Category Archives: Special Days/Times

TBP Book Club Title Announced for July 2025!

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Join the Talking Book Program for a book club discussion on Thursday, July 25 at 7:00 p.m. (Central). We’ll be discussing the book ART THIEF: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, CRIME, AND A DANGEROUS OBSESSION by Michael Finkel (DB 115367, LB 14518).

Our book club discussions 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.

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, mail you a large print copy of the 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).

ART THIEF: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, CRIME, AND A DANGEROUS OBSESSION by Michael Finkel (DB 115367, LB 14518)

NLS Annotation: For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years—in museums and cathedrals all over Europe—Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2023.

We look forward to having you join us on Thursday, July 25!

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Georgina Kleege

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Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m. (Central) with author and educator, Georgina Kleege. Note that this time is a bit earlier than our usual author talks.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Georgina’s career and her latest book, MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: WHAT BLINDNESS BRINGS TO ART. 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 Georgina Kleege questions about her book. Please submit your questions by July 8. 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. Also, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: WHAT BLINDNESS BRINGS TO ART (DB 93533, BR 22550) by Georgina Kleege.

NLS Annotation: Author of Sight Unseen (DB 48328, BR 12149) critically examines the ways institutions make art accessible to blind people and the connection of visual arts with language. Uses personal experiences, scientific studies, and historical literary analysis to support her arguments. 2018.

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, July 15!

Pulitzer Prize Finalists 2025

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The Pulitzer Prizes, which are administered at Columbia University, were established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian American journalist and newspaper publisher who left money to the university upon his death. A portion of his bequest was used to establish the Pulitzer Prize as an incentive to excellence, and the first awards were given in 1917. Joseph Pulitzer specified solely four awards in journalism, four in books and drama, one for education, and five traveling scholarships. Since then, the Pulitzer Prize board has increased the number of awards to 23 and introduced poetry, music, photography, memoir, and audio journalism as subjects.

Below are the 2025 finalists and winners in the TBP collection under the category of Letters and Drama Prizes. The winners were announced on May 5.

For more information check the Awards’ Website.

Fiction

JAMES by Percival Everett (DB 120063, BR 25513 IN PROCESS, LB 0000436, en español DB 127871 en proceso)
HEADSHOT by Rita Bullwinkel (DB 124703)

History

NATIVE NATIONS: A MILLENNIUM IN NORTH AMERICA by Kathleen DuVal (DB 121149)

Biography

EVERY LIVING THING: THE GREAT AND DEADLY RACE TO KNOW ALL LIFE
by Jason Roberts (DB 120621)
JOHN LEWIS: A LIFE by David Greenberg (DB 125436, BR 25696 IN PROCESS,
LB 0003598)

Memoir or Autobiography

FI: A MEMOIR by Alexandra Fuller (DB 121448)

Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction Longlist 2025

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The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction celebrates excellence, originality, and accessibility in nonfiction 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 winner will be announced on June 12, 2025.

For more information on the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction: https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/

Nonfiction

STORY OF A HEART by Rachel Clarke (DB 127008)
WHY FISH DON’T EXIST: A STORY OF LOSS, LOVE, AND THE HIDDEN ORDER OF LIFE by Lulu Miller (DB 102031)
RAISING HARE: A MEMOIR by Chloe Dalton (DB 128243 IN PROCESS)
PRIVATE REVOLUTIONS: FOUR WOMEN FACE CHINA’S NEW SOCIAL ORDER by Yuan Yang (DB 123818)
EMBERS OF THE HANDS: HIDDEN HISTORIES OF THE VIKING AGE by Eleanor Barraclough (DB 128103 IN PROCESS)
WHAT THE WILD SEA CAN BE: THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD’S OCEAN by Helen Scales (DB 123195)
AUTOCRACY, INC.: THE DICTATORS WHO WANT TO RUN THE WORLD by Anne Applebaum (DB 123412, LB 0000705, en español DB 126283)

Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist 2025

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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 winner will be announced on June 12, 2025.

For more information on the Women’s Prize for Fiction: https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/

Fiction

DREAM COUNT by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (DB 127672 IN PROCESS, LB 0001494)
TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout (DB 124184)
DREAM HOTEL by Laila Lalami (DB 127950 IN PROCESS)
PERSIANS by Sanam Mahloudji (IN PROCESS)
MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley (DB 121556, BR 25559 IN PROCESS, en español DB 127955 en proceso)

L.A. Times Book Prizes Finalists 2025

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Since 1980, the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes have been dedicated to discovering new voices and celebrating the highest quality of writing across the spectrum of book publishing. The winners of the 2025 L.A. Times Book Prizes were announced on April 25. The ceremony, which was hosted by Times Columnist LZ Granderson, took place at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.

For more information check the Awards’ website.

Here are the LA Times Book Prize Finalists for 2025 in the TBP Collection:

Robert Kirsch Award

AFLAME: LEARNING FROM SILENCE by Pico Iyer (DB 127833 IN PROCESS)

The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction

GOD BLESS YOU, OTIS SPUNKMEYER by Joseph Earl Thomas (DB 123249)

Achievement in Audiobook Production, presented by Audible

JAMES by Percival Everett, narrated by Dominic Hoffman, and produced by Linda Korn (DB 120063)

Biography

DRAGON FROM CHICAGO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AN AMERICAN REPORTER IN NAZI GERMANY by Pamela D. Toler (DB 124335)

Current Interest

RENT COLLECTORS: EXPLOITATION, MURDER, AND REDEMPTION IN IMMIGRANT LA by Jesse Katz (DB 125906)
SERVICEBERRY: ABUNDANCE AND RECIPROCITY IN THE NATURAL WORLD by Robin Wall Kimmerer (DB 125771, BR 25692 IN PROCESS, LB 0001439)
BARN: THE SECRET HISTORY OF A MURDER IN MISSISSIPPI by Wright Thompson (DB 124993, LB 0001044)

Fiction

HEADSHOT by Rita Bullwinkel (DB 124703)
JAMES by Percival Everett (DB 120063, BR 25513 IN PROCESS, LB 0000436, en español DB 127871 en proceso)
SEASON OF THE SWAMP by Yuri Herrera and translated by Lisa Dillman (DB 127544)

Mystery/Thriller

HAVOC by Christopher Bollen (DB 126616)
WAITING by Michael Connelly (DB 124746, LB 0001483)
GUIDE ME HOME by Attica Locke (DB 123801)
GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore (DB 122747, LB 0000606, en español DB 128180 en proceso)

Poetry

SORROW APARTMENTS by Andrea Cohen (DB 123319)

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction

BRIGHT SWORD: A NOVEL OF KING ARTHUR by Lev Grossman (DB 122990, LB 0001160)
BOOK OF LOVE by Kelly Link (DB 119492)
ABSOLUTION: A SOUTHERN REACH NOVEL by Jeff VanderMeer (DB 125532)

Science & Technology

OUR MOON: A HUMAN HISTORY by Rebecca Boyle (DB 119114)
BECOMING EARTH: HOW OUR PLANET CAME TO LIFE by Ferris Jabr (DB 122717)
TWELVE TREES: THE DEEP ROOTS OF OUR FUTURE by Daniel Lewis (DB 120510)
LIGHT EATERS: HOW THE UNSEEN WORLD OF PLANT INTELLIGENCE OFFERS A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE ON EARTH by Zoë Schlanger (DB 121476)

Young-Adult Literature

LOOKING FOR SMOKE by K. A. Cobell (DB 122293)
BRIGHT RED FRUIT by Safia Elhillo (DB 119614)

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Lisa Fittipaldi

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Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Thursday, June 19 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with world recognized artist and Texas author, Lisa Fittipaldi.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean will talk with her about her career as an artist as well as her book, BRUSH WITH DARKNESS: LEARNING TO PAINT AFTER LOSING MY SIGHT (DB 60724, BRG 02047). 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 Lisa Fittipaldi questions about her book. Please submit your questions by June 12. 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 her 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).

BRUSH WITH DARKNESS: LEARNING TO PAINT AFTER LOSING MY SIGHT (DB 60724, BRG 02047) by Lisa Fittipaldi.

NLS Annotation: Author discusses her life after being diagnosed with vasculitis in her forties. Describes her feelings of despair during her first two years of blindness. Relates that a gift from her husband–a child’s watercolor set–became the catalyst for her new career as a renowned painter, and for her new outlook. 2004.

We look forward to having you join us on Thursday, June 19!

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!