Category Archives: Special Days/Times

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Preston Lewis

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Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with award-winning western author, Preston Lewis.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss his life and his Memoirs of H. H. Lomax series, starting with DEMISE OF BILLY THE KID (DBC 26457). 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 Preston Lewis questions about his book series. Please submit your questions by April 15. We will select questions based on the responses, 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).

DEMISE OF BILLY THE KID (DBC 26457) by Preston Lewis.

NLS Annotation: “H.H. Lomax never claimed to have won the West, but he sure made it fun through his intriguing memoirs of offbeat encounters with many of the frontier’s most enduring heroes and scoundrels. Starting with Billy the Kid, Lomax knocks some of the Old West’s biggest legends out of the saddle with both his wit and his wits, providing a hilarious romp over new trails through familiar territory. After a murky incident involving the killing of a Colorado lawyer, Lomax rides into New Mexico Territory in 1877 astride his mule Flash and soon finds himself roped into a band of rustlers until Billy the Kid drafts Lomax as the first member of his own gang. Though their trails soon part, Lomax and the Kid cross paths time and again as each in his own way navigates the corruption and violence of the Lincoln County War. Each survives until they both take a liking to the same hot-tempered señorita. At least that’s how Lomax tells the story! Whether you believe him or not, Lomax is sure to entertain anyone who takes up his trail of calamity and hilarity as he stumbles across some of the biggest names of the Old West.”–from the publisher. Violence and strong language. 2015.

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, April 22!

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Harry Hunsicker

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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:

  • 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 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!

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ShareFormPage.aspx?id=_3tZpDifRUGgM0ohaDmaXpEw_c_Y9elOm8rvPNh2aWFUMTRTVU1VNTYzRTdRVjROOExSMjVDSjQ5US4u&sharetoken=m1dMlXIuF8rxFHdeo4fK

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!

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Ken Roberts

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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.

Promo image of stage with red curtain and old fashioned chrome microphone, photo of smiling Ken Roberts, with TBP and TSLAC logos and text mirroring post caption.

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!

Submit Questions Here

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!

National Book Award Nominees 2024

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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, check out their website.

The longlist of nominees was announced on September 10-13, the finalists were chosen on October 1, and the winners will be selected on November 20, 2024.

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

Fiction

MOST by Jessica Anthony (DB 123028 IN PROCESS)
CATALINA by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (DB 122898 IN PROCESS)
JAMES by Percival Everett (DB 120063, BR 25513, LB 0000436)
CREATION LAKE by Rachel Kushner (IN PROCESS)

Nonfiction

THERE’S ALWAYS THIS YEAR: ON BASKETBALL AND ASCENSION by Hanif Abdurraqib (DB 120391)
OUR MOON: A HUMAN HISTORY by Rebecca Boyle (DB 119114)
SOLDIERS AND KINGS: SURVIVAL AND HOPE IN THE WORLD OF HUMAN SMUGGLING by Jason De León (DB 120057)
KNIFE: MEDITATIONS AFTER AN ATTEMPTED MURDER by Salman Rushdie (DB 120670, LB 0000205)
WHISKEY TENDER: A MEMOIR by Deborah Jackson Taffa (DB 122374)

Poetry

MODERN POETRY by Diane Seuss (DBC 29783)

Translated Literature

WOODWORM by Layla Martínez
Translated from Spanish by Sophie Hughes and Annie McDermott
(DB 122026 IN PROCESS)
PINK SLIME by Fernanda Trías
Translated from Spanish by Heather Cleary
(DB 123146 IN PROCESS)

Young People’s Literature

WILD DREAMERS by Margarita Engle (DB 121046)
EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD by Randy Ribay (IN PROCESS)
UNBOXING OF A BLACK GIRL by Angela Shanté (DB 122085)

Fat Bear Week

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Vote for your favorite one as Fat Bear Week returns to Katmai National Park and Preserve October 2-8, 2024. Choose the bear that you think has what it takes to survive the winter and experience the crowning of the champion on October 8 at https://explore.org/fat-bear-week.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Fat Bear Week, we’ve created a list of books about bears! So read and learn about why it’s important for bears to gain weight before winter and then use that knowledge to vote on the biggest bear for Fat Bear Week.

Adult

BEARS: A BRIEF HISTORY by Bernd Brunner (DB 69521)
EIGHT BEARS: MYTHIC PAST AND IMPERILED FUTURE by Gloria Dickie (DB 119616)
MONARCH OF DEADMAN BAY: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A KODIAK BEAR by Roger A. Caras (DB 59487, BR 01168)
WHAT THE BEARS KNOW by Steve Searles (LB 0000124)

Juvenile

BEARMAN: EXPLORING THE WORLD OF BLACK BEARS by Laurence Pringle (BR 08735) Grades 4-7
BEARS by Ian Stirling (DB 36826) Grades 3-6
GROWL!: A BOOK ABOUT BEARS by Melvin Berger (BT 03537) Grades 2-4
MOON OF THE BEARS: THE THIRTEEN MOONS by Jean Craighead George (DB 38469, BR 09636) Grades 3-6
TWO ORPHAN CUBS by Barbara Brenner (DB 33711) Grades Kindergarten-3

Spooky Season: Ghostly Spirits and Haunted Places

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We have finally reached the months ending in “ber,” so you know what that means: it is officially spooky season! Get in the “spirit” of the season with these nonfiction tales about ghostly spirits and haunted places.

ADULT TITLES

GHOSTS OF THE OLD WEST: DESERT SPIRITS, HAUNTED CABINS, LOST TRAILS, AND OTHER STRANGE ENCOUNTERS by Earl Murray (DB 29228)
A collection of purportedly true stories about paranormal occurrences relating to historic locations in the American West.

MYSTERIES OF THE MAGNOLIA HOTEL by Erin O. Wallace (DBC 18483)
Explores one of the most haunted hotels in Texas.

HAUNTING OF ALMA FIELDING: A TRUE GHOST STORY by Kate Summerscale (DB 103054)
The sensational tale of Alma Fielding, a young housewife in 1938 London who is the target of apparent poltergeist activity.

HAUNTED TEXAS: FAMOUS PHANTOMS, SINISTER SITES, AND LINGERING LEGENDS by Scott Allen Williams (DBC 17908)
An unusual twist to seeing the sights in the Lone Star state.

GHOST STORIES OF TEXAS by William Edward Syers (DBC 26753)
A collection of fifty of the most intriguing tales about Texas ghosts, ranging from centuries-old legends to the baffling here-and-now.

GHOSTS ALONG THE TEXAS COAST by Docia Schultz Williams (DBC 14328)
Accounts of strange occurrences and unexplainable presences in the Texas coastal area.

SPIRITS OF SAN ANTONIO AND SOUTH TEXAS by Docia Schultz Williams (DBC 14314)
Steeped in history and tradition, San Antonio has numerous buildings and locations that, many claim, are also home to ghosts.

PHANTOMS OF THE PLAINS: TALES OF WEST TEXAS GHOSTS by Docia Williams Schultz (DBC 14342)
Stories of ghostly encounters on the Texas plains and reports of ghosts and hauntings connected with the old West Texas forts.

YOUTH TITLES

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK (DB 19713) and MORE SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK (DB 22330) by Alvin Schwartz
Ghoulish stories of ghosts and witches, startling “jump” stories, macabre songs, frightening legends, and modern-day horror stories.

HAUNTED PLACES by Betsy Hoffman (DB 21835)
A tour of haunted building across the U.S., including the White House, Carpenters’ Hall, and an old hotel in Atlanta. For grades 4-7 and older readers.

SHORT AND SHIVERY: THIRTY CHILLING TALES (DB 30728), MORE SHORT AND SHIVERY: THIRTY TERRIFYING TALES (DB 40088) and EVEN MORE SHORT AND SHIVERY: THIRTY SPINE-TINGLING STORIES (DB 45766) by Robert D. San Souci
Restless spirits, impish demons, and other frightening creatures haunt these thirty spine-tingling tales from around the world. For grades 5-8.

GHOSTS UNVEILED! by Kerrie Logan Hollihan (DB 102596)
A collection of reported ghost appearances, unsolved mysteries, and eerie hauntings. For grades 5-8 and older readers.

GHOST STORIES OF OLD TEXAS (DBC 12016), GHOST STORIES OF OLD TEXAS, II (DBC 14332), and GHOST STORIES OF OLD TEXAS, III (DBC 12058) by Zinita Fowler
Collections of ghost tales illustrating the cultural heritage of Texas. For grades 6-9.

In His Own Words: James Earl Jones

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American actor known for his iconic voice acting roles and for his work in theater, James Earl Jones, died at his home on September 9, 2024, at the age of 93. He overcame a severe stutter to become one of the greatest actors of his era. Over his career, he received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. Below we have his autobiography. We hope this gives you a chance to learn about his experiences in his own words.

JAMES EARL JONES: VOICES AND SILENCES by James Earl Jones (DB 38707)

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Donna Marie Miller

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Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Thursday, October 17 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with Texas author Donna Marie Miller.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean will talk with her about her career as an author as well as her book, BROKEN SPOKE: AUSTIN’S LEGENDARY HONKY-TONK. 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 Donna Marie Miller questions about her book. Please submit questions by October 10. We will choose questions based on the responses to this form and they may be asked during the event!

Submit Questions Here

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 her book from BARD. Also, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).

BROKEN SPOKE: AUSTIN’S LEGENDARY HONKY-TONK by Donna Marie Miller DBC 18774

James and Annetta White opened the Broken Spoke in 1964, then a mile south of the Austin city limits, under a massive live oak, and beside what would eventually become South Lamar Boulevard. White built the place himself, beginning construction on the day he received his honorable discharge from the US Army. And for more than fifty years, the Broken Spoke has served up, in the words of White’s well-worn opening speech, “cold beer, good whiskey, the best chicken fried steak in town … and good country music.” White paid thirty-two dollars to his first opening act, D. G. Burrow and the Western Melodies, back in 1964. Since then, the stage at the Spoke has hosted the likes of Bob Wills, Dolly Parton, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Marcia Ball, Pauline Reese, Roy Acuff, Kris Kristofferson, George Strait, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Asleep at the Wheel, and the late, great Kitty Wells. But it hasn’t always been easy; through the years, the Whites and the Spoke have withstood their share of hardship–a breast cancer diagnosis, heart trouble, the building’s leaky roof, and a tour bus driven through its back wall. Today the original rustic, barn-style building, surrounded by sleek, high-rise apartment buildings, still sits on South Lamar, a tribute and remembrance to an Austin that has almost vanished. Housing fifty years of country music memorabilia and about a thousand lifetimes of memories at the Broken Spoke, the Whites still honor a promise made to Ernest Tubb years ago: they’re ‘keepin’ it country’.– Provided by publisher. Some strong language. 2017.

We look forward to having you join us on Thursday, October 17!

Paris 2024 Paralympics

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Although sports for athletes with physical impairments has existed in several forms over the past century, the first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since the Summer Games of Seoul, Korea, in 1988 and the Winter Games in Albertville, France, in 1992, the Games have also taken part in the same cities and venues as the Olympics.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which will take place between 28 August and 8 September, will bring together as many as 4,400 athletes from around the world. The athletes will compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports.

Below we have collected stories about and memoirs from famous Paralympians for both adult and youth readers.

For more information: National Paralympic Committee.

Adult Nonfiction

ALWAYS CLIMB HIGHER! by Jeff Pagels (DB 80208)
FIRE IN MY EYES: AN AMERICAN WARRIOR’S JOURNEY FROM BEING BLINDED ON THE BATTLEFIELD TO GOLD MEDAL VICTORY by Brad Snyder (DB 86882, BR 21816)
HARD PARTS: A MEMOIR OF COURAGE AND TRIUMPH by Oksana Masters (DB 119093)
ON MY OWN TWO FEET: FROM LOSING MY LEGS TO LEARNING THE DANCE OF LIFE by Amy Purdy (DB 84333)
OUT OF THE WHIRLPOOL: A MEMOIR OF REMORSE AND RECONCILIATION by Sue Wiygul Martin (DB 78152)

Juvenile Nonfiction

AMAZING ATHLETES: AN ALL-STAR LOOK AT CANADA’S PARALYMPIANS by Marie-Claude Ouellet (BRG 04485) Grades 3-6
ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES by Deborah Kent (DB 57300) Grades 4-7
COLORS OF THE WIND: THE STORY OF BLIND ARTIST AND CHAMPION RUNNER GEORGE MENDOZA by J. L. Powers (DB 106815) Grades Kindergarten -3
TENACIOUS: FIFTEEN ADVENTURES ALONGSIDE DISABLED ATHLETES by Patty Cisneros-Prevo (DBC 15421) Grades 3-6

TBP Book Club Title Announced for September 2024!

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Please join us on Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) for our Book Club discussion of LIAR’S DICTIONARY by Eley Williams. DB 1073312. LB 13379.

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 call us at 1-800-252-9605 or email tbp.ral@tsl.texas.gov

LIAR’S DICTIONARY is available by mail as a digital cartridge or in large print and is also available to download on BARD.

LIAR’S DICTIONARY by Eley Williams (DB 103312, LB 13379)
Peter Winceworth, Victorian lexicographer, is toiling away on Swansby’s multivolume Encyclopaedic Dictionary, but boredom leads him to insert fictitious entries. In the present day, Mallory, a young intern employed by the publisher, is tasked with uncovering these fake words before the work is digitized. Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

We’re looking forward to having you join us on Tuesday, September 24!