Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for today.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
The Fifth Petal: A Novel of Salem by Brunonia Barry:
Could a witch hunt happen again in Salem?
For readers of Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader Brunonia Barry returns to Salem with this spellbinding new thriller, a complex brew of suspense, seduction and murder.
When a teenage boy dies suspiciously on Halloween night, Salem’s chief of police, John Rafferty, wonders if there is a connection between his death and Salem’s most notorious cold case, a triple homicide dubbed “The Goddess Murders,” in which three young women, all descended from accused Salem witches, were slashed on Halloween night in 1989. He finds unexpected help in Callie Cahill, the daughter of one of the victims newly returned to town. Neither believes that the main suspect, Rose Whelan, respected local historian, is guilty of murder or witchcraft.
But exonerating Rose might mean crossing paths with a dangerous force. Were the women victims of an all-too-human vengeance, or was the devil raised in Salem that night? And if they cannot discover what truly happened, will evil rise again?
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
In Julia Glass’s fifth book since her acclaimed novel Three Junes won the National Book Award, she gives us the story of an unusual bond between a world-famous writer and his assistant—a richly plotted novel of friendship and love, artistic ambition, the perils of celebrity, and the power of an unexpected legacy.
When the revered children’s book author Mort Lear dies accidentally at his Connecticut home, he leaves his property and all its contents to his trusted assistant, Tomasina Daulair, who is moved by his generosity but dismayed by the complicated and defiant directives in his will. Tommy knew Morty for more than four decades, since meeting him in a Manhattan playground when she was twelve and he was working on sketches for the book that would make him a star. By the end of his increasingly reclusive life, she found herself living in his house as confidante and helpmeet, witness not just to his daily routines but to the emotional fallout of his strange boyhood and his volatile relationship with a lover who died of AIDS. Now Tommy must try to honor Morty’s last wishes while grappling with their effects on several people, including Dani Daulair, her estranged brother; Meredith Galarza, the lonely, outraged museum curator to whom Lear once promised his artistic estate; and Nicholas Greene, the beguiling British actor cast to play Mort Lear in a movie.
When the actor arrives for the visit he had previously arranged with the man he is to portray, he and Tommy are compelled to look more closely at Morty’s past and the consequences of the choices they now face, both separately and together. Morty, as it turns out, made a confession to Greene that undermines much of what Tommy believed she knew about her boss—and about herself. As she contemplates a future without him, her unlikely alliance with Greene—and the loyalty they share toward the man whose legacy they hold in their hands—will lead to surprising upheavals in their wider relationships, their careers, and even their search for love.
You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
Online Catalog Links:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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.
Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles for today.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
The Ex: A Novel by Alafair Burke:
In this breakout standalone novel of suspense in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on a Train, a woman agrees to help an old boyfriend who has been framed for murder—but begins to suspect that she is the one being manipulated.
Twenty years ago she ruined his life. Now she has the chance to save it.
Widower Jack Harris has resisted the dating scene ever since the shooting of his wife Molly by a fifteen-year-old boy three years ago. An early morning run along the Hudson River changes that when he spots a woman in last night’s party dress, barefoot, enjoying a champagne picnic alone, reading his favorite novel. Everything about her reminds him of what he used to have with Molly. Eager to help Jack find love again, his best friend posts a message on a popular website after he mentions the encounter. Days later, that same beautiful stranger responds and invites Jack to meet her in person at the waterfront. That’s when Jack’s world falls apart.
Olivia Randall is one of New York City’s best criminal defense lawyers. When she hears that her former fiancé, Jack Harris, has been arrested for a triple homicide—and that one of the victims was connected to his wife’s murder—there is no doubt in her mind as to his innocence. The only question is who would go to such great lengths to frame him—and why?
For Olivia, representing Jack is a way to make up for past regrets, to absolve herself of guilt from a tragic decision, a secret she has held for twenty years. But as the evidence against him mounts, she is forced to confront her doubts. The man she knew could not have done this. But what if she never really knew him?
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
A simple mix up throws one innocent man into the crosshairs of sinister government secrets and ruthless political ambitions in New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder’s timely, electrifying new thriller.
Michael Tanner is on his way home from a business trip when he accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook in an airport security line. He doesn’t notice the mix-up until he arrives home in Boston, but by then it’s too late. Tanner’s curiosity gets the better of him when he discovers that the owner is a US senator and that the laptop contains top secret files.
When Senator Susan Robbins realizes she’s come back with the wrong laptop, she calls her young chief of staff, Will Abbott, in a panic. Both know that the senator broke the law by uploading classified documents onto her personal computer. If those documents wind up in the wrong hands, it could be Snowden 2.0—and her career in politics will be over. She needs to recover the MacBook before it’s too late.
When Will fails to gain Tanner’s cooperation, he is forced to take measures to retrieve the laptop before a bigger security breach is revealed. He turns to an unscrupulous “fixer” for help. In the meantime, the security agency whose files the senator has appropriated has its own methods, darker still—and suddenly Tanner finds himself a hunted man, on the run, terrified for the safety of his family, in desperate need of a plan, and able to trust no one.
You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
Online Catalog Links:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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.
Hi everyone, this is week 2 of our month long look at the music of the second British Invasion of the Sixties, which encompasses music of British bands released between June 1967 and the end of the Sixties.
This week we’ll be taking a look at the music of Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd & Traffic.
I. Links to AllMusic Biographies of the Artists/Groups of the Week:
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
Jeff Beck: Jeff Beck, is one of the guitarists of the Sixties that you can truly describe as a guitarist’s guitarist in the same way you might say a writer is a writer’s writer – meaning of course, that he has great skill in the way he plays the guitar. Like many of his contemporaries Beck went to art school before launching a music career. He replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds before forming the Jeff Beck Group in 1967 with future Faces and solo artist Rod Stewart on vocals, future Faces and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood on bass and Mickey Waller on drums. This line-up released two albums which to my ears hold up well. Beck has always been a great guitarist and he seems to care much more for playing his guitar than making commercial records, as is illustrated by his releasing a number of all instrumental albums over the years, so in many ways these first two albums he made with the classic Jeff Beck Group line-up, and including a great vocalist, are the most accessible to rock fans.
So here are links to stream those first two LPs and a greatest hits collection titled Beckology:
Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd formed in London in 1965 and the original line-up of the band included Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, Nick Mason on drums and Richard Wright on keyboards. Barrett was the main songwriter for the band’s first two LPs, Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Saucerful of Secrets. Longtime Pink Floyd member David Gilmore join the band on guitar after the recording of their first LP. After Barrett’s departure in 1968, Waters took over as the group’s main songwriter. And of course, the band went on to release one of the most successful albums of all time with their 1973 masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon.
And notably, streaming-wise, the Freegal Music Catalog is full of Pink Floyd albums!
Traffic: Traffic formed in 1967 and featured the then 19-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, Dave Mason on guitar and vocals, Chris Wood on flute and other reed instruments and Jim Capaldi on drums and vocals.
Traffic released four albums in the sixties: Mr. Fantasy (1967), Heaven Is in Your Mind (1967), Traffic (1968) & Last Exit (1969).
Unfortunately, The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any albums by Traffic. However, they do offer a version of The Blind Faith classic Can’t Find My Way Home by the songwriter himself – Steve Window – recorded live in concert and from from the forthcoming album Winwood’s Greatest Hits Live which is being released September 1.
And coming soon the band’s excellent third album the self-titled Traffic which has a record in StarCat but isn’t quite ready to circulate yet — here’s the link to use once the CD’s status changes to available:
I’ve included this DVD set as the 1981 Amnesty International benefit ball, The Secret Policemen’s Other Ball, features some wonderful guitar playing by both Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. And I recall being in the old Record Town down at the Arnot Mall in Big Flats, NY, in the early eighties, and hearing the album and asking where they had copies to purchase — only to be told the album they were playing, with that great guitar music, belonged to a staff member and they didn’t have any copies in the store to sell!
The Secret Policeman shows featured both comedy acts and music – here’s a review from Amazon that offers more information on the set: Imagine Saturday Night Live, in its heyday, but as a live series of hot-ticket events, with the best stand-up comics, sketch actors, and rockers of the time, held to benefit a good cause–all with a decidedly British accent. That comes close to describing the magic mayhem of The Secret Policeman’s Ball performances held as fund-raisers for Amnesty International from the late ’70s through the late ‘80s. This boxed set is a pop culture fan’s dream; included are all the members of Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie (pre-House and pre-Black Adder), Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, Jennifer Saunders, and the Beyond the Fringe troupe–and that’s just the comics. Musicians include Sting, Pete Townshend, Phil Collins, Lou Reed, Joan Armatrading, and duets between Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins. And a very baby-faced Bob Geldof, who admits in an interview that these Balls spawned the idea for Live Aid and other events for charity. The best gem of all–and the best place to start to appreciate the depth and breadth of the series–is a 2004 documentary featuring interviews with some of the original shows’ principals, looking back on their younger selves and the current of the times. John Cleese, the true ringmaster of the events, recalls making the original phone calls and arranging for a West End theater to be available after its regular production ended. The programs became so popular that they made stars of the youngsters (Laurie, Stephen Fry, Atkinson), and brought worldwide attention for the first time to Amnesty International. Some bits are beloved and done here again–including the Pythons’ “Lumberjack Song” and “The Dead Parrot.” Cleese recalls, and the filmmakers oblige by including, a speech Margaret Thatcher later gave in the ‘80s where she repeated the “Dead Parrot” bit line for line about a piece of legislation–and bringing the audience to its knees. A young Barry Humphreys (Dame Edna, as a brunette) and a bushy-haired Billy Connolly are also delightful. The music acts are delicious, including Townshend’s acoustic duet with the American classical guitarist John Williams, and Phil Collins appearing onstage at a piano solo for the first time ever. Equal parts silly and inspiring, this boxed set will be in heavy rotation for the comedy and music fan. –A.T. Hurley, Amazon.com
Additionally, the shows feature historic unplugged performances by Pete Townshend, Sting, Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Peter Gabriel, Donovan, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading. Also featured are rare duets from guitar legends Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler & Chet Atkins.
The Balls:
Pleasure At Her Majesty’s (1976)
The Secret Policeman’s Ball (1979)
The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball (1981)
The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball (1987)
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball (1989)
And here’s a link to request the entire Secret Policeman’s collection via StarCat:
Dear Mr. Fantasy recorded live in Santa Monica, California in 1972
Bonus Videos:
Jeff Beck & Eric Clapton playing Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers from The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball — the intro by the concert organizer is interesting but if you want to skip that and just listen to the music — fast forward to about 2 minuets into the clip.
Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck playing Shake Your Money Maker from the 2010 Crossroads Concert:
V. Print References:
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)
Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)
Online References:
Jeff Beck’s AllMusic Discography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://goo.gl/F8yrsU
A Guitar Hero Won’t Play the Game by Larry Rohter published in The New York Times – February 12, 2010: https://goo.gl/GbtD
Jeff Beck Talks Seeing Jimi Hendrix, Topical New LP https://goo.gl/G0gnqh
Pink Floyd’s All Music Discography by Richie Unterberger by Richie Unterberger https://goo.gl/cWDcyM
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713.
*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
From Rockaway by Jill Eisenstadt:
Timmy and Chowderhead and Peg are lifeguards. They spend summers sitting in those tall chairs, smoking dope and staring at the waves, swatting insects, tormenting seagulls. Winters they work shit jobs like unloading trucks at Mickey’s Deli. At night, winter and summer, they drink. Drink and get rowdy. Then there’s Alex, the girl who gets away, not only from old boyfriend Timmy but also from “Rotaway”-on scholarship to a rich-kid’s college in New England. One midsummer night when the four are reunited, tensions erupt in feats of daring and self-destruction during the wild, cathartic, near-sacred lifeguard ritual known as the Death Keg. Brilliantly capturing the restlessness and casual nihilism of working-class youth with no options, Jill Eisenstadt’s acclaimed first novel startles in its power and originality, its depth of feeling, its bright and dark comic turns.
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.
Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay’s door with a plea for help–the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.
It’s time to get the band back together.
You can request the book by clicking on the following link to StarCat:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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.
Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
The Sunlight Night by Rebecca Dinerstein:
In the beautiful, barren landscape of the Far North, under the ever-present midnight sun, Frances and Yasha are surprised to find refuge in each other. Their lives have been upended—Frances has fled heartbreak and claustrophobic Manhattan for an isolated artist colony; Yasha, a Russian immigrant raised in a bakery in Brighton Beach, arrives from Brooklyn to fulfill his beloved father’s last wish: to be buried “at the top of the world.” They have come to learn how to be alone.
But in Lofoten, an archipelago of six tiny islands in the Norwegian Sea, ninety-five miles north of the Arctic Circle, they form a bond that fortifies them against the turmoil of their distant homes, offering solace amidst great uncertainty. With nimble and sure-footed prose enriched with humor and warmth, Dinerstein reveals that no matter how far we travel to claim our own territory, it is ultimately love that gives us our place in the world.
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
One minute Jack’s in math class. The next, he’s on a dark, cobblestoned, empty street. Empty, that is, except for a skinny girl wrapped in a threadbare shawl. “Matches, mister?” she asks, and just like that, Jack’s life collides with one of Hans Christian Andersen’s grimmest tales. And just when he has almost convinced himself it was just a weird dream, it happens again.
Suddenly, Jack’s ideas about what is “real” or “possible” no longer apply. While he and his new girlfriend, Lucy, struggle to understand who or what the Match Girl is, they come to realize they must also find a way to keep Jack away from her. The Match Girl is not just a sad, lonely soul; she’s dangerous. And each time Jack is drawn into her gray, solitary world, she becomes stronger, more alive…and more attached to Jack.
She wants to keep Jack for her very own, even if that means he will die.
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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.
Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes:
Garvey’s father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading—anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also obese, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father—by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports. This emotionally resonant novel in verse by award-winning author Nikki Grimes celebrates choosing to be true to yourself.
Here’s a link to the checkout page in the Digital Catalog:
A Summer Book Pick from Good Housekeeping, Library Journal, Goodreads, Liz and Lisa, and BookBub
In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.
1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.
1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the “Queen of Spies”, who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.
Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth…no matter where it leads.
Here’s a link to the StarCat request page for the book:
You can also requests books simply by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
Online Catalog Links:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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.
Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for today.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
Perennials: A Novel by Mandy Berman:
At what point does childhood end and adulthood begin? Mandy Berman’s evocative debut novel captures, through the lens of summer camp both the thrill and pain of growing up.
Rachel Rivkin and Fiona Larkin used to treasure their summers together as campers at Camp Marigold. Now, reunited as counselors after their first year of college, their relationship is more complicated. Rebellious Rachel, a street-smart city kid raised by a single mother, has been losing patience with her best friend’s insecurities; Fiona, the middle child of a not-so-perfect suburban family, envies Rachel’s popularity with their campers and fellow counselors. For the first time, the two friends start keeping secrets from each other. Through them, as well as from the perspectives of their fellow counselors, their campers, and their mothers, we witness the tensions of the turbulent summer build to a tragic event, which forces Rachel and Fiona to confront their pasts—and the adults they’re becoming.
A seductive blast of nostalgia, a striking portrait of adolescent longing, and a tribute to female friendship, Perennials will speak to everyone who still remembers that bittersweet moment when innocence is lost forever.
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy:
A dazzling, richly moving new novel by the internationally celebrated author of The God of Small Things
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness takes us on an intimate journey of many years across the Indian subcontinent—from the cramped neighborhoods of Old Delhi and the roads of the new city to the mountains and valleys of Kashmir and beyond, where war is peace and peace is war.
It is an aching love story and a decisive remonstration, a story told in a whisper, in a shout, through unsentimental tears and sometimes with a bitter laugh. Each of its characters is indelibly, tenderly rendered. Its heroes are people who have been broken by the world they live in and then rescued, patched together by acts of love—and by hope.
The tale begins with Anjum—who used to be Aftab—unrolling a threadbare Persian carpet in a city graveyard she calls home. We encounter the odd, unforgettable Tilo and the men who loved her—including Musa, sweetheart and ex-sweetheart, lover and ex-lover; their fates are as entwined as their arms used to be and always will be. We meet Tilo’s landlord, a former suitor, now an intelligence officer posted to Kabul. And then we meet the two Miss Jebeens: the first a child born in Srinagar and buried in its overcrowded Martyrs’ Graveyard; the second found at midnight, abandoned on a concrete sidewalk in the heart of New Delhi.
As this ravishing, deeply humane novel braids these lives together, it reinvents what a novel can do and can be. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness demonstrates on every page the miracle of Arundhati Roy’s storytelling gifts.
You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
Online Catalog Links:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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.
Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles for today.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
City of Saints And Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Gone Girl in this enthralling YA murder mystery set in Kenya.
In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn’t exist. After fleeing the Congo as refugees, Tina and her mother arrived in Kenya looking for the chance to build a new life and home. Her mother quickly found work as a maid for a prominent family, headed by Roland Greyhill, one of the city’s most respected business leaders. But Tina soon learns that the Greyhill fortune was made from a life of corruption and crime. So when her mother is found shot to death in Mr. Greyhill’s personal study, she knows exactly who’s behind it.
With revenge always on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving on the streets alone, working as a master thief for the Goondas, Sangui City’s local gang. It’s a job for the Goondas that finally brings Tina back to the Greyhill estate, giving her the chance for vengeance she’s been waiting for. But as soon as she steps inside the lavish home, she’s overtaken by the pain of old wounds and the pull of past friendships, setting into motion a dangerous cascade of events that could, at any moment, cost Tina her life. But finally uncovering the incredible truth about who killed her mother—and why—keeps her holding on in this fast-paced nail-biting thriller.
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
The author of the stunning New York Times bestseller The Widow returns with a brand-new novel of twisting psychological suspense.
As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby?
As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.
But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell
You can also request it by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
Online Catalog Links:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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.
Hi everyone, this week we’re kicking off a month long look at what author Robert Santelli, Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide, deems The Second British Invasion – this is the music British artists and bands put out between June 1967 and the end of the sixties.
You can think of the rock music of the sixties as having a musical call and response pattern. British musicians and bands who became popular in the early sixties were influenced by traditional American Rock and R&B artists of the fifties — artists including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Little Richard. And and you can hear that influence in their music – in the sounds of British Invasion bands like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five and The Hollies. Those bands in turn, influenced the playing of American bands including The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Young Rascals etc.
Then in the aftermath of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in June 1967, you get that sort of call and response pattern again – although it starts to spread out like pebbles thrown in water as Sgt. Pepper’s was a colossally influential album, and is arguably, the greatest rock album ever released. The music on Sgt. Pepper’s influenced all rock musicians and bands on both sides of the pond for the rest of the sixties, into the seventies and beyond. Certainly, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band sounded more experimental than any rock album released before it; and its release heralded a new more progressive and experimental era in Rock history.
In the aftermath of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s you hear albums that are more innovative and that start seriously taking Rock Music past its youth focused beginnings; albums like The Rolling Stone’s Beggar’s Banquet, The Who’s The Who Sell Out, Traffic’s Dear Mr. Fantasy, Days of Future Passed by the Moody Blues, Piper At The Gates of Dawn by Syd Barret era Pink Floyd and the classic Small Face’s LP Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake.
But enough musical pondering, on to the bands of the week!
So to kick this month long look at the British Invasion music of the late sixties, we’ll start off listening to the music of the three biggest bands of the era: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & The Who and the albums they released between 1967 and 1969.
And as a reminder, our weekly music postings feature the following sections:
I. Links to AllMusic Biographies of the Artists/Groups of the Week
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music)
III. CD Music Recommendations Of The Week
IV. Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups
V. References (for those who’d like to know a bit more about the artists of the week).
I. Links to AllMusic Biographies of the Artists/Groups of the Week:
The Beatles AllMusic Biography by Richie Unterberger:
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
Unfortunately, The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t contain any studio albums by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones or The Who. So for the artists specific LP recommendations skip down to the next section – CD Music Recommendations Of The Week.
And for the Freegal streaming suggestions of the week – here are some albums perfect for your summer listening pleasure!
Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor (1972) by Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor
This band’s music contains a great mix of acoustic guitars, traditional rock vibes and a few country threads thrown in for good measure. I’d never heard of this album or band before I stumbled across it in the Freegal Catalog. I don’t know who the Gorgoni and Martin of the group are/were but I was able to discover that the Taylor of the title is the classic rock songwriter Chip Taylor, who interestingly was born John Wesley Voigt and is the brother of the actor Jon Voigt. Chip Taylor is best known as a songwriter although he has also put out his own albums which range from 1971’s Gasoline to 2017’s A Song I Can Live With. Some of his songs that have been made popular by other artists include: I Can’t Let Go recorded by The Hollies, Make Me Belong To You recorded by Barbara Lewis, I Can Make It With You recorded by Jackie DeShannon, Step Out Of Your Mind recorded by The American Bread, Angel of the Morning originally recorded by Merrilee Rush and later by Juice Newton, and the classic rock anthem Wild Thing recorded by The Troggs and many other bands over the years. Getting back to the Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor album, the songs on the LP include: Fuzzy, Choo Choo Sharoo, You Crazy Girl and the Beatlesque Something About The Sunshine.
Here’s a link to stream the Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor LP: https://goo.gl/jrBcZo
Angel of the Morning by Marilee Rush:
Speaking of Marilee Rush, the singer who originally recorded the Taylor song Angel of the Morning, The Freegal Music Catalog features her Angel of The Morning album – which has a light, breezy 1970s country-folk feel to it. The album includes the title track, Taylor’s It’s All Worth It, Sandcastles, San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair), What The World Needs Now and a version of Hush which is quite interesting as it is much lighter in style than the better known Deep Purple version.
And at this point I’ll admit, I got a bit carried away with gathering listening suggestions for this week! The Freegal Music Catalog has some really fantastic musical gems to listen to; if you just have the time to hunt a little bit! And if you don’t have that time – you can just check out our weekly music postings! For the sake of trying to keep this posting semi-short, which admittedly is hard for me, for the rest of this week’s Freegal suggested listens I’m going to list the genres, albums/artists, a list of a few of the songs on each LP and the links to stream them – check them out!
Pop/Rock/Surf Music:
Classic Rock/Pop/Folk & Country: Jukebox Oldies Rockin’ Summer Vol. 1 – Great Rock, Surf, And Soul Songs of the 50s, 60s, And 70s with the Beach Boys, Link Wray, Sam & Dave, The Byrds, Little Richard, And More!
This 16 song set, with the massively long title, contains the following songs: Soul Man by Sam & Dave, Poison Ivy by The Coasters, Rumble by Link Wray, Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin, Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds, Surfin’ Safari by The Beach Boys, Pipeline by The Chantays an Surf City by Jan and Dean.
Guitar Legend: The Very Best Of Dick by Dick Dale:
This 15 song greatest hits collection by the the legendary Surf guitarist, contains the following songs: Miserlou, Let’s Go Trippin’, Hava Nagila, Riders In The Sky, Night Rider and Surf Buggy.
This is the 1965 debut album by the Lovin’ Spoonful. The album features twelve songs including: Do You Believe In Magic, Blues In The Bottle, Did You Every Have To Make Up Your Mind?, The Otherside Of This Life, Alley Oop & On The Road Again.
Here’s the link to the Do You Believe In Magicalbum:
And since no summer would be complete without hearing the Lovin’ Spoonful’s Summer In The City at least once, here’s a link to the album Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful which contains that song and 16 other classic pop/rock tunes:
The Complete Recordings (1964-1968) by Ronnie & The Daytonas:
More fun Surf music! Songs include: G.T.O., Hot Rod Baby, California Bound, The Little Stingray That I Could, Surfin’ In The Summertime, When The Stars Shine Bright and more – 48 songs in all.
Here’s the link to stream the Ronnie & The Daytonas collection:
Skeeter Davis is sometimes classified as a country artist; to my ears though, her music sounds like classic pop music. This neat album features the songs: Under The Boardwalk, That Warm Summer Night, Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand), Sunglasses, That Summer Sunset and a vocal version of the classic Theme to a Summer Place.
Here’s a link to stream the Singin’ In the SummerLP:
This album really is just a great folk album and it is a stretch to classify it a “summer album,” because it only contains one summer themed song – Summer Days Alone. Even so it is a fun record that includes the songs: Frogg No. 2, The Tavern Song, Lady Greensleeves, Ole Smokey &Tarrytown.
Also available by The Brothers Four is a more in-depth collection titled Greenfields and Other Folk Music Greats – First Five Albums which contains, just what it says it does — their first five albums recorded in 1960 & 1961:
This is an entertaining orchestral pop album and contains the following songs: Mr. Lucky (Goes Latin), Rain Drops In Rio, The Dancing Cat, Cow Bells and Coffee Beans & Tango Americano.
Theme From A Summer Place And Other Great Themes by Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra:
This is another cool orchestral album prefect for listening to while relaxing by the pool or reading near the air conditioner. The album includes the songs Theme From A Summer Place, Tammy, Fascination, Some Enchanted Evening & All The Way.
This various artists collection contains 32 songs including: Papa Loves Mambo by Perry Como, Put On A Happy Face by Tony Bennett, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life by Liza Minnelli, A Steel Guitar And A Glass of Wine by Paul Anka, Green, Green Grass of Home by Elvis Presley, Wonderful! Wonderful! by Johnny Mathis, Day-O by Harry Belafonte, Italian Mambo by Rosemary Clooney and many others – this is a great classic easy listening collection.
Summer Solstice 2 by Various Artists (A Windham Hill Collection):
This LP contains what used to be called New Age Music – and is what Windham Hill fans will expect – generally light, smooth and atmospheric songs including: Birds In Flight by George Winston, Cruisin’ Negril by W. G. “Snuffy” Walden, No Na Mamo by Taj Mahal and A Child’s Song by Will Ackerman.
Jazz:THE MUSIC OF AMERICA: Inventing Jazz – Dave Brubeck by Dave Brubeck
Songs in the set include: The Duke, Ode To A Cowboy, Dialogues for Jazz Combo and Orchestra (with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra), The Golden Horn, Kathy’s Waltz & Non-Sectarian Blues.
This album, by Singer Jackie Cain and Singer-Pianist Roy Kral, includes the songs: Day By Day, Lazy Afternoon, Summer Song/Summertime, We Could Be Flying and more.
A fun collection for kids, this singalong set includes the songs: Barefootin’, Catch A Wave, In The Gold Old Summertime, Yes!We Have No Bananas, Bicycle Built For Two, On Top of Spaghetti &The Hokey Pokey.
Here’s the link to stream the 50 Best Summer Songs LP:
This musical is based upon the composer Antonin Dvorak’s visit to Iowa. And I was surprised to stumble across a classic musical whilst browsing through the Freegal Music Catalog! Songs include: Just Around The Corner,Once A Year Is Not Long Enough, Murphy’s Pig & Sing Me A Song.
All the albums released by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & The Who between 1967 and 1970 are worthy of a listen; so I’m going to start out by listing the albums each group released during that pivotal three year period and then suggest several albums that are in the library’s collection.
The Beatles Albums Released Between 1967 – 1970:
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Magical Mystery Tour Soundtrack (1968)
The Beatles (aka The White Album) (1968)
Yellow Submarine (1969)
Abbey Road (1969)
Let It Be (1970)
The Rolling Stone’s Albums Released Between 1967 – 1970:
Between the Buttons (1967)
Flowers (1967)
Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) (And yes, they really did title an album “Their Satanic Majesties Request” – they were playing their bad-boy-anti-Beatles alternative band persona to the hilt)
Beggars Banquet (1968)
Let It Bleed (1969)
Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out (1970)
The Who’s Albums Released Between 1967 – 1971:
And I know that is really a baker’s dozen three years! However, I just couldn’t leave out the classic album Who’s Next which was released in 1971.
The Who Sell Out (1967)
Tommy (1969)
Live At Leeds (1970)
Who’s Next (1971)
The Beatles:
If you’re new to listening to Beatles albums, and I’m sure there are few people out there that have heard their songs on the radio but never listen to their albums, I’d recommend you start with their masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as it is recognized by most music fans and critics to be their best album. If you’re game to listen to a second full-length album by the band I’d recommend the one that is my personal favorite – Abbey Road. All The Beatles albums are available for request through StarCat.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Song List:
1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With a Little Help from My Friends
3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing a Hole
6. She’s Leaving Home
7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
8. Within You Without You
9. When I’m Sixty-Four
10. Lovely Rita
11. Good Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
13. A Day in the Life
Here’s a link to request the CD version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band:
Between The Buttons, Flowers & Beggars Banquet will be available for request in StarCat soon.
In the meantime, the greatest hits collection Hot Rocks 1964-71is available for request. This two disc set contains 21 songs including: Time Is On My Side, Play With Fire, Satisfaction, Ruby Tuesday, Street Fighting Man and Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.
Our digital suggestion for today is the downloadable audio book:
Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild by James Campbell:
The powerful and affirming story of a father’s journey with his teenage daughter to the far reaches of Alaska
Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, home to only a handful of people, is a harsh and lonely place. So when James Campbell’s cousin Heimo Korth asked him to spend a summer building a cabin in the rugged Interior, Campbell hesitated about inviting his fifteen-year-old daughter, Aidan, to join him: Would she be able to withstand clouds of mosquitoes, the threat of grizzlies, bathing in an ice-cold river, and hours of grueling labor peeling and hauling logs?
But once there, Aidan embraced the wild. She even agreed to return a few months later to help the Korths work their traplines and hunt for caribou and moose. Despite windchills of 50 degrees below zero, father and daughter ventured out daily to track, hunt, and trap. Under the supervision of Edna, Heimo’s Yupik Eskimo wife, Aidan grew more confident in the woods.
Campbell knew that in traditional Eskimo cultures, some daughters earned a rite of passage usually reserved for young men. So he decided to take Aidan back to Alaska one final time before she left home. It would be their third and most ambitious trip, backpacking over Alaska’s Brooks Range to the headwaters of the mighty Hulahula River, where they would assemble a folding canoe and paddle to the Arctic Ocean. The journey would test them, and their relationship, in one of the planet’s most remote places: a land of wolves, musk oxen, Dall sheep, golden eagles, and polar bears.
At turns poignant and humorous, Braving It is an ode to America’s disappearing wilderness and a profound meditation on what it means for a child to grow up—and a parent to finally, fully let go.
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
An award-winning writer makes her debut with this mesmerizing page-turner in the spirit of Everything I Never Told You and Olive Kitteridge.
Out for a hike one scorching afternoon in Sycamore, Arizona, a newcomer to town stumbles across what appear to be human remains embedded in the wall of a dry desert ravine. As news of the discovery makes its way around town, Sycamore’s longtime residents fear the bones may belong to Jess Winters, the teenage girl who disappeared suddenly some eighteen years earlier, an unsolved mystery that has soaked into the porous rock of the town and haunted it ever since. In the days it takes the authorities to make an identification, the residents rekindle stories, rumors, and recollections both painful and poignant as they revisit Jess’s troubled history. In resurrecting the past, the people of Sycamore will find clarity, unexpected possibility, and a way forward for their lives.
Skillfully interweaving multiple points of view, Bryn Chancellor knowingly maps the bloodlines of a community and the indelible characters at its heart—most notably Jess Winters, a thoughtful, promising adolescent poised on the threshold of adulthood. Evocative and atmospheric, Sycamore is a coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a moving exploration of the elemental forces that drive human nature—desire, loneliness, grief, love, forgiveness, and hope—as witnessed through the inhabitants of one small Arizona town.
You can request the book by clicking on the following link to StarCat:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
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: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: 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: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
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 & Book Talk at SSCL 