NLS: Talking Book Topics

July-August 2010

In Brief

Books for Adults

Books for Children

Foreign Language

Audio Magazines

In Brief

The following information on the digital transition has been reprinted from the previous issue for the benefit of patrons.

Digital talking-book players now available

The new digital talking-book players are here! All NLS patrons are eligible to receive digital players and digital talking books.

Both the standard and advanced players are easy to use and come with a built-in audio guide. Users may press any button on either player to learn the button’s function. The sound quality is excellent, and most books fit on one cartridge. Users need only insert the book cartridge and the book will begin playing.

To receive a digital player, contact your local network library. Contact information for network libraries is listed on the last pages of this magazine and is also available through the “Find a Library” feature at www.loc.gov/nls/find.html.

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. The items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listing does not imply endorsement.

Talking first-aid kits for travelers

The Talking Safe Traveler kit from Intelligent First Aid includes bandages, sponges, antibiotic ointment, disposable gloves, and other essentials—plus talking instruction cards that explain how to treat breathing difficulties, bleeding, shock, and routine injuries. The kit comes in a lightweight, water-resistant nylon bag and costs $59.99. You may order online at www.intelligentfirstaid.com External link symbol or by phone toll-free at 1-800-377-4544.

New tactile atlas available

The Princeton Braillists of Princeton, New Jersey, recently published the seventy-eight-page Atlas of Southern Africa, which includes eighteen tactile maps and sells for $14. The small group of senior citizen volunteers produces maps by hand in metal foil. The maps are then duplicated by the thermoform process onto 11 x 11.5 inch plastic sheets that are spiral bound into volumes with cardboard covers. The group also has produced Maps of Alaska, Maps of Canada and the United States, and many other atlases.

Contact Ruth Bogia at (215) 357-7715 or by e-mail at rhbogia@aol.com, or Nancy Amick at (609) 924-5207 or jamesaamick@aol.com. External link symbol More information is available on the Princeton Braillists web site, http://mysite.verizon.net/resvqbxe/princetonbraillists. External link symbol

Talking banknote identifier

Orbit Research, which developed a talking calculator in the late 1990s, has introduced the iBill talking banknote identifier. The iBill is about the size of two packs of chewing gum laid side by side and can be attached to a keychain or lanyard. Users insert a piece of U.S. currency into a slot and push a button; a female voice announces the banknote’s denomination. For those who want more privacy, or who have a hearing impairment or difficulty discerning speech, the iBill also has vibration and tone modes. It is available for $99 through Orbit Research at www.orbitresearch.com External link symbol or 1-888-606-7248, and through AT Guys at www.atguys.com External link symbol or (269) 216-4798.

Books for Adults

Nonfiction

James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights     DB/RC 65857
13 hours 14 minutes
by Richard Labunski
read by Ted Stoddard
Professor analyzes James Madison’s influence on the formation of the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights. Provides a detailed account of the debate between Madison and anti-Federalist Patrick Henry over the ratification of the Constitution and describes Madison’s hard-won election to Congress. 2006.

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire     DB/RC 66050
30 hours 47 minutes
by Lawrence James
read by David Cutler
A history of British conquest and colonization from the seventeenth century to the twentieth. Covers the Napoleonic, Crimean, Afghan, Indian, Irish, Middle Eastern, and African conflicts and wars in North America with the American colonists and France. Discusses the global impact of a white, international mercantile enterprise. 1994.

Brother, I’m Dying     DB/RC 66074
7 hours 58 minutes
by Edwidge Danticat
read by Robin Miles
Author recalls her childhood in Haiti where she was raised by her uncle Joseph, a minister. Describes their volatile Port-au-Prince neighborhood and her uncle’s treatment at the hands of a pro-Aristide mob and U.S. Customs officials. Some violence and some strong language. National Book Award finalist. 2007.

Anna of All the Russias: The Life of Anna Akhmatova     DB/RC 66087
14 hours 0 minutes
by Elaine Feinstein
read by Suzanne Toren
Biographer details the life of poet Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) against the backdrop of post-Czarist Russia. Discusses Akhmatova’s political activism, her criticism of Soviet oppression, and the brutality she suffered at the hands of the authoritarian regime that banned her poetry and imprisoned her family. 2005.

Halsey’s Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue     DB/RC 66099
11 hours 22 minutes
by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
read by Christopher Hurt
Account of Typhoon Cobra, a devastating Pacific storm that struck Admiral William Halsey’s fleet near the Philippines in December 1944, sinking three ships and claiming the lives of some eight hundred men. Describes the efforts of USS Tabberer captain Henry Plage, who defied orders and rescued drifting sailors. 2007.

The Wilderness of the Upper Yukon: A Hunter’s Explorations for Wild Sheep in Sub-Arctic Mountains     DB/RC 66131
10 hours 25 minutes
by Charles Sheldon
read by Patrick Downer
Author recounts his 1904–1905 field expeditions in Alaska to hunt bighorn sheep. Recalls traveling by steamboat and canoe, with packhorses, and on foot, sometimes in the company of friends. Describes the country landscape, weather, and wildlife he encountered. 1911.

The Perils of Peace: America’s Struggle for Survival after Yorktown     DB/RC 66275
15 hours 0 minutes
by Thomas Fleming
read by Jake Williams
Focuses on the time period immediately after the 1781 American victory at Yorktown until the 1783 final treaty. Highlights the British, French, and colonial statesmen involved in peace negotiations. Posits that George Washington’s renunciation of absolute power to become a private citizen was the pivotal affirmation of democracy. 2007.

Write It When I’m Gone: Remarkable Off-the-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford     DB/RC 66303
9 hours 8 minutes
by Thomas M. DeFrank
read by Gregory Gorton
Former White House reporter DeFrank presents “an anecdotal memoir” of U.S. president Gerald Ford’s life in politics, which Ford asked to remain unpublished until after his death. Using interviews from 1991 to 2006, DeFrank highlights Ford’s character and his candid assessments of contemporaries, including Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. 2007.

The Jewish Americans: Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America     DB/RC 66398
14 hours 21 minutes
by Beth S. Wenger
read by Suzanne Toren
Companion piece to a 2008 PBS television series uses first-person accounts to examine the history, social integration, ethnic relations, and cultural assimilation of Jews in America from 1654 to 2008. Profiles individuals such as Abraham Kohn, an 1840s peddler who voiced the initial disappointment felt by many Jewish immigrants. 2007.

The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century     DB/RC 66411
29 hours 5 minutes
by Alex Ross
read by Lewis Grenville
Music critic for the New Yorker examines the history of the twentieth century through its music during three time periods: 1900 to 1933, 1933 to 1945, and 1945 to 2000. Discusses the composers, the gulf between classical and popular music, and the musical works that defined each era. National Book Critics Circle Award. 2007.

Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon     DB/RC 66505
10 hours 32 minutes
by Nick Trout
read by Joe Peck
Boston veterinary surgeon Trout describes his typical workday, recounting anecdotes about his patients and their owners. Discusses interpreting animal behavior and symptoms to determine a diagnosis, the impact of technology on his practice, human-pet bonds, and the emotional effects of euthanizing companion animals on all involved. 2008.

How They Won the War in the Pacific: Nimitz and His Admirals     DB/RC 66524
19 hours 39 minutes
by Edwin P. Hoyt
read by Ted Stoddard
Details the strategies and battles of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific fleet during World War II, and those under his direction. Highlights the abilities of Admirals William Halsey and Raymond Spruance, and others, at Midway, Guadalcanal, the Aleutians, the Marianas, Leyte, and Okinawa. 2000.

How to Be a Christian in a Brave New World     DB/RC 66581
8 hours 10 minutes
by Joni Eareckson Tada and Nigel M. de S. Cameron
read by Susan McInerney
Cameron, a bioethics research professor, and Tada, the quadriplegic founder of a Christian disability advocacy organization and author of When God Weeps (RC 49793), offer Christian perspectives on biotechnology issues. They discuss the moral and ethical debates surrounding cloning, genetic engineering, in vitro fertilization, stem-cell research, and other developments. 2006.

The Ends of the Earth: An Anthology of the Finest Writing on the Arctic and the Antarctic       DB/RC 66582
17 hours 35 minutes
edited by Elizabeth Kolbert and Francis Spufford
read by John Horton
Nonfiction and fiction selections by scientists, explorers, and novelists spanning the twentieth century. Includes excerpts from journals of Antarctic explorers Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, and Robert Falcon Scott. Arctic contributions feature Robert Peary’s disputed account of reaching the North Pole and “Kasiagsak, the Great Liar,” a native legend. 2007.

Folktales of Ireland     DB/RC 66584
14 hours 46 minutes
edited by Sean O’Sullivan
read by Terry Donnelly
An English-language compilation of Gaelic lore featuring animals, kings and warriors, saints and sinners, fairies, magicians, and historical characters. In “The Fairy Frog” a girl’s idle wish leads to a strange visit to a fairy palace, with unforeseen consequences. 1966.

Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to Eastern Europe     DB/RC 66587
17 hours 51 minutes
by Ruth Ellen Gruber
read by Suzanne Toren
Guide to hundreds of synagogues, cemeteries, Jewish communities, museums, Holocaust memorials, and other sites of Jewish interest in fourteen eastern European countries including the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine. The author reflects on the legacy of World War II and postwar communism. Includes travel tips and resources. 2007.

Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Laws That Changed America     DB/RC 66592
23 hours 11 minutes
by Nick Kotz
read by Peter Johnson
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist details the partnership between Johnson and King that enabled the passing of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, 1965, and 1968. Stresses that the men’s common values, love of the South, and belief in American democracy fostered their success despite their division over the Vietnam War. 2005.

Classics for Pleasure     DB/RC 66597
12 hours 21 minutes
by Michael Dirda
read by Gordon Gould
Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic introduces roughly ninety literary authors and recommends some of his favorite works of fantasy, science fiction, horror, adventure, biography, history, and poetry. Contains essays on writers Ovid, Petronius, Agatha Christie, and Philip K. Dick and on Arthurian romances and H. Rider Haggard’s She. 2007.

Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death     DB/RC 66619
7 hours 20 minutes
by Irvin D. Yalom
read by Gary Tipton
Psychiatrist and author of Love’s Executioner (RC 30621) offers anecdotes and methods, from his personal experience and clinical work, for dealing with anxieties about death. Encourages readers to transcend fear and find fulfillment by confronting one’s own mortality, communicating more deeply with loved ones, and appreciating life’s beauty. 2008.

Why Marines Fight     DB/RC 66697
11 hours 35 minutes
by James Brady
read by Ted Stoddard
Bronze star recipient and author of The Coldest War (RC 32978) presents forty firsthand accounts of marine combat veterans from World War II to Afghanistan. Profiles Senator James Webb, baseball player Gerald Coleman, and others who describe their motivations, battlefield experiences, and postwar lives. Strong language and some violence. 2007.

A Remarkable Mother     DB/RC 66727
4 hours 30 minutes
by Jimmy Carter
read by Frank Coffee
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter pays homage to his mother, Bessie Lillian Gordy Carter (1898–1983). Describes “Miss Lilly’s” childhood in rural Georgia, training as a nurse during World War I, marriage, and 1968–1969 trip to India as a Peace Corps volunteer. Highlights her humanitarian ethic at home and abroad. 2008.

Mind, Life, and Universe: Conversations with Great Scientists of Our Time     DB/RC 66764
13 hours 33 minutes
edited by Lynn Margulis and Eduardo Punset
read by Kristin Allison
Candid interviews with thirty-seven leading scientists who provide insight into their lives and work. Features evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, Nobel Prize winner Sheldon Lee Glashow, chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall, Gaia Theory conceptualist James E. Lovelock, physicist Lisa Randall, and biologist Edward O. Wilson. Includes suggested readings and contributor biographies. 2007.

Do All Indians Live in Tipis? Questions and Answers from the National Museum of the American Indian     DB/RC 66795
6 hours 16 minutes
by National Museum of the American Indian
read by Christopher Hurt
Reference queries received by the staff of the National Museum of the American Indian. Dozens of questions answered by Native Americans cover history, culture, and language. Topics include ceremonies, totem poles, myths, captivity stories, slavery, clothing, tribal enrollment, and government benefits. For senior high and older readers. 2007.

The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression     DB/RC 66807
17 hours 17 minutes
by Amity Shlaes
read by Ralph Lowenstein
Economics reporter analyzes the Great Depression era in the United States and posits that federal intervention in the economy lengthened its duration. Considers economic plans from members of Franklin Roosevelt’s brain trust and alternate solutions of outsiders such as African American FatherDivine and Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson. 2007.

Being Well When We’re Ill: Wholeness and Hope in Spite of Infirmity     DB/RC 66901
8 hours 43 minutes
by Marva J. Dawn
read by Annie Wauters
Theologian with multiple disabilities offers advice on attaining emotional, intellectual, and spiritual wholeness despite physical infirmities. Suggests scripture to deal with the sorrows of loneliness, pain, worry, boredom, depression, and dying and provides practical ideas for persevering in the face of severe or chronic illness. 2008.

America’s Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation     DB/RC 66907
7 hours 59 minutes
by Kenneth C. Davis
read by Robert Sams
Author of the Don’t Know Much About series describes overlooked episodes in early American history. Includes Queen Isabella’s advice to Columbus to bring pigs to the New World—animals that introduced diseases to the natives—and George Washington’s attack on French soldiers who were on a diplomatic mission. Violence. 2008.

Too Close to the Sun: The Audacious Life and Times of Denys Finch Hatton     DB/RC 66911
12 hours 49 minutes
by Sara Wheeler
read by Corrie James
Biography of the English big-game hunter and bush pilot who, after his accidental death in 1931, was immortalized by his lover Karen Blixen (a.k.a. Isak Dinesen) in her book Out of Africa (RC 23011) and also by Beryl Markham in her memoir West with the Night (RC 23744). 2006.

Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science     DB/RC 66912
13 hours 11 minutes
by James D. Watson
read by Ted Stoddard
Nobel Prize-winning DNA scientist punctuates his autobiography with irreverent lessons learned along the way, like the one in the title. Discusses his career, highlighting his work at Harvard and with fledgling scientists, and his personal life, including his marriage to a woman who is twenty years his junior. 2007.

The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom     DB/RC 66913
12 hours 3 minutes
by Simon Winchester
read by Mary Kane
Biography of British biochemist Joseph Needham (1900–1995) discusses his intellectual development, marriage, and long-standing love affair with a visiting Chinese student. Features his travels to China and his investigations into the history of Chinese inventions and technology, including the compass, explosives, and suspension bridges. 2008.

The Growth of Southern Civilization, 1790–1860     DB/RC 66926
14 hours 56 minutes
by Clement Eaton
read by Robert Sams
Antebellum history of the American South uses original sources to discuss its broad variety of geographic, ethnic, and economic cultures, consisting of rice planters, tobacco farmers, poor whites, Creoles, slaves, a middle class, and city folk. Editors’ introduction by Henry Steele Commager and Richard Brandon Morris. 1961.

Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City     DB/RC 66934
13 hours 58 minutes
by Craig Havighurst
read by Robert Sams
Chronicles the rise of Nashville radio station WSM, established in 1925, which popularized country music including the Grand Ole Opry performances. Discusses the station’s importance to the city. Profiles the businessmen and entertainers who influenced the station’s popularity and protested the 2002 proposed format change. 2007.

Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life     DB/RC 66938
17 hours 24 minutes
by Joseph E. Persico
read by Ted Stoddard
Examines the relationships between President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the important women in his life: his mother Sara, his wife Eleanor, Mrs. Winthrop Rutherfurd (née Lucy Mercer), his secretary Missy LeHand, and his distant cousin Daisy Suckley. 2008.

The Assassin’s Accomplice: Mary Surratt and the Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln     DB/RC 66976
8 hours 28 minutes
by Kate Clifford Larson
read by Laural Merlington
Author of Bound for the Promised Land (RC 64511) investigates the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Focuses on the involvement of boarding-house owner Mary Surratt. Reexamines primary documents to assert that Mary and her son John, both Confederate sympathizers, participated in John Wilkes Booth’s plot. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

The Day Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Betrayal of Reconstruction     DB/RC 66980
12 hours 38 minutes
by Charles Lane
read by Jim Bond
Journalist documents the 1873 murders of nearly one hundred African Americans by white supremacists in Colfax, Louisiana. Analyzes the event and the political, social, and legal atmosphere that led to an 1875 Supreme Court decision denying federal responsibility to protect civil rights. Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments     DB/RC 67102
4 hours 40 minutes
by George Johnson
read by Butch Hoover
Award-winning science writer recounts landmark historic experiments whose simplicity he finds beautiful. Explores discoveries made by Galileo on the laws of motion, William Harvey on blood circulation, Isaac Newton on the color spectrum, Michael Faraday on electromagnetism, and Ivan Pavlov on conditioned responses. 2008.

Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives     DB/RC 67110
6 hours 51 minutes
by Jim Sheeler
read by Roy Avers
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Sheeler recounts the two years he spent shadowing marine major Steve Beck, an officer whose job is to notify the families of fallen soldiers. Sheeler describes the lives of the deceased, Beck’s efforts to comfort the grieving relatives, and the toll on surviving kin. 2008.

Rightsizing Your Life: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most       DB/RC 67113
10 hours 58 minutes
by Ciji Ware
read by Carol Dines
Aiming her advice primarily at midlifers who are relocating, Ware describes ways to deal with the practical and emotional aspects of winnowing possessions to fit a new lifestyle and a smaller living space. Includes seven steps to accomplish rightsizing, tips on maintaining the changes, and a    resource directory. 2007.

The Bride Who Argued with God: Tales from the Treasury of Jewish Folklore     DB/RC 67116
9 hours 52 minutes
retold by Hava Ben-Zvi
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Anthology of Jewish tales from immigrants in Israel, focusing on women and their relationships with men in courtship, marriage, business, and family. In the title story a bride successfully argues with the angel of death, who comes to claim her groom at their wedding feast. 2006.

Jokes to Go: One Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-six of the Funniest Bits from the Best Comedians     DB/RC 67123
6 hours 3 minutes
edited by Judy Brown
read by Jack Fox
One-liners, quips, and humorous observations arranged alphabetically by topic. Includes favorites of Dave Barry, Mel Brooks, Johnny Carson, Bill Cosby, Ellen DeGeneres, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, David Letterman, George Lopez, Dennis Miller, and Conan O’Brien, who cover everything from breakups and marriages to sports and taxes. 2003.

Isn’t It Their Turn to Pick Up the Check? Dealing with All of the Trickiest Money Problems between Family and Friends—from Serial Borrowers to Serious Cheapskates     DB/RC 67124
6 hours 12 minutes
by Jeanne Fleming and Leonard Schwarz
read by Carol Dines
Money magazine contributors explain etiquette and ethics for everyday financial situations. They provide advice on interactions that involve loaning, borrowing, and inheriting money. Authors also describe fiscal problems that arise over moral flaws, irresponsibility, and obligations and suggest ways to resolve such difficulties. 2008.

The Bicycle Book: Wit, Wisdom, and Wanderings     DB/RC 67205
4 hours 40 minutes
edited by Jim Joyce
read by Steven Carpenter
A collection of articles, essays, and poetry that Joyce deems “a celebration of the bicycle by people who ride.” Includes Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Thomas Hylton’s editorial about cycling-friendly communities, an interview with Lance Armstrong’s coach Chris Carmichael, joyful accounts of cycling adventures, and travel and mechanical advice. 2007.

Can’t Remember What I Forgot: The Good News from the Front Lines of Memory Research     DB/RC 67214
8 hours 58 minutes
by Sue Halpern
read by Faith Potts
Science writer Halpern recounts her three-year investigation into medical research on Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. Describes studies involving food, herbal supplements, and game playing. Reports her findings that age-related memory loss is normal and that regular physical exercise boosts memory recall. 2008.

The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World     DB/RC 67273
28 hours 32 minutes
by David W. Anthony
read by Ken Kliban
Archaeologist argues that the puzzle of who, where, and when surrounding Proto-Indo-European language origins has been solved. Asserts that linguistic and archaeological clues identify a location—the Eurasian steppes—and that evidence of domesticated horses and wheeled wagons explains early expansion of traditions, commerce, and language. 2007.

The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life     DB/RC 67321
9 hours 47 minutes
by Pat Conroy
read by Roy Avers
Anecdotes and recipes from the author of The Prince of Tides (RC 25248). Traces his passion for eating and cooking to his southern upbringing and his time in France and Italy. Reminiscing about favorite places, teachers, and meals, Conroy intermixes suggestions for dozens of dishes using high-quality, fresh ingredients. 2004.

Southern Living: Forty Years of Our Best Recipes     DB/RC 67322
12 hours 8 minutes
edited by Jane Elizabeth Lorberau
read by Kerry Dukin
Cookbook presents Southern Living’s top recipes and test-kitchen secrets since 1966. Reviews four decades of the magazine’s culinary history and includes over two hundred fifty recipes for everyday meals, one-dish wonders, party starters, grilled selections, light fare, holiday favorites, desserts, and, of course, southern classics. 2007.

What the Gospels Meant     DB/RC 67346
6 hours 4 minutes
by Garry Wills
read by Bob Moore
Pulitzer Prize winner and author of What Jesus Meant (RC 62385) and What Paul Meant (RC 63893) examines the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; explains their methods and styles; and interprets their goals. Suggests that each Gospel is a meditation on the meaning of Jesus. 2008.

Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography     DB/RC 67443
28 hours 2 minutes
by David Michaelis
read by John Polk
Biography of Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, which he drew from 1950 until his death in 2000. Describes his childhood, the realization of his long-held desire to be a cartoonist, his family life, his two marriages, and the autobiographical aspects of his characters. 2007.

We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam     DB/RC 67672
6 hours 25 minutes
by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
read by Ray Foushee
Retired lieutenant general Moore and military correspondent Galloway follow up their account of combat in We Were Soldiers Once—and Young: Ia Drang, the Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam (RC 38628) by returning to the battlefield with American veterans and meeting with former North Vietnamese commanders. Violence. 2008.

Before You Do: Making Great Decisions That You Won’t Regret     DB/RC 67754
9 hours 6 minutes
by T.D. Jakes
read by Bob Moore
Bishop Jakes, author of Reposition Yourself (RC 65083), offers spiritual and psychological tools to those who need relationship advice. Suggests a practical approach to handling emotional issues involving family, finances, marriage, children, divorce, and other crises. Bestseller. 2008.

What I Talk about When I Talk about Running     DB/RC 67781
4 hours 3 minutes
by Haruki Murakami
read by Steven Carpenter
Author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (RC 46636) explains his abrupt decisions to take up writing and then running. Describes practicing over the following twenty-three years, progressing from jogs to triathlons. Discusses ways his writing life differs from the “cozy, homemade void” of his sport. Originally published in Japanese. 2008.

The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics     DB/RC 67836
13 hours 17 minutes
by Leonard Susskind
read by Lou Harpenau
Examines both Stephen Hawking’s 1976 assertion that particles of matter falling into a black hole are permanently lost to the universe and the ensuing scientific debates. Discusses attacks on Hawking’s theory, beginning in 1983, by fellow physicists Gerard ’t Hooft and author Susskind —and Hawking’s 2004 reversal. 2008.

Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness     DB/RC 67839
12 hours 16 minutes
by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
read by Butch Hoover
The authors believe that humans tend to make poor decisions because of bias, blunder, herd mentality, and temptation. They suggest that governments, institutions, and families create environments that encourage individuals to make better choices in all areas, including health, money, and education. 2008.

The Migraine Brain: Your Breakthrough Guide to Fewer Headaches, Better Health     DB/RC 67872
14 hours 56 minutes
by Carolyn Bernstein and Elaine McArdle
read by Kerry Dukin
A neurologist specializing in headaches and a journalist who suffers from migraines discuss the uniqueness of migraineurs’ brains and describe the different types and stages of the condition. They offer advice on finding the right medical care, determining headache triggers, reducing pain, and creating a personal wellness plan. 2008.

The Ultimate Battle: Okinawa, 1945— the Last Epic Struggle of World War II     DB/RC 67875
14 hours 49 minutes
by Bill Sloan
read by Barry Bernson
Former investigative reporter and author of Given Up for Dead: America’s Heroic Stand at Wake Island (RC 59200) chronicles the WWII battle for the Japanese stronghold of Okinawa. Uses firsthand accounts of U.S. soldiers—who recall their personal combat experiences—to detail the three-month-long campaign. Violence and some strong language. 2007.

The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America          DB/RC 67885
14 hours 1 minute
by James Bamford
read by Lou Harpenau
Follow-up to The Puzzle Palace (RC 19096) and Body of Secrets (RC 52277) continues the history of the U.S. National Security Agency. Concentrates on the war on terror after the September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks on America. Highlights interagency rivalries and the use of warrantless wiretapping. 2008.

Music Lessons: Guide Your Child to Play a Musical Instrument (and Enjoy It!)     DB/RC 67895
7 hours 16 minutes
by Stephanie Stein Crease
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Deploring the lack of musical education in American public schools, the author encourages parents to initiate and continue nurturing their children’s musical knowledge. Offers practical advice from music educators, parents, and youths on choosing instruments, programs, and instructors best suited to each child. 2006.

A Short History of the United States     DB/RC 67896
15 hours 11 minutes
by Robert V. Remini
read by Butch Hoover
Historian chronicles the development of the United States from settlement of the land by nomads during the Ice Age to early-twenty-first-century civilization. Discusses the discovery of the New World by Europeans, the founding of the republic, and foreign and civil wars. Highlights the evolution of democratic principles. 2008.

Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived     DB/RC 67900
9 hours 5 minutes
by Ralph Helfer
read by Alec Volz
Hollywood animal behaviorist fondly recalls his eighteen-year relationship with Zamba, an African lion that came to live on his California ranch in the mid-1950s. Helfer recounts adventures with Zamba, including movie productions, and describes his development of affection training, which uses methods based on love instead of fear. 2005.

The Wordy Shipmates     DB/RC 67904
7 hours 40 minutes
by Sarah Vowell
read by Kerry Dukin
A history of the Puritan founders of New England. Contrasts Loyalist Massachusetts Bay Colony founder John Winthrop with earlier Plymouth settlers led by the Reverend John Cotton. Discusses the philosophies of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, colonists’ conflicts with Native Americans, and the Puritans’ influence on American values. Bestseller. 2008.

Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain     DB/RC 67928
8 hours 45 minutes
by Maryanne Wolf
read by Kristin Allison
Discusses the evolution of our human brain’s capacity to learn to read. Begins with the origins of writing, proceeds to the development of the reading brain and its pathways to acquisition, and ends with questions about potential transformations due to digital technology. Examines reading difficulties of children with dyslexia. 2007.

Posthumous Keats: A Personal Biography     DB/RC 68002
13 hours 59 minutes
by Stanley Plumly
read by Jim Zeiger
Reflective biography of English poet John Keats (1795–1821), structured by themes in his life and art. Plumly posits that Keats’s early, drawn-out, painful terminal illness is inseparable from the power of his poetry and explains why, despite expecting his work to die with him, Keats achieved posthumous poetic immortality. 2008.

The Longest Trip Home: A Memoir     DB/RC 68018
11 hours 9 minutes
by John Grogan
read by Bob Moore
John Grogan, author of Marley and Me (RC 61561), describes growing up near Detroit as the youngest of four siblings. Recounts many experiences, from disappointing his devout Catholic parents by living with his girlfriend to witnessing his father’s 2004 death and his mother’s mental decline. Strong language. 2008.

Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice     DB/RC 68028
9 hours 39 minutes
by Maureen McCormick
read by Margaret Strom
At age fifty-one, former child actress McCormick describes an early life of drug abuse and troubled family dynamics that contrasts with her wholesome alter ego—the popular Marcia Brady character from television’s The Brady Bunch. She discusses motherhood, a long and happy marriage, and finding contentment. Some strong language. 2008.

American Indian Places: A Historical Guidebook     DB/RC 68073
21 hours 13 minutes
by Frances H. Kennedy
read by Ralph Lowenstein
Historical guide to 366 sites within the United States that are significant to Native Americans and open to the public, organized by geographic region. Each location is listed with an essay conveying its importance, history, and archaeological background. Addresses proper visitor protocol. 2008.

A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca; the Extraordinary Tale of a Shipwrecked Spaniard Who Walked across America in the Sixteenth Century     DB/RC 68086
10 hours 56 minutes
by Andrés Reséndez
read by Suzanne Toren
Historian profiles Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who, with three others, survived a failed 1528 Spanish expedition to Florida. Describes the group’s harrowing passage across the Gulf of Mexico, years of captivity in what later became Texas, and trek through the wilderness to the Pacific coast. Violence. 2007.

How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America     DB/RC 68087
11 hours 15 minutes
by Moustafa Bayoumi
read by Peter Ganim
Professor relates the problems encountered by seven twentysomething Arab Americans living in Brooklyn, New York, since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Describes the FBI’s detention of Syrian-born Rasha and her family. Recounts the harassment endured by male college student Sami on campus. 2008.

Hess: The Man and His Mission     DB/RC 68092
11 hours 18 minutes
by J. Bernard Hutton
read by Richard Davidson
Account of Hitler’s deputy Rudolph Hess, who in 1941 attempted to negotiate peace between Germany and Britain. Describes Hess’s mysterious flight to Scotland and his dubious mental state. Argues that Hitler approved the mission. Includes the complete text of Hess’s statement as told to the Nuremberg Tribunal in 1945. 1970.

The Nez Perces in the Indian Territory: Nimiipuu Survival     DB/RC 68093
12 hours 9 minutes
by J. Diane Pearson
read by Christopher Hurt
American Indian Studies professor traces the history of the Nez Perces and their maltreatment by the U.S. government. Focuses on the years after the 1877 undeclared war when the Pacific Northwest Indians were relocated to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Describes their legal battles and daily suffering from poverty and disease. 2008.

The Forever War     DB/RC 68103
12 hours 51 minutes
by Dexter Filkins
read by Ken Kliban
New York Times correspondent presents vignettes about his years covering terrorism in the Middle East, beginning in 1998. Describes being embedded with U.S. marines in Iraq, watching Taliban executions in Afghanistan, being arrested in Pakistan, and witnessing the 2001 terrorist attack on New York City. Violence and strong language. 2008.

Sing Me Back Home: Love, Death, and Country Music     DB/RC 68110
9 hours 28 minutes
by Dana Jennings
read by Jeremy Gage
New York Times editor explains the ways the classic country music of the 1950s to 1970s resonated with the rural, working-class lives of his New Hampshire family and neighbors.   Discusses legendary musicians like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn and their effect on audiences. Strong language. 2008.

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations     DB/RC 68193
12 hours 57 minutes
by David R. Montgomery
read by Butch Hoover
Geomorphologist examines the role that soil has played throughout civilization from ancient Mesopotamia to 1980s Cuba. Discusses overcultivation and erosion that caused the demise of many societies. Suggests organic farming techniques to avoid future catastrophes. 2007.

One Hundred Questions and Answers about Cervical Cancer     DB/RC 68199
4 hours 40 minutes
by Don S. Dizon and others read by Carol Dines
Physicians answer basic questions concerning women’s cervical cancer. They cover risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, sexuality, fertility, and stages of the disease. They also offer advice on prevention and screening, including Pap tests and vaccines. 2009.

The Suicide Index: Putting My Father’s Death in Order     DB/RC 68202
8 hours 11 minutes
by Joan Wickersham
read by Erin Jones
In this memoir novelist Joan Wickersham explores her father’s suicide—writing about it to understand her family and trying to transform it into something she can grasp. She explains the facts of the event and ponders the unfathomable. Some strong language. National Book Award finalist. 2008.

Mortal Danger: And Other True Cases; Ann Rule’s Crime Files, Volume 13     DB/RC 68225
12 hours 22 minutes
by Ann Rule
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
In “Mortal Danger” a stewardess met the man of her dreams—only to realize later that he was a psychopath. In “Written in Blood” an ex-con with a gruesome past slaughtered his newlywed neighbors. Three other murder cases complete the anthology. Violence, descriptions of sex, and some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

Obama’s Challenge: America’s Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency     DB/RC 68226
8 hours 30 minutes
by Robert Kuttner
read by Guy Williams
Prior to Obama’s inauguration, journalist and economist examines the legacies of transformative presidents who changed the course of American history. Posits that Obama may be the right leader to provide viable solutions to the economic and political crises facing the United States. 2008.

Gay America: Struggle for Equality     DB/RC 68234
5 hours 37 minutes
by Linas Alsenas
read by Kristin Allison
History of homosexuality in America focuses primarily on the twentieth century. Uses first-person accounts to illustrate the social and political milieu of several time periods and chronicles the milestone events affecting this population. For senior high readers. 2008.

Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes     DB/RC 68235
7 hours 38 minutes
by Billy Watkins
read by Jake Williams
Interviews conducted between 1999 and 2005 with fourteen behind-the-scenes contributors. Features the NASA photography chief who instructed astronauts on picture taking, the chief technician for space-suit maintenance, the wife of an Apollo 14 astronaut, and the project director who developed a lunar roving vehicle on a truncated timeline. 2007.

Enough. True Measures of Money, Business, and Life     DB/RC 68248
6 hours 42 minutes
by John C. Bogle
read by Jim Zeiger
Vanguard Mutual Fund founder criticizes rampant excess within corporations and the financial industry and advocates moderation, balance, and integrity in business and personal decisions. Uses anecdotes and market observations to illustrate the need for choosing value above cost, distinguishing between leadership and management, and focusing on character over success. 2009.

Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self     DB/RC 68249
6 hours 21 minutes
by Lori Gottlieb
read by Mare Trevathan
Adult author revisits the diary she maintained in 1978 when she was an eleven-year-old girl hospitalized with anorexia. She records family arguments, body-image obsessions, dieting, worrying about inhaling calories from people’s breath, conversations with doctors, and being discharged. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 2000.

Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl     DB/RC 68258
6 hours 26 minutes
by Stacy O’Brien
read by Kristin Allison
The author, an assistant in the Caltech owl department in 1985, recounts adopting Wesley, a four-day-old barn owl with a nerve-damaged wing. She describes the strong bond they developed over nineteen years, manifested by the owl’s efforts to feed her mice, build her nests, and make her his mate. 2008.

Computers for Seniors for Dummies     DB/RC 68356
7 hours 37 minutes
by Nancy Muir
read by Roy Avers
Step-by-step computer basics for mature users who want to learn how to buy a computer and access the Internet. Explains using the mouse, keyboard, and e-mail; working with files and folders; adding a printer, scanner, or fax machine; enjoying digital photography; listening to music; and playing games. 2008.

The New Codependency: Help and Guidance for Today’s Generation     DB/RC 68362
10 hours 1 minute
by Melody Beattie
read by Kerry Dukin
A follow-up to the classic Codependent No More (RC 28220) explains that codependency is a pattern of behavior rather than an illness. Using examples from her own life, Beattie discusses analyzing one’s actions and offers enabling techniques to set boundaries and take better care of oneself. 2009.

Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy     DB/RC 68402
8 hours 17 minutes
by M. William Phelps
read by Phil Gigante
Biography of famed patriot and American Revolution hero Nathan Hale (1755–1776), who was hanged by the British for spying. Uses primary sources to detail Hale’s years at Yale and his teaching career before he joined the Connecticut militia. Some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

Sun in a Bottle: The Strange History of Fusion and the Science of Wishful Thinking     DB/RC 68406
9 hours 13 minutes
by Charles Seife
read by Bill Weideman
Describes scientists’ many attempts, since the first hydrogen bomb was detonated in 1952, to harness nuclear fusion. Discusses the various teams that have tried lasers, magnets, sound waves, particle beams, and metal to tap into the power of the sun. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

The Road of Lost Innocence     DB/RC 68408
5 hours 18 minutes
by Somaly Mam
read by Tanya Eby Sirois
Sold into sexual slavery as a child, Cambodian author describes her ordeals and eventual escape from a Phnom Penh brothel with the help of a French aid worker. Mam details her later activism and efforts to help other victims of Southeast Asia’s sex trade. Violence, descriptions of sex, and some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

Champlain’s Dream     DB/RC 68415
36 hours 30 minutes
by David Hackett Fischer
read by Dennis Rooney
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of Washington’s Crossing (RC 58946) chronicles the life and times of French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec in 1608. Recounts the European wars of religion, court life, and colonial exploration. Describes Champlain’s humanist vision for the people of Canada’s First Nations. Violence. 2008.

The Subprime Solution: How Today’s Global Financial Crisis Happened and What to Do about It     DB/RC 68505
4 hours 5 minutes
by Robert J. Shiller
read by Andy Pyle
Yale University economist analyzes the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007–08. Asserts that the housing bubble was a major cause of the situation. Offers realistic proposals for short- and long-term solutions, including bailouts and an improved information infrastructure to restore the public’s confidence. 2008.

A Slobbering Love Affair: The True (and Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media     DB/RC 68512
3 hours 51 minutes
by Bernard Goldberg
read by Jack Fox
Author of Bias (RC 53649) posits that the mainstream media offered only one-sided coverage of Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign for U.S. president. Argues that the loss of objective journalism as the traditional government watchdog would endanger a free society. Bestseller. 2009.

Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don’t Know about Them)     DB/RC 68810
11 hours 32 minutes
by Bart D. Ehrman
read by Dennis Rooney
In this companion to Misquoting Jesus (RC 61941), biblical historian Ehrman reveals the divergent views of scholars concerning the true nature of Jesus and the concept of salvation. Discusses the historical Jesus, the writers of the Bible, and the origins of Christianity. Bestseller. 2009.

The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran     DB/RC 68827
11 hours 8 minutes
by Hooman Majd
read by Peter Ganim
A Western-educated and Western-raised son of a diplomat explores the essence of Iranian society in the twenty-first century. Asserts that most “ordinary” citizens want more social freedoms and a better economy, yet many maintain their Islamic Shia “sensibility.” Covers cultural and political aspects of the country. 2008.

Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East     DB/RC 68842
19 hours 42 minutes
by Robin Wright
read by Peter Ganim
Wright, a veteran reporter covering the Middle East, reflects on thirty years of changes in the Muslim world and ponders a future influenced by technology, demographics, and globalization.   Captures opinions from Palestinians, Egyptians, Lebanese, Syrians, Iranians, and Moroccans about their respective countries. Also discusses the U.S. presence in Iraq. 2008.

Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners     DB/RC 68850
22 hours 4 minutes
by Laura Claridge
read by Barbara Caruso
Biography of twentieth-century etiquette expert Emily Price Post (1872–1960). Details Post’s privileged upbringing, scandalous 1906 divorce, and decision to work as a fiction writer to support her family. Describes Post’s rise as a bestselling author after publishing her first book of manners in 1922 at age fifty. 2008.

The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism     DB/RC 69146
15 hours 28 minutes
by Ron Suskind
read by Ralph Lowenstein
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The One Percent Doctrine (RC 62715) asserts that the war with Iraq was begun based on falsified documents and that America has lost its moral compass. Warns of nuclear terrorism and bemoans missed opportunities for diplomacy. Strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

True Compass: A Memoir     DB/RC 69538
17 hours 49 minutes
by Edward M. Kennedy
read by Jack Fox
Autobiography of the Democratic senator from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy (1932–2009). Reminisces about his family, childhood, education, marriages, and five decades in politics. Discusses the assassinations of his brothers John and Bobby, the 1969 car accident at Chappaquiddick, and his battle with terminal brain cancer. Bestseller. 2009.

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Fiction

A Family Christmas     DB/RC 65732
10 hours 11 minutes
selected by Caroline Kennedy
read by Barbara Caruso
Anthology of Kennedy’s holiday favorites. Encompasses stories, poems, scripture, songs, and essays of the Christmas season. Includes her own 1962 letter to Santa as well as works by Irving Berlin, Robert Frost, George Washington, Langston Hughes, and other notables. Bestseller. 2007.

China Sea: A Tale of the Modern Navy     DB/RC 65837
12 hours 28 minutes
by David Poyer
read by Steven Carpenter
Naval commander Dan Lenson relieves the skipper of the frigate Gaddis to deliver the decommissioned ship to Pakistan. Instead he finds himself fighting pirates in the South China Sea with an undermanned, undergunned, and near-mutinous crew as a typhoon approaches. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2000.

Raining Cats and Dogs: A Melanie Travis Mystery     DB/RC 65858
7 hours 10 minutes
by Laurien Berenson
read by Michele Schaeffer
Canine enthusiast and part-time sleuth Melanie Travis enrolls her poodle Faith in the South Avenue Obedience Club. Fellow member Paul spearheads an outing to the nursing home of his wealthy great-aunt Mary. When Mary is found suffocated, Melanie seeks a killer among suspicious staff, club members, and Mary’s family. 2005.

Strangers in Death: An Eve Dallas Mystery     DB/RC 65950
13 hours 50 minutes
by J.D. Robb
read by Suzanne Toren
NYPSD lieutenant Eve Dallas and her partner, detective Delia Peabody, investigate the murder of business tycoon Thomas Anders. Eve uncovers ties to two other murders and enlists her husband Roarke in the search for the culprit. Strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. Bestseller. 2008.

Three-Shirt Deal: A Shane Scully Mystery     DB/RC 66289
8 hours 55 minutes
by Stephen J. Cannell
read by Robert Sams
Detective Shane Scully disobeys orders and investigates a closed case, suspecting that small-time crook Tru Hickman was framed for the murder of his own mother. Meanwhile Shane’s wife Alexa struggles with aftereffects from wounds she received in White Sister (RC 65825). Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey     DB/RC 66312
17 hours 2 minutes
by Alison Weir
read by Anne Flosnik
Sixteenth-century England. Jane Grey, King Henry VIII’s great-niece, becomes a royal pawn in the battle for the Crown. Jane’s power-hungry parents and opponents of her Catholic cousin Mary plot Jane’s ascension, eventually bringing a brief reign—and treason charges. Some violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2006.

Winter Study: An Anna Pigeon Mystery     DB/RC 66376
13 hours 26 minutes
by Nevada Barr
read by Suzanne Toren
Park ranger Anna Pigeon returns to the frigid Isle Royale National Park on Lake Superior to join the fifty-year-old winter wolf study along with two scientists from Homeland Security who need to ascertain its feasibility. Anna’s uneasiness is justified when a biotechnician is killed. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

The Road to Dune     DB/RC 66412
16 hours 49 minutes
by Frank Herbert and others read by J.P. Linton
Collection of notes, correspondence, and stories revealing the creative process behind the Dune series. Includes previously unpublished chapters from Frank Herbert’s Dune (RC 44126) and Dune Messiah (RC 19126), an alternate version of Dune called Spice Planet by Herbert’s son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson, and four short stories. 2005.

My Mistress’s Sparrow Is Dead: Great Love Stories, from Chekhov to Munro     DB/RC 66489
21 hours 39 minutes
edited by Jeffrey Eugenides
read by Alexander Strain
Twenty-seven short romantic pieces. Includes classic works by William Faulkner (“A Rose for Emily”) and Anton Chekhov (“The Lady with the Little Dog”) and stories by William Trevor, James Joyce, Vladimir Nabokov, Denis Johnson, Raymond Carver, and Alice Munro. Strong    language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Lock and Key     DB/RC 66546
10 hours 32 minutes
by Sarah Dessen
read by Kristin Allison
Seventeen-year-old Ruby, abandoned by her alcoholic mother, moves in with her sister Cora, whom Ruby hasn’t seen in ten years. Ruby struggles with learning to trust others and accepting help. Nate, the boy next door, assists Ruby but hides a secret of his own. For senior high readers. 2008.

Friend of the Devil: An Inspector Alan Banks Mystery     DB/RC 66588
12 hours 34 minutes
by Peter Robinson
read by Graeme Malcolm
Chief Inspector Alan Banks investigates the death of a college girl while Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, on loan to another police district, probes the murder of a female quadriplegic. The two cases become intertwined with past serial killings. Violence and strong language. 2007.

Seen It All and Done the Rest     DB/RC 66669
8 hours 54 minutes
by Pearl Cleage
read by Victoria Gordon
Anti-Americanism sends African American actress Josephine Evans home to Atlanta after a thirty-year career in Europe. Josephine reconnects with her granddaughter Zora, from Baby Brother’s Blues (RC 63550), and the West End community, where she rebuilds her late mother’s house despite threats from developer Greer Woodruff. Strong language. 2008.

Madman     DB/RC 66729
13 hours 15 minutes
by Tracy Groot
read by Catherine Byers
Greek servant Tallis discovers that the Socratic academy in Palestine has been mysteriously disbanded. One scholar was murdered, another committed suicide, and one went mad. Living in the tombs of Kursi, the madman alone may hold the answers. A tale of the biblical Gerasene demoniac. Some violence. Christy Award. 2006.

The Forbidden: The Courtship of Nellie Fisher, Book 2     DB/RC 66753
8 hours 4 minutes
by Beverly Lewis
read by Gabriella Cavallero
Caleb Yoder’s father forbids him to court Nellie Mae Fisher because her family has left the Old Order Amish church for the New Order. Nellie tries to figure out a way she can have both salvation in Jesus and a relationship with Caleb. Sequel to The Parting (RC 66456). 2008.

The Art of Racing in the Rain     DB/RC 66787
9 hours 16 minutes
by Garth Stein
read by Peter Ganim
Enzo, a mixed-breed dog, believes he will be reincarnated as a human. He stands by his master Denny Swift’s side through Denny’s race-car driving career, the birth of his daughter Zoë, the death of his wife Eve, and a bitter custody battle with Eve’s parents. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

The Secret Hangman: A Peter Diamond Mystery     DB/RC 66794
9 hours 19 minutes
by Peter Lovesey
read by Julian Elfer
Widowed detective superintendent Peter Diamond of Bath, England, investigates the hanging deaths of a waitress and her ex-husband, which appear to be a murder-suicide. A secret admirer sends Diamond letters, and he begins to suspect that a serial killer is loose. Some strong language. 2007.

The Body in the Gallery: A Faith Fairchild Mystery     DB/RC 66797
8 hours 57 minutes
by Katherine Hall Page
read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Caterer Faith Fairchild helps her friend Patsy Avery, a trustee of a local museum. Patsy suspects someone has replaced a valuable painting with a forgery. Although Faith has promised her husband to stop her amateur sleuthing, she discovers the body of a young woman at the gallery. 2008.

Daughter of the Sun     DB/RC 66800
16 hours 57 minutes
by Barbara Wood
read by Catherine Byers
American Southwest, 1150. Toltec leader Jakál kidnaps seventeen-year-old potter Hoshi’tiwa, taking her from her family and her betrothed to the Toltec’s drought-stricken lands. There she is forced to make a jar that will bring rain—or face execution. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2007.

Death in the Garden     DB/RC 66808
11 hours 26 minutes
by Elizabeth Ironside
read by Lisette Lecat
London attorney Helena discovers upon the death of her great-aunt Diana that the woman had been suspected but acquitted of her first husband’s murder back in 1925. Helena becomes obsessed with finding the real killer even as she begins questioning her own affair with a married politician. 1995.

The Abduction     DB/RC 66857
12 hours 12 minutes
by Mark Gimenez
read by Fred Major
Ten-year-old Gracie Brice is snatched after a soccer game while her Internet-billionaire father is distracted by a phone call. As the FBI team assembles and her attorney mother offers a reward and a bounty, Gracie’s Vietnam-vet-sniper grandfather begins his own search. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2007.

Secrets     DB/RC 66866
8 hours 59 minutes
by Jude Deveraux
read by Erin Jones
Cassie Madden works as a nanny for widower Jeff Ames—a man Cassie has had a crush on since she was twelve. When Jeff begins dating spoiled Skylar, heartbroken Cassie befriends a retired actress and accidentally uncovers a long-forgotten mystery and secrets involving Jeff. 2008.

Sister’s Choice: Patchwork Circle, Book 2     DB/RC 66891
9 hours 51 minutes
by Judith Pella
read by Colleen Delany
Oregon, 1882. Maggie Newcomb is busy husband-hunting when newcomer Tamara Brennan threatens her plans. Maggie enlists her friend Evan Parker, a newly graduated lawyer, to help her snag Colby Stoddard even though Evan is busy defending a local boy accused of murder. Maggie learns the meaning of true love. 2008.

The Final Detail: A Myron Bolitar Mystery     DB/RC 66893
10 hours 8 minutes
by Harlan Coben
read by Mark Ashby
Sports agent Myron Bolitar’s friend and partner Esperanza stands accused of killing their client, troubled Yankees pitcher Clu Haid. Against Esperanza’s wishes, Myron tries to clear her name. The investigation leads to a cold missing-persons case and a painful incident from Myron’s past. Some violence and some strong language. 1999.

Cliff Hanger: A Martha’s Vineyard Mystery     DB/RC 66896
8 hours 11 minutes
by Philip R. Craig
read by Michael Russotto
After three close calls ex-cop J.W. Jackson realizes that someone wants him dead. But when J.W. figures out that his attacker may have mistaken him for unassuming college professor John Skye, J.W. travels to Colorado to find the vacationing academic and warn him before the would-be killer strikes again. 1993.

Santa Fe Dead: An Ed Eagle Novel     DB/RC 66898
8 hours 21 minutes
by Stuart Woods
read by Gregory Gorton
New Mexico attorney Ed Eagle’s ex-wife Barbara escapes custody while on trial for attempting to kill him. In disguise and using an alias, Barbara schemes to marry a widowed billionaire and have Ed and Ed’s actress girlfriend murdered. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

On My Terms: The Claytons, Book 4     DB/RC 66908
9 hours 5 minutes
by Shirley Hailstock
read by Colleen Delany
When Theresa Ramsey arrives at her late parents’ New York estate, she is dismayed to find the house still occupied by a film crew that rented the location for a movie. After the appealing director persuades Theresa to let them stay, sparks fly. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

The Last Chicken in America: A Novel in Stories     DB/RC 66909
7 hours 5 minutes
by Ellen Litman
read by Annie Wauters
Twelve interconnected stories about Russian Jewish immigrants settling in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. In the title story, seventeen-year-old Masha becomes responsible for her unemployed, non-English-speaking parents’ navigation of American ways. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2007.

Shakespeare’s Kitchen: Stories     DB/RC 66910
6 hours 59 minutes
by Lore Segal
read by Ted Stoddard
Thirteen interrelated tales, several of which appeared in the New Yorker, about Vienna-born Ilka, newcomer to a Connecticut think tank, as she struggles to befriend her fellow academics, especially institute director Leslie Shakespeare. Includes “At Whom the Dog Barks” and O. Henry Prize winner “Reverse Bug.” Some strong language. 2007.

The O. Henry Prize Stories, 2008     DB/RC 66915
15 hours 29 minutes
edited by Laura Furman
read by Mary Kane
Twenty prizewinning stories. In Anthony Doerr’s “Village 113” an Asian woman resists leaving a hamlet doomed by dam construction. Also includes Edward P. Jones’s “Bad Neighbors,” Yiyun Li’s “Prison,” and tales by Michel Faber, Alice Munro, and William Trevor. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

Chat: A Joe Gunther Mystery     DB/RC 66924
9 hours 33 minutes
by Archer Mayor
read by Gregory Gorton
Vermont Bureau of Investigation detective Joe Gunther suspects that the car accident his mother and brother are involved in is payback for an arrest Joe made. Meanwhile Joe’s team has two middle-aged male corpses, but no motive and no suspect. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2007.

The Risk of Infidelity Index: A Vincent Calvino Crime Novel     DB/RC 66925
13 hours 11 minutes
by Christopher G. Moore
read by Ted Stoddard
Bangkok, Thailand. American Vincent Calvino, a disbarred-lawyer-turned-PI, works for several unhappy expatriate wives who, since reading The Risk of Infidelity Index, believe their husbands are cheating on them. While pursuing the case, Vincent discovers connections to the death of another client for whom he investigated drug-piracy activity. Strong language. 2007.

The Case of the Missing Brontë: A Perry Trethowan Mystery     DB/RC 66927
6 hours 3 minutes
by Robert Barnard
read by David Cutler
In a Yorkshire pub, Inspector Perry Trethowan of Scotland Yard encounters retired schoolteacher Edith Wing, who possesses what appears to be a previously undiscovered Emily Brontë manuscript. When Edith is attacked, Perry tries to figure out who else may want the priceless work. 1983.

Blue Smoke and Murder     DB/RC 66937
10 hours 8 minutes
by Elizabeth Lowell
read by Mary Kane
Arizona river guide Jill Breck receives a death threat shortly after her great-aunt leaves her a dozen unsigned paintings that once belonged to Jill’s grandmother. Jill asks security expert Zach Balfour to investigate the origins of the paintings. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit     descriptions of sex. 2008.

A Case of Vineyard Poison: A Martha’s Vineyard Mystery     DB/RC 66940
7 hours 15 minutes
by Philip R. Craig
read by Michael Russotto
J.W. Jackson’s fianceé Zee discovers an extra hundred thousand dollars in her bank account—a mistake attributed to a computer glitch. Later, cop-turned-fisherman J.W. finds on his driveway the poisoned body of college coed Kathy Ellis, who coincidentally had recently withdrawn the same amount of money from her own account. 1995.

The Cure for Modern Life     DB/RC 66977
10 hours 49 minutes
by Lisa Tucker
read by Scott Brick
Homeless ten-year-old Danny hoodwinks Philadelphia pharmaceutical executive Matthew Connelly into taking Danny and his younger sister in for the night. While Matthew’s former lover, medical researcher Amelia, intends to expose lethal side effects of Matthew’s new drug, she also appreciates the kids’ plight. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

The Amateur Spy     DB/RC 66978
14 hours 24 minutes
by Dan Fesperman
read by Phil Gigante
Freeman Lockhart, a dispirited international-aid worker, retires to a Greek island. But Lockhart is kidnapped and blackmailed into spying on a former colleague, Palestinian Omar al-Baroody, in Jordan. Meanwhile, an Arab American woman has her own agenda. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

No Choice but Seduction: A Malory Family Novel     DB/RC 67020
8 hours 56 minutes
by Johanna Lindsey
read by Kristin Allison
1826. Shipowner Boyd Anderson falls for passenger Katey Tyler and is heartbroken that she is married. But after Katey rescues Anthony Malory’s daughter from kidnappers, Boyd discovers Katey lied about being married and he vows to seduce her. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Chasing Harry Winston     DB/RC 67032
12 hours 24 minutes
by Lauren Weisberger
read by Suzanne Toren
New Yorkers Leigh, Emmy, and Adriana, friends since college, seek changes in their lives as they near thirty. Newly dumped Emmy wants to date lots of men, gorgeous Brazilian Adriana decides to pick a man to marry, and editor Leigh meets a brilliant author. Strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

Sundays at Tiffany’s     DB/RC 67037
5 hours 47 minutes
by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
read by Susan McInerney
Thirtysomething Jane is reunited with a sweet, funny, and handsome man from her past named Michael, who happens to be her imaginary friend from childhood. But not even Michael knows the real reason they have been brought together. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2008.

A Father’s Law     DB/RC 67046
9 hours 45 minutes
by Richard Wright
read by Bill Quinn
Chicago, 1950s. African American cop Ruddy Turner becomes police chief of Brentwood Park, an upscale suburb, after the former chief is murdered. Ruddy investigates a string of killings while worrying about his college-age son Tommy. Then Ruddy starts to see a sinister connection. Strong language and some violence. 1960.

Fireships     DB/RC 67050
12 hours 45 minutes
by David Drake
read by J.P. Linton
Intergalactic trader Sarah “Sal” Blythe narrowly escapes an attack on her vessel by Earth’s North American Federation. Determined to retaliate, Sal allies with warrior Stephen Gregg, commander Piet Ricimer, and Venusian rebels in a raid against the federation. Sequel to Through the Breach         (RC 46309). Some violence. 1996.

Almost a Lady     DB/RC 67087
13 hours 48 minutes
by Jane Feather
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Twenty-nine-year-old Englishwoman Meg Barratt is mistaken for a privateer, knocked unconscious, and taken aboard Captain Cosimo’s ship as it heads out to sea. Now he must persuade her to help with his latest assignment—assassinating General Napoleon Bonaparte. Companion to Almost a Bride (RC 60161). Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2005.

A Dream to Follow: Return to Red River, Book 1     DB/RC 67095
10 hours 13 minutes
by Lauraine Snelling
read by Mitzi Friedlander
North Dakota, 1893. In this continuation of the Red River saga, seventeen- year-old aspiring journalist Thorliff Bjorklund applies to college. But once accepted Thorliff faces a dilemma— follow his dreams or stay and help his family on the farm. He turns to God for help. For senior high and older readers. 2001.

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë     DB/RC 67111
12 hours 33 minutes
by Laura Joh Rowland
read by Erin Jones
Charlotte Brontë and her sister Anne travel to London in 1848 to meet with Charlotte’s publisher. On the train they meet Isabel White, a mysterious young woman who is later murdered. Drawn into the intrigue, Charlotte attempts to solve the crime. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Mystery     DB/RC 67114
11 hours 6 minutes
by Jacqueline Winspear
read by Jill Fox
England, 1930s. Artist and WWI veteran Nick Bassington-Hope falls from a scaffold to his death while preparing for his gallery opening. Nick’s twin sister Georgina hires Maisie Dobbs to prove he was murdered. Maisie discovers that Nick’s masterpiece is missing and she searches for clues among her client’s relatives. 2006.

Believing the Dream: Return to Red River, Book 2     DB/RC 67115
12 hours 22 minutes
by Lauraine Snelling
read by Mitzi Friedlander
1890s. Thorliff Bjorklund, an aspiring journalist at college in Minnesota, confronts his failing relationship with his childhood sweetheart Anji, whom he left behind in North Dakota. Meanwhile, Thorliff’s friend Elizabeth Rogers inadvertently causes heartbreak in pursuit of her medical career. For senior high and older readers. 2002.

Child 44     DB/RC 67117
15 hours 22 minutes
by Tom Rob Smith
read by Roy Avers
Stalinist Russia, 1953. Detective Leo Demidov is exiled to a remote village as a prison guard after his wife is accused of espionage. Demidov suspects a killer is preying on children along the Trans-Siberian Railway, but his investigation makes him an enemy of the state. Violence and strong language. 2008.

Blame It on Cupid     DB/RC 67118
12 hours 14 minutes
by Jennifer Greene
read by Carol Dines
Eleven years ago Merry promised her friend Charlie that if anything happened to him, she would take care of his daughter. Now that Charlie has died, his daughter and Merry’s neighbor Jack, a divorced father, have doubts about Merry’s parenting skills. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007.

More than a Dream: Return to Red River, Book 3     DB/RC 67125
12 hours 3 minutes
by Lauraine Snelling
read by Mitzi Friedlander
1890s. Thorliff Bjorklund, an aspiring journalist attending college in Minnesota, begins thinking of future doctor Elizabeth Rogers as more than a friend. But when tragedy strikes his family in North Dakota, Thorliff returns home to help. Meanwhile, Elizabeth works in a Chicago hospital. For senior high and older readers. 2003.

City of the Sun     DB/RC 67163
10 hours 20 minutes
by David Levien
read by Jim Zeiger
Paul and Carol Gabriel’s twelve-year-old son Jamie disappears on his paper route in an Indianapolis suburb. A year later they hire PI Frank Behr, a former cop whose own son has died, to find Jamie. Violence and strong language. 2008.

Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter     DB/RC 67195
9 hours 9 minutes
by Nancy Atherton
read by Kimberly Schraf
Cotswolds, England. Overprotective mother Lori Shepherd is alarmed when her twins Will and Rob see a vampire while riding horses near Aldercot Hall. Lori seeks out the locals to learn the truth behind the sighting. With the help of Aunt Dimity, Lori’s actions ignite two romances. 2008.

The Necropolis Railway: A Jim Stringer Mystery     DB/RC 67201
7 hours 25 minutes
by Andrew Martin
read by David Cutler
London, 1903. Railway man Jim Stringer signs on to be a cleaner for a funeral train and discovers that his predecessor, nineteen-year-old Henry Taylor, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. While battling hostile coworkers and unsavory working conditions, Jim investigates Henry’s fate. Jim’s alluring landlady lends assistance. 2002.

A Modern Treasury of Great Detective and Murder Mysteries     DB/RC 67202
16 hours 54 minutes
edited by Ed Gorman
read by Annie Wauters
Anthology of twenty-five short mysteries published between 1954 and 1991 by Lawrence Block, Loren D. Estleman, Tony Hillerman, Ed McBain, Sharyn McCrumb, Sara Paretsky, and others. In Marcia Muller’s “The Broken Men” a PI seeks a killer at a clown convention. Also includes a Nameless Detective tale by Bill Pronzini. 1994.

Duchess by Night: Desperate Duchesses, Book 3     DB/RC 67207
10 hours 43 minutes
by Eloisa James
read by Corrie James
England, 1784. Seeking adventure Isidore, the duchess of Cosway, and Harriet, the duchess of Berrow, visit the house of the infamous Lord Strange. Harriet, who dresses like a young man to protect her reputation, falls in love with their eccentric host—who discovers her secret. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Death Song: A Kevin Kerney Novel     DB/RC 67208
9 hours 32 minutes
by Michael McGarrity
read by Gregory Gorton
New Mexico. Lincoln County deputy Tim Riley and his wife Denise are murdered at separate locations within hours of each other. When Santa Fe police chief Kevin Kerney and his son Sergeant Clayton Istee investigate, they uncover Denise’s shady past and her links to international crime. Some strong language. 2008.

City of Thieves     DB/RC 67228
7 hours 51 minutes
by David Benioff
read by Steven Carpenter
Leningrad, 1942. Seventeen-year-old Lev Beniov, a looter, and his cellmate Kolya, a deserter, are reprieved by a Soviet colonel who needs eggs for his daughter’s wedding cake. The two leave the besieged city and cross enemy lines, where they encounter death squads and partisans. Violence and strong language. 2008.

All We Know of Heaven     DB/RC 67235
7 hours 5 minutes
by Jacquelyn Mitchard
read by Mary Kane
Two families are devastated when their sixteen-year-old daughters are involved in a car accident and one dies. Maureen and Bridget—similar-looking best friends—are, at first, misidentified at the hospital. Later, while Bridget’s family realizes its loss, Maureen’s rejoices in a miracle. But Maureen has brain damage. For senior high readers. 2008.

Blood Trail: A Joe Pickett Novel     DB/RC 67271
9 hours 11 minutes
by C.J. Box
read by David Hartley-Margolin
When a Wyoming hunter is murdered and his carcass treated like game, Governor Spencer Rulon asks Joe Pickett to join the investigation. Because a clue links the case to two other hunters’ deaths, Rulon suspects the killer is an animal activist—but Joe seeks proof. Violence and some strong language. 2008.

The Angel: Boston PD/FBI     DB/RC 67274
9 hours 27 minutes
by Carla Neggers
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Boston folklorist Keira Sullivan travels to Ireland to research a Celtic legend about a stone angel. When Keira becomes trapped in ancient ruins, FBI agent Simon Cahill rescues her. Simon and Keira soon realize that her search for the relic has attracted a killer. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps     DB/RC 67305
75 hours 37 minutes
edited by Otto Penzler
read by Ray Foushee
Crime stories first published in pulpwood magazines from the 1920s to 1940s—the golden age of pulp fiction—that feature hard-boiled private detectives. Includes Raymond Chandler’s 1938 Red Wind, Dashiell Hammett’s Faith, and tales by Cornell Woolrich, Erle Stanley Gardner, and James M. Cain. Some violence. 2007.

Lavinia     DB/RC 67310
10 hours 8 minutes
by Ursula K. Le Guin
read by Jill Fox
Ancient Italy. King Latinus’s daughter Lavinia, from Virgil’s The Aeneid (RC 64204), is pressured to marry Turnus despite prophecies that she will wed a foreigner and cause a war. When Trojan ships arrive bearing hero Aeneas, Lavinia discovers true love—and her destiny. Some descriptions    of sex and some violence. 2008.

The Cajuns     DB/RC 67313
9 hours 27 minutes
by Gus Weill
read by Jack Fox
Louisiana, 1956. Sheriff Bob Boudreaux does not investigate an altar boy’s death until reporter Ruth Ann Daigle begins asking questions. Boudreaux, whose brother-in-law is the local priest, falls in love with Ruth Ann, whose inquiries rattle everyone in town. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004.

The Girl with No Shadow     DB/RC 67345
16 hours 26 minutes
by Joanne Harris
read by Laura Giannarelli
Chocolate maker Vianne Rocher, from Chocolat (RC 49086), now resides quietly in Paris under the name Yanne Charbonneau with her daughters, high-strung preadolescent Annie (Anouk) and unusual four-year-old Rosette. Dazzling new friend Zozie de l’Alba insinuates herself into their lives—but can she be trusted? 2008.

Dead Time: An Alan Gregory Novel     DB/RC 67348
12 hours 54 minutes
by Stephen White
read by Gregory Gorton
Psychologist Alan Gregory helps his ex-wife Merideth search for missing Lisa, a surrogate mother carrying the child of Merideth and her fiancé Eric. Clues lead to a Grand Canyon trip Eric and Lisa took long ago—and to another missing woman. Strong language, some violence, and some  descriptions of sex. 2008.

Deadly Deceptions: A Mojo Sheepshanks Novel     DB/RC 67351
8 hours 10 minutes
by Linda Lael Miller
read by Annie Wauters
When the ghost of a deaf-mute girl appears to Mojo, the new private investigator begins looking for her murderer. Mojo’s boyfriend Tucker, who is now working for the Cave Creek sheriff’s department, is on the same case. Some violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Zuckerman Bound: A Trilogy and Epilogue, 1979–1985; The Ghost Writer, Zuckerman Unbound, The Anatomy Lesson, The Prague Orgy     DB/RC 67357
26 hours 47 minutes
by Philip Roth
read by Robert Sams
Novels featuring writer Nathan Zuckerman. In The Ghost Writer (1979) Nathan meets someone who claims she’s Anne Frank. In Zuckerman Unbound (1981) Nathan is hounded after publishing his autobiography. The Anatomy Lesson (1983) and The Prague Orgy (1985) continue aging Nathan’s adventures. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2007.

Stranger from the Tonto     DB/RC 67359
6 hours 33 minutes
by Zane Grey
read by Robert Sams
Dying prospector Bill Elway confesses to cowboy Kent Wingfield that he was once an outlaw in a notorious gang and implores Kent to settle an old score. A fortune in gold awaits—but first Kent must slay the prospector’s former nemesis and rescue a beautiful woman. 1956.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched     DB/RC 67362
8 hours 25 minutes
by Meg Cabot
read by Annie Wauters
Manhattan wedding-dress restorer Lizzie Nichols, from Queen of Babble in the Big City (RC 65854), is finally engaged to her boyfriend Luke, who moves to France for the summer. But Lizzie has feelings for Luke’s friend Chaz and, between meetings with celebrity clients, experiences marriage doubts. Strong language. 2008.

Killer Year: Stories to Die For—from the Hottest New Crime Writers     DB/RC 67368
9 hours 35 minutes
edited by Lee Child
read by Gregory Gorton
Sixteen short stories from crime fiction writers, thirteen of them newcomers who published their first books in 2007. Also includes entries by established writers Duane Swierczynski and Ken Bruen—contributors to Dublin Noir (RC 64135)—and Allison Brennan. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye     DB/RC 67370
9 hours 36 minutes
by Deb Caletti
read by Colleen Delany
Seattle. The life of eighteen-year-old high school senior and part-time waitress Indigo Skye changes dramatically when a customer leaves her millions of dollars as a tip. Indigo’s familial       relationships and personal values are tested by her newfound wealth. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2008.

The Likeness     DB/RC 67436
27 hours 6 minutes
by Tana French
read by Terry Donnelly
Ireland. A murder victim found in an old cottage looks exactly like detective Cassie Maddox and has the name Lexie Madison—an identity that Cassie once invented to infiltrate a drug ring. Cassie goes undercover to find her double’s killer. Sequel to In the Woods (RC 66071). Some strong language. 2008.

My Theodosia     DB/RC 67485
12 hours 53 minutes
by Anya Seton
read by Erin Jones
A novel of Theodosia Burr, beloved daughter of Thomas Jefferson’s vice president Aaron Burr, from her seventeenth birthday to her mysterious death twelve years later. During her brief adult life, Theo marries wealthy Joseph Alston, bears a son, and supports her father during his arrest and trial for treason. 1941.

Katherine     DB/RC 67486
25 hours 19 minutes
by Anya Seton
read by Erin Jones
Fourteenth-century England. Novel about Katherine Swynford, sister-in-law of Geoffrey Chaucer and wife of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. As John fights for power, he falls in love with Katherine, a married woman. Their romance lasts through decades of war, adultery, and murder. Includes 2004 foreword by Philippa Gregory. 1954.

It Only Takes a Moment     DB/RC 67487
6 hours 55 minutes
by Mary Jane Clark
read by Erin Jones
Popular television morning-show host Eliza Blake, from Do You Want to Know a Secret (RC 47977), is a widow raising her seven-year-old daughter Janie with the help of housekeeper Mrs. Garcia. Eliza’s world falls apart when Mrs. Garcia and Janie are kidnapped. Some violence and some strong language. 2008.

The Strong Shall Live     DB/RC 67489
5 hours 40 minutes
by Louis L’Amour
read by Roy Avers
Ten short westerns. In the title story Cavagan, a black Irishman, is left for dead in the desert along the Colorado River by his enemy John Sutton. Cavagan fights for survival with one wish—to live to see Sutton’s death. Also includes “One Night Stand” and “The Romance of Piute Bill.” 1980.

The Nineteenth Wife     DB/RC 67538
17 hours 42 minutes
by David Ebershoff
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Jordan Scott, a modern-day gay youth exiled from his fundamentalist polygamist sect, attempts to uncover the truth of his father’s murder. Interwoven with Jordan’s tale is that of Ann Eliza Young, the rebellious nineteenth wife of Mormon leader Brigham Young. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2008.

A Flame in Hali: The Clingfire Trilogy, Book 3     DB/RC 67613
21 hours 1 minute
by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross
read by J.P. Linton
King Carolin Hastur and keeper Varzil Ridenow, his friend, continue to campaign for a ban on weapons in hopes of bringing peace to Darkover. Meanwhile, the renegade Eduin secretly raises an army to destroy them and fulfill his own destiny. Sequel to Zandru’s Forge (RC 58475). Some   violence. 2004.

Climbing the Stairs     DB/RC 67638
6 hours 42 minutes
by Padma Venkatraman
read by Yolande Bavan
India, 1941. When fifteen-year-old Vidya, her eighteen-year-old brother Kitta, her mother, and her brain-injured father move into the grandfather’s traditional household, Vidya’s life changes abruptly. She finds refuge in the second-floor library and meets Raman, who wants to marry her. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.

Star Wars: Coruscant Nights I, Jedi Twilight     DB/RC 67643
9 hours 17 minutes
by Michael Reaves
read by Christopher Hurt
Jax Pavan, a Jedi knight who survived Palpatine’s slaughter, conceals his true identity while bounty hunting in Coruscant Blackpit Slums. When Jax discovers that his former mentor Jedi master Even Piell has been assassinated, he honors Even’s dying request—to find a droid carrying data vital to the resistance movement. 2008.

The Complete Short Novels     DB/RC 67646
18 hours 34 minutes
by Anton Chekhov
read by John Horton
Works by Russian playwright and author Anton Chekhov (1860–1904). In My Life a delusional idealist seeks utopia in the country. Also includes The Steppe, The Story of an Unknown Man, The Duel, and Three Years, which concerns a young merchant’s experiences in love. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. 2004.

His Illegal Self     DB/RC 67653
8 hours 35 minutes
by Peter Carey
read by Kevin Collins
In 1972, Che, the young son of radical underground activists, lives in New York with his wealthy grandmother. When a woman arrives for a visit, Che assumes she is his mother and eagerly runs away with her. But nothing that follows is what he expected. Strong language. 2008.

Miss Julia Paints the Town     DB/RC 67666
11 hours 23 minutes
by Ann B. Ross
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Miss Julia rallies her town of Abbotsville, North Carolina, to protest plans of a New Jersey developer to replace city hall with condominiums. Miss Julia plots to scare off the Yankee by showcasing local eccentrics. In the meantime the husbands of three of Miss Julia’s friends have disappeared. 2008.

The Hot Rock: The First Dortmunder Novel     DB/RC 67667
6 hours 20 minutes
by Donald E. Westlake
read by Barry Bernson
An African diplomat, intent on possessing an emerald sacred to his country, hires parolee John Dortmunder to steal it from the New York Coliseum. Dortmunder and his motley crew pursue the errant jewel to the Utopia Park prison, an insane asylum, and a Fifth Avenue bank vault. 1970.

Hit Parade: Keller’s Greatest Hits     DB/RC 67670
9 hours 6 minutes
by Lawrence Block
read by Roy Avers
With work becoming increasingly difficult after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, John Keller, a stamp-collecting, introspective hit man, seeks more assignments to fund his retirement. His new targets include a baseball player and a Cuban exile. Some violence and some strong language. 2006.

To the Limit: A NASCAR Novel     DB/RC 67689
7 hours 6 minutes
by Pamela Britton
read by Erin Jones
Aerospace engineer Kristen McKenna returns to designing race cars after her boss Mathew Knight purchases a NASCAR team. Kristen hides her past racing career while dealing with the all-male crew. Complications arise when both Mathew and driver Todd Peters fall in love with Kristen. Some descriptions of sex. 2007.

The Devil Riding: A Tamara Hayle Mystery     DB/RC 67699
6 hours 36 minutes
by Valerie Wilson Wesley
read by Madelyn Buzzard
African American PI Tamara Hayle is hired by a wealthy couple to find their runaway eighteen-year-old daughter Gabriella. Tamara follows a tip that leads to an apartment where Gabriella is staying. There Tamara finds a woman’s body—but no sign of Gabriella. Some violence and some strong language. 2000.

Silver Bells     DB/RC 67713
11 hours 42 minutes
by Fern Michaels and others read by Mare Trevathan
Four romantic Christmas stories. In the title piece, Amy Lee returns home to Pennsylvania for the holidays and rekindles a relationship with her high school sweetheart Hank Anders, who has no idea that Amy is a movie star. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2008.

Rough Justice: Sean Dillon Series     DB/RC 67719
11 hours 26 minutes
by Jack Higgins
read by David Hartley-Margolin
U.S. president Jake Cazalet’s troubleshooter Blake Johnson and his British counterpart Harry Miller run into trouble in Kosovo when Miller shoots a Russian who’s about to set fire to a mosque. When the Russians retaliate, Sean Dillon directs an operation that uncovers a traitor. Violence and strong language. 2008.

The Laughter of Dead Kings: A Vicky Bliss Mystery     DB/RC 67721
8 hours 57 minutes
by Elizabeth Peters
read by Kristin Allison
When King Tut’s mummy is stolen from Egypt, authorities suspect Vicky’s beau John Tregarth, a reformed art thief. John, Vicky, and Vicky’s boss at Munich’s National Museum set out to clear John’s name and recover the relic, but murder and rising doubts about John’s innocence complicate the investigation. 2008.

The Starry Rift: Tales of New Tomorrows; an Original Science Fiction Anthology     DB/RC 67743
17 hours 20 minutes
edited by Jonathan Strahan
read by Jim Zeiger
Sixteen short science fiction stories about the future. In “Ass-Hat Magic Spider” by Scott Westerfeld, a teen exercises and shaves his head so he can join an expedition to the planet Tau. Includes works by Cory Doctorow, Garth Nix, and Stephen Baxter. For senior high readers. 2008.

Happy Are Those Who Thirst for Justice: A Blackie Ryan Mystery     DB/RC 67762
9 hours 48 minutes
by Andrew M. Greeley
read by Gregory Gorton
Chicago. Domineering matriarch Violet Enright is found shot aboard her luxury yacht with her granddaughter Fionna holding the murder weapon. Monsignor Blackie Ryan believes Fionna is innocent and sets out to find the real killer among Violet’s troubled associates, including a hippie ex-priest and a bisexual surgeon. Strong language. 1987.

A Wallflower Christmas: The Wallflowers, Book 5     DB/RC 67766
5 hours 46 minutes
by Lisa Kleypas
read by Corrie James
London, 1845. Wallflowers Daisy and Lillian Bowman’s brother Rafe arrives from America intending to marry heiress Lady Natalie Blandford. Rafe, however, falls in love at first sight with Natalie’s impoverished cousin Hannah Appleton. At Christmas, Rafe has to choose between romance and fortune. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

La Petite Four     DB/RC 67774
5 hours 51 minutes
by Regina Scott
read by Corrie James
Napoleonic-era England. Lady Emily and her friends Priscilla, Daphne, and Ariadne have graduated from finishing school and are anticipating their coming-out ball in London. But Lady Emily’s father informs her that she must immediately marry her childhood nemesis Lord Robert. For senior high and older readers. 2008.

Airhead     DB/RC 67792
7 hours 33 minutes
by Meg Cabot
read by Mary Kane
Sixteen-year-old Emerson “Em” Watts, an advanced-placement student who likes video games and disdains fashion, receives a “whole-body transplant” after an accident. Em is dismayed to find her mind in the body of teen supermodel Nikki Howard—a fact that she has to hide. For senior high readers. 2008.

Wild Card     DB/RC 67793
13 hours 58 minutes
by Lora Leigh
read by Michael Scherer
Sabella Malone believes that her Navy SEAL husband Nathan has been dead for six years. But Nathan, now known as Noah Blake, has survived capture and torture. He returns home with a new face and persona, determined to win Sabella back. Violence, strong language, and explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

In War Times     DB/RC 67795
14 hours 35 minutes
by Kathleen Ann Goonan
read by Michael Scherer
Washington, D.C.; 1941. Jazz-loving army soldier Sam Dance studies theoretical physics. A mysterious female instructor seduces Sam and gives him plans for a device that could change history. Sam goes on to fight a war and eventually builds the device to no apparent effect—until alternate realities converge. 2007.

Blood Rites: The Dresden Files, Book 6     DB/RC 67798
12 hours 32 minutes
by Jim Butcher
read by Gregory Gorton
Chicago. Wizard PI Harry Dresden goes undercover for adult-film director Arturo Genosa, who believes his production company is the target of an entropy curse. Harry tries to protect the crew and find the culprit. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2004.

The Edge of Desire: A Bastion Club Novel, Book 7     DB/RC 67802
15 hours 33 minutes
by Stephanie Laurens
read by Corrie James
London, 1816. Marquess Christian Allardyce, a former spy, is the last bachelor in the Bastion Club. Christian’s treacherous ex-lover Lady Letitia Randall asks for help after her husband is murdered. Christian agrees to investigate but also wants to possess her. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

The New Space Opera     DB/RC 67821
26 hours 24 minutes
edited by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan
read by John Polk
Eighteen tales of interstellar adventure. In Stephen Baxter’s “Remembrance” an old man’s recollection of a legendary resistance fighter who battled Earth’s alien conquerors inspires a new generation of dissidents. Also includes Greg Egan’s “Glory,” Nancy Kress’s “Art of War,” and works by Alastair Reynolds, Robert Silverberg, and others. Some violence. 2007.

Irish Whiskey: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel     DB/RC 67832
9 hours 36 minutes
by Andrew M. Greeley
read by Jack Fox
Chicago. Singer/psychic Nuala Anne McGrail senses that the grave of Al Capone’s rival, gangster James “Sweet Rolls” Sullivan, is empty. While Nuala and her fiancé Dermot seek Sullivan’s fate, the FBI investigates Dermot because of a multimillion-dollar trading windfall he netted. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1998.

Never Romance a Rake     DB/RC 67879
11 hours 51 minutes
by Liz Carlyle
read by Erin Jones
Kieran, the baron Rothewell, wins Camille Marchand, the comte de Valigny’s bastard daughter, in a card game designed to find Camille an English husband and secure her grandfather’s inheritance. But the deal unexpectedly turns to love. Sequel to Never Deceive a Duke (RC 66343). Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

The Traitor     DB/RC 67880
11 hours 29 minutes
by Stephen Coonts
read by Fred Major
Jake Grafton meets CIA operative Tommy Carmellini in Paris to investigate investments in the Bank of Palestine and secure the city for a G-8 summit meeting. They also track a turncoat who has murdered several agents. Sequel to Liars and Thieves (RC 59563). Strong language and some violence. 2006.

King of the Holly Hop: A Milan Jacovich Mystery     DB/RC 67884
10 hours 7 minutes
by Les Roberts
read by John Polk
At Cleveland PI Milan Jacovich’s fortieth high school reunion, someone murders a former classmate, cardiologist Phil Kohn. Playwright Tommy Wiggins is accused of the crime and hires Jacovich to investigate. Jacovich soon uncovers secrets among the surviving class members. Some violence and some strong language. 2008.

The Wyrmling Horde: The Runelords, Book 7     DB/RC 67886
12 hours 50 minutes
by David Farland
read by Roy Avers
Flameweaver Fallion Orden is held prisoner by the fiendish Lord Despair, who is raising an army of wyrmlings to conquer the worlds that Fallion himself fused together. Fallion’s beloved Rhianna attempts to rescue Fallion and stop the spread of evil. Sequel to Worldbinder (RC 65903). Violence. 2008.

Mozart’s Sister     DB/RC 67888
12 hours 22 minutes
by Rita Charbonnier
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Maria Anna Mozart, brilliant musician and composer, is forced by her domineering father to relinquish her performing career to teach piano and support the family and her younger brother Wolfgang’s burgeoning talent. An epistolary romance compels Maria to choose between her duty and her dreams. Originally published in Italian. 2007.

The Rustler: A Stone Creek Novel     DB/RC 67890
8 hours 59 minutes
by Linda Lael Miller
read by Erin Jones
Arizona territory, 1907. Ex-con Wyatt Yarbro joins his lawman brother Rowdy in Stone Creek. Wyatt falls in love with Sarah Tamlin, a career woman who runs a bank for her ailing father while hiding her previous indiscretions. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Seven Days and Seven Nights     DB/RC 67891
8 hours 17 minutes
by Wendy Wax
read by Erin Jones
Talk-radio host Olivia Moore advises women about relationships; Atlanta’s Bachelor of the Year Matt Ransom broadcasts no-holds-barred Guy Talk. When a publicity stunt has them spending a week together in an apartment—airing their shows and being filmed by webcam—opposites attract. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003.

Everything Nice     DB/RC 67893
8 hours 43 minutes
by Ellen Shanman
read by Jill Fox
Manhattan. Michaela “Mike” Edwards, a socially challenged thirty-something advertising copywriter, loses her job and moves in with her widowed father. Suckered into teaching life skills to sixth-grade girls, Mike reinvents herself, rethinks her career, and unravels her feelings for her best friend Gunther. Strong language. 2008.

Confessions of a Serial Kisser     DB/RC 67899
6 hours 10 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Jill Fox
After reading her mother’s secret collection of romance novels during her parents’ difficult separation, high school junior Evangeline has a makeover and begins a quest for the perfect kiss. When her reputation begins to suffer, Evangeline reassesses her life. For senior high readers. 2008.

Comfort Food     DB/RC 67901
11 hours 23 minutes
by Kate Jacobs
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Successful TV chef Augusta “Gus” Simpson is about to turn fifty when her show’s format is changed and she has to share the stage with former beauty queen Carmen Vega. As Gus’s daughters help Gus during a special live episode, Gus becomes attracted to the show’s new producer. 2008.

Blame It on Paris     DB/RC 67902
9 hours 22 minutes
by Jennifer Greene
read by Jill Fox
Kelly Rochard from South Bend, Indiana, makes her dream trip to Paris. When she’s mugged and loses everything, American Will Maguire rescues her, and they have a brief affair. Kelly resumes her life back home, wanting to move on—but Will turns up. Descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2008.

Braless in Wonderland     DB/RC 67903
7 hours 9 minutes
by Debbie Reed Fischer
read by Kerry Dukin
Smart feminist Miami high school student Allee Rosen is shocked when a modeling agency hires her for commercials. Allee, who has always looked down on fashion-obsessed “trendy wendies,” soon learns that modeling is hard work—and that she shouldn’t be so quick to judge others. For senior high readers. 2008.

The Garden Tour Affair: A Gardening Mystery     DB/RC 67906
9 hours 32 minutes
by Ann Ripley
read by Madelyn Buzzard
PBS gardening-show host Louise Eldridge films on location at Connecticut’s historic Litchfield Falls Inn. But all is not well among her fellow guests, some of whom meet with untimely ends. Believing the deaths are no accident, Louise and her family investigate amid botanical scandals and lovers’ feuds. 1999.

Liberty: A Lake Wobegon Novel     DB/RC 67907
6 hours 17 minutes
by Garrison Keillor
read by Jack Fox
Lake Wobegon citizens demand the resignation of tyrannical Fourth of July committee chairman Clint Bunsen. Meanwhile sixty-year-old Clint, who is married, receives shocking DNA results, has an affair with Angelica Pflame—the parade’s former Miss Liberty—and contemplates a bid for congress. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

An Incomplete Revenge: A Maisie Dobbs Mystery     DB/RC 67909
9 hours 53 minutes
by Jacqueline Winspear
read by Jill Fox
England, 1931. Investigator Maisie Dobbs is hired by developer James Compton to examine the Sandermere estate in Kent. Suspicious fires occur each fall at harvest time. Maisie and her assistant Billy Beale learn that somehow a 1916 attack by a German zeppelin is linked to the annual infernos. 2008.

A Case of Exploding Mangoes     DB/RC 68020
10 hours 19 minutes
by Mohammed Hanif
read by Michael Scherer
Pakistan, 1988. Junior military officer Ali Shigri believes his father’s suicide was actually a murder and holds General Zia, the country’s president, responsible. With the help of his friend and sometime lover Baby O, Ali plots revenge—the general’s assassination. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

Ice Blue     DB/RC 68031
8 hours 37 minutes
by Anne Stuart
read by Annie Wauters
Museum curator Summer Hawthorne’s Japanese nanny gives her a blue ceramic bowl just before dying. Summer is then kidnapped for the coveted relic and rescued by handsome, dangerous Takashi O’Brien. Takashi also desperately wants the bowl and—despite himself—Summer. Strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. Rita Award. 2007.

St. Albans Fire: A Joe Gunther Mystery     DB/RC 68042
8 hours 31 minutes
by Archer Mayor
read by Gregory Gorton
Vermont detective Joe Gunther investigates a series of barn fires, one of which has resulted in murder. The case leads Gunther and his partner to a mob arsonist in Newark, New Jersey. Gunther also uncovers connections to a Vermont land developer. Strong language and some violence. 2005.

Seduction Becomes Her     DB/RC 68070
12 hours 56 minutes
by Shirlee Busbee
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
Napoleonic-era England. Daphne Beaumont and her two siblings arrive in Cornwall to claim their inheritance. Charles Weston, who is visiting Lord Wyndham, from Scandal Becomes Her (RC 68111), gets trapped in a cave for two days with Daphne—and is forced by honor to wed her. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

A Land to Call Home: Red River of the North, Book 3     DB/RC 68095
13 hours 2 minutes
by Lauraine Snelling
read by Catherine Byers
Dakota Territory, 1880s. Ingeborg and Haakan Bjorklund and their extended Norwegian family face hardships at their Red River Valley homestead. Fire erupts, an infant is born deaf, and another relative gets hurt in a train accident. But they persevere with faith and love. For senior high and older readers. 1997.

Palace Council     DB/RC 68096
22 hours 11 minutes
by Stephen L. Carter
read by Kevin Collins
Harlem, 1950s. African American writer Eddie Wesley stumbles upon the body of white attorney Philmont Castle. Two years later, Eddie’s sister Junie disappears. Eddie spends two decades searching for Junie and discovers that she and Philmont—along with Eddie’s former girlfriend Aurelia—had connections to a secret political society. 2008.

The Gargoyle     DB/RC 68102
18 hours 42 minutes
by Andrew Davidson
read by Nick Sullivan
An adult-film star is hospitalized with severe burns after crashing his car during a drug-induced hallucination. He contemplates suicide until he befriends Marianne, a mentally unstable gargoyle sculptor whose insistence that they were lovers in medieval Europe brings him renewed vitality. Strong language, descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2008.

Paul of Dune     DB/RC 68105
21 hours 4 minutes
by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
read by J.P. Linton
The bloody jihad of Paul Atreides and his army of desert warriors successfully ousts Shaddam IV. But though his military campaign has been victorious, Paul remains plagued by doubt and fear of betrayal. Portrays events taking place between Frank Herbert’s Dune (RC 44126) and Dune Messiah (RC 19126). 2008.

Scandal Becomes Her     DB/RC 68111
13 hours 59 minutes
by Shirlee Busbee
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
England, 1804. Heiress Nell Anslowe has recurring nightmares. When Nell escapes from a kidnapping, she takes refuge in an abandoned building where Julian Weston, the earl of Wyndham, is also sheltering. The two fall in love and seek a reason for Nell’s bad dreams. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2007.

The Last Good Kiss: A C.W. Sughrue Mystery     DB/RC 68138
9 hours 27 minutes
by James Crumley
read by Jim Zeiger
While retrieving alcoholic writer Abraham Trahearne from a drinking binge, Montana-based private investigator C.W. Sughrue agrees to look for a barmaid’s missing daughter. Teenaged Betty Sue ran away to San Francisco ten years ago and has not been heard from since. Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. 1978.

Say You’re One of Them     DB/RC 68167
13 hours 58 minutes
by Uwem Akpan
read by Lisette Lecat
Five tales about children struggling to survive in war-torn Africa. In “Fattening for Gabon” siblings whose parents have AIDS go to live with an uncle who tries to sell them into slavery. The Caine Prize finalist “My Parents’ Bedroom” describes the Rwandan genocide. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

The Manning Grooms     DB/RC 68186
10 hours 34 minutes
by Debbie Macomber
read by Erin Jones
Two novellas feature unexpected marriages. In Bride on the Loose a teenager persuades veterinarian Jason Manning to date her mother. In Same Time, Next Year James Wilkens meets Summer Lawton on New Year’s Eve. Companion to The Manning Sisters (RC 65861). Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2008.

The Perennial Killer: A Gardening Mystery     DB/RC 68187
9 hours 46 minutes
by Ann Ripley
read by Madelyn Buzzard
While filming her televised gardening show on location in Colorado, Louise Eldridge becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. The victim: rancher Jimmy Porter, whose decision to sell his property to the county for preservation angered family members and developers. With the land in dispute, suspects—including sexist sheriff Earl Tatum—abound. 2000.

Full Cleveland: A Milan Jacovich Mystery     DB/RC 68191
8 hours 22 minutes
by Les Roberts
read by John Polk
Mobster Victor Gaimari hires ex-cop Milan Jacovich to find Gregory Shane, the mastermind of a scam to sell ads in a nonexistent magazine. Victor insists that his lackey tail Milan in a case that soon encompasses blackmail and murder. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 1989.

Of Men and Their Mothers     DB/RC 68192
8 hours 9 minutes
by Mameve Medwed
read by Erin Jones
Maisie Grey escaped her marriage but not her annoying mother-in-law, who fusses over the way Maisie is raising her teenaged son. Supporting herself by performing odd jobs for her clients, Maisie meets a new man—who has his own mother issues. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

Dragonwyck     DB/RC 68205
12 hours 53 minutes
by Anya Seton
read by Erin Jones
1840s. Eighteen-year-old farmer’s daughter Miranda Wells is invited to be a governess at Dragonwyck, her distant relative Nicholas Van Ryn’s Hudson River estate. Upon his wife’s death, Nicholas weds Miranda. But Miranda’s initial joy turns to despair after dark secrets are revealed. Includes 2005 afterword by Philippa Gregory. 1944.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog     DB/RC 68224
8 hours 53 minutes
by Muriel Barbery
read by Gabriella Cavallero
Middle-aged widow Renée Michel, a closet intellectual, works as a concierge for a small luxury apartment building in Paris. Twelve-year-old tenant Paloma believes life is absurd and plans on suicide. But when Kakuro Ozu moves in, he befriends and transforms them both. Translated from French. Bestseller. 2008.

A Slice of Heaven: The Sweet Magnolias, Book 2     DB/RC 68237
10 hours 44 minutes
by Sherryl Woods
read by Gabriella Cavallero
It has been two years since restaurant owner Dana Sue threw her husband Ronnie out for being unfaithful. When their daughter Annie struggles with anorexia, Dana Sue must let Ronnie back into the family dynamics. 2007.

Cut to the Quick     DB/RC 68241
11 hours 0 minutes
by Dianne Emley
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Pasadena homicide detective Nan Vining, recovered from wounds received in First Cut (RC 65381), investigates a double homicide. The prime suspect is the victims’ business partner Mark Scoville. Then Nan discovers a mute homeless person with drawings of murderous attacks—including one on Nan. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

The End of the Jews     DB/RC 68243
13 hours 12 minutes
by Adam Mansbach
read by David Hartley-Margolin
New York City. Three generations of a Jewish American family make choices between their artistic impulses and the people they love. Tristan Brodsky fails his poetic wife, and later his grandson Tris Freedman writes a novel about his family’s foibles. Strong language. 2008.

Charity Girl     DB/RC 68244
8 hours 43 minutes
by Georgette Heyer
read by Gabriella Cavallero
Young Cherry Steane runs away from the drudgery of her aunt’s household to find her grandfather in London. Dashing Viscount Desford, attempting to assist Cherry while observing all proprieties, brings Cherry to his lifelong best friend Henrietta Silverdale—who has secretly loved Desford all along. 1970.

The Development: Nine Stories     DB/RC 68245
7 hours 26 minutes
by John Barth
read by Guy Williams
National Book Award winner presents nine stories set in a gated Chesapeake Bay community on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Comfortably retired residents contend with marital issues, advancing age, a toga party, a Peeping Tom, and a freak storm. In “Assisted Living” a husband recounts his wife’s demise. Strong language. 2008.

The Darker Side     DB/RC 68253
12 hours 0 minutes
by Cody McFadyen
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
When the transsexual daughter of a presidential hopeful is murdered aboard a plane, the victim’s mother requests the help of special agent Smoky Barrett. Smoky’s team tracks a religious serial killer who stalks his prey and uncovers their deepest secrets. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Flirting with Forty     DB/RC 68255
8 hours 0 minutes
by Jane Porter
read by Kristin Allison
Divorced one year, lonely forty-year-old Seattle mom Jackie is thrilled when a girlfriend arranges a trip to Hawaii for them. After an emergency leaves Jackie reluctantly vacationing alone, she amazes herself by taking up with a much younger surfing instructor. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2006.

Whirlwind     DB/RC 68263
8 hours 25 minutes
by Cathy Marie Hake
read by Kristin Allison
1892. Londoner Millicent Fairweather accompanies her sister and brother- in-law to America. Crossing the Atlantic aboard the Opportunity, Millicent finds work as a nanny for widower Daniel Clark. When tragedy in New York brings the possibility of deportation, Daniel proposes. Millicent        accepts, not knowing that Daniel seeks true romance. 2008.

The Great Receiver     DB/RC 68265
7 hours 33 minutes
by Elena Yates Eulo
read by Erik Sandvold
Sophomore honors student Joey Eastland messes up during football tryouts and becomes the team water boy. But when the coach gives him a second chance, Joey is determined to be the best wide receiver ever. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.

The Grapes of Wrath     DB/RC 68308
17 hours 29 minutes
by John Steinbeck
read by Steven Carpenter
Steinbeck’s classic tale of the Joads, who, like many other families during the Great Depression, are driven from their homestead by drought, poverty, and the encroachment of large agricultural interests. They leave Oklahoma in search of a better life in California but meet with hardship and injustice. Pulitzer Prize. 1939.

Play with Fire: A Kate Shugak Mystery     DB/RC 68349
7 hours 34 minutes
by Dana Stabenow
read by Jill Fox
Alaska. While hunting mushrooms in the ashes of a recent forest fire, freelance investigator Kate Shugak discovers the body of schoolteacher Daniel Seabolt, son of a controversial fire-and-brimstone preacher. Kate soon learns that the father’s fanatical followers employ some very dangerous methods of conversion. Some strong language. 1995.

Murder at Hobcaw Barony: An Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery     DB/RC 68354
7 hours 57 minutes
by Elliott Roosevelt
read by Mitzi Friedlander
First lady Eleanor Roosevelt joins Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart, and other Hollywood celebrities at Bernie Baruch’s South Carolina estate Hobcaw Barony, where an explosion kills a prominent movie producer. Eleanor investigates evidence of blackmail and illicit affairs to try to solve the crime before the president arrives. 1986.

Devil Bones: A Dr. Temperance Brennan Mystery     DB/RC 68355
9 hours 0 minutes
by Kathy Reichs
read by Erin Jones
A plumber discovers a skull and leg bone laid out ritualistically in a basement. A decapitated teenage body carved with satanic symbols is found in a nearby lake. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan works with detective “Skinny” Slidell to identify the two partial corpses. Strong language and some violence. 2008.

Princess Mia: The Princess Diaries, Book 9     DB/RC 68358
6 hours 49 minutes
by Meg Cabot
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Mia’s best friend Lilly is not speaking to her. Neither is her ex-boyfriend Michael. And her parents are forcing her to see a therapist. But then Mia discovers a document from a seventeenth-century Genovian princess that could change the fate of Genovia forever. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.

The Wild Island: A Jemima Shore Mystery     DB/RC 68359
7 hours 32 minutes
by Antonia Fraser
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Scotland. Vacationing British television reporter Jemima Shore rents a cottage from Charles Beauregard but upon arriving learns that Charles is dead. Jemima enters the strange world of the eccentric Beauregard family—a dashing war hero, a forthright priest, and a wayward heiress—and discovers they are not quite what they seem. 1978.

The Widening Gyre: A Spenser Novel     DB/RC 68360
4 hours 34 minutes
by Robert B. Parker
read by Ray Foushee
When Massachusetts congressman Meade Alexander is blackmailed with a videotape of his wife’s drug use and sexual escapades, Alexander’s staff hires PI Spenser. Aided by his cohort Hawk, Spenser searches for the culprits and uncovers dirty politics and mob connections. Violence and strong language. 1983.

Sea of Poppies: Sea of Poppies, Book 1     DB/RC 68395
18 hours 25 minutes
by Amitav Ghosh
read by Phil Gigante
1838. With the opium trade as a backdrop, the ship Ibis leaves British India bound for Mauritius and carrying a diverse crew and passengers, including a Bengali widow, a French orphan, a deposed raja, and an American freedman. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. Man Booker Prize finalist. 2008.

A Good Woman     DB/RC 68398
9 hours 48 minutes
by Danielle Steel
read by Jay O. Sanders
Wealthy nineteen-year-old Annabelle Worthington of Manhattan, who loses her father on the Titanic, marries older banker Josiah Millbank. After a scandalous divorce, Annabelle moves to France to study medicine—but her past catches up with her. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2008.

Game Control     DB/RC 68400
10 hours 45 minutes
by Lionel Shriver
read by Laural Merlington
American Eleanor Merritt, a family-planning worker, comes to Kenya to improve the lives of the poor. Eleanor unexpectedly falls in love with Calvin Piper, who views the lower classes as an imposition and advocates radical methods of population control. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2007.

Impossible     DB/RC 68401
9 hours 1 minute
by Nancy Werlin
read by Emily Durante
Pregnant seventeen-year-old Lucy Scarborough discovers that her family has been cursed by an evil elfin knight. To break the curse Lucy, with help from love-struck neighbor Zach, must perform three difficult tasks before her daughter is born. Some violence. For senior high readers. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

Empire of Lies     DB/RC 68403
11 hours 25 minutes
by Andrew Klavan
read by Andrew Klavan
Midwestern religious conservative Jason Harrow becomes entangled in a dangerous plot after his ex-lover Lauren summons him to New York City. Jason’s illegitimate daughter Serena, whom he didn’t know about, is involved with terrorists, and Jason begins to doubt his own sanity. Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

Paper Towns     DB/RC 68404
8 hours 3 minutes
by John Green
read by Dan John Miller
During senior year Margo, the girl next door, entices Quentin into a night of mischief—and then she disappears. Quentin and classmates Radar, Ben, and Lacey follow the clues Margo left while they worry about her state of mind. Strong language. For senior high readers. Edgar Award. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

Serena     DB/RC 68405
11 hours 25 minutes
by Ron Rash
read by Phil Gigante
Appalachian North Carolina, 1929. Newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton, owners of a logging    company, arrive to strip the land before the government incorporates it into a national park. Serena’s cruelty extends to her lumber camp workers and to a teenager impregnated by her husband. Violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

The Spy Who Came for Christmas     DB/RC 68407
5 hours 52 minutes
by David Morrell
read by David Colacci
Santa Fe, New Mexico. Undercover agent Paul Kagan hides the newborn son of Palestinian peacekeeper Ahmed Hassan from the Russian Mafia, who want to kidnap the infant. Kagan finds refuge with abused wife Meredith and her son Cole. Some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

Watermind     DB/RC 68409
12 hours 17 minutes
by M.M. Buckner
read by Tanya Eby Sirois
From computers and technological waste a dangerous intelligence dubbed the Watermind forms in the Louisiana swamps. MIT dropout CJ Reilly and her boyfriend Max discover the life-form while cleaning up a chemical spill in Devil’s Pond. They are intrigued—until the Watermind kills. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2008.

Driftless     DB/RC 68424
17 hours 24 minutes
by David Rhodes
read by Suzanne Toren
July Montgomery, first met in Rock Island Line (RC 9486), settles into the small farming community of Words, Wisconsin. July’s neighbors include Olivia, who uses a wheelchair and loses her savings at a casino, and Grahm and his wife Cora, who confront the milk cooperative. Milkweed National Fiction Prize. 2008.

Dashing through the Snow: A Regan Reilly Mystery     DB/RC 68761
4 hours 50 minutes
by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Regan Reilly, Alvirah Meehan, and their families come to Branscombe, New Hampshire, for a holiday festival. Although four local market employees won millions in a lottery, a fifth coworker who normally plays is missing. While searching for the missing man, Regan and Alvirah discover wrongdoing in the town. Bestseller. 2008.

The Broken Window: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel     DB/RC 68762
16 hours 0 minutes
by Jeffery Deaver
read by Jim Zeiger
When his cousin Arthur is accused of murder, quadriplegic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme suspects Arthur was framed. As Lincoln and New York detective Amelia Sachs investigate, they connect the crime to a killer who uses computer data-mining software to pick his victims. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

Fireside: The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 5     DB/RC 68763
10 hours 26 minutes
by Susan Wiggs
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Sports publicist Kimberly van Dorn, down on her luck, retreats to her widowed mother’s boarding house in the Catskills. After baseball player Bo Crutcher moves in along with his twelve-year-old son AJ, Kimberly takes Bo on as a client. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2009.

When the Soul Mends: Sisters of the Quilt, Book 3     DB/RC 68772
9 hours 47 minutes
by Cindy Woodsmall
read by Kristin Allison
Hannah Lapp has a new life in the Englischer world with Martin Palmer. But a friend’s accident forces Hannah to return to her Old Order Amish community, where she experiences mixed emotions as she faces family and friends—including her ex-fiancé Paul. Sequel to When the Morning Comes (RC 66244). 2008.

Star Bright: The Harrigan Family, Book 2     DB/RC 68775
12 hours 39 minutes
by Catherine Anderson
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Crystal Falls, Oregon. After escaping from her abusive husband Peter, Rainie Danning works as a bookkeeper on Parker Harrigan’s horse ranch. Parker falls in love with Rainie and learns about her past—but Peter tracks down Rainie for revenge. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2009.

Cream Puff Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery     DB/RC 68778
7 hours 53 minutes
by Joanne Fluke
read by Kristin Allison
Minnesota. To lose weight for her mother’s launch party, baker Hannah Swensen takes classes at a local gym, where she finds the dead body of flirtatious fitness instructor Ronni Ward near spilled cream puffs. Hannah’s suspects include jealous wives, girlfriends, and much of Lake Eden’s     female population. Includes recipes. 2009.

Twisted Creek     DB/RC 68799
7 hours 25 minutes
by Jodi Thomas
read by Kristin Allison
College dropout Allie Daniels inherits a lake property outside Lubbock, Texas, from her previously unknown uncle Jefferson. Allie and her Nana arrive, reopen Jefferson’s country store, and meet the neighbors. Meanwhile ATF agent Luke Morgan investigates Jefferson’s suspicious death —and falls in love with Allie. Some violence. 2008.

Exit Music: A John Rebus Mystery     DB/RC 68820
14 hours 21 minutes
by Ian Rankin
read by Steven Crossley
Edinburgh. With just ten days until his retirement, Detective Inspector John Rebus investigates the case of an exiled Russian poet found beaten to death. Rebus and his colleague Siobhan Clarke uncover connections to local bankers and politicians—and find evidence of another murder. Strong language and some violence. 2007.

Cat in a Sapphire Slipper: A Midnight Louie Mystery     DB/RC 68828
12 hours 16 minutes
by Carole Nelson Douglas
read by J.P. Linton
Las Vegas. Public relations ace Temple Barr’s romance novelist aunt becomes engaged to rumored ex-mobster Aldo Fontana. Bachelor-party attendees end up at the Sapphire Slipper brothel, where Temple’s radio-talk-show-host fiancé, former priest Matt Devine, finds the body of a murdered prostitute. Luckily feline sleuth Midnight Louie has tagged along. 2008.

The Price of Butcher’s Meat: A Dalziel/Pascoe Mystery     DB/RC 68829
18 hours 31 minutes
by Reginald Hill
read by Steven Crossley
Sandytown, England. Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel is recovering from injuries suffered in Death Comes for the Fat Man (RC 65297) when a local woman, Lady Daphne Denham, is murdered. Dalziel’s former partner, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Pascoe, arrives to investigate while Dalziel chafes in the convalescent home. Strong language. 2008.

Her Little Black Book     DB/RC 68843
8 hours 14 minutes
by Brenda Jackson
read by Robin Miles
When Courtney Andrews’s cousin Sonya marries, she gives Courtney her list of available men. Courtney suffers through some awful dates before meeting Lake Masters, an older advertising executive. But the ways of Courtney’s philandering father influence her relationships. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2008.

The Possibilities of Sainthood     DB/RC 68846
6 hours 49 minutes
by Donna Freitas
read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Fifteen-year-old Antonia Lucia Labella passionately desires two things—sainthood and her first kiss. After years of mailing letters to the Vatican about the first wish, Antonia uses her diary to secretly petition saints about her second wish—the kiss. Then miracles begin to happen. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.

The 8th Confession: A Women’s Murder Club Mystery     DB/RC 68885
7 hours 47 minutes
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
read by Catherine Byers
The Women’s Murder Club investigates the brutal death of street person Bagman Jesus. Meanwhile detective Lindsay Boxer reluctantly examines the high-profile case of young socialite couple Isa and Ethan Bailey, who mysteriously died in their sleep. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2009.

Vision in White: The Bride Quartet, Book 1     DB/RC 69355
9 hours 37 minutes
by Nora Roberts
read by Emily Durante
Childhood friends Emmaline, Laurel, Mackensie, and Parker start a wedding-production business using Parker’s family estate in Connecticut. Photographer Mackensie is happy staying out of the bridal limelight —until she meets English teacher Carter Maguire. Strong language and
some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. Commercial audiobook. 2009.

Back to top

Books for Children

Nonfiction

Einstein Adds a New Dimension:The Story of Science, Book 3     DB/RC 66124
20 hours 0 minutes
by Joy Hakim
read by Mark Ashby
Examines Albert Einstein’s discoveries in the quantum world, the theory of relativity, and nuclear physics. Discusses the way his theories revolutionized scientific thinking about the universe and led to modern inventions, from the atom bomb to cell phones. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2007.

The Real Benedict Arnold     DB/RC 66523
8 hours 47 minutes
by Jim Murphy
read by Gregory Gorton
Exposes some of the rumors and folktales about Benedict Arnold (1741–1801) while highlighting his numerous military contributions to the American Revolution—before he switched his loyalty to the British. Discusses his personal qualities, the complex factors that led to his betrayal, and his difficulties after the war. For grades 6-9. 2007.

She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer     DB/RC 66527
2 hours 28 minutes
by Sally Hobart Alexander
and Robert Alexander
read by Laura Giannarelli
Biography of Laura Bridgman (1829–1889), the first deaf-blind child to receive a formal education—decades before Helen Keller. Discusses the causes of Laura’s deaf-blindness at age two, her sponsorship at Perkins Institution, and her success at learning manual sign language. For grades 4-7. 2008.

Tree Shaker: The Story of Nelson Mandela     DB/RC 66914
3 hours 49 minutes
by Bill Keller
read by Bob Moore
Biography of Nelson Mandela, the idealistic leader who transformed politics in South Africa after he was elected president in 1994. Discusses Mandela’s confrontations with apartheid as well as his strategy of nonviolence, twenty-seven years in prison, and historic presidency. Includes relevant full-text New York Times articles. For grades 6-9. 2008.

Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry     DB/RC 66930
1 hour 31 minutes
by Scott Reynolds Nelson
read by Bob Moore
Historian relates his search to determine if the song about John Henry was based on an actual man. Discusses tracing historical clues, learning about railroad construction in the late 1800s, and decoding the secret message of the song. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 2008.

The Whale Scientists: Solving the Mystery of Whale Strandings     DB/RC 67366
1 hour 44 minutes
by Fran Hodgkins
read by Mark Ashby
Traces whale evolution, the relationship between whales and humans, and the protection of endangered species. Introduces theories—including hearing damage, difficulties with echolocation, and weather conditions—about why whales strand themselves on shore. Discusses rescue efforts and the ways scientists study beached whales to learn what happened. For grades 5-8. 2007.

The First Americans: The Story of Where They Came From and Who They Became     DB/RC 67898
2 hours 48 minutes
by Anthony Aveni
read by Jack Fox
History of the earliest North American cultures, based on spears, small statues, skeletons, and other relics discovered by archaeologists. Discusses the ancient nomads who crossed from Siberia to Alaska and their many descendants—the Taíno, Anasazi, Iroquois, Timucua, and Kwakiutl, among others. For grades 4-7. Spur Award. 2005.

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out     DB/RC 68017
6 hours 20 minutes
by National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
read by Faith Potts
Anthology of poems, presidential speeches, memoirs, and stories about the White House in Washington, D.C., from the time of its construction in 1801 through the residency of George W. Bush, 2001–2008. Introduction by historian David McCullough. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2008.

Off to War: Voices of Soldiers’ Children     DB/RC 68158
4 hours 12 minutes
by Deborah Ellis
read by Michael Scherer
Children between the ages of seven and seventeen describe their feelings and reactions to having military parents who are posted in the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq. The kids discuss their fears and the changes in their parents’ behavior towards them. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 2008.

Jay McGraw’s Life Strategies for Dealing with Bullies     DB/RC 68159
2 hours 59 minutes
by Jay McGraw
read by Mark Delgado
Describes verbal, physical, and online bullying and suggests ways to stop it. Discusses reasons some kids harass others, explains the damage such abuse can cause, and offers tips for handling threatening individuals. Also informs parents and teachers regarding their responsibility to help students. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2008.

Celebrate Diwali     DB/RC 68196
0 hours 38 minutes
by Deborah Heiligman
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Discusses the Hindu festival that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and goodness over evil. Describes the various holiday preparations and customs in different parts of India. Includes a recipe for a sweet treat and instructions for a card game. For grades K-3. 2006.

Animals Robert Scott Saw: An Adventure in Antarctica     DB/RC 68204
0 hours 44 minutes
by Sandra Markle
read by Erin Jones
Features the two Antarctic expeditions of British explorer Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912). Describes wildlife such as emperor penguins, leopard seals, and sea creatures discovered there. Also explains the difficulties endured by sled dogs and ponies accompanying Scott’s crew. For grades 3-6. 2008.

Cooking Fun: One Hundred Twenty-one Simple Recipes to Make with Kids     DB/RC 68363
2 hours 52 minutes
by Rae Grant
read by Kerry Dukin
Family favorites and old-fashioned recipes, many with few ingredients. Covers toasts, sandwiches, and soups; salads and vegetable sides; egg dishes for every meal; entrees; and cocoa, lemonade, and other drinks. Also includes quick breads, cakes, cookies, and desserts. Recommends adult participation. For grades 3-6. 2008.

A Backyard Vegetable Garden for Kids     DB/RC 68370
0 hours 48 minutes
by Amie Jane Leavitt
read by Kerry Dukin
Covers the basics of vegetable gardening, from planning what to plant—and when—through harvesting a crop. Discusses tools needed for soil preparation, step-by-step instructions for sowing seeds, and general garden-care information. Includes directions for crafting a hummingbird bath from a carrot. For grades 3-6. 2009.

Mars and the Search for Life     DB/RC 68371
1 hour 49 minutes
by Elaine Scott
read by Kerry Dukin
Traces scientists’ exploration of Mars and the development of the MER (Mars Exploration Rover) to examine Martian rocks for signs of water, the ingredient necessary to support life. Covers the Mars missions between 2003 and 2007: the planning, launches, discoveries, and successes of the rovers. For grades 4-7. 2008.

Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems     DB/RC 68535
0 hours 15 minutes
edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
read by Erin Jones
Twenty poets celebrate teachers and elementary school from backpacks to lunch bags, from school-bus drivers to measles, and from art class to maps. In “Hamster Math” a student caring for two classroom hamsters during summer vacation learns about multiplication. For grades K-3. 2008.

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Fiction

The London Eye Mystery     DB/RC 67204
5 hours 13 minutes
by Siobhan Dowd
read by Alexander Strain
England. When Ted and Kat’s cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye Ferris wheel, even the police are baffled. So Ted, whose brain is wired differently, and his older sister Kat work together to solve the mystery. For grades 5-8. 2007.

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog     DB/RC 67363
1 hour 7 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by Mark Ashby
Match wits with fifth-grader Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown to solve ten short mysteries. In the title piece, a beagle named Elmo falls asleep during tryouts for a job as a pet-food taster. Encyclopedia Brown figures out who put knockout powder in Elmo’s food bowl—can you? Solutions included. For grades 3-6. 1968.

Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues     DB/RC 67364
1 hour 15 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by Mark Ashby
Idaville’s detective in sneakers solves ten baffling cases, from recovering a client’s prized tooth collection to catching a sneaky thief by following a trail of paint. For grades 3-6. 1966.

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch     DB/RC 67365
1 hour 14 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by Mark Ashby
Ten-year-old Encyclopedia Brown solves ten puzzling cases. In “The Case of the Secret Pitch” Bugs Meany tries to swindle Speedy Flanagan out of his baseball bat, but Encyclopedia spots a mistake that proves Bugs lied. For grades 3-6. 1965.

Moving Day: Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls, Book 1     DB/RC 67772
4 hours 7 minutes
by Meg Cabot
read by Mary Kane
Nine-year-old Allie Finkle has many rules, but two matter most when her family moves across town and when she lets a champion Persian show cat run away: “You can’t let your family move into a haunted house” and “When you do something wrong, always apologize.” For grades 3-6. 2008.

Phineas L. MacGuire . . . Blasts Off!     DB/RC 67800
2 hours 0 minutes
by Frances O’Roark Dowell
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Fourth-grade science whiz Mac is electrified by the possibility of space camp but needs to earn $799 and a plane ticket to go. Then a neighbor offers to pay him to walk her slobbery yellow Lab, Lemon Drop. Sequel to Phineas L. MacGuire . . . Gets Slimed! (RC 67764). For grades 3-6. 2008.

Doomwyte: Redwall Abbey     DB/RC 67878
12 hours 22 minutes
by Brian Jacques
read by Madelyn Buzzard
The Redwallers face dangerous villains in a treacherous hunt for long-lost treasure—the jeweled eyes of the great Doomwyte idol. The quest takes them into the caves beneath the wooded hill where Korvus Skurr, the black-feathered raven, dwells. For grades 5-8. 2008.

The Underneath     DB/RC 67889
6 hours 56 minutes
by Kathi Appelt
read by Mitzi Friedlander
In the alligator-filled bayous between Texas and Louisiana, long-suffering hound dog Ranger welcomes a pregnant stray calico cat underneath his rundown porch. When his cruel owner Gar Face dispatches the mother cat, Ranger and the calico’s two kittens form an unlikely family. For grades 4-7 and older readers. Newbery Honor Book. 2008.

Dolphin Song     DB/RC 67905
6 hours 17 minutes
by Lauren St. John
read by Jill Fox
A class trip to the ocean off the coast of South Africa turns dangerous when Martine and her classmates are washed overboard in shark-infested waters. The students’ fate then becomes entwined with a pod of dolphins. Sequel to The White Giraffe (RC 67843). For grades 4-7. 2007.

The Séance     DB/RC 68007
7 hours 2 minutes
by Iain Lawrence
read by Erik Sandvold
New York, 1926. Houdini’s arrival to perform his magic and to expose fraudulent mediums directly affects thirteen-year-old Scooter King. First because Scooter helps his mother make her séances convincing, and second because he finds a murdered man in Houdini’s Burmese Torture Tank. For grades 5-8. 2008.

Outside Beauty     DB/RC 68145
5 hours 17 minutes
by Cynthia Kadohata
read by Gabriella Cavallero
Chicago, 1983. Thirteen-year-old Shelby and her three close-knit half sisters are heartbroken when their beautiful mother Helen Kimura is seriously injured in a car accident. Separated and sent to live with their four respective fathers, the girls make a desperate attempt to reunite. For grades 6-9. 2008.

Akimbo and the Snakes: Akimbo, Book 4     DB/RC 68166
1 hour 14 minutes
by Alexander McCall Smith
read by Yolande Bavan
While Akimbo is on a working vacation at his uncle Peter’s snake park, a policeman reports a rare and deadly green mamba near a village. Akimbo accompanies his uncle to capture the snake and finds himself in danger. For grades 2-4. 2006.

Dark Whispers: The Unicorn Chronicles, Book 3     DB/RC 68170
11 hours 0 minutes
by Bruce Coville
read by Catherine Byers
Seeking to unravel the secret of the enmity between unicorns and delvers, Cara Diana Hunter travels through an underground world to the centaur king’s court. Meanwhile Cara’s father is on a quest—to free her mother from the Rainbow Prison. Sequel to Song of the Wanderer (RC 52153). For grades 4-7. 2008.

Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter: Book 4     
DB/RC 68190

1 hour 2 minutes
by Annie Barrows
read by Jill Fox
Seven-year-old Bean is upset that she has to stay home all afternoon while her eleven-year-old sister Nancy gets paid to be her new babysitter. So Bean invites her best friend Ivy to come over and make the day more fun—but not for Nancy. For grades 2-4. 2008.

Eleven     DB/RC 68203
3 hours 18 minutes
by Patricia Reilly Giff
read by Gary Tipton
Just before his eleventh birthday, Sam, who can barely read, is snooping in his grandfather’s attic and discovers a partial newspaper clipping that shows Sam as a missing three-year-old boy. Sam invites Caroline, a new girl in class and a good reader, to help him investigate. For grades 4-7. 2008.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard: Translated from the Ancient Runes by Hermione Granger, Commentary by Albus Dumbledore     DB/RC 68242
1 hour 46 minutes
by J.K. Rowling
read by Erik Sandvold
The heroes and heroines who triumph in these five stories demonstrate great kindness, common sense, and ingenuity rather than powerful magic. In “The Fountain of Fair Fortune” three woeful witches and a sad knight struggle to reach the fountain together before nightfall. For grades 4-7. 2007.

Stolen     DB/RC 68257
3 hours 23 minutes
by Vivian Vande Velde
read by Mare Trevathan
While running through a forest, a young girl about twelve summers old realizes she does not remember anything—not even her own name. After kindly farmers take her in, she learns that she might be Isabelle, and that she could have been stolen by a witch. For grades 5-8. 2008.

Hope in My Heart: Sofia’s Immigrant Diary, Book 1     DB/RC 68525
1 hour 28 minutes
by Kathryn Lasky
read by Jill Fox
After her family immigrates to New York from Italy in 1903, nine-year-old Sofia Monari is separated from her family and quarantined at the Ellis Island hospital. Sofia endures nightmarish conditions but makes a good friend, Maureen O’Malley, who teaches her English. For grades 3-6. 2003.

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Foreign Language Books

Spanish

La Suma de los Días (The Sum of Our Days: A Memoir)     DB/RC 65977
12 horas 4 minutos
por Isabel Allende
leído por María Pino
La famosa autora comparte sus pensamientos más íntimos sobre amor, matrimonio, maternidad, espirutalismo, infidelidad, adicción, y memoria mientras narra la historia reciente de su vida y familia a los trece años de la muerte de su hija, Paula (RC 43956). (The author shares her thoughts on love, marriage, motherhood, spirituality, infidelity, addiction, and memory. She also describes the history of her exuberant family and her own life experiences during the thirteen years since the death of her daughter Paula [RC 43956].) 2007.

Agua para Elefantes (Water for Elephants)     DB/RC 65994
15 horas 25 minutos
por Sara Gruen
leído por Juan Ramírez
1931. Jacob Jankowski es estudiante de la medicina veterinaria cuando sus padres mueren en un accidente de tránsito. Angustiado y arruinado, Jacob encuentra empleo en un circo ambulante donde cuida de animales como la traviesa elefanta, Rosie. También, se enamora de Marlena, una estrella del circo y mujer casada. Lenguaje injurioso y algunas descripciones de violencia y de índole sexual. (1931. Veterinary student Jacob Jankowski’s world comes crashing down when his parents die in a car accident. Broke, Jacob joins the circus; falls for Marlena, a married circus star; and cares for animals like Rosie the elephant. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex.) 2007.

El Club de la Buena Estrella (The Joy Luck Club)     DB/RC 65996
11 horas 23 minutos
por Amy Tan
leído por María Pino
En 1949 cuatro mujeres chinas recientemente llegadas a San Francisco, inician una serie de reuniones para comer, hablar, y jugar al mah-jongg. Se hacen llamar El Club de la Buena Estrella. Cuarenta años más tarde una de ellas muere y su hija toma su lugar. Entonces se revela un secreto profundo que afecta a todas. (In 1949 four Chinese women in San Francisco founded the Joy Luck Club and met to play mah-jongg and tell stories. Now, forty years later, one of the founders dies. Her daughter takes her place at the club and a secret is revealed that affects all of the women.) 1990.

Cuentos Naturales (Natural Stories)     DB/RC 67952
4 horas 45 minutos
por Carlos Fuentes
leído por Juan Ramírez
Fuentes presenta seis de sus más celebrados cuentos realísticos, tomados de sus obras importantes y representativos de una trayectoria literaria de cincuenta años: “Vieja Moralidad,” “Las Dos Elenas,” “Un Alma Pura,” “Malintzin de las Maquilas,” “La Sierva del Padre,” y “La Línea de la Vida.” (Six stories from a fifty-year period: “Vieja Moralidad” [“Old Morality”], “Las Dos Elenas” [“The Two Elenas”], “Un Alma Pura” [“A Pure Soul”], “Malintzin de las Maquilas,” [“Malintzin of the Factory”],” “La Sierva del Padre” [“The Priest’s Slave”], and “La Línea de la Vida” [“The Line of Life”].) 2007.

Un Yanqui en la Corte del Rey Arturo (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court)             DB/RC 67962
16 horas 34 minutos
por Mark Twain
leído por Juan Ramírez
Hank Morgan, un trabajador de fábrica de Connecticut en el siglo diecinueve, recibe un golpe y queda inconsciente. Al volver en sí, aprende que ha sido transportado al remoto pasado de Inglaterra y se halla en la corte del Rey Arturo. Pronto, Hank quiere mejorar las cosas introduciendo inventos modernos e ideas democráticas. (A nineteenth-century New England factory worker is knocked unconscious and transported back to the year 528. Hank Morgan awakens in King Arthur’s court in Britain, where he attempts to improve living conditions by introducing modern inventions and democratic ideas.) 2006.

Tienes que Atreverte: Abraza la Vida con Pasión (I Dare You: Embrace Life with Passion)       DB/RC 67963
10 horas 41 minutos
por Joyce Meyer
leído por María Pino
La autora es ministro de radio y televisión que ofrece consejos para enfocarse las energías y encontrar propósito y motivación en la vida. Cita pasajes de la Biblia y anécdotas de inspiración que nos enseñan a soñar con metas grandes, a tomar responsabilidades personales, y a evitar distracciones negativas como el enojo y la ansiedad. (Radio and television minister offers advice for focusing one’s energies to find purpose and motivation in life. Provides scripture and anecdotes to inspire readers to dream big, take responsibility, and avoid distractions such as worry and anger.) 2008.

Los Guardianes del Libro (People of the Book)     DB/RC 67966
15 horas 23 minutos
por Geraldine Brooks
leído por María Pino
Hanna Heath, una prestigiosa conservadora de libros, analiza un manuscrito hebreo de la España medieval que, últimamente, fue salvado de una cierta destrucción en el Sarajevo de los años1990s. Hanna encuentra entre las páginas del manuscrito cosas raras—una ala de insecto, cristales de sal, manchas de vino y sangre—todo que revela la trayectoria de la sabiduría oculta del libro, así como las vidas de las personas que durante siglos lo protegieron. Violencia y descripciones de índole sexual. (Australian book conservator Hanna Heath analyzes a Hebrew manuscript created in medieval Spain and saved from destruction in 1990s Sarajevo. Hanna’s discoveries—an insect wing, salt crystals, and wine and blood stains—reveal the codex’s past and the lives of its   guardians. Some violence and some descriptions of sex.) 2008.

La Apelación (The Appeal)     DB/RC 67967
17 horas 4 minutos
por John Grisham
leído por Juan Ramírez
Un jurado de Mississippi declara culpable a una empresa química por realizar vertidos tóxicos en el sistema de agua potable. Carl Trudeau, el propietario de la empresa, quiere revocar el veredicto apelando al Tribunal Supremo del Estado y, a la vez, decide presentar su proprio candidato para ser juez del Tribunal. (After a Mississippi jury returns a guilty verdict against a chemical company that dumped carcinogens into the water supply, the company’s owner, Carl Trudeau, appeals to the state’s supreme court. During judicial elections Trudeau tries to plant his own justice on the bench.) 2008.

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Audio Magazines

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)
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)
France-Amérique (French; monthly)
Good Housekeeping (monthly plus special issues)
Health and Nutrition Newsletters (includes The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter—Health after Fifty, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and Nutrition Action Healthletter; monthly)
Horticulture (6 issues)
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)
Odyssey (9 issues; combined issues  May–June, July–August, November–December)
Outdoor Life (10 issues; combined issues June–July, December–January)
People (weekly plus special issues)
People en Español (Spanish; weekly)
QST (monthly)
Quarterly Music Magazine (quarterly)
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)
Travel & Leisure (monthly)
True West (monthly)
Vanidades (Spanish; biweekly)
The Week (weekly)
The Writer (12 issues)
Young Adult Magazine of the Month (monthly)

For a free subscription to these magazines, contact your cooperating library.

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Posted on 2011-01-10