### Talking Book Topics, Vol. 71, No. 3, May-June 2005 Talking Book Topics May-June 2005 Volume 71, Number 3 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped _Talking Book Topics_ is published bimonthly in large-print, cassette, and computer diskette formats and distributed free to blind and physically handicapped individuals who participate in the Library of Congress free reading program. It lists recorded books and magazines available through a network of cooperating libraries and covers news of developments and activities in library services. The annotated list in this issue is limited to titles recently added to the national collection, which contains thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles, including classics, biographies, gothics, mysteries, and how-to and self-help guides. To learn more about the wide range of books in the national collection, readers may order catalogs and subject bibliographies from cooperating libraries. Librarians can check other resources for titles and answer requests for special materials. To order books, contact your local cooperating library. Correspondence regarding editorial matters should be sent to: Publications and Media Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542 Library of Congress, Washington 2005 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 60-46157 ISSN 0039-9183 Contents: In Brief Books for Adults Cassettes--Nonfiction Cassettes--Fiction Books for Children Cassettes--Nonfiction Cassettes--Fiction Foreign Language Books Spanish Talking Book Magazines In Brief The following material is reprinted from NLS Flash, March 2005, volume 1, issue 4, a newsletter created to bring current information on NLS progress in digital technology to patrons, library staff, and other interested individuals. A new generation of talking-book machines Have you ever asked yourself why you must push a button marked ‡end‡ to turn on your cell phone? Or why a TV remote might have a control called ‡bypass‡ that appears to do exactly nothing? The answer to these questions is disarmingly simple: often technology is designed by engineers for engineers. They sometimes do not consider the rest of us. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) understands this. For the next generation of talking-book machines, NLS is emphasizing the usability of new technologies. ‡The digital talking-book player must be intuitive and easy to use by all patrons regardless of age, experience, and physical ability,‡ says Frank Kurt Cylke, the director of NLS. The new device must also be easily maintained and repaired. With these criteria in mind, NLS has selected the technical and design services of Battelle, a leading technology innovation firm, and a team of experts to develop the digital talking books (DTBs) and audio playback machines. A contract was signed on February 23, 2005. Serving as subcontractors on the project are HumanWare, formerly VisuAide, a leader in digital talking-book technology; the National Federation of the Blind, the largest organization of blind persons in the United States, with more than 50,000 members; and Trace Research and Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which makes information technology and telecommunications systems accessible by people with disabilities. The completed system will include the digital talking- book machine (DTBM) and the flash memory cartridge that holds the talking book, as well as labeling and packaging. It's a tall order! The machines must be lightweight and portable, yet sturdy enough to survive postal delivery and years of heavy use. Usability will be critical. ‡The player and cartridge together form the system with which users will read their talking books. That system will define the reading experience for future users, so it‡s critical that it be designed correctly,‡ says Michael Moodie, deputy director of NLS. ‡If the job is done right, a user‡s focus will be on the book or magazine he or she is reading, and not on the player or the cartridge.‡ NLS patrons will reap the benefits of this design. By considering the purpose of the product up front and the ways in which patrons will put it to use, the final DTBM should function in a manner that all find satisfying. More than 60 percent of NLS patrons are over the age of 60, more than 1,000 are over 100 years of age, and many are newly blind. Most read books in a linear fashion and have limited need for a sophisticated navigation system. In fact, this group would find a complex player frustrating and thus prefer a more basic player. Blind children and younger adults also use talking books and may wish DTBMs to have more capabilities‡such as advanced navigation features. A user interface designed solely for one of these groups will not meet the wants and needs of all patrons. ‡The DTBM will be designed with the blind and physically handicapped user in mind. Unlike audio players aimed at the general consumer, it will employ tactile features, color differences, and large-print labels to inform users with various levels of vision about its functions,‡ says Cylke. The user interface‡the way a person interacts with a machine or a device‡must be comfortable for people who are blind and/or physically handicapped. Controls will be spaced so that it is easy to distinguish one from another. Because many talking-book readers like to read at higher-than-normal speeds, the DTBM will include a variable speed control. It will also include controls that allow users to quickly skip from chapter to chapter. Usability studies will be conducted to ensure that patrons are able to easily and successfully run the player, that librarians are able to clearly explain the operation of the device, and that repair personnel are able to support and service the player. Quality control The playback machine must meet a tough set of standards. It will employ current and new technologies and will comply with safety regulations. And most important, it will be a creative and imaginative product that wins the support of patrons. Over the lifetime of the design, nearly one million copies of the player will be distributed. The design will need to be economically mass-produced. Since the player will deliver spoken audio to readers, patrons need a machine with high-quality sound. The machine design will consider support issues such as guiding patrons, librarians, and repair personnel. Battelle and their associates HumanWare, the National Federation of the Blind, and the Trace Center will create training materials for the users of the playback device, including instructions for use in large print and braille that will be shipped with the player. ‡NLS plans to facilitate training of librarians in the use of DTBMs through hands-on demonstrations, the provision of written directions, and instructional videos,‡ says Judith Dixon, NLS consumer relations officer. By 2008, NLS plans to have 60,000 playback units and 20,000 digital talking-book titles ready for use. Meet the player makers NLS has pulled together a team of developers and experts in the fields of technology and disability to ensure that the new digital talking-book machine (DTBM) will be just what patrons want. Not only will it be smartly designed, but the DTBM will be examined and tested at every turn for compatibility with blind and physically handicapped users. Here is the team that will make it happen. Battelle Contractor. The firm has developed the technology behind some of the products we use everyday such as the copy machine, compact discs, and the bar code used by retailers for automated checkout and inventory control. HumanWare, formerly Visuaide Subcontractor. A Canadian innovation firm and leader in digital talking-book technology, HumanWare produces the Victor Readers. They have also created the next generation of GPS-based orientation solutions for blind and physically handicapped individuals and the first mainstream accessible handheld P.C. National Federation of the Blind Subcontractor. The largest organization of blind persons in the U.S. and the world, NFB has more than 50,000 members who work to integrate the blind into society on a basis of equality by removing legal, economic, and social discriminations. Trace Research and Development Center, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin‡Madison Subcontractor. A pioneer in the field of technology and disability, the Trace Center has developed widely used guidelines for the design of consumer products to make them accessible to persons with disabilities. Digital talking-book (DTB) milestones Completed ‡ Defined and prioritized digital talking-book (DTB) features. ‡ Coordinated development and publication of Specifications for the Digital Talking Book (ANSI/NISO Z39.86). ‡ Simulated a DTB player using personal computer. ‡ Developed a computer-based, life-cycle cost analysis (LCC) model for the NLS system and for candidate digital systems. ‡ Developed computer software for DTB production and presentation. ‡ Developed software to test conformance of players and DTBs with the ANSI/NISO standard. ‡ User survey ‡ Player transition study ‡ Distribution medium study ‡ Player and medium design contract awarded. Start 1/12/04‡Finish 10/1/08 The following ongoing projects, set to conclude in 2008, are shown with start dates in parentheses. ‡ Web-Magazine pilot (1/12/04) ‡ Digital data management system development (11/1/04) ‡ Distribution system design and transition planning (12/1/04) ‡ Player and medium development (3/1/05) ‡ Design DTB containers and labels (6/1/05) ‡ Web-Book pilot (6/1/05) ‡ Prepare for DTB distribution (10/1/05) ‡ Circulation systems design (12/1/05) ‡ Manufacture initial lot of DTB containers and labels (9/1/06) ‡ Distribution system implementation (10/1/06) ‡ Circulation systems implementation (10/1/06) ‡ Media production (3/1/07) ‡ Media duplication (5/1/07) ‡ Full player production (9/1/07) For information on the NLS digital project contact Jean M. Moss, Digital Projects Coordinator. E-mail: jemo@loc.gov; fax: (202) 707-1690. For the Strategic Business Plan online: www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan2003.html Student financial aid guide available The U.S. Department of Education now has available an updated audio recording on compact disc that provides information about federal student aid to students who are blind or visually impaired. The guide covers federal grants, loans, and work-study programs, as well as non- federal sources of aid. Students can request one or more copies of the free guide by contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center toll free at 1-800-433-3243. Students can also listen to the guide on the Web at http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/audioguide. Newsstand The following announcements may be of interest to readers. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped reserves the right to publish announcements selectively, as space permits. Items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listing does not imply endorsement. Talking Tactile Atlas The National Geographic Talking Tactile Atlas of the World has just become available from Touch Graphics, Inc. The atlas, which includes 43 raised-line and printed map sheets was developed through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and was created in collaboration with National Geographic Maps. Users can place one of the maps onto a Talking Tactile Tablet (TTT), a new, reasonably-priced touch-sensitive "viewer" for tactile graphics that connects to a computer's USB port. When the user presses on various cities, countries, landmarks and bodies of water on the map, a recorded human voice speaks the name of the place that was touched. Other functions include an alphabetical index to find any named location that appears on one of the map sheets; a distance calculator to determine how far it is between any pair of places; and facts and historical notes about every continent, country and U.S. state. By combining high-quality tactile graphic maps with the power of the computer to add audio information specific to each place the user touches, the Talking Tactile Atlas of the World offers an unprecedented level of access to geographical information. For further product information, visit www.touchgraphics.com. For information on price and how to order, e-mail info@touchgraphics.com, or call (212) 375-6341. ### _Books for Adults_ Books listed in this issue of _Talking Book Topics_ were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, contact your cooperating library. _Note:_ For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language." _Cassettes Nonfiction_ Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science. RC 56061. by Atul Gawande. read by Michael Kramer. 2 cassettes. Essays of a Harvard-trained surgical resident who examines the fallibility of doctors, the mysteries of medicine, the uncertainty of science, and the wonders of technological advancements. Uses anecdotes from his own experience to describe medical errors, unexplained pain, operations for the obese, and a case of flesh-eating bacteria. 2002. RC 56061. ## The Ghost with Trembling Wings: Science, Wishful Thinking, and the Search for Lost Species. RC 56260. by Scott Weidensaul. read by Gary Telles. 3 cassettes. Naturalist Weidensaul recounts his journeys around the world in search of creatures thought to be extinct. Discusses environmental forces that drive plants and animals toward the verge of extinction and explores scientists' attempts to save endangered species. 2002. RC 56260. ## Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation. RC 56281. by Olivia Judson. read by Kimberly Schraf. 3 cassettes. Evolutionary biologist devises letters from nonhuman species to discuss nature's bizarre sex practices. Her quirky advice to lovelorn creatures explains the variety of mating and reproduction habits among denizens of the natural world. Descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 56281. ## Legacy of the Blue Heron: Living with Learning Disabilities. RC 56359. by Harry Sylvester. read by John Fulks. 2 cassettes. Former president of the Learning Disabilities Association of America relates his experiences growing up with severe literacy problems, causing him to rely on his strengths in other areas to succeed. Sylvester discusses the challenges faced by persons with LD and offers social and academic strategies for parents and teachers. 2002. RC 56359. ## Isadora: A Sensational Life. RC 56529. by Peter Kurth. read by Celeste Lawson. 5 cassettes. Details the life, loves, and bizarre death of Isadora Duncan (1877-1927), muse, educator, feminist, and pioneer of modern dance. Set against the backdrop of Europe and America in the early twentieth century, this chronicle draws from major international archival sources, including private collections and unpublished manuscripts. 2001. RC 56529. ## Miscarriage: A Doctor's Guide to the Facts; Why It Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks. RC 56650. by Henry M. Lerner. read by Anne Hancock. 2 cassettes. Obstetrician/gynecologist discusses the causes of miscarriage, preventive diagnostic tests and surgical procedures, and methods for recovering and preparing for future pregnancies. Includes information on psychological aspects of coping with the loss of a child. 2003. RC 56650. ## Chaliapin: An Autobiography as Told to Maxim Gorky. RC 56656. by Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin. read by Geoffrey Centlivre. 4 cassettes. The memoirs of the eminent Russian operatic bass, Fyodor Chaliapin (1873-1938), as recounted to his friend, the writer Maxim Gorky. Discusses the singer's Russian upbringing and international career performing the roles of Boris Godunov, Ivan the Terrible, Prince Igor, and Mephistopheles. 1967. RC 56656. ## American Tragedy: Kennedy, Johnson, and the Origins of the Vietnam War. RC 56659. by David Kaiser. read by Dan Bloom. 5 cassettes. A Naval War College professor uses archival documents to determine how and why the United States became involved in the Vietnam War. Asserts that President Eisenhower's cold war policies--which secretly included the possible use of nuclear weapons--led America into Southeast Asia in order to contain communism. 2000. RC 56659. ## Buddha in Your Backpack: Everyday Buddhism for Teens. RC 56665. by Franz Metcalf. read by Constance Crawford. 2 cassettes. Provides information on Buddha and his teachings, applying Buddhist philosophy to issues facing teenagers, such as family relations, school, body changes, sexual attraction, friendship, and personal ethics--without preaching religious conversion. Includes introductions to meditation and further study. Some descriptions of sex. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 56665. ## The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814. RC 56672. by Anthony S. Pitch. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 2 cassettes. Reconstructs the summer of 1814: after American and British troops skirmished in the Baltimore and Washington areas, the British burned the public buildings in Washington. Describes the flight of President James Madison and wife Dolley and Francis Scott Key's writing of the national anthem. 1998. RC 56672. ## Circumstantial Evidence: Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town. RC 56675. by Pete Earley. read by Dan Bloom. 3 cassettes. Journalist describes events surrounding the 1986 murder of college student Ronda Morrison in Monroeville, Alabama. When another young woman is murdered in a nearby town, the suspects in that case offer information on Ronda's murder, and a black man with no record, Walter McMillian, is put on death row for six years until an attorney proves him innocent. Strong language and some violence. 1995. RC 56675. ## A Renaissance in Harlem: Lost Voices of an American Community. RC 56684. edited by Lionel C. Bascom. read by Lindsay Ellison. 2 cassettes. Essays culled from the WPA Writer's Project collection in the Library of Congress detail the views and experiences of Harlem's ordinary African American citizens during the 1930s. Journalist and English professor Bascom includes works of writers such as Dorothy West, Ralph Ellison, Frank Byrd, and Vivian Morris. 1999. RC 56684. ## There's No Such Thing as "Business" Ethics: There's Only One Rule for Making Decisions. RC 57002. by John C. Maxwell. read by John C Maxwell. 1 cassette. Leadership expert and author of _Running with the Giants (RC 55101)_ explains how the Golden Rule--"do unto others"--can be applied to business to build morale, increase productivity, and encourage teamwork. Uses real-life ethical dilemmas and in-depth discussion questions to demonstrate the benefits of following this universal guideline. 2003. RC 57002. ## Spanish for Dummies. RC 57058. by Susana Wald. read by Peter Gil. 3 cassettes. Five-part guide with twenty chapters on learning Spanish. Presents conversational dialogs for handling a variety of situations from basic greetings to emergencies. Also includes grammatical reference notes, colloquial expressions, cultural facts, a mini-glossary, and other information. 2000. RC 57058. ## The Battle for Rome: The Germans, the Allies, the Partisans, and the Pope; September 1943-June 1944. RC 57123. by Robert Katz. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. Chronicles the bitter WWII struggle for control of Rome by German and U.S. armies, the Vatican, and Italian partisans, culminating in the massacre of over three hundred civilians shot in reprisal by the occupying Germans. Depicts the individual leaders of the fight for dominance of the strategic prize. Violence. 2003. RC 57123. ## The Art of Happiness at Work. RC 57386. by Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler. read by Ted Stoddard. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _The Art of Happiness (RC 47827)_, a psychiatrist questions the Dalai Lama about applying Buddhist principles in the workplace. The Tibetan spiritual leader advises that career satisfaction is related to staying motivated, having a realistic "sense of self," and maintaining "basic human values" such as kindness and compassion. 2003. RC 57386. ## The Best American Sports Writing, 2003. RC 57395. edited by Buzz Bissinger. read by Michael Scherer. 3 cassettes. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist selects twenty-five magazine and newspaper articles covering marathon running, golf, basketball, baseball, football, weightlifting, skating, skiing, and other sports. Profiles of competitors, including the famous, reveal the honorable and dishonorable sides of professional contests. 2003. RC 57395. ## La Salle: A Perilous Odyssey from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. RC 57399. by Donald S. Johnson. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Discusses the adventures of French explorer René-Robert Cavalier (1643-1687), the sieur de La Salle, who claimed thousands of acres of North American land for France. Describes his exploits, the natural and political dangers he faced, and his murder by his own men. 2002. RC 57399. ## Blue Plate Specials and Blue Ribbon Chefs: The Heart and Soul of America's Great Roadside Restaurants. RC 57410. by Jane Stern and Michael Stern. read by Faith Potts. 2 cassettes. Celebrated food writers travel across the country to find the tastiest down-home dishes America's blue-collar chefs have to offer. Going from the busiest truck stop diners to the friendliest greasy spoons, the Sterns introduce a cast of café characters, profile the chefs, and give their favorite recipes. 2001. RC 57410. ## No Disrespect. RC 57415. by Sister Souljah. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 3 cassettes. Rapper describes growing up in the Bronx projects and offers advice to African American men and women on how to conduct one's life. Criticizes welfare dependency, racism, religion, and casual relationships while stressing the need for strong families and self-respect. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1994. RC 57415. ## Among Stone Giants: The Life of Katherine Routledge and Her Remarkable Expedition to Easter Island. RC 57458. by Jo Anne Van Tilburg. read by Kerry Cundiff. 3 cassettes. Archaeologist chronicles the life and work of English explorer Katherine Routledge (1866-1935), reconstructing her early rebellion against Victorian constraints, the pioneering 1913 expedition, and her struggles with mental illness. Highlights her contributions to the study of the island's enormous stone heads and other remnants of a civilization. 2003. RC 57458. ## When It Gets Dark: An Enlightened Reflection on Life with Alzheimer's. RC 57558. by Thomas DeBaggio. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. This sequel to _Losing My Mind (RC 54906)_ continues the author's poignant memoir chronicling his struggle with Alzheimer's disease. DeBaggio's increasingly introspective account follows the inevitable progression of his illness in fragmented memories, observations, and thoughts. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57558. ## Going the Other Way: Lessons from a Life in and out of Major-League Baseball. RC 57562. by Billy Bean. read by Peter Gil. 2 cassettes. Memoir of openly gay former major-league baseball player Billy Bean. He chronicles his road to the majors and personal struggles along the way, which ultimately forced him to choose between playing in secrecy and isolation the game he loved, or following his heart. 2003. RC 57562. ## Quick and Easy Low-Carb Cooking for People with Diabetes. RC 57568. by Nancy S. Hughes. read by Mary Kane. 1 cassette. Recipes for diabetics to prepare without having to count carbs. Includes dozens of snacks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts from three different carbohydrate levels. 2003. RC 57568. ## Manning. RC 57573. by Archie Manning and Peyton Manning. read by Robert Sams. 3 cassettes. Dual autobiography of father and son football stars--Archie, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints and other teams in the 1970s and 1980s, and Peyton, drafted for the same position by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. They discuss college and professional successes and frustrations, family ties, and football activities of Peyton's brothers. 2000. RC 57573. ## The Anthrax Letters: A Medical Detective Story. RC 57599. by Leonard A. Cole. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. Bioterrorist expert chronicles the autumn 2001 anthrax attacks that infected twenty-two people and killed five after spores of the odorless, tasteless bacteria were placed in letters and mailed via the U.S. Postal Service. The account also profiles the scientists, doctors, and researchers at the front lines of biological defense. 2003. RC 57599. ## Justice at Dachau: The Trials of an American Prosecutor. RC 57605. by Joshua M. Greene. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. Reconstructs the late 1940s trials of Nazi guards, officers, and doctors accused of war crimes at the Dachau, Mauthausen, Flossenburg, and Buchenwald concentration camps. Details the work of thirty-two-year-old William Denson, an American army lawyer who led the prosecution through twenty-one months of unprecedented cases on the Dachau grounds. Violence. 2003. RC 57605. ## The Mercury Thirteen: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space Flight. RC 57609. by Martha Ackmann. read by Carol Dines. 2 cassettes. Professor relates the experiences of thirteen female pilots who underwent secret testing for potential inclusion in the U.S. space program during the 1960s. Using historical research and firsthand interviews, Ackmann follows Jerrie Cobb, Wally Funk, and others through the selection process, a barrage of trials, and the battle against gender discrimination. 2003. RC 57609. ## John Brown's Body. RC 57610. by Stephen Vincent Benét. read by Fred Major. 3 cassettes (Reissue). Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1929, this long narrative poem in rhyme and blank verse is a rank-and-file history of the Civil War, or "the rich man's war and the poor man's fight." Portrays the lives of soldiers, leaders, and civilians on both sides of the conflict, North and South. 1928. RC 57610. ## The New Revelations: A Conversation with God. RC 57614. by Neale Donald Walsch. read by Jack Fox. 2 cassettes. Author of _Conversations with God, Book 1 (RC 44643), Book 2 (RC 44644)_, and_ Book 3 (RC 47255)_ presents another revealing dialog between man and God. Referring to world events including the September 11, 2001, attacks, Walsch focuses on the spiritual nature of humanity's crises. Provides tools for dealing with despair. 2002. RC 57614. ## A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl. RC 57615. by Mariane Pearl. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Award-winning journalist relates Islamic fundamentalists' 2002 abduction and murder of her Jewish husband, _Wall Street Journal_ correspondent Danny Pearl, while the couple was on assignment in Pakistan. Mariane Pearl, who was then pregnant, recalls the frantic search for Danny and the ensuing investigation that captured world attention. 2003. RC 57615. ## Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. RC 57616. by Lester R. Brown. read by John Richardson. 2 cassettes. President and founder of the nonprofit Earth Policy Institute outlines solutions to worldwide ecological crises. Brown's recommendations for stabilizing population and climate include reducing carbon emissions, raising land and water productivity, and creating an environmentally compatible economy. 2003. RC 57616. ## The Seven Perennial Sins and Their Offspring. RC 57624. by Ken Bazyn. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. The author describes the seven Christian "root-sins" of pride, anger, envy, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lust using examples from literature and history. Also discusses modern faults such as workaholism, hedonism, faultfinding, guilt, and fasting. 2002. RC 57624. ## They Fought like Demons: Women Soldiers in the American Civil War. RC 57629. by DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Reconstructs the experiences of women who, disguised as men, enlisted in the Union and Confederate armies. Depicts the challenges they faced in battle, in the confines of society, and in their postwar lives. Also examines the absence of their participation from many historical accounts. 2002. RC 57629. ## Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World. RC 57631. by Jill Jonnes. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. Award-winning historian traces the rise of the electric power industry through the triumphs, blunders, and corporate struggles of three visionaries in the late 1800s. Jonnes depicts the efforts of light bulb inventor Thomas Edison, Serbian immigrant Nikola Tesla, and Pittsburgh entrepreneur George Westinghouse to create, dominate, and control a world-changing technology. 2003. RC 57631. ## In My Brother's Image: Twin Brothers Separated by Faith after the Holocaust. RC 57709. by Eugene Pogany. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. Story of Jewish twin brothers born in 1912 in Budapest, Hungary, and raised by their parents as Catholics. During World War II, Gyuri Pogány is a priest sheltered in a monastery, while his brother Miklós is sent to a concentration camp and reverts to Judaism. After immigrating to America, the two never completely reconcile. 2000. RC 57709. ## How to Dunk a Doughnut: The Science of Everyday Life. RC 57722. by Len Fisher. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Physicist author uses mundane everyday events and anecdotes as vehicles to convey basic scientific concepts in an entertaining manner. Discusses how to dunk a donut, catch a fly ball, and use tools while explaining the underlying principles involved. 2002. RC 57722. ## Party of the People: A History of the Democrats. RC 57723. by Jules Witcover. read by Robert Sams. 6 cassettes. Political correspondent and author of _Crapshoot (RC 35523)_ chronicles the evolution of the U.S. democratic party. Tracing its roots to the post-Revolution Federalist debate, Witcover documents two centuries of political ideologies and key figures in party development, from Thomas Jefferson to William Jefferson Clinton. Companion to _Grand Old Party (RC 57736)_. 2003. RC 57723. ## In Praise of Nepotism: A Natural History. RC 57728. by Adam Bellow. read by Ted Stoddard. 4 cassettes. Explores the social phenomenon of giving preferential treatment to relatives. Surveys nepotism in classic, non- western, and U.S. societies. Noting its increasing prevalence in politics, business, and industry, Bellow argues that this basic human instinct is beneficial and complementary to American ideals. 2003. RC 57728. ## Grand Old Party: A History of the Republicans. RC 57736. by Lewis L. Gould. read by Dan Toohey. 4 cassettes. Historian chronicles the U.S. republican party from its antislavery origins in the 1850s under Abraham Lincoln through the 2000 election of president George W. Bush. Notes influential leaders and the shift of its philosophy toward political and social conservatism. Companion to _Party of the People (RC 57723)_. 2003. RC 57736. ## As the Towers Fell: Stories of Unshakable Faith on 9-11. RC 57739. by Lisa Chilson-Rose. read by Faith Potts. 1 cassette. The personal stories of twenty-four Christians who experienced the terrorist attacks on New York City on September 11, 2001. Some survived, others perished, and more assisted in the recovery efforts. According to their testimony or that of family and friends, all shared a close relationship with God. 2003. RC 57739. ## None Braver: U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen in the War on Terrorism. RC 57743. by Michael Hirsh. read by Ted Stoddard. 3 cassettes. Vietnam veteran and award-winning journalist presents an inside look at the search-and-rescue missions of Operation Enduring Freedom. Embedded for five weeks in 2002 with an air-combat unit flying out of Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, Hirsh shares the stories of "PJs" who voluntarily risk their lives to save others. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57743. ## Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy. RC 57745. by Carlos Eire. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. A Yale historian recalls his privileged childhood in Cuba, where his eccentric father was a Havana judge. Author describes living through the revolution, losing everything, and escaping with his brother in 1962 to exile in Miami. Some violence and some strong language. National Book Award. 2003. RC 57745. ## In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat. RC 57797. by Rick Atkinson. read by Richard Hauenstein. 2 cassettes. Portrait of American troops at war by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from the _Washington Post_. Atkinson recounts spending two months in 2003 with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq, recording his experiences along the road to Baghdad. Some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57797. ## The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality. RC 57798. by Brian Greene. read by Butch Hoover. 5 cassettes. Physicist and author of _The Elegant Universe (RC 48203)_ examines three hundred years of scientific investigation into the basic but enigmatic concepts of space, time, and reality. Provides background information on relativity and quantum mechanics before exploring topics like Bell's theorem, accelerated expansion, man-made black holes, and more. Bestseller 2004. RC 57798. ## The Ultimate Weight Solution for Teens: The Seven Keys to Weight Freedom. RC 57801. by Jay McGraw. read by Jack Fox. 2 cassettes. As a companion to television host Dr. Phil McGraw's _The Ultimate Weight Solution (RC 57111)_, his son, Jay McGraw, offers teenagers strategies to improve their self-image. Identifies seven keys for weight management including exercising and eating right. For junior and senior high and older readers. Bestseller 2003. RC 57801. ## People of the Deer. RC 57806. by Farley Mowat. read by John Polk. 3 cassettes (Reissue). In 1947, drawn by childhood memories, a Canadian WWII veteran spends over a year in the Arctic west of Hudson Bay. He befriends native Eskimos (the Ihalmiut, or, the People of the Deer) and laments their poor living conditions and RC 57806. ## Home Water and Moisture Problems: Prevention and Solutions. RC 57808. by Gary Branson. read by Kerry Cundiff. 1 cassette. Former contractor and _Family Handyman_ magazine editor addresses common household moisture-related problems like wet basements, leaking roofs or plumbing, mold and mildew, and excess humidity. Provides step-by-step instructions for proper maintenance while urging consumers to follow local building codes, consult inspectors, and consider the climate in their region. 2003. RC 57808. ## The Bookseller of Kabul. RC 57814. by Åsne Seierstad. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. Intimate portrait of Afghani bookseller Sultan Khan and his family by an award-winning Norwegian journalist who lived with them in the spring of 2002 after the Taliban fell. Depicts the experiences of Khan's children and two wives in a strict Muslim household as their nation recovers from war. 2002. RC 57814. ## Julia: Her Life. RC 57815. by James Spada. read by Kerry Cundiff. 3 cassettes. Well-known celebrity biographer profiles Academy Award- winning actress and "all-American girl" Julia Roberts. Drawing on interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, Spada portrays Roberts's troubled childhood in Georgia, whirlwind love life, and illustrious career starring in such films as _Steel Magnolias_, _Pretty Woman_, and _Erin Brockovich_. Some strong language. 2004. RC 57815. ## Life's a Stitch: The Best of Contemporary Women's Humor. RC 57822. edited by Anne Safran Dalin. read by Carol Dines. 2 cassettes. Anthology of humorous short stories, poems, songs, musings, and cartoons whose royalties were donated to charities. Over ninety writers including Gloria Steinem, Wendy Wasserstein, and Anna Quindlen contribute their thoughts on politics, relationships, parenting, dieting, aging, and more. Companion to _Creme de la Femme (RC 46849)_. Some strong language. 2002. RC 57822. ## The Brother of Jesus: The Dramatic Story and Meaning of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus and His Family. RC 57826. by Hershel Shanks and Ben Witherington. read by Gary Tipton. 2 cassettes. Explores the possibility that an ossuary inscribed, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," is the first tangible evidence of the prophet's existence. Part one discusses authenticity and theological implications of the 2002 discovery. Part two pieces together the life of James, leader of Jerusalem's Jewish Christian community. 2003. RC 57826. ## We Are Lincoln Men: Abraham Lincoln and His Friends. RC 57829. by David Herbert Donald. read by Roy Avers. 2 cassettes. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian draws from the recollections and memoirs of a variety of Abraham Lincoln's partners, associates, and political allies to examine the significance of friendship to him and his career. Donald profiles six people the intensely private Lincoln most valued: Speed, Herndon, Browning, Seward, Nicolay, and Hay. 2003. RC 57829. ## Kiss Off: Poems to Set You Free. RC 57837. edited by Mary D. Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Vélez. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Collection of poems not only for the newly jilted but for people "suffering from loss, disappointment, or that general Hamlet-ish feeling . . . trying to find their way back to happiness." Editor's commentary relates poems--mainly by notable twentieth-century poets--to personal life. Companion to _The Hell with Love (RC 55189)_. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57837. ## They Broke the Law--You Be the Judge: True Cases of Teen Crime. RC 57838. by Thomas A. Jacobs. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Juvenile-court judge presents twenty-one cases involving teenagers who came before him for punishment. Reviews each teen's background, details of the crime and arrest, mitigating factors, and penalty options so the reader can decide. Reveals actual sentence and offender's response in court and later. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 57838. ## The Ramayana. RC 57852. by Ramesh Menon. read by Yolande Bavan. 7 cassettes in 2 containers. Ancient Indian epic rendered in modern prose. Recreates the legend of Prince Rama, his banishment to the forest, his wife Sita's abduction by the demon emperor, and Rama's rescue of her. The hero's journey, one of physical and spiritual devotion, embodies traditional Hindu cultural beliefs. Includes Menon's introduction. 2001. RC 57852. ## Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich--and Cheat Everybody Else. RC 57892. by David Cay Johnston. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist discusses how the U.S. tax system forces the middle class to subsidize the very wealthy who, through various lawful mechanisms, evade their fair share of taxes. Suggested reforms include simplifying the tax code, ending most income deferrals, revising the alternative minimum tax, and revamping IRS procedures. Bestseller 2003. RC 57892. ## The Present: The Gift That Makes You Happier and More Successful at Work and in Life, _Today_!. RC 57893. by Spencer Johnson. read by Gary Telles. 1 cassette. Bestselling author of _Who Moved My Cheese? (RC 49513)_ offers a "practical parable" for rediscovering what is truly important in life. Relates a young man's journey to adulthood and search for a magical "present"--the power to focus on right now, learn from the past, and plan for the future. Bestseller 2003. RC 57893. ## Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny. RC 57895. by Robert Wright. read by Michael Scherer. 4 cassettes. This companion to _The Moral Animal (RC 41255)_ explores organic and human history as logical results of game theory. Wright explains why biological evolution was likely to create intelligent life, asserting that cultural complexity and globalization are not products of chance but of several billion years of the "non-zero-sum dynamic." 2000. RC 57895. ## The Passions of Andrew Jackson. RC 57910. by Andrew Burstein. read by Robert Sams. 3 cassettes. An intimate portrait of the man who served as America's seventh president between 1829 and 1837. Burstein examines Jackson's formative years on the rugged Carolina frontier, his defiant rise from poverty to become a general, and his role in the Aaron Burr conspiracy. He emphasizes the close political friendships that influenced Jackson's life. 2003. RC 57910. ## Mrs. Paine's Garage and the Murder of John F. Kennedy. RC 57918. by Thomas Mallon. read by Steven Carpenter. 1 cassette. Essayist Mallon relates the experiences of Ruth Paine, who befriended and sheltered Lee Harvey Oswald's family in Dallas for nine months before Oswald assassinated JFK in November 1963. Explores Paine's relationship with Oswald's Russian wife and the multiple investigations of Paine's involvement, including storage of the murder weapon in her garage. 2002. RC 57918. ## In Defense of Liberty: The Story of America's Bill of Rights. RC 57925. by Russell Freedman. read by Ted Stoddard. 1 cassette. Describes the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution and explains how they are applied as well as tested. Examples of challenges include a suit brought on behalf of schoolchildren who were required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and rap musicians sued for obscenity. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 57925. ## Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival. RC 57927. by Bernd Heinrich. read by Gary Telles. 3 cassettes. New England biologist explains how animals cope with their harsh winter environments. He describes the innovative techniques used by insects, birds, and mammals to avoid freezing to death and to find food in a time of scarcity. 2003. RC 57927. ## Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. RC 57940. by Steve Coll. read by Bill Wallace. 6 cassettes. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and _Washington Post_ managing editor Steve Coll describes how the United States became embroiled in the affairs of Afghanistan from 1979 to 2001. Chronicles the efforts to control the country by CIA spies, the former Soviet Union, local warlords, and Arab leaders. Some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57940. ## A History of Britain: The Fate of Empire 1776-2000, Volume 3. RC 57960. by Simon Schama. read by George Holmes. 5 cassettes. Third volume of _A History of Britain (RC 51466, RC 54017)_. Schama explores the spirit of reform generated by the French Revolution, nineteenth-century imperial decline, famine in India and Ireland, and England's experiences in two world wars. Profiles include Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill. Companion to the BBC/History Channel television series. 2002. RC 57960. ## Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, behind the Texts. RC 57966. by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. Crossan, author of _Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (RC 56275),_ and archaeologist Reed integrate findings of major digs and critical textual interpretations to reconstruct the life and times of Jesus. Highlighting key artifact and scripture discoveries (including the Dead Sea Scrolls), Crossan and Reed explore the society and customs of an ancient culture. 2001. RC 57966. ## Lullaby of Birdland. RC 57996. by George Shearing. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. Reminiscences by congenitally blind jazz pianist Shearing about his 1920s English childhood and early success in London before he emigrated to America in 1947. Recounts hobnobbing in New York with jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie among others and recording with his famed quintet. 2004. RC 57996. ## The Atkins Essentials: A Two-Week Program to Jump-Start Your Low-Carb Lifestyle. RC 58001. by Atkins Health and Medical Information Service. read by Richard Hauenstein. 2 cassettes. A "quick set-up guide" intended to supplement _Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution (RC 44854)_ focuses on the first fourteen days of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. Includes basic steps to combat obesity, meal plans, recipes, answers to frequently asked questions, and information on individual concerns. Bestseller 2004. RC 58001. ## An Enduring Love. RC 58002. by Farah Pahlavi. read by Janis Gray. 3 cassettes. Memoir of the widow of Iranian shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom the author wed in 1959 at the age of twenty-one. Recounts her privileged childhood, schooling in Paris, marriage and raising four children, and years in exile with the ailing king after the 1979 Iranian revolution. Bestseller 2004. RC 58002. ## Experiencing the Passion of Jesus: A Discussion Guide on History's Most Important Event. RC 58003. by Lee Strobel and Garry Poole. read by Janis Gray. 1 cassette. Two writers offer a topical guide for exploring the themes of Mel Gibson's film _The Passion of the Christ_. Includes six discussion questions with biblical sources about the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. 2004. RC 58003. ## A Guide to the Passion: One Hundred Questions about _The Passion of the Christ_. RC 58004. by Catholic Exchange. read by Janis Gray. 1 cassette. A Catholic guide to theological and artistic aspects of Mel Gibson's film _The Passion of the Christ_, which depicts Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection. Contains advice for spiritual seekers and poses and answers some questions about the movie. 2004. RC 58004. ## I Am What I Ate . . . and I'm Frightened!!! And Other Digressions from the Doctor of Comedy. RC 58005. by Bill Cosby. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette. Cosby, realizing that he is what he eats (such foods as scrapple, cake, popcorn, and pizza), reflects back on his sixty-five years of dining and the never-ending quest for a healthy lifestyle. Bestseller 2003. RC 58005. ## Job Search Handbook for People with Disabilities. RC 58010. by Daniel J. Ryan. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Comprehensive resource guide to career development for people with mental or physical disabilities. Helps prospective employees assess their strengths, locate job openings, prepare for interviews, organize resumes, utilize government programs, and negotiate the workplace. Includes a state-by-state list of employers who recruit and hire qualified disabled individuals. 2004. RC 58010. ## Fatal Romance: A True Story of Obsession and Murder. RC 58012. by Lisa Pulitzer. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. A real-life account examining what led lawyer and former marine Jeremy Akers in 1999 to murder his estranged wife, a romance writer, at their Washington, D.C., home in front of their children. The author describes the couple's unhappy marriage and the events culminating in Akers's suicide. Some violence and some strong language. 2001. RC 58012. ## Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials. RC 58015. by Marc Aronson. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Explores the history behind the 1692 trials in Salem, Massachusetts, that a group of teenage Puritan girls brought on by accusing others of witchcraft. Quotations from primary sources help the reader interpret motives behind the accusations that led to twenty-five people being hanged. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 58015. ## _Why I Burned My Book_ and Other Essays on Disability. RC 58021. by Paul K. Longmore. read by Richard Hauenstein. 2 cassettes. Thirteen articles by history professor, coauthor of _The New Disability History (RC 52391)_, and polio survivor discussing issues posed by "systemic prejudice and institutionalized discrimination." In the title essay, Longmore describes torching a book he spent ten years writing to protest government "work disincentive" policies penalizing disabled persons trying to earn a living. 2003. RC 58021. ## Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror. RC 58049. by Richard A. Clarke. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Former counterterrorism czar alleges twenty years of presidential mishandling of the Al Qaeda threat, from Ronald Reagan's time in office to George W. Bush's. Firsthand criticism of Bush's pre- and post-September 11, 2001, responses to terrorism accuses him of diverging from the war on terror to pursue Saddam Hussein. Some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58049. ## Trump: How to Get Rich. RC 58051. by Donald J. Trump. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 2 cassettes. Author of _Trump: The Art of the Deal (RC 26956)_ offers straightforward advice on getting rich, distilled from thirty years at the top. Rules include these: stay focused, pay attention to details, read Carl Jung, reflect three hours daily, trust your instincts, and learn the value of saying no. Bestseller 2004. RC 58051. ## The Sexy Years: Discover the Hormone Connection: the Secret to Fabulous Sex, Great Health, and Vitality, for Women and Men. RC 58056. by Suzanne Somers. read by Suzanne Toren. 2 cassettes. Actress and health guru describes her search for a cure to the "Seven Dwarfs of Menopause." Drawing on her own experience working with physicians who specialize in natural hormone treatment, Somers explains the value of bioidentical hormones in making menopause the best years of life. Bestseller 2004. RC 58056. ## I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse? An Illustrated Memoir. RC 58060. by Suzy Becker. read by Gabra Zackman. 2 cassettes. Bestselling author Suzy Becker relates discovering she had a brain tumor in 1999, the same year she received a distinguished Bunting Fellowship at Radcliffe College. Describes, with wry humor, her symptoms, diagnosis, denial, surgery, slow recovery of her speech and writing ability, and triumphant comeback in a 500-mile bike-a-thon. 2004. RC 58060. ## The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour. RC 58064. by James D. Hornfischer. read by Jake Williams. 4 cassettes. Chronicles the October 1944 battle off Samar when an American naval escort unit supporting General MacArthur's liberation of the Philippines engaged overwhelming Japanese forces with little hope of reinforcement or victory. Minute- by-minute account drawn from interviews with survivors and official documents describes the valiant efforts of outgunned sailors and airmen. Some strong language. 2004. RC 58064. ## The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers. RC 58067. by Daniel L. Schacter. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Harvard psychologist explores the nature of memory's imperfections and considers how to reduce their harmful effects. Categorizes memory's malfunctions into seven "sins": transience, absentmindedness, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, bias, and persistence. Discusses these divisions and their consequences. 2001. RC 58067. ## Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing Our Failing System. RC 58068. by Robert H. LeBow. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Physician, now a quadriplegic, criticizes U.S. health care system flaws that leave millions uninsured or underinsured. Using case studies, LeBow identifies misconceptions preventing change and proposes a solution to provide "affordable, comprehensive health care" for every American. Discusses co-pays, deductibles, Medicare, and the medical- industrial complex. 2002. RC 58068. ## The Parthenon. RC 58072. by Mary Beard. read by Gordon Gould. 1 cassette. A concise, lively history of the famed Greek temple. Classicist Mary Beard examines the building's construction in the fifth century B.C. and its subsequent roles as a Byzantine cathedral, Ottoman mosque, iconic ruin, and modern tourist destination. Also discusses its gradual degradation, twentieth-century restoration efforts, and tips for prospective visitors. 2002. RC 58072. ## Sleeping with Cats: A Memoir. RC 58077. by Marge Piercy. read by Suzanne Toren. 3 cassettes. Born in Detroit in the 1930s, poet and novelist Marge Piercy details her abusive, racy youth; political activism; marriages; and other relationships. Piercy intersperses this account with depictions of her cats, who have provided faithful companionship and consolation. Includes several of her poems. Some descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 58077. ## Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French. RC 58079. by Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. Two freelance Canadian journalists explore the "character" of France and the French "way of thinking" during a two-year stay beginning in 1999. Despite many paradoxes they observe in political, economic, and cultural life, they conclude that France functions successfully because its centralized structure "is consistent with the spirit of its people." 2003. RC 58079. ## Soul on Ice. RC 58082. by Eldridge Cleaver. read by Peter Jay Fernandez. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Memoirs by African American activist who was an influential leader of the Black Panthers in the 1960s. Includes Cleaver's letters from Folsom prison--in which he describes his legal troubles--and essays on politics, race, and sex. Includes a 1992 preface by Ishmael Reed. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 1968. RC 58082. ## The Iraq War: A Military History. RC 58083. by Williamson Murray and Robert H. Scales. read by Jake Williams. 3 cassettes. Military historians assess successes and failures of the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War. They compare and contrast the two conflicts in terms of Coalition superiority, military efficiency, and coordinated operational, tactical, and strategic planning. They conclude that despite technological advances, Coalition forces failed to obtain victory. 2003. RC 58083. ## The Presidential Nominating Process: A Place for Us?. RC 58091. by Rhodes Cook. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Former _Congressional Quarterly_ political writer examines the role of voters in determining presidential nominees. Traces the history and evolution of modern primary elections; looks at the process in other democratic countries like England, France, and Germany; and suggests reforms that would increase competition and empower voters. 2004. RC 58091. ## Jam Master Jay: The Heart of Hip Hop. RC 58097. by David E. Thigpen. read by Bill Quinn. 1 cassette. Biography of the rap group Run-DMC founding member who was murdered in 2002 in his music studio. Traces Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell's childhood in Queens, New York; his rise in the recording business; and his mysterious death. Discusses the hip-hop subculture. For senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 58097. ## The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. RC 58238. by 9/11 Commission. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 6 cassettes. Independent, nonpartisan commission analyzes facts and circumstances surrounding the fatal September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks on the United States homeland. Summarizes failures of intelligence and other U.S. agencies before and after that date. Recommends government reorganization to provide a safer, more prepared nation. 2004. RC 58238. ## Plan of Attack. RC 58239. by Bob Woodward. read by Jake Williams. 3 cassettes. Follows Pulitzer Prize-winning author's _Bush at War (RC 55015)_ with a behind-the-scenes account of President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq. Draws on interviews with Bush and others to chronicle crucial operations from November 2001 to March 2003. Some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58239. ## Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush. RC 58240. by John W. Dean. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Former counsel to President Nixon charges George W. Bush's administration with unprecedented greed for power and undemocratic secrecy of greater consequence than the Nixon scandal. Alleging cover-ups begun in the 2000 campaign, Dean cites foreign policy, terrorism, the vice president's energy commission, and leaked covert CIA identities. Bestseller 2004. RC 58240. ## The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability: For All of Us Who Live with Disabilities, Chronic Pain, and Illness. RC 58244. by Miriam Kaufman and others. read by Gabra Zackman. 3 cassettes. Guide drawn from authors' professional and personal experiences and from an informal survey of people living with various disabilities. Topics include sexual health, self-esteem, communication, and debunking myths. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58244. ## Bush Country: How Dubya Became a Great President while Driving Liberals Insane. RC 58251. by John Podhoretz. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Journalist, political commentator, and former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan offers a partisan defense of president George W. Bush's policies and personality. Extols Bush's extraordinary leadership; cites war on terror, tax cuts, AIDS relief, and health care reform; and debunks some liberal accusations. 2004. RC 58251. ## Better than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream. RC 58253. by Carl Elliott. read by Jake Williams. 3 cassettes. Bioethics professor analyzes America's paradoxical response to "enhancement technologies"--drugs or surgical procedures employed not only to combat illness but to improve human appearance, capacity, or self-esteem. Explores the debate in a cultural and historical context to understand why people embrace these therapies yet feel uneasy about their use. 2003. RC 58253. ## The Faith of George W. Bush. RC 58254. by Stephen Mansfield. read by Jake Williams. 1 cassette. Historian explores the religious ideals that have shaped George W. Bush as a man and as president. Mansfield follows Bush's "winding road" to faith, including his midlife spiritual transformation, and analyzes the influence of religion in his responses to national problems. 2003. RC 58254. ## Unexplained Mysteries of World War II. RC 58268. by William B. Breuer. read by Peter Johnson. 2 cassettes. Military historian, author of _Hitler's Undercover War (RC 32139)_, explores coincidences, omens, and other odd occurrences during World War II. Tells of a paratrooper whose parachute was inspected by his mother, a life saved by a candy bar, and an American general's strange disappearance. Some strong language. 1997. RC 58268. ## Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom. RC 58273. by James MacGregor Burns. read by Bill Wallace. 6 cassettes (Reissue). Study of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a wartime president, depicting him as a complex man who, the author claims, provided inadequate leadership in a difficult period. Describes the diplomatic and political aspects of World War II. Pulitzer Prize. 1970. RC 58273. ## Boogers Are My Beat: More Lies, but Some Actual Journalism. RC 58286. by Dave Barry. read by Frank Coffee. 2 cassettes. Collection of parodies from syndicated Pulitzer Prize- winning "humor columnist" and author of _Dave Barry Turns Fifty (RC 47313)_. Topics include feng shui, home repair, taxes, "smart" appliances, the 2000 presidential election, the 2002 Winter Olympics, and more. Concludes with some serious thoughts on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 2003. RC 58286. ## Building Garden Ponds. RC 58289. by Bryan Hirst. read by Butch Hoover. 1 cassette. A builder of ponds and water gardens presents ten ideas for creating and maintaining small to large projects, along with complete instructions, helpful hints, and lists of necessary materials. Includes ponds that are natural, planted, or formal; and with a bridge and beach, decking, or mosaics. 2004. RC 58289. ## The Essentials of Hinduism: A Comprehensive Overview of the World's Oldest Religion. RC 58295. by Swami Bhaskarananda. read by Yolande Bavan. 2 cassettes. Senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India addresses the many questions he is asked by those who want to better understand Hinduism. His topics include the Holy Books, the role of food, the doctrines of karma, predestination and reincarnation, Hindu ethics, the four yogas, mantras, and creation. 2002. RC 58295. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ Southern Storm: Cape Refuge, Book 2. RC 55881. by Terri Blackstock. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. After island police chief Matthew Cade of Georgia's _Cape Refuge (RC 55880)_ runs over a pedestrian who already has a bullet wound, Cade vanishes--last seen with the victim's wife. Cade's friend Blair Owens is determined to find him, putting her faith in a god she has always doubted. Violence. 2003. RC 55881. ## Catalyst. RC 56005. by Laurie Halse Anderson. read by Constance Crawford. 2 cassettes. Kate, a preacher's daughter, is struggling to accept life's challenges. She's rejected by her chosen college and resents running the household. Then, after a fire, her father allows Teri, a much disliked schoolmate, and Teri's little brother to move into her room. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2002. RC 56005. ## Home of the Braves. RC 56013. by David Klass. read by Neil Berman. 2 cassettes. Joe, captain of his New Jersey high school soccer team, is threatened when Antonio arrives from Brazil and becomes the star player. Tension mounts when Antonio begins dating Joe's secret crush, Kristine. Plus, a gang begins bullying other students. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2002. RC 56013. ## Sphere of Influence. RC 56117. by Kyle Mills. read by John Lescault. 3 cassettes. Mark Beamon, the outspoken and unorthodox special agent in charge of the FBI's Phoenix office, is pulled from his dead- end position into the war against terrorism. Beamon faces off with organized crime, heroin trafficking, and murder as he goes undercover to investigate a new al-Qaeda crisis. Violence and strong language. 2002. RC 56117. ## Conquistador. RC 56118. by S.M. Stirling. read by Mark Ashby. 4 cassettes. California, 1946. Twenty-four-year-old WWII vet John Rolfe accidentally discovers a dimensional portal into a parallel world. This California is inhabited by Indians--not white settlers. That is until Rolfe brings some of his war buddies and their families. Developments are intertwined with 2009 complications. Strong language and some violence. 2003. RC 56118. ## Iceland. RC 56282. by Jim Krusoe. read by Bruce Nelson. 2 cassettes. An unconventional and humorous story of one man's experience with love and death. Critically ill Paul visits "the Institute" to find a new internal organ. Instead he has a romantic encounter with the caretaker. The memory of their affair persists through his strange and surreal adventures. Some descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 56282. ## Servants of the Map: Stories. RC 56356. by Andrea Barrett. read by Jennifer Mendenhall. 2 cassettes. Barrett weaves scientific exploration, healing, and the search for truth throughout these nineteenth- and twentieth- century stories. In the title story, British surveyor Max Vigne writes his wife reassuringly of his Himalayan experiences. Vigne's travels lead him to question "Who am I? . . . Have I any scientific talent at all?" 2002. RC 56356. ## The Christmas Basket. RC 56364. by Debbie Macomber. read by Peggy Gilleland. 1 cassette. Noelle McDowell hasn't been home for the holidays in Rose, Oregon, for ten years because she didn't want to risk running into Thom Sutton. Once she had planned to elope with him, but Thom jilted her. Now she is home, it's Christmas, and miracles do happen. 2002. RC 56364. ## The True Meaning of Cleavage. RC 56394. by Mariah Fredericks. read by Constance Crawford. 1 cassette. Jess and Sari, best buddies since seventh grade, are beginning their freshman year of high school. When sexy Sari becomes obsessed with a popular senior boy, Jess wonders whether her friendship with Sari will survive. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 56394. ## The Betrayal: Abram's Daughters, Book 2. RC 56399. by Beverly Lewis. read by Mary Kane. 2 cassettes. Pennsylvania Dutch country, 1947. Jonas Mast, working in Ohio as a carpenter's apprentice, plans to marry Amish teenager Leah Ebersol after he returns to Gobbler's Knob and is baptized. But their future faces obstacles because of lustful behavior by Leah's sister during her _rumschpringe_, prebaptism years. Sequel to _The Covenant (RC 56398)_. 2003. RC 56399. ## Child of Flame: Crown of Stars, Volume 4. RC 56491. by Kate Elliott. read by Anne Flosnik. 8 cassettes in 2 containers. King Henry's army marches south, leaving Wendar vulnerable to Quman attacks. Without his father's support, Sanglant defends the kingdom, guarding his daughter and searching for Liath, who is lost in the land of the Aoi. Sequel to _The Burning Stone (RC 56490)_. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2000. RC 56491. ## The Gathering Storm: Crown of Stars, Volume 5. RC 56492. by Kate Elliott. read by Anne Flosnik. 8 cassettes in 2 containers. Liath returns from walking the spheres, but her reunion with her husband, Sanglant, is brief--emperor Henry has been possessed by sorcery. Sanglant rides with an army of griffins, centaurs, Qumans, and humans to rescue his father. Meanwhile Liath must prevent a second sundering. Sequel to _Child of Flame (RC 56491)_. Violence. 2003. RC 56492. ## The Little Sister. RC 56533. by Raymond Chandler. read by Conrad Feininger. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Orfamay Quest, a mousy office girl from Kansas, hires private-eye Philip Marlowe to locate her missing brother, Orrin. Marlowe suspects Orfamay has not told the whole story as he trails Orrin through blackmail and murder. Some strong language. 1949. RC 56533. ## Death Comes for the Archbishop. RC 56535. by Willa Cather. read by Kimberly Schraf. 2 cassettes (Reissue). A tale about the exploits of Bishop Jean Latour and Father Joseph Vaillant, French Catholic priests who organized pioneer and Indian missions throughout the newly created diocese of New Mexico in the second half of the nineteenth century. 1927. RC 56535. ## The Last Girls. RC 56536. by Lee Smith. read by Susan McInerney. 3 cassettes. Twelve college coeds, inspired by Huck Finn, rafted down the Mississippi River in June 1965. Now, in 1999, four of them reunite to relive that journey and mourn one of their own. Memories surface as the women reexamine their lives. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 56536. ## Milk Glass Moon: A Big Stone Gap Novel. RC 56539. by Adriana Trigiani. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Big Cherry Holler (RC 54798)_, Ave Maria MacChesney and her husband, Jack, are middle-aged parents when their daughter Etta becomes a strong-willed adolescent. Ave Maria soon learns the futility of trying to control Etta's dreams. 2002. RC 56539. ## Mars Crossing. RC 56660. by Geoffrey A. Landis. read by Geoffrey Centlivre. 3 cassettes. After two crews die on an expedition to Mars, a third takes on the challenge in 2028. The four men and two women experience equipment failure and supply shortages. Their only chance for survival is a three-thousand-mile trek to a return module, which holds two. Strong language. 2000. RC 56660. ## Flight Lessons. RC 56664. by Patricia Gaffney. read by Anne Hancock. 3 cassettes. Thirty-six-year-old Anna Catalano returns home to run her aunt Rose's restaurant on Maryland's eastern shore despite the tensions in the family-run business. Anna falls in love with a bird photographer--the stepson of Rose's dying boyfriend--while learning to forgive others and maintain peace in the kitchen. Some strong language. 2002. RC 56664. ## Gould's Book of Fish: A Novel in Twelve Fish. RC 56671. by Richard Flanagan. read by Geoffrey Centlivre. 3 cassettes. Nineteenth century. Transported from England to the penal colony of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), William Gould is indentured to the colony's surgeon, a deranged biologist, and set to painting illustrations of fish. Gould's hallucinatory mental voyages contrast starkly with the horrific realities of daily life. Some violence and some strong language. 2001. RC 56671. ## The Blue Edge of Midnight. RC 56676. by Jonathon King. read by Ray Childs. 2 cassettes. Max Freeman stopped being a Philadelphia cop the night he killed a twelve-year-old child in self-defense. Max lives a solitary life near the Florida Everglades and is still haunted by the young boy's face. His peaceful existence is shattered when he uncovers the dead face of another child. Strong language. 2002. RC 56676. ## Father Figure. RC 56685. by Richard Peck. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 1 cassette (Reissue). Seventeen-year-old Jim and eight-year-old Byron are reunited with their father after their mother's death. Jim was Byron's father figure for years but now must find a new role for himself in the family. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 1978. RC 56685. ## The Raven Warrior: The Tales of Guinevere, Volume 2. RC 56877. by Alice Borchardt. read by Erin Jones. 4 cassettes. Guinevere--_The Dragon Queen (RC 53659)_--becomes a warrior to defend her country against the Saxons. With inadequate troops for her first battle, she risks using dark magic. Meanwhile, shape-shifter Black Leg encounters the Lady of the Lake. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 56877. ## Odd Thomas. RC 56919. by Dean Koontz. read by David Toney. 2 cassettes. Thomas, a twenty-year-old short order cook, possesses the paranormal ability to see dead people and predict violence. Thomas's premonitory vision of mass murder activates when he meets "Fungus Man," who is surrounded by bodachs, malevolent spirits that foretell bloodshed. Thomas uses his insights to deter catastrophe. Violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 56919. ## Magnolia Moon: Callahan Brothers Trilogy, Book 3. RC 57043. by JoAnn Ross. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. L.A. detective Regan Hart obtains papers from Nate Callahan that indicate she may be adopted. Regan travels to Blue Bayou, Louisiana, to uncover the truth. There, she and Nate research her past and fall in love. Sequel to _River Road (RC 55262)_. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57043. ## The Poseidon Adventure. RC 57051. by Paul Gallico. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes (Reissue). The SS _Poseidon_, a giant ocean liner-turned-cruise ship, capsizes when caught by a tidal wave. The few remaining survivors struggle to stay alive until rescuers arrive. Some strong language. 1969. RC 57051. ## Vital Parts. RC 57053. by Thomas Berger. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. Carl Reinhart is a middle-aged, overweight, unsuccessful businessman with a nagging wife, hippie son, and fat daughter. After running into former high school classmate Bob Sweet, Reinhart is manipulated into donating his body to cryonic science--freezing of dead humans to await a cure for their diseases. Sequel to _Reinhart in Love (RC 57045)_. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1970. RC 57053. ## Reinhart's Women. RC 57062. by Thomas Berger. read by Mark Ashby. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Carl Reinhart, a large and sensitive man, has always been fascinated by women and cooking. When, to his delight, he suddenly achieves celebrity status as a TV chef, all sorts of women surround him--desiring, imposing, accusing, or seeking his reassurances. Sequel to _Vital Parts (RC 57053)_. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1981. RC 57062. ## The Big Bad Wolf. RC 57095. by James Patterson. read by Peter Jay Fernandez. 2 cassettes. After _Four Blind Mice (RC 55046),_ Alex Cross leaves the D.C. police department and joins the FBI. During his first case, a kidnapping and slavery ring run by the Russian mob, he fights for custody of his youngest son. Violence and strong language. 2003. RC 57095. ## The Time Traveler's Wife. RC 57102. by Audrey Niffenegger. read by Annie Wauters. 3 cassettes. Librarian Henry DeTamble first meets his future wife, Clare, when he is twenty-eight and Clare is twenty--but Clare has actually known Henry since she was six. Henry suffers from Chrono-Impairment, a disorder that catapults him sporadically through time, complicating the couple's enduring love. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 57102. ## The Way the Crow Flies. RC 57171. by Ann-Marie MacDonald. read by Kimberly Schraf. 7 cassettes in 2 containers. Ontario, Canada; 1962. A girl is strangled on a military base where eight-year-old Madeleine McCarthy and classmates are being molested by their teacher. Meanwhile, Madeleine's father is safeguarding an ex-Nazi scientist. Their secrets involving the day of the murder lead to more tragedy. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 57171. ## Shotgun Bride: McKettrick Cowboys Trilogy, Book 2. RC 57177. by Linda Lael Miller. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. 1885. Marshal Kade McKettrick must marry and produce an heir in order to inherit the Triple M Ranch. Inexplicably he falls in love with Mandy Sperrin although she is impersonating a nun so she can hide from her outlaw stepfather. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57177. ## The Way of All Flesh. RC 57204. by Samuel Butler. read by David Cutler. 4 cassettes (Reissue). Satirical portrayal by notable Victorian novelist, in a partly autobiographical piece, of the relations between Ernest Pontifex and his pious, self-righteous parents. Being the son of a middle-class English clergyman and a sanctimonious mother makes for an unhappy childhood, followed by dismal university years and an unsuitable marriage. Literature--and an aunt's bequest--become his salvation. 1903. RC 57204. ## 1805: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 6. RC 57223. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Captain Drinkwater, commanding the _Antigone_ in Admiral Nelson's fleet, prepares to battle Napoleon. The French capture Drinkwater in circumstances beyond his control and keep him prisoner for much of the Battle of Trafalgar. Sequel to _The Corvette (RC 57222)_. Strong language and some violence. 1985. RC 57223. ## In Distant Waters: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 8. RC 57225. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Baltic Mission (RC 57224)_, Captain Drinkwater, now commanding _Patrician_, hangs a deserter and then sets sail for the Pacific Ocean. He deals with the threat of mutiny, captures a Spanish frigate, worries about a lurking Russian vessel, and is rewarded with a twist of fortune. Violence and strong language. 1988. RC 57225. ## A Private Revenge: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 9. RC 57226. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _In Distant Waters (RC 57225)_, Captain Drinkwater is now off the China coast attempting to refit the _Patrician_. An assignment to escort a convoy to Penang turns deadly when he discovers his old nemesis, Commander Morris, on board--with a mysterious cargo. Violence and strong language. 1989. RC 57226. ## Under False Colours: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 10. RC 57227. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Captain Drinkwater, back from the China Sea, is on a secret mission to Russia. Overtly he is carrying military cargo designed covertly to put a wedge between France and Russia. When the weather foils his plans, he develops his own strategy. Sequel to _A Private Revenge (RC 57226)_. Violence and strong language. 1991. RC 57227. ## Exile's Valor: A Novel of Valdemar. RC 57367. by Mercedes Lackey. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. Valdemar's young queen, Selenay, thrust into power after her father's premature death, is pressured by the council to marry and produce an heir. When Selenay falls for a mysterious foreign prince, her protector weaponsmaster Alberich and his friends become suspicious. Sequel to _Exile's Honor (RC 55524)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57367. ## The Zero Game. RC 57375. by Brad Meltzer. read by Scott Brick. 3 cassettes. Capitol Hill staffers Harris Sandler and Matthew Mercer join a clandestine game in which participants bet anonymously on outcomes of minor legislation. When Matthew is murdered, Harris's investigation leads him and his ally, a seventeen- year-old Senate page, to a defunct South Dakota gold mine. Violence and some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57375. ## The Lair of Bones. RC 57378. by David Farland. read by Richard Hauenstein. 3 cassettes. Earth King Gaborn risks a perilous underground quest for the Lair of Bones, where he confronts the One True Master of mankind's greatest enemy, the monstrous reavers. Meanwhile Gaborn's adversary, Raj Ahten, who traded his humanity for a growing empire, gathers his forces. Sequel to _Wizardborn (RC 52923)_. Violence. 2003. RC 57378. ## The Polished Hoe. RC 57403. by Austin Clarke. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 4 cassettes. Award-winning novel set in the mid-twentieth century on a small Caribbean island. Mary-Mathilda, servant and mistress of the village's plantation owner, summons detective Percy Stuart to confess to murder. Her nightlong statement, complicated by Percy's romantic feelings, reveals a sordid history. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and some violence. 2003. RC 57403. ## The Decameron. RC 57414. by Giovanni Boccaccio. read by Peter Gil. 6 cassettes (Reissue). One hundred tales reflecting life in fourteenth-century Italy, as narrated by men and women finding refuge in the country from a plague in Florence. Depicts adventures, customs, lusts, and loves of people representing all social strata from noblemen to peasants. Translation from the Italian work completed around 1352. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1982. RC 57414. ## Honor's Kingdom. RC 57524. by Owen Parry. read by Nick Sullivan. 3 cassettes. Major Abel Jones from _Faded Coat of Blue (RC 50818)_ is sent to London in 1862 to investigate the murder of a fellow Union agent trying to stifle Britain's Confederate sympathies and prevent the South from purchasing warships. Abel is soon enmeshed in intrigues of British politicians who appear to have something to hide. 2002. RC 57524. ## The Tristan Betrayal. RC 57548. by Robert Ludlum. read by Gregory Gorton. 4 cassettes. Playboy spy Stephen Metcalfe journeys to Moscow during World War II to enlist the help of his former lover, Russian ballerina Lana. Their mission is to recruit her current Nazi beau to the Allied cause. Meanwhile Metcalfe is tracked by a German assassin. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57548. ## The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Volume 14. RC 57556. edited by Stephen Jones. read by Mary Kane. 4 cassettes. Twenty short horror stories from 2002 written by Neil Gaiman, Don Tumasonis, Nicholas Royle, Jay Russell, Basil Copper, and others. Includes an overview of the year's horror fiction and "Necrology 2002," a listing of horror genre writers, authors, performers, and technicians who died in 2002. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2003. RC 57556. ## Luck of the Draw. RC 57560. by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. Summoned to their parents' home in Miami, Cuban American Esmeralda Montoya and three siblings learn their mother vividly dreamed of getting back and restoring the family's confiscated Havana casino, La Estrella. But planning the return must wait until Esmeralda finds Diamond, her youngest sister missing in Las Vegas. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57560. ## Majoring in Murder. RC 57578. by Donald Bain. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. Mystery writer Jessica Fletcher is teaching a class at an Indiana college when a tornado strikes and one of two professors who didn't seek emergency shelter is soon discovered dead. Jessica doubts the death was accidental, instead suspecting foul play. As she investigates, Jessica becomes embroiled in campus politics. 2003. RC 57578. ## Rum and Razors. RC 57579. by Donald Bain. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. Bestselling mystery writer Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, Maine, is vacationing in St. Thomas when hotel owner and friend Walter Marschalk is murdered. Jessica uses her talent for sleuthing to assist the local police in finding the killer. 1995. RC 57579. ## Retreat, Hell! The Corps, Book 10. RC 57586. by W.E.B. Griffin. read by Roy Avers. 4 cassettes. Korea, 1950. Major Ken McCoy organizes a rescue mission for brigadier general Fleming Pickering's pilot son amid conflicting reports of Chinese forces in the north. Meanwhile, Pickering mediates an escalating dispute between General MacArthur and President Truman. Sequel to _Under Fire (RC 53772)_. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 57586. ## Dhampir. RC 57598. by Barb Hendee and J.C. Hendee. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. Magiere earns a living claiming to hunt vampires while her half-elf partner, Leesil, impersonates one. When they retire to Miiska to run a tavern, they are unaware that a group of real vampires lives there. And Magiere soon discovers her own true nature. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57598. ## The Night Watcher. RC 57606. by John Lutz. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Someone is murdering wealthy Manhattan residents by burning them alive in their apartments. NYPD homicide detective Ben Stack and his partner, Rica Lopez, who is in love with Ben, race to find the arsonist killer while the "Torcher" watches from the shadows. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2002. RC 57606. ## Blackfoot Messiah: The First Mountain Man, Book 7. RC 57611. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Commissioned by the U.S. government to guide an untrained platoon to a Wyoming fort, Preacher sets out with two longtime friends. He discovers a plot by some white men to incite a war leading to total destruction of the Indians. Sequel to _Preacher and the Mountain Caesar_. Violence. 1996. RC 57611. ## Mother Road. RC 57613. by Dorothy Garlock. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 3 cassettes. Oklahoma, 1932. When a mysterious Texan called Yates pulls into her brother-in-law Andy's gas station, Leona Dawson is wary--even after he saves Andy's life. Leona gradually begins to trust Yates, but a tragedy tests their burgeoning love. Precedes _Hope's Highway (RC 58037)_. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 57613. ## Man Eater. RC 57626. by Ray Shannon. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. When gorgeous Hollywood producer Ronnie "Raw" Deal foils a hit by breaking up a fight between contract killer Neon Polk and a streetwalker, Ronnie makes a dangerous enemy. After another terrifying encounter with Polk, she turns to an ex- con-turned-screenwriter for advice. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57626. ## Pursuit of the Mountain Man: The Mountain Man, Book 9. RC 57630. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. While his wife, Sally, is visiting family back east, world- famous gunfighter Smoke Jensen heads north toward Wyoming. Smoke soon learns he's being followed by German aristocrat Frederick von Hausen and his hired hunting party. They want to see just how tough Smoke really is--and they're about to find out. 1991. RC 57630. ## The Man in My Basement. RC 57632. by Walter Mosley. read by Ernie Hudson. 1 cassette. Thirty-three-year-old Sag Harbor embezzler Charles Blakey is about to lose his late mother's ancestral home when a white man makes him an offer he can't refuse: mysterious Anniston Bennet gives Charles a small fortune to rent the basement for a few weeks, with certain conditions. Some strong language. 2004. RC 57632. ## Noble House: A Novel of Contemporary Hong Kong. RC 57667. by James Clavell. read by Erik Sandvold. 12 cassettes in 2 containers (Reissue). Ian Dunross, the head of a time-honored trading house, is caught up in international intrigue, romance, and natural disaster while trying to save his business from bankruptcy. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1981. RC 57667. ## Aztec Blood. RC 57675. by Gary Jennings. read by Jonathan Davis. 5 cassettes. New Spain, seventeenth century. In the former Aztec empire ruled by Spanish conquerors, Cristo the Bastardo--a mixed- blood "mestizo" educated by a priest and a healer--spies for a converted Jewish don and falls in love with a wealthy girl. Sequel to _Aztec Autumn (RC 49267)_. Explicit descriptions of sex and violence. 2001. RC 57675. ## Captivated. RC 57700. by Nora Roberts. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Monterey, 1990s. Researching his latest film about contemporary witchcraft, L.A. screenwriter Nash Kirkland interviews new age shopowner and rumored sorceress Morgana Donovan. Morgana's powers enchant Nash, a skeptic of both magic and love who learns to believe in both. Some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1992. RC 57700. ## Ain't She Sweet?. RC 57702. by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. read by Annie Wauters. 3 cassettes. Returning home to Mississippi after fifteen years, thrice- divorced Sugar Beth Carey is not welcomed by women she treated like dirt, hearts she broke, or schoolteacher Colin Byrne, whose career she destroyed. Initially Colin plots her humiliation but begins falling in love. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57702. ## The Perfect Husband. RC 57707. by Lisa Gardner. read by Annie Wauters. 3 cassettes. Two and a half years ago, Tess Williams helped put her husband, serial killer Jim Beckett, a former police officer, behind bars. Now he's escaped, and as a desperate manhunt mobilizes, Tess hires ex-marine J.T. Dillon to teach her self-defense. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 1998. RC 57707. ## Dangerous Girls. RC 57708. by R.L. Stine. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Twins Destiny and Livvy, home from their jobs as summer camp counselors, discover they have become vampires. The high school seniors desperately seek the "Restorer" so they can return to normal even as their friends are being murdered. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 57708. ## Mr. Paradise. RC 57710. by Elmore Leonard. read by Christopher Walker. 2 cassettes. Model Kelly has accompanied roommate Chloe on her job as escort to elderly Mr. Paradiso when two gunmen kill Chloe and her client. Wanting Paradiso's fortune, the crooks coerce Kelly into impersonating Chloe. While a Detroit investigating detective falls for "Chloe," she tries to dodge the murderers. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57710. ## Fox River. RC 57720. by Emilie Richards. read by Colleen Delany. 3 cassettes. Nine years ago Julia Warwick, heiress to a Virginia estate, married another man after Christian, her lover, was wrongly convicted of murder. Now, as Julia copes with inexplicable blindness, an exonerated Christian returns to find he has fathered Julia's child. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001. RC 57720. ## Blinded. RC 57725. by Stephen White. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. Colorado psychotherapist Alan Gregory of _The Best Revenge (RC 55671)_ counsels Gibbs Storey who fears her husband, Sterling, is a killer. When therapy reveals the couple's swinging lifestyle and Gibbs's possible motives for the accusation, Alan turns to detective Sam Purdy. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2004. RC 57725. ## Destination Murder: A _Murder, She Wrote_ Mystery. RC 57727. by Donald Bain. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. Famed mystery writer Jessica Fletcher accompanies a friend, a member of a railroad association, on a three-day train trip through scenic British Columbia. There she meets club president Alvin Blevin, an unlikable character who is later poisoned. Jessica searches for clues with the help of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 2003. RC 57727. ## Return to Me. RC 57730. by Rosemary Rogers. read by Colleen Delany. 3 cassettes. After the Civil War, Cameron Logan is reunited with her Union officer husband, Jackson. Headstrong Cameron wants to return to her family's ravaged Mississippi plantation. Meanwhile, Jackson's new orders to hunt down southern renegades pair him with an old flame. Sequel to _An Honorable Man (RC 55860)_. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57730. ## My Sister's Keeper. RC 57734. by Nora Kelly. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. At the University of the Pacific Northwest, sexist issues and ongoing feminist struggles cloud the awarding of the Carver Grant. In an atmosphere of assaults and violence, a student is murdered. Gillian Adams and her Scotland Yard boyfriend investigate. Some violence. 1992. RC 57734. ## Babylon Rising: Babylon Rising, Book 1. RC 57737. by Tim LaHaye and Greg Dinallo. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. Field archaeologist Michael Murphy is summoned by Methuselah, who provides him the clues for obtaining a menacing yet valuable and powerful biblical artifact. It is also sought by others who are directed by the Seven and who will stop at nothing to unearth the object and implement its powers. 2003. RC 57737. ## A Gentleman's Honor: A Bastion Club Novel. RC 57742. by Stephanie Laurens. read by Vanessa Maroney. 3 cassettes. London, 1816. Alicia Carrington's daring masquerade as a widow is nearly exposed when Tony Blake, Viscount Torrington, discovers her standing over her blackmailer's body. As Blake investigates the murder, he is torn between truth and desire. Sequel to _The Lady Chosen (RC 57359)_. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57742. ## The Texan's Wager. RC 57747. by Jodi Thomas. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Cedar Point, Texas; 1883. Thrown off a wagon train and wanting to avoid jail, Bailee and two other women accept the sheriff's offer of a "wife lottery." Bailee marries a reclusive man who doesn't speak in her presence. Precedes _When a Texan Gambles (RC 57371)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 57747. ## Old Wounds. RC 57748. by Nora Kelly. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Historian Gillian Adams returns to the Hudson River Valley to care for her ailing mother and guest-lecture at the local college. Soon a student's murder rocks the campus and poses ugly questions about some of Gillian's childhood friends. Meanwhile, her Scotland Yard lover, Edward, comes to visit. Some strong language. 1998. RC 57748. ## The Fall of Rome. RC 57790. by Martha Southgate. read by Bruce Huntey. 2 cassettes. Cultures clash when Rashid Bryson, a black scholarship student, arrives at a prestigious boys' boarding school. African American teacher Jerome Washington and white colleague Jana Hansen become involved with Bryson's education, the racial tension, and each other. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. For senior high and older readers. Alex Award. 2002. RC 57790. ## For Us, the Living: A Comedy of Customs. RC 57792. by Robert A. Heinlein. read by Barry Bernson. 2 cassettes. In 1939 naval flier Perry Nelson loses consciousness in a car accident and awakens in the year 2086. Rescued by the lovely Diana, Nelson faces a new world of politics, economics, and individual freedoms. Previously unpublished first novel by Hugo Award-winning author. Includes a 2004 introduction by Spider Robinson. Some strong language. 1939. RC 57792. ## The Morning After. RC 57799. by Lisa Jackson. read by Erin Jones. 3 cassettes. A sadistic killer stalks Savannah, burying victims alive. Taken off the case, detective Pierce Reed turns to journalist Nikki Gillette for information, but her doggedness irritates him. Then she becomes a target, and Pierce appoints himself her personal bodyguard. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 57799. ## Ransom. RC 57800. by Danielle Steel. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. After recently widowed Fernanda Barnes's youngest child is abducted, San Francisco detective Ted Lee arrives to run the police operation. The kidnappers, ex-cons Peter Morgan and Carl Waters, mistakenly believe that Fernanda was left wealthy--but she can't come up with the money they demand. Some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57800. ## The Beloved Enemy: The House of Winslow, Book 30. RC 57802. by Gilbert Morris. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 2 cassettes. Following _The Pilgrim Song (RC 57839)_, Josh Winslow, released from prison, seeks work in Tennessee. He meets Kefira Reis, who fled New York after her boss abused her. When romance blossoms, Kefira encourages Josh to pursue his archaeological dream, but their pasts sorely test their love and faith. 2003. RC 57802. ## Honey. RC 57804. by Stef Ann Holm. read by Sharon Murray. 2 cassettes. Harmony, Montana. Beautiful Camille Kennison manages her father's losing baseball team. In need of money, Alex Cordova--a star professional pitcher who retired in 1898-- agrees to join the team. He and Camille gradually fall in love. Sequel to _Hooked (RC 57841)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2000. RC 57804. ## Retribution. RC 57811. by Jilliane Hoffman. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. Miami. As state prosecutor C.J. Townsend builds her high- profile case against the "Cupid" serial killer, police apprehend suspect William Bantling, the man who raped her twelve years before. Despite the concerns of special agent Falconetti, C.J. vows to see Bantling punished. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 57811. ## Darwin's Children. RC 57812. by Greg Bear. read by Roy Avers. 3 cassettes. Near Washington, D.C. Twelve years after the discovery of the retrovirus SHEVA in _Darwin's Radio (RC 50676)_), children born with the genetic mutation are growing up. Feared and hated by the public, these "virus children," including the daughter of scientists Mitch Rafelson and Kaye Lang, become targets of persecution. Strong language. 2003. RC 57812. ## Hearts. RC 57819. by Stef Ann Holm. read by Sharon Murray. 2 cassettes. 1901. Suspended for teaching human sexuality to her students, Truvy Valentine goes visiting in Harmony, Montana. At twenty-five, she is an old maid. Bodybuilder Jake Brewster may change that--if he can get past her prim, proper exterior. Sequel to _Honey (RC 57804)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2001. RC 57819. ## Jaws of Darkness: The Darkness Novels, Volume 5. RC 57820. by Harry Turtledove. read by Richard Hauenstein. 5 cassettes. Kaunians of Forthweg still suffer under occupying Algarvian invaders, who fight an increasingly desperate battle against Unkerlant. _Habakkuk_, a ship made of ice and powered by sorcery, approaches Derlavai--possibly turning the tide of war. Sequel to _Rulers of the Darkness (RC 56308)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2003. RC 57820. ## The Sight of the Stars. RC 57821. by Belva Plain. read by Jack Fox. 2 cassettes. 1907. Nineteen-year-old Adam Arnring leaves his New Jersey home for a new life out west. Eventually he runs a business, marries, and starts a family. But a WWI tragedy brings a betrayal that will have repercussions for years to come. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2004. RC 57821. ## Suspicion of Madness. RC 57824. by Barbara Parker. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. When a nineteen-year-old former client confesses to murder and attempts suicide at his parents' private resort on Lindeman Key, Florida attorneys Anthony Quintana and Gail Connor--a romantically involved legal duo--investigate. As a tropical storm brews, they grow suspicious of mysterious islanders. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2003. RC 57824. ## Courage of the Mountain Man: The Mountain Man, Book 10. RC 57832. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. With young hands and his wife, Sally, on the chuck wagon, gunfighter Smoke Jensen rides north to sell his herd to eager easterner T.J. Duggan. Duggan's neighbor, however, runs the largest cattle operation in Montana and doesn't like competition. When Smoke arrives, he gets both a surprise and trouble. 1992. RC 57832. ## The Happy Man: A Novel of California Ranch Life. RC 57833. by Robert Easton. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette. Collection of fictional vignettes describing the men and their life at Thomas Ordway's El Dorado Investment Company in 1930s California. The ranch hands relate tales of daily events at the stockyard where Ordway turned beef into dollars by buying and feeding cattle to fatten them up for slaughter. 1943. RC 57833. ## Lost. RC 57834. by Joy Fielding. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 3 cassettes. Toronto divorcée Cindy Carver's twenty-one-year-old daughter, Julia, fails to return home after an audition with a famous Hollywood director. Cindy suspects all her acquaintances in the disappearance--even her ex-husband. She feels remorse that she never really connected with her self- absorbed firstborn. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57834. ## Fat Kid Rules the World. RC 57835. by K.L. Going. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Seventeen-year-old suicidal, overweight loner Troy Billings finds a purpose in life when he meets homeless teenage musician Curt MacCrae and joins Curt's band as a drummer. But Curt also has a self-destructive streak. Strong language. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57835. ## A Christmas Journey. RC 57836. by Anne Perry. read by Terry Hayes Sales. 1 cassette. Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould, a budding sleuth from the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries, attends a holiday party at which her friend Isobel cruelly insults a young widow who commits suicide later that night. Feeling guilty, Isobel goes with Vespasia to visit the victim's mother in Scotland where they uncover a shocking secret. 2003. RC 57836. ## Hooked. RC 57841. by Stef Ann Holm. read by Sharon Murray. 2 cassettes. Muckraker Matthew Gage goes undercover in Harmony, Montana, to investigate cheating in the annual fly-fishing tournament. Meanwhile, suffragette Meg Brooks, feeling thwarted in her career plans, decides to marry. The two meet under dubious circumstances. Sequel to _Harmony (RC 47402)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1999. RC 57841. ## Bad Business. RC 57842. by Robert B. Parker. read by Ray Foushee. 2 cassettes. Boston private detective Spenser, last seen in _Back Story (RC 55751)_, is hired by Marlene Rowley to track her philandering husband, Trenton, CFO of an energy firm. Trenton's subsequent murder at his office leads Spenser to investigate a wife-swapping ring and corporate corruption. Strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57842. ## Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults. RC 57853. edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard. read by Jonathan Davis. 3 cassettes. Twenty-nine tales of Filipinos and Filipino Americans dealing with their culture, families, friends, and fears as they grow to maturity. In "Lola Sim's Handkerchief," a teenager becoming more Americanized is estranged from her grandmother. In "Lolo's Bride," a fifteen-year-old's widowed grandfather returns from the Philippines with a twenty-year- old wife. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57853. ## The Birth of Venus. RC 57888. by Sarah Dunant. read by Corrie James. 3 cassettes. Renaissance Florence. Sixteen-year-old Alessandra Cecchi, the educated, artistic daughter of a wealthy merchant, is forced to marry an older man, who promises her freedom. Upon discovering his true intentions, she turns for love to an artist commissioned by her father. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57888. ## Firestorm. RC 57890. by Iris Johansen. read by Mary Kane. 2 cassettes. Brad Silver, helping the U.S. president, hires telepathic fire investigator Kerry Murphy to find disgruntled pyromaniac James Trask, who headed a scratched Defense Department project. Brad, in return, helps Kerry identify the arsonist who killed her mother. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 57890. ## Little Children. RC 57891. by Tom Perrotta. read by Michael Russotto. 2 cassettes. Sarah, mother and lapsed feminist, has a husband increasingly fond of Internet smut. She meets handsome would-be lawyer Todd at the kids' playground. Their scandalous affair and a convicted child molester's arrival disrupt life in this uneventful sleepy suburb. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 57891. ## A Wizard and a Warlord: The Rogue Wizard, Book 7. RC 57896. by Christopher Stasheff. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. Continuing the mission to rid space of tyranny, Magnus d'Armand, with his tempestuous new companion, Alea, explores a planet whose inhabitants appear to have no government. The two encounter bandits and discover the existence of a secret society. Sequel to _A Wizard in Midgard (RC 51064)_. Some violence. 2000. RC 57896. ## Miranda's Vines. RC 57903. by Kimberly Kafka. read by Kimberly Schraf. 2 cassettes. Miranda and Bridie are lifelong, crisis-surviving friends. Miranda is riding the crest of her culinary career, and Bridie is a champion dogsled racer. Then disaster strikes both their lives, forcing them into drastic decisions and testing the bonds of their friendship. Strong language. 2004. RC 57903. ## High on a Hill. RC 57911. by Dorothy Garlock. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. Henderson, Missouri; 1925. Twenty-one-year-old Annabel Lee Donovan wants her father to quit bootlegging and settle down. When former lawman Corbin Appleby arrives in town, Annabel falls deeply in love with him but fears he may be an agent investigating her dad's "business." Violence, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2002. RC 57911. ## The Lady in Question. RC 57913. by Victoria Alexander. read by Corrie James. 3 cassettes. London, 1820. Unbeknownst to recently widowed Delia Wilmont, her elderly butler is actually viscount Anthony St. Stephens in disguise, an English agent sent to protect her. Passion, confusion, and intrigue ensue when Delia, impersonating her twin sister, meets Tony as himself. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2003. RC 57913. ## Acceleration. RC 57917. by Graham McNamee. read by Christopher Walker. 1 cassette. Seventeen-year-old Duncan works at the Toronto subway lost- and-found for the summer. When he finds a diary that may belong to a serial killer, the police aren't interested. To find the murderer before he strikes again, Duncan gets his buddies to help him. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57917. ## The Cross-legged Knight: An Owen Archer Mystery. RC 57919. by Candace Robb. read by Vanessa Maroney. 3 cassettes. York, England; 1371. Owen Archer, captain of the guard, is assigned to protect the life of the visiting bishop of Winchester. But the priest's dwelling is set on fire, and the body of a woman is discovered in the ashes. Archer and his wife, Lucie, investigate. 2002. RC 57919. ## Duchess in Love. RC 57930. by Eloisa James. read by Corrie James. 3 cassettes. Regency England. Gina was wed as a young girl to Cam Serrard, a duke. Cam fled to Greece after the ceremony, but returns twelve years later to give Gina an annulment so she can remarry. The couple unexpectedly fall in love. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 57930. ## Grass for His Pillow: Tales of the Otori, Book 2. RC 57935. by Lian Hearn. read by Robert Sams. 2 cassettes. Honor-bound, Otori Takeo abandons his love, Shirakawa Kaede, heiress to Maruyama, to join his ancestral tribe and train as an assassin. Kaede, refusing to marry, works to restore her lands and clings to hope that Takeo will return. Sequel to _Across the Nightingale Floor (RC 54917)_. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2003. RC 57935. ## Dawn on a Distant Shore. RC 57936. by Sara Donati. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 4 cassettes. Northern New York, 1794. Elizabeth Bonner brings her children to Montreal to ransom her husband, Nathaniel, and his father, Hawkeye, from the French. To claim an inheritance a Scotsman kidnaps the children to return them to Europe. Sequel to _Into the Wilderness (RC 57979)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2000. RC 57936. ## The Best Awful. RC 57937. by Carrie Fisher. read by Norma Lana. 2 cassettes. Suzanne Vale from _Postcards from the Edge (RC 26595)_ moves from addiction recovery to relapse as she discovers her husband's homosexuality and finds motherhood a burden. She quits taking medications, associates with an assortment of characters, and begins a downward spiral to madness from which she must rise. Strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57937. ## Emma's Secret. RC 57943. by Barbara Taylor Bradford. read by Jill Ferris. 3 cassettes. American designer Evan Hughes strongly resembles members of Emma Harte's London family from _To Be the Best (RC 27016)_. When Gideon Harte falls in love with Evan, Harte matriarch Paula probes grandmother Emma's long-lost diary for clues to Evan's lineage. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 57943. ## Glorious Appearing: The End of Days. RC 57944. by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. read by Bob Askey. 2 cassettes. Seven years after the Rapture, millions of people, Global Community members, and the Tribulation Force are gathering in the Middle East. Nicolae Carpathia still believes his ultimate triumph is close at hand, until Jesus arrives in his Glorious Appearing. Sequel to _Armageddon (RC 55878)_. Violence. Bestseller 2004. RC 57944. ## Between Friends. RC 57949. by Debbie Macomber. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Jillian Lynn Lawton and Lesley Louise Adamski, both born in 1948, become friends growing up. Through a series of diary entries, letters, and news articles, the two girls share the events of their lives--dating, marriage, children, divorce, and widowhood--that take them in different directions yet keep them close over the years. 2002. RC 57949. ## Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy. RC 57953. edited by Robert Silverberg. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 5 cassettes. Eleven authors, including six contributors to _Legends (RC 47544)_, return to the fantasy worlds of their popular series. Anne McCaffrey revisits planet Pern, Raymond E. Feist writes of the Riftwar, and Tad Williams further explores Otherland network. Also features Terry Brooks, George R.R. Martin, and others. Some strong language. 2004. RC 57953. ## The Deserter: Murder at Gettysburg. RC 57958. by Jane Langton. read by Nick Sullivan. 2 cassettes. Homer Kelly's wife, Mary, wants to clear the name of her Civil War ancestor, Seth Morgan, accused of deserting the Union during the Battle of Gettysburg. In narratives that alternate between past and present, the Kellys come to suspect Seth's former Harvard classmate and comrade-at-arms, Otis Pike. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57958. ## A Presumption of Death. RC 57963. by Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy L. Sayers. read by Patricia Kilgarriff. 2 cassettes. Hertfordshire, England; 1940. Harriet, wife of Lord Peter Wimsey, is living in the country with her children while her husband is away fighting. After an air raid drill in the village, a glamorous city-bred girl doing wartime farmwork is found murdered. Harriet assists the police superintendent with the investigation. 2002. RC 57963. ## By Sorrow's River: The Berrybender Narratives, Book 3. RC 57968. by Larry McMurtry. read by Bob Askey. 3 cassettes. In this sequel to _The Wandering Hill (RC 57942)_, Lord Berrybender and his mountain men continue their trek from the Rocky Mountains to Santa Fe. Heroine Tasmin's strength and wisdom bind them as they brave infidelity, heat, thirst, Indian attacks, and group members' unrelenting seductions. Violence and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57968. ## The Last Days. RC 57970. by Joel C. Rosenberg. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. Senior presidential advisor Jon Bennett and his CIA partner, Erin McCoy, are in Jerusalem to implement an Arab-Israeli peace plan. When Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is assassinated, Gaza erupts in violence. Meanwhile, a suicide bomber approaches Washington, D.C. Sequel to _The Last Jihad (RC 55521)_. Violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57970. ## Mirrored Life. RC 57971. by Anita Bunkley. read by Gail Nelson. 3 cassettes. After being imprisoned for robbery, twenty-year-old African American Sara Jane Talbot is free. She moves to Dallas, changes her name, becomes an R&B diva's stylist, and finds romance. But someone wants to destroy her new life. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2002. RC 57971. ## Star Wars: Survivor's Quest. RC 57972. by Timothy Zahn. read by Jim Zeiger. 3 cassettes. Luke Skywalker and his wife, Mara, lead a diplomatic mission to inspect wreckage of the Jedi expedition destroyed by enemies fifty years earlier. The mission, escorted by alien hosts and a mysterious New Republic impersonator, arrives at the remains and finds survivors. Follows the Corellian Trilogy _(RC 41492, RC 42545, RC 42546)_. 2004. RC 57972. ## A Regimental Affair. RC 57973. by Allan Mallinson. read by Jim Zeiger. 3 cassettes. After his adventures in _Honorable Company (RC 55644)_, Captain Matthew Hervey returns from India to England in 1817. Reassigned to the Sixth Light Dragoons, he pursues and marries Lady Henrietta. Meanwhile, his new commanding officer plots Hervey's downfall, prompting a feud that culminates on the American frontier. Some violence. 2002. RC 57973. ## Dragonstar. RC 57976. by Barbara Hambly. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. Imprisoned dragonslayer John Aversin is sentenced to die. His true love, Jenny, mourns John and the loss of her powers. But John escapes, and he and Jenny begin to discover their real purpose in life. Sequel to _Knight of the Demon Queen (RC 51152)_. For junior and senior high readers. 2002. RC 57976. ## Rumpole and the Primrose Path. RC 57977. by John Mortimer. read by Graeme Malcolm. 1 cassette. Six stories featuring British barrister Rumpole, now recovering from his near-fatal heart attack in _Rumpole Rests His Case (RC 55589)_. In the title piece, Rumpole investigates a fellow patient's mysterious death at the Primrose Path convalescent home in Sussex. Back in London he takes on five other cases. 2002. RC 57977. ## Into the Wilderness. RC 57979. by Sara Donati. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 5 cassettes. In 1792 spinster Elizabeth Middleton leaves England to join her brother and father in upstate New York to teach school. Once she's there, her father is determined to marry her off to a wealthy doctor. But Elizabeth falls in love with Mohawk tribe member Nathaniel Bonner, son of Hawkeye. 1998. RC 57979. ## The Deliverance. RC 57981. by Richard S. Wheeler. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 2 cassettes. 1841. Barnaby Skye and his Crow wife live near the Mexican border, where a Cheyenne woman implores them to find her two children--who had been sold into slavery in Mexico. Joined by Colonel Jean Childress of Texas, Barnaby soon runs into trouble. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57981. ## Star Wars: The New Jedi Order; Dark Journey. RC 57990. by Elaine Cunningham. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 2 cassettes. With the enemy in pursuit and her brother Jacen in the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong, Jaina Solo takes refuge in the Hapes Cluster. But Jaina, grief-stricken and obsessed with revenge, is blind to threats against her and to the evil consuming her. Sequel to _Star by Star (RC 54045)_. 2002. RC 57990. ## Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate. RC 57991. by M.C. Beaton. read by Patricia Kilgarriff. 2 cassettes. Abandoned by her ex-husband and depressed about awkward advances from her novelist neighbor, John Armitage, Agatha Raisin is briefly revitalized by the church's extraordinarily good-looking new curate. When he is found murdered, police suspect the local vicar, Alf Bloxby. To clear Bloxby's name, Agatha and John investigate. 2003. RC 57991. ## The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1. RC 58011. by Jonathan Stroud. read by Erin Jones. 3 cassettes. Seeking revenge, twelve-year-old apprentice magician Nathaniel calls up the djinni Bartimaeus, a demon, to steal an amulet from a powerful minister. But the theft has unforeseen consequences, and the sarcastic djinni has his own agenda. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 58011. ## What Dreams May Come. RC 58019. by Richard Matheson. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. When Chris Nielsen dies in a car accident, his spirit cannot let go of his beloved wife, Ann. The afterlife is not complete without her. Now another tragedy threatens to separate them forever. Chris must risk his very soul to save Ann from an eternity of despair. 1978. RC 58019. ## The Battle of Jericho. RC 58023. by Sharon M. Draper. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. High school junior Jericho and his cousin Josh are invited to join a prestigious club at Frederick Douglass High. But the hazing the pledges have to go through causes Jericho to doubt the group's benefits. Then a tragedy occurs. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 58023. ## The Witches of Karres. RC 58044. by James H. Schmitz. read by Gary Tipton. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Captain Pausert, a commercial space trader, rescues what he thinks are three slave girls on the planet of Porlumma. But Maleen, Goth, and the Leewit are actually witches with special powers. The authorities are after all of them. For junior and senior high readers. 1966. RC 58044. ## Every Dead Thing. RC 58055. by John Connolly. read by Jim Zeiger. 3 cassettes. Haunted by his wife's and daughter's grisly unsolved murders, detective Charlie Parker left the NYPD. Working unofficially as a private investigator, he follows a missing young woman's trail to New Orleans and, he hopes, to his family's killer. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1999. RC 58055. ## The Ideal Bride. RC 58058. by Stephanie Laurens. read by Kristin Allison. 3 cassettes. England, 1825. Seeking a suitable bride, rising politician Michael Anstruther-Wetherby sets his sights on Elizabeth Mollison. When Elizabeth's aunt, young widow Caroline Sutcliffe, tricks Michael into discounting Elizabeth, he turns his attention to Caroline herself. The two fall in love, but sinister incidents torment Caroline. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58058. ## The Natural. RC 58059. by Bernard Malamud. read by Bob Askey. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Roy Hobbs is a born athlete who should be a baseball hero, but his lifestyle interferes with his career. Roy's misplaced love for Memo Paris, the team manager's niece, overrules his passion for baseball and makes him agree to throw a play-off game. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1952. RC 58059. ## Dream Island. RC 58061. by Josie Litton. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. 1811. Joanna Hawkforte stows away on a frigate bound for the mythical island of Akora where she hopes to use her special psychic ability to find her missing brother, Royce. With the reluctant help of Alex Darcourt, an Akoran prince, Joanna uncovers mysteries surrounding Royce's disappearance. Followed by _Kingdom of Moonlight (RC 58084)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 58061. ## Prospect Street. RC 58063. by Emilie Richards. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 3 cassettes. When her marriage ends abruptly, Faith Bronson moves with her two children into her mother's historic Georgetown row house, scene of her sister's kidnapping decades ago. Faith soon meets handsome neighbor Pavel Quinn, who harbors a dark secret connected to the mystery. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 58063. ## Sweet Memories. RC 58065. by LaVyrle Spencer. read by Norma Lana. 2 cassettes. Twenty-five-year-old Theresa looks forward to Christmas when her brother Jeff will be home on military leave, but is annoyed that Jeff is bringing along his friend Brian. However, Brian soon quells Theresa's inhibitions about her abundant breasts and awakens passions she never before imagined. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1984. RC 58065. ## Lover's Lane. RC 58066. by Jill Marie Landis. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Carly Nolan emotionally survives her fiancé Rick's death in an automobile accident, but when his wealthy parents file for custody of their grandson, she goes into hiding. Later she meets p.i. Jake Montgomery, and her life changes dramatically. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58066. ## Silver Pigs: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery. RC 58069. by Lindsey Davis. read by George Holmes. 2 cassettes. Imperial Rome, A.D. 70. In the first book in the series, private investigator Marcus Didius Falco assists Sosia Camillina, a senator's sixteen-year-old niece, whose uncle has hidden in her bank box a stash of valuable lead ingots from Britain. Prequel to _Shadows in Bronze (RC 36464)_. 1989. RC 58069. ## Time's Eye: A Time Odyssey, Book 1. RC 58073. by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter. read by John Horton. 2 cassettes. Eurasia, 2037. United Nations peacekeepers crash land only to discover civilization has reassembled into a patchwork of eras dating from prehistory. Alexander the Great's army and nineteenth-century British troops join forces as Genghis Khan's horde approaches Babylon and a lone radio signal. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2004. RC 58073. ## The Journals of Eleanor Druse: My Investigation of the Kingdom Hospital Incident. RC 58074. by Eleanor Druse. read by Barbara Caruso. 2 cassettes. Maine. While visiting a hospitalized friend, elderly Eleanor "Sally" Druse has a near-death experience. After other disturbing events she investigates a decades-old tragedy and puts to rest one young victim's spirit. Literary basis for Stephen King's television miniseries. Some violence and some strong language. 2004. RC 58074. ## Somebody's Knocking at My Door. RC 58080. by Francis Ray. read by Melissa Maxwell. 3 cassettes. Kristen Wakefield is devastated when forced to resign as curator of a New Orleans museum and forgo a project on nineteenth-century African American art. Enter Rafe Crawford, an old acquaintance still struggling with childhood abuse. Romance may help them both--if Rafe will let it. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 58080. ## Kingdom of Moonlight. RC 58084. by Josie Litton. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Princess Kassandra of _Dream Island (RC 58061)_ fulfills her dreams by traveling from Akora to England, where she is captivated by former Akoran prisoner Lord Royce Hawkforte. But unrest in her homeland demands her return, and unexpected events compel her to lead the government. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 58084. ## The Secret Hour. RC 58086. by Luanne Rice. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Widowed defense attorney John O'Rourke, consumed by a Connecticut murder case, finds it increasingly difficult to raise his children alone. Hope arrives when marine biologist Kate Harris needs his help in finding her sister--a possible victim of John's notorious client. Strong language and some violence. 2003. RC 58086. ## The Meaning of Consuelo. RC 58089. by Judith Ortiz Cofer. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 1 cassette. Bookish Consuelo grows up in 1950s Puerto Rico where American influence is everywhere. She observes her parents' disintegrating marriage and her younger sister Mili's worsening mental illness before she leaves to begin her own life in the United States. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 58089. ## The Swallows of Kabul. RC 58094. by Yasmina Khadra. read by Ken Kliban. 1 cassette. In war-torn Afghanistan, two couples' lives, branded by Taliban rule, cross paths. Zunaira, a self-imposed shut-in; husband Mohsen, dazed by atrocity; jailer Atiq, young yet old enough to mourn lost beauty; and his wife, Musarrat, desperate and dying, come together as Atiq attempts to save Zunaira from execution. Violence. 2002. RC 58094. ## Woman Chief. RC 58095. by Benjamin Capps. read by Jill Ferris. 2 cassettes (Reissue). A ten-year-old Atsina Indian girl is mistakenly captured by Antelope Man, a Crow horse raider who wanted a son. Refusing to be a typical slave, she learns a man's skills. After killing three Blackfeet warriors, she steadily gains respect from her adopted people. Based on a true story. 1979. RC 58095. ## Whiskey Island. RC 58098. by Emilie Richards. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 3 cassettes. A carjacking brings ex-priest Niccolo Andreani into the lives of Megan Donaghue and her sisters Peggy and Casey, owners of Cleveland's historic Whiskey Island Saloon. With help from Niccolo, Megan solves a generations-old family mystery. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2000. RC 58098. ## Hidden Prey. RC 58107. by John Sandford. read by Bruce Huntey. 2 cassettes. Duluth, Minnesota. When ex-KGB agent Rodion Oleshev is found dead on a city dock, police, the FBI, and Russian officials want answers. Special investigator Lucas Davenport from _Naked Prey (RC 56232)_ and Moscow cop Nadya Kalin team up to solve the crime. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 58107. ## The Full Cupboard of Life. RC 58112. by Alexander McCall Smith. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 2 cassettes. Gaborone, Botswana. A wealthy woman hires Precious Ramotswe, head of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, to investigate the sincerity of several potential husbands. Precious resolves not only her client's quandary but also her own fiancé's reluctance to marry. Bestseller 2003. RC 58112. ## Full Blast. RC 58159. by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes. read by Colleen Delany. 2 cassettes. Newspaperwoman Jamie Swift and millionaire Max Holt's relationship intensifies as they investigate a string of murders in Beaumont, South Carolina. The town is sizzling: the baker spikes his brownies with aphrodisiacs, a kinky lingerie store opens, and Jamie starts a personal ads column. Some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 58159. ## Staring Down the Dragon. RC 58183. by Dorothea N. Buckingham. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 1 cassette. Fifteen-year-old Rell returns to her Hawaii high school after successful cancer treatment. With the help of a psychologist, Rell readjusts to her parents, who argue all the time; her friends, some of whom are scared of her; and her own self-identity. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 58183. ## Johnny Got His Gun. RC 58188. by Dalton Trumbo. read by Gary Telles. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Classic antiwar novel presents the internal monologue of a young soldier maimed during World War I. Hospitalized Joe Bonham, drifting in and out of consciousness, is beset by past memories and present horrors. Includes a 1990 introduction by Vietnam veteran and writer Ron Kovic. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 1939. RC 58188. ## Castles in the Mist. RC 58241. by Josie Litton. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Traveling to England to learn of her heritage, Brianna becomes aware of the Akoran Vanax's interest in marrying her. Back in Akora they encounter tensions that threaten their romance and the political stability of their homeland. Sequel to _Kingdom of Moonlight (RC 58084)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 58241. ## Black as He's Painted. RC 58242. by Ngaio Marsh. read by Graeme Malcolm. 2 cassettes (Reissue). The president of an African republic plans a goodwill mission to England, but someone seems intent on including murder in his itinerary. Inspector Alleyn of Scotland Yard, a former classmate of the president, finds himself in a ticklish predicament when he's put in charge of security precautions. Some strong language. 1973. RC 58242. ## Shadows of Glory. RC 58243. by Owen Parry. read by Nick Sullivan. 2 cassettes. Major Abel Jones from _Faded Coat of Blue (RC 50818)_ is sent to upstate New York by President Lincoln in 1862 to investigate two murders of federal agents and hints of a possible immigrant insurrection. Jones encounters a deadly plot against the Union and gets help from a beautiful mystic. Some strong language. 2000. RC 58243. ## The Price. RC 58246. by Joan Johnston. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Luke Creed's ambition is to become a partner in his Houston law firm. He discovers that a colleague may be covering up information regarding a diabetic drug his daughter takes. An old girlfriend helps Luke take on the firm and a pharmaceutical company. Sequel to _The Loner (RC 54170)_. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58246. ## The Paid Companion. RC 58248. by Amanda Quick. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. The earl of St. Merryn hires Elenora Lodge to act as his fiancée and accompany him in London social circles. Elenora, eager for the freedom that income provides, accepts the position only to be drawn into a murder investigation, household turmoil, and unexpected love. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58248. ## My Fine Lady. RC 58252. by Yolanda Joe. read by Gail Nelson. 2 cassettes. Imani and Taz, her lover and lyric writer, dream of her becoming a hip-hop star. Hearing a street performance, music professor Orenthal Hopson accepts a bet to turn Imani into a traditional jazz singer. Through him, she achieves success-- in an unlikely way. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2004. RC 58252. ## Again the Magic. RC 58255. by Lisa Kleypas. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. 1844. Twelve years earlier, Lady Aline Marsden fell in love with John McKenna, one of her father's servants, who was sent away when their infatuation was discovered. Now, having made his fortune in America, McKenna returns to seduce and abandon Aline to avenge his heartbreak. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58255. ## Changing Habits. RC 58256. by Debbie Macomber. read by Jill Ferris. 2 cassettes. Three high school girls, Angelina, Kathleen, and Joanna, become novices at a Catholic convent in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As nuns, they pursue different professions and develop a close relationship. Eventually all three decide to leave the sisterhood, but they continue to remain friends. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58256. ## Sharpe's Havoc: Richard Sharpe and the Campaign in Northern Portugal, Spring 1809. RC 58259. by Bernard Cornwell. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. Lieutenant Richard Sharpe and his men are isolated by Napoleon's forces in the Portuguese city of Oporto. While struggling to survive, Sharpe's team also searches for missing nineteen-year-old English heiress Kate Savage who is being courted by a spy. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 58259. ## A Loving Scoundrel. RC 58260. by Johanna Lindsey. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. Danny, a street-living London lass dressed as a lad, helps gentleman rake Jeremy Malory steal back jewels lost in a card game. Intrigued by her spunk, Jeremy hires her as a maid. When Danny poses as his new love, someone recognizes her, endangering her future. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58260. ## Thou Shalt Not Grill: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes. RC 58261. by Tamar Myers. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. For the Hernia, Pennsylvania, bicentennial celebration, residents plan to open a time capsule buried in 1904. But a guest at Magdalena Yoder's inn is found dead at the ceremonial site and the container is missing. Magdalena discovers that all her guests have reasons for wanting to find it. Some strong language. 2004. RC 58261. ## Fudge Cupcake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. RC 58266. by Joanne Fluke. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. After teaching a cooking class Minnesota baker Hanna Swensen from _Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (RC 57480)_ empties the trash and discovers Sheriff Grant's body in a dumpster. When her sister Andrea's husband, Bill (the sheriff's rival in an upcoming election), becomes a suspect, Andrea urges Hanna to investigate. Includes recipes. 2004. RC 58266. ## Westward: A Fictional History of the American West; Twenty- eight Original Stories Celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of Western Writers of America. RC 58267. edited by Dale L. Walker. read by Bob Askey. 3 cassettes. Anthology of original western stories captures the westward legacy from a North American's first glimpse of a horse in sixteenth-century Kansas to a 1913 gunbattle in a Utah copper mine. Authors include Loren D. Estleman, Don Coldsmith, John Jakes, and Richard S. Wheeler. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58267. ## When in Rome. RC 58274. by Ngaio Marsh. read by Graeme Malcolm. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Under cover on an international drug smuggling investigation, Scotland Yard inspector Roderick Alleyn accompanies a motley group of sightseers on a tour of Italian ruins. When their unscrupulous guide disappears and a postcard vendor is murdered, Alleyn advises the travelers not to leave town before the killer is apprehended. 1971. RC 58274. ## Bet Me. RC 58276. by Jennifer Crusie. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Thirty-three-year-old Minerva Dobbs's boyfriend not only dumps her right before her sister's wedding but also bets his buddy, Cal Morrisey, that Min will sleep with Cal. Min overhears them and, although she plans revenge, falls in love instead. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58276. ## The Unfinished Clue. RC 58282. by Georgette Heyer. read by George Holmes. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Wealthy general Sir Arthur Billington-Smith, giving a house party, is murdered in his study. Scotland Yard Inspector Harding finds prime suspects in hapless widow Fay; the butler; and a cabaret dancer, the victim's unsuitable future daughter-in-law. All have justification and means to kill the unlikable, verbally abusive host. 1934. RC 58282. ## Death of a Poison Pen. RC 58283. by M.C. Beaton. read by John Horton. 2 cassettes. Scottish Highland constable Hamish Macbeth, while investigating poisonous pen letters sent to several Lochdubh residents, is confronted by murders that suggest peril to anyone who questions the letters. The town reporter and a visitor seeking romance complicate his efforts to resolve the case. 2004. RC 58283. ## Moment of Truth. RC 58284. by Christiane Heggan. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. To jump-start her practice, Washington, D.C., attorney Kate Logan agrees to represent high-profile fugitive Todd Buchanan, prime suspect in the two-year-old murder of his wife, Molly. Kate hopes that by taking the case she won't lose her boyfriend, Mitch--a cop and Molly's brother. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2002. RC 58284. ## High Meadow. RC 58494. by Joan Wolf. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. Kate Foley is raising her late sister's son, Ben, on her Connecticut horse farm. When Ben's biological father, New York Yankees pitcher Daniel Montero, discovers he has a son, he seeks joint custody. Kate rejects Daniel at first, but they gradually fall in love. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 58494. ## Echoes. RC 58832. by Danielle Steel. read by Simon Prebble. 2 cassettes. In 1915 Beata Wittgenstein, eldest daughter of an affluent German Jewish family, runs off to Switzerland to marry Antoine de Vallerand, a young French Catholic officer. But her newfound happiness and the future of her children are threatened by war. 2004. RC 58832. ## Blind Alley. RC 58833. by Iris Johansen. read by Bernadette Dunne. 2 cassettes. Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan reconstructs a victim's face-- one that eerily resembles Eve's adopted daughter Jane. While a serial killer targets Jane look-alikes, Jane's recurrent nightmares track the path of the murderer to her door. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58833. ## The Godfather Returns: The Saga of the Family Corleone. RC 58835. by Mark Winegardner. read by Scott Brick. 4 cassettes. Continues the family saga begun in _The Godfather (RC 25677)_. Michael Corleone engages in private and public maneuvering to establish himself as the victor among New York's crime families. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58835. ## A Redbird Christmas. RC 58836. by Fannie Flagg. read by Fannie Flagg. 1 cassette. Terminally ill Oswald Campbell leaves Chicago to spend his last Christmas in a small Alabama town. The single women there want his attention, and an abandoned young girl who is lame needs a Christmas miracle. 2004. RC 58836. ## Twisted. RC 58837. by Jonathan Kellerman. read by Lindsay Crouse. 3 cassettes. L.A. detective Petra Connor juggles difficult cases, departmental sabotage, and personal fallout. A further complication is grad student whiz kid Isaac Gomez, who links serial murders by statistical analysis. Together Petra and Isaac seek a killer. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58837. ## ### _Books for Children_ Books listed in this issue of _Talking Book Topics_ were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including animals, geography, nature, mystery, sports, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection. Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, contact your cooperating library. _Cassettes Nonfiction_ Growing Up with Scoliosis: A Young Girl's Story. RC 56380. by Michelle Spray. read by Cyn Delafield. 1 cassette. The author describes how it feels to grow up with scoliosis (curvature of the spine). First diagnosed in fifth grade, Michelle starts brace therapy in seventh grade and eventually undergoes successful back surgery to treat her condition when a high school junior. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2002. The Popcorn Book. RC 56913. by Tomie De Paola. read by Ligaya Romero. 1 cassette. While one boy makes popcorn on the stove, his brother reads interesting facts about this favorite American snack to him. Includes two recipes for preparing popcorn the old-fashioned way--before microwave ovens. For grades 2-4. 1978. RC 56913. ## Voyageurs, Lumberjacks, and Farmers: Pioneers of the Midwest. RC 57625. by Kieran Doherty. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Discusses the exploration and settlement of the American midwest. Describes the lives and contributions of founders Antoine Cadillac in Michigan, Charles Langlade in Wisconsin, Jean du Sable in Chicago, George Rogers Clark in Indiana, Rufus Putnam in Ohio, Julien Dubuque in Iowa, and the Snellings in Minnesota. For grades 5-8. 2004. RC 57625. ## On the Course with . . . Tiger Woods. RC 57726. by Glenn Stout. read by Robert Sams. 1 cassette. Discusses the family background and sports career of popular young athlete Tiger Woods. Portrays Tiger's success in winning almost every tournament on the professional golf circuit. For grades 4-7. 2001. RC 57726. ## Why Do People Join Gangs?. RC 57738. by Julie Johnson. read by Colleen Delany. 1 cassette. Overview of the types, functions, and characteristics of gangs in the United States and abroad. Explores reasons for joining and ways of leaving. Also discusses bullying, substance abuse, and other gang-associated problems. Includes brief case studies of young people caught in tough situations. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2001. RC 57738. ## Dr. Seuss's ABC. RC 57740. by Dr. Seuss. read by Christopher Walker. 1 cassette. Dr. Seuss adds nonsensical rhymes to the alphabet to make it fun for children to learn letters and their sounds. For preschool-grade 2. 1963. RC 57740. ## The Sun: Our Nearest Star. RC 57817. by Franklyn M. Branley. read by Erin Jones. 1 cassette. Describes the Sun as the star closest to planet Earth. Talks about the Sun's size and explains how it provides the light and energy needed to support plant and animal life. For grades 2-4. 1961. RC 57817. ## On the Court with . . . Venus and Serena Williams. RC 57830. by Glenn Stout. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Dual biography of sisters Venus and Serena Williams who, at a young age, began to play tennis under their father's tutelage. Follows their careers up until 2001 describing the many tournaments they have won as doubles partners and as individual players. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57830. ## The Wright Sister: Katharine Wright and Her Famous Brothers. RC 57908. by Richard Maurer. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 1 cassette. Family letters describe the life of Katharine (1874-1929), the college-educated teacher and younger sister of aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright. As the brothers became more famous, Katharine acted as their social secretary and traveled with them to Europe. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2003. RC 57908. ## On the Field with . . . Mia Hamm. RC 57997. by Glenn Stout. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Biography of one of the top female soccer players in the United States. Describes how Mia Hamm helped her team win a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics and a victory in the 1999 World Cup championship. Includes a chronology of Hamm's career highlights. For grades 4-7. 1998. RC 57997. ## Every Day's a Holiday: Amusing Rhymes for Happy Times. RC 58025. by Dean Koontz. read by Barry Bernson. 1 cassette. Collection of poems celebrating holidays ranging from real ones like Easter through imaginary ones like Gravity Day and international ones like Cinco de Mayo to not-quite holidays like snow days. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 58025. ## Welcome to Kaya's World 1764: Growing Up in a Native American Homeland. RC 58028. by Dottie Raymer. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. This companion to _Meet Kaya (RC 55342)_ and others in the series portrays the Nez Perce Native American culture of the Pacific Northwest. Describes the myths, legends, history, and habitat of the tribe through modern times. For grades 2- 4. 2003. RC 58028. ## Pakistan. RC 58041. by William Goodwin. read by Kerry Cundiff. 1 cassette. Discusses the geography, climate, population, plants, animals, and culture of the Muslim nation of Pakistan. Describes its turbulent history since its creation in 1947 on the Indian subcontinent and speculates about the country's future. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2003. RC 58041. ## On the Mound with . . . Curt Schilling. RC 58043. by Glenn Stout. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Biography of Curt Schilling, the star pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Details his career from school days and the minor leagues to a series of teams in the majors, where he learned to work hard to perfect his game. For grades 4-7. 2004. RC 58043. ## The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss. RC 58115. by Kathleen Krull. read by Bruce Huntey. 1 cassette. Introduces the renowned writer and illustrator Ted Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, author of _The Cat in the Hat (RC 33062)_ and others. Describes Ted's childhood in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he lived near both the zoo and the library; also discusses his career. For grades 3-6. 2004. RC 58115. ## Count On Us: American Women in the Military. RC 58257. by Amy Nathan. read by Jill Ferris. 1 cassette. Survey of women's contributions as fighters, nurses, spies, and homefront helpers to the U.S. armed forces from the Revolutionary War to the 2003 Iraq invasion. Includes personal profiles and historical background on each war. Also discusses sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and other problems. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2004. RC 58257. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ The Field Guide: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1. RC 56514. by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. read by Kimberly Schraf. 1 cassette. When the Grace children--nine-year-old twins Jared and Simon and their thirteen-year-old sister, Mallory--move into their great-aunt Lucinda's run-down Victorian house, mischief begins, and Jared is blamed. Finding a book about faeries in a secret room gives Jared a clue about the unseen troublemaker. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 56514. ## The Seeing Stone: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2. RC 56515. by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. read by Kimberly Schraf. 1 cassette. Although warned that keeping _The Field Guide (RC 56514)_ about the faerie world will prove dangerous, Jared won't give it up. Then goblins kidnap Simon. Mallory and Jared have scary adventures rescuing him--even with a magic stone to help them see usually invisible creatures. For grades 2- 4. 2003. RC 56515. ## Rodzina. RC 56681. by Karen Cushman. read by Constance Crawford. 1 cassette. Chicago, 1881. A large, stubborn twelve-year-old girl boards a train full of other orphans heading west. Helping the woman doctor in charge, Rodzina sees some good and some bad placements of the children. By the time they reach California, Rodzina has her own plan for a new family. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 56681. ## Year of No Rain. RC 57564. by Alice Mead. read by Christopher Walker. 1 cassette. Eleven-year-old Stephen escapes the slaughter by rebel troops in his drought-stricken village in southern Sudan in 1999. Along with other boys, Stephen searches unsuccessfully for a place of refuge before returning home. Some violence. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57564. ## Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers. RC 57719. by M.E. Kerr. read by Colleen Delany. 1 cassette. The creatures at the Critters animal shelter in East Hampton anxiously await Christmas and the possibility of new homes. Unfortunately, old mutt Irving is too big for adoption; Placido, the one-eyed Siamese cat, is too ornery; and Marshall, the snake, is too strange. But miracles do happen. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 57719. ## Aleutian Sparrow. RC 57741. by Karen Hesse. read by Kimberly Schraf. 1 cassette. Story of Vera, an Aleutian girl, who describes in free verse the forced 1942 relocation of her people, U.S. citizens, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. For three years she and her fellow Aleuts suffer in sordid camps until they are allowed to return home. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2003. RC 57741. ## The Quicksand Question: A to Z Mysteries, "Q". RC 57791. by Ron Roy. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. The town of Green Lawn has been collecting money to build a bridge so ducks can safely cross the road to and from the river. When someone steals the plastic bank containing the cash, Dink sets out with his friends Josh and Ruth Rose to find the culprit. For grades 2-4. 2002. RC 57791. ## The Lethal Gorilla. RC 57803. by Paul Zindel. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. Amateur private investigators P.C. (Peter Christopher) Hawke and Mackenzie Riggs join Mackenzie's mother, who is the New York City coroner, on a case involving the murder of the Bronx Zoo's most famous zoologist. Villains include humans as well as wild animals. For grades 4-7. 2001. RC 57803. ## The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread. RC 57805. by Kate DiCamillo. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Despereaux, a small mouse, is condemned to the dungeon for falling in love with human Princess Pea. Despereaux meets the rat, Roscuro, while Mig, an upstairs serving girl, wishes to be a princess, too. All four meet with near disastrous results. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 57805. ## Maggie's Door. RC 57807. by Patricia Reilly Giff. read by Erin Jones. 1 cassette. 1840s. Nory Ryan and the last of her starving family leave Ireland on a miserable ship that will take them to relatives in Brooklyn, New York. Meanwhile her neighbor and friend Sean Mallon works for his ocean passage. Sequel to _Nory Ryan's Song (RC 52345)_. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 57807. ## Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan. RC 57810. by Barry Denenberg. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. In 1932 twelve-year-old Bess loses her sight in a sledding accident. Dictating her thoughts to her twin sister, Elin, on weekend visits home, Bess keeps a diary describing life at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she learns to read braille. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57810. ## Jake Drake, Bully Buster. RC 57816. by Andrew Clements. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. Fourth-grader Jake Drake, looking back, explains how he was always a bully magnet--someone bullies like to torment. Then he relates that he met SuperBully Link Baxter in second grade and figured how to be a bully buster without fighting. For grades 2-4. 2001. RC 57816. ## Brian's Hunt. RC 57823. by Gary Paulsen. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. When sixteen-year-old Brian from _Hatchet (RC 30535)_ returns to the wilderness two years after his plane crash, he finds a wounded dog and the bodies of a Cree couple killed by a rogue bear. Tracking the animal, Brian is pursued as its prey. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2003. RC 57823. ## The Square Root of Murder. RC 57840. by Paul Zindel. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. High school juniors P.C. Hawke and his pal Mackenzie Riggs are taking calculus at Columbia University when their cruel professor, Eva Dunaway, is killed with an arrow. Trying to solve the murder, the two amateur sleuths concentrate the investigation on their eclectic classmates. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57840. ## The Assassins of Rome: The Roman Mysteries, Book 4. RC 57894. by Caroline Lawrence. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Rome, A.D. 79. Jonathan, from _Pirates of Pompeii (RC 57213)_, on a twofold quest to find his long lost mother and warn the emperor of an assassination plot, joins Jewish uncle Simeon. Danger lurks in the palace, where Jonathan's friends Nubia, Lupus, and Flavia Gemina follow him. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57894. ## Mister Monday: Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1. RC 57998. by Garth Nix. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. While Arthur Penhaligon lies dying from an asthma attack on his first day in a new school, evil Mister Monday gives him a special key that not only helps Arthur recover but also unleashes many strange happenings. Followed by _Grim Tuesday (RC 58042)_. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2003. RC 57998. ## Ghost Girl: A Blue Ridge Mountain Story. RC 58013. by Delia Ray. read by Erin Jones. 1 cassette. Madison County, Virginia; 1929-1932. Eleven-year-old April is thrilled when president Herbert Hoover builds a local school near her rural home. But her mother, still mourning a son's death, refuses to let her attend until the new teacher, Miss Vest, steps in to help. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 58013. ## The Wish List. RC 58017. by Eoin Colfer. read by Carol Dines. 2 cassettes. Fourteen-year-old Meg and friend Belch try robbing old man Lowrie McCall. A mistake costs them their lives, but St. Peter gives Meg a chance at redemption, returning her as a spirit to help Mr. McCall. Belch's spirit, however, tries to stop her. Some violence. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2000. RC 58017. ## The Outcasts of Nineteen Schuyler Place. RC 58018. by E.L. Konigsburg. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane, last seen in _Silent to the Bone (RC 51532)_, is rescued from summer camp by her great-uncles Alex and Morris. At their home, Margaret spearheads a campaign to prevent the demolition of three towers the uncles have built in their backyard over the years. For grades 6-9. 2004. RC 58018. ## Escape from Memory. RC 58026. by Margaret Peterson Haddix. read by Carol Dines. 2 cassettes. Fifteen-year-old Kira unlocks disturbing memories when she is hypnotized at a sleepover. A strange "aunt" arrives and takes her to the Crythian refuge where Kira uncovers her true heritage and learns that a computer chip has been implanted in her head. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 58026. ## Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade without a Clue. RC 58029. by Jack Gantos. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. Nine-year-old Jack's father rejoins the navy and moves the family to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. There Jack develops a crush on his beautiful fourth-grade teacher, adopts a pet duck, and gets into trouble. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 58029. ## Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase: The Twenty-third Book of Their Adventures. RC 58039. by Cynthia Rylant. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 1 cassette. Henry and his dog Mudge tangle with a grumpy goose when they visit a farm to buy fresh eggs and vegetables. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 2003. RC 58039. ## The Gourmet Zombie. RC 58040. by Paul Zindel. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. P.C. Hawke and his friend Mackenzie Riggs are planning a joint sixteenth birthday celebration when they learn that prominent chefs in New York City are being poisoned. As the two investigate they wonder who will be alive to prepare their feast. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 58040. ## Thirteen: Thirteen Stories That Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen. RC 58088. edited by James Howe. read by L.J. Ganser. 2 cassettes. Twelve short stories and a poem capture the problems of becoming a teenager. In "Jeremy Goldblatt Is _So_ Not Moses," a bar mitzvah celebration has an unexpected ending. In "Black Holes and Basketball Sneakers," Malik will do almost anything for a new pair of shoes. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 58088. ## _The_ _Foundling_ and Other Tales of Prydain. RC 58281. by Lloyd Alexander. read by George Holmes. 1 cassette (Reissue). Eight tales dealing with happenings before the birth of Taran, assistant pig keeper, whose adventures in the Prydain Chronicles begin with _The Book of Three (RC 25013)_ and end with the Newbery Medal-winning _The High King (RC 27715)_. For grades 5-8. 1973. RC 58281. ## Attack on Petra: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 33. RC 58453. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. Scattered Young Tribulation Force members and other believers make life-threatening decisions amid Nicolae Carpathia's evil. While Judd and Lionel work to help their friend Westin, Sam watches deadly bombs hurtle toward Petra. Sequel to _War of the Dragon (RC 57530)_. For grades 5-8. 2004. RC 58453. ## ### _Foreign Language Books_ The following titles are available in the languages designated. _Spanish_ Once Minutos (Eleven Minutes). RC 56976. por Paulo Coelho. leído por María Pino. 2 cassettes. Destrozada por sus primeros amores, María empieza una odisea sexual trabajando como prostituta en Ginebra. Mientras la vida que le corresponde es del sexo por el sexo mismo, al fin conoce a un joven pintor por el cual llega a descubrir su propria luz interior y la posibilidad del sexo sagrado en el contexto de amor. Contiene descripciones explícitas de índole sexual. (Disappointed by love, María begins working as a prostitute in Geneva. While pursuing a life of sex for hire, she has a chance encounter with a young painter that leads her to a new awareness about sex in the context of love. Explicit descriptions of sex.) 2003. RC 56976. ## Apariciones: Una Historia Verdadera (Grave's End: A True Ghost Story). RC 56977. por Elaine Mercado. leído por María Pino. 2 cassettes. La autora y su familia presenciaron extrañas manifestaciones después de mudarse a su nueva casa en un barrio de Brooklyn en 1982. Por fin, Mercado y su familia buscaron la ayuda de una médium y un famoso parapsicólogo para descifrar los secretos de la casa y librarse de las siniestras apariciones. (Relates the frightening manifestations the author and her family witnessed after moving into their new Brooklyn home in 1982. The author describes how they finally sought a medium and a famous parapsychologist to investigate the apparitions and rid their home of the evil presences.) 2003. RC 56977. ## Querido Muñeco (Beloved Doll). RC 56979. por Ralph Barby. leído por María Pino. 1 cassette. Dafne trae a casa un muñeco de payaso, sin saber exactamente como lo cogió. Empieza a oir el llanto incorpóreo de un niño y a pasar pesadillas horribles. Cuando sus amigas de casa y sus novios experimentan cosas siniestras, Dafne cree que haya una maldad que se asocie con el muñeco. Descripciones de índole sexual. (Dafne brings a clown doll home to her apartment--without knowing exactly how she got it--and begins hearing a sobbing child's disembodied voice and having horrible nightmares. When sinister things happen to her roommates and their boyfriends, Dafne suspects an evil associated with the doll. Descriptions of sex.) 1989. RC 56979. ## El Viejo y la Ninfa (The Old Man and the Nymph). RC 56980. por Ralph Barby. leído por María Pino. 1 cassette. Zara, una estudiante universitaria, queda pobre después de la muerte de sus padres. Buscando ayuda, visita a su tío viejo que es el dueño de una vasta granja apícola en el campo. Los grandes enjambres de abejas no son una amenaza para Zara, y en efecto las abejas la protegen. Pero Zara sabe pronto que hay algo temible entre el viejo y sus abejas. (Left penniless after her parents' deaths, university student Zara visits her long lost great-uncle on his plantation apiary. The millions of swarming honey bees pose no threat to her and actually protect her. However, something is terrifying about her uncle when he's with the bees.) 1989. RC 56980. ## El Diablo Azul (The Blue Devil). RC 58102. por ‡ngels Gimeno. leído por María Pino. 1 cassette. Ada queda asolada cuando su querido hermano intenta suicidarse. Mientras él yace en coma al borde de la muerte, Ada trata de comprender lo que pasó con su hermano, un joven hombre alegre y desenfadado que tanto amaba la vida. Al mismo tiempo, se relaciona con una mujer cuyo hijo también yace en coma en el mismo cuarto del hospital. Descripciones de índole sexual. (Ada is devastated when her beloved brother, a carefree, life-loving young man, attempts suicide. As he lingers in a near-death coma, Ada struggles to understand what happened and commiserates with a woman whose son also lies unconscious in the same hospital room. Descriptions of sex.) 2004. RC 58102. ## ### ### Talking Book Magazines Cassette For a free subscription to these magazines, contact your cooperating library. American Heritage (8 issues) Analog Science Fiction and Fact (11 issues) Asimov's Science Fiction (11 issues) The Atlantic Monthly (11 issues; combined issue July-August) Das Beste aus Reader's Digest (German; 12 issues) Bon Appétit (monthly) Buenhogar (Spanish; monthly) Choice Magazine Listening (on loan from cooperating libraries, bimonthly) Consumer Reports (monthly) Contemporary Sound Track: A Review of Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Country (bimonthly) Cricket (for children, on one cassette with National Geographic Kids, monthly) Diabetes Forecast (monthly) Discover (monthly) Ebony (monthly) Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (11 issues) Foreign Affairs (6 issues) Good Housekeeping (monthly plus special issues) Health and Nutrition Newsletters (includes Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing, The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter--Health after Fifty, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and Nutrition Action Healthletter, monthly) Horticulture (6 issues) Journal Français (French; monthly) Magazine of the Month (monthly) Money (monthly plus special issues) The Musical Mainstream (quarterly) The Nation (47 issues) National Geographic (monthly) National Geographic Kids (for children and teens, on one cassette with Cricket, monthly) National Review (25 issues) The New York Times Book Review (weekly) Outdoor Life (10 issues; combined issues June-July, December- January) People Weekly (weekly plus special issues) QST (monthly) Quarterly Music Magazine (quarterly) Selecciones del Reader's Digest (Spanish; monthly) Sélections du Reader's Digest (French; monthly) Smart Computing (monthly) Sound & Vision (10 issues) Spider: The Magazine for Children (monthly) Sports Illustrated (weekly plus special issues) Sports Illustrated for Kids (monthly) Talking Book Topics (bimonthly, also contains selections from NLS News irregularly) Teen People (10 issues) Travel & Leisure (monthly) True West (monthly) U.S. News and World Report (weekly) The Writer (12 issues) Young Adult Magazine of the Month (monthly)