Libraries open doors. Celebrate National Library Week with your local library and your other library, the Talking Book Program! Check out these cool titles about libraries from our collection!
From the library:
LETTER TO A FUTURE LOVER: MARGINALIA, ERRATA, SECRETS, INSCRIPTIONS, AND OTHER EPHEMERA FOUND IN LIBRARIES (DBC 02751)
LIBRARY: AN UNQUIET HISTORY (BR 15100)
LIBRARY BOOK: THE STORY OF LIBRARIES FROM CAMELS TO COMPUTERS (DB 65329)
Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with thriller and true crime author, Kathryn Casey.
Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Ms. Casey’s career and her Sarah Armstrong Series, starting with the first book, SINGULARITY (DBC 18075). 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:
To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.
We invite you to ask Kathryn Casey questions about her book. Please submit your questions by April 14. 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 her book or if you prefer to download it from BARD. Her book is also available to be mailed in a large print format. And, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).
SINGULARITY: SARAH ARMSTRONG SERIES, BOOK 1 by Kathryn Casey (DBC 18075)
NLS Annotation: As a single mother and one of the few female Rangers in Texas history, Sarah Armstrong has had to work twice as hard to rank among the best cops in the Lone Star State. But when megawealthy businessman Edward Lucas III is found murdered along with his mistress, Sarah quickly senses that this will be the deadliest case of her career. While others focus the investigation on Lucas’s estranged wife, Sarah disagrees and hunts a suspect only she believes in. Yet nothing in her career could have prepared her for the horror of a young man who is convinced he has been sent from heaven to massacre innocent people. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2008.
We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, April 21!
Literacy starts young. For most children, an interest in reading starts with picture books at home or in the classroom. Dr. Seuss is a beloved author who has become synonymous with Read Across America, so celebrate his birthday today with some green eggs and ham!
From the library:
CAT IN THE HAT (DB 33062) (BT 13466)
GREEN EGGS AND HAM (DB 34056) (BR 16721)
ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH (DB 22796) (BR 16379)
The Locus Magazine Recommended Reading List is an annual, extensive list of the year’s best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror books, novellas, novels, and short stories, compiled by Locus editors and reviewers, published last year. Announced each February, this list serves as a guide for readers and a basis for Locus Awards nominations. This year they looked at over 1,000 titles between short and long fiction.
For more information check out The Locus Website.
Here are the items from the 2025 list that are in the TBP collection.
| SUNWARD by William Alexander (IN PROCESS) |
| FOLDED SKY by Elizabeth Bear (DB 131985) |
| OUTLAW PLANET by M. R. Carey (DB 133439 IN PROCESS) |
| MODERATION by Elaine Castillo (DB 131689) |
| BOOK OF GUILT by Catherine Chidgey (DB 133144 IN PROCESS) |
| DREAM HOTEL by Laila Lalami (DB 127950) |
| METALLIC REALMS by Lincoln Michel (DB 130471) |
| WHERE THE AXE IS BURIED by Ray Nayler (DB 129470) |
| SLOW GODS by Claire North (DB 133944 IN PROCESS) |
| DEATH OF THE AUTHOR by Nnedi Okorafor (DB 127592, BR 26389 IN PROCESS) |
| ONE WAY WITCH by Nnedi Okorafor (DB 129970) |
| ESPERANCE by Adam Oyebanji (DB 130707) |
| SHROUD by Adrain Tchaikovsky (DB 133509 IN PROCESS) |
| BOOK OF RECORDS by Madeleine Thien (DB 130513) |
| DEVILS by Joe Abercrombie (DB 129814, BR 26297 IN PROCESS, en español DB 131391 EN PROCESO) |
| TOMB OF DRAGONS by Katherine Addison (DB 128864) |
| DROP OF CORRUPTION by Robert Jackson Bennett (DB 130146) |
| ONCE WAS WILLEM by M. R. Carey (DB 128765) |
| EVERLASTING by Alix E. Harrow (DB 133195 IN PROCESS) |
| RAVEN SCHOLAR by Antonia Hodgson (DB 129533) |
| HONEYEATER by Kathleen Jennings (DB 133964 IN PROCESS) |
| WRITTEN ON THE DARK by Guy Gavriel Kay (DB 129930, BR 26303 IN PROCESS) |
| HEMLOCK AND SILVER by T. Kingfisher (DB 132568) |
| KATABASIS by R. F. Kuang (DB 132323, BR 26579 IN PROCESS) |
| ADVENTURES OF MARY DARLING by Pat Murphy (DB 132409) |
| HARMATTAN SEASON by Tochi Onyebuchi (DB 130585) |
| ROSE FIELD by Philip Pullman (DB 133524 IN PROCESS) |
| SHADOW TICKET by Thomas Pynchon (DB 133273 IN PROCESS, LB 0007823) |
| ISLE IN THE SILVER SEA by Tasha Suri (DB 133437 IN PROCESS) |
| INCANDESCENT by Emily Tesh (DB 130051) |
| QUEEN DEMON by Martha Wells (DB 133426 IN PROCESS) |
| WE LOVE YOU, BUNNY by Mona Awad (DB 133174 IN PROCESS) |
| POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ by Isabel Cañas (DB 132041, BR 26485 IN PROCESS) |
| SPREAD ME by Sarah Gailey (DB 133263 IN PROCESS) |
| KING SORROW by Joe Hill (DB 133680 IN PROCESS) |
| BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 128581, BR 26200 IN PROCESS) |
| LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE by Cassandra Khaw (DB 131155) |
| NEVER FLINCH by Stephen King (DB 130236, BR 26240 IN PROCESS, LB 0005618) |
| BEWITCHING by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (DB 131290, LB 0005631) |
| IT WAS HER HOUSE FIRST by Cherie Priest (DB 131291) |
| STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS by Chuck Wendig (DB 128922) |
| SINGULAR LIFE OF ARIA PATEL by Samira Ahmed (DB 129799) |
| MAKE ME A MONSTER by Kalynn Bayron (DB 133990 IN PROCESS) |
| COSTUMES FOR TIME TRAVELERS by A. R. Capetta (DB 130109) |
| EXECUTIONERS THREE by Susan Dennard (DB 132374) |
| NEEDY LITTLE THINGS by Channelle Desamours (DB 127322) |
| UNDERWOOD TAPES by Amanda DeWitt (DB 127608) |
| AMONG GHOSTS by Rachel Hartman (DB 130616) |
| SKY ON FIRE by E. K. Johnston (DB 131193) |
| TRANSITION by Logan-Ashley Kisner (DB 133675 IN PROCESS) |
| STARSTRIKE by Yoon Ha Lee (DB 131928 IN PROCESS) |
| I AM NOT JESSICA CHEN by Ann Liang (DB 127426) |
| LEAVING ROOM by Amber McBride (DB 133678 IN PROCESS) |
| NIGHT SWIMMING by Aaron Starmer (DB 129430) |
| THEY BLOOM AT NIGHT by Trang Thanh Tran (DB 128117) |
| RED RABBIT GHOST by Jen Julian (DB 131683) |
| WHEN DEVILS SING by Xan Kaur (DB 130122) |
| DWELLING by Emily Hunt Kivel (DBC 32396) |
| AWAKE IN THE FLOATING CITY by Susanna Kwan (DB 131718) |
| LUMINOUS by Silvia Park (DB 128486) |
| NORTH SUN, OR, THE VOYAGE OF THE WHALESHIP ESTHER by Ethan Rutherford (DB 133051 IN PROCESS) |
| ON THE CALCULATION OF VOLUME, III by Solvej Balle (DB 133345 IN PROCESS) |
| UNWORTHY by Agustina Maria Bazterrica and translated by Sarah Moses (DB 128442) |
| VANISHING WORLD by Sayaka Murata and translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori (DB 130304) |
| SINKHOLE, AND OTHER INEXPLICABLE VOIDS: STORIES by Leyna Krow (DB 131784) |
| NIGHT AND DAY: DREADFUL DARK: TALES OF NIGHTTIME HORROR/MERCILESS SUN: TALES OF DAYLIGHT HORROR edited by Ellen Datlow (DB 132678) |
| THESE BODIES AIN’T BROKEN edited by Madeline Dyer (IN PROCESS) |
| END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN KING’S THE STAND edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene; introduction by Stephen King (DB 132544, BR 26600 IN PROCESS) |
| ENSHITTIFICATION: WHY EVERYTHING SUDDENLY GOT WORSE AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT by Cory Doctorow (DB 133269) |
| INVISIBLE PARADE by Leigh Bardugo (DB 132020) |
| RIVER HAS ROOTS by Amal El-Mohtar (DB 128099) |
| WHAT STALKS THE DEEP by T. Kingfisher (DB 133159) |
| CINDER HOUSE by Freya Marske (DB 133193) |
| AUTOMATIC NOODLE by Annalee Newitz (DB 131818) |
| MOUTHFUL OF DUST by Nghi Vo (IN PROCESS) |
| DON’T SLEEP WITH THE DEAD by Nghi Vo (DB 129212) |
| MURDER BY MEMORY by Olivia Waite (DB 128766, LB 0005762) |
| BRIGHTER THAN SCALE, SWIFTER THAN FLAME by Neon Yang (DB 130327) |
| “Secret Night“ by Nathan Ballingrud (Night & Day DB 132678) |
| “Fear of the Dark“ by Benjamin Percy (Night & Day DB 132678) |
Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with author, Char Miller.
Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Dr. Miller’s career and his book SAN ANTONIO: A TRICENTENNIAL HISTORY (DBC 18818). 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:
To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.
We invite you to ask Char Miller questions about his book. Please submit your questions by February 12. 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).
SAN ANTONIO: A TRICENTENNIAL HISTORY by Char Miller (DBC 18818)
NLS Annotation: This is the first general history of San Antonio, Texas, the seventh largest city in the nation. Its past is complex and ranges across 300 years, from the community’s origins as a tiny Spanish frontier town to its contemporary status as a vital American mega-city. Site of some of the most violent struggles between warring empires and people–historians believe San Antonio may be the most fought-over city in U.S. history–it is perhaps most celebrated for the iconic 1836 Battle of the Alamo. The city is also home to four beautifully restored Spanish missions, which in 2015 UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site and have become integral to San Antonio’s robust tourist economy along with the fabled River Walk.. Some violence. 2018.
We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, February 24!
Below are a collection of cookbooks inspired by book series or movies and television shows— sometimes BOTH! There are recipes for both children and adults, and they cover all sorts of genres: fantasy, mystery, religious fiction, and romance.
| BOOK CLUB COOKBOOK: RECIPES AND FOOD FOR THOUGHT FROM YOUR BOOK CLUB’S FAVORITE BOOKS AND AUTHORS by Judy Gelman (DB 58177) |
| BOOK LOVER’S COOKBOOK: RECIPES INSPIRED BY CELEBRATED WORKS OF LITERATURE AND THE PASSAGES THAT FEATURE THEM by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger (BR 15954) |
| CAT WHO … COOKBOOK by Julie Murphy (DB 56166) |
| DEBBIE MACOMBER’S CEDAR COVE COOKBOOK by Debbie Macomber (DB 71541) |
| FEAST OF ICE AND FIRE: THE OFFICIAL COMPANION COOKBOOK by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel (DB 109218) |
| FOOD TO DIE FOR: SECRETS FROM KAY SCARPETTA’S KITCHEN by Patricia Daniels Cornwell (DB 55620) |
| GEEK’S COOKBOOK: EASY RECIPES INSPIRED BY POKEMON, HARRY POTTER, STAR WARS, AND MORE! by Liguori Lecomte (DB 109421, BR 24352) |
| JAN KARON’S MITFORD COOKBOOK AND KITCHEN READER: THE MITFORD YEARS by Jan Karon (DB 63064) |
| NERO WOLFE COOKBOOK by Rex Stout (DB 108592) |
| NIGHTMARE BEFORE DINNER: RECIPES TO DIE FOR by Zach Neil (BR 24347) |
| OUTLANDER KITCHEN: TO THE NEW WORLD AND BACK AGAIN: THE SECOND OFFICIAL OUTLANDER COMPANION COOKBOOK by Theresa Carle-Sanders (BR 24339) |
| SWEET MAGNOLIAS COOKBOOK by Sherryl Woods (DB 77632) |
| UNOFFICIAL HOCUS POCUS COOKBOOK: BEWITCHINGLY DELICIOUS RECIPES FOR FANS OF THE HALLOWEEN CLASSIC by Bridget Thoreson (DB 109740, BR 24423) |
| ANNE OF GREEN GABLES COOKBOOK by Kate Macdonald (BR 17982) Grades 3-6 |
| BOXCAR CHILDREN COOKBOOK by Diane Blain (BR 17984, BT 03814) Grades 4-7 |
| GREEN EGGS AND HAM COOKBOOK: RECIPES INSPIRED BY DR. SEUSS! by Georgeanne Brennan (BR 17979) Grades 3-6 |
| MARY POPPINS IN THE KITCHEN: A COOKERY BOOK WITH A STORY by P. L. Travers (DB 10454, BT 03816, BR 17980) Grades 4-7 |
| NANCY DREW COOKBOOK: CLUES TO GOOD COOKING by Carolyn Keene (BRC 00466) Grades 4-7 |
| OFFICIAL FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S COOKBOOK by Rob Morris (DB 117916) Grades 6-9 |
| OFFICIAL HARRY POTTER BAKING BOOK by Joanna Farrow (DB 104382, BR 23815) Grades 4-7 |
| PETER RABBIT’S NATURAL FOODS COOKBOOK by Arnold Dobrin (DB 12576) Grades 4-7 |
| ROALD DAHL’S REVOLTING RECIPES by Roald Dahl (DB 58687, BR 17981) Grades 3-6 |
| WINNIE-THE-POOH’S TEATIME COOKBOOK (BR 17983) Grades 2-4 |
Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Thursday, February 20 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with Texas Thriller author, Henry Hunsicker.
Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean will talk with him about his career as an author as well as his book, STILL RIVER: A LEE HENRY OSWALD MYSTERY. Following the talk, there will be a Q&A session.A Q&A chat will follow.
Our Author Talks are held via Zoom, but you can join using just a telephone! Participating is easy:
To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.
We invite you to ask Harry Hunsicker questions about his book. Please submit your questions by February. We will select questions based on the responses to this form, and they may be asked during the event!
To RSVP, you can fill out our online registration form: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpcuigqTsiHdyEnNJPeodfE9FxQeIlb2pF
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).
STILL RIVER: A LEE HENRY OSWALD MYSTERY by Harry Hunsicker (DBC 18169)
NLS Annotation: An appeal from a high school acquaintance to find her missing brother, whom the unfortunately named Dallas private detective, Lee Henry Oswald protected from bullies’ decades earlier, leads to a maze of real estate deals somehow involving a violent drug gang. Strong language, violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2005.
We look forward to having you join us on Thursday, February 20!
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 |
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!
Please join us on Thursday, November 21 at 7 pm (Central) for our Book Club discussion of UNRAVELING: WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE WHILE SHEARING SHEEP, DYEING WOOL, AND MAKING THE WORLD’S UGLIEST SWEATER by Peggy Orenstein.
We host our Book Club discussions via Zoom. However, all you need to participate is a telephone! If you have a land line, we will provide a telephone number for accessing the Book Club. If you have a smart phone, we will email an easy “one click” number you can use to join the discussion. We will also email a Zoom invitation to those who prefer to use a computer.
Patrons who register for the discussion will receive this information a week before the book club meeting.
To RSVP please call 1-800-252-09605 or email us at tbpRAL@tsl.texas.gov
UNRAVELING is available by mail as a digital cartridge and is also available to download on BARD.
UNRAVELING: WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE WHILE SHEARING SHEEP, DYEING WOOL, AND MAKING THE WORLD’S UGLIEST SWEATER by Peggy Orenstein
DB 113482
The COVID pandemic propelled many people to change their lives in ways large and small. Some adopted puppies. Others stress-baked. Peggy Orenstein, a lifelong knitter, went just a little further. To keep herself engaged and cope with a series of seismic shifts in family life, she set out to make a garment from the ground up: learning to shear sheep, spin and dye yarn, then knitting herself a sweater. Orenstein hoped the project would help her process not just wool but her grief over the recent death of her mother and the decline of her dad, the impending departure of her college-bound daughter, and other thorny issues of aging as a woman in a culture that by turns ignores and disdains them. What she didn’t expect was a journey into some of the major issues of our time: climate anxiety, racial justice, women’s rights, the impact of technology, sustainability, and, ultimately, the meaning of home. With her wry voice, sharp intelligence, and exuberant honesty, Orenstein shares her year-long journey as daughter, wife, mother, writer, and maker–and teaches us all something about creativity and connection. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
We look forward to having you join us on November 21.