantine in this “sharply funny” (People) novel—an Indie Next and #1 Library Reads Pick!

“Witty and deeply heartfelt.”—Emily Giffin

It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she’s been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family.

For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity—and even decent Wi-Fi—and forced into each other’s orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems.

As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down.

In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive.

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions written by Randall Munroe & narrated by Wil Wheaton (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd comes this hilarious and informative book of answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask.

Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe’s iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following. Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent of the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there were a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last?

In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by signature xkcd comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion.

The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with updated and expanded versions of the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? will be required reading for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical.

Print Suggestions Of The Week:

The Comforts of Home: A Simon Serrailler Mystery by Susan Hill:

Simon Serrailler faces his most difficult case yet in the ninth installment of Susan Hill’s gripping mystery series.Susan Hill—the Man Booker Prize nominee and winner of the Whitbread, Somerset Maugham, and John Llewellyn Rhys awards—returns with a hair-raising new novel, the ninth book in one of the most acclaimed mystery series of our time. Featuring the enigmatic and brooding chief police inspector Simon Serrailler, this intricate and pulse-pounding series follows a collection of grisly crimes plaguing the city of Lafferton—and The Comforts of Home is the most chilling and unputdownable installment yet.

In this gripping new thriller, Simon, eager to be back at work after recovering from a near-fatal injury, takes on a cold-case review for the Lafferton police about a girl who disappeared some years before. Meanwhile, his family adjusts to changes of its own; namely his sister’s marriage to Chief Constable Kieron Bright. But when events take an unfavorable turn for the Chief Constable and an arsonist goes on a deadly rampage in Lafferton, Simon’s personal and professional lives intertwine in more complex and devastating ways than ever before.In the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James, The Comforts of Home is Susan Hill’s best work yet—a heart-pounding new addition to a highly-applauded and “elegant” (The New York Times) series.

The Depth of Winter written by Craig Johnson & narrated by George Guidall (Format: Audiobook on CD):

Johnson’s harrowing 14th mystery featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire (after 2016’s The Western Star) takes the Wyoming lawman to Mexico, where ruthless killer Tomás Bidarte holds Walt’s grown daughter, Cady, captive in a remote mountain compound in the middle of the Chihuahua desert. The six-foot-four Walt faces formidable obstacles in rescuing Cady, not least being his attention-drawing size. Fortunately, one of his allies on this suicidal mission, a blind man known as the Seer, thinks to pass him off as real-life retired NFL star Bob Lilly, a ruse that works for a while. Once Walt and his team arrive at the compound, the trouble really begins. The tension lets up only intermittently as Walt lurches from one dire situation to another. Humorous asides and witty dialogue provide welcome relief from the often grim circumstances in which Walt finds himself, including a stint in the stocks during a Day of the Dead celebration and the climactic confrontation with Bidarte, who plays matador to Walt’s bull. Johnson is in fine form of the 2018 book.

Guess Who by Chris McGeorge:

The rules are simple.

But the game is not.

At eleven years old, Morgan Sheppard solved the murder of a teacher when everyone else believed it to be a suicide. The publicity surrounding the case laid the foundation for his reputation as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. He parlayed that fame into a gig as TV’s “resident detective,” solving the more typical tawdry daytime talk show mysteries like “Who is the father?” and “Is he cheating?”

Until, that is, Sheppard wakes up handcuffed to a bed in an unfamiliar hotel room. Around him, five strangers are slowly waking up, as well. Soon they discover a corpse in the bathtub and Sheppard is challenged to put his deductive skills to the test. One of the people in the room is the killer. He has three hours to solve the murder. If he doesn’t find the killer, they all will die.

An ingenious, page-turning debut, Chris McGeorge’s Guess Who matches the high-wire plotting of classic “locked room” mysteries into the unstoppable pacing of the modern-day thriller.

In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin by Lindsey Hilsum: 

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. One of Esquire’s Best Books of 2018. An Amazon Best Book of November, the Guardian Bookshop Book of November, and one of the Evening Standard’s Books to Read in November

“Now, thanks to Hilsum’s deeply reported and passionately written book, [Marie Colvin] has the full accounting that she deserves.” –Joshua Hammer, The New York Times

The inspiring and devastating biography of Marie Colvin, the foremost war reporter of her generation, who was killed in Syria in 2012, and whose life story also forms the basis of the feature film A Private War, starring Rosamund Pike as Colvin.

When Marie Colvin was killed in an artillery attack in Homs, Syria, in 2012, at age fifty-six, the world lost a fearless and iconoclastic war correspondent who covered the most significant global calamities of her lifetime. In Extremis, written by her fellow reporter Lindsey Hilsum, is a thrilling investigation into Colvin’s epic life and tragic death based on exclusive access to her intimate diaries from age thirteen to her death, interviews with people from every corner of her life, and impeccable research.

After growing up in a middle-class Catholic family on Long Island, Colvin studied with the legendary journalist John Hersey at Yale, and eventually started working for The Sunday Times of London, where she gained a reputation for bravery and compassion as she told the stories of victims of the major conflicts of our time. She lost sight in one eye while in Sri Lanka covering the civil war, interviewed Gaddafi and Arafat many times, and repeatedly risked her life covering conflicts in Chechnya, East Timor, Kosovo, and the Middle East. Colvin lived her personal life in extremis, too: bold, driven, and complex, she was married twice, took many lovers, drank and smoked, and rejected society’s expectations for women. Despite PTSD, she refused to give up reporting. Like her hero Martha Gellhorn, Colvin was committed to bearing witness to the horrifying truths of war, and to shining a light on the profound suffering of ordinary people caught in the midst of conflict.

Lindsey Hilsum’s In Extremis is a devastating and revelatory biography of one of the greatest war correspondents of her generation.

W. H. Auden, Poetry, and Me: A 102-Year-old Reluctant Poet Reflects on Life, Poetry, and Her Famous Teacher by Debbie Shannon with Gladys Dubovsky: 

On Wednesday afternoon, February 7, 1940, I boarded the subway to Midtown to West 12th Street and walked to The New School. I found the classroom—a huge amphitheater that held 250 students. The air was charged as people shifted and murmured all around me. I didn’t speak to anyone. I couldn’t. I was too excited for small talk. To me, he was as sensational as the Beatles were to girls in another generation. The possibility of seeing him in the flesh thrilled me to the core. All I could think about was that Auden was in that building somewhere, and that at any moment, he would be in that room. Then suddenly, the room fell silent as Auden stepped out onto the stage. W.H. Auden, Poetry, and Me is a heartwarming story that fluctuates between Gladys’s and Auden’s life. We see how their lives mirror one another—their joy and pain, and their triumph and loss as they traveled the world, fell in love, and wrote poetry. Spanning the early 1930s to today, the story deals with such subjects as war, love, family, loss, homosexuality, pain, and triumph. This is the story of a woman who has faced adversity with humor and grace, and of the famous poet she loved. Through it all, Gladys bestows pearls of wisdom that only a 102-year-old can give.

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Suggested Reading November 26, 2018

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Digital Suggestions Of The Week:

Becoming by Michelle Obama (Format: eBook):

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African-American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Debbie Macomber’s Table Sharing the Joy of Cooking with Family and Friends by Debbie Macomber (eBook):

One hundred warm and inviting original recipes from the kitchen and the novels of #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber—the perfect gift for Mother’s Day!

She’s welcomed you to the Rose Harbor Inn in Cedar Cove, and now the beloved author invites you to take a seat at her table in a new cookbook featuring her favorite recipes. For Debbie Macomber, food means family—recipes and holiday traditions are passed down through generations, and meals provide opportunities for everyone to gather and share their love. In this treasure trove you’ll find one hundred delicious dishes that have become Debbie Macomber’s staples, some inspired by her novels and others by family and friends, including

• Baked Oatmeal—a comforting start to the day, and something Jo Marie would serve her Rose Harbor Inn guests.

• Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Sauce—a perfect date night delight for Nichole and Rocco from A Girl’s Guide to Moving On

• Gratitude Bread—a wonderful way to express appreciation for the loved ones in your life, a gift that Shay from Any Dream Will Do would bake for her neighbors

• Honey-Chipotle Oven-Roasted Ribs—a mouthwatering dish created by Debbie’s son-in-law, but Sam Carney from If Not for You would easily whip up a succulent platter for friends

• Eggnog Cookies—a sweet treat that Merry would give to Bright in Debbie’s Christmas classic

• Guinness Pot Pie—a meaty show-stopping sensation that could win the heart of a hero in any of Debbie’s books, or the hero in your life

You’ll also discover Macomber go-to favorites—Roasted Sesame Asparagus, Debbie’s Light Clam Chowder, Cookies and Cream Frozen Dessert. And no cookbook would be complete without Debbie’s guilty pleasure: seasoned popcorn.

Loaded with gorgeous photographs and memorable stories about the author’s cherished traditions, Debbie Macomber’s Table embraces the idea that food is more than nourishment. It is a blessing that brings family and friends together.

The Girl On The Train written by Paula Hawkins & narrated by Claire Corbett (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

The #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, now a major motion picture.

The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people’s lives.

“Nothing is more addicting than The Girl on the Train.”—Vanity Fair

“The Girl on the Train has more fun with unreliable narration than any chiller since Gone Girl. . . . [It] is liable to draw a large, bedazzled readership.”—The New York Times

“Marries movie noir with novelistic trickery. . . hang on tight. You’ll be surprised by what horrors lurk around the bend.”—USA Today

“Like its train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages.”—The Boston Globe

“Gone Girl fans will devour this psychological thriller.”—People

EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Sworn to Silence, Kate Burkholder Series, Book 1 by Linda Castillo (Format: eBook):

A killer is preying on sacred ground….

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

Tribe On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

Based on a Vanity Fair article from June 2015, Tribe is a look at post-traumatic stress disorder and the challenges veterans face returning to society. Using his background in anthropology, Sebastian Junger argues that the problem lies not with vets or with the trauma they’ve suffered, but with the society to which they are trying to return. One of the most puzzling things about veterans who experience PTSD is that the majority never even saw combat—and yet they feel deeply alienated and out of place back home. The reason may lie in our natural inclination, as a species, to live in groups of thirty to fifty people who are entirely reliant on one another for safety, comfort, and a sense of meaning: in short, the life of a soldier. It is one of the ironies of the modern age that as affluence rises in a society, so do rates of suicide, depression, and of course PTSD. In a wealthy society people don’t need to cooperate with one another, so they often lead much lonelier lives that lead to psychological distress. There is a way for modern society to reverse this trend, however, and studying how veterans react to coming home may provide a clue to how to do it. But it won’t be easy.

Print Suggestions Of The Week:

The Bad Neighbor by David Tallerman:

When part-time teacher Ollie Clay panic-buys a rundown house in the outskirts of Leeds, he soon recognises his mistake. His new neighbour, Chas Walker, is an antisocial thug, and Ollie’s suspicions raise links to a local hate group. With Ollie’s life unravelling rapidly, he feels his choices dwindling: his situation is intolerable and only standing up to Chas can change it. But Ollie has his own history of violence, and increasingly, his own secrets to hide; and Chas may be more than the mindless yob he appears to be. As their conflict spills over into the wider world, Ollie will come to learn that there are worse problems in life than one bad neighbor.

Becoming by Michelle Obama:

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Hazards of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates:

“Time travel” — and its hazards — are made literal in this astonishing new novel in which a recklessly idealistic girl dares to test the perimeters of her tightly controlled (future) world and is punished by being sent back in time to a region of North America — “Wainscotia, Wisconsin” — that existed eighty years before. Cast adrift in time in this idyllic Midwestern town she is set upon a course of “rehabilitation” — but cannot resist falling in love with a fellow exile and questioning the constrains of the Wainscotia world with results that are both devastating and liberating. Arresting and visionary, Hazards of Time Travel is both a novel of harrowing discovery and an exquisitely wrought love story that may be Joyce Carol Oates’s most unexpected novel so far.

Long Road To Mercy by David Baldacci:

Atlee Pine, an FBI special agent assigned to the remote wilds of the western United States. Ever since her twin sister was abducted by a

notorious serial killer at age five, Atlee has spent her life hunting down those who hurt others. And she’s the best at it. She could be one of the Bureau’s top criminal profilers, if she didn’t prefer catching criminals in the vast wilderness of the West to climbing the career ladder in the D.C. office. Her chosen mission is a lonesome one–but that suits her just fine. Now, Atlee is called in to investigate the mutilated carcass of a mule found in the Grand Canyon–and hopefully, solve the disappearance of its rider. But this isn’t the only recent disappearance. In fact, it may be just the first clue, the key to unraveling a rash of other similar missing persons cases in the canyon.

Target Alex Cross by James Patterson:

A leader has fallen, and the procession route from Capitol Hill to the White House is lined with hundreds of thousands of mourners. None feel the loss of a President more keenly than Alex Cross, who has devoted his life to the public good. A sniper’s bullet strikes a target in the heart of DC. Alex Cross’s wife, Bree Stone, newly elevated chief of DC detectives, faces an ultimatum: solve the case, or lose the position for which she’s worked her entire career. The Secret Service and the FBI deploy as well in the race to find the shooter. Alex is tasked by the new President to take a personal role with the FBI, leading an investigation unprecedented in scale and scope. Alex has a horrible premonition: is the sniper’s strike only the beginning of a larger attack on the nation?

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

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

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

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

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.