Category Archives: Reader’s Advisory

Discovering King Tut

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November 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of British archaeologist Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. In celebration, here are books in our collection that deal with both the life of the enigmatic pharaoh and the discovery of his intact tomb over three thousand years after his untimely death.

Adult Nonfiction

MURDER OF KING TUT: THE PLOT TO KILL THE CHILD KING; A NONFICTION THRILLER by James Patterson (DB 69595)

Research into the life and death of eighteen-year-old Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen, the stepson of Queen Nefertiti. Discusses Tut’s marriage to his half-sister and suggests reasons for his demise. Details the activities of British Egyptologist Howard Carter, who discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922. Bestseller.  2009.

MURDER OF TUTANKHAMEN: A TRUE STORY by Bob Brier (DB 47024)

Combining modern forensic technological evidence with historical facts, Brier proposes that the eighteen-year-old pharaoh was murdered. He supports his theory by detailing circumstantial evidence gleaned from reviewing Tutankhamen’s remains and Brier’s studies of the interaction of society and religion with the role of rulers in Ancient Egypt. 1998.

TUTANKAMON by Olga Alvarez Herrero (DB 61040)

Traces what is known about the short-lived Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen, information principally derived from the 1922 archaeological discovery of his undisturbed tomb. Describes efforts to preserve the burial site’s priceless treasures and artifacts, which reveal a penetrating portrait of life in ancient Egypt. Spanish language. 2004.

TUTANKHAMEN: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE BOY-KING by Christine El Mahdy (DB 52444)

Egyptologist examines archaeological and historical evidence to reconstruct the life of the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh. El Mahdy separates fact from legend as she describes Egyptian civilization based on evidence from Luxor in the fourteenth century B.C. Also provides details of British archaeologist Howard Carter’s 1922 discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. 1999.

Adult Fiction

MURDER IN THE PLACE OF ANUBIS by Lynda Suzanne Robinson (DBC 24921, BR 10186)

This story is set in ancient Egypt during the reign of fourteen-year-old Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Meren, young, but mature enough to serve as counselor to the king, finds it his duty to learn the truth about a scribe whose body is found in the sacred Place of Anubis with an embalming knife protruding from his neck. Meren is torn by loyalty to the king, respect for the embalming priests, and suspicion of those who would take advantage of the youthful pharaoh. First book in the Lord Meren Series. 1995.

Juvenile Nonfiction

CURSE OF THE MUMMY: UNCOVERING TUTANKHAMUN’S TOMB by Candace Fleming (DB 105841, BR 23998)

During the reign of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled and died tragically young. An award-winning author recounts the true story of the search for Tutankhamun’s tomb, the Western public’s belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within. For grades 4-7. 2021.

KING TUTANKHAMUN TELLS ALL! by Chris Naunton (DB 107870)

An Egyptologist chronicles the life of King Tutankhamun, and how he became the ruler of ancient Egypt at the tender age of nine. Naunton speculates what it was like for King Tutankhamun to be rudely awakened from the afterlife by British Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922. For grades 2-4. 2021.

TUTANKHAMUN: THE MYSTERY OF THE BOY KING by Daphne Benedis-Grab (DB 63537)

Presents the background to archaeologist Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Discusses what Tutankhamun’s mummy and the numerous objects found in his tomb have revealed about the young pharaoh’s life and mysterious death. For grades 4-7. 2005.

WHO WAS KING TUT? by Roberta Edwards (BT 03549)

Explains the life and times of this ancient Egyptian ruler, covering the story of the tomb’s discovery, as well as myths and stories of mummy curses. For grades 4-7. 2006.

Indigenous Imaginings: Native American Speculative Fiction

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In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we have collected some speculative fiction with Native American protagonists. Speculative Fiction includes stories with a setting in a place other than the real world, involving supernatural, futuristic, or other imagined elements. Whether you’re interested in science fiction, fantasy, dystopian fiction, or straight up horror, we’ve got something you’ll love in the list below.

FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley (DB 102762)

Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother. When Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry, and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source of a new drug. Strong language and some violence. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2021.

FUTURE HOME OF THE LIVING GOD: A NOVEL by Louise Erdrich (DB 87990)

For reasons scientists cannot figure out, evolution begins to run backwards, and women begin to give birth to primitive species of humans. Four months pregnant, Cedar Hawk Songmaker wants to tell her adoptive parents about her condition, but she feels compelled to seek out her birth mother first. Meanwhile, society undergoes drastic changes. Strong language. 2017.

INTERROGATION OF ASHALA WOLF by Ambelin Kwaymullina (DBC 19699)

They’re known as Firestarters. Boomers. Skychangers. The government calls them Illegals—children with inexplicable abilities—and detains them in menacing facilities so that society is kept out of harm way. Ashala Wolf and her Tribe of fellow Illegals have taken refuge in the Firstwood, a forest eerily conscious of its inhabitants, where they do their best to survive and where they are free to practice their abilities. But when Ashala is compelled to venture outside her territory, she is betrayed by a friend and captured by an enemy. Injured and vulnerable, with her own Sleepwalker ability blocked, Ashala is forced to succumb to a machine that will pull secrets from her mind. It only a matter of time before the machine ferrets out the location of the Tribe. Her betrayer, Justin Connor, is ever-present, saving her life when she wishes to die and watching her every move. Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf? For grades 6-9 and older. 2016.

JANE YELLOWROCK. BOOKS 1-4 by Faith Hunter (DB 84589)

First four books, written between 2009 and 2012, in a series about Jane Yellowrock, a Cherokee shapeshifter who hunts vampires. In Skinwalker, Jane is hired to find a vampire who is killing other vampires. Also includes BLOOD CROSS, MERCY BLADE, and RAVEN CURSED. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2012.

KILLER OF ENEMIES by Joseph Bruchac (DB 78176)

In a distant future, Native American girl Lozen hunts genetically modified monsters for the tyrants who are holding her mother, sister Ana, and little brother Victor hostage. With each kill Lozen’s unique powers grow. Violence and some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2013.

MARROW THIEVES by Cherie Dimaline (DB 105657)

In a future world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream–except the Indigenous population in North America. Their marrow holds the cure for the rest of the world, but it means death for the unwilling donors. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2017.

MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW by Waubgeshig Rice (DB 95719)

A small Anishinaabe First Nation community loses contact with society at large. As they struggle to maintain order while supplies diminish, a refugee who’s escaped from a crumbling society appears. When more people arrive, the community must turn to tradition in hopes of survival. Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 100116)

Ten years ago, four young Blackfeet men went on a prohibited elk hunt in lands reserved for the tribe’s elders. As adults, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

SNAKE FALLS TO EARTH by Darcie Little Badger (DB 106018)

Nina, a Lipan Apache, lives in the real world and still believes in the old stories. Oli, a cottonmouth snake boy, lives in the Reflecting World. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2021.

TRAIL OF LIGHTNING: THE SIXTH WORLD, BOOK 1 by Rebecca Roanhorse (DB 92041)

In the wake of climate disaster, much of the world is underwater, but the Navajo reservation, or Dinetah, still stands thanks to their magic. Maggie Hoskie is a monster hunter looking for a supernatural killer who gets help from Kai, an unconventional medicine man. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2018.

Ghouls for Love: Halloween Romance

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Looking for romance with a spooky twist? Are you a die-hard romance reader but want to flirt with a little fear? Taste a little terror? Give some of these titles a stab. They run the gamut from historical to contemporary romance and some are sweet while others are a tad racy. All of them are to die for.

DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston (DB 108912)

“Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead. When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father. For ten years, she’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it. Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is. Romance is most certainly dead . . . but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.” Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

EX HEX by Erin Sterling (DB 105193)

Small-town witch Vivi Jones had her heart broken when she was nineteen, and impulsively cast a curse on her ex, Rhys Penhallow. It wasn’t supposed to work. And it doesn’t—until Rhys comes back to town. The two will have to work together to lift the curse. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

LEAGUE OF GENTLEWOMEN WITCHES: DANGEROUS DAMSELS, BOOK 2 by India Holton (DB 107171)

When the long-lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered, it is up to Miss Charlotte Pettifer, as future leader of the League of Gentlewomen Witches, to make sure the powerful talisman does not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it is most unfortunate when she crosses paths with pirate Alex O’Riley. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

NAKED WEREWOLF. BOOKS 1-3 by Molly Harper (DB 99973)

Three romances, written between 2011 and 2014, about a secret community of werewolves in Grundy, Alaska. Includes How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf, and How to Run with a Naked Werewolf. Some violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2013.

PAYBACK’S A WITCH by Lana Harper (DB 105199)

Emmy Harlow is a witch. Her power is limited because of her self-imposed exile from her magical hometown after her breakup with Gareth Blackmoore. On her first night home in years, Emmy runs into the intriguing Talia Avramov, who is another, more recent ex of Gareth. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

SOME GIRLS BITE: CHCAGOLAND VAMPIRES, BOOK 1 by Chloe Neill (DB 104541)

Merit, a graduate student in Chicago, is unexpectedly attacked by vampires. After being turned by a master vampire, she has to learn to fit into the society of vampires. As if understanding her new powers and limitations wasn’t enough of a challenge, Merit also fears that someone is trying to take her out. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2009.

SOULLESS; CHANGELESS; BLAMELESS by Gail Carriger (DB 81166)

First three books in a romantic steampunk series. In Soulless, Alexia Tarabotti accidentally kills a vampire, and Lord Maccon—a werewolf—investigates. In Changeless, Alexia’s new husband disappears in Scotland. In Blameless, a scandal forces Alexia from her home, and vampires want her dead. Descriptions of sex and some violence. 2014.

TROUBLE THE SAINTS by Alaya Dawn Johnson (DB 100117)

In Jazz Age New York, Phyllis, an African American woman passing as white, uses her supernatural knife skills in the service of a Russian mob boss. Phyllis once believed her kills served justice, but that changes when she reconnects with her policeman ex-boyfriend. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

UNDEAD SERIES. BOOKS 1-5 by Mary Janice Davidson (DB 85448)

First five books, written between 2004 and 2006, in a series about Betsy Taylor, shopping enthusiast and vampire queen. Includes Undead and Unwed, Undead and Unemployed, Undead and Unappreciated, Undead and Unreturnable, and Undead and Unpopular. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2006.

National Book Award Nominees 2022

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The National Book Awards were established in 1950 to celebrate the best writing in America. Since 1989, they have been overseen by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture. Although other categories have been recognized in the past, the awards currently honor the best Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature published each year. For more information on the National Book Awards: https://www.nationalbook.org/

The finalists were chosen on October 4, and the winners will be selected on November 16, 2022.

The nominees for this year’s National Book Award in the TBP Collection:

Fiction

RABBIT HUTCH
Gunty, Tess
DB 109788 IN PRIOCESS

Nonfiction

INVISIBLE KINGDOM: REIMAGINING CHRONIC ILLNESS
O’Rourke, Meghan
DB 107431
SOUTH TO AMERICA
Perry, Imani
DB 106806; LB 13589
HIS NAME IS GEORGE FLOYD: ONE MAN’S LIFE AND THE STRUGGLE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
Samuels, Robert
DBC 26540; LB 14083
LOST & FOUND: A MEMOIR
Schulz, Kathryn
LB 13617

Translated Literature

SEASONS OF PURGATORY
Mandanipour, Shahriar
Translated from the Persian by Sara Khalili
DB 109146 IN PROCESS
WHERE YOU COME FROM
Stanišić, Saša
Translated from the German by Damion Searls
DB 107753

Young People’s Literature

LIFE AND CRIMES OF HOODIE ROSEN
Blum, Isaac
IN PROCESS
SELF-MADE BOYS: A GREAT GATSBY REMIX
McLemore, Anna-Marie
IN PROCESS
ALL MY RAGE: A NOVEL
Tahir, Sabaa
DB 107414
MAIZY CHEN’S LAST CHANCE
Yee, Lisa
DB 106799

TBP Book Club Title Announced for November 2022!

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Image of books, audio book on cell phone, and headphones, with text "Talking Book Program Phone-In Book Club," 1-800-252-9605

Please join us on Tuesday November 15 at 7 pm (Central Time) for our book club discussion of WORLD OF WONDERS by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

We host our Book Club meetings via toll free conference call. All you need to participate is a telephone!

To register, please call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605; or email us at tbp.ral@tsl.texas.gov.

WORLD OF WONDERS is available by mail as a digital cartridge. It is also available to download on BARD.

Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge or if you will download it from BARD.

We ask that everyone remember the following:

  • Be courteous and respectful of differing opinions.
  • Keep discussion points concise and relevant to the book.
  • Keep external distractions to a minimum.

World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumtathil: Poet shares twenty-eight essays exploring the impact of plants and animals on her perceptions of the world. In “Catalpa Tree,” she reflects on growing up brown in a predominantly white town and the racism her mother experienced. Other species include the narwhal, axolotl, corpse flower, dragon fruit, and southern cassowary. Bestseller. 2020.

We look forward to having you join us on November 15!

Remembering Loretta Lynn

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Loretta Lynn, known as the “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 4, 2022, at the age of 90. Though she never had any formal music training, Loretta made her name in country music, writing songs that drew from her own life experiences growing up in a loving but poor family as one of eight children in a Kentucky mining town. Loretta earned many accolades throughout her music career, including three Grammys, eight Country Music Association Awards (among them the honor of being named the first female artist to win the Entertainer of the Year Award), and member of the Grand Ole Opry.

We have compiled a reading list of books in the TBP collection that will give readers a peek into the life and legacy of Loretta Lynn:

ME & PATSY, KICKIN’ UP DUST: MY FRIENDSHIP WITH PATSY CLINE by LYNN, LORETTA (DB 99902 and LB 12843)
A country music legend looks back on her friendship with fellow icon Patsy Cline, who died at age thirty-one in 1963. They met when Lynn’s career was just getting started, but Cline was a star. Cline became a friend and mentor who was taken too soon. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

LORETTA LYNN: COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER by LYNN, LORETTA (DB 47599)
The country music star from Butcher Holler, Kentucky, recalls her life from rags to riches. Lynn emphasizes the importance of her twenty-five-year-old marriage and her faith in people and in God.

STILL WOMAN ENOUGH: A MEMOIR by LYNN, LORETTA (DB 54166)
Country singer continues her autobiography begun in COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER. Includes reminiscences of her career and friendship with Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, and other entertainers; her stormy marriage to her late husband, Doolittle Lynn; and her relationships with her children. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2002.

COUNTRY MUSIC: A HISTORY by DUNCAN, DAYTON (DB 96527)
Companion to the PBS documentary series chronicles country music from its roots in the American South to the modern commercial successes of the genre, which encompasses a wide range of sounds and styles. Profiles and interviews some of country’s biggest stars (including Loretta Lynn). Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

SING ME BACK HOME: LOVE, DEATH, AND COUNTRY MUSIC by JENNINGS, DANA ANDREW (DB 68110)
New York Times editor explains the ways the classic country music of the 1950s to 1970s resonated with the rural, working-class lives of his New Hampshire family and neighbors. Discusses legendary musicians like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn and their effect on audiences. Strong language. 2008.

CLASSIC COUNTRY MUSIC: A SMITHSONIAN COLLECTION by MALONE, BILL (available for download though BARD: DBM 03645. For a physical cartridge contact the NLS Music Division: nlsm@loc.gov or 800-424-8567 ext. 2)
A Smithsonian Folkways recording. “The recordings presented [here]… are intended to be both historically representative and esthetically appealing; thus, the listener can enjoy hearing the music and at the same time gain an understanding of its sources, evolution, styles, and meaning. The set accurately documents country music’s past and offers a good cross-section of the newer performers and styles”—Publisher’s note (includes “Coal Miner’s Daughter” by Loretta Lynn and “After the Fire is Gone” by Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty).

Secretive Students

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School is back in session, so what better way to celebrate than by reading books about elite schools and universities full of students who are definitely harboring secrets and are maybe involved in dangerous escapades? Knowledge certainly is power in these novels:


THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt (DB 35868)
When Richard Papen is accepted at a small Vermont college, he gladly leaves his boring California identity behind. After he makes up an appropriate past, Richard is allowed to join an elite group of students who take all their classes from one professor. Richard learns that the clique is hiding some odd secrets—and one deadly one. The members trust Richard, but they are not so sure of one of their own. Strong language and violence.

ACE OF SPADES by Faridah Abike-Iyimide (DB 103918)
Shortly after the announcement that Devon and Chiamaka will be part of an elite school’s Senior Prefects, someone who goes by the name Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that threaten to turn their lives upside down. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2021.

WE WISH YOU LUCK by Caroline Zancan (DB 98209)
The students in Fielding’s MFA program are fascinated by Leslie, Hannah, and Jimmy. The trio do not take well to new visiting professor Simone—a bestselling author and former model—and plot revenge against her for reasons unknown to the other students. Unrated.

BRADSTREET GATE by Robin Kirman (DB 82108)
When a Harvard student is murdered, Professor Rufus Storrow is the prime suspect. Three of his students—Georgia, Charlie, and Alice—are in disbelief. Their own relationships are a tangled mess, and as they sort through their lives, they bear witness to each other’s and Storrow’s highs and lows. Unrated.

CATHERINE HOUSE by Elisabeth Thomas (DB 99407)
Catherine House, a college secluded in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, offers students an elite education, free of charge. The only catch is students must remain completely cut off from the outside world for three years. New student Ines Murillo arrives at Catherine House hoping to escape her past. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS by Marisha Pessl (DB 63286)
Blue Van Meer, erudite daughter of an itinerant professor, settles into Stockton, North Carolina, for her senior year in an elite high school. But she is unprepared for the deaths of a student and a favorite teacher. Some strong language.

BLACK CHALK by Christopher Yates (DB 89950)
As played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University, what was meant to be a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares evolved into a vicious struggle with tragic results. Fourteen years later, the remaining players must play the final round. Strong language.

LONG BLACK VEIL by Jennifer Finney Boylan (DB 91470)
In 1980, six college students sneak into the dilapidated ruins of Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary. When the friends get lost and separated, the terrifying night ends in tragedy. Decades later, the dogged detective investigating the cold case charges one of them—a celebrity chef—with murder. Strong language and some violence.

THE LYING GAME by Ruth Ware (BR 22055 and DB 88914)
Isa became fast friends with Kate, Thea, and Fatima while they all attended boarding school. Seventeen years later, Kate summons the others back to Salten, where they learn that the lying game, they used to play had very real consequences. Strong language and some descriptions of sex.

THE CLUB by Takis Würger (DB 99521)
After the death of his parents, Hans is sent to boarding school until his Aunt Alex summons him to the university she works at in Cambridge. She needs him to infiltrate a secretive institution known as the Pitt Club. Unrated.

THE MAIDENS by Alex Michaelides (DB 103810)
Mariana Andros is a brilliant—but troubled—group therapist who becomes fixated on the members of a secret society of female students at Cambridge University known as The Maidens. When a friend of her niece is found murdered, she is convinced that charismatic professor Edward Fosca is responsible. Unrated.

BUNNY by Mona Awad (DB 95562)
Samantha Heather Mackey is an outsider in her master’s program because she’s a scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to the company of people—especially the clique of women who call each other “Bunny.” But then she is drawn into their world. Unrated.

September 6: National Read a Book Day

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The Talking Book Program (TBP) always advocates reading. Our motto is: That All May Read. National Read a Book Day, celebrated on September 6 of every year, is a day that invites everyone to read. So TBP and National Read a Book Day just naturally go together. There are so many ways to celebrate:

  1. Read a book!
  2. Share your passion for books and reading with someone.
  3.  Read a book from a new or different genre.
  4. Read a favorite book from childhood or a book that is a friend or family member’s favorite.
  5. Share the stories you are reading using #ReadABookDay to post on social media.

ProTip: Don’t have time to read entire book? Try reading a magazine issue, a book of poetry, or a story from an essay or short story collection.

Facts from the Texas Talking Book Program

  • Texas has over 17,000 TBP patrons.
  • In 2021, TBP circulated 688,186 braille, large print, and audio cartridges via mail to our patrons.
  • Texas patrons downloaded 302,789 books via the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) in 2021.
  • We added 345 large print and 125 braille titles to our physical collection in 2021.
  • In 2021, 292 books were recorded and uploaded to BARD from our Texas recording studio.

There are many more books to choose from for National Reading Day!

Books about Books, Librarians, and Bookstores

  • Do you like cozy mysteries? Try the Booktown Mystery Series by Lorna Barrett or the Mystery Bookshop Mystery Series by V. M. Burns
  • Is romance more your style? Try the Librarians in Love Series by Sarah Title or BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL (DB 95745, LB 12621)
  • Does Science Fiction make you want to snuggle up with a good book? Try the Borrowed Man Series by Gene Wolfe
  • Or do you want the facts, and nothing but the facts? Here are some nonfiction books about books you may enjoy. Try SHELF LIFE: ROMANCE, MYSTERY, DRAMA, AND OTHER PAGE-TURNING ADVENTURES FROM A YEAR IN A BOOKSTORE (DB 60048) by Suzanne Strempek Shea or if you prefer more of a true crime twist, try LIBRARY BOOK (DB 92869, LB 11432) BY Susan Orleans.

Not sure what you want to read? Contact the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605 (if in Austin, call our local number at 512-463-5458) and one of our readers consultants or readers’ advisory librarians can help you choose your next favorite book.

 

Library of Congress Announces New U.S. Poet Laureate, Ada Limón

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On July 12, 2022, Ada Limon was named the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States by the Library of Congress. The position was authorized by an act of Congress in 1985. Appointed by the Librarian of Congress, the poet laureate’s office is administered by the Center for the Book. Limón will assume her duties on September 29,. In the meantime, here are the books by previous U.S. Poet Laureates in the NLS Collection.

For more information: https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/librarian-of-congress-names-ada-lim-n-the-nation-s-24th-u.s.-poet-laureate/s/44d3bf04-61fa-465d-89f7-6ace60f0790a

2022-present: Ada Limón

2019–2022: Joy Harjo

AMERICAN SUNRISE: POEMS
DB 101306, BR 22723
CONFLICT RESOLUTION FOR HOLY BEINGS: POEMS
DB 100519, BR 22835
CRAZY BRAVE: MEMOIR
DB 97592, BR 22807
HOW WE BECAME HUMAN: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 96674, BR 22778
POET WARRIOR
LB 13827

2017–2019: Tracy K. Smith

LIFE ON MARS: POEMS
DB 74916, en español: DB 104879
SUCH COLOR: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 106653
WADE IN THE WATER: POEMS
DB 91468, BR 22310

2015–2017: Juan Felipe Herrera

BORDER-CROSSER WITH A LAMBORGHINI DREAM: POEMS
DB 106520
FEATHERLESS/DESPLUMADO: STORY/CUENTO
BR 16017
HALF OF THE WORLD IN LIGHT: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DBE 00018
JABBERWALKING
BR 22695
UPSIDE DOWN BOY: EL NINO DE CABEZA
BR 13098

2014–2015: Charles Wright

BLACK ZODIAC
BR 11995
OBLIVION BANJO: THE POETRY OF CHARLES WRIGHT
DB 102171

2012–2014: Natasha Trethewey

BEYOND KATRINA: A MEDITATION ON THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
BR 19612
MEMORIAL DRIVE: A DAUGHTER’S MEMOIR
DB 100452
MONUMENT: POEMS: NEW AND SELECTED
DB 94262, BR 22650
NATIVE GUARD
DB 65666
THRALL: POEMS
DB 75891

2011–2012: Philip Levine

MERCY: POEMS
BR 12822
NEW SELECTED POEMS
DB 74619
SEVEN YEARS FROM SOMEWHERE: POEMS
BR 04555
SIMPLE TRUTH: POEMS
BR 10139
WHAT WORK IS: POEMS
DB 34000

2010–2011: W. S. Merwin

LOST UPLAND
DB 36307
OPENING THE HAND
DB 32064
UNFRAMED ORIGINALS: RECOLLECTIONS
DB 19263

2008–2010: Kay Ryan

BEST OF IT: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 72287
SYNTHESIZING GRAVITY: SELECTED PROSE
DB 100002, BR 23143

2007–2008: Charles Simic

BOOKS OF GODS AND DEVILS
DB 33645
HOTEL INSOMNIA
DB 37392
NEW AND SELECTED POEMS: 1962-2012
DB 83462
SCRIBBLED IN THE DARK: POEMS
DB 89595
VOICE AT 3:00 A.M.: SELECTED LATE AND NEW POEMS
DB 63320
WALKING THE BLACK CAT: POEMS
BR 10814
WEDDING IN HELL: POEMS
DB 39978
WORLD DOESN’T END
DB 32955, BR 08498

2006–2007: Donald Hall

CARNIVAL OF LOSSES: NOTES NEARING NINETY
DB 92353, BR 22422
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POETRY
BR 01245
ESSAYS AFTER EIGHTY
DB 80647, BR 20675
HERE AT EAGLE POND
DB 34441
IDEAL BAKERY
DB 28382
LIFE WORK
DB 37596
LUCY’S CHRISTMAS
DB 40911
LUCY’S SUMMER
DB 40904
OLD AND NEW POEMS
DB 34487
OLD HOME DAY
DB 45071
ONE DAY: A POEM IN THREE PARTS
DB 30743
OX-CART MAN
DB 21584, BR 05914
POETRY SAMPLER
LB 00200
PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS OF PORTUGAL: PROSE PIECES
DB 41857
SEASONS AT EAGLE POND
DB 28160
SELECTED POEMS OF DONALD HALL
DB 85035, BR 21568
STRING TOO SHORT TO BE SAVED
LB 02513
UNPACKING THE BOXES: A MEMOIR OF A LIFE IN POETRY
DB 68474
WHEN WILLARD MET BABE RUTH
BR 10788
WHITE APPLES AND THE TASTE OF STONE: SELECTED POEMS, 1946-2006
DB 64104
WITHOUT: POEMS
BR 11891

2004–2006: Ted Kooser

DELIGHTS AND SHADOWS
DB 60382
POETRY HOME REPAIR MANUAL: PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR BEGINNING POETS
DB 61714
MR POSEY’S NEW GLASSES
DB 106348
WHEELING YEAR
DBC 01971

2003–2004: Louise Glück

AMERICAN ORIGINALITY: ESSAYS ON POETRY
DB 101223, BR 23461
FAITHFUL AND VIRTUOUS NIGHT
DB 101237, BR 23465
MEADOWLANDS
DB 43058
POEMS 1962-2012
DB 79850
TRIUMPH OF ACHILLES
BR 06473
WILD IRIS
DB 37600
WINTER RECIPES FROM THE COLLECTIVE
DB 106655

2001–2003: Billy Collins

AIMLESS LOVE: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 77867, BR 20375
POETRY 180: A TURNING BACK TO POETRY
DB 75492
RAIN IN PORTUGAL: POEMS
DB 87464, BR 21825
SAILING ALONE AROUND THE ROOM: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 53069

2000–2001: Stanley Kunitz

COLLECTED POEMS
DB 52239
INTERVIEWS AND ENCOUNTERS WITH STANLEY KUNITZ
DB 52177
PASSING THROUGH: THE LATER POEMS, NEW AND SELECTED
DB 42433
WELLFLEET WHALE AND COMPANION POEMS
DBC 04231

1997–2000: Robert Pinsky

AMERICANS’ FAVORITE POEMS: THE FAVORITE POEM PROJECT ANTHOLOGY
DB 5000, BR 12771
FIGURED WHEEL: NEW AND COLLECTED POEMS, 1966-1996
BR 11292
HISTORY OF MY HEART
DB 22693
JERSEY RAIN
DB 56663
LIFE OF DAVID
BR 16614
POEMS TO READ: A NEW FAVORITE POEM PROJECT ANTHOLOGY
DB 55374, BR 14510

1995–1997: Robert Hass

APPLE TREES AT OLEMA: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 73030
HUMAN WISHES
DB 40909
SUMMER SNOW: NEW POEMS
DB 98754
SUN UNDER WOOD: NEW POEMS
BR 10828
TIME AND MATERIALS: POEMS 1997-2005
DB 66784
TWENTIETH CENTURY PLEASURES: PROSE ON POETRY
DB 25022

1993–1995: Rita Dove

DARKER FACE OF THE EARTH: A VERSE PLAY IN FOURTEEN SCENES
DB 39360
MOTHER LOVE: POEMS
DB 41331
ON THE BUS WITH ROSA PARKS
BR 12555
PLAYLIST FOR THE APOCALYPSE: POEMS
DB 105310, BR 23936
SELECTED POEMS
DB 40038
THOMAS AND BEULAH
DB 27316
THROUGH THE IVORY GATE
DB 36005

1992–1993: Mona Van Duyn

FIREFALL: POEMS
DB 37002
IF IT BE NOT I: COLLECTED POEMS, 1959-1982
DB 37854
NEAR CHANGES: POEMS
DB 35335

1991–1992: Joseph Brodsky

COLLECTED POEMS IN ENGLISH
DB 51984
LESS THAN ONE: SELECTED ESSAYS
DB 24352, BR 08784
NATIVITY POEMS
BR 14350
ON GRIEF AND REASON: ESSAYS
DB 42661
SO FORTH: POEMS
BR 10774
TO URANIA: SELECTED POEMS
DB 28616
WATERMARK
DB 35031

1990–1991: Mark Strand

BLIZZARD OF ONE: POEMS
DB 50109
CONTINUOUS LIFE
DB 32952
DARKER
DB 32314
MONUMENT
DB 32599
SELECTED POEMS
DB 37399

1988–1990: Howard Nemerov

HOWARD NEMEROV READER
DB 39005
INSIDE THE ONION
DB 21035
TRYING CONCLUSIONS: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, 1961-1991
DB 36418

1987–1988: Richard Wilbur

COLLECTED POEMS, 1943-2004
DB 63295
NEW AND COLLECTED POEMS
BR 07575

1986–1987: Robert Penn Warren

ALL THE KING’S MEN
DB 53553, BR 13840
AUDUBON, A VISION
BR 01238
BAND OF ANGELS
DB 11520
CIRCUS IN THE ATTIC AND OTHER STORIES
DB 46060, BR 11646
LEGACY OF THE CIVIL WAR
DBC 03376, BR 12296
NEW AND SELECTED ESSAYS
DB 29919, BR 08067
NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, 1923-1985
DB 42648
PLACE TO COME TO
DB 52041
PORTRAIT OF A FATHER
DB 29884
WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME
DB 60856

August 27: Lyndon Baines Johnson Day

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On August 27, 1908, Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) was born in a small stone farmhouse in Stonewall, Texas. He went on to become a Texas State Senator and then later, President of the United States. After his death in 1973, August 27 was designated as a Texas state holiday in his honor.

This year, August 27 falls on a Saturday, so you can spend the entire day celebrating LBJ’s life and accomplishments. The LBJ Presidential Library in Austin offers free admission on the day. But even if you do not live nearby, you can still celebrate by reading one of the books about Lyndon Johnson in our Talking Book Program collection.

For More information

Books about LBJ in our collection:

For the most in-depth look at LBJ’s life, try the four- book series YEARS OF LYNDON JOHNSON, written by Robert Caro:

PATH TO POWER: THE YEARS OF LYNDON JOHNSON VOLUME 1
DB 18676,
MEANS OF ASCENT: THE YEARS OF LYNDON JOHNSON, VOLUME 2
DB 30837
MASTER OF THE SENATE: THE YEARS OF LYNDON
DB 54174
PASSAGE OF POWER: THE YEARS OF LYNDON JOHNSON
DB 74635

If you are looking for a slightly less detailed biography you might like to read the two-volume series by Robert Dallek:

LONE STAR RISING: LYNDON JOHNSON AND HIS TIMES, 1908-1960
DB 34378
FLAWED GIANT: LYNDON JOHNSON AND HIS TIMES, 1961-1973
DB 47275

Perhaps you would like to read a memoir written by someone who knew LBJ personally. Doris Kearns Goodwin was a White House Fellow in 1967, and her book is based on interviews conducted during the last five years of President Johnson’s life.

LYNDON JOHNSON AND THE AMERICAN DREAM
DB 09793

Or you could look at his time in the White House through the eyes of his wife, Lady Bird Johnson.

WHITE HOUSE DIARY
DBC 18116

Or if you are looking for a way for younger readers to learn about LBJ, here’s one you could try:

LYNDON B. JOHNSON: THIRTY-SIXTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Grades 5-8
DB 30136, BR 08027