Tag: reading

Suggested Reading Five: January 1, 2025

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, Happy New Year!

And here are our five suggested reads of the week!

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

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

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The Champagne Letters by Kate Macintosh  

Goaded by the insulting presumptions of her unfaithful ex-husband, Natalie leaves the final details of the sale of their house to him and hops a plane to Paris. Last-minute plans leave her in a posh boutique hotel, with a verbal misstep giving the impression that she’s a widow, not divorced. At a bouquiniste along the Seine, she finds a copy of a book with letters in both French and English from the widowed Barbe-Nicole Clicquot (of Veuve Clicquot champagne fame) to her great-granddaughter. Though their lives are not parallel, the widow inspires Natalie to expand her conservative life, accepting the flirtatious companionship of a handsome wine merchant and the friendship of one of the hotel employees. The letters tell the story of a woman defying convention during the Napoleonic era, coping and plotting to ensure the success of her champagne venture. Readers will see danger for Natalie long before she does, but both women succeed in the end. The combination of history and contemporary narrative makes for a compelling read worthy of relationship-fiction collections. – Booklist Review  

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How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis  

Picking up where Full Speed to a Crash Landing left off, this rollicking second installment of Revis’s intergalactic trilogy will keep readers glued to the page. Space looter Ada Lamarr infiltrates a Met Gala–esque fundraising event on a secret mission assigned to her by a mysterious rebel group—while also pursuing a hidden agenda of her own. There to intercept her is handsome bureaucrat Rian White, who readers will be delighted to see return. As before, Ada and Rian disagree over effective methods of enacting change while Rian works to stop Ada from putting into motion her secret plot, the details of which remain hidden from both Rian and the reader for much of the novel. The result is an un-put-downable page-turner helmed by a lovable heroine who is clever and passionate beneath her armor of sarcastic quips. Readers will need to come back for the concluding volume to fully understand all of Ada’s behind-the-scenes machinations—and to witness the culmination of Ada and Rian’s roller-coaster, cat-and-mouse romance. Revis makes the anticipation delicious. – Publishers Weekly Review  

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Inheriting Magic: My Journey Through Grief, Joy, Celebration, and Making Every Day Magical by Jennifer Love Hewitt  

When she lost her mother to cancer, everything changed for Jennifer Love Hewitt. 


In the pages of Inheriting Magic, she recounts her journey, sharing memories, photographs, recipes, and the magic-making ethos of a self-proclaimed “Holiday Junkie.” 


A heartfelt, candid chronicle that charts a course from sorrow to celebration, this unique memoir includes:  


• Never-seen-before family photos and vintage snapshots  


• Jennifer’s favorite recipes, from her grandmother’s chicken and dumplings to her husband’s holiday cocktail  


• An explosion of festive plans, including images, sure to inspire your decorating plans for Halloween, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, and a whole year’s worth of holidays  


• Foolproof strategies for adding magic to your family’s everyday routine, such as moon water, baskets of joy, glowing dinners, and more 

Inheriting Magic is about how grief, being a mom of three, having a deep love for party planning, and being passionate about the holidays turned what could have been an ordinary life into something enchanting. Through it, Jennifer inspires all readers to add more love, light, and the making of core memories into their everyday lives. 

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Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escaped Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History by Olivia Campbell  

Campbell has crafted an enthralling narrative about four female scientists who managed to escape the Nazis but were never truly recognized for their work. Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer, and Hildegard Stücklen were all distinguished researchers in Germany, yet their sex often hindered their progress in a male-dominated field. Once the Nazis came to power, being Jewish or anti-Nazi posed even greater obstacles. Kohn, Sponer, and Stücklen managed to make their way to the United States, where they continued their academic careers and made significant contributions to the field of physics through research and teaching. Meitner moved to Sweden, where she played a crucial role in the discovery of nuclear fission, a discovery that eventually led to the development of the atomic bomb. Despite her groundbreaking work, the Nobel Prize was instead awarded to her male colleague. The gripping story of the women’s experiences in Germany and their escape from the Nazis is remarkable. It’s unfortunate that their significant role in science was not widely recognized, but through this book, they finally receive their deserved acclaim. – Booklist Review  

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Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez  

A young woman pursues a dangerous quest in late-1800s Egypt in this sequel to What the River Knows (2023). After Inez Olivera was nearly murdered while assisting with her uncle’s archaeological expedition in Egypt, Tío Ricardo is eager to ship her home to safety in Argentina. But Inez burns with the need to stay and make sure that those who committed crimes against her family are held responsible. Unfortunately, the law precludes Inez, as a young unmarried woman, from accessing her inheritance (needed to fund her quest for justice) without her guardian uncle’s permission. Whitford Hayes, a former British soldier and her tio’s aide-de-camp, proposes marriage, which could solve her problems. But can Inez trust the secretive Whit? More danger and intrigue lurk at every turn in this exciting duology closer, which fully addresses the first entry’s jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The well-paced plot encompasses many fresh, new adventures and betrayals in this reimagined historical setting in which ancient magic abounds and not everyone or everything is what it seems. Even more captivating, however, is the complicated, nuanced love story between Whit and Inez. Their chemistry sizzles, but their relationship is achingly layered with both profound loyalty and deep deception. As their journey unearths new enemies and priceless archaeological finds, the duo must try to trust each other enough to survive. A thrilling, beautifully written page-turner. – Starred Kirkus Review 

Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–

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: December 25, 2024

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, this month I’m going to change things up a bit from our usual format, and instead of recommending five new books, recommend the first books in seven different series, in five different genres: Romances, Mysteries, Historical Fiction, General Fiction & Science Fiction & Fantasy.

This week, our focus is on Fantasy & Science Fiction! Enjoy! 

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Here is the weekly genre schedule:  

November 27: Romances 

December 4: Mysteries  

December 11: Historical Fiction  

December 18: General Fiction  

December 25: Science Fiction & Fantasy  

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The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison  

When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead.  

 In the wake of a fever that decimated the earth’s population—killing women and children and making childbirth deadly for the mother and infant—the midwife must pick her way through the bones of the world she once knew to find her place in this dangerous new one. Gone are the pillars of civilization. All that remains is power—and the strong who possess it.  

 A few women like her survived, though they are scarce. Even fewer are safe from the clans of men, who, driven by fear, seek to control those remaining. To preserve her freedom, she dons men’s clothing, goes by false names, and avoids as many people as possible. But as the world continues to grapple with its terrible circumstances, she’ll discover a role greater than chasing a pale imitation of independence.  

 After all, if humanity is to be reborn, someone must be its guide.  

Series: Road To Nowhere   

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The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien   

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.  

Series: The Lord of the Rings  

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Hyperion by Dan Simmons  

A stunning tour de force filled with transcendent awe and wonder, Hyperion is a masterwork of science fiction that resonates with excitement and invention, the first volume in a remarkable epic by the multiple-award-winning author of The Hollow Man.  

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the reach of galactic law, waits a creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.  

On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.  

Series: Hyperion  

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Rosemary And Rue by Seanan McGuire  

The world of Faerie never disappeared; it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie’s survival—but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born.   

Outsiders from birth, these half-human, half-fae children spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October “Toby” Daye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas…  

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery…before the curse catches up with her  

Series: October Daye  

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She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan  

DEBUT An imaginative retelling of the life of the founder of the Ming Dynasty. In Mongol-ruled China in 1345, the Zhu family lives in harsh and impoverished conditions. When the young eighth son Zhu Chongba is told his fate lies in greatness, no one knows what to think of it. Yet when bandits make orphans of him and his sister, it is the second Zhu daughter, fated with nothingness, who survives. With nothing to hold her back, she takes her brother’s identity and becomes a novice monk, hoping to survive her fate. As the years pass, the daughter now known as Zhu Chongba realizes that she may also be able to take her brother’s fate of greatness; with will and intelligence, she soon proves adept at doing whatever she must. When her monastery is burned for supporting a rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu throws herself into her brother’s path for greatness. The characters are bold and complex in this story of fealty, family, and self. Epic worldbuilding, high action, and ruthless shades of love and desire make the tale at turns tragic and inspiring.   

VERDICT Parker-Chan’s debut is forceful, immersive, and unforgettable. This inspired queer retelling of Chinese history is an exciting read. – Starred Library Journal Review   

 Series: Radiant Emperor  

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Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson  

The first installment in Robinson’s ( Blind Geometer ) new trilogy is an action-packed and thoughtful tale of the exploration and settlement of Mars–riven by both personal and ideological conflicts–in the early 21st century. The official leaders of the “first hundred” (initial party of settlers) are American Frank Chalmers and Russian Maya Katarina Toitova, but subgroups break out under the informal guidance of popular favorites like the ebullient Arkady Nikoleyevich Bogdanov, who sets up a base on one of Mars’s moons, and the enigmatic Hiroko, who establishes the planet’s farm. As the group struggles to secure a foothold on the frigid, barren landscape, friction develops both on Mars and on Earth between those who advocate terraforming, or immediately altering Mars’s natural environment to make it more habitable, and those who favor more study of the planet before changes are introduced. The success of the pioneers’ venture brings additional settlers to Mars. All too soon, the first hundred find themselves outnumbered by newcomers and caught up in political problems as complex as any found on Earth. – Publishers Weekly Review   

Series: Mars  

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Storm Front by Jim Butcher  

As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put it mildly—stinks.   

So when the Chicago P.D. bring him in to consult on a double homicide committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name…  

Series: The Dresden Files   

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

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

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

–

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.

–

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: December 18, 2024

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, this month I’m going to change things up a bit from our usual format, and instead of recommending five new books, recommend the first books in seven different series, in five different genres: Romances, Mysteries, Historical Fiction, General Fiction & Science Fiction & Fantasy.

This week, our focus is on General Fiction Series!

Enjoy! 

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Here is the weekly genre schedule:  

November 27: Romances 

December 4: Mysteries  

December 11: Historical Fiction  

December 18: General Fiction  

December 25: Science Fiction & Fantasy  

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At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon 

It’s easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable. Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won’t go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that’s sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy about ordinary people and their ordinary lives. 

Series: Mitford  

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Autumn by Ali Smith  

On the eve of the polarizing Brexit vote, a young woman reads aloud at the bedside of a semicomatose elderly man whom she visits weekly in his nursing home. When they met years earlier, Elisabeth was a neglected young girl whose single mother frequently left her at home alone, and Daniel was the much older, sophisticated European who had recently moved in next door. Elisabeth may have reminded Daniel of his beloved younger sister, who was left behind when Daniel escaped from World War II Germany. Over long walks and talks, Daniel patiently introduced Elisabeth to fine literature and to the avant-garde art of the Sixties. Many years later, Elisabeth, now an art historian, rediscovers Daniel close to death in a nursing home. As a wave of xenophobia sweeps across Europe and over to Britain, the parallels to the racism and violence in Daniel’s past are striking. VERDICT At the heart of Man Booker Prize nominee Smith’s (How To Be Both) new novel is the charming friendship between a lonely girl and a kind older man who offers her a world of culture. This novel of big ideas and small pleasures is enthusiastically recommended. – Starred Library Journal Review 

Series: Seasonal Quartet 

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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan 

Kwan’s debut is a scintillating fictional look into the opulent lives of fabulously wealthy Chinese expats living in Singapore. Economics professor Rachel Chu has no idea what she’s in for when her handsome boyfriend, Nicholas Young, invites her to join him at his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Rachel is excited to meet Nick’s friends and family, but he fails to warn her about the social minefield she’s about to cross. Nick’s mother, Eleanor, jets off to Shenzhen to investigate Rachel’s background, while friends and family gossip openly about her at a gathering hosted by Nick’s grandmother. When Rachel is invited to the bride’s bachelorette party which includes a ride on a private jet and a stay at a luxury hotel before it becomes clear that these are young women with designs on Nick who will do just about anything to scare Rachel off. From its delightful opening scene onward, this sleek social satire offers up more than a few hilarious moments as it skewers the crafty, rich schemers who populate its pages. – Booklist Review  

Series: Rich Series 

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The Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart 

Allie and Des Hudson, raised in California and born to an alcoholic starlet, Honora, and her manager, Fritz, are summoned to their Uncle Pete’s law office for the reading of Fritz’s will after he dies suddenly. They’re surprised when Cara, a half sister they never knew, shows up. Pete reveals Fritz’s double life, and another surprise: all three daughters will not receive their inheritance unless they move to his hometown in rural Pennsylvania and restore the old theater where he spent his summers. Upon arrival, the women meet their Aunt Barney, yet another hidden relation Fritz never revealed, and they begin to learn a little more about their father and family. As they set to work repairing the theater, they begin to form a new family unit, although some are more willing than others. Barney lets them in on who their father was as a young man, but the mysteries around him keep growing.  

VERDICT This series opener by the author of the “Chesapeake Diaries” books is a bit disappointing, as almost nothing is resolved. That said, it’s a good read, with a nice blend of mystery, family drama, and romance. Readers will look forward to the next installment. – Library Journal Review 

Series: The Hudson Sisters 

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My Soul To Keep by Tananarive Due 

In this harrowing and moving second novel, Due (The Between) enlivens the potentially formulaic genre of supernatural suspense with a sharp eye for realistic detail. An 80-year-old black woman named Rosalie Tillis Banks is asphyxiated in a Chicago nursing home by her strangely youthful father, the legendary jazz clarinetist Seth “Spider” Tillis. This young/old man is known to African American journalist Jessica Jacobs-Wolde as “Mr. Perfect”–her husband David. At first, Jessica thinks she has it all: a beautiful young daughter, a coveted place on the Miami Herald’s elite investigative team and her doting husband, a noted linguist and jazz historian who has put his career on hold to raise their daughter. The plot shifts to the paranormal when David turns out to be more perfect than she could ever imagine: born some 450 years earlier in Abyssinia, he is immortal. Jessica tries to shrug off his amazing ability to heal himself from injuries, but the journalist in her can’t ignore the puzzling facts for long. Meantime, David’s emotional attachments to mortals are a source of deep pain for him and a potential threat to his immortal brothers; once they learn that David has told Jessica their secret, the leader of the immortals sends Mahmoud, a Searcher who is David’s closest brother, to retrieve him. As people close to Jessica begin dying violently, David plots to give his wife and daughter the gift of immortality, whether they want it or not. The pull between the mortal and immortal defines the span of this deftly woven tale, a novel populated with vivid, emotional characters that is also a chilling journey to another world.  –  Publishers Weekly Review 

Series: African Immortals  

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The Rosie Project by Grameme Simsion 

Read-out-loud laughter begins by page two in Simsion’s debut novel about a 39-year-old genetics professor with Asperger’s—but utterly unaware of it—looking to solve his Wife Problem. Don Tillman cannot find love; episodes like the Apricot Ice Cream Disaster prevent so much as a second date with a woman. His devised solution is the Wife Project: dating only those who “match” his idiosyncratic standards as determined by an exacting questionnaire. His plans take a backseat when he meets Rosie, a bartender who wants him to help her determine her birth father’s identity. His rigidity and myopic worldview prevents him from seeing her as a possible love interest, but he nonetheless agrees to help, even though it involves subterfuge and might jeopardize his position at the university. What follows are his utterly clueless, but more often thoroughly charming exploits in exploring his capacity for romance. Helping Tillman are his only two friends, an older, shamelessly philandering professor, and the professor’s long-suffering wife, who may soon draw the line in the sand. With Asperger’s growing visibility in pop culture in recent years, as on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, this novel is perfectly timed. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review  

Series: Don Tillman 

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Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Ward 

Winner of the National Book Award 

Jesmyn Ward, two-time National Book Award winner and author of Sing, Unburied, Sing, delivers a gritty but tender novel about family and poverty in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. 

A hurricane is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch’s father is growing concerned. A hard drinker, largely absent, he doesn’t show concern for much else. Esch and her three brothers are stocking food, but there isn’t much to save. Lately, Esch can’t keep down what food she gets; she’s fourteen and pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pitbull’s new litter, dying one by one in the dirt. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child’s play and short on parenting. 

As the twelve days that make up the novel’s framework yield to their dramatic conclusion, this unforgettable family—motherless children sacrificing for one another as they can, protecting and nurturing where love is scarce—pulls itself up to face another day. A big-hearted novel about familial love and community against all odds, and a wrenching look at the lonesome, brutal, and restrictive realities of rural poverty, Salvage the Bones is muscled with poetry, revelatory, and real. 

Series: Bois Sauvage 

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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 three library catalogs

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

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

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

–

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.

–

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: November 27, 2024

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, as followers of this blog now, I usually recommend five new books per week, for your reading pleasure.  

However, as it is November, we are at the end of our ordering calendar for 2024. 

And that combined with the advent of the long days of winter, make this a perfect time to settle into one’s easy chair and binge read a previously unread series, preferably with a cup of hot coffee, tea, cocoa or relaxing beverage of your choice in hand.

With that in mind, each week for the next five weeks, I’m going to recommend the first books in seven different series, in five different genres: Romances, Mysteries, Historical Fiction, General Fiction & Science Fiction & Fantasy.

Enjoy! 

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Here is the weekly genre schedule:  

November 27: Romances 

December 4: Mysteries  

December 11: Historical Fiction  

December 18: General Fiction  

December 25: Science Fiction & Fantasy  

Enjoy!

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November 27: Romances  

Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin 

Chang Ai Li flees her wedding and her enraged bridegroom in Lin’s exciting debut, an adventure tale set in turbulent 8th-century China. Ai Li, the only daughter in a family of mighty warriors, is trained by her grandmother to fight with light butterfly swords and defend herself and her family’s honor. Ryam is a foreigner trying to get back to his stronghold on the far western edge of the empire. After he helps Ai Li fight off brigands and soldiers, she hires him to help her evade her pursuers and get back to the imperial city. Ryam is uncomfortable when Ai Li calls him honorable, while she is amazed that he listens to what she has to say. Despite being from different cultures and classes, they fall in love. The especially vibrant writing describing the culture, clothes, and countryside saves this from being just another tale of impossible love. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review  

Series: Tang Dynasty  

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The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood 

DEBUT Science must be proved. That’s why Stanford PhD candidate Olive Smith kissed the first man she found, to prove to her best friend Anh that she’d bounced back from a breakup. Fortunately, it worked. Unfortunately, the man was Dr. Adam Carlsen, the most arrogant, unapproachable, and downright mean professor in Olive’s science department. He’s not mean to Olive though, and he even agrees to be her fake boyfriend. As Olive spends more time fake-dating Adam, she sees another side to the professor who ruthlessly fails his students’ dissertations. With Olive, Adam is kind. He smiles. He listens. Unfortunately, Adam is in love with someone else, and there’s a looming expiration date on his fake relationship with Olive. This satisfying romantic comedy features smart, witty dialog and a diverse cast of likable secondary characters. Adam and Olive continually find themselves in awkward, adorable situations caused by their deception (and their meddling friends). The setting, in Stanford’s STEM program, is essential to the plot and allows the author to write on the obstacles faced by PhD students, especially women in science programs.  

VERDICT A realistic, amusing novel that readers won’t be able to put down. Highly recommended for all collections. – Library Journal Review  

Series: Love Hypothesis 

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Much Ado About You by Eloisa James 

Tess Essex wished her father had loved his Thoroughbreds a bit less and his daughters a bit more. Now, after his death, Tess, Imogen, Annabel, and Josephine find themselves with a new guardian: Rafe Jourdain, the Duke of Holbrook. Although Holbrook is exceedingly kind, he is completely clueless when it comes to finding suitable matches for his new wards. Deciding that it is up to her, Tess encourages the romantic overtures of one of Holbrook’s closest friends, Garret Langham, the Earl of Mayne. Titled, handsome, and sophisticated, Garret is an entirely appropriate suitor for Tess, and his society connections will help Tess secure good husbands for her sisters. The only problem is that even though Tess is resigned to a politely civilized marriage to Garret, she just can’t seem to forget the less acceptable Lucius Felton and his deliciously improper kisses. In the first in a new series featuring the wonderfully amusing Essex sisters, ” New York Times “best-selling James’ gift for superb characterization and elegantly sensual, delightfully witty prose create a thoroughly romantic treat. – Starred Booklist Review  

Series: Essex Sisters 

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Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez 

After swerving to avoid a raccoon and ending up in a ditch, Alexis Montgomery is extremely grateful to receive an automotive assist from a passing Good Samaritan in the person of Daniel Grant. Accepting his offer of a late-night grilled-cheese sandwich after the rescue simply seems like a nice thing to do until Alexis wakes up the next morning in Daniel’s bed. Alexis knows just how easy it would be to fall for sweet, sunny Daniel, who is everything Alexis’ ex-boyfriend Neil is not. But Alexis also knows that she and the hot, younger carpenter and B&B owner come from two completely different, seemingly incompatible worlds. Jimenez’s (Life’s Too Short, 2021) latest flawlessly written contemporary romance is another perfectly calibrated synthesis of richly nuanced characters, blazing sexual chemistry, and sizzling wit deftly infused into an empowering story line that sensitively touches on emotional and physical abuse in romantic relationships while also offering a subtle wink and nod to the enduring charm of Disney fairy tales. – Booklist Review  

Series: Part Of Your World 

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Seaside Cafe by Rochelle Alers 

Set on breathtaking Coates Island, off the coast of North Carolina, bestselling author Rochelle Alers’ new series debut brings together three book-loving women whose summer will offer a chance to rewrite their 

own stories . . . 

For three decades, the Seaside Café has served delicious meals to locals and island tourists alike. Kayana Johnson has moved home to help her brother run the café—and to nurse her wounds following a deep betrayal. Between cooking favorite recipes—creole chicken with buttermilk waffles, her grandmother’s famous mac and cheese—and spending time reading, Kayana is trying to embrace a life free of entanglements, while staying open to new connections . . . 

After striking up conversation with two customers, Kayana suggests a summer book club. Each week, they’ll meet on the patio to talk about their favorite novels. But there are plot twists awaiting them in real life too. For schoolteacher Leah, this two-month sojourn is the first taste of freedom she’s had in her unhappy marriage. Cherie, filled with regret about her long-term affair with a married politici 

Series: Book Club 

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Secrets of a Summer Night Lisa Kleypas 

Deftly evoking not only the romantic tension between hero and heroine but also the conflicts and challenges of the Victorian era, this superb romance from Kleypas launches her new series centered on the Wallflowers, four young ladies who are sick of being snubbed and overlooked by London’s bachelors and who have banded together to find themselves husbands. Beautiful Annabelle Peyton represents Old World aristocracy; she’s genteel but impoverished and desperately trying to maintain the appearance of wealth. Commoner Simon Hunt, on the other hand, is a brash, ambitious entrepreneur who has made a fortune investing in industry and railroads and is only marginally accepted by society. As Annabelle attempts to trap a moneyed aristocrat into marriage—with the help of her vivacious fellow Wallflowers, of course—Simon boldly pursues her, first with the desire to make her his mistress and then with far more noble intentions. The scenes involving Annabelle and the three other Wallflowers—two impudent American girls and a shy, stuttering English heiress—are almost as enjoyable as the ones in which Annabelle and Simon try to outmaneuver each other. The protagonists inevitably wind up at the altar, but their story doesn’t end there. Kleypas delves deeper, touching on Annabelle’s changing mindset (specifically, her growing admiration of Simon’s working-class roots and her acceptance of everything he stands for) and Simon’s insecurity over taking her away from polite society. By turns amusing, sensual and sober, but always compelling, this is a first-rate offering from a truly talented storyteller. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review  

Series: Wallflowers 

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Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Wedding Date by A fake romance starts becoming surprisingly real.Alexa is a lawyer-turned-chief of staff for the mayor of Berkeley. Drew is a pediatric surgeon from LA in town for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. When the two get stuck in an elevator in a San Francisco hotel, they unexpectedly hit it off, and Drew convinces Alexa to be his plus-one at the wedding, leading to a whole fake-relationship scheme. The relationship may be fake, but Alexa and Drew are very clearly interested in each other. As a one-night stand becomes a two-night stand becomes weekend trips between Berkeley and LA, both are in denial about how important they are to each other. As they face ups and downs, ultimately they must decide if they want to try to make a real relationship work. The writing is fast-paced, jumping between Alexa’s and Drew’s points of view. The two leads are charming, and both have quirky friends who add flavor to the story. The issue of race comes up since Alexa is black and Drew is white; Alexa is more aware of situations that may turn ugly, and Drew becomes more mindful of his privilege, a timely lesson that adds depth to the story. The book is also unexpectedly raunchy, since Alexa and Drew’s connection starts as a purely physical one and they only later develop deeper feelings. The characters never find a situation that doesn’t turn them on at least a little bit. Guillory’s debut is a mix of romance and raunch that will charm rom-com fans. – Kirkus Review  

Series: Wedding Date 

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Times Bestsellers: September 29, 2024

Linda Reimer

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

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

Our telephone number is: 607-936-3713.

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THE BESTSELLERS

FICTION

1. SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA by TJ Klune: The second book in the Cerulean Chronicles series. The headmaster of a strange orphanage seeks to protect the magical children who reside there.

2. HERE ONE MOMENT by Liane Moriarty: Passengers on a short and seemingly unremarkable flight learn how and when they are going to die.

3. TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout: As a murder casts a pall on a town in Maine, Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge and Bob Burgess share stories and seek meaning.

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

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

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

7. THE PERFECT COUPLE by Elin Hilderbrand: A body is found in Nantucket Harbor hours before a picture-perfect wedding.

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

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

10. DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver: Winner of a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A reimagining of Charles Dickens’s “David Copperfield” set in the mountains of southern Appalachia.

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

12. VINCE FLYNN: CAPTURE OR KILL by Don Bentley: The 23rd book in the Mitch Rapp series. In 2011, operations take place to prevent a looming war in the Middle East.

13. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas: The second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. Feyre gains the powers of the High Fae and a greater evil emerges.

14. THE GAMES GODS PLAY by Abigail Owen: Gods enlist mortals to fight in their stead to determine who will sit on the throne in Olympus.

15. THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE by Matt Haig: A retired math teacher who inherits a run-down house on a Mediterranean island from a friend goes in search of answers.

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NON-FICTION

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

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

3. WHO COULD EVER LOVE YOU by Mary L. Trump: The author of “Too Much and Never Enough” and “The Reckoning” portrays the dynamics within her family.

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

5. LOVELY ONE by Ketanji Brown Jackson: The first Black woman ever confirmed to the Supreme Court traces her family’s history and her personal ascent.

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

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

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

9. GHOSTS OF HONOLULU by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr.: The story of a Japanese American naval intelligence agent, a Japanese spy and events in Hawaii before the start of World War II.

10. THE ART OF POWER by Nancy Pelosi: The representative from California chronicles her journey in politics, including her time as the first woman to serve as speaker of the House.

11. I USED TO LIKE YOU UNTIL…by Kat Timpf: The co-host of “Gutfeld!” and Fox News analyst shares her opinions on binary thinking.

12. REAGAN by Max Boot: A biography of the 40th president of the United States.

13. THE HIGHEST CALLING by David M. Rubenstein: Conversations with journalists, historians and former presidents on the American presidency.

14. IMMINENT by Luis Elizondo: The former head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program shares insights on unidentified anomalous phenomena.

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

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There are currently three catalogs available to Southeast Steuben County Library patrons online, that you can access to search for and request New York Times Bestsellers, and other popular books and materials in a variety of formats, i.e. print books, eBooks, streaming videos.

All you need is a library card to get started!

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THE CATALOGS:

Catalog 1: StarCat

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

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

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Catalog 2: The Digital Catalog

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

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

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

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

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Catalog 3: Hoopla

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

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

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

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

Weekly Suggested Reading Five: July 17, 2024

Linda Reimer

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

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

And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

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The Au Pair Affair: A Novel by Tessa Bailey 

Accepting a job working as au pair for divorced dad Burgess Abraham’s tween daughter, Lissa, seemed like a good idea at the time. Then Tallulah Aydin comes across a video of hockey player Burgess–aka Sir Savage–busting up an opposing team member on the ice. Now Tallulah is having second–and to be honest, third and fourth–thoughts about going to work for the team captain of the Boston Bearcats. However, with a bit of work, Burgess manages to quell whatever initial fears Tallulah might have, and she agrees to a trial period working for Burgess and Lissa. But spending so much time around Burgess soon raises a different concern–can she keep things strictly profession with her gruff, tough, and way-too-buff new boss? With the latest entry in her Big Shots series, Bailey (Fangirl Down, 2024) shoots and scores with another effortlessly entertaining sports romance that not only perfectly encapsulates her naughty and nice brand of love stories but is also richly imbued with her puckish sense of humor. – Booklist Review 

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The Briar Club by Kate Quinn 

Quinn’s (The Diamond Eye) compelling story of women’s friendships, set against the frightening days of McCarthyism, combines personal stories with real history. In 1954, a Thanksgiving gathering at a Washington, DC, women’s boardinghouse is disrupted. The result is two dead bodies and 17 suspects. The boardinghouse residents and their guests worry about what the police will uncover, because Briarwood House has harbored secrets for at least four years. Mrs. Nilsson, the owner and landlady at Briarwood House, is disliked by all the residents. However, beginning in 1950, when a widow named Grace Marsh moves in, the atmosphere slowly changes. Every Thursday, when Mrs. Nilsson is out, Grace invites everyone to dinner in her tiny room. Residents include a Hungarian refugee, a cop’s daughter who is dating the wrong man, and a secretary to a senator. The women all have a chance to talk about their past while still keeping secrets, but the lives they’ve made might come crashing down as friendships are tested by home invasion and murder.  

VERDICT This powerful, unforgettable historical mystery is for fans of Mary Anna Evans’s Justine Byrne series and stories with strong women characters. – Starred Library Journal Review  

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Joyful Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer 

Award-winning actor/comedian/podcaster Scheer’s charming, disarming, candid, and warm collection of essays will appeal to readers who like their humor best when it’s bittersweet. He aims to wear his former feelings of shame with pride, whether it’s describing abuse at the hands of his stepfather or listing cringeworthy celebrity encounters so embarrassing that he had to leave the scene. He acknowledges the times in his life that those who loved him most, including himself, failed him. Laying bare how traumatic events can become so routine they may not register as trauma, he conveys his humility and humanity with humor and authenticity. In the chapters “Ode to a Minivan” and “Scheer Humiliation,” readers see the silly side of him in his roles as an actor, a comedian, a husband, and a father. Readers will find the sincerest form of self-acceptance through hard lessons learned in the chapters “When I Grow Up” and “Becoming Dad.” VERDICT Scheer’s memoir addresses somber truths of adolescence and abuse while never losing a sense of hope and humor along the way. Recommend this beautiful book to fans of Sam Neill, Casey Wilson, and Samantha Irby. – Starred Library Journal Review 

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The Queen Of Poisons by Robert Thorogood 

The cozy yet high-mortality English village of Marlow is once again roiled by murder, this time involving a victim at the very top of the local food chain. Seeking zoning approval for the pod hotel she’s convinced will make her a mint, dog walker Suzie Harris attends a meeting of the Marlow town council to get the lay of the land. Her attempt to pass herself off as having official business before the council is much less successful than the fatal poisoning of Marlow mayor Geoffrey Lushington, who gets a dose of aconite in his coffee, or maybe in his sugar, that stops the meeting before it starts. The obvious suspects are the four other council members who were present in the room where it happened: estate agent Marcus Percival, accountant Debbie Bell, architect Jeremy Wessel, and late-arriving Sophia De Castro, a homeopathic podcaster who actually grows aconite in her garden. But once DI Tanika Malik appoints Suzie and her partners in crime detection, Judith Potts and Becks Starling, as civilian advisers, they start asking nosy questions and moving from one suspect to the next with disconcerting dispatch, broadening the field to consider Alec Miller, the retiree who served tea at all the council meetings except this one, and an unknown blond man “average in…height and in weight” spotted in the immediate environs. In the end, Judith carries off sleuthing honors, though at a certain cost to her domicile. Ingenious, ultracivilized mental gymnastics guaranteed not to disturb your sleep. – Kirkus Review  

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The Sentinel by Mark Greaney 

An African coup may force Josh Duffy to choose between his mission and his family in this intense thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Gray Man series. 

Josh Duffy and his wife Nikki are both working for the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service providing protection for diplomats in the field. They’ve been sent to Ghana with a team of US embassy personnel who are there to highlight American commitment to the construction of a new dam.  

Since Ghana is a stable democracy, the Duffy children have come along for a short vacation. But stability proves to be fleeting when a Chinese plan to embarrass the US means the destruction of the dam. Now Josh and his protectees are on the run caught between a Chinese hit squad and a rebel army. 

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Happy reading!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

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

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Information on the three library catalogs

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

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

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

–

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

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

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

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

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

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

–

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.

Daily Print & Digital Suggested Reads: Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:

summit

Summit: A Novel by Harry Farthing:

An action-packed mountaineering adventure in which a mysterious discovery leads to breathtaking revelations about the world’s highest peak.

A summit is a summit, and the truth is the truth. But the view from 8,848 meters isn’t always so clear. Two men, seventy years apart, push for the top of Mount Everest, driven by forces beyond their control and something inside that says climb.

After eight successful summits, Mount Everest guide Neil Quinn is confident he can handle anything the mountain throws his way. But then disaster strikes steps from the top, leaving him with a lot of questions and a very old swastika-embellished ice axe that should never have been so high on the mountain — not if Everest’s meticulously documented history is accurate.

But before Quinn can even catch his breath, the combined wrath of his vengeful employer and an angry client drives him out of the Himalayas and back to Europe, where the newly blackballed English guide struggles to make ends meet and discover the truth of what happened that fateful day. He soon uncovers the story of Josef Becker, a Nazi climber who sought the top of the world seventy years before, when Europe teetered on the brink of the Second World War.

Quinn’s innocent queries into Becker’s expedition soon have neo-Nazis, assassins, and history buffs vying to take possession of the axe — proof of Nazi alpine superiority, and strong evidence that a German climber was the first to summit Mount Everest.

Beautifully written and meticulously researched, Summit follows two climbers across two continents as their stories and movements intertwine across history, culminating in one final push for the top of the world.

Here’s a link to the checkout page in the Digital Catalog:

https://stls.overdrive.com/media/2755169

And our physical item suggestion for today is the print book:

books-for-living

Books for Living by Will Schwalbe:

From the author of the beloved New York Times best-selling The End of Your Life Book Club, an inspiring and magical exploration of the power of books to shape our lives in an era of constant connectivity.

Why is it that we read? Is it to pass time? To learn something new? To escape from reality? For Will Schwalbe, reading is a way to entertain himself but also to make sense of the world, to become a better person, and to find the answers to the big (and small) questions about how to live his life. In this delightful celebration of reading, Schwalbe invites us along on his quest for books that speak to the specific challenges of living in our modern world, with all its noise and distractions. In each chapter, he discusses a particular book—what brought him to it (or vice versa), the people in his life he associates with it, and how it became a part of his understanding of himself in the world. These books span centuries and genres (from classic works of adult and children’s literature to contemporary thrillers and even cookbooks), and each one relates to the questions and concerns we all share. Throughout, Schwalbe focuses on the way certain books can help us honor those we’ve loved and lost, and also figure out how to live each day more fully. Rich with stories and recommendations, Books for Living is a treasure for everyone who loves books and loves to hear the answer to the question: “What are you reading?”

Here’s a link to the request page in StarCat:

https://goo.gl/X2H5aB

Or by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/

The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/

Freegal Music Service: This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/

Zinio: Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony

About Library Mobile Apps:

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

New E-Books Added To Young Adult Circulating E-Reader

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, we’ve just added some new e-books to our Young Adult Circulating E-Reader!

You can checkout circulating e-readers at the Circulation Desk.

Here is a list of the new titles and then a list of the whole enchilada of titles:

New E-Books for YA E-Reader: (Titles added in February 2016)

Beautiful Chaos (Beautiful Creatures series) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Dangerous Deceptions (Dangerous Creatures series) (5/3/2016 release) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Silence (Hush, Hush series) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Library of Souls: The Third Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Crossed (Matched Series) by Ally Condie

Empire of Night (Age of Legends Series #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends Series #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Waterfall (Teardrop series) by Lauren Kate

Theodore Boone: The Fugitive by John Grisham

All E-Books on YA E-Reader:

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Beautiful Chaos (Beautiful Creatures series) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia

Crossed (Matched Series) by Ally Condie

Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Dangerous Deceptions (Dangerous Creatures series) (5/3/2016 release)

by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Empire of Night (Age of Legends Series #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Fault is in Our Stars by John Green

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends Series #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

Giver Quartet (The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger & Son) by Lois Lowry

Here And Now by Anne Brashares

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Library of Souls: The Third Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Reached by Ally Condie

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

Silence (Hush, Hush series) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Smoke by Ellen Hopkins

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Theodore Boone: The Activist by John Grisham

Theodore Boone: The Fugitive by John Grisham

Walls Around Us by Norma Summa

Waterfall (Teardrop series) by Lauren Kate

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL