Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was an American record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer. His career spanned 70 years, with 28 Grammy Awards won out of 80 nominations, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992. Below we have his autobiography as well as a collection of his musings on creativity and life. We hope these give you a chance to learn about his experiences in his own words.
| Q: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF QUINCY JONES (DB 53304) |
| 12 NOTES: ON LIFE AND CREATIVITY (DB 115128) |
November is National Native American Heritage Month, and in order to celebrate, we’ve composed a list of award-winning fiction novels in our collection by indigenous authors. Some of the awards won by books on this list are: Alex Award, Shirley Jackson Award, Bram Stoker Award, American Book Award, PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, and even the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
| BIRDIE by Tracey Lindberg (DBE 00023, BRG 03835) |
| BREAK by Katherena Vermette (DB 91006, BRG 03920) |
| CEREMONY by Leslie Marmon Silko (DB 13366, BR 03484) |
| FIVE LITTLE INDIANS by Michelle Good (DB 112115, LB 0000088) |
| GREEN GRASS, RUNNING WATER by Thomas King (DB 37393) |
| INDIAN HORSE by Richard Wagamese (DBC 27578, BRG 03820) |
| MONKEY BEACH by Eden Robinson (DB 63141, BRG 00386) |
| MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW by Waubgeshig Rice (DB 95719) |
| NIGHT WANDERER: A NATIVE GOTHIC NOVEL by Drew Hayden Taylor (DBC 24723) |
| NIGHT WATCHMAN by Louise Erdrich (DB 98896, BR 23078, LB 12937) |
| ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 100116) |
| ROUND HOUSE by Louise Erdrich (DB 75641) |
| THERE THERE by Tommy Orange (DB 91321, BR 22564) |
| WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED by Angeline Boulley (DB 114761) |
For more than 50 years, the Booker Prize has been the leading literary award in the English-speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward, and readership to outstanding fiction. Each year, the prize is awarded to what is, in the opinion of the judges, the best novel of the year written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. The longlist was announced on July 30, the shortlist was announced on September 16, and the winner will be announced on November 12. Here are some of the books longlisted for 2024 that are in the TBP collection.
For more information check out the Booker Prize website.
| CREATION LAKE by Rachel Kushner (DB 124304 IN PROCESS) |
| HEADSHOT by Rita Bullwinkel (IN PROCESS) |
| HELD by Anne Michaels (DB 119169) |
| JAMES by Percival Everett (DB 120063, BR 25513 IN PROCESS) |
| MY FRIENDS by Hisham Matar (IN PROCESS) |
| ORBITAL by Samantha Harvey (DB 119203) |
| PLAYGROUND by Richard Powers (DB IN PROCESS) |
| THIS STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY by Claire Messud (DB 121644) |
| WANDERING STARS by Tommy Orange (DB 119674) |
| WILD HOUSES by Colin Barrett (DB 123389) |
So, you just saw the movie A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks. It was heartwarming and sweet! And you want to keep those warm fuzzies going. Well, there are a good number of books that are similar, starting with the book that the movie was based on, A MAN CALLED OVE. However, we have lots of other books with protagonists who are rejuvenated by an interaction with a new friend or a new experience. We’ve listed some of them below.
| 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED by Jonas Jonasson (DB 75820; LB 07275) |
| AVAILABLE MAN by Hilma Wolitzer (BR 19617) |
| BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL by Deborah Moggach (DB 89071) |
| BIG FINISH by Brooke Fossey (DB 100114; BR 24769) |
| BRILLIANT LIFE OF EUDORA HONEYSETT by Annie Lyons (DB 103795; BR 24721) |
| CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER by Phaedra Patrick (DB 85718; BR 21656) |
| ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman (DB 87829; LB 09081) |
| ETTA AND OTTO AND RUSSELL AND JAMES by Emma Hooper (DB 81826; BRG 03833; LB 08102) |
| EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER by Linda Holmes (DB 95700, BR 22754) |
| HOW NOT TO DIE ALONE by Richard Roper (DB 95289) |
| JOAN IS OKAY by Weike Wang (DB 106795) |
| LILLIAN BOXFISH TAKES A WALK by Kathleen Rooney (DB 86852) |
| LITTLE OLD LADY WHO BROKE ALL THE RULES by C. Ingelman-Sundberg (DBC 06241) |
| LOST AND FOUND by Brooke Davis (DB 80899) |
| LOVE STORY OF MISSY CARMICHAEL by Beth Morrey (DB 99047) |
| MAJOR PETTIGREW’S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson (DB 70760; BR 18827; LB 06441) |
| MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY by Fredrik Backman (DB 83204) |
| REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt (DB 107924; BR 24204; LB 14401) |
| STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY by Gabrielle Zevin (DB 78978; LB 09180) |
| STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg (DB 89990; BR 22155) |
| SWITCH by Beth O’Leary (DB 100417) |
| UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY by Rachel Joyce (DB 76196; BR 20792) |
| VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS by Jesse Q. Sutanto (DB 113039; LB 14540) |
San Antonio-based poet, educator, and editor Naomi Shihab Nye has been named the 2024 Texas Writer Award recipient. The award honors a writer who has made outstanding contributions to Texas literature. Nye will be honored with a custom pair of handmade boots from renowned El Paso-based bootmaker, Rocketbuster, during a special Texas Book Festival Weekend ceremony. Learn more about Nye’s work and life in her interview with TBF Literary Director Hannah Gabel. Check out the interview on the Texas Book Festival’s website.
Included are all of Nye’s books in the NLS Collection:
| HUGGING THE JUKEBOX (DBC 26934) |
| A MAZE ME: POEMS FOR GIRLS (DB 95437) Grades 6-9 |
| CAST AWAY: POEMS FOR OUR TIME (DB 98613, BR 23778) Grades 6-9 |
| EVERYTHING COMES NEXT: COLLECTED & NEW POEMS (DB 101676) Grades 3-6 |
| HONEYBEE: POEMS & SHORT PROSE (DB 109497) Grades 4-7 |
| SPACE BETWEEN OUR FOOTSTEPS: POEMS AND PAINTINGS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST (DB 50238) Grades 6-9 |
| THIS SAME SKY: COLLECTION OF POEMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD (DB 48296) Grades 5-8 |
| TURTLE OF MICHIGAN: A NOVEL (DB 108881) Grades 3-6 |
| TURTLE OF OMAN (DB 109496) Grades 3-6 |
| VOICES IN THE AIR: POEMS FOR LISTENERS (DB 90690) Grades 6-9 |
| WHAT HAVE YOU LOST? POEMS (DB 50773) Grades 6-9 |
Since 2014, the Kirkus Prize has been given annually by Kirkus Reviews to books of exceptional merit. The finalists were announced on August 28, and the winners were announced via livestream on the Kirkus Reviews YouTube page on Wednesday, October 16. Here are some of the finalists for 2024 that are in the TBP collection.
For more information check out the Kirkus Prize website.
| JAMES by Percival Everett (DB 120063, BR 25513 IN PROCESS) |
| MIGHTY RED by Louise Erdrich (IN PROCESS) |
| PLAYGROUND by Richard Powers (IN PROCESS) |
| PROPHET SONG by Paul Lynch (DB 119629) |
| ACHILLES TRAP: SADDAM HUSSEIN, THE C.I.A., AND THE ORIGINS OF AMERICA’S INVASION OF IRAQ by Steve Coll (DB 119811) |
| CHALLENGER: A TRUE STORY OF HEROISM AND DISASTER ON THE EDGE OF SPACE by Adam Higginbotham (DB 122096) |
| GARDEN AGAINST TIME: IN SEARCH OF A COMMON PARADISE by Olivia Laing (DB 123842 IN PROCESS) |
| BRIGHT RED FRUIT by Safia Elhillo (DB 119614) |
| GATHER by Kenneth Cadow (DB 116996, BR 25292 IN PROCESS) |
| SHARK TEETH by Sherri Winston (DB 123474) |
| WE WHO PRODUCE PEARLS by Joanna Ho (DB 123617 IN PROCESS) |
| THERE WAS A PARTY FOR LANGSTON by Jason Reynolds (DB 119850, BR IN PROCESS) |
Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, December 10 at 6:00 p.m. (Central) with Texas author Ken Roberts. Note that this time is a bit earlier than our usual author talks.
Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean will talk with him about his career as an academic as well as his book, CEDAR CHOPPERS: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF NOTHING. A Q&A chat will follow.
Our Author Talks meet via Zoom, however all you need to participate is a telephone! If you have a land line, you will use the telephone number. If you have a smart phone, you will use the “one-tap” number to join the discussion. We will also email a Zoom invitation to those who prefer to use a computer. This information will be sent to all patrons who RSVP a week prior to the author talk.
We would also like to offer you the opportunity to ask Dr. Roberts questions about his book. Please submit questions by December 3. We will choose questions based on the responses to this form and they may be asked during the event!
To RSVP, please email us at tbpRAL@tsl.texas.gov, or call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605.
Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge or if you prefer to download his book from BARD. Also, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).
CEDAR CHOPPERS: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF NOTHING by Ken Roberts (DBC 18531)
During his pre-teen years, Ken Roberts had his first encounter with cedar choppers west of Austin, which provoked the question, “Who are these people?”. THE CEDAR CHOPPERS: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF NOTHING is his entertaining, and informative answer. Based on interviews with several generations of cedar choppers and others, Roberts weaves together the lively, gritty story of these largely Scots-Irish migrants with roots in Appalachia who settled on the west side of the Balcones Fault during the mid-19th century, subsisting on hunting, trapping, moonshining, and, by the early 20th century, cutting, transporting, and selling cedar fence posts and charcoal. Strong language and some violence. 2018.
We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, December 10!
Below are a bunch of stories based within the universe of Greek mythology. Some are retellings of those classic tales from antiquity, while others are simply fictional stories set within that universe. There are stories for every age group and a variety of different genres, though the majority fall within the realms of fantasy. However, there are romances and science fiction, as well. We have both stand-alone novels and series. As always for series, we have listed the first book to get you started.
Series
| Dark Olympus Series by Katee Robert NEON GODS (DB 103832) |
| Delphic Women Series by Kerry Greenwood MEDEA (DB 105596) |
| Olympus Bound Series by Jordanna Max Brodsky IMMORTALS (DB 84613, BR 21694) |
| CIRCE by Madeline Miller (DB 90711, BR 22648, LB 13680) |
| CLYTEMNESTRA by Costanza Casati (DB 115066) |
| DAUGHTERS OF SPARTA by Claire Heywood (DB 111360 IN PROCESS) |
| ELEKTRA by Jennifer Saint (DB 109681 IN PROCESS) |
| HELEN OF TROY by Margaret George (DB 64785) |
| HOUSE OF NAMES: A NOVEL by Colm Tóibín (DB 87978) |
| ILIUM by Dan Simmons (DB 56883) |
| OLYMPOS by Dan Simmons (DB 61626) |
| PANDORA by Susan Stokes-Chapman (DB 113486) |
| THOUSAND SHIPS by Natalie Haynes (DB 102213, BR 24086) |
| Daughter of Sparta Series by Claire M. Andrews DAUGHTER OF SPARTA (DB 103837) |
| BULL by David Elliott (DB 90059) |
| HER DARK WINGS by Melinda Salisbury (DB 118105) |
| LORE by Alexandra Bracken (DB 102852) |
| LOVELY WAR by Julie Berry (DB 94119) |
| TROY by Adele Geras (DB 54118) |
| Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan LOST HERO (DB 72412, BR 20223, LB 06615) Grades 4-7 |
| Myth-o-mania Series by Kate McMullan MYTH-O-MANIA, BOOKS 1-6 (DB 79683) Grades 4-7 |
| Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan LIGHTNING THIEF (DB 107361, BR 20213, LB 08936; en español DBG 18110) Grades 5-8 |
| SINGER TO THE SEA GOD by Vivien Alcock (DB 40763) Grades 5-8 |
| SIRENA by Donna Jo Napoli (BR 12571) Grades 6-9 |
South Korean author Han Kang took the Nobel Prize in literature this year for her “intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life,” according the Swedish Academy. For more information, check out the Nobel Prize website.
Books by Han Kang in the TBP Collection:
| GREEK LESSONS (DB 114737) Original Date: 2023 |
| HUMAN ACTS (DB 87312) Original Date: 2017 |
| VEGETARIAN (DB 83452, español DBG 19990) Original Date: 2016 |
| WHITE BOOK (DB 94272) Original Date: 2019 |
The MacArthur Fellowship is a “no-strings-attached” award in support of people who show exceptional creativity, a promise for future important advances based on a track record of significant accomplishments, and potential for subsequent creative work.
Recipients may be writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers, entrepreneurs, or individuals in other fields, with or without institutional affiliations.
By providing these individuals with unfettered support in pursuit of creative activities, the Fellows Program seeks to:
The fellowship is not a lifetime achievement award—it is an investment in a person’s originality, insight, and potential. The Fellows Program is proactively working to foster and enable innovative, imaginative, and ground-breaking ideas, thinking, and strategies.
For more information, check out the MacArthur Foundation’s website.
Here are books written by some of the 2024 MacArthur Fellows that we have in the TBP collection.
| BORDER-CROSSER WITH A LAMBORGHINI DREAM: POEMS (DB 106520) |
| HALF OF THE WORLD IN LIGHT: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS (DBE 00018) |
| BLISS MONTAGE (DB 110623, BR 24614) |
| SEVERANCE (DB 93789) |
| MILES MORALES (DB 88694, BR 25389) Grades 6-9 |
| STUNTBOY, IN THE MEANTIME (DB 105877, BR 24094) Grades 3-6 |
| GHOST (DB 85921, BR 21669, LB 11281, Español DB 120388) Grades 5-8 |
| AIN’T BURNED ALL THE BRIGHT (DB 106809) Grades 9-12 |
| AS BRAVE AS YOU (DB 84720, BR 21728) Grades 5-8 |
| BOY IN THE BLACK SUIT (DB 81907) Grades 9-12 |
| FOR EVERY ONE (DB 93844) Grades 6-9 |
| LONG WAY DOWN (DB 89688) Grades 6-9 |
| LOOK BOTH WAYS: A TALE TOLD IN TEN BLOCKS (DB 102479, BR 23011, LB 12999) Grades 5-8 |
| THERE WAS A PARTY FOR LANGSTON (DB 119850) Grades Pre-school – 3 |
| WHEN I WAS THE GREATEST (DB 80631) Grades 9-12 |
| MY NAME IS JASON. MINE TOO: OUR STORY, OUR WAY (DB 109295) Grades 6-9 |
| YEAR OF THE TIGER: AN ACTIVIST’S LIFE (DB 110670) |