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Home > Talking Book Topics > July-August 2003

NLS: Talking Book Topics

July-August 2003

In Brief

New NLS publications

The NLS Reference Section has produced two new publications. Facts: Books for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals (2003) is available in regular print and online at <www.loc.gov/nls/reference/factsheets/annual.html>. Disability Awareness: A Selected Bibliography (2003) is available in large print and online at <www.loc.gov/nls/reference/bibliographies/awareness.html>. Both publications can be provided on computer diskette upon request from the NLS Reference Section, telephone (202) 707-9275; fax (202) 707-0712; e-mail <nlsref@loc.gov>.

Newsletter discontinued

Healthline ceased publication and is no longer part of the monthly selection of Health and Nutrition Newsletters on cassette.

Books for Adults

Books listed in this issue of Talking Book Topics were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.

Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, fill out the order form and send it to your cooperating library.

Note: For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language."

Cassettes Nonfiction

Wake Up, I'm Fat!     RC 50253
by Camryn Manheim
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
Actress known for her television role in The Practice discusses life as a large person in an industry in which looks are paramount. Having created a one-woman show with the same title as this book and having dedicated her Emmy to "all the fat girls," Manheim relishes providing an alternative role model. Strong language. 1999.

Keep It Simple, Stupid: You're Smarter Than You Look     RC 52591
by Judy Sheindlin
read by Mimi Bederman
1 cassette
Judge Judy, author of Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining (RC 50304), uses decades of experience on the bench to offer advice to families. She suggests eliminating excess emotional baggage in order to have a happier life. 2000.

The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood     RC 52755
by Diana McLellan
read by MaryBeth Wise
4 cassettes
Journalist McLellan reveals the lesbian and bisexual secrets of movie actresses such as Alla Nazimova, Marlene Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead, and Greta Garbo. Describes the effect of their emotional lives on their professional work. Explores Garbo's obsession with privacy and her claim that she never met Dietrich. Some descriptions of sex. 2000.

Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief     RC 52761
by Andrew Newberg and others
read by Gary Telles
2 cassettes
In a collaborative effort, a science writer, a radiologist, and a psychiatrist examine the connection between religion and science. They aver that religious conviction is rooted in the biology of the human brain and that spiritual experiences such as prayer and meditation are associated with a series of observable neurological events. 2001.

Life Is Not a Stress Rehearsal: Bringing Yesterday's Sane Wisdom into Today's Insane World     RC 53179
by Loretta LaRoche
read by Miriam Wagner
1 cassette
Stress management consultant provides humorous advice on ways to reduce stress in daily life by avoiding overuse of modern technological gadgets. Urges more family time and less television, reduced use of cell phones, and bigger doses of laughter. 2001.

Birds on the Couch: The Bird Shrink's Guide to Keeping Polly from Going Crackers and You out of the Cuckoo's Nest     RC 53196
by Ruth Hanessian
read by Miriam Wagner
1 cassette
Pet-store owner uses anecdotes to advise bird fanciers on choosing the right bird and then understanding its behavior and emotions. 1998.

Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom     RC 53388
by Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath
read by Bill Wallace
3 cassettes
Explores the premise that while Western values--democracy, free speech, free markets, and individual rights--are spreading rapidly throughout the world, it is vital for universities to continue classical study programs to understand the origins of these ideas in the ancient Greek vision of life. Further discussion of common problems in classics departments. 1998.

How I Came into My Inheritance: And Other True Stories     RC 53420
by Dorothy Gallagher
read by Barbara Rappaport
1 cassette
In a series of vignettes, Gallagher reminisces about her Russian-Jewish parents in the throes of old age and their happier times in earlier years. She recalls incidents from her childhood in Washington Heights, New York, and the Marxist philosophy prevalent in her home. Some strong language. 2001.

The Pushcart Prize XXVI: Best of the Small Presses, 2002     RC 53496
edited by Bill Henderson
read by Fred Major
5 cassettes
Seventy-one selections from forty-nine presses. Fiction pieces by Russell Banks, Ann Beattie, Ha Jin, and Ian Frazier. Poems by Billy Collins, Louise Glück, and Wole Soyinka. Essays by Kim Barnes and André Aciman. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

The Complete Works of Isaac Babel     RC 53625
by Isaac Babel
read by Annie Wauters
7 cassettes in 2 containers
The entire surviving output of Russian Jewish writer Isaac Babel (1894-1940), chronicler of the revolution and the early Soviet regime. Contains all his short stories (including the Red Cavalry and Odessa stories), reports and essays from his travels, plays, screenplays, and a private diary from 1920. English translation by Peter Constantine. Bestseller 2002.

Churchill: A Biography     RC 53641
by Roy Jenkins
read by Bill Wallace
8 cassettes in 2 containers
Jenkins, a member of Parliament and a cabinet secretary who worked with Winston Churchill for sixteen years, concentrates on the late British prime minister's evolution as a politician. Discusses Churchill's insatiable ambition, stubbornness, vanity, and tunnel vision, demonstrating why the politician was prominent for almost sixty years. Bestseller 2001.

How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It     RC 53671
by Arthur Herman
read by Anne Flosnik
4 cassettes
Historian outlines the influence and achievements of Scotland, emphasizing the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and marking onsets of the Scottish Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Describes the contributions of Francis Hutcheson, Adam Smith, David Hume, and Sir Walter Scott, as well as the Scottish diaspora to other lands. Bestseller 2001.

Susan La Flesche Picotte, M.D.: Omaha Indian Leader and Reformer     RC 53697
by Benson Tong
read by Andrea Maida
2 cassettes
Biography of an Omaha Indian woman, who was born in a tepee in 1865 and graduated from medical college in 1889. As a promoter of social causes and a physician for the Office of Indian Affairs, she practiced Western medicine but remained sensitive to her heritage, effectively bridging the two cultures. 1999.

Killing Dragons: The Conquest of the Alps     RC 53702
by Fergus Fleming
read by Steven Carpenter
3 cassettes
History of mountaineering exploits in the central section of the Alps--the highest and most impressive peaks. Discusses first ascents of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn among others with biographical sketches of such climbers as Horace Benedict de Saussure, a Swiss from Geneva, and Englishman Edward Whymper. 2000.

Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy     RC 53738
by Bill Cosby
read by Peter Jay Fernandez
1 cassette
Humorous sketches from noted comedian and television star Bill Cosby about growing up in the projects of Philadelphia, experiences in school and the navy, and starting on his career and marriage. 2001.

The Future of Life     RC 53768
by Edward O. Wilson
read by Tom Burch
2 cassettes
Pulitzer Prize-winning author discusses the Earth's biological heritage and the dangers posed to it by humans. While recognizing the problems inherent in overpopulation and consumerism, Wilson proposes that cooperation between environmental and economic concerns can achieve mutual benefit. Bestseller 2002.

Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier     RC 53820
by Andrea Immer
read by John Richardson
3 cassettes
Provides guidelines for the beginner to select appropriate wines at home and in restaurants. Teaches the vocabulary of taste appreciation and interpretation of bottle labels and encourages experimenting within budget. 2000.

Through the Brazilian Wilderness     RC 53848
by Theodore Roosevelt
read by Roy Avers
2 cassettes
Former president and avid naturalist Roosevelt records observations and reflections of his adventurous expedition to the Amazon basin in 1913-1914, accompanied by his son Kermit. Describes his arduous exploration of the Rio da Dúvida, later renamed in his honor, and the insects, wildlife, and jungle environment he encountered. 2000.

Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power     RC 53860
by Victor Davis Hanson
read by Butch Hoover
4 cassettes
Military historian theorizes that superiority in waging warfare over the past 2,500 years has led to western civilization's dominance in world affairs. Describes nine battles from 480 B.C. to 1968 to illustrate that this "ability to fight...reflects larger social, economic, political, and cultural practices" and ensures victory. 2001.

Jupiter Odyssey: The Story of NASA's Galileo Mission     RC 53864
by David M. Harland
read by Lou Harpenau
4 cassettes
Focuses on the spaceship Galileo's journey through the solar system. Discusses its observations of Venus, the Earth and its moon, a pair of asteroids, and a comet's crash into Jupiter. Provides insight into the technical challenges and triumphs of this mission, launched in 1989. 2000.

Robert's Rules of Order: Newly Revised     RC 53865
by Henry M. Robert
read by Lou Harpenau
6 cassettes (Reissue)
First published in 1876, this tenth edition of the manual of parliamentary procedure still serves as the recognized guide to running and participating effectively in meetings. Includes information on using technology for such electronic meetings as teleconferences, videoconferences, and e-mail. 2000.

All Creatures Great and Small     RC 53926
by James Herriot
read by Bob Askey
3 cassettes (Reissue)
An English veterinarian reminisces about his work in Yorkshire that began in 1937 when he was fresh out of school. He recalls tending to the farm and house animals and comforting people whose pets died. Followed by All Things Bright and Beautiful (RC 39611). Bestseller 1972.

Selected Poems: A Bilingual Edition     RC 53952
by Pablo Neruda
read by Peter Gil
2 cassettes
Selections from the major published works of Chile's Nobel laureate, presented in English translation and the original Spanish. Includes pieces from the early Twenty Love Poems (1924), portions of his celebrated The Heights of Macchu Picchu, and poems from the autobiographical Memorial de Isla Negra (1964). 1990.

American Colonies: The Penguin History of the United States     RC 53978
by Alan Taylor
read by Bill Wallace
5 cassettes
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of William Cooper's Town (RC 47225) explores North American cultural diversity that began in prehistoric times. Describes the interactions of indigenous peoples with the vastly differing explorers, settlers, and slaves. Examines the lasting ecological and economic effects of colonization. 2001.

The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its Peoples     RC 53992
by Tim Flannery
read by Jake Williams
3 cassettes
Author of Throwim Way Leg (RC 48739) recounts the natural history of the continent as it evolved over the last sixty-five million years. Discusses the "quintessential determinants of life"; their stability and influence in shaping flora, fauna, and human societies; and the ecological crisis of North America in the twenty-first century. 2001.

Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour     RC 54010
by Barbara W. Tuchman
read by Bill Wallace
3 cassettes
Traces Britain's involvement in Palestine culminating in the 1917 British victory over Turkey, which guaranteed the Jewish people a homeland. Focuses on England's political and cultural motives that helped create the nation of Israel. 1956.

Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative     RC 54035
by David Brock
read by Chris Parente
3 cassettes
Journalist's account of disillusionment and defection from the 1990s neo-conservative movement. Brock recalls efforts to smear Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas nomination hearings and to discredit the Clintons by any means available. Describes abuses of power he claims to have witnessed among the Washington, D.C., right-wing political establishment. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2002.

Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out     RC 54036
by Phillip C. McGraw
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
"Dr. Phil" turns inward, expanding his philosophy of life begun in Life Strategies (RC 47962) and Relationship Rescue (RC 49740). Explores how to find one's "authentic self" via introspection and other key elements that will lead to a stronger self-concept and self-esteem. Some strong language. Bestseller 2001.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't     RC 54059
by Jim Collins
read by Butch Hoover
2 cassettes
Findings of a research team that studied eleven businesses for five years to learn how they achieved and sustained success. Profiles Circuit City, Fannie Mae, Philip Morris, and Walgreens, among others. Explores leadership, culture, and technology and presents a framework of ideas that the author claims will improve any organization. Bestseller 2001.

The Essential Galbraith     RC 54085
by John Kenneth Galbraith
read by Gregory Gorton
3 cassettes
Key selections from five decades of writing on economics. In introductions written in 2001, the author places the essays in historical context and comments on their continued relevance. The last entry is Galbraith's speech "The Unfinished Business of the Century," given at the London School of Economics in 1999. 2001.

An Honorable Defeat: The Last Days of the Confederate Government     RC 54120
by William C. Davis
read by David Myers
3 cassettes
Outlines the last four months of the 1865 Confederate government when the secretary of war General John C. Breckinridge tried to persuade President Jefferson Davis to surrender. Describes the infighting within the cabinet and the flight of government officials from Richmond, Virginia, through their capture and subsequent imprisonment. 2001.

Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years     RC 54121
by Carl Sandburg
read by Roy Avers
8 cassettes in 2 containers
Historical biography of Lincoln as a man and as president. An exhaustively researched portrait of the country lawyer whose leadership guided the United States through the Civil War. Sandburg's one-volume distillation of his original six-volume work. 1954.

The New Eight-Week Cholesterol Cure: The Ultimate Program for Preventing Heart Disease     RC 54131
by Robert E. Kowalski
read by Butch Hoover
3 cassettes
In a follow-up to his 1987 bestseller The Eight-Week Cholesterol Cure (RC 26029), the author uses updated nutritional information to refine his system of preventing coronary heart disease through diet, exercise, antioxidants, and stress management. Includes recipes. Bestseller 2002.

Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America     RC 54132
by David Kiley
read by Kerry Cundiff
2 cassettes
Journalist and former owner of a 1964 Beetle discusses America's love affair with the German car and Volkswagen's fateful decision to halt its production. Provides an overview of the company's history, going back to the 1930s. Chronicles Volkswagen's remarkable comeback in the 1990s, especially in the United States. 2002.

Lucky Man: A Memoir     RC 54165
by Michael J. Fox
read by Erik Sandvold
2 cassettes
Autobiography of the actor, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991. Reminisces about his Canadian childhood, his move to Los Angeles to begin his film career at eighteen, his alcoholism, and his family--as well as coping with his condition. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson     RC 54174
by Robert A. Caro
read by Bill Wallace
11 cassettes in 2 containers
The third volume of a biographical study of the thirty-sixth president, following The Path to Power (RC 18676) and Means of Ascent (RC 30837). Explains how Johnson, elected to the Senate in 1949, mastered the legislative system and maneuvered himself into the vice-presidency in 1960. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

The Camel Drivers: The 17th Aero Squadron in World War I     RC 54179
by Otis Lowell Reed and George Roland
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
Chronicles the experiences of one of two American squadrons loaned to the British to fly Sopwith Camels during the summer of 1918. Records the dangers and thrills of early aerial warfare, based on official and personal sources, interviews, letters, and diaries. 1996.

Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women's Resistance     RC 54180
by Cheryl Benard
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
An American reports on the subjugation of women under Taliban rule and the resistance movement of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Reveals the courage and resilience of mothers and daughters in their struggle for education and guaranteed human rights. 2002.

Talking about Death Won't Kill You     RC 54192
by Virginia Morris
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
To help people make better decisions about death, the author encourages them to accept its inevitability. Discusses considerations to ponder before a crisis arrives and provides medical and legal options. Uses case studies to illustrate how to talk about dying with others and gives tips on relating to terminally ill patients. 2001.

Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource     RC 54193
by Marq De Villiers
read by Kerry Cundiff
2 cassettes
Global view of the water crisis facing the world's population in the twenty-first century. Examines such water-related problems as desertification, climate change, pollution, dams. Covers the ecological and political implications of diverting rivers, with special emphasis on the Middle East and borders of the United States. 1999.

Beyond the Medal: A Journey from Their Hearts to Yours     RC 54199
by Peter C. Lemon
read by Roy Avers
1 cassette
Congressional Medal of Honor recipients convey their feelings on patriotism, spiritual and family values, and formative experiences. Accompanying their heartfelt words, extracts from the official military citations give the date and describe their heroism. 1997.

On a Roll: From Hot Dog Buns to High-Tech Billions     RC 54200
by Howard Jonas
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
The founder of International Discount Telecommunications (IDT) traces his entrepreneurship to his Bronx childhood. Before he dropped out of Harvard, Jonas ran his own business; later he invented the telecommunications callback system. Describes his battles with AT&T and the development of the Internet. 1998.

Copyrights and Copywrongs: The Rise of Intellectual Property and How It Threatens Creativity RC 54202
by Siva Vaidhyanathan
read by Butch Hoover
2 cassettes
Outlines the principles of American copyright law, traces its development through the twentieth century, and examines its effects on American literature, film, television, and music. Argues that the existing tangle of controls and protections restricts creativity and thwarts democratic free expression. 2001.

The Life You Imagine: Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams     RC 54209
by Derek Jeter
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
New York Yankees shortstop outlines the ten steps that helped him achieve a successful career in major league baseball and offers advice on how to reach one's goals and dreams. Describes growing up in a supportive multiracial family. For senior high and older readers. 2000.

Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars     RC 54210
by Robert V. Remini
read by Lou Harpenau
3 cassettes
Historian reexamines President Jackson's policy on Native Americans, emphasizing the cultural and social context of the early nineteenth century. Discusses Jackson's personal attitudes and his responsibility for the removal of Native Americans from the east coast. Contends that Jackson believed his actions would improve the Indians' chances to escape extinction. 2001.

Veeck--As in Wreck: The Autobiography of Bill Veeck     RC 54214
by Bill Veeck
read by Butch Hoover
4 cassettes (Reissue)
Reminiscences of a baseball-team owner and operator. Humorous account of Veeck's love affair with the game during a lifetime devoted to it. Covers his involvement with the Cleveland Indians, the St. Louis Browns, and the Chicago White Sox. 1962.

The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays     RC 54220
by Albert Camus
read by Fred Major
2 cassettes
In the title essay, the French philosopher and writer develops an affirmative attitude toward life, even though life is regarded as meaningless and absurd. The other essays also deal with the theme of affirmation in the face of absurdity. 1955.

Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America     RC 54222
by Daniel K. Richter
read by Roy Avers
2 cassettes
Examines U,S. history from Native American perspectives, focusing on the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. Reinterprets documentary sources to reveal the Indians' discovery of Europe, concentrating on how North American natives responded to foreign colonization, incorporating European objects and ideas into their own cultures with unpredictable consequences. 2001.

Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley?     RC 54223
by Mark Fuhrman
read by Richard Hauenstein
2 cassettes
Former Los Angeles police detective describes his investigation, more than twenty years later, into the unsolved 1975 murder of a fifteen-year-old girl outside her home in wealthy Greenwich, Connecticut. Fuhrman identifies Michael Skakel, a cousin of Ethel Kennedy, as the prime suspect. Foreword by Dominick Dunne. Some violence and some strong language. 1998.

Searching for Hassan: An American Family's Journey Home to Iran     RC 54225
by Terence Ward
read by Bruce Huntey
2 cassettes
In 1998 the Ward family returns to Tehran seeking the Ghasemi family, long-lost friends from their 1960s stay. Their search and the recollections it engenders create a portrait of Iranian culture. The travelers prove that friendship transcends politics. 2002.

Gregory Peck: A Biography     RC 54226
by Gary Fishgall
read by Gary Tipton
3 cassettes
Biography of actor and philanthropist Eldred Gregory Peck, born in 1916 in La Jolla, California. Traces his family life, matriculation at Berkeley, and relocation to New York City where he began his professional career. Concentrates on his films including his Academy Award-winning performance in To Kill a Mockingbird. 2002.

Growing Up in a Shipyard: Reminiscences of a Shipbuilding Life in Essex, Massachusetts     RC 54250
by Dana A. Story
read by Terence Aselford
2 cassettes
Member of the Essex Historical Society describes his life in his father's shipyard, where generations built wooden schooners and other sailing vessels. The town had been host to the industry since the 1650s, but in 1948 economic conditions drove the author out of business. 1991.

Around the World in Five Hundred Days: The Circumnavigation of the Merchant Bark Charles Stewart, 1883-1884, Recounted with Zest and Detail by the Captain's Daughter, Hattie Atwood Freeman RC 54253
edited by Curtis Dahl
read by Colleen Delany
1 cassette
At seventeen, Hattie joins her captain father aboard his trading bark in New York to accompany him to Hobart, Tasmania. She records her adventures at sea, where she gradually acquires duties and skills, as well as her social life in port, where she visits and parties aboard other sailing vessels. 1907.

New England and the Sea     RC 54255
by Robert G. Albion and others
read by Colleen Delany
2 cassettes
Traces the roots of the maritime heritage of the northeastern coast of the United States from colonial times through the twentieth century. Covers the "heroic age" of shipping and the "golden age" of fishing and deepwater commerce, the decline of many industries, and the transition to recreational activities. 1972.

The New Intifada: Resisting Israel's Apartheid     RC 54262
edited by Roane Carey
read by Jake Williams
3 cassettes
Essays by Noam Chomsky, Edward Said, and others describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the Palestinian point of view. Concentrates on the intifada following Ariel Sharon's Temple Mount visit in September 2000, the failure of the Oslo agreements, the perceived bias of U.S. media, and the plight of the refugees. Some strong language. 2001.

Small Wonder     RC 54304
by Barbara Kingsolver
read by Jill Ferris
2 cassettes
Twenty-three essays, commentaries, and reveries on issues facing humanity by the author of The Poisonwood Bible (RC 46882) and Prodigal Summer (RC 51048). Kingsolver ponders random acts of violence and terrorism as well as the value of a good story and pleasures in the natural world. Bestseller 2002.

Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls     RC 54309
by Rachel Simmons
read by Kerry Cundiff
2 cassettes
A study of the "hidden culture of girls' aggression in which bullying is epidemic, distinctive, and destructive." Uses anecdotes and surveys to document such behavior and offers suggestions for combating it while helping the perpetrators and their victims. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul: Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirits of Educators RC 54315
by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
read by Bill Wallace
2 cassettes
Anecdotes about adults making a difference in the lives of children. Educators remember reaching out to troubled kids and inspiring their pupils to excel. Children, now grown, fondly remember mentors who encouraged them to succeed. Bestseller 2002.

American Son: A Portrait of John F. Kennedy Jr.     RC 54317
by Richard Blow
read by Erik Synnestvedt
2 cassettes
An editor who worked at George magazine until it folded reminisces about his former boss, John F. Kennedy Jr., who died in an airplane accident in July 1999. Blow discusses his perception of problems at the office and in Kennedy's private life. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Find Me     RC 54318
by Rosie O'Donnell
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Comedian and talk-show host interweaves the chronicle of her unusual personal involvement with an unwed, pregnant, fourteen-year-old--raped by a minister--with memories of her own childhood. Learning of Stacie's plight through her adoption agency, Rosie begins a telephone relationship with her that becomes painful and consuming. Bestseller 2002.

Oh, the Things I Know! A Guide to Success, or, Failing That, Happiness     RC 54335
by Al Franken
read by Barry Bernson
1 cassette
Humorist offers tongue-in-cheek advice lampooning Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You'll Go! (RC 30795). Recent graduates are warned, "Oh, Are You Going to Hate Your First Job!" and "Oh, the Mistakes You'll Keep Repeating!" Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Medal of Honor: Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present     RC 54339
by Allen Mikaelian
read by Roy Avers
2 cassettes
Biographical sketches of war heroes who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor--the ultimate award for American combatants. A brief history of the medal explaining its Civil War origins is followed by profiles of eleven recipients, both legendary and little known, through the Vietnam War. Bestseller 2002.

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated     RC 54343
by Gore Vidal
read by Fred Major
1 cassette
Citing the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Vidal describes "various provocations on our side that drove [Timothy McVeigh and Osama bin Laden] to such terrible acts." Vidal excoriates the U.S. government's foreign policies and deplores the restrictions on domestic civil liberties subsequent to the attacks. Bestseller 2002.

The Right Words at the Right Time     RC 54345
edited by Marlo Thomas
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
Actress Marlo Thomas's compilation of more than one hundred celebrities' personal turning points in life--for example, her father Danny Thomas's advice changed her attitude about being compared to him. Contributors include Muhammad Ali, Tom Brokaw, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Toni Morrison, Steven Spielberg, Sammy Sosa, Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, and others. Bestseller 2002.

Epilepsy: Patient and Family Guide     RC 54348
by Orrin Devinsky
read by Butch Hoover
3 cassettes
Neurologist outlines the physical and social aspects of epilepsy, including diagnosis and treatment; conditions in children, adults, and the elderly; legal and financial issues; and available resources. Offers advice on day-to-day issues, employment, mental health, and living fully. 2002.

Crocheting in Plain English     RC 54350
by Maggie Righetti
read by Kerry Cundiff
2 cassettes
Commonsense approach to this handcraft that is appropriate for beginners and informative for more advanced crocheters. Covers its history and basic preparations; planning projects and stitch techniques; easy-to-follow lessons; finishing touches; and sensible solutions to nagging problems. 1988.

Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith     RC 54374
by Studs Terkel
read by Michael Scherer
3 cassettes
In his eighty-eighth year, oral historian Terkel gathers the viewpoints of a broad cross-section of ordinary Americans on death and whether there is an afterlife. He interviews AIDS patients, survivors of near-death experiences, and people whose vocations involve regular confrontations with death. 2001.

Sex and Shopping: The Confessions of a Nice Jewish Girl, an Autobiography     RC 54377
by Judith Krantz
read by MaryBeth Wise
4 cassettes
Bestselling romance author describes growing up wealthy in New York City. After graduating from Wellesley, she spends a carefree year in Paris experimenting with her sexuality before returning to New York and eventually marrying a television executive. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2000.

My Story as Told by Water: Confessions, Druidic Rants, Reflections, Bird-Watchings, Fish-Stalkings, Visions, Songs and Prayers Refracting Light, from Living Rivers, in the Age of the Industrial Dark RC 54385
by David James Duncan
read by Gary Telles
3 cassettes
A collection of essays by a dedicated conservationist with a sense of humor. Duncan's love of water and fishing sustain him as he points out many of America's environmental follies. 2001.

The Tapir's Morning Bath: Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest and the Scientists Who Are Trying to Solve Them     RC 54390
by Elizabeth Royte
read by Mary Kane
2 cassettes
A journalist joins scientific experts conducting biodiversity research on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal. Discusses their field work and investigations into the origin and persistence of species--the heart of evolutionary and ecological studies. 2001.

Cold Zero: Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team     RC 54407
by Christopher Whitcomb
read by Steven Carpenter
3 cassettes
Memoir by an FBI special agent. Describes his rigorous training and early missions investigating bank robberies, drug busts, and crank phone calls about Martian kidnapping. He joins the Hostage Rescue Team as a sniper and is involved at Ruby Ridge and Waco and in Kosovo. Violence and strong language. 2001.

Parent Effectiveness Training: The Proven Program for Raising Responsible Children     RC 54413
by Thomas Gordon
read by John Hammock
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Revised edition of a classic parenting text which offers an alternative to both authoritarian and permissive approaches to child rearing. Advocates active listening, emotional frankness, conflict resolution, and problem identification. Offers parents and teachers a method to modify behavior. 1970.

Once upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen     RC 54433
by Bob Greene
read by Tom Burch
2 cassettes
The inspirational story of North Platte, Nebraska, a town that served as a brief haven for millions of WWII American soldiers. From Christmas Day 1941 until the end of the war, the residents welcomed every troop train with food, drink, magazines, and words of encouragement. Bestseller 2002.

Ciao, America! An Italian Discovers the U.S.     RC 54442
by Beppe Severgnini
read by Frank Coffee
2 cassettes
An Italian journalist and his wife rent a house in Georgetown, in Washington, D.C., and spend a year observing the customs of the country with sardonic bemusement. During their stay, they learn to enjoy air conditioning, pancake houses, Klondike bars, and ice cubes. Bestseller 1995.

Firehouse     RC 54444
by David Halberstam
read by L.J. Ganser
1 cassette
Account of the New York City firefighters from Engine 40, Ladder 35, who respond to the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Of the thirteen men on duty, only one survives. Bestseller 2002.

Globalization and Its Discontents     RC 54445
by Joseph E. Stiglitz
read by Jake Williams
3 cassettes
A Nobel laureate in economics explains why globalization provokes the hostility of protesters and proposes a reform agenda. Stiglitz describes the plight of developing nations and, as a former World Bank economist, provides an insider's critique of flaws in existing policies. Bestseller 2002.

Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia     RC 54450
by Christopher M. Byron
read by Kerry Cundiff
3 cassettes
A financial writer examines Stewart's personal background and traces her rise in business--from housewife to CEO and from cookbook writer to national spokesperson on domestic tastes and fashions. Delves into her business ethics and speculates on the future of her company. Bestseller 2002.

Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II     RC 54463
by Jennet Conant
read by Jake Williams
3 cassettes
Recounts the career and scientific influence of little-acknowledged Alfred Loomis (1887-1975), whose philanthropy encouraged the development of radar and the atomic bomb. Discusses the multitalented businessman's private physics research lab in Tuxedo Park, New York, to which he enticed brilliant scientists in the 1930s, and his wartime laboratory at MIT. Bestseller 2002.

Venice: Lion City; the Religion of Empire     RC 54491
by Garry Wills
read by Ken Kliban
3 cassettes
A history of Venice, Italy, during the Renaissance, focusing on the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Compares Venice to ancient Athens for its combination of high art and naval dominance as a sea empire. Discusses Venetian society and its distinctive religious practices, including defiance of Rome's papal authority. 2001.

Carl Sandburg: Selected Poems     RC 54500
by Carl Sandburg
read by Roy Avers
1 cassette
Representative poems selected from the published collections of Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet, Carl Sandburg (1878-1967). Contains most of the Chicago Poems published in 1916, including the "groundbreaking" poems first published in Poetry. 1992.

Cookies for Christmas     RC 54501
edited by Jennifer Dorland Darling
read by Kerry Cundiff
2 cassettes
Collection of more than one hundred Christmas cookie recipes from the Better Homes and Gardens test kitchen. Includes cutout, shaped, sliced, dropped, and bar cookies that feature old world favorites and new cookie ideas with a flavor twist. 1999.

Leap of Faith: An Astronaut's Journey into the Unknown     RC 54502
by Gordon Cooper
read by Tom Burch
2 cassettes
Former military test pilot and veteran astronaut from the 1960s Mercury and Gemini space projects recalls his air force training and his missions with NASA. He pleads for serious research on UFOs, which he claims to have seen, and charges that the government has suppressed evidence of extraterrestrial life. Some strong language. 2000.

The Broken Hearth: Reversing the Moral Collapse of the American Family     RC 54505
by William J. Bennett
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
Conservative social critic assesses challenges to the nuclear family in America. Examines the historical development of the patriarchal family unit and its function in society. Avers that such trends as cohabitation, illegitimacy, divorce, single-parenting, and same-sex marriage represent a corruption of traditional values that has led to a major social crisis. 2001.

Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire     RC 54512
by Chalmers Johnson
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
Asian-affairs specialist contends that America's failure to change its post-Cold War globalization ambitions has led to "blowback," a term borrowed from the CIA that refers to often unintended consequences of policies or actions. Johnson believes American economic and military power are overextended and unmanageable--with disaster in store if misguided strategies go uncorrected. 2000.

Chrysler: The Life and Times of an Automotive Genius     RC 54541
by Vincent Curcio
read by Robert Sams
7 cassettes in 2 containers
Biography of Kansas prairie native Walter P. Chrysler (1875-1940), who distinguished himself in the railroad industry before joining Buick Motor Car Company in 1912. Chrysler later formed his own New York-based automotive corporation, which thrived due to his engineering and business innovations. 2000.

Addiction-Free: How to Help an Alcoholic or Addict Get Started on Recovery     RC 54543
by Gene Hawes and Anderson Hawes
read by Gregory Gorton
2 cassettes
Offers advice to individuals concerned about someone who may be addicted to drugs or alcohol. Explains how to recognize addiction and suggests resources, including Alcoholics Anonymous and similar organizations, professional rehabilitation communities, employee-assistance programs, crisis intervention, and the use of law enforcement agencies. 2001.

Trauma Junkie: Memoirs of an Emergency Flight Nurse     RC 54544
by Janice Hudson
read by Margaret Strom
2 cassettes
Emergency room nurse describes her career with the California Shock/Trauma Air Rescue service in the San Francisco Bay area. Provides anecdotes of the helicopter crews' varied missions during earthquakes, forest fires, shark attacks, and multiple highway and shooting incidents. Violence and strong language. 2001.

A Mythic Life: Learning to Live Our Greater Story     RC 54547
by Jean Houston
read by Mary Kane
3 cassettes
Autobiography of an explorer of world cultures, who finds tools of self-discovery in the many dimensions of human potential. Links her personal mythic experiences to universal archetypes. 1996.

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need     RC 54550
by Andrew Tobias
read by Erik Synnestvedt
2 cassettes
Update of the bestselling classic with the same title (RC 11899) wherein the author humorously discusses all aspects of money including Internet investing, taxes, IRAs, budgeting, stocks and bonds, insurance, inheritance, and how to spend smarter. 2002.

Unbought and Unbossed     RC 54553
by Shirley Chisholm
read by Michele Schaeffer
1 cassette (Reissue)
Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman in Congress, discusses her life, family, groundbreaking career, and political convictions. Representing her home district of Brooklyn between 1968 and 1983, Chisholm was outspoken in her support of the urban poor and also took controversial stands against the Vietnam War and in favor of legal abortion. 1970.

Blind Tom, the Black Pianist-Composer (1849-1908): Continually Enslaved     RC 54557
by Geneva Handy Southall
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
Explores the life of pianist-composer Thomas Greene Wiggins, known as Blind Tom, born into slavery in 1849. Southall details the exploitation Wiggins suffered at the hands of his manager and attempts to correct misconceptions regarding Wiggins's life, talent, and contributions to piano literature. 1999.

The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning RC 54560
by Etta Kralovec and John Buell
read by David Toney
1 cassette
Two educators link school reform to a reduction in homework, contending it undermines family life, creates stress, and accentuates class differences. Offering recommendations for change, they present historical perspectives and debunk the myth that copious homework guarantees achievement. 2000.

Parents under Siege: Why You Are the Solution, Not the Problem, in Your Child's Life     RC 54564
by James Garbarino and Claire Bedard
read by John Hammock
2 cassettes
Analyzes aspects of American pop culture that may encourage children to become violent and illustrates how high school peer culture can work against the goals of parents. Offers strategies to improve family relationships and regain influence over one's offspring. 2001.

Stagecoach: Wells Fargo and the American West     RC 54566
by Philip L. Fradkin
read by Bob Moore
2 cassettes
A history of the 150-year-old business that started as an express company and became a bank. Emphasizes the early period from 1852 to 1918 when Wells Fargo was a stalwart connecting the East with the West, contributing to its history--and mythology. 2002.

Ireland's Love Poems: Wonder and a Wild Desire     RC 54586
edited by A. Norman Jeffares
read by Terry Donnelly
2 cassettes
Anthology of Irish love poems in a diversity of styles, forms, voices, and eras from pagan to modern. While introducing some poets less known, includes such familiar names as Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney. 2002.

The Arabs: Journeys beyond the Mirage     RC 54593
by David Lamb
read by Bill Wallace
3 cassettes
Revised edition of the 1987 bestselling study of Arab religion, culture, and politics by a veteran Middle East correspondent. Analyzes the developments in the eighties and nineties that produced a "collision of cultures" and situates the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in a world historical context. 2002.

The Handbook of the New Eastern Europe     RC 54602
by Michael G. Kort
read by Jake Williams
2 cassettes
Overview of the nations that comprise eastern Europe since the 1989 fall of Communism, including the former Yugoslavia, the Czech and Slovak republics, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. Includes information on history, economics, culture, ethnic groups, and social upheaval. For senior high and older readers. 2001.

Fiddler on the Roof     RC 54654
by Joseph Stein
read by Terence Aselford
1 cassette (Reissue)
Script of the musical play based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem about a Jewish family living in a Russian village in the early years of the twentieth century. Despite hard times and five daughters, the father, Tevye, manages to keep a sense of humor. 1964.

Aaliyah: More than a Woman     RC 54660
by Christopher John Farley
read by David Toney
1 cassette
Biography of the late hip-hop artist who died in a plane accident in 2001 at age twenty-two. Aaliyah Haughton made her first record album at fourteen and had begun a successful transition to Hollywood when tragedy struck. For senior high readers. 2001.

Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror     RC 54682
by Rohan Gunaratna
read by Ken Kliban
3 cassettes
Scrutinizes this worldwide terrorist organization and its theater of operations country by country. Examines Al Qaeda's reach, strategic and tactical threat, mind-set, and messianic culture. Suggests ways for the international community to counter the movement. Based on five years of interviews, research, and travel. 2002.

Yiddish: A Nation of Words     RC 54683
by Miriam Weinstein
read by Robert Blumenfeld
2 cassettes
A history of the language of everyday life for Jews of Eastern Europe, Israel, and the United States. Weinstein, hoping to "strengthen the golden chain of continuity," describes the origin of Yiddish; its growth, decline, and near death; and its limited rebirth. 2001.

Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results     RC 54813
by Stephen C. Lundin and others
read by Jacinda Bronaugh
1 cassette
Parable about business operations, with advice on improving staff morale. Mary Jane Ramirez is promoted to run the "toxic energy dump" department at work. While at the Seattle Pike Place Fish Market, she learns how to improve her workers' attitudes and have fun at the office. Foreword by Ken Blanchard. 2000.

Bush at War     RC 55015
by Bob Woodward
read by Bill Wallace
3 cassettes
Reconstructs the inner workings of the White House following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Draws on interviews with the principal power brokers--George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and Donald Rumsfeld--to recreate the processes by which decisions were reached to bomb Afghanistan and confront Iraq. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Cassettes Fiction

Fiona Range     RC 51752
by Mary McGarry Morris
read by Celeste Lawson
3 cassettes
Promiscuous, lonely thirty-year-old waitress Fiona was raised as a charity case in her aunt's prestigious family. She attempts to establish a relationship with her rumored father, but events get out of control. Fiona falls for her cousin's old boyfriend and then for her fiancé. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2000.

Shame the Devil     RC 51965
by George P. Pelecanos
read by Chuck Young
2 cassettes
The fatalities from a D.C. restaurant robbery include a small boy hit by a car and a crook shot by a cop. The child's grieving father, Dimitri Karras, joins a support group, but wants revenge. So does the dead crook's brother. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2000.

The Seekers: The Kent Family Chronicles, Vol. 3     RC 52648
by John Jakes
read by Bob Askey
4 cassettes (Reissue)
Western territories, 1790s. Abraham Kent returns to Boston from the army and falls in love with his stepsister, Elizabeth. Unwilling to work for his father, Philip, he marries Elizabeth and heads west to start a new generation. Sequel to The Rebels (RC 52647). Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 1975.

Right as Rain     RC 52759
by George P. Pelecanos
read by Conrad Feininger
2 cassettes
African American private detective Derek Strange is hired to clear the name of a black Washington, D.C., policeman who was shot by white fellow officer Terry Quinn. Strange forms an unlikely partnership with Quinn, exonerated but now off the force, to investigate the incident. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2001.

Die Laughing     RC 52762
by Steve Allen
read by John Lescault
2 cassettes
Steve Allen agrees to honor ailing octogenarian comedian Benny Hartman's last wish to host a million-dollar award ceremony honoring their craft. But at Benny's funeral another comedian is murdered, leaving Steve and his wife Jayne to investigate. Some strong language. 1998.

Around the World in Eighty Days     RC 53171
by Jules Verne
read by John Lescault
2 cassettes (Reissue)
London, 1872. Well-to-do, eccentric Phileas Fogg is certain that he can travel around the world in eighty days. He's so sure that he's wagered half of his fortune and set off on the grand adventure with his servant, Passepartout. Includes a 1988 afterword. For senior high and older readers. 1873.

Memory Boy     RC 53191
by Will Weaver
read by Cyn Delafield
1 cassette
In 2008, two years after globally catastrophic volcano eruptions, ash still falls and society is a shambles. Sixteen-year-old Miles Newell, his sister, and his parents flee the violence-torn suburbs for their lakeside cabin. But there they discover dangerous squatters who refuse to leave. For junior and senior high readers. 2001.

The Fiery Cross     RC 53366
by Diana Gabaldon
read by Barbara Caruso
10 cassettes in 2 containers
North Carolina, 1771. The Revolution looms as Jamie Fraser and his time-traveling wife, Claire, plan for daughter Brianna's marriage. Also Jamie must choose between his oath to the Crown and the independence struggle. Sequel to Drums of Autumn (RC 43320). Descriptions of sex, strong language, and some violence. Bestseller 2001.

The First Protector: Gene Roddenberry's Earth; Final Conflict, Volume 2     RC 53380
by James White
read by John Polk
2 cassettes
Ma'el, a Taelon planetary investigator, travels to Earth in the fourth century to explore human development. Ma'el arrives in Ireland and invites the fugitive Declan to become his protector. Ma'el must reveal Taelon technology to his human companions. Sequel to The Arrival (RC 53379). Associated with Earth: Final Conflict television series. 2000.

Nora's Ribbon of Memories: Keepsake Legacies, Volume 3     RC 53517
by Stephanie Grace Whitson
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Irene Peale's nephew Noah and friend Reagan take her back home to speed up her recovery from a stroke. When Reagan opens a box containing a "charm string," Irene begins to tell the story of Nora O'Dell, a young girl seeking love and happiness in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sequel to Karyn's Memory Box (RC 53516). 1999.

The Man in the Iron Mask     RC 53705
by Alexandre Dumas
read by Steven Carpenter
5 cassettes (Reissue)
In this sequel to The Three Musketeers (RC 20185), the seventeenth-century stalwarts--older but still dashing--become involved in a conspiracy to substitute a prisoner for his royal twin brother, Louis XIV. First published in 1848-1850 in France. Introduction by David Coward. 1991.

The Conan Chronicles: Conan the Invincible; Conan the Defender; Conan the Unconquered RC 53758
by Robert Jordan
read by John Polk
4 cassettes
Contains three full-length tales of Conan the Cimmerian. In Conan the Invincible, the young Conan confronts the dreaded Eater of Souls. In Conan the Defender, he challenges the menace known as Simulacrum of Albanus. And in Conan the Unconquered, he defies the power of the Cult of Doom. Violence. 1995.

The Honor of the Queen: Honor Harrington, Volume 2     RC 53760
by David Weber
read by Madelyn Buzzard
3 cassettes
As a female diplomat negotiating an alliance with the chauvinistic planet Grayson, Honor Harrington finds herself in an uncomfortable position. The planet, however, is attacked before she can withdraw. Harrington preserves her queen's honor by assisting the Graysonites. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 1993.

Presumption of Guilt: Sun Coast Chronicles, Volume 4     RC 53766
by Terri Blackstock
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Detectives Larry Millsaps and Tony Danks--from Ulterior Motives (RC 53765)--have a new case when reporter Beth Wright begins a story on the St. Clair Children's Home. The night Beth interviews Marlene Brandon, who reveals the crimes taking place at the home, Marlene is murdered. 1997.

The Glorious Prodigal: The House of Winslow, Book 24     RC 53781
by Gilbert Morris
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Arkansas, early 1900s. Within a very short time, Leah Freeman met and married Stuart Winslow against the advice of others. Before long, Stuart is in prison. There he finds faith in God--which may not be enough to save his marriage. Sequel to The Flying Cavalier (RC 49920). 2000.

Spirit Sickness     RC 53787
by Kirk Mitchell
read by John Polk
3 cassettes
Bureau of Indian Affairs investigator Emmett Parker and FBI agent Anna Turnipseed investigate the murder of a tribal policeman and his wife on a Navaho reservation. More murders follow before they uncover sibling incest, adoption, and superstition, which bring up their own troubling pasts. Violence and strong language. 2000.

The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo     RC 53802
by Irving Stone
read by Fred Major
6 cassettes (Reissue)
Traces the Renaissance artist Michelangelo's life and career from his youthful apprenticeships to the painter Ghirlandaio and the sculptor Bertoldo to his celebrated years as a master artist. 1961.

In This House of Brede     RC 53811
by Rumer Godden
read by Janis Gray
4 cassettes (Reissue)
Philippa Talbot, a successful career woman in her forties, renounces the world to enter Brede monastery, a cloistered order of English Benedictine nuns. Her struggles and personal crises are contained within the larger story of the House itself--its daily life, rules, and rituals. 1969.

The Naked and the Dead     RC 53839
by Norman Mailer
read by Bruce Huntey
5 cassettes (Reissue)
Classic novel of World War II. An American infantry platoon invades the Japanese-held island of Anopopei. Mailer explores the soldiers' behavior and emotions under the extreme stress of jungle warfare. Strong language and some violence. 1948.

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order; Edge of Victory II, Rebirth     RC 53873
by Greg Keyes
read by David Hartley-Margolin
2 cassettes
The Yuuzhan Vong are still searching for Jedi to slaughter. Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo risk deadly consequences trying to bolster the Jedi resistance, and Anakin and Tahiri are wanted for murder. Yet hope arises in the birth of a special child. Sequel to Star Wars: The New Jedi Order; Edge of Victory I, Conquest (RC 53872). Some violence. 2001.

Foundation's Fear: The Second Foundation Trilogy, Volume 1     RC 53874
by Gregory Benford
read by Roy Avers
3 cassettes
This authorized prequel to Isaac Asimov's Foundation saga covers the early part of Hari Seldon's career. As candidate for first minister, Seldon creates so many enemies that he and his humaniform robot wife, Dors, flee to a distant planet, where they lose their bodies to preserve their minds. 1997.

The Guardship: The Brethren of the Coast, Book 1     RC 53880
by James L. Nelson
read by Roy Avers
2 cassettes
Virginia, 1701. Planter Thomas Marlowe kills Matthew Wilkenson in a duel over the honor of widow Elizabeth Tinling and then is assigned to protect the colony from pirate Jean-Pierre LeRois. Marlowe conceals his own dubious past. Prequel to Blackbirder (RC 53881). Violence and strong language. 2000.

The Smile of the Stranger     RC 53909
by Joan Aiken
read by Jill Ferris
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Juliana Paget and her dying father, an expatriate writer living in Italy, are forced to return to their ancestral mansion in Regency England. Once there, Juliana must contend with troublesome relatives, worthless suitors, and murderous assaults until she finds her true love. 1978.

The Riddle of the Shipwrecked Spinster     RC 53928
by Patricia Veryan
read by Gabriella Cavallero
2 cassettes
Homely Cordelia Stansbury's reputation has been ruined by her overly ambitious mother and a shipwreck that forced her to spend a year on an island with savages. Piers Cranford is battling to save his family estate when his uncle tries to push the disgraced Cordelia on him. Sequel to The Riddle of the Reluctant Rake (RC 50360). 2001.

Under the Color of Law: A Kevin Kerney Novel     RC 53950
by Michael McGarrity
read by Gregory Gorton
2 cassettes
Santa Fe police chief Kevin Kerney investigates the seemingly unconnected murders of Phyllis Terrell, an ambassador's wife, and Father Joseph Mitchell, a Maryknoll priest. Before long he suspects a government coverup. Violence and strong language. 2001.

Brideshead Revisited     RC 53981
by Evelyn Waugh
read by John Horton
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Waugh's classic exploration of faith, tradition, and moral values in a rapidly changing Britain. Charles Ryder narrates the story of an aristocratic English Catholic family between the First and Second World Wars. Charles first meets alcoholic Sebastian Flyte at Oxford and later falls in love with his married sister, Julia. 1944.

The Thirteen Problems     RC 54002
by Agatha Christie
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Thirteen tales of crime expertly investigated by Miss Marple. The problems include brutal murder, a supernatural death, a serial thief, and the disappearance of gold bars from a galleon. 1928.

The Red Box     RC 54018
by Rex Stout
read by Jim Zeiger
2 cassettes (Reissue)
A beautiful model who should have been watching her figure never dreamed that one little piece of candy could kill her. Her untimely death puts Nero Wolfe in line for the supreme insult of his career--another murder, right in his own home. 1937.

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order; Star by Star     RC 54045
by Troy Denning
read by David Hartley-Margolin
4 cassettes
The Jedi Knights battle the invading Yuuzhan Vong warrior race. Han Solo must stand by while his children travel deep into the dark side to destroy the enemy's weaponry. Sequel to Star Wars: The New Jedi Order; Edge of Victory II, Rebirth (RC 53873). 2001.

Blood and Iron: American Empire, Book 1     RC 54046
by Harry Turtledove
read by John Polk
5 cassettes
First of an alternate history trilogy. This post-WWI story posits that the Confederacy won the Civil War, that Europe fell to Germany, and that Upton Sinclair and the Socialist Party oppose Teddy Roosevelt in the 1920 election. Veterans must find their place in a postwar world plagued by racial and political strife. Strong language. 2001.

Lost in Your Arms     RC 54051
by Christina Dodd
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
Victorian England. Enid MacLean is coerced into caring for her estranged husband, wounded in the Crimea. After nine years apart, Enid falls in love with Stephen all over again--but the patient has amnesia. Sequel to In My Wildest Dreams (RC 53202). Explicit descriptions of sex. 2002.

The Company: A Novel of the CIA     RC 54056
by Robert Littell
read by Richard Hauenstein
7 cassettes in 2 containers
In 1950, Yale graduate Jack McAuliffe is recruited by Harvey "the Sorcerer" Torriti to join the CIA along with attorney Ebby Ebbitt and Leo Kritzky. Jack sees action in East Germany, Hungary, Cuba, Afghanistan, and Russia while searching for a treasonous mole. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2002.

Fallen Dragon     RC 54058
by Peter F. Hamilton
read by Jack Fox
5 cassettes
The Zantiu-Braun Corporation greedily rules space colonization in the twenty-fourth century. Its dominance is enforced by the "Skins"--invincible starship soldiers. Lawrence Newton has a personal motive for leading his Skins to Thallspring, where his platoon encounters the fiercest resistance yet. Descriptions of sex and strong language. 2002.

The Years of Rice and Salt     RC 54060
by Kim Stanley Robinson
read by Richard Hauenstein
5 cassettes
Alternate history of the past seven hundred years imagines that the fourteenth century's Black Death plague kills 99 percent of Europe's population. Considers a world in which Buddhism and Islam are the dominant religions and New World settlers sail from China, as envisioned by the reincarnation of the central characters. 2002.

Rhapsody: Child of Blood     RC 54068
by Elizabeth Haydon
read by Erin Jones
5 cassettes
1146, Third Age. Rhapsody, former prostitute, encounters Achmed and Grunthor while escaping the ire of an ex-client. After the trio journey through the center of Earth, transformed with special powers, they arrive at their destination centuries into the future. Followed by Prophecy: Child of Earth (RC 54069). Descriptions of sex. 1999.

Trustee from the Tool Room     RC 54090
by Nevil Shute
read by David Cutler
2 cassettes
Keith Stewart leads a simple life in London making mechanical models and writing for a hobby magazine. While he is temporarily caring for his niece, her parents are shipwrecked off South America, carrying a fortune in diamonds to the bottom. Keith heads off to recover the girl's inheritance and finds adventure. 1960.

A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born     RC 54115
by Harry Harrison
read by John Polk
2 cassettes
At seventeen Jim diGriz is a petty criminal on his home planet, Bit O'Heaven, where he is caught and sent to prison. After escaping, he finds a mentor in a mastermind called the Bishop and, by perfecting his skills, earns the nickname, the "Stainless Steel Rat." 1985.

Montana Rides!     RC 54116
by Max Brand
read by John Polk
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Montana aims to make a real strike for himself by posing as the long-lost son of wealthy cattleman Richard Lavery. The scheme works perfectly until Montana realizes that he has a conscience, knowing full well that the Lavery son is still alive, a prisoner of Mexican outlaws. 1933.

The Berlin Stories: The Last of Mr. Norris; Goodbye to Berlin     RC 54128
by Christopher Isherwood
read by Fred Major
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Two fictionalized memoirs of 1930s Berlin and its people and the dangers when Adolph Hitler was beginning his move to power. Some characters, among them Sally Bowles, are featured in the musical Cabaret. Foreword by the author written in 1954 after a postwar visit. 1935.

The Holy Road     RC 54129
by Michael Blake
read by Bruce Huntey
2 cassettes
Resumes the tale of Lt. Dunbar eleven years after Dances with Wolves (RC 32009). Dunbar's happy family life in the village of Ten Bears is disrupted by the advent of a railroad--the white man's holy road--through Comanche land. Confrontation and dislocation ensue. 2001.

Hope to Die: A Matthew Scudder Novel     RC 54138
by Lawrence Block
read by Ray Foushee
2 cassettes
New York City private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by the relatives of a wealthy couple who were killed in a burglary. Even when prime suspects are discovered dead in a murder/suicide, Scudder feels that a third person is involved. And the bodies pile up. Violence and strong language. 2001.

Bleeders: A "Nameless Detective" Novel     RC 54139
by Bill Pronzini
read by Roy Avers
2 cassettes
The Nameless Detective's innocent client is murdered, and the detective himself is almost killed as well. His wife and adopted daughter worry about him as he scours San Francisco's skid row for the culprit. He is sixty and contemplates retirement. Violence and strong language. 2002.

Acorna's Quest     RC 54141
by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball
read by Kristin Allison
2 cassettes
In this sequel to Acorna: The Unicorn Girl (RC 45684), Acorna wants to find her own people. Accompanied by Calum, one of her original rescuers, she encounters many space adventures while searching for her home planet. For senior high and older readers. 1998.

Fortress of Owls     RC 54147
by C.J. Cherryh
read by Michael Scherer
3 cassettes
In this sequel to Fortress of Eagles (RC 54146), Tristen's mission continues as the wizard's creation learns human rules of politics and war. Newly crowned King Cefwyn's troubles are far from over as tensions in Ylesuin rise. The approaching conflict has far-reaching implications for the two friends. 1999.

The Bondwoman's Narrative     RC 54154
by Hannah Crafts
read by Anna Dearere Smith
2 cassettes
In the 1850s, Hannah Crafts, a North Carolina slave, flees north. She relates factors that caused her to seek freedom and events of her perilous journey. Introduction by Henry Louis Gates Jr., who discovered and edited the nineteenth-century manuscript, considered the first work of fiction by an African American woman. 2002.

City of Bones     RC 54156
by Michael Connelly
read by Peter Jay Fernandez
2 cassettes
The scattered bones of an abused, murdered child are discovered in the Hollywood hills. Detective Harry Bosch takes the cold case and tracks the bones to a boy missing since 1980. Bosch also begins an affair with a rookie cop as the case takes on strange twists. Violence and strong language. 2002.

Mortal Allies     RC 54157
by Brian Haig
read by Chuck Benson
3 cassettes
Major Sean Drummond, introduced in Secret Sanction (RC 53151), is a JAG lawyer assigned to defend an officer accused of murder in South Korea. Drummond finds that his cocounsel is an old law school nemesis, the defendant is a homosexual, and the CIA has secrets to hide. Violence and strong language. 2002.

The Beach House     RC 54158
by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge
read by Gil Bellows
2 cassettes
Jack Mullen, a Columbia University law student from Montauk, Long Island, investigates the death of his younger brother, Peter, who supposedly drowned. Jack knows that Peter was murdered and enlists his friends to help prove it. Rich and powerful people oppose them. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 2002.

2nd Chance     RC 54159
by James Patterson
read by Melissa Leo
2 cassettes
Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco police department enlists the help of her friends in the Women's Murder Club--from 1st to Die (RC 51887)--to track down a serial killer. Meanwhile Lindsay's estranged father, a former policeman, reenters her life. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Body of Lies     RC 54163
by Iris Johansen
read by Madelyn Buzzard
2 cassettes
Senator Melton schemes to bring forensic sculptor Eve Duncan to Baton Rouge to identify a murder victim. While his plot endangers Duncan's loved ones, she is imperiled by those wishing the bones to remain anonymous. Bodies pile up as Duncan keeps working. Some strong language. 2002.

Willow: The De Beers Family, Volume 1     RC 54173
by V.C. Andrews
read by Kristin Allison
2 cassettes
After the death of her adoptive father, Willow De Beers learns of long-kept family secrets that send her on a quest to Palm Beach, Florida. There she finds family, a boyfriend, and an intoxicating lifestyle--which may be ruined by even darker secrets. Followed by Wicked Forest (RC 54347). Bestseller 2002.

Don't Look Back     RC 54175
by Amanda Quick
read by Gabriella Cavallero
2 cassettes
Investigator Lavinia Lake and her partner (and lover), Tobias March, accept a case from fellow mesmerist Dr. Howard Hudson. Hudson's manipulative young wife has been murdered, and Lavinia connects the crime to an antique bracelet. Follows Slightly Shady (RC 51767). Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

Diplomatic Immunity     RC 54176
by Lois McMaster Bujold
read by Roy Avers
2 cassettes
Diplomatic troubleshooter Miles Vorkosigan interrupts his honeymoon to resolve a crisis at the Graf Station in Quaddiespace. The suspicious impoundment of a trade fleet quickly escalates into kidnapping and murder and threatens war. Vorkosigan's superior diplomatic tact is required to keep the peace. 2002.

Bel Canto     RC 54190
by Ann Patchett
read by Jill Fox
3 cassettes
The private performance of lyric soprano Roxane Coss entices Japanese industrialist Katsumi Hosokawa to attend a party in his honor in South America. While the audience applauds, guerrillas occupy the mansion taking everyone hostage. As the outer world recedes, relationships between captors and captives come into play. Some strong language. PEN/Faulkner Award. 2001.

The Wall     RC 54194
by Mary Roberts Rinehart
read by Carol Dines
3 cassettes
Juliette Ransom, not popular with her husband Arthur's upper-class friends, was bought off in an expensive divorce. After several years, she returns to his island home, starts causing trouble, and is murdered. Finding a motive isn't easy, since no one is aware the answer lies behind a plastered wall. 1938.

Look at Me     RC 54195
by Jennifer Egan
read by Jill Fox
4 cassettes
A fashion model finds her life in chaos when she undergoes facial reconstruction after a car crash. Her friend's unattractive teenage daughter forms relationships with older men. Both struggle for inner identity in a consumer culture where appearances rule. Descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001.

The Love-Artist     RC 54198
by Jane Alison
read by Fred Major
2 cassettes
Imaginative tale of classical poet Ovid's banishment from Rome. Famous for his love lyrics, Ovid embarks on an affair with Xenia, a witchlike healer from the Black Sea provinces. In Rome together and both enamored of immortality, Xenia inspires Ovid's work. But the poet's ambition leads to his downfall. Some descriptions of sex. 2001.

The Postcard     RC 54201
by Beverly Lewis
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Mennonite widow Rachel Yoder, hysterically blind after witnessing her son and husband killed in a buggy accident, lives and works at her Amish parents' bed-and-breakfast along with her young daughter. There she meets writer Philip Bradley, who uncovers family secrets when he finds a love letter in an antique desk. 1999.

Moonlight, Madness, and Magic     RC 54203
by Suzanne Forster and others
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Three novellas featuring different generations of the Nightingale family, cursed by a betrayed lover who was burned as a witch. Michael becomes a werewolf and Heath a vampire, but Peyton's lover, a modern-day wiccan, breaks the spell. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1993.

Grand Avenue     RC 54204
by Joy Fielding
read by Sharon Murray
3 cassettes
Four suburban neighbors--Chris, Barbara, Susan, and Vicki--forge a bond while gathering at the local playground despite their different lifestyles. Over the years they share problems regarding unfaithful husbands and unruly children until one of them is murdered. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2001.

Demon Seed     RC 54208
by Dean Koontz
read by Alec Volz
1 cassette
A form of artificial intelligence has seized control of Susan Harris's completely automated house. As she struggles to escape the computer's devious plans to gain a human form, it underestimates her power of survival. Strong language and some violence. 1973.

Peace like a River     RC 54212
by Leif Enger
read by Bruce Huntey
2 cassettes
In early 1960s Minnesota, Davy, seventeen, takes flight from the law after he kills two thugs who assaulted his girlfriend and menaced his nine-year-old sister. His miracle-worker father, poetry-writing sister Swede, and eleven-year-old Reuben, who tells the tale, set out across the Great Plains to find the boy. 2001.

Hotel Honolulu     RC 54213
by Paul Theroux
read by Alec Volz
3 cassettes
A writer flees to Hawaii and at forty-nine becomes resident manager of an eighty-room hotel. He impregnates Sweetie, a hotel employee, and finds new things to care about while he watches the hotel owner, tourists, and local denizens. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001.

Hope Was Here     RC 54218
by Joan Bauer
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Sixteen-year-old Hope and her aunt Addie, a professional waitress/cook team, move to Wisconsin to help G.T. Stoop run his restaurant. Soon they become involved in removing the corrupt mayor from office, and Hope finds the father she needs. For junior and senior high readers. Newbery Honor. Bestseller 2000.

Angel Creek     RC 54221
by Linda Howard
read by Erin Jones
2 cassettes
After ten years drifting, Lucas Cochran returns to run his family's ranch in the Colorado territories. He falls in love with his orphaned neighbor Dee Swann. But Dee is threatened by other cattlemen who want her land's water. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 1991.

Stranger in Paradise: A Carson Springs Novel, Book 1     RC 54224
by Eileen Goudge
read by Mitzi Friedlander
3 cassettes
In picturesque Carson Springs, California, forty-eight-year-old widow Samantha Kiley has a passionate affair with Ian Carpenter, son of her daughter's new husband. While struggling with family disapproval, Sam learns she is pregnant. Added to the fray are a runaway and a murderer. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001.

Coldheart Canyon     RC 54227
by Clive Barker
read by Fred Major
4 cassettes
While movie star Todd Pickett is recovering in Coldheart Canyon from bungled plastic surgery, he encounters ghosts of Hollywood past. Anxious to delay his aging, he learns the old Faustian bargain from his cinematic forebears: eternal youth and beauty are exchanged for heart and soul. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2001.

The Merchant of Menace: A Jane Jeffry Mystery     RC 54228
by Jill Churchill
read by Jill Fox
1 cassette
Jane Jeffry and her children are preparing for the neighborhood Christmas block party when nosy reporter Lance King, in a Santa costume, fatally falls from a roof. Jane and her neighbor Shelley investigate the murder while tolerating the presence of Jane's future mother-in-law. Some strong language. 1999.

Cons, Scams, and Grifts     RC 54243
by Joe Gores
read by Gregory Gorton
2 cassettes
Dan Kearny, last seen in 32 Cadillacs (RC 37271), owns a San Francisco collection agency. He is in the process of repossessing classic cars when head gypsy Staley Zlachi hires him to find a clanswoman who murdered her husband. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2001.

Slap Your Sides     RC 54247
by M.E. Kerr
read by Mark Ashby
1 cassette
Life in their Pennsylvania hometown changes for Jubal Shoemaker and his Quaker family when his older brother Bud becomes a conscientious objector during World War II. Jubal's own convictions about killing are tested while protecting a friend. For junior and senior high readers. 2001.

Going to the Chapel     RC 54264
by Rochelle Alers and others
read by Robin Miles
3 cassettes
Four short romances featuring African American women who meet their soul mates. In "Stand-In Bride," middle-aged wedding planner Katherine Langdon is attracted to a bride's father. In "Learning to Love," American Sharon Braxton encounters cultural differences when she falls in love with a Nigerian. Some descriptions of sex. 2001.

The Dark Island     RC 54266
by Robert J. Conley
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
Raised in a Cherokee village but born of a captive Timucua mother and an unknown Spanish father, Asquani has always felt like an outsider. Now with the Spanish invading, Asquani must choose whether to join the Spaniards or defend the homeland of the Real People. 1995.

In a Pig's Eye     RC 54267
by Robert Campbell
read by L.J. Ganser
1 cassette
Jimmy Flannery, Chicago sewer inspector and Democratic committeeman, investigates the death of an anonymous man who collapses in the gym. He was carrying Italian silver coins in his pocket. Flannery's curiosity intensifies after he is warned off by the Mafia. Some strong language. 1991.

The Crying Sisters     RC 54274
by Mabel Seeley
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
Twenty-nine-year-old small-town librarian Janet Ruell is vacationing alone when she meets a man and his young son at her first stopover. She impulsively agrees to accompany the stranger to another resort to watch the boy. What follows is mayhem and murder. 1939.

Gay Lord Robert     RC 54275
by Jean Plaidy
read by Jill Ferris
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Passionate lovers Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I of England cannot marry because Robert has a wife, young Amy. When Amy mysteriously dies, the queen and her devotee become chief suspects, and the court is rife with the scandal in 1560. Sequel to The Spanish Bridegroom (RC 53713). 1955.

Sauce for the Goose     RC 54282
by Robert Campbell
read by L.J. Ganser
1 cassette
Chicago sewer inspector and new father Jimmy Flannery is also a committeeman for the Democratic Party. He suspects that his adult education teacher, big-time lawyer Frank Vollmer, who is in charge of awarding city contracts, is guilty of murdering a classmate--mobster Vince Pastorelli--in connection with a parking-meter fix. Some strong language. 1994.

Fatal     RC 54307
by Michael Palmer
read by Ray Foushee
3 cassettes
Dr. Matt Ruttledge believes that the illnesses in his hometown of Belinda, West Virginia, are caused by the local coal mine. Then, with the investigative help of visiting doctor Nikki Solari, he discovers that an experimental vaccine tested a decade earlier is the culprit--and is going on sale. Violence and strong language. 2002.

Good in Bed     RC 54308
by Jennifer Weiner
read by Erin Jones
3 cassettes
After her ex-boyfriend discusses her weight problem in a magazine column, successful reporter Cannie feels betrayed. Cannie's family offer little solace, but with her friends' help, the sale of her screenplay, and an unexpected baby, she realizes what's important. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2001.

The Widow's Kiss     RC 54310
by Jane Feather
read by Madelyn Buzzard
3 cassettes
England, 1536. Upon learning that the wealthy Lady Guinevere's fourth husband has died, King Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell scheme to steal her lands. Hugh of Beaucaire, sent to fetch her to London, falls in love with the suspected murderess. Followed by To Kiss a Spy (RC 54311). Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001.

The Wailing Wind     RC 54322
by Tony Hillerman
read by Bob Askey
2 cassettes
Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police calls in retired boss Joe Leaphorn when rookie Bernadette Manuelito discovers a white man shot in the desert. They uncover similarities to a haunting older case: a murderer's wife had disappeared after her husband's conviction for killing a swindler. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

The Dive from Clausen's Pier     RC 54324
by Ann Packer
read by Jill Fox
3 cassettes
Carrie, raised in Wisconsin and engaged to her high school sweetheart, feels her life is all too predictable. Her fiancé's dive off a pier, leaving him a quadriplegic, precipitates her move to New York City and a lot of soul searching. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Enemy Women     RC 54327
by Paulette Jiles
read by Mitzi Friedlander
3 cassettes
As the Civil War sweeps through Missouri in 1864, Adair Colley turns eighteen witnessing Union militia atrocities. Arrested as an enemy collaborator, Adair suffers the indignities of wartime prison while having an unexpected romance with Union major William Neumann, her interrogator. Some strong language. 2002.

Freedom's Ransom     RC 54329
by Anne McCaffrey
read by Kristin Allison
2 cassettes
In this continuation of Freedom's Challenge (RC 47761), the settlers on planet Botany must establish trade with other planets to survive. Barevi has stockpiles of manufactured goods needed on Botany, and coffee from Earth is the favored trade commodity. Zainal plays a key role as he undertakes vital trade missions. 2002.

Hard Eight     RC 54331
by Janet Evanovich
read by Annie Wauters
2 cassettes
Gone missing are the daughter and granddaughter of a next-door neighbor of Stephanie Plum's parents in Trenton, New Jersey. Several characters join bail bondsman Stephanie's search for the pair: her friend Ranger; her former fiancé, Joe Morelli; and the daughter's ex-husband and landlord. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2002.

Jolie Blon's Bounce     RC 54332
by James Lee Burke
read by Bruce Huntey
2 cassettes
Dave Robicheaux of the New Iberia, Louisiana, sheriff's department investigates the vicious murders of two local teenage girls. One was an honor student, the other a Mafia hit man's daughter. The family history of the main suspect creates complications. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2002.

The Next Accident     RC 54334
by Lisa Gardner
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
Rainie Conner, a Portland, Oregon, private investigator, is hired by FBI agent Pierce Quincy to investigate the death of his daughter. Quincy's family join forces as other relatives are murdered by a psychopathic killer. Sequel to The Third Victim (RC 51904). Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2001.

Running Scared     RC 54336
by Elizabeth Lowell
read by Jim Zeiger
3 cassettes
Jewelry expert Risa Sheridan, a curator for a Las Vegas casino, helps her boss, Shane Tannahill, acquire ancient Celtic pieces for his collection. Risa's childhood friend Cherelle Faulkner is trying to obtain some stolen Druid gold from a former GI. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2002.

Sunset in St. Tropez     RC 54338
by Danielle Steel
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Three New York couples--Diana and Eric Morrison, Pascale and John Donnally, and Anne and Robert Smith--decide to vacation in France one summer. But Anne dies before the trip, so Robert causes turmoil when he invites his new girlfriend, an actress, to join them. 2002.

Time: Manifold Trilogy, Volume 1     RC 54340
by Stephen Baxter
read by Gary Tipton
4 cassettes
2010. Reid Malenfant sets up the Bootstrap corporation to lure humans into space with the promise of limitless natural resources. Sheena Five, a genetically engineered smart squid, pilots the unmanned first mission. Malenfant plows ahead despite NASA's attempts to shut him down. Followed by Space (RC 54341). Strong language. 2000.

The Bat; Bab, a Sub-Deb     RC 54357
by Mary Roberts Rinehart
read by Margaret Strom
3 cassettes
A pair of works by Rinehart. In The Bat, someone or something is trying to scare Miss Cornelia Van Gorder, of New York City, to death. In Bab, a Sub-Deb, the writing assignment of a schoolgirl, who is a year away from her debut, leads to tragedy and murder. 1920.

Lost Soldiers     RC 54360
by James Webb
read by Steven Carpenter
3 cassettes
Brandon Condley, an ex-Marine who recovers the remains of American MIAs in Vietnam, discovers that a murderous American turncoat is still alive. Theodore Deville, who deserted and joined the enemy in 1967, may now be a major drug smuggler. Condley stalks the traitor through Saigon, Moscow, and Bangkok. Strong language and some violence. 2001.

Pale Horse Coming     RC 54363
by Stephen Hunter
read by Robert Sams
4 cassettes
In this sequel to Hot Springs (RC 51332), former Marine Earl Swagger, now with the Arkansas state police, helps attorney friend Sam Vincent search for an African American heir. In Thebes, Mississippi, Sam disappears, and Earl follows--only to uncover a horrible penal farm in the swamps. Violence and strong language. 2001.

Losing Julia     RC 54370
by Jonathan Hull
read by Michael Russotto
3 cassettes
Alternating between past and present, eighty-one-year-old Patrick Delaney recalls losing Daniel, his best friend and fellow soldier, in 1918. Ten years later, he meets Daniel's lover, Julia. But Patrick is married, and Julia claims to be engaged. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2000.

Gabriel's Story     RC 54372
by David Anthony Durham
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
A fifteen-year-old African American comes of age on the 1870s frontier. When his widowed mother remarries and takes him from Baltimore to Kansas, Gabriel broods over lost opportunities and resents the hard farm life. He runs off with a band of cowboys, but the journey turns desperate and dangerous. Violence and strong language. 2001.

The Color of Absence: Twelve Stories about Loss and Hope     RC 54373
edited by James Howe
read by Susan McInerney
2 cassettes
A dozen short stories dealing with various losses. In "Shoofly Pie," Arab American Mattie mourns the death of her mother and takes solace in her new job at a restaurant. In "Season's End," an aging baseball player loses his last championship game. For senior high readers. 2001.

The Circular Staircase; The Man in Lower Ten     RC 54376
by Mary Roberts Rinehart
read by Margaret Strom
3 cassettes (Reissue)
Two mysteries from the early twentieth century. In The Circular Staircase, maiden aunt Ruth takes her nephew and niece to the country for the summer. The niece becomes the main suspect in a series of crimes. In The Man in Lower Ten, a lawyer solves a murder and falls in love. 1909.

Out of This World     RC 54379
by J.D. Robb and others
read by Mary Kane
2 cassettes
Four romance novellas featuring the paranormal or the future. J.D. Robb's "Interlude in Death" includes lieutenant Eve Dallas, last seen in Seduction in Death (RC 53132). Others deal with witches, vampires, werewolves, and telepaths. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2001.

Photo Hero: A Satire of Photography     RC 54383
by George A. Covington
read by Gary Telles
2 cassettes
Anthony Slone, a widowed photographer whose career has been revitalized by a scandal, agrees to help a dying multimillionaire achieve a lasting reputation as a famous photographer. Thomas Adderly-Phillips is rechristened "Taps" and, with Slone's help, perpetrates a hoax on the world. Strong language. 2001.

A City of Bells     RC 54388
by Elizabeth Goudge
read by David Cutler
2 cassettes
Mr. Jocelyn Irvin, a shell-shocked veteran of the Boer War, decides to leave home and move in with his grandfather, Canon Fordyce, in the English country town of Torminster. There he meets two orphans adopted by his grandparents and falls in love with an actress, Felicity Summers. 1936.

The Dearly Departed     RC 54389
by Elinor Lipman
read by Susan McInerney
2 cassettes
In this social comedy, Sunny Batten returns to her dreaded New Hampshire hometown when her mother dies. At the funeral, she sees a look-alike who could be her half brother. Family secrets come to light, the village welcomes her back, and she falls in love: satire with a happy ending. Some strong language. 2001.

The Twilighters     RC 54393
by Noel M. Loomis
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
In early nineteenth-century America, twilighters are the desperados and outlaws occupying a stretch of land on the Texas/Louisiana border--an area that unsuspecting newcomers have to cross. Violence. 1954.

Glass Houses     RC 54397
by Stella Cameron
read by Annie Wauters
3 cassettes
Good cop Aiden Flynn snoops through his colleague's e-mails and finds a dangerous surprise. His discovery leads him on a wild journey to clear his own name and that of the woman he is trying to protect. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 2000.

The Boy in the Burning House     RC 54398
by Tim Wynne-Jones
read by Steven Carpenter
1 cassette
Since his father disappeared, fourteen-year-old Jim Hawkins has helped his mother run their Canadian farm. When Ruth Rose, the disturbed stepdaughter of a powerful local pastor, claims that the minister killed Jim's father, Jim's investigation weaves a web of suspense. For junior and senior high readers. 2000.

First Lady     RC 54400
by Michael Malone
read by Gregory Gorton
3 cassettes
A serial killer is loose in the college town of Hillston, North Carolina. Police chief Cuddy Mangum and his lieutenant, Justin Savile, must also contend with the trial of a professor accused of killing his wife and the arrival of an Irish rock star. Violence and strong language. 2001.

The Joyful Beggar: A Novel of St. Francis of Assisi     RC 54405
by Louis de Wohl
read by David Cutler
2 cassettes
This fictionalized biography of Francis Bernardone, who would become Saint Francis of Assisi, details his thirteenth-century experiences as a young soldier, his acceptance of an extraordinary vocation, his remarkable generosity, and his journey from Italy to Egypt and back. 1958.

Fool's Coach     RC 54408
by Richard S. Wheeler
read by Michael Russotto
2 cassettes
Idaho Territory, 1863. Accumulating money is easy in a gold-mining town; transporting it elsewhere is what's difficult because of the "road agents"--ruthless highwaymen. Trying to escape in a broken-down coach is a desperate and foolhardy venture. Spur Award. 1989.

Tom Clancy's Net Force: CyberNation     RC 54415
by Steve Perry
read by Chuck Benson
2 cassettes
2012. The World Wide Web has been taken hostage. CyberNation, a virtual community fighting to be recognized as a country, is considered the prime suspect by the FBI's Net Force. Sequel to Tom Clancy's Net Force: Point of Impact (RC 54178). Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2001.

Kentucky Rich     RC 54431
by Fern Michaels
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
Nealy Coleman's brutal father forces her and her illegitimate child out of the house. She is adopted by the Diamonds, owners of a thoroughbred farm in Kentucky. Nealy becomes wealthy and successful over the decades and returns to her father's deathbed to confront him about the past. Some strong language. 2001.

Lost Nation     RC 54434
by Jeffrey Lent
read by David Hartley-Margolin
3 cassettes
In 1838, hard-hearted trader Blood wins Sally, a fifteen-year-old whore, at cards. Their relationship becomes more complex as they trek north to the New England/Canadian border and encounter Blood's sons. By the author of In the Fall (RC 50270). Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2002.

Confessions of a Shopaholic     RC 54435
by Sophie Kinsella
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
Young London journalist Rebecca Bloomwood loves to shop for clothes, makeup, shoes, and other trendy extravagances she can ill afford on her meager wages. Her banker is pressing her about her enormous overdue credit-card bill, but Becky just can't seem to control her shopping addiction. Some strong language. 2001.

The Center Cannot Hold: American Empire, Book 2     RC 54441
by Harry Turtledove
read by John Polk
5 cassettes
Sequel to Blood and Iron (RC 54046) continues Turtledove's alternate history of North America. In the 1920s, Jake Featherston works to rebuild the Confederate States of America. Socialists gain power in the adjoining United States, as unrest plagues occupied Canada and civil war consumes Mexico. And a new enemy attacks. Strong language. 2002.

Everything Is Illuminated     RC 54448
by Jonathan Safran Foer
read by Jim Zeiger
3 cassettes
A young Jewish American--with the same name as the author and a faded photograph in hand--travels to the Ukraine searching for the woman who may have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. His adventures are enhanced by local guides. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

Breathing Room     RC 54449
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
read by Annie Wauters
3 cassettes
When self-help guru Dr. Isabel Favor loses her lover, her money, and her reputation, she retreats to a villa in Tuscany to recover. There she meets roguish Italian Lorenzo Gage--an actor who also happens to be her landlord. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

Bones of the Earth     RC 54453
by Michael Swanwick
read by Jim Zeiger
2 cassettes
Paleontologist Richard Leyster is happily ensconced in his Smithsonian office when a mysterious bureaucrat arrives, bearing both a job offer and an ice cooler containing a fresh stegosaurus head. Time travel to study live dinosaurs has many complications. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

The Mulberry Tree     RC 54457
by Jude Deveraux
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
When billionaire Jimmie Manville dies in a plane crash, his widow, Lillian, is shocked that he left his fortune to his despised siblings. Lillian receives only a Virginia farm and a cryptic note to find the truth. Lillian changes her identity, moves to the country, and starts over. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon     RC 54460
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
read by Bob Askey
2 cassettes
Rayford Steele and most members of the Tribulation Force are massed together in Petra, where Nicolae Carpathia, the Antichrist, drops two bombs that no one can survive without a miracle. Yet many do survive. Now all pretense is gone as the planet hurtles toward Armageddon. Sequel to Desecration (RC 53137). Bestseller 2002.

A Sorcerer's Treason: Isavalta, Volume 1     RC 54461
by Sarah Zettel
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
4 cassettes
Wisconsin's Lake Superior shore, 1899. Bridget Lederle, the tender of a lighthouse, foresees a shipwreck and then rescues its victim, Valin Kalami. As lord sorcerer to the dowager empress of Isavalta, he transports Bridget with her gift for visions to his world in order to save his beleaguered monarch. 2002.

On a Wild Night     RC 54472
by Stephanie Laurens
read by Kristin Allison
3 cassettes
London, 1825. Twins Amanda and Amelia Cynster despair of ever finding husbands and decide to look in seamier places. Amanda meets Martin Fullbridge, an earl, at a gaming hall, and he reluctantly agrees to help. Sequel to All about Passion (RC 53361). Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

The Promise in a Kiss: A Christmas Novel     RC 54475
by Stephanie Laurens
read by Kristin Allison
2 cassettes
1783. Helena recognizes Sebastian Cynster as the stranger with whom she shared an unforgettable kiss in Paris seven years ago. He now navigates her through London society to help her choose a husband. The passion between them points to a most unlikely match. Prequel to The Cynsters series. Descriptions of sex. 2001.

Cat on a Blue Monday     RC 54476
by Carole Nelson Douglas
read by J.P. Linton
3 cassettes
Alley cat Midnight Louie and his owner, Temple Barr, investigate sabotage at the Las Vegas cat show. Meanwhile Temple's boyfriend, Matt Devine, looks into obscene phone calls to a deaf nun. 1994.

The Falls: An Inspector Rebus Novel     RC 54477
by Ian Rankin
read by Graeme Malcolm
3 cassettes
Edinburgh's Detective Inspector John Rebus investigates the murder of wealthy coed Philippa Balfour. He follows the hard clues, while Constable Siobhan Clarke researches a computer role-playing game found on the victim's laptop. Rebus uncovers a serial killer before he is suspended for his unorthodox methods. Strong language and some violence. 2000.

Sackett     RC 54481
by Louis L'Amour
read by Chuck Benson
1 cassette (Reissue)
William Tell Sackett, the oldest brother in the clan and a drifter, discovers a beautiful girl, a vein of gold in a valley, and all the problems that go with them. Sequel to The Daybreakers (RC 36179). 1961.

The Magic of Ordinary Days     RC 54503
by Ann Howard Creel
read by Mitzi Friedlander
2 cassettes
During the Second World War, Olivia, a pregnant graduate student, is married off by her preacher father to a stranger--a sugar beet farmer from southeast Colorado--to avoid a scandal. Olivia befriends two Japanese American sisters from a nearby internment camp, and she gradually learns to appreciate her shy, gentle husband. 2001.

The Ash Garden     RC 54506
by Dennis Bock
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
1995. Scarred at Hiroshima, documentary filmmaker Emiko Amai interviews physicist Anton Böll, who had fled Germany for Los Alamos at the start of World War II. Böll, married to a Holocaust refugee, is in Hiroshima to assess the effects of the bomb he helped construct. The recollections of the three entwine. 2001.

Firebreak     RC 54507
by Richard Stark
read by John Polk
2 cassettes
Master criminal Parker joins a gang of former colleagues to take a load of already stolen art masterpieces from a computer billionaire's secret gallery in a Montana lodge. He also has to contend with a hired assassin trying to kill him. Violence and strong language. 2001.

I Do!     RC 54511
by Olivia Rupprecht
read by Madelyn Buzzard
1 cassette
As his last wish before dying, Sergeant Sol Standish marries his "Operation Dear Abby" pen pal over the telephone. Sol survives, and Mariah Garnet of Alabama is thrilled to move to Wisconsin to finally meet her husband. But she hasn't exactly been honest with him. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1992.

The Snow Goose     RC 54514
by Paul Gallico
read by Janis Gray
1 cassette (Reissue)
A young Saxon girl brings a reclusive hunchbacked painter an injured Canada goose. Bonds of affection grow between the bird and Philip Rhayader and Fritha, linking them in Philip's heroic decision to rescue soldiers at Dunkirk during World War II. 1940.

Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas: Further, Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson     RC 54535
by Louise Rennison
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Georgia continues her journal entries following On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (RC 52090). Her parents drag her on a vacation to Scotland. Then back home she sees two boys at the same time. For senior high readers. Bestseller 2001.

The Chuckling Fingers     RC 54542
by Mabel Seeley
read by Colleen Delany
2 cassettes
Frightening events at their Lake Superior estate plague the Heatons, a wealthy lumber family. Ann Gay is concerned about her cousin Jacqueline, Bill Heaton's wife, and visits her at Fiddler's Fingers. Shortly after her arrival the reign of terror begins. Ann must figure out who is really to blame. 1941.

Good Harbor     RC 54561
by Anita Diamant
read by Colleen Delany
2 cassettes
Two women, one fighting breast cancer and the other feeling isolated from her workaholic husband and teenage daughter, seek consolation and support in their friendship. As they spend the summer walking Good Harbor beach in Massachusetts, they share their personal histories and most guarded fears. 2001.

Whispers in the Dark     RC 54562
by Eleanor Taylor Bland
read by Nanette Savard
2 cassettes
While African American police detective Marti MacAlister and her partner investigate the grisly deaths of artists in Lincoln Prairie, Illinois, her friend Sharon impulsively marries a con artist, leaves her daughter with Marti's blended family, and flies to the Bahamas. Some violence and some strong language. 2001.

This Bitter Earth     RC 54563
by Bernice L. McFadden
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
In 1955, African American Sugar Lacey returns to Short Junction, Arkansas, to the home of the women who raised her. Dredging up the past proves dangerous as Sugar learns the truth about her parents and a family curse. Sequel to Sugar (RC 53355). Strong language and some violence. 2002.

The Samurai's Garden     RC 54565
by Gail Tsukiyama
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
In 1937, Japan is invading China. Seventeen-year-old Stephen Chan is sent from Hong Kong to a Japanese village to recover from tuberculosis. He becomes deeply engaged in the loves and losses of Matsu, whose wife has leprosy. Stephen discovers a troubling family secret and finds comfort in his companion's wisdom. 1994.

The Blue and the Gray Undercover     RC 54569
edited by Ed Gorman
read by Robert Sams
3 cassettes
Short stories about Union and Confederate spies. In "Hobson's Choice," a captain from Tennessee hangs only one spouse after both were declared enemies. In "The Dead Line," an old man discovers his wife, a Confederate spy who betrayed him, alive almost fifty years later. Some violence and some strong language. 2001.

The Deadhouse     RC 54572
by Linda Fairstein
read by Faith Potts
3 cassettes
New York D.A. Alexandra Cooper, last seen in Cold Hit (RC 49301), investigates the death of an anthropology professor being stalked by her ex-husband. New suspects emerge as Alex learns more about the woman's colleagues and her interest in the ruins of a former island prison. Violence and strong language. 2001.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton     RC 54583
by Julia Quinn
read by Kristin Allison
2 cassettes
1824. All of London wants to know the identity of columnist Lady Whistledown, including Colin Bridgerton, a frequent subject of her columns. Returning from abroad, Colin finds himself attracted to Penelope Featherington, the girl who was always simply there. But will her secret change his feelings? Some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2002.

Any Two Can Play     RC 54591
by Elizabeth Cadell
read by Jill Ferris
2 cassettes (Reissue)
Natalie Travers, an attractive young Englishwoman, rescues her brother and his year-old twins from domestic chaos when his wife leaves him. Single and independent, Natalie unexpectedly falls in love with Henry Downing, scion of the town's founding family. 1981.

The Iron Hand of Mars: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery Novel     RC 54594
by Lindsey Davis
read by George Holmes
2 cassettes
Roman private detective Marcus Didius is sent by the emperor Vespasian to Germany in A.D. 71 to rescue a legate from the barbarians. The sleuth is joined by his lover, Helena, and her brother, Camillus. The trio encounters a powerful druid sorceress, scandals, and intrigue. Follows Venus in Copper (RC 35777). 1992.

A Murder of Quality     RC 54597
by John Le Carré
read by John Horton
1 cassette
George Smiley investigates the murder of Stella Rode, a schoolmaster's wife, at the request of his old friend, editor Ailsa Brimley. Some strong language. 1962.

Midnight Runner     RC 54599
by Jack Higgins
read by Chuck Benson
2 cassettes
Kate Rashid, the Countess of Loch Dhu, seeks revenge for the elimination of her three terrorist brothers. American president Jake Cazalet and Senator Daniel Quinn, her main targets, have enlisted former IRA gunman Sean Dillon for protection. Violence and strong language. Sequel to Edge of Danger (RC 51559). 2002.

The Last Continent: A Discworld Novel     RC 54601
by Terry Pratchett
read by David Hartley-Margolin
2 cassettes
Rincewind--an inept and cowardly wizard--arrives in Fourecks, distorting the space-time continuum. If the problem is unsolved, the rainless world will dry up and blow away. But Rincewind decides against correcting the error and flees. He encounters the faculty of Unseen University, the Peach Butt, and the Meat Pie Floater. 1998.

A Diet to Die For: A Claire Malloy Mystery     RC 54608
by Joan Hess
read by Suzanne Toren
2 cassettes
Claire Malloy, bookstore proprietor, assists overweight heiress Maribeth Galleston in her attempt to lose weight. But when Maribeth starts acting strange and accidentally kills an employee at the local gym, Claire investigates. 1989.

The Importance of Being Ernestine: An Ellie Haskell Mystery     RC 54645
by Dorothy Cannell
read by Vanessa Maroney
2 cassettes
Lady Krumley has a family curse. Ellie Haskell and Roxie Malloy, posing as private detectives, agree to break it. Their task entails finding Ernestine, daughter of their elderly employer's former maid. Lady Krumley had mistreated the maid and seeks to make amends to the daughter--now forty years old. 2002.

Trust Fund Babies     RC 54646
by Jean Stone
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
The three Atkinson cousins, Mary Beth, Nikki, and Gabrielle, are victims of a family lawyer who has run off with the fortunes they inherited. Estranged for years, the women must now reunite and confront the scandal that drove them apart. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

Eva Moves the Furniture     RC 54648
by Margot Livesey
read by Corrie James
2 cassettes
Eva McEwen grows up in a small Scottish town with her father and his sister, because her mother died at Eva's birth in 1920. Two other companions--a woman and a girl who never age--show up unpredictably and guide many of her decisions, especially regarding her suitors. 2001.

Lady's Man     RC 54650
by Suzanne Simmons
read by Margaret Strom
2 cassettes
Prim and proper Georgiana Burne-Jones, a butler at an exclusive resort in Arizona, witnesses her client's murder. In her haste to escape, she rushes into the suite of Coleman Worth, a self-made millionaire. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1999.

The Apothecary Rose     RC 54661
by Candace M. Robb
read by Vanessa Maroney
3 cassettes
England, 1363. Medieval sleuth Owen Archer must go undercover at the apothecary. Commanded by the archbishop to investigate the mysterious poisoning of two pilgrims at an abbey in York, Archer must determine who concocted the fatal elixir. Some violence. 1993.

Put a Lid on It     RC 54674
by Donald E. Westlake
read by Robert Sams
2 cassettes
Francis Xavier Meehan is in prison, denied bail, for a bungled mail truck hijacking. As he awaits sentencing, an official from the president's reelection campaign offers him a pardon. All Meehan has to do is steal an incriminating videotape from a fortified opposition stronghold in rural New England. Some strong language. 2002.

This Rock     RC 54679
by Robert Morgan
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
1920s Appalachia. Muir is the favored, ambitious brother; Moody is the older, wilder of the two. Conflicts arise as Moody grows dangerously rebellious while Muir devotes himself to a spiritual vocation. Ginny, their mother, fears for the future of both boys as she grieves for her dead husband. 2001.

What Became of Her     RC 54690
by M.E. Kerr
read by John Polk
1 cassette
Widowed, wealthy Rosalind Slaymaster returns to her small hometown with her constant companion, Peale, a mannequin. Meanwhile E.C.--a friend of her teenaged niece Julie--discovers Rosalind's old diary. He learns how some of the townspeople humiliated her and of Rosalind's plan to seek revenge. For junior and senior high readers. 2000.

The King of Torts     RC 55167
by John Grisham
read by Fred Major
2 cassettes
Public defender Clay Carter assumes it is just another Washington, D.C., murder case when the defense of Tequila Watson is thrust into his hands. But Carter's investigation into Watson's drug abuse and subsequent rehabilitation uncovers corruption at a major pharmaceutical company. Some strong language. Bestseller 2003.

Books for Children

Books listed in this issue of Talking Book Topics were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including animals, geography, nature, mystery, sports, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.
Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, fill out the order form and send it to your cooperating library.

Cassettes Nonfiction

The Story of Thanksgiving     RC 53181
by Robert Merrill Bartlett
read by Mimi Bederman
1 cassette
Traces the history and customs of Thanksgiving, from the harvest festivals of the ancient world to American traditions in the twenty-first century. Tells how the Pilgrims spent their first few years in the New World and describes their thanksgiving celebrations with the Wampanoag Indians. For grades 2-4. 2001.

Shakespeare: His Work and His World     RC 53972
by Michael Rosen
read by Jennifer Mendenhall
1 cassette
Explains the universal appeal of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), playwright, poet, and master writer of the English language. Uses quotations from his work to discuss some of his dramas and the extraordinary and dangerous times in which he lived. Includes a time line. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2001.

Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Music and Dance     RC 53993
by Diane Lindsey Reeves
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
Advice on pursuing careers in the arts for kids who want to concentrate on their creative bent. Includes profiles of a choir director, costume designer, dance instructor, sound engineer, disc jockey, and other similar occupations. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Shinto     RC 54278
by Paula R. Hartz
read by Robert Blumenfeld
1 cassette
Discusses the history of the Shinto religion in Japan, describing its origins, basic beliefs, rituals, festivals, and its place in Japanese society. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 1997.

All about American Holidays     RC 54392
by Maymie R. Krythe
read by Andrea Maida
2 cassettes
Describes over fifty of the main Christian and Jewish holy days as well as secular holidays that are observed between New Year's Day and Christmas. Provides information on how the festivities are celebrated and their historical background. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1962.

Spare Parts: From Peg Legs to Gene Splices     RC 54412
by Wendy B. Murphy
read by Vanessa Maroney
1 cassette
Historical overview of replacing damaged or missing parts of the human body with artificial limbs, computer-engineered prosthetics, and organ transplants. Includes some bizarre past experiments and discusses ethical and social dilemmas arising from genetic engineering. For grades 6-9. 2001.

Israel     RC 54468
by Jen Green
read by Ralph Lowenstein
1 cassette
Describes the land and people of Israel including its modern development, historical background, natural environment, religions, government, and economy. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Saudi Arabia     RC 54469
by Dynise Balcavage
read by Yolande Bavan
1 cassette
Overview of the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia, the "birthplace of Islam." Describes its geography, history, people, government, and relations with the United States. For grades 5-8. 2001.

We Were There, Too! Young People in U.S. History     RC 54504
by Phillip Hoose
read by Janis Gray
3 cassettes
Biographies of dozens of young people who made a mark in American history between 1492 and the 1990s. Includes explorers, planters, sailors, spies, cowpunchers, soldiers, sweatshop workers, and civil rights activists. For grades 6-9 and older readers. National Book Award Finalist. 2001.

Creative Crafts for Critters     RC 54515
by Nancy Furstinger
read by Patricia McDermott
1 cassette
Twenty-two things to make for pets--finned, furred, or feathered. Projects include personalized pet collar, massage mitt, snacks, toys, and a goldfish garden. All are made from inexpensive and easy-to-find materials. For grades 3-6. 2000.

The Kids Winter Handbook     RC 54517
by Jane Drake and Ann Love
read by Patricia McDermott
1 cassette
Outdoor and indoor activities to celebrate winter. Covers weather forecasting, snow sports, crafts projects (most call for inexpensive, easy-to-find materials), games, fireside stories, and recipes. Parental involvement is encouraged. For grades 3-6. 2001.

I'm Tougher than Diabetes!     RC 54548
by Alden R. Carter
read by Margaret Strom
1 cassette
Natalie explains her disorder--diabetes--and what she must do every day to keep her blood sugar at a safe level. She tells how her parents and sister help her and how supportive her classmates are. Includes a section of frequently asked questions and answers on diabetes. For grades 3-6. 2001.

Gun Control: The Pros and Cons     RC 54558
by Tom Streissguth
read by Jacinda Bronaugh
1 cassette
Presents the controversy about gun control laws in the United States including the history behind the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment. Discusses the position of the National Rifle Association and its opponents. For grades 6-9. 2001.

Floods     RC 54574
by Emma Durham and Mark Maslin
read by Bob Moore
1 cassette
Explains why floods happen and the difference between river and coastal floods. Discusses flood disasters and the benefits that occur from flooding in some areas. Examines flood prediction including the impact of global warming and El Niño. For grades 4-7. 2000.

Chocolate: Riches from the Rainforest     RC 54575
by Robert Burleigh
read by Andrea Maida
1 cassette
Traces the history of chocolate from the seeds of the cacao tree to chocolate bars. Explains how the Olmec and Maya of Central America prepared chocolate as a drink, its popularity in Europe, and modern production methods. For grades 4-7. 2002.

Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit     RC 54590
by Laurie Lawlor
read by Catherine Byers
1 cassette
Biography of the blind and deaf girl whose spirit knew no limitations. Discusses Keller's achievements in the context of the social expectations for women and people with disabilities in the early twentieth century. Describes her disappointments and frustrations as well as her accomplishments. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents     RC 54651
compiled by Sarah Conover
read by Anne Flosnik
1 cassette
Collection of thirty-two stories and sayings about the Buddha and his teachings. This broad selection of anecdotes and Jataka fables are mainly from India, Japan, and Tibet. They convey some of the spiritual values of this twenty-five-hundred-year-old religion. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2001.

Mohandas K. Gandhi     RC 54653
by Charles J. Shields
read by Anne Flosnik
1 cassette
Biography of the twentieth-century Indian civil rights leader and pacifist. Covers his childhood under British rule, his law studies in London, his work in South Africa, and his role in establishing India as an independent nation. Discusses how he implemented his philosophy and his convictions. For grades 6-9. 2002.

Ha! Ha! Ha! One Thousand Plus Jokes, Riddles, Facts, and More     RC 54688
by Lyn Thomas
read by Barry Bernson
1 cassette
A collection of humorous bits and pieces arranged by theme--the brain, computers, animals, sea creatures, and knock-knock jokes, among others. Interesting facts about humor and the subjects of the jokes are also included. For grades 3-6. 2001.

9.11.01: Terrorists Attack the U.S.     RC 54689
by Patrick Lalley
read by Jack Fox
1 cassette
Describes the horror of the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center and the events leading up to it. Discusses the history of the New York City landmark, extremist Islamic fundamentalism, and America's reactions to terrorism. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The Code Book: How to Make It, Break It, Hack It, Crack It     RC 54749
by Simon Singh
read by Peter Johnson
2 cassettes
Discusses the evolution of codes and their impact on history. Explains the growing importance of encryption--the process of encoding messages--in the expanding use of the Internet and satellite communications. A condensed version of The Code Book (RC 49955) for adults. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2001.

Cassettes Fiction

Stick and Whittle     RC 51872
by Sid Hite
read by Gary Roan
1 cassette
Texas, 1872. Melvin "Stick" Fitchett, a Civil War veteran, runs into sixteen-year-old Melvin "Whittle" Smyte on the lonesome prairie. The two become partners while Stick searches for his long-lost sweetheart, Evelyn. When they find out that she has been kidnapped, they ride to the rescue. For grades 6-9. 2000.

Dinosaurs before Dark: Magic Tree House, Book 1     RC 52354
by Mary Pope Osborne
read by Gillian Green
1 cassette
Eight-and-a-half-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister Annie find a magic tree house in the woods near their home. Climbing inside, they are whisked back to the prehistoric time of dinosaurs. But how will they return to their own time? For grades 2-4. 1992.

The Knight at Dawn: Magic Tree House, Book 2     RC 52355
by Mary Pope Osborne
read by Gillian Green
1 cassette
Returning to the magic tree house, Annie and her older brother Jack travel back to the Middle Ages. They explore a castle, escape from a dungeon, and are helped by a mysterious knight. For grades 2-4. 1993.

Pirates past Noon: Magic Tree House, Book 4     RC 52357
by Mary Pope Osborne
read by Gillian Green
1 cassette
On a cold, rainy day in the magic tree house, Annie spies a book open to a picture of a sunny beach scene. Annie and her older brother Jack are transported to the days of deserted islands, secret maps, hidden treasure, and nasty pirates. For grades 2-4. 1994.

Dancing in Cadillac Light     RC 53186
by Kimberly Willis Holt
read by Mimi Bederman
1 cassette
Moon, Texas; 1968. Eleven-year-old tomboy Jaynell is put in charge of her grandfather for the summer. They have a good time cruising in an old Cadillac until Grandpap gives his old house to a large, struggling family. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2001.

It's Justin Time, Amber Brown     RC 53192
by Paula Danziger
read by Marilyn Gleason
1 cassette
Amber is so into telling time that she desperately wants a watch on her seventh birthday. But her best friend, Justin, has absolutely no regard for keeping time. Though his perpetual tardiness makes her upset, Amber soon realizes that friends can overcome their differences. For grades 2-4. 2001.

Little Women Next Door     RC 53194
by Sheila Solomon Klass
read by Marilyn Gleason
1 cassette
When stuttering eleven-year-old Susan makes friends with future author Louisa May Alcott and her family, she blossoms. While the Alcotts and others attempt to establish a utopian farming community known as Fruitlands, Susan forges a better relationship with her stern father and loses her stutter. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2000.

The Fledgling     RC 53197
by Jane Langton
read by Mimi Bederman
1 cassette
Georgie's fondest wish is to be able to fly. When she meets a Canada goose, the Goose Prince, the girl's dream comes true for a while. For grades 3-6. Newbery Honor. 1980.

Heaven Eyes     RC 53280
by David Almond
read by Peg Gilleland
1 cassette
Erin Law recounts her adventures with friends January Carr and Mouse Gullane when they run away from Whitegates orphanage, rafting downriver to the Black Middens where magical possibilities abound. There they meet Heaven Eyes, an unusual girl, and the old man she calls Grampa. For grades 5-8. 2000.

The Land     RC 53538
by Mildred D. Taylor
read by Bob Moore
3 cassettes
Mississippi, post-Civil War. Paul-Edward, the son of a white plantation owner and a slave of African-Indian heritage, follows his dream of owning his own land through hard work and determination. Prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (RC 50326), the story of Paul-Edward's granddaughter, Cassie Logan. For grades 6-9. 2001.

A Pebble and a Pen     RC 53632
by Joan Donaldson
read by Carolyn Hecker
1 cassette
When Matty graduates from the eighth grade in 1853, her mother wants her to marry a farmer with seven children. So Matty runs away to join Mr. Spencer's penmanship school, and finds many challenges to becoming a female penman. For grades 5-8. 2000.

Caleb's Story     RC 53941
by Patricia MacLachlan
read by Barbara Rappaport
1 cassette
In this sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall (RC 23524), Caleb's discovery of an old man in the barn becomes a family problem. Although Caleb, his sister Cassie, and Sarah welcome him as a long-lost grandfather, Jacob remembers the pain of the past. For grades 3-6. 2001.

Iris and Walter     RC 53967
by Elissa Haden Guest
read by Susan McInerney
1 cassette
When Iris and her family move to the country, Iris misses her city neighborhood. Then she meets a kid named Walter who shows her things to do in the country, so they become friends. Easy chapter book. For grades K-3. 2000.

Iris and Walter, True Friends     RC 53968
by Elissa Haden Guest
read by Susan McInerney
1 cassette
Walter shows Iris how to make friends with his horse, Rain. In turn, Iris helps Walter with a problem at school, because that's what true friends do. Easy chapter book. Sequel to Iris and Walter (RC 53967). For grades K-3. 2001.

The Night Iguana Left Home     RC 53970
by Megan McDonald
read by Kimberly Schraf
1 cassette
Although her friend Alison Frogley provides her with a heating pad, a free library card, and an anchovy pizza, Iguana feels that something is missing in her life in Schenectady, New York. But when she runs away to Florida, she learns there is more to life than a sunny beach! For grades K-3. 1999.

Great Expectations     RC 53991
by Charles Dickens
read by Graeme Malcolm
3 cassettes (Reissue)
An encounter with a convict in a cemetery will have long-term consequences for Pip, a poor orphan boy. But before he grasps their full significance, he is to live with the strange spinster Miss Havisham, to be tormented by her ward Estella, and to move to London. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 1861.

Isabel: Jewel of Castilla     RC 54004
by Carolyn Meyer
read by Gabriella Cavallero
1 cassette
Isabel, the future queen of Spain, begins her diary in 1466 while waiting anxiously for others to choose a husband for her. She chronicles three years of her experiences as a member of the royal family. For grades 5-8. 2000.

Coyote Autumn     RC 54134
by Bill Wallace
read by Bruce Huntey
1 cassette
After moving from Chicago to rural Oklahoma, Brad has many new experiences. He hides an orphaned coyote in an old pen behind the barn, planning to tame him. But Brad has a lot to learn about wild animals. For grades 4-7. 2000.

Walker's Crossing     RC 54197
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
read by Gary Tipton
1 cassette
When his older brother, Gil, enlists in the Mountain Patriots Association--a local militia with anti-Semitic beliefs--seventh-grader Ryan begins to question the political rhetoric he's grown up with on a Wyoming ranch. Ryan is torn between his dislike of bigotry and hatred and his loyalty to his brother. For grades 6-9. 1999.

The Tiger Rising     RC 54216
by Kate DiCamillo
read by Gary Tipton
1 cassette
Sixth-grader Rob Horton and classmate Sistine Bailey, the new and unhappy kids in a small Florida town, discover a real live tiger in a cage near Rob's home. They struggle over its fate as well as their own. For grades 4-7. 2001.

The Ghost and Mrs. Hobbs     RC 54219
by Cynthia DeFelice
read by Erin Jones
1 cassette
Hindered by a fight with her friend Dub and a series of mysterious fires, eleven-year-old Allie investigates a fire from seventeen years ago. Allie seeks a connection between a handsome youth's ghost asking for help and a cafeteria worker, Mrs. Hobbs. Sequel to The Ghost of Fossil Glen (RC 47637). For grades 4-7. 2001.

Clem's Chances     RC 54232
by Sonia Levitin
read by Terence Aselford
2 cassettes
As tension mounts between the North and the South in 1860, fourteen-year-old Clem Fontayne journeys from Missouri to California in search of his father. His encounters with fellow travelers acquaint him with topics of the times: the Mormon migration, slavery, and the Pony Express. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Trino's Time     RC 54265
by Diane Gonzales Bertrand
read by Peter Jay Fernandez
1 cassette
In this sequel to Trino's Choice (RC 50827), thirteen-year-old Trino is recovering from a friend's death in a robbery, in which he had almost joined. He works to help his mother support the family and discovers that he can succeed in school. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2001.

The Revenge of Randal Reese-Rat     RC 54271
by Tor Seidler
read by Yolande Bavan
1 cassette
Musically talented Maggie Mad-Rat leaves her home in Africa to attend her cousin Montague's marriage to Isabel in New York City. There she meets family and makes new friends, including the unique Randal Reese-Rat, Isabel's former love. Sequel to A Rat's Tale (RC 26442). For grades 4-7. 2001.

Miss Nelson Is Missing!     RC 54287
by Harry Allard
read by Laura Giannarelli
1 cassette
The kids in room 207 giggle, throw spitballs, and are rude to their good-natured teacher, Miss Nelson. When she disappears, the worst-behaved kids in school face a mean substitute, Miss Viola Swamp. For grades K-3. 1977.

Miss Nelson Is Back     RC 54288
by Harry Allard
read by Laura Giannarelli
1 cassette
When their teacher, Miss Nelson, has to go away for a week, the students in room 207 plan to really act up. Sequel to Miss Nelson Is Missing! (RC 54287). For grades K-3. 1982.

Farewell, My Lunchbag: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye     RC 54319
by Bruce Hale
read by Lee Look
1 cassette
When fourth-grade private eye Chet Gecko is called to catch someone who is stealing food from the school cafeteria, the lizard finds himself framed for the crime. For grades 3-6. 2001.

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident     RC 54323
by Eoin Colfer
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
In this sequel to Artemis Fowl (RC 52289), thirteen-year-old Artemis turns his attention to rescuing his long-missing father from the Russian Mafiya. In the process, he again encounters elf police captain Holly Short. This time the two join forces. Some violence. For grades 5-8. 2002.

The Million Dollar Kick     RC 54365
by Dan Gutman
read by MaryBeth Wise
1 cassette
Thirteen-year-old Whisper Nelson hates soccer, but she has won a slogan contest that now requires her to kick a goal past a star player in front of the whole town. The prize is a million dollars. Self-styled computer nerd Jesse and Whisper's mentor come to her aid. For grades 5-8. 2001.

The Other Side of Truth     RC 54378
by Beverley Naidoo
read by Anne Flosnik
2 cassettes
Nigeria, 1995. When Sade's journalist father becomes a political target and her mother is murdered, Sade and her younger brother, Femi, are smuggled to London for safety. They become stranded there, alone and without a family, desperately worried about their father's situation. Some violence. For grades 5-8. Carnegie Medal. 2000.

How I Became an American     RC 54381
by Karin Gündisch
read by Mark Ashby
1 cassette
Johann Bonfert records the 1902 journey of his German family from Austria-Hungary to Youngstown, Ohio. Describes the hardships of their immigration and the difficulties of adjusting to American culture. For grades 4-7. Batchelder Award. 2001.

Belle Teal     RC 54382
by Ann M. Martin
read by Nanette Savard
1 cassette
In 1962, Belle Teal Harper is happy to be in Miss Casey's fifth-grade class in a recently integrated school. Among the challenges facing Belle Teal are her grandmother's failing memory and welcoming two new students--Darryl, a shy African American, and Vanessa, a show-off white girl. Some strong language. For grades 4-7. 2001.

The Wonderful Sky Boat and Other Native American Tales of the Southeast     RC 54394
retold by Jane Louise Curry
read by Annie Wauters
1 cassette
Collection of twenty-seven stories from the Catawba, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Seminole tribes, among others, retold in modern English. A Hitchiti tale, "Heron and Hummingbird," explains why hummingbirds drink nectar rather than water. Includes notes about the original storytellers and their languages. For grades 4-7. 2001.

Lord of the Deep     RC 54410
by Graham Salisbury
read by Gregory Gorton
1 cassette
Thirteen-year-old Mikey is proud to be a deckhand for his stepfather's charter fishing boat in Hawaii. He enjoys the adventure of the fishing expeditions but finds that some clients are difficult to handle, especially if they won't follow the rules. Some violence. For grades 5-8. 2001.

The Phantom Menace: Star Wars, Episode I     RC 54479
by Patricia C. Wrede
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
Jedi knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi are responsible for Queen Amidala's safety. Their mission takes them to Tatooine, where they meet the young slave Anakin Skywalker, who dreams of becoming a Jedi knight. Based on George Lucas's screenplay. For grades 4-7. 1999.

Attack of the Clones: Star Wars, Episode II     RC 54480
by Patricia C. Wrede
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
In this sequel to The Phantom Menace (RC 54479), Padmé Amidala is now a senator committed to peace but under attack. Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker are sent to protect her, and a forbidden love begins. Based on George Lucas's screenplay. For grades 4-7. 2002.

Money Hungry     RC 54516
by Sharon G. Flake
read by Jill Fox
1 cassette
Thirteen-year-old Raspberry Hill is obsessed with making money so that she and her mother never have to worry about being homeless again, even though living in the projects is bad enough. For grades 6-9. Coretta Scott King Honor Book. 2001.

Wild Willie and King Kyle Detectives: A Wild Willie Mystery     RC 54524
by Barbara M. Joosse
read by John Polk
1 cassette
Best friends and neighbors Willie and Kyle are upset when Kyle has to move to Ohio but cheer up when they play detective agency. Their first case has Willie spying on the girl who moves into Kyle's old house. For grades 2-4. 1993.

The Beloved Dearly     RC 54554
by Doug Cooney
read by Michele Schaeffer
1 cassette
Ernie, a twelve-year-old tycoon, makes a tidy profit in the pet funeral business. When he refuses to give a raise to his star employee, a tomboy named Swimming Pool, the enterprise starts falling apart. It takes the death of Ernie's own dog to bring everyone back together. For grades 4-7. 2002.

Crossing Jordan     RC 54577
by Adrian Fogelin
read by Colleen Delany
1 cassette
Twelve-year-old Cass of Tallahassee, Florida, meets her new African American neighbor, Jemmie. Despite their families' prejudices, they build a strong friendship around shared enthusiasms for running and reading. For grades 5-8. 2000.

Holding Up the Earth     RC 54579
by Dianne E. Gray
read by Annie Wauters
1 cassette
Fourteen-year-old orphan Hope, spending the summer on a Nebraska farm with Sarah, her latest foster mother, reads family documents left by four previous generations of teens: Abigail, the first homesteader; Rebecca, a hired girl; Sarah's mother, Anna; and Sarah. For grades 5-8. 2000.

Old People, Frogs, and Albert     RC 54588
by Nancy Hope Wilson
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
Fourth-grader Albert loves frogs, and in an unexpected way they help him overcome his two biggest fears: reading and the old people at the Pine Manor Nursing Home near his school. For grades 2-4. 1997.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish     RC 54595
by Cynthia Rylant
read by Erik Sandvold
1 cassette
After Mr. Putter buys three goldfish and takes them home, he discovers that his cat, Tabby, has a serious problem with them. A beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 2001.

Gloria Rising     RC 54652
by Ann Cameron
read by Margaret Strom
1 cassette
The sequel to Gloria's Way (RC 50553) starts in a supermarket where fourth-grader Gloria meets Dr. Grace Street, a famous astronaut who encourages her to believe in herself. Gloria finds it hard to apply this advice as she copes with a difficult teacher and a class bully. For grades 2-4. 2002.

The Perfect Piñata / La Piñata Perfecta     RC 54753
by Kelli Kyle Dominguez
read by María Pino
1 cassette
Marisa picks out a butterfly piñata for her sixth birthday one week away. But the day of her party, she doesn't want to break her butterfly. Fortunately her parents have a good solution. In English and Spanish. For grades K-3. (La semana que viene Marisa cumple seis años, y para su cumpleaños escoge una piñata en forma de mariposa. Pero al llegar el día de la fiesta, Marisa no quiere romper su mariposa. Afortunadamente, los padres de Marisa tienen otro remedio. En inglés y español. Para grados K a 3.) 2002.

Gus and Grandpa at Basketball     RC 54883
by Claudia Mills
read by Christopher Walker
1 cassette
Gus enjoys basketball practice, but the noise from the crowd and fast pace of real games bother him, and he doesn't play well. Then his game improves when grandpa gives him some good advice. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 2001.

Gus and Grandpa at the Hospital     RC 54884
by Claudia Mills
read by Christopher Walker
1 cassette
When Grandpa is in the hospital recovering from a heart attack, Gus worries about visiting him there. Gradually, Gus learns how to help Grandpa do things in his room and finally feels comfortable at the hospital. But the best part is taking Grandpa home. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 1998.

Marvin Redpost: Class President     RC 54889
by Louis Sachar
read by Christopher Walker
1 cassette
This Wednesday at Marvin's school everyone has to wear clothes with holes. But Marvin and his third grade class didn't expect a surprise visitor--the president of the United States. For grades 2-4. 1999.

Foreign Language Books

The following cassette titles are available in the languages designated.

Spanish

La Milla Verde (The Green Mile)     RC 52986
por Stephen King
leído por Juan Ramírez
3 cassettes
El carcelero Paul Edgecombe ha visto muchas cosas extrañas trabajando con los asesinos convictos de la "Milla Verde" que esperan su cita con la silla eléctrica. Y no había convicto más extraño que John Coffey, condenado en 1932 por la violación y muerte de dos niñas gemelas de nueve años. Y Edgecombe está a punto de descubrir una verdad aun más terrible y espantosa acera de John Coffey. Contiene descripciones de violencia y lenguaje injurioso. (Penitentiary death-row supervisor Paul Edgecombe thinks back to 1932 when John Coffey, convicted of raping and murdering twin nine-year-old girls, was placed on the "Green Mile" to await the electric chair. Edgecombe gradually realized that Coffey was an unusual human being. Violence and strong language.) 1997.

Mitford, Esta Es Su Casa (At Home in Mitford)     RC 52993
por Jan Karon
leído por María Pino
4 cassettes
Después de mucho tiempo el Padre Tim piensa que necesita dejar el idílico pueblecito meridional de Mitford y mudarse a otro lugar. Pero recibe una carta del obispo diciéndole que quede en Mitford un año más por lo menos. Entonces la vida empieza a complicarse para él. Conoce a su nueva y atractiva vecina, Cynthia, y también recibe los afectos de un gran perro, Bernabé, que le sigue a su casa y no está dispuesto a marcharse. (After years as a priest in the Southern village of Mitford, Father Tim wonders if he should move on. When one day a letter from the bishop tells him to "hang in there...give it a year," things begin to change, including an interest in his neighbor, Cynthia, and the arrival of Barnabas, a rather large dog.) 1994.

¡ Celebremos! Las Fiestas de México, Cuba, y Puerto Rico, y Su Vigencia en los Estados Unidos (Let's Celebrate! The Holidays of Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, and Their Celebration in the United States) RC 52994
por Valerie Menard
leído por María Pino
1 cassette
Explica las quince fiestas hispánicas más populares que se celebran en los Estados Unidos. Incluye fiestas de las cuatro estaciones como La Navidad y Las Pascuas; las fiestas culturales como El Cinco de Mayo, El Día de la Raza y El Día de los Muertos; y las fiestas religiosas como La Virgen de Guadalupe. (Explains the fifteen most popular holidays celebrated by Hispanics in the United States. Includes seasonal celebrations such as Easter and Christmas; cultural festivals such as Cinco de Mayo, Día de la Raza, and Día de los Muertos; and holy days such as the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe.) 2002.

Misery     RC 52995
por Stephen King
leído por Juan Ramírez
3 cassettes
Paul Sheldon, un novelista de gran éxito, se despierta endrogado y el prisonero de Annie Wilkes, una enfermera desequilibrada, quien es su admiradora número uno. Ella le obliga a escribir otro novela para resusitar a Misery Chastain, su carácter favorito. Contiene lenguaje injurioso, violencia y descripciones de índole sexual. (Bestselling author Paul Sheldon awakens drugged, in pain, and the prisoner of unbalanced ex-nurse Annie Wilkes, who claims to be his number one fan. She forces Sheldon to write a new novel resurrecting her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and some strong language.) 1987.

Negocios (Drown)     RC 52996
por Junot Díaz
leído por Juan Ramírez
2 cassettes
Presenta diez cuentos sobre las vidas duras de latinos jóvenes, desde los pueblos y parajes polvorientos de la República Dominicana hasta los barrios industriales de New Jersey. En "Aurora," un narcotraficante insignificante sueña con escapar sus aprietos y encontrar una vida mejor. Contiene lenguaje injurioso, violencia y descripciones de índole sexual. (Stories depicting the hardscrabble lives of young Latino men in settings ranging from the streets of the Dominican Republic to New Jersey's urban slums. In "Aurora," a small-time drug dealer dreams of escaping his plight and finding acceptance and a stable life. Descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language.) 1997.

Chocolate para el Corazón de la Mujer: Setenta y Siete Relatos de Amor, Bondad, y Compasión para Nutrir Su Alma y Endulzar Sus Sueños (Chocolate for the Woman's Soul: Seventy-Seven Stories of Love, Charity, and Compassion to Nourish Your Soul and Sweeten Your Dreams)     RC 52997
por Kay Allenbaugh
leído por María Pino
2 cassettes
Presenta una coleción de ensayos cordiales con una gran variedad de escritoras, incluyendo pastoras, conferencistas, autores de éxito y madres. Los temas pasan de la intervención divina a encontrar el amor y triunfar a la depresión. (Collection of essays for women's solace by a wide variety of female contributors, including ministers, professional speakers, novelists, and mothers. Topics range from divine intervention to falling in love to overcoming depression.) 1998.

LaPiñata Perfecta / The Perfect Piñata     RC 54753
por Kelli Kyle Dominguez
leído por Maria Pino
1 cassette
La semana que viene Marisa cumple seis años, y para su cumpleaños escoge una piñata en forma de mariposa. Pero al llegar el día de la fiesta, Marisa no quiere romper su mariposa. Afortunadamente, los padres de Marisa tienen otro remedio. En inglés y español. Para grados K a 3.(Marisa picks out a butterfly piñata for her sixth birthday one week away. But the day of her party, she doesn't want to break her butterfly. Fortunately her parents have a good solution. In English and Spanish. For grades K-3.) 2002.

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Posted on 2006-02-24