Watched the Hallmark Holiday Movie? Now Read the book!

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Tis the season for holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel! Maybe you’ve heard about the movie from a friend or maybe you’ve already watched it, but you want to see how the book differs from the show? Here are some books that inspired Hallmark Channel holiday movies. We’ve updated it for 2023, and it includes one written by Blake Shelton’s mom, Dorothy Shackleford.

ANGEL TREE by Daphne Benedis-Grab (DB 80225)
CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE by Debbie Macomber (DB 73685, LB 06530)
CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR by Lisa Kleypas (DB 72388, DBC 16819)
CHRISTMAS TOWN by Donna Vanliere (DB 86731)
CHRISTMAS TRAIN by David Baldacci (DB 55045, BR 14463, LB 10834)
DOG NAMED CHRISTMAS by Gregory D. Kincaid (DBC 01593)
MR. MIRACLE by Debbie Macomber (DB 80064)
MRS. MIRACLE CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber (DB 96769)
MARRY ME AT CHRISTMAS by Susan Mallery (DB 83806)
MISTLETOE PROMISE by Richard Paul Evans (DB 80430, BR 20624, LB 08564)
SILVER BELLS: A HOLIDAY TALE by LuAnne Rice (DB 59402, BR 15767)
TIME FOR ME TO COME HOME by Dorothy Shackleford (DBC 24500)
TRADING CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber (DB 73827, BT 13340)

In Her Own Words: Sandra Day O’Connor

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Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice, passed away on December 1. Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Arizona, O’Connor wrote several books describing her childhood as well as her life as a Supreme Court Justice. Here are the books she’s written in our collection. 

LAZY B: GROWING UP ON A CATTLE RANCH IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST (DB 53655, BR 15666)
MAJESTY OF THE LAW: REFLECTIONS OF A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE (DB 56444)
OUT OF ORDER: STORIES FROM THE HISTORY OF THE SUPREME COURT (DB 76471)

Culinary Curiosities: Books That Will Quench Your Thirst for Knowledge About Food and Drinks

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Have you ever wanted to know EVERYTHING about something? If so, microhistories are the subgenre for you! What is microhistory, you ask? Microhistory is a genre of history that focuses on small units of research, such as an event, individual, or thing. Since the holiday season is fast approaching, we compiled a list of twenty microhistories in our collection that are specifically related to food and drink.

BIG OYSTER: NEW YORK ON THE HALF SHELL by Mark Kurlansky (DB 61328)
BOURBON EMPIRE: THE PAST AND FUTURE OF AMERICA’S WHISKEY by Reid Mittenbuler (DB 82834)
BREWMASTER’S ART by Charles W. Bamforth (DB 87781)
BUTTER: A RICH HISTORY by Elaine Khosrova (DB 87889, BR 21924)
CHOCOLATE: A BITTERSWEET SAGA OF DARK AND LIGHT by Mort Rosenblum
(DB 60895)
COD: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FISH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by Mark Kurlansky (DB 45502)
CONSIDER THE FORK: A HISTORY OF HOW WE COOK AND EAT by Bee Wilson
(DB 80612)
CURRY: A TALE OF COOKS AND CONQUERORS by E. M. Collingham (DB 63425)
DRINKING WATER: A HISTORY by James Salzman (DB 83305)
FOR GOD, COUNTRY, AND COCA-COLA: THE UNAUTHORIZED HISTORY OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SOFT DRINK AND THE COMPANY THAT MAKES IT by Mark Pendergrast (DB 37911)
FOUR FISH: THE FUTURE OF THE LAST WILD FOOD by Paul Greenberg (DB 71558)
HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN SIX GLASSES by Tom Standage (DB 61242)
MILK!: A 10,000-YEAR FOOD FRACAS by Mark Kurlansky (DB 92381)
PICKLED, POTTED, AND CANNED: HOW THE ART AND SCIENCE OF FOOD PRESERVING CHANGED THE WORLD by Sue Shephard (DB 55479)
RAW DOG: THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT HOT DOGS by Jamie Loftus (DB 115180)
ROBBING THE BEES: A BIOGRAPHY OF HONEY–THE SWEET LIQUID GOLD THAT SEDUCED THE WORLD by Holley Bishop (DB 62617)
SALT: A WORLD HISTORY by Mark Kurlansky (DB 55857)
SECRET HISTORY OF FOOD: STRANGE BUT TRUE STORIES ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF EVERYTHING WE EAT by Matt Siegel (DB 107700)
SPICE: THE HISTORY OF A TEMPTATION by Jack Turner (BR 15934)
TEN TOMATOES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: A HISTORY by William Alexander
(DB 114458)

Indigenous Voices: Memoirs and Autobiographies

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In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we have collected some autobiographies and memoirs written by Native Americans. We have memoirs from Metis, Potawatomi, Lakota, and many other Indigenous Americans.

ABANDON ME by Melissa Febos (DBC16562)
BITTEROOT: A SALISH MEMOIR OF TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION by Susan Devan Harness (DBC 13108)
BRAIDING SWEETGRASS: INDIGENOUS WISDOM, SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND THE TEACHINGS OF PLANTS by Robin Wall Kimmerer (DB 92274)
CARRY: A MEMOIR OF SURVIVAL ON STOLEN LAND by Toni Jensen (DB 101608)
CRAZY BRAVE: A MEMOIR by Joy Harjo (DB 97592, BR 22807)
FROM THE ASHES: MY STORY OF BEING INDIGENOUS, HOMELESS, AND FINDING MY WAY by Jesse Thistle (DB 113670, LB 14003)
HEART BERRIES: A MEMOIR by Terese Marie Mailhot (DB 108091)
LAKOTA WOMAN by Mary Crow Dog (DB 32089)
MY BODY IS A BOOK OF RULES by Elissa Washuta (DBC 06942)
PIPESTONE: MY LIFE IN AN INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL by Adam Fortunate Eagle (DB 113324)
SPIRIT CAR: JOURNEY TO A DAKOTA PAST by Diane Wilson (DBC 19747)
SPIRIT MOVES: STORY OF SIX GENERATIONS OF NATIVE WOMEN by Loree Boyd (DB 46850)
SPIRIT RUN: A 6,000-MILE MARATHON THROUGH NORTH AMERICA’S STOLEN LAND by Noe Alvarez (DB 98794)
THEY CALLED ME NUMBER ONE: SECRETS AND SURVIVAL AT AN INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL by Bev Sellars (DB 113452)
TURQUOISE LEDGE: A MEMOIR by Leslie Marmon Silko (DBC 04945)
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME: A MEMOIR by Sherman Alexie (DB 89576, BR 22175, LB 10335)

2023 Awards Finalists

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There are so MANY literary awards. It can be easy to forget about some of the smaller or more niche honors amidst the big ones like the National Book Awards and the Nobel Prize for Fiction. So, we took this opportunity to showcase some of the award finalists in our collection from some of those less well-known literary prizes.

2023 Award Finalists in the NLS Collection:

BIRNAM WOOD by Eleanor Catton (DB 115924)
2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Fiction
DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver (DB 110786, LB 14284)
2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction Finalist
EXTRAORDINARY DEATHS OF MRS. KIP by Sara Brunsvold (DB 110658)
2023 Christy Award Finalist for First Novel
FACTORY GIRLS by Michelle Gallen (DB 115059)
2023 Encore Award Finalist for Fiction
HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride (DB 115655)
2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Fiction
HIDDEN PRINCE by Tessa Afshar (DB 111756)
2023 Christy Award Finalist for Historical Novel
HOW NOT TO KILL YOURSELF: A PORTRAIT OF A SUICIDAL MIND by Clancy Martin (DB 114679)
2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Nonfiction
IF I SURVIVE YOU by Jonathan Escoffery (DB 110662, BR 24735)
2023 Booker Prize Finalist
JOAO BY A THREAD by Roger Mello (DB 113457, BR 24950)
2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Younger Readers
JULIA AND THE SHARK by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (DB 114633)
2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Middle Grades
LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET by Toya Wolfe (DB 109023)
2023 PEN Open Award Finalist
MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O’Farrell (DB 110129, BR 24589, LB 14174)
2023 Women’s Prize in Fiction Finalist
MASTER SLAVE HUSBAND WIFE: AN EPIC JOURNEY FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM by Ilyon Woo (DB 112758)
2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Nonfiction
MR. B: GEORGE BALANCHINE’S 20TH CENTURY by Jennifer Homans (DB 111898)
2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Nonfiction
SHUTTER by Ramona Emerson (DB 112989)
2023 PEN Open Award Finalist
SOUND OF LIGHT by Sarah Sundin (DB 113572)
2023 Christy Award Finalist for Historical Romance
THIS OTHER EDEN by Paul Harding (DB 113243, BR 24845)
2023 Booker Prize Finalist
TO WIN A PRINCE by Toni Shiloh (DB 110386 IN PROCESS)
2023 Christy Award Finalist for Contemporary Romance
TRESPASSES by Louise Kennedy (DB 114416)
2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction Finalist
WONDERLAND TRIALS by Sara Ella (DB 112298)
2023 Christy Award Finalist for Young Adults

For more information on:

The Booker Prize www.thebookerprizes.com/booker-prize/about-the-booker-prize
The Christy Awards: www.christyawards.com/index.html
The Encore Awards: www.rsliterature.org/the-encore-award/
The Kirkus Awards: www.kirkusreviews.com/prize/
The PEN Open Book Award: www.pen.org/pen-open-book-award/
The Women’s Prize for Fiction: www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/

28 New Texas Titles Now on BARD!

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Frank Hamer, Bill Pickett, U.S. Grant, and the grandfather of Austin country music highlight these legendary Texas titles now available on BARD.

Dig into Texas gardening, unravel a nefarious New Braunfels murder mystery, meet gutsy Texas women, and gather ’round for wild camp tales and unique cuentos de fantasma.

Get powerful results. Read!

BLACK GOLD by Frederic Bean
DBC 26999
Adult Fiction

CENTELLA by James Oliver Curwood
DBC 28826
Adult Fiction (Spanish)

DEEP WEST by Ernest Haycox
DBC 18418
Adult Fiction

EPITAPH by L. J. Washburn
DBC 28853
Adult Fiction

FAMILY IZQUIERDO: A NOVEL by Rubén Degollado
DBC 28906
Adult Fiction

FANTASMAS: SUPERNATURAL STORIES BY MEXICAN AMERICAN WRITERS
DBC 26194
Adult Fiction

FOLK ART IN TEXAS
DBC 28857
Adult Non-Fiction

FROM RATTLESNAKES TO ROAD AGENTS: ROUGH TIMES ON THE FRIO by Frances Bramlette Farris
DBC 28833
Adult Non-Fiction

GUTS: LEGENDARY BLACK RODEO COWBOY BILL PICKETT by Cecil Johnson
DBC 26965
Adult Non-Fiction

HIGH PLACES by Stephen Bransford
DBC 27007
Adult Fiction

I’M FRANK HAMER: THE LIFE OF A TEXAS PEACE OFFICER by H. Gordon Frost
DBC 28861
Adult Non-Fiction

LEGENDARY LADIES OF TEXAS
DBC 28856
Adult Non-Fiction

MORE WILD CAMP TALES by Mike Blakely
DBC 27003
Adult Non-Fiction

MYSTERIES OF THE MAGNOLIA HOTEL by Erin O. Wallace
DBC 18483
Adult Non-Fiction

OUTLAW’S JUSTICE by A. J. Arnold
DBC 26991
Adult Fiction

RED SABBATH by Lewis B. Patten
DBC 28845
Adult Fiction

SANTA ANNA: PATRIOT OR SCOUNDREL by Ruby C. Tolliver
DBC 18637
Juvenile Non-Fiction

SHADOW WALKERS by Nina Romberg
DBC 26948
Adult Fiction

TEXAS GARDENING THE NATURAL WAY: THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK by Howard Garrett
DBC 18790
Adult Non-Fiction

TEXAS, THE DARK CORNER OF THE CONFEDERACY: CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS OF THE LONE STAR STATE IN THE CIVIL WAR
DBC 26976
Adult Non-Fiction

THREADGILL’S: THE COOKBOOK by Eddie Wilson
DBC 26954
Adult Non-Fiction

THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES: THE NARRATIVE OF NELSON LEE, THE TEXAS RANGER by Nelson Lee
DBC 28840
Adult Non-Fiction

TIME IS THE SIMPLEST THING by Clifford D Simak
DBC 18639
Adult Fiction

ULYSSES: A BIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL OF U.S. GRANT by Robert Skimin
DBC 26291
Adult Fiction

UNDENIABLE by Francis Ray
DBC 26940
Adult Fiction

UNSOLVED TEXAS MYSTERIES by Wallace O. Chariton
DBC 28823
Juvenile Non-Fiction

WHY SOME POSITIVE THINKERS GET POWERFUL RESULTS by Norman Vincent Peale
DBC 28846
Adult Non-Fiction

WOMEN IN EARLY TEXAS
DBC 26957
Adult Non-Fiction

Romantic Comedies

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Sometimes we just want a little bit of laughter with our love—because, let’s face it, sometimes when things go wrong (as they invariably do with romance), all you can do is laugh at the absurdity of it all.

We have all your favorite romantic tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, holiday romance, workplace romance, small town romance, and so many different types of characters. Some protagonists are overcoming previous traumas, others have physical limitations, and a few are neurodivergent. Some of these books are spicy and some are faith-based with no sex, violence, or profanity. But ALL of them are meant to be humorous. 

Series

BOO SERIES
BOO by Rene Gutteridge (DBC 13587)
BOYFRIEND PROJECT SERIES
BOYFRIEND PROJECT by Farrah Rochon (DB 99855)
BROMANCE BOOK CLUB SERIES
BROMANCE BOOK CLUB by Lyssa Kay Adams (DB 97443)
BROWN SISTERS SERIES
GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN by Talia Hibbert (DB 97496, BR 23327)
DNADUO SERIES
SOULMATE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren (DB 103621)
FRIEND ZONE SERIES
FRIEND ZONE by Abby Jimenez (DB 95597, BR 23039)
KISS QUOTIENT SERIES
KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang (DB 91563, BR 23569)
MODERN LOVE SERIES
RIGHT SWIPE by Alisha Rai (DB 96121)
ONLY IN GOODING SERIES
FANCY PANTS by Cathy Marie Hake (DB 89624)
RAJES SERIES
PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND OTHER FLAVORS by Sonali Dev (DB 95480)
SWEET MESS SERIES
SWEET MESS by Jaci Lee (DB 101027)
TOUBLE WITH HATING YOU SERIES
TROUBLE WITH HATING YOU by Sajni Patel (DBC 26468)
WEDDING DATE SERIES
WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory (DB 90130, BR 22416)
WELL MET SERIES
WELL MET by Jen DeLuca (DB 96644)

Stand Alone Novels

BET ON IT by Jodie Slaughter (DB 109571)
BODYGUARD by Katherine Center (DB 109304, BR 24488)
BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry (DB 107926, BR 24476, LB 13928)
MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE by Julie Murphy (DB 110541)
OOPS I’VE FALLEN by Max Monroe (DB 110060)
NO SHOW by Beth O’Leary (DB 107812)
ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld (DB 113860, BR 24945, LB 14285)
TRES CITAS CON CARTER by Beth O’Leary (DB 114175)
YOU HAD ME AT HOLA by Alexis Daria (DB 100232)

Western Movies and TV Shows

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Did you know that the movie High Noon was based on the short story, “The Tin Star”? Did you know that the TV show The Virginian was based on a book that literary experts consider to be the very first Western novel? Did you know that LONESOME DOVE is the second book in a series by Larry McMurtry?

Take the opportunity to read the books that your favorite western shows and films were based on. Who knows what neat insights you’ll gain?

Here is a list of Western books that movies and TV shows were based upon that we have in the TBP collection.

TELEVISION SHOWS

Gunsmoke

DAY OF THE GUNFIGHTER by Joseph A. West (BRC 01270)

Justified

Raylan Givens Series by Elmore Leonard

1.     PRONTO (DB 37320, BR 21514)
2.     RIDING THE RAP (DB 75230, BR 10359)
3.     WHEN THE WOMEN COME OUT TO DANCE: STORIES (DB 55963, BR 14648)
4.     RAYLAN (DB 74284, BR 19487)

Virginian

VIRGINIAN: A HORSEMAN OF THE PLAINS by Owen Wister (DB 36421, BR 16196, LB 00331)

FILMS

Best of the West Series by Bill Pronzini

1.     BEST OF THE WEST: STORIES THAT INSPIRED CLASSIC WESTERN FILMS (DB 55165)
2.     BEST OF THE WEST II: STORIES THAT INSPIRED CLASSIC WESTERN FILMS (DB 47923)
3.     BEST OF THE WEST III: MORE STORIES THAT INSPIRED CLASSIC WESTERN FILMS (DB 48644)

All the Pretty Horses

ALL THE PRETTY HORSES: THE BORDER TRILOGY, VOLUME I by Cormac McCarthy (DB 34043)

Assassination of Jesse James

ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD, ROBERT FORD by Ron Hansen (DBC 16651, BR 05670)

Big Country

BIG COUNTRY by Don Hamilton (DB 57773)

Dances with Wolves

DANCES WITH WOLVES by Michael Blake (DB 32009)

High Noon

CENTURY OF GREAT WESTERN STORIES includes the short story “The Tin Star” by John W. Cunningham (DB 51381, LB 07487)

Little Big Man

LITTLE BIG MAN by Thomas Berger (DB 32463)

Lonesome Dove

LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry (DB 22959, BR 13696)

MacKenna’s Gold

MACKENNA’S GOLD by Will Henry (DB 34699)

Man Who Shot Liberty Valence

MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE AND A MAN CALLED HORSE, LOST SISTER, THE HANGING TREE by Dorothy M. Johnson (DB 64881)

Missing

LAST RIDE by Tom Eidson (DB 40965, LB 04746)

Open Range

OPEN RANGE MEN by Lauran Paine (DB 32457)

Outlaw Josey Wales

JOSEY WALES: TWO WESTERNS, GONE TO TEXAS AND THE VENGEANCE TRAIL OF JOSEY WALES by Forrest Carter (DB 56451)

Ox-Bow Incident

OX-BOW INCIDENT by Walter Van Tilburg Clark (DB 52564, BR 13679)

Searchers

SEARCHERS by Alan Le May (DB 69294, BRC 00476)
SEARCHERS: THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN LEGEND by Glenn Frankel (DB 76467)

Shane

SHANE by Jack Schaefer (DB 60163, BR 13561)

Shootist

SHOOTIST by Glendon Swarthout (DB 55309, LB 05175)

Stagecoach

CENTURY OF GREAT WESTERN STORIES includes the short story “The Stage to Lordsburg” by Ernest Haycox (DB 51381, LB 07487)

Treasure of the Sierra Madre

TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE by B. Traven (DB 45216, LB 01289)

True Grit

TRUE GRIT by Charles Portis (DB 44219, BR 19212, LB 06837)

NLS Many Faces of BARD Program: Using BARD Mobile for iOS Without VoiceOver

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Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m. (Central) covering how to use BARD Mobile for iOS without VoiceOver.

BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download service.

Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/8mb65hne

This presentation is for individuals with low vision, so the screen will be displayed.

Accessible StoryWalks for National StoryWalk® Week

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November 12-18, 2023 is National StoryWalk® Week, sponsored by Let’s Move in Libraries and the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services! This is the third annual week-long event that, as noted in the Let’s Move in Libraries blog, celebrates “the inspiring work of libraries who spearhead StoryWalk® programs—promoting literacy, reading, health, exercise, and movement in communities and neighborhoods across the United States and the world.”

What even is a StoryWalk®? A StoryWalk® is a permanent installation incorporating a children’s story that has been deconstructed, with each page displayed separately along a path for participants to read and enjoy. It is a wonderful way to promote literacy and movement. Libraries are increasingly working to make these StoryWalks® more accessible to individuals of all abilities. Let’s Move in Libraries includes some tips for making StoryWalks® more accessible in their blog post about National StoryWalk® Week. Here are some things to consider when creating a StoryWalk®:

  • Use braille overlays on top of the book displays.
  • Incorporate an audio reading of the story into the StoryWalk®.
  • Provide audio or braille descriptions of the story’s pictures. Depending on the style of your StoryWalk®, you could even outline the pictures with puffy paint for a tactile design that can be felt!
  • Consider the location of your StoryWalk®. Places that are wheelchair accessible with a wide, paved walkway are preferable to uneven, narrow ground.

If you are in Austin, you can visit a braille enhanced StoryWalk® presented through a partnership between the Texas Talking Book Program and Austin Public Library (APL), located at APL’s Windsor Park Branch (833 Westminster Drive). Currently the APL Windsor Park StoryWalk® tells The Three Billy Goats Buenos story by Susan Middleton Elya. You can read more about this braille enhanced accessible StoryWalk® at the Talking Book Program’s June 6, 2023, press release about the launch of this partnership.

Learn more about accessible design and allyship with these books available through the Talking Book Program, and don’t forget to celebrate National StoryWalk® Week!

ACCESSIBLE AMERICA: A HISTORY OF DISABILITY AND DESIGN by Bess Williamson (DB 94027; BR 22552)

WHAT CAN A BODY DO?: HOW WE MEET THE BUILT WORLD by Sara Hendren (DB 100228; BR 23245)

DEMYSTIFYING DISABILITY: WHAT TO KNOW, WHAT TO SAY, AND HOW TO BE AN ALLY by Emily Ladau (DB 105481; BR 23987)