As this very strange summer ticks on, why not lose yourself in a book? (Preferably in front of a very large fan, and with cool drink nearby.) Here are a half-dozen new paperbacks, of various genres; all look to provide ample diversion. Read More ⇒
Arrows on the bookstore floor direct foot traffic, as if the 460-square-foot shop is a giant board game. A sanitation station has joined the tables filled with current titles and an impressive selection of fantasy science fiction and young adult books. At the register of her three-year-old b… Read More ⇒
Looking for a silver lining, we seized on how the stay-at-home mandates of living through a pandemic (and other dire things) would give us more time — hopefully, more time to read. Read More ⇒
DETROIT — Like the title character of his new book, “Malorie” — the sequel to his bestselling “Bird Box” — Josh Malerman has a strong viewpoint on face coverings. Read More ⇒
MASSENA — The latest exhibit at the Celine G. Philibert Cultural Centre and Museum is a trip back in time to some of Massena’s historical lodging. Read More ⇒
Flower Memorial Library will offer a bag sale starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday until sold out. Read More ⇒
In the earliest days of the pandemic, I heard a lot of people say they couldn’t focus on a book. I felt the same. When yet another media organization would issue a jolly “Pandemic Reading List” I would think, “Are you crazy? Who can read anything but the news?” Read More ⇒
WATERTOWN — A Nov. 24 fire at the 129 N. Orchard St. duplex owned by Holly Gaskin left three people hospitalized. It also left seven people temporarily homeless, including Ms. Gaskin. Read More ⇒
“Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask” by Jon Pessah; Little, Brown and Company (576 pages, $30) Read More ⇒
MASSENA — This year’s Massena Public Library summer reading program, which runs from July 6 to Aug. 14 at the libraries in Massena and Brasher Falls, will look vastly different than years past as library officials adapt to the mandates issued by the state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More ⇒
Ask Ronald J. Ditch about his “favorite place on Earth” and he’ll reel in his answer leisurely but firmly, as if he’s hooked onto a prized lunker, savoring the moment, letting out the line at proper length for some play before landing the big reveal. Read More ⇒
“Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars” by Joyce Carol Oates; Ecco (800 pages, $35) Read More ⇒
MASSENA — Voters in Louisville and portions of Brasher and Norfolk spoke loud and clear on Tuesday, casting enough “no” votes to defeat a proposition that would have made the Massena Public Library a school district library. Read More ⇒
“Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History’s First Global Manhunt” by Steven Johnson; Riverhead Books (304 pages, $28) Read More ⇒
A locked-room mystery set in the Thousand Islands and reminiscent of the works authored by Agatha Christie has been so well received that its major publisher has fast-tracked its sequel for release in December. Read More ⇒
TextbookRush, an online campus bookstore, has compiled data that shows New York state residents are spending the most time reading during quarantine downtime associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More ⇒
SACKETS HARBOR — With approval from the Hay Memorial Phased Reopening Plan approved by the Board of Trustees, the Hay Memorial Library will reopen for limited services beginning June 29. Read More ⇒
MASSENA — The towns of Louisville, Norfolk and Brasher have retained an attorney as they hope to keep their residents from absorbing what they say will be a large tax increase for their residents if the Massena Public Library becomes a school district library. Read More ⇒
MASSENA — Massena Public Library officials and some Louisville residents are charging that the town of Louisville illegally used taxpayer money to send out mailings on official town letterhead and used town postage to tell residents to vote no on the June 9 library proposition. Read More ⇒
Libraries have been approved to partially reopen by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo under guidelines similar to that of retailers, allowing patrons to get their library materials through curbside pickup. Read More ⇒
No summer movie blockbusters this year. The lakefront is closed, and music festivals are canceled. Pools likely won’t open, either. Baseball? Who knows. So what’s left? Books. Read More ⇒
Pierre Nzuah approached the challenge of writing his memoir like an engineer. The recently published book, “Persist and Pursue, Breaking Barriers to Achieve a Dream,” tells the unlikely story of a boy raised in a mud brick hut in Cameroon who becomes an electrical engineer designing substati… Read More ⇒
MASSENA — The vote to determine whether the Massena Public Library will remain funded by the town or become a school district public library will now be a proposition when school district residents vote on the school budget on June 9. Read More ⇒
I was in my favorite bookstore back when that was a thing to do, when I came face to face with my past. Read More ⇒
In “Becoming Mrs. Lewis,” bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry explores the turbulent life of Joy Davidman, wife of renowned writer C.S. Lewis. Read More ⇒
THREE MILE BAY — International bestselling author Ellen Marie Wiseman creates novels that are praised for their compassion, authenticity and depth as they explore difficult experiences and historical events. Read More ⇒
Canceled plans and stay-at-home orders have many (especially teenagers) singing the latest TikTok anthem: “Bored in the House.” Read More ⇒
DULUTH, Minn. — So we aren’t supposed to travel to wild places now, or anywhere far from home for that matter, so maybe the next best thing is to sit in a comfy chair and read about the outdoors. Read More ⇒
“Murder Off the Page’” by Con Lehane; Minotaur (323 pages, $26.99) Read More ⇒
MASSENA — The Massena Central School District Board of Education has approved a June 16 referendum for voters to determine if the Massena Public Library remains funded by the town of Massena or becomes a school district public library. Read More ⇒
What to read while you’re self-isolating to avoid the coronavirus? How about books about all the various plagues humankind has survived before? There are classics like Giovanni Boccaccio’s 1353 classic “The Decameron,” about Italian aristocrats who flee the bubonic plague in Florence, or Dan… Read More ⇒
MASSENA — The Massena Town Council has officially thrown its support behind the Massena Public Library’s plan to transition from a town-funded library to a school district public library. Read More ⇒
Cheri L. Farnsworth dedicated her latest book to her first grandchild — “the ultimate antithesis to the disaster and despair” that she writes about. Read More ⇒
MASSENA — A Louisville resident says he has some concerns about the Massena Public Library becoming a school district public library rather than one being funded by town of Massena taxpayers. Read More ⇒
When you think of quinine water do you think of stout, pink-faced British sea captains being revived by gin and tonics? “Just the Tonic: A Natural History of Tonic Water” (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, $25) turns that image on its ear. Read More ⇒
PHILADELPHIA — Rev. Donald R. Fletcher was 80 and recovering from cancer surgery when he made the prayerful vow that launched his latest career. Read More ⇒
The inspiration for the new book by prolific Adirondack author William J. “Jay” O’Hern has partial roots in his days working at a sawmill in Red Creek in the mid-1960s when he was a teenager and a bit later when he took a job at a paper mill in Oswego. Read More ⇒
MASSENA — Massena Public Library officials are expected to attend the next Massena Central School Board of Education meeting on March 19 as part of the process to form a school district public library. Read More ⇒
HARRISVILLE — Checking off an item on her bucket list, a daughter has recounted her father’s experience in World War II, utilizing letters he wrote home. Read More ⇒
MASSENA — A vote to determine if the Massena Public Library remains owned by the town of Massena or becomes a school district public library is scheduled for June 16. Voting will be held from noon to 8 p.m. at the Massena Public Library. Read More ⇒
OSWEGO - Dr. Anthony Jack will discuss the central paradox of his book “The Privileged Poor” as the next speaker in SUNY Oswego’s I Am Oz Diversity Speaker Series, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, in the Sheldon Hall ballroom. Read More ⇒
As a hiker with thousands of miles trekked, numerous peaks climbed and considerable trips guided, Alan Via has heard a similar refrain on the trails: “Don’t worry, he won’t bite!” Read More ⇒
MASSENA — If you have old videotapes or pictures of your family and you’re worried about losing those precious memories, the Massena Public Library can help preserve them. Read More ⇒
POTSDAM — The Potsdam Kiwanis Club is looking to the community for redeemable bottles and cans in raising funds for children’s books. Read More ⇒
WATERTOWN — If his visits to the offices of the Watertown Daily Times is any indication, James C. Harberson III appears to be a mild-mannered, soft-spoken gentleman. Read More ⇒
WATERTOWN — The past decade has seen a boom in the popularity of graphic novels. Read More ⇒
MASSENA — Massena Town Council members hope to have a better understanding in February of the potential impact if the Massena Public Library was no longer owned by the town, but became a public school district library. Read More ⇒
“Roaring Reptiles, Bountiful Citrus, and Neon Pies: An Unofficial Guide To Florida’s Official Symbols” by Mark Lane; University Press of Florida (133 pages, $19.95) Read More ⇒
“SAM: One Robot, a Dozen Engineers, and the Race to Revolutionize the Way We Build” by Jonathan Waldman; Avid Reader (288 pages, $28) Read More ⇒
After more than 20 years in the public eye, Jessica Simpson is shedding light on some of the darker sides of her private life. Read More ⇒