Tag: public library

Suggested Reading Five: June 17, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

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Ash Dark as Night by Gary Phillips 

The times, they are a-changing in Phillips’s outstanding sequel to One-Shot Harry (2022). It’s August 1965: Vietnam is heating up; the civil rights movement is marching forward. Escalating tensions between the police and Black Americans have boiled over most recently in the Watts Riots. Black photographer Harry Ingram is in Los Angeles to document the unrest and winds up capturing the police shooting of unarmed activist Faraday Zinum. The widely reproduced photo brings Harry newfound fame, as well as the unwelcome attention of LAPD chief William Parker and his intelligence division. Meanwhile, an acquaintance hires Harry to look into the disappearance of her business associate Moses Tolbert, who ran a building company in the Watts neighborhood and vanished during the riots. As Harry investigates, stumbling into citywide conspiracies along the way, he finds that he has a natural aptitude for the work, and ponders the possibility of becoming a private detective full-time. Phillips folds real historical figures, including TV journalist Louis Lomax, and events into a complex narrative of shifting alliances that captures the urgency and volatility of the mid-’60s. The results rank with the best of Walter Mosley in the canon of Los Angeles noir. Agent: David Hale Smith, InkWell Management. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review  

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Inner City Blues by Paula L. Woods 

The award-winning first book in the series featuring black LAPD homicide detective Charlotte Justice. 

Meet Detective Charlotte Justice, a black woman in the very white, very male, and sometimes very racist Los Angeles Police Department. The time is 48 hours into the epochal L.A. riots and she and her fellow officers are exhausted. She saves the curfew-breaking black doctor Lance Mitchell from a potentially lethal beating from some white officers—only to discover nearby the body of one-time radical Cinque Lewis, a thug who years before had murdered her husband and young daughter. Was it a random shooting or was Mitchell responsible? And what had brought Lewis back to a city he’d long since fled? 

Charlotte’s quest for the truth behind Cinque’s death will set her at odds with the LAPD hierarchy, plunge her into the intricacies of everything from L.A.’s gang-banging politics to its black blue-bloods, and lead her into deep emotional waters with Mitchell’s partner (and her old flame), Dr. Aubrey Scott. 

In Charlotte Justice, Paula L. Woods has created a tough, tart, but also vulnerable heroine sure to draw comparisons to such classic figures as Easy Rawlins and Kinsey Milhone, but a true original as well. 

Winner of the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel from Mystery Readers International.  

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The Island Club by Nicola Harris  

On California’s Balboa Island in the 1950s, three different women strive to make the best of their strenuous situations. Milly moved to the island in hopes that she would have more quality time with her husband, who works in the movie business in L.A. Despite her plans for family dinners and beach trips, she is alone most of the time as he barely comes home from work. Sylvia, a pillar in the social community, has started a tennis club with her husband, hoping to boost membership and boost their already fulfilling income. Sylvia’s husband has a habit of playing poker, and with a shattering loss, he puts the family in danger and the club at risk of closure. Adele, once a famous tennis pro who left the profession due to a scandal that ruined her career, slowly begins to coach women at the tennis club but keeps her identity a secret. Harrison (Hotel Laguna, 2023) excels at creating compelling characters. These women struggle with loneliness and sexism, but Harrison focuses on their resilience and strength and the powerful bonds of female friendship.- Booklist Review  

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Mr. Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of the Beatles by Philip Norman 

There will never be another pop manager like Brian Epstein, the young record retailer from Liverpool behind the 20th century’s greatest romance. Having achieved his much-derided aim of making the Beatles “bigger than Elvis,” Brian went on to make them bigger than any earthly instrument could measure. Only a handful of years older, he nonetheless referred them as “The Boys,” protecting and pampering them like the children he could never hope to have. 

Brian’s achievement in a profession in which he had no experience, and for which nor rulebook existed, remains jaw-dropping. A devout classical music fan, he was nonetheless solely responsible for a new genre of pop that was to change its course, and Britain’s international image, forever—yet, disgracefully, earn him no public honor nor even thanks. 

Mr. Moonlight draws on a cache of exclusive interviews with those closest to Brain, including his mother, Queenie, and brother, Clive, to tell the story of this hugely complex, self-contradictory, and ultimately tragic character. This revelatory narrative explores the unplumbed depths of Brian’s many trials and tribulations—how he almost lost the Beatles to organized crime, the antisemitism and homophobia he had to face even at the height of his success, his complex relationship with John Lennon that led to their reckless “Spanish Honeymoon”—and sheds new light on Brian’s mysterious, lonely death in the throes of the so-called Summer of Love. 

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A Year of Marvelous Ways by Sarah Winman 

In this latest from Winman (Still Life), a war-weary young man and a sage older woman come together in a journey of recovery. Francis Drake (not the explorer), a lucky survivor of World War II, finally arrives back in England with a letter entrusted to him by a dying soldier with a plea to deliver it to his father in Cornwall. Making his way there, Drake is sidetracked after catching sight of Missy Hall, his childhood companion and the love of his life. She invites him up to her room, where they spend the night together. But by the next day, she has disappeared again. Now bereft, drunk, and much the worse for wear, Drake washes up on the shores of St. Ophere, a tiny Cornish hamlet where an 89-year-old woman named Marvelous Ways seems to have been waiting for him. With hearty soups and herbal remedies, she nurses him back to health while spinning out tales about her life and lost loves.  

VERDICT Once again, Winman delivers historical fiction that memorably evokes the sweetness and sorrow of times past.–Library Journal 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 four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

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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.

Suggested Reading Five: June 10, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

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Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See 

See (Lucy Tan’s Circle of Women) tells the intertwining story of three women in 1870s California during a turbulent time for Chinese immigrants. Dove, whose had her feet bound and is the daughter of an imperial scholar, desires to love and be loved as she travels to be the second wife of an older businessman. Petal, the large-footed daughter of a farmer, is unknowingly sold and forced into sex work to feed her starving family. Her desire for freedom fuels her every breath. Moon, the wife of a respected doctor, is intelligent and beautiful, but her limp, the result of a botched foot-binding, diminishes her value in society’s eyes. Her desire for justice guides the latter half of the narrative, following the devastating events of October 24, 1871, when simmering anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States finally erupts into a violent massacre, resulting in the mass murder and lynching of Chinese immigrants. The events of that night bring Dove, Petal, and Moon even closer; together, they find their voices by demonstrating bravery and fortitude in an environment where women have few rights. VERDICT See offers a stunning piece of historical fiction based in truth. It will touch readers with the characters’ resilience, heroism, and devoted friendship. — Starred Library Journal Review  

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The Queen’s Coronation: A Novel by Jennifer Ryan 

A master of uplifting historical fiction, Ryan (The Underground Library, 2024) presents her first post-WWII novel. Centered on three very different women working at Buckingham Palace during the lead-up to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, it offers a glimpse into what it was like to work in the young queen’s orbit. Assistant dresser Caroline finds strength in the queen’s presence. Trapped by both a husband who squanders her money and a secret from her past, Caroline works tirelessly but begins to lose hope. Lucy is a young and beautiful junior assistant who dreams of singing on the London stage, but her optimism is soon overshadowed by her naivety as she navigates London society. Miranda, an American journalist, is undercover, working in the palace to get the scoop on the coronation. Filled with unresolved trauma over losing her husband in the war, Miranda puts on a stony facade to get through each day. Though they couldn’t be more different, their stories intertwine and they lift each other up and find strength together. Fans of The Crown and Downton Abbey will enjoy the dynamics. –Booklist Review 

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The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy by Steven J. Ross 

This well-researched and at times shocking volume relates the surprising number of pro-Nazi groups and figures who emerged during and after World War II in the United States gained followers and influence and made impacts in local and national politics for decades. Ross (history, Univ. of Southern California; Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America) makes the case that the typical narrative of the United States after the war might not be as accurate as most people think. Ross weaves the timelines of these figures together in an easy-to-follow way, showing how they gained power but also highlighting the people and organizations who actively fought against them in public and in spy rings, who each had their own motivations for resisting fascism. Readers will get sucked into the story and want to know what happens next. There are plenty of footnotes for further reading, and the author makes clear how past actions led to today’s events. This is a good read-alike and companion to Rachel Maddow’s Prequel. VERDICT An excellent “hidden history” book that gives additional context to modern political movements. Recommended for all general collections. –Starred Booklist Review  

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Take Me With You: A Novel by Steve Rowley  

Jesse and Norman have been together for 30 years, and lately, the spark has gone out of their marriage. Their recent move to Joshua Tree (not so much a town as a “Census designated place,” as Jesse is fond of pointing out) in the California desert has only compounded the tension. But when Norman abruptly leaves the house in the middle of the night, Jesse doesn’t expect to find him ascending into the sky from their backyard in a beam of light. As an award-winning humor writer, Jesse can get by for a while telling his neighbor and his colleagues at the local community college that his husband was abducted by aliens. But as the days pass, it becomes more difficult to deflect, especially when Norman’s sister shows up on their doorstep with a very big request. And as Jesse goes from spiraling to settling into his new life, will there be room for Norman if he returns? Rowley (The Guncle Abroad, 2024), himself the recipient of a humor-writing prize, adeptly balances the absurdity of Jesse’s circumstances with the sensitive portrayal of a longtime couple at a crossroads. Recommend to readers of humorous but moving fiction, like that of Kevin Wilson (Run for the Hills, 2025) and Rufi Thorpe. – Starred Booklist Review  

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The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden 

Medieval history and Celtic mythology merge in an enchanting tale. Arden, best known for her Winternight Trilogy, here turns from medieval Russia to Europe during the same period. Anne of Brittany–a real person–is 19 when the novel begins in the late 15th century, a sovereign duchess whose father, the duke, has been dead since she was a child. Described as “small and glossy as a cat in a dairy,” she’s desperately trying to avoid marrying Charles VIII, the king of France, which would mean the dissolution of her country. She conceives a plan to conduct a unicorn hunt in the ancient, haunted forest of Broceliande, thinking she will be able to secretly arrange a proxy wedding to Maximilien of Austria, heir to the Holy Roman Empire. While there, she encounters not only an actual unicorn but an evil enchanter who has designs on her kingdom. With the unlikely aid of the chivalrous (and undeniably attractive) Louis of Orleans, who has been sent by Charles’ sister Marguerite to betray Anne, as well as Anne’s spunky younger sister, Isabeau; a clever peasant girl, Elesbed; and a cat named Butter, Anne works feverishly to protect her people from sinister forces both political and supernatural. Arden takes her time immersing the reader in this thoroughly and intricately imagined world, where historical figures bump up against an enigmatic korriganed queen, at least one monstrous sea-dragon, a herd of undead “anaon,” and a whole Breton city that has been trapped in time. This is an alternate history in which the admirable Anne, freed from the confines of textbooks, gets to ask the question, “Shall we not write our own story?” Here, love and duty reach an understanding, and courtly romance makes friends with a steamier variety of physical contact. Fans of jousts, spells, dark magic, and brave women will find plenty of each here. A clever and inspiring reimagining of a little-remembered time and place. – Starred Kirkus 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.

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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.

–

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.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

Suggested Reading Five: June 3, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

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Foursome by Christina Baker Kline 

Kline’s (The Exiles) latest is a work of historical fiction that has ties to her own family. Writing about her distant cousins, Adelaide (Addie) and Sarah (Sallie) Yates, who married conjoined twin brothers Chang and Eng Bunker in 19th-century North Carolina, Kline uses older sister Sallie’s voice to drive the novel. With this unique foundation for storytelling, readers get a taste of the hardships the Yates-Bunker families might have endured and their lives as plantation owners with 21 children between them. Issues such as racism, gender roles, motherhood, and identity are touched on, as well as difficult topics such as sexual violence and enslavement. Written with compassion and sensitivity, the book gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the once perceived scandalous lives of the two Yates-Bunker families. Strong characterizations and imagery quickly move the work along, making this novel hard to put down.  

VERDICT Readers familiar with Darin Strauss’s 2000 novel Chang and Eng will appreciate a version of the story told from the wives’ perspectives. Kline points out the liberties she took in crafting this novel, an emotionally moving read for book groups and anyone interested in witnessing a slice of life of two famous brothers and their families. -Starred Library Journal Review 

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The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang 

Yang’s first novel (after the story collection The Runaway Restaurant) is imaginative, spanning a range of topics and featuring lyrical writing and complex characters. Marine biologist Jo Ness grieves the loss of her best friend and colleague Aldo, who was working with her on a jellyfish guide. She receives a call from Nadia, an old friend she hasn’t seen in years, pleading for her help with a massive jellyfish that is terrorizing a Maine island community. Nadia is nowhere to be found when Jo arrives in Shattering Point, and the locals there each have a different take on the sea monster, which they have named Clementine. With a varied cast of characters, the novel captivates from start to finish and provides a sense of solace as the events unfold. The finale is perfection, sure to leave readers feeling satiated and impassioned, with sticking power that lasts long after the book’s close.  

VERDICT Perfect for fans of Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures or Emily Habeck’s Shark Heart who are looking for the same immersiveness, heartbreak, and comfort those novels evoked. –Starred Library Journal Review  

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Summerland Cove: A Novel by Ellen Baker 

Lindy has the summer of a lifetime planned at her family’s beloved cottage in Summerland Cove, Maine, where she’s spent summers all her life and where she and her husband David met as teenagers. She’s slated big events three weekends in a row: David’s fiftieth birthday party, her parents’ fiftieth anniversary party, and her oldest daughter Hailey’s wedding. But when David doesn’t show up for his own party, everything about the life they’ve created together is thrown into question, as the shattered family sets out looking for him. Has he been in an accident? God forbid, been the victim of a crime? Or is it something more cliché—a midlife crisis, an affair? Surely, he’ll show up for his beloved daughter’s wedding—won’t he? 

The agonizing days tick by and still no David. Lindy’s four nearly grown children are panicked. Lindy struggles to remain calm, even as long-buried details of the family’s past begin to surface, offering distressing clues. Meanwhile, her mother seems to be harboring secrets of her own, her father has grown alarmingly absent-minded, and Hailey wrestles with whether she should get married at all—even if her father does turn up. 

A richly drawn novel of mothers, marriages, and one endearingly messy family, Summerland Cove beautifully evokes the crisp air and rocky beaches of coastal Maine, while poignantly revealing how complicated histories can shape the present in unexpected ways. 

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Waiting On A Friend: A Novel by Natalie Adler 

DEBUT Adler’s debut novel is poignant, reminding readers of the fear and anguish that came with the rise of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. It is 1984, and Renata is a 29-year-old bisexual woman living on New York City’s Lower East Side. All around her, friends and neighbors are dying from AIDS, and Renata has a special gift for seeing and communicating with ghosts. When her friend, roommate, and occasional lover Mark dies, Renata’s grief grows because he’s the one ghost she can’t seem to reach. She starts receiving fliers from Manhattan Remediation, a service that claims to be able to dispose of paranormal problems in one’s home. Renata is immediately suspicious about these claims, and the novel goes on to detail her efforts to uncover the company’s fraud and manage her heartache. Despite the book’s tragic plot, there is a certain humor in Renata’s observations, especially of customers at the vintage clothing store where she works. She is a memorable character in a community of sadness, and her communication with ghosts is spellbinding.   

VERDICT Adler’s debut is highly recommended for readers who enjoy vividly drawn literary fiction about the past. 

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What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative by Jim Collins 

Jim Collins, international bestselling author of Good to Great, offers transformative lessons on constructing—and reconstructing—a life through the cliff moments and transitions we all will face repeatedly in our lives. 

What to make of a life? 

It is a question we all wrestle with more than once: How do we find our way in the world? How do we make it past the cliffs, significant events that can radically change a life? How do we keep the inner fire burning bright, long and late? Inspired by relentless curiosity, Jim Collins devoted a decade to studying these questions and to minutely analyzing those moments when life flips from clarity to confusion and casts us into a befuddling fog. 

His exploration follows various lives side-by-side, paired together at cliffs, and analyzes the different choices made and divergent paths taken. Two rock musicians confronting a future without the group that had brought them success. Two public figures tainted by scandal having to make decisions about how to rebuild their lives. Two suffragists achieving their epic goal and so left with the puzzle of what to do next. Two figure skaters seeking new purpose when their Olympic careers come to an end. What emerges from Collins’s extensive studies—of writers, actors, scientists, leaders and many others—is a framework for understanding how individual lives can be built, sustained and constantly renewed. 

By examining the long arc of these remarkable lives, Collins tackles life’s questions. What does it take to: 

Discover a deeply fulfilling role in life—one that you are naturally ‘encoded’ for—and then to find a second one, if the first one ends? 

Overcome a major cliff—a fracture point that forces choices about what’s next and calls for you to re-envision the years to come? 

Make your personal economics work so that you can focus on one big thing that feeds your inner fire? 

Navigate the fog, when you feel uncertain or even outright lost, and build confidence step by step? 

Build personal momentum decade upon decade, so that your most creative and energetic years are spread across an entire lifetime? 

Achieve the imperative to “Know Thyself” and apply self-knowledge to each phase of life 

And for the first time, Collins movingly chronicles his own story to reveal how undertaking this project transformed him, changing his thinking and reshaping his emotions in fundamental ways. Surprising, story-driven, deeply researched, and uplifting, What to Make of a Life is a book like no other, convincingly showing how a richly fulfilled life is within reach of us all. 

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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.

–

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.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

Suggested Listening & Viewing: May 8, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring ten songs and two streaming video recommendations, one from a mainstream service and the other from Kanopy, the library’s free to access streaming service (all you need is a library card!).

First off the music!

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On this, the second Friday of the month, we turn our listening attention to a collection of classic pop and rock songs. Enjoy! 

An Old Fashioned Love Song by Three Dog Night 

 

Found on the Album: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Three Dog Night (2000) 

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Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee Wynonie Harris 

 

Found on the Album: Greatest Hits (2009) 

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Fiddle Time by Tex Williams 

 

Found on the Album: Vintage Collections (1996) by Tex Williams 

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G. I. Jive by Louis Jordan & His Orchestra 

 

 

Found on the Album: Let The Good Times Roll: The Anthology 1938 – 1953 (1999) 

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Groovin’ by The Rascals  

 

 

Found on the Album: Time Space: The Rascals’ Greatest Hits 

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I’ll Never Find Another You by The Seekers 

 

Found on the Album: Greatest Hits (2009) 

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Holy Holly by Neil Diamond 

 

Found on the Album: All-Time Greatest Hits (2014) 

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I’m in a Dancing Mood by Dave Brubeck 

 

 

Found on the Album: Greatest Hits (1966) 

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The Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Bobby Vee 

 

Found on the Album: The Legendary Masters Series (2011) 

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There’s Always Something There To Remind Me by Sandie Shaw 

 

Found on the Album: The Very Best of Sandie Shaw (2007) 

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And onto the Streaming Videos:

A new title available through one of the usual U.S. streaming services, followed by a Kanopy title that you can check out with your library card and stream on-demand.

Recommended Mainstream Stream of the Week

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) (Netflix) 

 

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Recommended Kanopy Stream of the Week

Can Dogs Talk? (2026) 

Trailer

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Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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Information on the four library catalogs 

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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. 

And The Digital Catalog/Libby features titles that may be checked out via the one-copy-one-user lending model, just like print books.  

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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 checkout 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. 

Titles in the Hoopla Catalog are available to be checked out on-demand by all library card holders, with the caveat of being able to check out a maximum of ten titles per month, per card.  

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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en 

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.  

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders! 

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV). 

– 

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. 

Suggested Listening & Viewing: April 24, 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is our weekly Suggested Listening and Viewing post; featuring ten songs and two streaming video recommendations, one from a mainstream service and the other from Kanopy, the library’s free to access streaming service (all you need is a library card!).

This week we’ve got a baker’s ten songs with a listening spotlight turned to early county and folk music, with a dash of folk-blues.

First off the music!

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Around The World by The Weavers

Found on the Album: The Weavers at Carnegie Hall (1957)

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Freight Train Blues by Roy Acuff  

Found on the Album: The Essential Roy Acuff (2014)

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The Galway Rambler by Tom Byrne

Found on the Album: Classic Celtic Music from Smithsonian Folkways (2013)

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I Love You Baby by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee

Found on the Album: Folk Songs Of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (1959/2012)

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The Northern Trappers’ Rendezvous by Loewen Family Orchestra

Found on the Album: Classic Canadian Songs From Smithsonian Folkways (2006)

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Pearline by Son House

Found on the Album: The Essential Son House (2014)

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Ragged Hungry Blues by Aunt Molly Jackson

Found on the Album: The Songs and Stories of Aunt Molly Jackson (1961)

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Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms by Rose Maddox

Found on the Album: Rose Maddox Sings Bluegrass (1962)

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Talking Dust Bowl Blues by Woody Guthrie

Found on the Album: Library Of Congress Recordings (1988)

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The Tramp On The Street by Molly O’Dell

Found on the Album: Columbia Country Classics Volume 1: The Golden Age (1991) by Various Artists

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Turkey In The Straw by Bill Newcomer & Elmo Newcomer

Found on the Album: Lost Train Blues: John & Alan Lomax and the Early Folk Music Collections at the Library of Congress (2016) by Various Artists

–

WPA Song by Clyde “Kingfish” Smith

Found on the Album: Lost Train Blues: John & Alan Lomax and the Early Folk Music Collections at the Library of Congress (2016) by Various Artists

–

And onto the Streaming Videos:

A new title available through one of the usual U.S. streaming services, followed by a Kanopy title that you can check out with your library card and stream on-demand.

Mainstream Stream

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85’ (2026) (Netflix)

–

Kanopy Stream

Sergio Dondoli’s Happy Life (2025)

Trailer

– 

Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

Information on the four library catalogs 

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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. 

And The Digital Catalog/Libby features titles that may be checked out via the one-copy-one-user lending model, just like print books.  

– 

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

The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron checkout 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. 

Titles in the Hoopla Catalog are available to be checked out on-demand by all library card holders, with the caveat of being able to check out a maximum of ten titles per month, per card.  

– 

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en 

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.  

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders! 

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV). 

– 

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. 

Suggested Reading Five: April 23, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire by India Holton

Professors Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling are best friends working in the field of magical antiquities and mired in the gender politics of Oxford University–which means no one can ever know they are best friends and that no one takes the brilliant Amelia seriously. The two bicker, create chaos, and pretend to hate each other in public, while secretly leaning on each other to navigate the world. When a staged argument gets out of hand, their faculty head banishes them to the country and tasks them with investigating a collection of possibly magical objects at a country manor house. In the company of an ever-growing collection of irritating–and perhaps villainous–people, Amelia and Caleb navigate mayhem, undertake intellectual inquiry, and finally admit that the sparks they generate when they pretend to hate each other are actually the embers of a delightful romantic life. VERDICT The follow-up to The Geographer’s Map to Romance is the best of the “Love’s Academic” trilogy, rich with magical and academic details, a zany plot that moves the story forward, and a tender, engaging romance. It sees all the series’ couples united and offers a lovely note of acceptance and appreciation.-Library Journal Review 

– 

The Mother-Daughter Book Club: A Novel by Susan Patterson & James Patterson 

Elin, Mariella, and Grace met in college, and Jamie later joined their tight-knit friend group that now includes the four women’s five now-adult daughters. Three years after their last Mother-Daughter Book Club, which ended in disaster, the crew is meeting at Mariella’s house on Lake Como for a weekend planned to the hilt that will include wine, yoga, boat rides, and a little bit of talking about books. As pastor Grace (still a virgin at 60) finds romance, Elin’s daugther, neurologist Brigid, is conspiring with Jamie to hide a secret. This is written by James Patterson with his wife, Susan, with whom he collaborated on Things I Wish I Told My Mother (2023), so despite its relationship-fiction trappings, there’s lots of plot that keeps the pages turning, especially the big reveal at the end. Chapters alternate among the nine women–helpfully labeled with the name of the narrator–giving a full picture of a weekend away, bolstered by delicious descriptions of meals and scenery. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand’s The Five-Star Weekend (2023) will enjoy this girls’ trip to Italy. 

– 

Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History by Susan Page 

The Crown meets The West Wing in this illuminating history that chronicles the largely unknown story of Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship with thirteen American presidents, from Harry S. Truman to Donald J. Trump. With that, she changed the world. 

No American or foreign leader has met with as many sitting presidents as Queen Elizabeth II. Her Royal Majesty’s seventy-year reign witnessed the highs and lows of the close and crucial alliance between the U.S. and the U.K., from the Suez crisis to Brexit. 

Following the advice of her mentor, Winston Churchill, to “stay close to the Americans,” Queen Elizabeth played an unexpected role behind the scenes that has never been thoroughly explored. In The Queen and Her Presidents, veteran political reporter Susan Page goes beyond the image of a staid monarch in colorful hats to reveal a skilled strategist, who, like many powerful women, was routinely underestimated and discounted. 

Page also shows the impact American presidents had on the monarch as she developed from a shy, anxious princess to a powerful and persuasive global leader, and analyzes both the reach and the limits of the “soft power” she wielded. These accounts of the Queen’s deft diplomacy provide candid and telling assessments of her partners in the Oval Office as well. 

Page shares fascinating true stories and details, including: 

Going beyond rumors and speculation, the reality of the relationship between Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth – and Trump’s own surprising comments about the monarch whose approval he coveted. 

The unexpected and genuine connection between the Queen and Barack Obama, and her surprising admission to him, and how each ranked the other as among the most impressive leaders of their lifetimes. 

Her influential friendship with Ronald Reagan during the Cold War, a bond built on their shared love of horses—and their conflict with Britain’s then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. 

How Richard Nixon sought the Queen’s help during Watergate—and even wanted to make her a relative. 

Elizabeth’s hand-in-glove cooperation with John F. Kennedy and the distance from his successor, Lyndon Johnson, the only president who declined to meet with her in office. 

The almost paternal role played by Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, offering support and advice as the young monarch assumed the crown in the wake of her beloved father’s death. 

Eye-opening and compelling, featuring an 8-page color photo insert, The Queen and Her Presidents is a remarkable chronicle of a legendary contemporary monarch and the American presidents who helped shape who helped shape her—and were shaped by her. 

– 

When It’s Your Turn For Midnight by Blessing Musariri 

When fifteen-year-old Chianti learns that her dad isn’t her biological father, her family splinters. Chianti goes to stay with her maternal grandmother, Ambuya, an eccentric and formidable ex-freedom fighter in Zimbabwe’s civil war. Ambuya’s closest neighbors are the gogos: her three best-friends-turned-business-partners, who take Chianti under their wings. They make a living by upcycling choice items of secondhand clothing—when their supply chain’s not being disrupted by thieves. In between helping with the gogos’ business, Chianti becomes fascinated by a box of her grandmother’s old photos. As she wrestles with the ghosts of their past as well her own, she realizes that time is slippery, that family isn’t defined by blood, and that it’s never too late for a transformation. 

– 

Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other—and the World by Jim Windolf 

Windolf, an editor at the New York Times, traces “the long and eventful relationship” between Bob Dylan and the Beatles, weaving a riveting narrative from anecdotes “scattered piecemeal across biographies, out-of-print memoirs, and long-buried articles,” as well as recent interviews, most notably with Paul McCartney. Windolph reveals striking parallels in the artists’ origins, from their upbringing in the declining industrial towns of Hibbing, Minnesota, and Liverpool to their transformative encounters with the music of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and, especially, Little Richard. At the heart of this comparative biography is a dynamic exchange of influence: Dylan and the Beatles met, partied, shared songs, and challenged one another in ways both generous and competitive. When they first met in New York in 1964, the Beatles, already global stars, were passing around Dylan’s records obsessively; within months, their songwriting began to shift in response. As Dylan pushed beyond the constraints of folk toward electrified experimentation, the Beatles turned inward, embracing acoustic textures and greater lyrical ambition. Lively, incisive, and deeply researched, Windolf’s account captures the specific, consequential moments in a creative dialogue; one that didn’t just shape two towering acts but irrevocably expanded what popular music could say, sound like, and mean.- Starred Booklist Review  

–

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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

–

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

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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.

–

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.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

Suggested Reading Five: April 8, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

The Bridge Back To You by Riss M. Neilson

Neilson (A Love Like the Sun) crafts a heartfelt second-chance romance, bringing together Carmello Rodriguez and Olivia Jones through an unexpected inheritance. When Carmello’s late mother Celia leaves him 75 percent of her Filipino restaurant–with 25 percent going to his ex-girlfriend Olivia–the two professional chefs spend hours in Celia’s kitchen cooking together, rekindling favorite memories, and addressing their past relationship through their dual perspectives. Neilson excels at weaving cultural identity into the narrative. Carmello, of Filipino and Dominican descent, introduces his heritage through his passion of food, while Olivia explores her own multiracial identity and unique upbringing. Additionally, Neilson’s discussion of disabilities, such as chronic illnesses, includes a thoughtful portrayal of how they affect daily life. The couple’s honest communication feels genuine and is enhanced by posthumous emails from Celia that illuminate Carmello’s protectiveness as a father, Olivia’s nomadic lifestyle, and how their intertwined past shaped who they’ve become. VERDICT A slow-burn, small-town romance that beautifully demonstrates how food, family, and culture can bridge the past and present. Perfect for readers seeking emotional depth with a culinary heart.–Starred Library Journal Review

–

The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Merc Carter is not your typical deliveryman. A former postal inspector, he specializes in moving sensitive or dangerous packages—of all sorts—from point A to B. And sometimes he needs his gun to do so. Carter’s current mission leads him to Providence, Rhode Island, but his delivery is interrupted when he comes across a woman badly injured in a car wreck in the pouring rain. Then a man with a gun appears warning Carter away from the scene and Carter leaps into action, disarming the attacker and rescuing the crash victim.

Just as Carter thinks the danger has passed, he discovers a deeper mystery stemming from the crash, a deadly puzzle involving a memorable pair of grifters, a crooked ex-cop, stolen identities, human trafficking, and murder. And it appears that Carter’s next assignment will put him right in this conspiracy’s perilous center . . .

The follow-up to last year’s acclaimed hit, The Mailman, which launched the Mercury Carter series, The Delivery is a fast-paced, unpredictable thriller following a memorable protagonist whose resourcefulness is matched only by his quick wit and determination to never miss a delivery. – from the publisher

Reader’s Note: The Delivery is the second book in the Mercury Carter series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: The Mailman.

–

Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power by Abby Phillip

CNN anchor Phillip debuts with a fresh and illuminating account of Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns. Starting from Jackson’s childhood in segregated Greenville, S.C., Phillip traces his development into a prominent civil rights leader. Jackson became Martin Luther King Jr.’s “man in the North,” helming boycott campaigns that pressured companies into hiring more Black workers. He also took a growing interest in harnessing Black electoral power, spearheading efforts to register Black voters and aiding in the 1983 election of Chicago’s first Black mayor, Harold Washington, a victory that inspired Jackson to pursue his own presidential run. Phillip surveys the two Jackson campaigns’ notable achievements, including embarrassing President Reagan by negotiating directly with Syrian president Hafez al-Assad for the return of an imprisoned Black Navy lieutenant, and building his multiethnic “rainbow coalition” in part by advocating for white farmers. Phillip also delves into the campaigns’ catastrophic missteps, most destructively Jackson’s antisemitic reference to New York City as “Hymietown,” which derailed his 1984 bid. She also offers a striking analysis of Jackson’s continued influence, showing how his campaign prefigured the contemporary progressive platform and to some extent foreshadowed the populist agendas of both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. The result is a paradigm-shifting reassessment of a progressive firebrand’s legacy. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review

–

The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura

The third in Segura’s Raiders of the Lost Heart series features a sassy librarian and a hot, nerdy archaeologist. Dani Guiterrez has had a crush on her brother’s best friend since they were both teenagers, and when he disappears and is presumed dead, she is heartbroken. After a lifetime of playing it safe, Dani books a trip to Greece to mourn Theo in his favorite place. But she’s not there long before she sees Theo, who’s been kidnapped by smugglers who believe that he can lead them to a priceless ruby known as the Eye of the Minotaur. The kidnappers believe that she is his fiance, and Dani is soon caught up in the search. Starting as a slow burn, it eventually becomes a smoking inferno. Both of them have a hard time confessing their feelings, and there are several miscommunications, but Dani and Theo have amazing chemistry. Readers who love a good adventure romance combined with Greek mythology will not be able to put this one down. For fans of Ali Hazelwood and Sara Desai. – Booklist Review

–

Moonlight Runner by Karen Robards

The brilliant Robards (Some Murders in Berlin, 2024) presents a captivating wartime adventure set it Ireland in 1918. The Irish are rebelling against the British for their independence and many of the locals are getting involved in dangerous acts. Rynn Carmichael is a 22-year-old local who is working as a nurse at Ballyshannon Court, a large family estate turned hospital during the war. Rynn discovers that her fiance , as well as her close childhood friends, are in a dire situation in which she involves herself. Several times over, in fact, starting with gun smuggling, murder, healing, and hiding the men who are fighting for Ireland. Trying to keep herself safe but also willing to support Ireland in whatever way she can, Rynn keeps getting embroiled in dangerous situations. This is an epic tale of feminine heroism, patriotism, and a touch of romance. With rich historical details of Ireland and London, descriptions of everything from fashion to classism, violence, and war, The Moonlight Runner captures readers right from the start. This page-turner is a must for historical fiction fans. – Booklist Review

–

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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

–

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

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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.

–

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.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

Suggested Reading Five: April 1, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

Final Storm by Fern Michaels 

In an exciting and richly moving new standalone page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels, an acclaimed photographer who has overcome her difficult past is suddenly faced with a test of all her courage and resilience. 

In her award-winning wildlife photographs, Charlotte Gray captures all the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Far better to focus on breathtaking landscapes than to turn the lens on her own painful childhood and the uncaring mother she left behind in Florida. Piece by piece, Charlotte has built a new, independent life, one she’s eager to protect. 

A chance encounter on assignment in Las Vegas sparks an intriguing relationship, and for the first time, Charlotte impulsively follows her heart. But along with love and fresh beginnings comes a trove of secrets about her new husband. And someone in his past is determined to upend Charlotte’s happiness by threatening what she cares about most. 

After everything she’s weathered, Charlotte is about to face the task of rebuilding her life yet again. But this time she’s doing it with hard-won strength, experience, and the wisdom to know when to forgive, when to let go, and how to walk into the sunshine and claim the support and love she deserves . . . 

– 

Game on: An Into Darkness Novel by Navessa Allen 

Book three in the #1 New York Times bestselling Into Darkness Series, following the dark rom-com sensations Lights Out and Caught Up. The game is on for these enemies-to-lovers with laugh-out-loud banter and scorching-hot brat play. 

I hate that woman. 

Tyler Neumann has spent years looking for his father, and not because he wants to meet the man. No, he wants to destroy him. And he’ll manipulate whoever he can to exact his revenge. 

Including Stella McCormick. She’s everything Tyler hates. Her wealth and privilege have protected her for her entire life, and Tyler thinks it’s time she finally paid the price. Whether she’s ready to or not. 

I hate that man. 

Stella might not believe in love at first sight, but loathing at first sight—no question. From the moment she sets eyes on Tyler in her tattoo parlor, she knows he’s the devil planning to make her life hell. 

Forced to play the part of his girlfriend and invite him into her family’s glittering circles, Stella quickly clocks Tyler’s ulterior motives. But love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and soon she doesn’t know which is worse: being blackmailed by a man who wants to ruin her, or that they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. 

This is an enemies-to-lovers dark romance with morally grey characters. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the content warning at the beginning of the book. 

Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers / Forced proximity / Fake dating / Rom-com / Morally grey MMC / Black cat FMC / Blackmail / Kidnapping / Power imbalance / Age gap / Betrayal and redemption / Dark past / Revenge 

 
Reader’s Note: Game On is the third book in the Into Darkness series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: Lights Out. 

– 

The Keeper by Tana French  

Retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper has now spent three years in the Irish village of Ardnakelty. His work with young Trey is going well, and his relationship with his fiancé Lena is progressing nicely. He’s also close with a group of local men who have accepted him into their complex social circle. But Lena wants nothing to do with their rumor mill and petty squabbles. When Rachel Holohan, girlfriend of the son of the town big shot, is found dead, she is not just mourned; her death stirs up generations of old grudges, power struggles, and stifling anger. As tensions mount and actions become more vicious, an exposed plan to upend the entire fabric of the town sheds new light on Rachel’s death, demanding vengeance and casting suspicions everywhere.  

VERDICT French is an expert at writing suspense and depicting the stifling tensions of small towns, and her final book in the Cal Hooper trilogy (following The Searcher and The Hunter) brings Cal’s story to a pulse-pounding conclusion. His legions of fans will mourn the end of this exceptional series.–Starred Booklist Review  

Reader’s Note: The Keeper is the third book in the Cal Hooper series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: The Searcher. 

– 

News from Dublin: Stories by Colm Toibin 

Celebrated as “his generation’s most gifted writer of love’s complicated, contradictory power” (Los Angeles Times), Colm Tóibín is a master of short fiction as well as the novel, able to summon an extraordinary intensity of emotion in a brief tale. The eleven stories transport readers across continents and eras. 

In “The Journey to Galway,” a mother who has learned of the death of her son, a fighter pilot in World War I, travels to Galway to inform his wife and their three now fatherless children. “Sleep,” originally published in The New Yorker, explores the rift between two lovers as one of them cannot reckon with his grief and fear after the death of his brother. Death, again, is a central character in the title story, “The News from Dublin,” as Maurice Webster travels to Dublin to try to save his younger brother who is dying of tuberculosis. Maurice must petition the health minister for access to a new experimental drug, and this is the only hope. 

Tóibín’s stories are rich with the complexities of family dynamics, the haunting pull of the past, and the quiet revelations that define our lives. His characters, whether navigating the aftermath of war, or forbidden love, or the desires of a girl in Catalan, or the quiet struggles mundane life, are rendered with illuminating, unforgettable empathy and insight. 

The News from Dublin is an exquisite introduction to Tóibín’s short fiction for new readers who may have discovered Tóibín with the publication of Long Island, and a glorious new collection for longtime fans of this “achingly beautiful writer…with infinite compassion” (The Miami Herald). 

– 

Son of Nobody by Yann Martel 

The Booker Prize-winning author of Life of Pi (2002) turns his eye to ancient Greece in this inventive novel about a classics scholar who makes a thrilling discovery. Much like the ancient Greek warriors who left home to journey to Troy, Harlow Donne leaves his wife and eight-year-old daughter in Canada to accept a research position at Oxford. Once there, Harlow becomes absorbed by fragments of an epic poem he christens The Psoad, which chronicles the plight of everyman Psoas, referred to as a “son of nobody,” a Greek fighter from Midea who is anything but one of the legendary heroes who take the spotlight in Homer’s Iliad. His attempts at plunder prove fruitless, but Psoas is a skilled fighter, and after he’s rudely insulted by one of King Priam’s 50 sons, Prince Mestor, Psoas vows to kill him. Harlow loses himself in his research just as surely as Psoas loses himself in his quest for vengeance. This tale has an unusual format. Half is the epic poem, the rest unspools in Harlow’s footnotes, which run the gamut from annotating the poem to missives to his faraway daughter. Martel’s brilliant examination of how history is made and of who pays the price for all-consuming obsessions is original, thought-provoking, and utterly absorbing. –Starred Booklist Review  

–

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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

–

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

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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.

–

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.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

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.

–

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.

–

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

Suggested Reading Five: March 25, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to ’90s Sitcoms by Geoff Bennett 

More than a chronicle of Black comedy, Bennett’s 20 chapters tell a story of cultural innovation for recognition and self-representation. The Peabody Award-winning political journalist and PBS NewsHour co-anchor employs chronologically arranged portraits of performers and programs from minstrelsy, vaudeville, Broadway, motion pictures, radio, and television. Linking early performers, such as minstrel Billy Kersands (1842-1915), to TV programs like Living Single (1993-98) and Chappelle’s Show (2003-06), Bennett shows how Black comedians have fundamentally shaped the American sense of humor and how pointed, provocative, nuanced, unapologetic Black voices engaged with issues like racism, sexism, colorism, and class. Their irreverent, sometimes controversial or even offensive comedy has challenged stereotypes and pushed boundaries, redefining public perceptions of comedy and Black identity. While carving out spaces for themselves in mainstream entertainment amid shifting politics and media industry economics, Black comedians have used humor to survive and subvert oppression. They have wielded artful satire as a weapon of resistance and helped open eyes in the United States and elsewhere to the richness and complexity of Black life.  

VERDICT Bennett’s deft unfolding of a complicated legacy offers readers of U.S. popular culture, race relations, or Black identity insight into Black comedy’s poignant power. – Starred Library Journal Review 

– 

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano 

Starting her latest adventure (following Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave), Cosimano’s heroine is used to a chaotic life, but things have been harder since Vero Rodriguez, her kids’ nanny and Finlay’s own literal partner in crime, was arrested. Now Vero is under house arrest and awaiting trial for a crime (stealing from a sorority treasury) she adamantly insists she did not commit. Determined to clear Vero’s name, Finlay agrees to leave her adorable but wild children in the care of her boyfriend, “hot cop” Nick Anthony, and hops in her minivan. She arrives at Vero’s home to learn that Vero has been getting threatening messages and has had just about all of her overprotective mother and aunt that she can take. Together with help from some of their misfit friends, Finlay and Vero set out to prove Vero’s innocence. Hijinks ensue as they try to find Vero’s ex and alibi, identify her stalker, and program Vero’s ankle monitor to show her safely at home while she’s actually on a mission to clear her name.  

VERDICT Great pacing, humor, storytelling, and characterization for fans of the series or those who enjoy the books of Janet Evanovich and Jesse Q. Sutanto. –Library Journal Review  

Reader’s Note: Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line is the sixth book in the Finlay Donovan series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. 

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Python’s Kiss: Stories by Louise Erdrich 

An eight-year-old girl is sent to live with her flinty grandparents while her mother has a baby, carefully fitting herself into their hard-bitten lives as they run a small grocery store and butcher shop overseen by a fierce guard dog. School is not much safer when a presentation of “dangerous exotic creatures,” including an enormous python, veers out of control. The title story, the first in this enrapturing collection set primarily in Erdrich’s centering place, Minnesota, is saturated with feelings while wild, hilarious, and cruel acts and accidents occur in rapid succession. Each dramatic tale that follows, however distinct, generates a similar incandescent intensity. Dora’s niece insists on hearing the stories of Dora’s four water-damaged wedding dresses. A boa constrictor signifies the drastic troubles plaguing the son of a woman running a tribal newspaper. “The Hollow Children” reveals the thoughts of a farmer and part-time schoolteacher driving a full school bus through a deadly 1923 blizzard. “Love of My Days” is a riveting nineteenth-century outlaw tale. Erdrich glides into the future in two chilling tales about the corporate digital takeover of the afterlife. Spanning two writing decades, these profound and resplendent stories are shaped by wit, artistry, and wisdom as Erdrich traces the weave of life that intricately meshes humans with each other, animals, earth, sky, and spirit.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Erdrich is always on readers to-be-read lists and her admirers and all short-story lovers will be drawn to this landmark book, her first story collection since The Red Convertible (2009). –Starred Booklist Review  

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Second Chance Duet by Ana Holguin 

Celia Garcia has spent the last decade trying to break into the world of movie music, but so far all her jobs have involved creating advertising jingles and the like. Now a career-making opportunity to compose the score for a famous Hollywood director’s first television series is within her grasp. There is just one problem: Celia must work with a partner on the project. Ordinarily, Celia wouldn’t hesitate before agreeing to this stipulation, except the person Celia will be partnering with is none other than Oliver Barlowe. When they were both students at Juilliard, Oliver was a perpetual thorn in her side. Now if Celia wants the job, she will have to figure out some way to spend the next couple of months working closely with Oliver without going crazy. Holguin (Up Close & Personal, 2025) doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to composing a compelling enemies-to-lovers love story that is both flirtatiously sweet and seriously sexy in equal measures. With its perfectly matched protagonists and a fascinating plot that delves into the intriguing world of music composition, this will be a hit with romance readers. –Starred Booklist Review  

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Truffle Trouble by Amanda Flower 

Combining the sugar rush of candy making with a fascinating look at Amish life, a quirky whodunit, and a sweet romance between chocolatier Bailey King and Sheriff Aiden Brody, Amanda Flower’s USA Today bestselling Amish Candy Shop Mysteries continue, as summer wedding season comes to the village of Harvest, Ohio… 

Horror d’oeuvres 

Summer is finally upon the village of Harvest, Ohio, nestled in picturesque Amish Country, and folks are abuzz over their very own Bailey King’s upcoming June wedding. The Amish Candy shop owner and star of TV’s Bailey’s Amish Sweets is marrying Holmes County Sheriff Aiden Brody. To sweeten the occasion will be a scrumptious giant chocolate truffle wedding cake, made especially for the happy couple by Bailey’s New York City mentor, Jean Pierre. Other than the risk of the ring bearer, Jethro the pig, taking a bite out of the confection, what could go wrong? 

As it turns out, a food-related disaster does befall the day. But with Bailey in the mix, it’s nothing so pedestrian as a peckish pig. At the reception, a wedding guest dies after sampling the hors d’oeuvres. Café owner and new caterer Darcy Woodin, who made all the food except the desserts, is pegged by police as the number one suspect. Even more incriminating, the victim is one of Darcy’s ex-boyfriends . . . 

Still, Bailey is friends with Darcy, and she’s certain the young woman is innocent. Even before the first dance with her new husband, Bailey’s on the case. Can she help solve it in time for her honeymoon—or will a killer try to end her happily ever after before it’s even begun . . .? 

Reader’s Note: Truffle Trouble is the tenth book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series. If you’d like to start reading from the beginning, check out book one: Assaulted Caramel. 

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

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Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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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Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

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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.

Suggested Reading Five: March 18, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

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Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief: A Novel by Benjamin Stevenson 

Stevenson’s hot streak continues with the fabulous fourth case for Ernest Cunningham (after Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret), an amateur sleuth and former writer of instructional texts about how to write whodunits. When Ernest and his fiancée Juliette visit a bank in the small Australian town of Huxley in search of a loan to finance Ernest’s PI business, they’re taken hostage by “a bank robber who doesn’t seem to care about money.” Puzzlingly, the robber locks the doors to the building but allows his captives to roam free as he attempts to fish out a single dollar from a locked vault. Unable to resist investigating, Ernest soon finds that many of his fellow hostages—including a film producer, a priest, numerous healthcare workers, and a security guard—also planned to rob the bank. Then someone in the party dies, piling a locked-room murder mystery on top of the already-curious case of overlapping heists. As always, Stevenson plays scrupulously fair with readers, offering all the evidence needed to solve his devilishly intricate puzzle from the jump. Still, even the most seasoned mystery fans will struggle to beat him to the final reveal. This series continues to impress. –Starred Publishers Weekly Review 

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Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save America’s Birds by James H. McCommons 

The late 19th century was not a good time for North American birds, which were being hunted (for food, sport, and feathers) to the brink of extinction, until bird lovers intervened and called for protection. Journalist McCommons’s (Camera Hunter) account meticulously guides readers through the battles of the feather wars as politicians, socialites, artists, tycoons, gun makers, and game wardens collaborated to preserve birds and their habitats. The stories shared are truly awe-inspiring, as the bird crusade brought together the unlikeliest of allies who triumphed against overwhelming odds. McCommons hopes this account will serve as proof that big problems are not insurmountable. This is a timely message, as the United States once again faces a bird extinction crisis. The chapters are easy to follow, though descriptions of bird slaughter can be graphic. Contemporary photographs are sprinkled throughout the well-researched book for which McCommons visited libraries, museums, national parks, and wildlife refuges. There is an extensive notes section at the book’s end. VERDICT The chronicle of the fight to save birds will have widespread appeal to bird lovers, nature enthusiasts, and readers interested in environmental conservation.–Starred Library Journal Review  

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Love Song by Elle Kennedy 

A Briar universe standalone romance featuring the next generation Off-Campus characters—where one unforgettable summer changes everything. 

After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen. 

With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast. 

They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces. 

But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse. 

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Meet Me at the Library: A Place to Foster Social Connection and Promote Democracy  by Shamichael Hallman 

America is facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, with troubling effects on our mental and physical health. We live in one of the most divisive times in our history, one in which we tend to work, play, and associate only with people who think as we do. How do we create spaces for people to come together—to open our minds, understand our differences, and exchange ideas? 

Shamichael Hallman argues that the public library may be our best hope for bridging these divides and creating strong, inclusive communities. While public libraries have long been thought of as a place for a select few, increasingly they are playing an essential role in building social cohesion, promoting civic renewal, and advancing the ideals of a healthy democracy. Many are reimagining themselves in new and innovative ways, actively reaching out to the communities they serve. Today, libraries are becoming essential institutions for repairing society 

Libraries have a unique opportunity to bridge socioeconomic divides and rebuild trust. But in order to do so, they must be truly welcoming to all. They and their communities must work collaboratively to bridge socioeconomic divides through innovative and productive partnerships. 

Drawing from his experience at the Memphis Public Library and his extensive research and interviews across the country, Hallman presents a rich argument for seeing libraries as one of the nation’s greatest assets.  He includes examples from libraries large and small–such as the Iowa’s North Liberty Library’s Lighthouse in the Library program to bring people together to discuss important topics in a safe and supportive space, to Cambridge Cooks, an initiative of the Cambridge MA Public Library that fosters social connection by bringing people together over shared interest in food. 

As an institution that is increasingly under attack for creating a place where diverse audiences can see themselves, public libraries are under more scrutiny than ever. Meet Me at the Library offers us a revealing look at one of our most important civic institutions and the social and civic impact they must play if we are to heal our divided nation. 

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On Sunday She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield 

In their first full-length novel, Schofield (author of the story collection Just a Little Snack) weaves a haunting, surreal Southern gothic meditation on generational trauma and what it takes to escape the bonds of toxic relationships. Time both drips and rushes by as readers follow 41-year-old Jude’s flight from her childhood home and abusive mother to take refuge in an abandoned cottage in the Georgia woods, where she finds freedom, despite the horrors that surround her. When the mysterious Nemoira arrives at her door, Jude takes her in and becomes enamored of her. Through their vivid, intoxicating prose, Schofield creates a visceral tale infused with feminine rage and the inherited trauma from being Black in America that is beautiful, bloody, and gory. VERDICT This evocative work that’s lush as a humid Georgia summer night will stick with readers for a long time. Fans of Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Rivers Solomon’s Sorrowland, or Tananarive Due will find themselves transfixed.–Starred Library Journal Review  

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

–

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

–

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

–

Information on the four library catalogs

The Digital Catalog aka Libby: 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.

–

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.

–

Kanopy Catalog: https://www.kanopy.com/en

The Kanopy Catalog features thousands of streaming videos available on demand.

The Kanopy Catalog is available for all Southern Tier Library System member library card holders, including all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders!

You can access the Kanopy Catalog through a web browser, or download the app to your phone, tablet or media streaming player (i.e. Roku, Google or Fire TV).

–

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.

–

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.

–

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