Tag: public library

Suggested Reading Five: April 8, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

–

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: April 1, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

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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 . . . 

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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. 

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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. 

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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). 

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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  

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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.

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 

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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

–

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 18, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

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  

–

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 Listening & Viewing: March 13, 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!).

On this our second weekend of the dregs-of-winter-wishing-spring-would-hurry-up-and-get-here month of March, we’re chilling out with a collection of classic pop songs of the nineteen sixties.  

Enjoy your weekend! 

Linda Reimer, SSCL 

–

First off the music!

(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration by The Righteous Brothers  

 

Found on the Album: The Very Best Of The Righteous Brothers (1990) 

– 

I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) by The Four Tops 

 

Found on the Album: Four Tops – Second Album (1965) 

– 

A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles  

 

Found on the Album: A Hard Day’s Night (1964) 

–

I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher 

 

Found on the Album: Look At Us (1965) 

– 

California Dreamin’ by the Mamas & The Papas 

 

Found on the Album: If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears (1966) 

– 

Soul Man by Sam & Dave 

 

Found on the Album: Soul Man (1967) 

– 

Happy Together by The Turtles  

 

Found on the Album: Happy Together (1967) 

– 

Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes  

 

Found on the Album: Please Mr. Postman (1961) 

– 

A Taste of Honey by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass 

 

Found on the Album: A Taste of Honey (1965) 

– 

To Sir With Love by Lulu 

 

Found on the Album: To Sir With Love (1967) 

–

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.

General Stream 

The Madison, Season 1 (2026) (Paramount+) 

 

–

Kanopy Stream  

Eating History: A Taste of New Mexico (2025) 

Trailer  

 

–

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: March 11, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

Grizzled: Love Letters to 50 of North America’s Least Understood Animals by Jason Bittel 

Funny, fascinating, and scientifically grounded, this charming book reveals unknown details about 50 well-known animals. Effortlessly readable, Grizzled reintroduces nature lovers to species they thought they knew all about. From fireflies and hummingbirds to alligators and sharks, this collection of 50 brief essays combines witty prose and vivid illustrations to reveal the secret lives and oddball behaviors of North American creatures both familiar and little known. In Grizzled, science journalist Jason Bittel taps into current research about the behavior of key North American mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, from insects to urchins. Along the way, he answers questions you didn’t know to ask, such as: -How do monarch butterflies emerge from sentient goo? -Why did beavers have to parachute into their newest habitats? -What’s inside a yellowjacket meatball? -How many jellyfish can a sea turtle eat? -Can deer really grow antlers on their legs? Grizzled offers a surprising, endearing, and altogether eye-opening tour of the animal kingdom—one you won’t soon forget. 

– 

Heir of Whitestone by Catherine Coulter

England, 1842. Queen Victoria reigns, Buckingham Palace is overrun with rats, and the streets of London are filled with intrigue. 

Alex Ivanov is a brilliant young innovator, designing cutting-edge train engines. But Alex has a secret—he isn’t really Alex Ivanov. As a boy, he was pulled from the Thames, presumed drowned, with no memory of who he was. Rescued and raised by the formidable Ryder Sherbrooke, Alex has built a new life, but his past is catching up with him. 

Lady Camilla Rohman has problems of her own. Trapped by a scheming stepmother and a family determined to see her married off, she is as clever as she is desperate. When fate throws her into Alex’s path, their connection is undeniable. 

But as their whirlwind romance turns into marriage, danger follows. On their honeymoon, a series of deadly attacks make one thing clear—someone wants Alex dead. As they race to uncover the truth, old enemies and long-buried secrets come to light, leading them to a shocking revelation that will change everything… 

– 

Hospital at the End of the World by Justin C. Key 

DEBUT Pok is in his twenties and living in the tech-centric New York City of the future, complete with augmented reality, which is necessary to function in society. His father is a respected doctor at the AI-operated medical center, the Shepherd Organization, which has managed to insert itself into all aspects of daily life. Pok wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a doctor. When a conspiracy forces him to attend the only remaining medical school not under the influence of artificial intelligence, in New Orleans, he uncovers secrets about AI in medicine, his heritage, and the fate of the last human-centered medical school in the country. This story explores the “what if” of AI in medicine and examines what a medical AI would consider best for patients. Key (The World Wasn’t Ready for You: Stories) adds a human touch to a detailed first novel that depicts a near-future world and provides realistic and thorough look into its medical field. VERDICT A medical-minded dystopia with mystery elements that emphasizes the importance of human connection and equity for everyone in a world of artificial intelligence. For readers of Laila Lalami. –Library Journal Review  

– 

Served Him Right by Lisa Unger 

When Paul Hayes is found murdered, no one is particularly upset or surprised. He’s made plenty of enemies in business and in his personal life, including several women who have accused him of sexual assault. Ana and Vera Blacksmith, sisters with a traumatic and mysterious past, find themselves in the middle of the investigation when police learn that Ana was Paul’s last girlfriend and has a history of volatile and erratic behavior. The investigation takes a turn when Ana’s best friend falls deathly ill, and Paul’s newest girlfriend goes missing. How are these people connected, who can be trusted, and what secrets are the Blacksmith sisters hiding? Unger’s latest mystery is an exploration of the patriarchy through the lens of female rage, with some witchy vibes added for extra fun. The combination of revenge, generational trauma, and girl power makes this a fun and twisted tale. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewel and Shari Lapena–and angry women everywhere. — Booklist Review  

– 

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum 

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore’s successful podcast This Story Might Save Your Life chronicles real-life survival stories with humor. Just when the podcasters (and best friends) stand to make millions in a lucrative deal, Joy and her husband go missing in the hills of northeast Los Angeles; her cohost Benny is the prime suspect in the disappearance. Crum’s multi-timeline novel is structured in part as a manuscript of Benny and Joy’s joint memoir, with alternating chapters about each podcaster’s life, while narration from the present also switches between Benny and Joy to advance the plot and character development. Fused with the mystery of what happened to Joy and her producer husband is a will-they, won’t they romance between Joy and Benny, who seem like a perfect match. Domestic violence, pregnancy loss, and narcolepsy are all dealt with in a storyline that will have readers thinking they’ve got it figured out–until they don’t. VERDICT A timely novel for fans of the growing trend of books featuring podcasters, such as Amy Tintera’s Listen for the Lie.–Library Journal 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 Listening & Viewing: March 10, 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!

This week we’re turning our listening attention to artists that were born in March. Happy listening! 

The Blues Ain’t Nothing But by Georgia White (March 9, 1903) 

 

Found on the Album: Not Available  

– 

Personality by Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933) 

 

Found on the Album: Mr. Personality (1959) 

– 

Feelin’ Bad Blues by Ry Cooder (March 15, 1947) 

 

Found on the Album: Crossroads: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1986/2008) 

– 

Straighten Up And Fly Right by Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919) 

 

Found on the Album: The Complete Capital Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio (1993) 

– 
 

In The Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941) 

 

Found on the Album: In The Midnight Hour (1965) 

– 

This Train by Sister Rosetta Tharpe (March 20, 1915) 

 

Found on the Album: Gospel Train (1956) 

– 

Breezin’ by George Benson (March 22, 1943) 

 

Found on the Album: Breezin’ (1976) 

– 

Respect by Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942) 

 

Found on the Album: 30 Greatest Hits (1985) 

– 

You Can’t Hurry Love by Diana Ross (March 26, 1944) & the Supremes  

 

Found on the Album: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection – The Best of Diana Ross & The Supremes (1999) 

– 

Badge by Cream, featuring Eric Clapton (March 30, 1945) 

 

Found on the Album: Goodbye (1969) 

– 

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

Vladimir (2026) (Netflix) 

 

– 

Kanopy Stream

Black And Jewish In America (2026) 

Trailer  

 

– 

Have a great week!

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: February 25, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn 

Alix Watson is having a day: she gets fired, her roommate kicks her out, and someone has hacked her bank account and taken the 36 dollars. Desperate, she heads to her other job at the Boston Public Library to beg her boss for extra hours. Instead, she wanders through a door and finds herself in the Astral Library, a seemingly infinite collection of books overseen by the stern Librarian, who has little time for Alix’s questions. Patrons come to the Astral Library to escape into a book–literally–but as the Librarian receives warnings that her book-dwellers are in danger, she lets Alix tag along as she hops into Sherlock Holmes, Charlotte Brontë, and Bram Stoker’s worlds, until it becomes clear that there’s an even bigger threat: the library board wants to modernize, which could mean the end of the sanctuary the Astral Library provides. Quinn’s (The Briar Club, 2024) first foray into fantasy is a bookish delight, with a heroine readers will root for as she finds her purpose and a hint of romance. Give to fans of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library (2020). – Booklist Review  

– 

Crossroads by C. J. Box 

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett was ambushed at Antler Creek Junction, a crossroads connecting three ranches. He could have been headed to any one of them. Joe was shot in the head and left in his bullet-ridden truck for way too long, until found in critical condition. The ranches are all owned by very shady characters with whom Joe has “history.” The local police have launched an investigation, but their reputation for ineptitude leads his three daughters to make their own dangerous inquiries while their mother, Marybeth, agonizes at Joe’s bedside. They get an assist from his buddy, Nate Romanowski, who’s just itchin’ to identify the culprits and rip their ears off. Fans who know him will understand that he really means it. Readers will be happy to be back with the Pickett family in Twelve Sleep County despite the circumstances. Given their chance to shine, the now all-grown up “girls” are amazing. Box again delivers an entertaining narrative set against an epic Western landscape in the twenty-sixth installment of an equally epic series. – Booklist Review 

Reader’s Note: As noted, Crossroads is the twenty-sixth book in the Joe Pickett series, to binge read from the beginning – check out book one: Open Season.  

– 

I Told You So! Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan 

Having written extensively about science during the COVID-19 pandemic, paleontologist Kaplan (The Science of the Magical) was perplexed when he met scientists who were hesitant to share ideas for combating the disease. Making the case that there is a scholarly hierarchy that dictates which scientists are heard and respected, his new book shows evidence of a long history of good ideas being discounted because the scientists proposing them were low on the ladder. For instance, in COVID research, there is Kati Karik , a Hungarian American biochemist whose research into mRNA was nearly overlooked because of her nationality and gender but was eventually instrumental in the development of COVID vaccines; she later received a Nobel Prize for her work. There’s also Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian doctor in 19th-century Austria who discovered that postpartum infections could be prevented by having doctors disinfect their hands between patients; this simple intervention wasn’t made standard until years after his death. Kaplan explains also how good mentors or champions can be instrumental to promoting a scientist’s theories.

VERDICT This engaging historical exploration of overlooked scientists and their discoveries is highly recommende. – Library Journal Review 

– 

It’s Never Too Late: A Memoir by Marla Gibbs 

In this memoir, 94-year-old Emmy-nominated actress Gibbs (born Margaret Bradley in Chicago in 1931) gives a no-holds-barred account of her professional triumphs and personal difficulties. Early in the actress’s life, her mother left the family, resulting in Gibbs and her older sister being primarily raised by their spiteful grandmother, who constantly insulted them. Later, as a single mother, she married a childhood friend, Jordan “Buddy” Gibbs, who soon became abusive. After years of torment, she left with her three children for Los Angeles, where her youngest sister lived. There, Gibbs took acting classes as a way to bond with her teen daughter, Angela. The leisure activity eventually led to the role that changed her life: playing George Jefferson’s housekeeper, Florence Johnston, on the 1975-85 TV sitcom The Jeffersons. In this memoir, there is a chapter devoted to each of Gibbs’s main TV roles, on The Jeffersons and the 1985-90 sitcom 227 (which she both starred in and co-produced); these sections are filled with Gibbs’s admiration for her costars and as well as takes on behind-the-scenes drama with producers. The memoir’s narrative about Gibbs’s personal life, may cause minor confusion, as events are not always presented in chronological order. However, her positive and spiritual disposition shines throughout the book.

VERDICT Gibbs tells it like it is and what she really thinks, akin to a grandmother who’s been there and then some. Her memoir is a treat. 

– 

We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America by Norah O’Donnell with Kate Andersen Brower 

A vivid portrait of the unsung American women from 1776 to today who changed the course of history in their fight for freedom and helped shape a more perfect union 

“This terrific book reveals the central, though often hidden role that women have played at every stage of our country’s history.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin 

Over a decades-long, distinguished career, award-winning journalist Norah O’Donnell has made it her mission to shed light on untold wom­en’s stories. Now, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, O’Donnell focuses that passion on the American heroines who helped change the course of history. 

We the Women presents a fresh look at American his­tory through the eyes of women, introducing us to inspiring patriots who demanded that the country live up to the prom­ises made 250 years ago in the Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Since the signing of that document, the pressing question from women has been: Why don’t those unalienable rights apply to us? 

Through extensive research and interviews, as well as historical documents and old photos, O’Donnell curates a compelling portrait of these fierce fighters for freedom. From Mary Katherine Goddard, who printed the first signed Declaration of Independence, to the Forten family women, who were active in the abolition and suffrage movements and were considered the “Black Founders” of Philadelphia, to the first women who served in the armed forces even before they had the right to vote, O’Donnell brings these extraordinary women together for the first time, and in doing so writes the American story anew. 

–

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: February 11, 2026

Linda Reimer

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

–

 
The Elsewhere Express: A Novel by Samantha Sotto Yambao 

Q is an artist losing his sight, and Raya is a former songwriter who lost her purpose when her brother died. One day, the two of them board a train and find themselves on the Elsewhere Express, a train built of lost daydreams, scattered thoughts, grudges, and emotions. Its passengers all find their purpose as maintenance workers (fixing things with songs), painters (crafting moons, stars, and oceans), and much more. But they find that the cost is leaving their overweight baggage behind by taking a memory serum to forget their grief, pain, and sorrow. Q wonders if he can find his place on the train, while Raya is determined to get off, but even as they explore, conductor Lily informs them that there’s a stowaway on board. If its darkness is allowed to take hold, the doubts and fears it spreads will crack the train apart and put them all in danger. Yambao (Water Moon, 2025) has written a stunning, visual fever dream of a story akin to both the game Spiritfarer and Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea (2019)–a character-driven tale wrapped in a sparklingly creative spectacle of a world that inhabits a Studio Ghibli-like chaos even as it comes with a well-organized passenger rulebook. – Starred Booklist Review  

– 

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson 

Set between post-WWII Germany and 1960s America, Johnson’s (The House of Eve, 2023) brilliant new novel follows three characters with intertwining stories. In 1948, Ozzie joins the army but realizes he cannot escape the racism he faced at home in Philadelphia. In 1950, Ethel, a newlywed living abroad, journeys to France seeking a miracle and instead discovers a calling that will alter the course of many young lives. And in 1960s Maryland, a determined young woman named Sophia longs to escape her life of hardship on a struggling farm, unaware that the secrets of her past are already shaping her future. Across generations and continents, their stories intersect through love, loss, and the search for belonging. Johnson once again uncovers overlooked corners of history, blending emotional storytelling with historical depth. Inspired by the real experiences of mixed-race children abandoned after WWII, she sheds light on a little-known chapter of postwar history and the resilience of those who sought to protect the children society tried to forget. Through vivid historical settings, Johnson gives voice to history’s voiceless and delivers a moving exploration of hope, courage, and the ties that bind us through generations.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The House of Eve was a Reese’s Book Club pick and best-seller. Fans will be thrilled to see a new historical novel from Johnson.- Starred Booklist Review 

– 

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera 

DEBUT In her debut mystery, former public defender Gunasekera introduces Sri Lankan American yellow-cab driver Siriwathi Perera. Siri is driving late one night in New York City, during which she gets two significant fares. First is public defender and fellow Sri Lankan Amaya Fernando. Siri, who loves true crime podcasts, is thrilled to connect with the attorney, both because of her legal work and because they share a background. Siri hopes to be able to see Amaya again at some point. Her chance comes all too soon and for the wrong reasons when her next fare that night ends up dead in her cab and Siri is arrested for the murder. Amaya steps in as her lawyer, and the two women have mere days to chase down leads and save Siri from life in prison. As they investigate the victim, they find a complicated trail and power players who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets.

VERDICT This is a richly detailed, well-crafted debut mystery led by an appealing amateur detective duo in Siri and Amaya. Recommended for fans of Nita Prose and Jesse Q. Sutanto.–Starred Library Journal Review  

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Missing Sam: A Novel by Thrity Umrigar  

Ali’s wife Sam disappears the morning after they have a bitter late-night argument, and she veers from concern to fear that Sam has left her. Restrained by humiliation and her erroneous belief that the police require a 48-hour waiting period, Ali kicks off a series of damaging mistakes by delaying reporting Sam’s disappearance. She reluctantly tells detectives about their fight but deletes their heated texts and fumbles media interviews. Meanwhile, Sam’s disappearance stretches into weeks as the leads dry up, and public speculation about Ali’s suspicious behavior swells. When Ali is shunned and abused in the artsy Cleveland Heights neighborhood she’d considered a cocoon, her estranged father provides unexpected comfort. Months later, Ali’s prayers are answered when Sam, battered and blindfolded, is dumped near their home. But Sam’s abductor remains at large. Umrigar explores the ripple effect of violent crime in gut-wrenching detail, capturing the callous intrusions Ali and Sam suffered, the space for redemption it created in their family relationships, and their determined devotion to each other. Healing from the abduction and lifelong patterns of abuse and discrimination, Sam and Ali find strength in corners of their lives that they’d written off. Gritty hope and redemption glimmer throughout this must-read literary crime story. – Starred  Booklist Review

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Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes 

Langston Hughes’s debut novel, a moving portrait of African American family life in 1930s Kansas, newly reissued for Union Square & Co.’s Herald Classics line. 

Originally published in 1930, Not Without Laughter follows Sandy Rogers as a boy living in rural Kansas to his arrival in Chicago as a young man, set against a backdrop of poverty, racial segregation, and the onset of World War I. Orbiting Sandy are a host of vividly realized family members, including his mother Annjee, a housekeeper for a wealthy white family; his irresponsible father Jimboy, who plays guitar and is constantly in search of work; his aunts, blues-singing Aunt Harriet and social-climbing Aunt Tempy; and his pious, strong-willed grandmother Hager, who holds the generations together. 

Partly inspired by Langston Hughes’s early life in the Midwest, Not Without Laughter is the debut novel of the literary giant, a sweeping and elegiac family drama that traces Black life in the early twentieth century, an important setting in the history of a racially divided America. 

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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.

New Books Coming Your Way February 2026

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here is a list of all the new books, physical media items, eAudios & eBooks the library has ordered this month.

New Books Coming Your Way

New Books Coming Your Way February 2026Download

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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P.S. Some of the print books & physical media items may not yet appear in StarCat. So, if you see any title you’d like to check out, but it isn’t in StarCat, send me an email or give me a call and I’ll put your name on the list for it, as soon as it has arrived.

P.S.S. The three digital catalogs are:

The Digital Catalog found online at https://stls.overdrive.com/ and its companion app Libby found in mobile app stores.

The Hoopla Catalog found online at: https://www.hoopladigital.com/ and its companion app, also called Hoopla and found in mobile app stores.

Kanopy: The streaming video catalog found online at https://www.kanopy.com/ and its companion app, also called Kanopy, found in mobile app stores.