Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Tim Hemlin

Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with author and educator, Tim Hemlin.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Mr. Hemlin’s career and his Neil Marshall Series, starting with the first book, IF WISHES WERE HORSES (DBC 18230). Following the talk, there will be a Q&A session.

Our Author Talks are held via Zoom, but you can join using just a telephone!

Participating is easy:

  • Use your landline to dial in via phone.
  • Use the “one-tap” number on your smartphone.
  • Alternatively, join via computer using the Zoom invitation we’ll send a week prior to the event.

To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.

We invite you to ask Tim Hemlin questions about his book. Please submit your questions by June 9. We will select questions based on the responses to this form, and they may be asked during the event! Fill out the form here: Author Questions

To RSVP, you can fill out our online registration form: Register Here.

Or if you prefer, reply to this email, or call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605.

Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge with his book or if you prefer to download it from BARD. Also, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).

IF WISHES WERE HORSES: NEIL MARSHALL SERIES, BOOK 1 by Tim Hemlin (DBC 18230)

NLS Annotation: Neil Marshall is a creative writing graduate student at the University of Houston, a struggling poet, and a soon-to-be-divorced man. To make ends meet, he moonlights as a chef for a high society caterer. When his oldest friend, racehorse breeder Jason Keys is murdered, Neil finds himself also moonlighting as a private eye just to stay out of jail. The police view him as their prime-suspect but Neil has an even bigger worry–can he find Jason’s killer before becoming the next victim? Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. 1996.

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, June 16!

2026 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Longlist

Founded in 2009, The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction celebrates quality, innovation, and ambition of writing for books published in the last year in the previous year in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth. In order to qualify, the majority of the storyline must have taken place at least 60 years ago. The winner will be announced at the Borders Book Festival on Friday June 12.

For more information check out the Prize’s website.

Longlisted titles in the NLS Collection are:

VENETIAN VESPERS by John Banville (DB 133275)
HELM by Sarah Hall (DB 134025)
PRETENDER by Jo Harkin (DB 129104)
ARTIST AND THE FEAST by Lucy Steeds (DB 134519)
SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood (DB 134024)

2026 Indies Choice Book Award

Originally established in 1991 as the American Bookseller Book of the Year, the Indies Choice Book Award celebrates the best Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children’s Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Debut Adult and Debut Children’s voted by indie booksellers. After a brief hiatus the awards are back for 2026! The shortlist was announced on March 11 and the winners were announced April 8.

For more information check out the Award’s website.

Adult Fiction

CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans (DB 129105, en español DB 132482)

Adult Nonfiction

ONE DAY, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS by Omar El Akkad (DB 127850, LB 0001346)

Children’s Picture Books

DON’T TRUST FISH by Neil Sharpson (DB 130282)

Middle Grade

TROUBLE WITH HEROES by Kate Messner (DB 130798, LB 0005921)

Young Adult

THEY BLOOM AT NIGHT by Trang Thanh Tran (DB 128117)

Debut Adult

BLACK-OWNED: THE REVOLUTIONARY LIFE OF THE BLACK BOOKSTORE by Char Adams (DB 133707)

Debut Children’s

WHALE EYES: A MEMOIR ABOUT SEEING AND BEING SEEN by James Robinson (DB 134716)

Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist 2026

The Women’s Prize for Fiction celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in Fiction written by women. The Prize celebrates ambitious, inspiring, and thought-provoking novels written by women in English and is awarded for books published in the previous year. The shortlist will be announced on April 22 and the winner will be announced on June 11, 2026.

For more information check out the Women’s Prize for Fiction website.

FLASHLIGHT by Susan Choi (DB 129795, LB 0008519)
CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans (DB 129105, en español DB 132482)
HEART THE LOVER by Lily King (DB 133290)
MODERATION by Elaine Castillo (DB 131689)
WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy (DB 127669, BR 26326 IN PROCESS)
AUDITION by Katie Kitamura (DB 128873)
GARDIAN AND A THIEF by Megha Majumdar (DB 132989, LB 0005878)
DOMINION by Addie E. Citchens (DB 131990)

2026 PEN America Literary Awards Longlist

Since 1963, the PEN America Literary Awards have honored outstanding voices in translation, fiction, poetry, science writing, essay, sports writing, biography, children’s literature, and drama. The longlist of finalists was announced on January 29, and the winners were announced on March 31.

For more information check out the Pen Literary Awards website.

PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Finalists

DEVIL IS A SOUTHPAW by Brandon Hobson (DB 134023)
THINGS IN NATURE MERELY GROW by Yiyun Li (DB 130140)
INTO THE HUSH by Arthur Sze (DB 134100 – IN PROCESS, BR 26662 – IN PROCESS)

PEN Open Book Award

NATURAL HISTORY: POEMS by Brandon Kilbourne (DBC 31719)
MEDICINE RIVER: A STORY OF SURVIVAL AND THE LEGACY OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS by Mary Annette Pember (DB 129679)

PEN Translation Prize

ON THE CALCULATION OF VOLUME. III by Solvej Balle and translated from the Danish by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell (DB 133345 – IN PROCESS)
REMEMBERED SOLDIER by Anjet Daanje and translated from the Dutch by David McKay (DB 130894 – IN PROCESS)
SONS AND DAUGHTERS by Chaim Grade and translated from the Yiddish by Rose Waldman (DB 131557)

PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay

THE HAVES AND HAVE-YACHTS: DISPATCHES ON THE ULTRARICH by Evan Osnos (DB 130978)

PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award

THEY POISONED THE WORLD: LIFE AND DEATH IN THE AGE OF FOREVER CHEMICALS by Mariah Blake (DB 129168)
DINNER WITH KING TUT: HOW ROGUE ARCHAEOLOGISTS ARE RE-CREATING THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS, SMELLS, AND TASTES OF LOST CIVILIZATION by Sam Kean (DB 131815)
STRATA: STORIES FROM DEEP TIME by Laura Poppick (DB 131355)

PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

BALDWIN: A LOVE STORY by Nicholas Boggs (DB 131983)
TROUBLEMAKER: THE FIERCE, UNRULY LIFE OF JESSICA MITFORD by Carla Kaplan (DB 134155 – IN PROCESS)
WHEN CAESAR WAS KING: HOW SID CAESAR REINVENTED AMERICAN COMEDY by David Margolick (DB 133737 – IN PROCESS)
STAN AND GUS: ART, ARDOR, AND THE FRIENDSHIP THAT BUILT THE GILDED AGE by Henry Wiencek (DB 131939)
ELECTRIC SPARK: THE ENIGMA OF DAME MURIEL by Frances Wilson (DB 134034 – IN PROCESS)

PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction

BEING JEWISH AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF GAZA by Peter Beinart (DB 127493)
A GREEK TRAGEDY: ONE DAY, A DEADLY SHIPWRECK, AND THE HUMAN COST OF THE REFUGEE CRISIS by Jeanne Carstensen (DB 129257)
THE ZORG: A TALE OF GREED AND MURDER THAT INSPIRED THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY by Siddharth Kara (DB 133314)
NOTHING MORE OF THIS LAND: COMMUNITY, POWER, AND THE SEARCH FOR INDIGENOUS IDENTITY by Joseph Lee (DB 133424)
WE SURVIVED THE NIGHT by Julian Brave NoiseCat (IN PROCESS)

Women’s Prize for Nonfiction Longlist 2026

The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction is an annual prize created by the Women’s Prize Trust, a registered charity. It celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in Non-Fiction written by women. The Prize highlights ambitious, inspiring, and thought-provoking novels written by women in English and is awarded for books published in the previous year. The longlist was announced on February 11, and the shortlist will be announced on March 25. The winner will be announced on June 11, 2026.

For more information on the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction check out The Women’s Prize Trust’s website.

Nonfiction

FINEST HOTEL IN KABUL: A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN by Lyse Doucet (DB 133709 IN PROCESS)
INDIGNITY: A LIFE REIMAGINED by Lea Ypi (DB 133767 IN PROCESS)
MOTHER MARY COMES TO ME by Arundhati Roy (DB 132952)
GENIUS OF TREES: HOW THEY MASTERED THE ELEMENTS AND SHAPED THE WORLD by Harriet Rix (DB 132619)
DAUGHTERS OF THE BAMBOO GROVE: FROM CHINA TO AMERICA, A TRUE STORY OF ABDUCTION, ADOPTION, AND SEPARATED TWINS by Barbara Demick (DB 131346)

2025 LA Times Book Prize Finalists

The 2025 Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalists, announced in February 2026 for books published in 2025, highlight outstanding works across 13 categories. Winners will be announced Friday, April 17 at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.

For more information check out the LA Times Book Prize website.

Here are the books longlisted for 2025 that are in the TBP collection.

The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction

HUNCHBACK by Saou Ichikawa and translated by Polly Barton (DB 129296)
DOMINION by Addie E. Citchens (DB 131990)

Achievement in Audiobook Production, Presented by Audible

HOW TO LOSE YOUR MOTHER: A DAUGHTER’S MEMOIR written and narrated by Molly Jong-Fast (DB 130271)
BLACK INTO BLUES: HOW A COLOR TELLS THE STORY OF MY PEOPLE written and narrated by Imani Perry (DB 130763, LB 0001271)
PEOPLE LIKE US written by Jason Mott and narrated by JD Jackson, Ronald Peet, and the author (DB 131558)
CORRESPONDENT written by Virginia Evans and narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed, Jane Oppenheimer, Carly Robins, Jeff Ebner, David Pittu, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Mark Bramhall, Petrea Burchard, Robert Petkoff, Kimberly Farr, Cerris Morgan-Meyer, Peter Ganim, Jade Wheeler, Jim Seibert, and Steve West (DB 129105, BR IN PROCESS, en español DB 132482 en proceso)
EMPEROR OF GLADNESS written by Ocean Vuong and narrated by James Aaron Oh (DB 129518, BR 26312 IN PROCESS)

Biography

CHILDREN OF RADIUM: A BURIED INHERITANCE by Joe Dunthorne (DB 129412)
PAPER GIRL: A MEMOIR OF HOME AND FAMILY IN A FRACTURED AMERICA by Beth Macy (DB 133313)
STRANGERS: FIVE EXTRAORDINARY BLACK MEN AND THE WORLDS THAT MADE THEM by Ekow Eshun (DB 133242)
PRIDE AND PLEASURE: THE SCHUYLER SISTERS IN AN AGE OF REVOLUTION by Amanda Vaill (DB 133023)

Current Interest

GREEK TRAGEDY: ONE DAY, A DEADLY SHIPWRECK, AND THE HUMAN COST OF THE REFUGEE CRISIS by Jeanne Carstensen (DB 129257)
NO MORE TEARS: THE DARK STORY OF JOHNSON AND JOHNSON by Gardiner Harris (DB 128599)
UNABRIDGED: THE THRILL OF (AND THE THREAT TO) THE MODERN DICTIONARY by Stefan Fatsis (IN PROCESS)
WHEN IT ALL BURNS: FIGHTING FIRE IN A TRANSFORMED WORLD by Jordan Thomas (DB 130110)
THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US: WORKING AND HOMELESS IN AMERICA by Brian Goldstone (DB 128877)

Fiction

BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 128581, BR 26200 IN PROCESS)
PALAVER by Bryan Washington (DB 133197)
THESE HEATHENS by Mia McKenzie (IN PROCESS)

History

BLACK-OWNED: THE REVOLUTIONARY LIFE OF THE BLACK BOOKSTORE by Char Adams (DB 133707 IN PROCESS)
BEFORE GENDER: LOST STORIES FROM TRANS HISTORY, 1850-1950 by Eli Erlick (DB 130787)

Mystery/Thriller

EL DORADO DRIVE by Megan Abbott (DB 130344)
PROVING GROUND: A LINCOLN LAWYER NOVEL by Michael Connelly (DB 133660, BR 26608 IN PROCESS, LB 0008300)
KING OF ASHES by S. A. Cosby (DB 130044)

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction

BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 128581, BR 26200 IN PROCESS)
ESPERANCE by Adam Oyebanji (DB 130707)
LUMINOUS by Silvia Park (DB 128486)
DEATH OF THE AUTHOR by Nnedi Okorafor (DB 127592, BR 26389 IN PROCESS)

Science & Technology

THEY POISONED THE WORLD: LIFE AND DEATH IN THE AGE OF FOREVER CHEMICALS by Mariah Blake (DB 129168)
STRATA: STORIES FROM DEEP TIME by Laura Poppick (DB 131355)
STORY OF CO2 IS THE STORY OF EVERYTHING: HOW CARBON DIOXIDE MADE OUR WORLD by Peter Brannen (DB 132559)
WHEN IT ALL BURNS: FIGHTING FIRE IN A TRANSFORMED WORLD by Jordan Thomas (DB 130110)
EMPIRE OF AI: DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES IN SAM ALTMAN’S OPENAI by Karen Hao (DB 129721)

Young Adult Literature

CORRUPTION OF HOLLIS BROWN by K. Ancrum (DB 129735)
KING OF THE NEURO VERSE by Idris Goodwin (DB 134166)
TRUTH IS: A NOVEL IN VERSE by Hannah V. Sawyerr (IN PROCESS)
MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER by Jamie Jo Hoang (DB 132978)

Bram Stoker Awards Finalists 2025

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has announced the finalists for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement. The HWA is the premier writers’ organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, and they have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987. The 2025 Bram Stoker Awards® will be announced during StokerCon 2026, to be held June 4-7, 2026 in Pittsburgh PA.

For more information check out the Bram Stoker Awards Website.

Here are the finalists for 2024 that are in the TBP collection.

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN KING’S THE STAND edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene (DB 132544, BR 26600 IN PROCESS)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

ACQUIRED TASTE: CHILLING STORIES by Clay McLeod Chapman (DB 134413 IN PROCESS)
TEENAGE GIRLS CAN BE DEMONS by Hailey Piper (IN PROCESS)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

MOONFLOW by Bitter Karella (DB 132423)
FACELESS THING WE ADORE by Hester Steel (DB 132173 IN PROCESS)
LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER by Neena Viel (DB 127453)
OCTOBER FILM HAUNT by Michael Wehunt (DB 133147)

Superior Achievement in a Middle Grade Novel

MYSTERY JAMES DIGS HER OWN GRAVE by Ally Russell (DB 132671)

Superior Achievement in a Novel

WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Grady Hendrix (DB 126950, BR 25753, LB 0002960)
KING SORROW by Joe Hill (DB 133680 IN PROCESS)
BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 128581, BR 26200 IN PROCESS)
BEWITCHING by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (DB 131290, LB 0005631)
GIRL IN THE CREEK by Wendy N. Wagner (DB 131011)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE by Clay McLeod Chapman (DB 133187)
BEAUTIFUL BRUTAL BODIES by Linda Cheng (DB 133643 IN PROCESS)
WE’RE NOT SAFE HERE by Rin Chupeco (IN PROCESS)
SILENCED by Diana Rodriguez Wallach (DB 132665)
GIRL WALKS INTO THE FOREST by Madeleine Roux (DB 130503, BR 26404 IN PROCESS)

2026 NYPL’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism Finalists

The New York Public Library has announced the finalists of its 39th annual Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism. The award recognizes nonfiction books written by working journalists that bring attention and transparency to current events or societal issues of global or national significance.

All books nominated were published in 2025 and were selected by an 11-person Library Review Committee, which read over 100 books submitted by publishers. The winner will be announced in May.

For more information, check out the New York Times website.

Here are the finalists for 2026 that are in the TBP collection.

EMPIRE OF AI: DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES IN SAM ALTMAN’S OPENAI by Karen Hao (DB 129721)
THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US: WORKING AND HOMELESS IN AMERICA by Brian Goldstone (DB 128877)
WE ARE EATING THE EARTH: THE RACE TO FIX OUR FOOD SYSTEM AND SAVE OUR CLIMATE by Michael Grunwald (DB 130975)

2026 ITW Thriller Awards Finalists

The International Thriller Writers (ITW) is an honorary society of authors, both fiction and nonfiction, who write books broadly classified as “thrillers.” This would include (but isn’t limited to) such subjects as murder mystery, detective, suspense, horror, supernatural, action, espionage, true crime, war, adventure, and myriad similar subject areas. The winners will be announced on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

For more information check out the ITW Thriller Awards website.

Here are the finalists for 2026 that are in the TBP collection.

Best Standalone Thriller

CROSS MY HEART by Megan Collins (DB 127325, LB 0003699)
LOCKED WARD by Sarah Pekkanen (DB 131325, LB 0005693)
SO HAPPY TOGETHER by Olivia Worley (DB 129773)

Best Series Novel

CHAIN REACTION: A DEZ LIMERICK THRILLER by James Byrne (DB 127555)
BIG EMPTY: ELVIS COLE AND JOE PIKE by Robert Crais (DB 126841, LB 0002605)
HEAD CASES by John McMahon (DB 126703, LB 0003599)

Best First Novel

DEATH AT THE WHITE HART by Chris Chibnall (DB 129805)
PARTY OF LIARS by Kelsey Cox (DB 130444)
COUNT MY LIES by Sophie Stava (DB 129720)
HISTORY LESSONS by Zoe B. Wallbrook (DB 133746 IN PROCESS)
JULIE CHAN IS DEAD by Liann Zhang (DB 129576, LB 0008599)

Best Audiobook

KING OF ASHES by S. A. Cosby and narrated by Adam Lazarre-White (DB 130044)
WASP TRAP by Mark Edwards and narrated by John Hopkins and Anna Burnett (DB 134516 IN PROCESS)
BEST OFFER WINS by Marisa Kashino and narrated by Cia Court (DB 133203)
WHEN DEVILS SING by Xan Kaur and narrated by Michael Crouch, Anjali Kunapaneni, Jennifer Pickens, and Landon Woodson (DB 130122)
WHITE CROW by Michael Robotham and narrated by Katy Sobey (DB 131923)

Best Young Adult Novel

MURDER BETWEEN FRIENDS by Liz Lawson (DB 129237)
SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE by Clay McLeod Chapman (DB 133187)
SILENCED by Diana Rodriguez Wallach (DB 132665)
THRASHERS by Julie Soto (DB 129433)