TBP Book Club Title Announced for January 2023!

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 Thursday January 26 at 7 pm (Central Time) for our book club discussion of GOODBYE TO A RIVER by John Graves.

We host our Book Club meetings via Zoom, however all you need to participate is a telephone! If you have a land line, we will provide a telephone number for you to dial. If you have a smart phone we will email you 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. This information will be sent to all patrons who RSVP a week prior to the book club meeting.

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

GOODBYE TO A RIVER is available by mail as a digital cartridge. It is also available to download on 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.

Goodbye to a River by John Graves: John Graves leads us through an exciting three-week trip down the Brazos River in this classic narrative. An excellent history of the early inhabitants along the river is well woven into this engrossing book, with memories of events in Texas history that took place along that river. Unrated. 1960.

We look forward to having you join us on January 26!

NEW TEXAS TITLES AVAILABLE ON BARD!

An interesting mix of locally-produced Texas titles were recently added to the National Library Service’s BARD collection.

Fiction readers can ride alongside Texas Rangers, follow the exploits of Sheriff Dan Rhodes, sample an early Larry McMurtry novel, and discover Louisa May Alcott’s sequel to LITTLE WOMEN.

Nonfiction titles explore Lone Star history, from Texas’ earliest days through the Korean War and beyond.

BARD users can download these and other Texas titles at https://nlsbard.loc.gov/login/TX.

AMONG THE VALIANT; MEXICAN-AMERICANS IN WW II AND KOREA

Morin, Raul

This is a true, hard-hitting saga of the role of the Mexican-American soldiers in World War II and Korea.

DBC 17909

BOOK OF INSULTS, ANCIENT & MODERN: AN AMIABLE HISTORY OF INSULT, INVECTIVE, IMPRECATION & INCIVILITY (LITERARY, POLITICAL & HISTORICAL) HURLED THROUGH THE AGES & COMPILED AS A PUBLIC SERVICE

Selection of impudent, verbal abuse with information about the author and the circumstances surrounding each quip.  Contains nearly 1000 ranging from Arab and Irish curses to vintage Mencken, Oscar Wilde, and George Bernard Shaw.

DBC 17915

BURN DOWN THE GROUND: A MEMOIR

Crews, Kambri

In this memoir, a daughter looks back on her unconventional childhood with deaf parents in rural Texas while trying to reconcile it to her present life, one in which her father is serving a twenty-year sentence in a maximum security prison.  As a child, she wished that she had been born deaf so that she, too, could fully belong to the tight-knit deaf community that embraced her parents.  Strong language and some violence.  2012.

DBC 17914

CAMINO SENCILLO

Teresa, Mother, 1910-1997

La Madre Teresa conocida alrededor del mundo por su trabajo incansable a favor de los pobres, los enfermos, y los moribundos, ha dedicado su vida a darles esperanza a los sin esperanza en mas de ciento veinte paises.  “Un camino sencillo” es una guia espiritual singular tanto para los catolicos como los no catolicos: esta lleno de sabiduria y esperanza de la persona que nos ha otorgado el mejor modelo de amor en accion en nuestros dias.  En espanol.

DBC 17913

CASTLE GAP AND THE PECOS FRONTIER

Dearen, Patrick

The Pecos River country of West Texas lies between San Angelo and the Pecos River and runs west to the edge of the Davis Mountains.  Six stories preserve some of the history, legends and folklore of an area known for Comanche raids, historic cattle drives and hidden treasure—sought after by so many generations.

DBC 17923

DIRTY SALLY: A NOVEL

Simon, Michael, 1963-

Austin, Texas in 1988 is a boomtown gone bust, blistering in the heat of a six-month summer.  Someone murdered a prostitute and parts of her body are turning up all over town.  Detective Dan Reles, a displaced New Yorker with a chip on his shoulder and a dead partner on his conscience, is the cop on the case.  As he follows the trail of the corpse nicknamed “Dirty Sally,” he finds himself crossing the lines between crack-ridden ghettos and the watering holes of the moneyed elite – lines it doesn’t pay to cross.  Violence, strong language, and explicit descriptions of sex.  2004.  (Book #1 of “Dan Reles Mystery” series.)

DBC 17921

GHOST OF A CHANCE: SHERIFF DAN RHODES #10

Crider, Bill, 1941-2018

Sheriff Dan Rhodes of Blacklin County, Texas, knows that times may change, but people are still people, some good, some bad, and most things can be explained with a little common sense—even the ghost haunting his jail.  Could it be the same ghostly culprit looting the local cemetery?  When Ty Berry, the president of one of two feuding historical societies, is found shot dead in a freshly dug grave, Rhodes decides the crime is of a more earthly nature.  2001.

DBC 17919

GOOD WIVES: LITTLE WOMEN, PART II

Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888

Three years after the ending of “Little Women” we again take up the story of the March girls and discover what has happened to them in that time.  For grades 5-8 and older readers.

DBC 17924

HOUND-DOG MAN

Gipson, Fred, 1908-1973

This book, appealing to children and adults alike, tells the story of friendship between Cotton, a frontier boy undergoing the huntsman’s rites of passage, and Blackie (the hound-dog man), who is corralled by the love of a good woman.  For grades 6-9 and older readers.

DBC 17910

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Stroup, Herbert Hewitt, 1916-

The author provides a first-hand study of the Jehovah’s Witnesses—their history, their leaders, their beliefs and their attitudes.

DBC 17927

LEAVING CHEYENNE

McMurtry, Larry

McMurtry’s second novel, written when he was only 27, and said to be “… the starkest, most truthful, most terrible and yet beautiful treatment …” of the Texas ranching country and one which will “… offend many who prefer the glamour treatment …” It is the story of a 40-year love affair between a woman and two men—one reckless, the other cautious and careful.  Some profanity and descriptions of sex.

DBC 17926

MURDER MOST FOWL: SHERIFF DAN RHODES #7

Crider, Bill, 1941-2018

Mystery set in a dusty, dying Texas county where emu rustling, beer drinking, and cockfighting are the major recreational activities.  A murder victim is found floating down a creek in a porta-potty by a bunch of drunks, but it’s no joke to Sheriff Dan Rhodes, who has not one but two bodies on his hands.  Lige Ward, a local fellow who’s lost his hardware business to the big new Wal-Mart is found in the toilet and a few days later the body of Ward’s wife, Rayjean, is discovered in a cockfighting ring.  Rhodes thought he knew what went on in his town, but he discovers that not only did the locals hold illegal cockfights, but darned if they haven’t been covering up a whole bunch of other nasty secrets.  Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex.  1994.

DBC 17918

PASTORAL

Shute, Nevil, 1899-1960

A wartime romance, between an English bomber pilot and a pretty WAAF officer.  The men and women of the Royal Air Force fought daily for their lives and their country, while preserving the decencies and oddities of English country life on the rural airfields where they were based.

DBC 17912

PECKER’S REVENGE AND OTHER STORIES FROM THE FRONTIER’S EDGE

Van Pelt, Lori, 1961-

This is a collection of fourteen historical short stories featuring a variety of characters including miners, rodeo riders, railroad construction workers, young settlers, and others struggling with the conflicts and hazards of the nineteenth-century frontier.

DBC 17931

PISTOLS FOR TWO, AND OTHER STORIES

Heyer, Georgette, 1902-1974

These eleven Regency short stories by Georgette Heyer include: “Pistols for Two,” “A Clandestine Affair,” “Bath Miss,” “Pink Domino,” “A Husband for Fanny,” “To Have the Honour,” “Night at the Inn,” “The Duel,” “Hazard,” “Snowdrift,” and “Full Moon.” These stories are about affairs of honour between bucks and blades, rakes and rascals; and affairs of the heart between heirs and orphans and beauties and bachelors.

DBC 17922

RANGERS’ REVENGE

Miller, Jim, 1945-

They were once members of Texas’ proudest legion—Texas Rangers, men willing to fight and die to bring justice to the harsh frontier.  Will Carston lived the Ranger creed as he staked out his ranch and defended a raw new town.  And the tough Ranger spirit helped his hard-fisted sons survive the Civil War and left them a legacy they could neither deny nor forget.  Strong language and some violence.  (Book #1 of “Ex-Rangers” series.)

DBC 17934

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE MURDER: SHERIFF DAN RHODES #12

Crider, Bill, 1941-2018

County commissioners in Texas wield extraordinary influence, controlling the purse strings for all roads and public works.  Even in rural Blacklin County, that’s serious money.  Grat Bilson was a county commissioner, at least until someone whacked him over the head and set him on fire in his isolated hunting cabin.  Blacklin County Sheriff Dan Rhodes knows that where murder’s concerned, it’s either love or money.  Bilson’s roving wife has an alibi, which turns the focus to money, and sure enough, Rhodes quickly finds something rotten in the world of Blacklin’s county commissioners.  Some strong language.  2003.

DBC 17920

REVOLUTION REMEMBERED: THE MEMOIRS AND SELECTED CORRESPONDENCE OF JUAN N. SEGUIN

Seguín, Juan Nepomuceno, 1806-1890

Edited by Jesús F. de la Teja

Here is a wealth of information for serious historians as well as a readable, informative account for anyone interested in early Texas history and the influence of the Mexicans who settled in Texas generations before the Americans.  Violence.

DBC 17917

WILD COW TALES

Green, Ben K.

In thirteen stories full of rope burns and brush scratches the author of “Horse Tradin’” tells of the days when he made a speciality of catching wild cows that roundups couldn’t corral.  1969.

DBC 17911

NEW TEXAS TITLES AVAILABLE ON BARD!

The Texas Talking Book Program is justifiably proud its recording studio in Austin.

The quality of the audio books produced by our studio is evident in the number of their titles that are available to download on the National Library Service’s BARD (Braille and Recording Download) service.  Patrons throughout the United States are able to enjoy these books.

The following six Texas titles were recently added to the BARD collection.  Give them a listen!

ARGONAUTAS DE LA SELVA: LOS DESCUBRIDORES DEL AMAZONAS

Benites Vinueza, Leopoldo

More than a historical biography, the book attempts to give life to a character, an adventure, and an era.  Novel and drama, and yet true and rigorously documented history, it relives the life of one of the greatest captains of the era of conquest and one of the most singular adventures in history: the life of Don Francisco de Orellana and the adventure of the discovery of the Amazon River.  Spanish language.

DBC 17905

AROUND THE WORLD WITH LBJ: MY WILD RIDE AS AIR FORCE ONE PILOT, WHITE HOUSE AIDE, AND PERSONAL CONFIDANT

Cross, James U. (James Underwood)

LBJ’s personal pilot–one of the few to fly Air Force One and simultaneously hold a full-time job in the White House–offers vivid recollections of the thirty-sixth president.  Some strong language.

DBC 17907

DUEL OF EAGLES: THE MEXICAN AND U.S. FIGHT FOR THE ALAMO

Long, Jeff

In a comprehensive history that removes the myths from the battle for Texas, the author gives us the true story of what led to the Alamo and what followed it by examining accounts from both sides.

DBC 17893

HAUNTED TEXAS: FAMOUS PHANTOMS, SINISTER SITES, AND LINGERING LEGENDS

Williams, Scott Allen

Texas history buffs and travelers have an eerie need for this book, which offers an unusual twist to seeing the sights in the Lone Star state.  Organized by region–Gulf Coast, Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, Central Texas, North Texas, and West Texas—this book is the complete guide for both hardcore ghost hunters and more earthly tourists seeking to add some spirited fun to their travels.

DBC 17908

JESS SWEETEN, TEXAS LAWMAN

Lindquist, Allan Sigvard

Known as the “Law East of the Trinity,” Jess Sweeten served as sheriff between 1929 and 1954, an era when violence was the order of the day.

DBC 17906

NOCHEBUENA.  EL PAÑO DE LA VERÓNICA

Lagerlöf, Selma

The author recalls two stories told by her grandmother, one short tale on the birth of Christ and a longer story concerning Veronica’s veil. Spanish language. For grades 4-7.

DBC 17903

Texas Music and Musicians

Austin promotes itself as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” a reference to the many musicians and live music venues within the city, as well as the TV concert series Austin City Limits. However, the entire state of Texas has a long and varied musical history. It is the birthplace of many singers, songwriters and musicians who represent many different types of music. From traditional country musicians like Gene Autry and Tex Ritter to contemporary R & B groups like Destiny’s Child, The Talking Book Program has biographies and memoirs as well as more general books on Texas music in our collection.

General
Title: NEVER HEARD OF ‘EM: AUSTIN’S MUSIC EXPLOSION, 1994-2000
Author: DONAHOE, SUE
DT 07268 DBC 04845 (BARD)

Title: TEXAS RHYTHM, TEXAS RHYME: A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF TEXAS MUSIC
Author: WILLOUGHBY, LARRY
DT 03981

Gene Autry
Title: BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
Author: AUTRY, GENE
DB 16849

Rodney Crowell
Title: CHINABERRY SIDEWALKS
Author: CROWELL, RODNEY
DB 73893

Kirk Franklin
Title: CHURCH BOY
Author: FRANKLIN, KIRK
DB 70436

Buddy Holly
Title: BUDDY HOLLY: A BIOGRAPHY
Author: AMBURN, ELLIS
DT 07070

Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins

Title: RAGGIN’ THE BLUES: LEGENDARY COUNTRY BLUES AND RAGTIME MUSCICIANS
Author: WILDS, MARY
DR 04188

Waylon Jennings
Title: WAYLON: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Author: JENNINGS, WAYLON
DB 43334

George Jones
Title: I LIVED TO TELL IT ALL
Author: JONES, GEORGE
DB 42850

Title: THREE OF US: GROWING UP WITH TAMMY AND GEORGE
Author: JONES, GEORGETTE
DB 76171

Janis Joplin
Title: JANIS JOPLIN: RISE UP SINGING
Author: ANGEL, ANN
BR 19426, DB 73764

Scott Joplin
Title: KING OF RAGTIME: SCOTT JOPLIN AND HIS ERA
Author: BERLIN, EDWARD A
DB 42223 (BARD)

Beyonce Knowles & Kelly Rowland
Title: SOUL SURVIVORS: THE OFFICIAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF DESTINY’S CHILD
Author: KNOWLES, BEYONCE
DB 55896 (BARD)

Willie Nelson
Title: FACTS OF LIFE AND OTHER DIRTY JOKES
Author: NELSON, WILLIE
DB 58592

Title: ROLL ME UP AND SMOKE ME WHEN I DIE: MUSINGS FROM THE ROAD
Author: NELSON, WILLIE
DB 75901

Title: IT’S A LONG STORY: MY LIFE
Author: NELSON, WILLIE
DB 81617

Title: WILLIE NELSON: AN EPIC LIFE
Author: PATOSKI, JOE NICK
DB 66762

Tex Ritter
Title: TEX RITTER
Author: Ritter, Tex
DBM 00878 (BARD)

Selena
Title: SELENA! PHENOMENAL LIFE AND TRAGIC DEATH OF THE TEJANO MUSIC QUEEN
Author: RICHMOND, CLINT
Bilingual
DB 44470

B. J. Thomas
Title: HOME WHERE I BELONG
Author: THOMAS, B.J
DB 14755 (BARD)

Tanya Tucker
Title: NICKEL DREAMS: MY LIFE
Author: TUCKER, TANYA
DB 48356

Townes Van Zandt
Title: TO LIVE’S TO FLY: THE BALLAD OF THE LATE, GREAT TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Author: KRUTH, JOHN
DT 07063 DBC 04839 (BARD)

Bob Wills
Title: LONE STAR SWING: ON THE TRAIL OF BOB WILLS AND HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS
Author: MCLEAN, DUNCAN
DB 48652

New from the TBP Recording Studio: January 2017

Check out these new adult and children’s titles fresh from the TBP Recording Studio.  They are available for loan on digital cartridge or for download via BARD.


Adult Titles:

Bittersweet by Susan Wittig Albert (DT07306)
It’s Thanksgiving in Pecan Springs, Texas, and China Bayles is
planning to visit her mother, Leatha, and her mother’s husband, Sam,
who are turning their former game ranch into a vacation retreat for
birders. She’s also looking forward to catching up with her friend,
game warden Mackenzie “Mack” Chambers, who was recently transferred to
the area. China and Mack team up to solve a complex case of theft and
murder in a South Texas ranching community. Some strong language and
some violence. 2015. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories.
Available for download as DBC07269.

Cemetery World by Clifford Simak (DT07335)
An artist of the far future, an archaeologist aided by robots,
and a band of attractive ghosts search for treasure on an
earth that has been turned into a well-kept cemetery by
mercenary Mother Earth, Inc.  Some strong language and some
violence. 1973. Subjects: Science Fiction.  Available for download as DBC07268.


Children’s Titles:

Hank the Cowdog 12: The Case of the Fiddle Playing Fox by John R. Erickson (DT04881)
While working on a mysterious case involving disappearing eggs and a
fiddle-playing fox named Frankie, Hank the Cowdog falls for Miss
Beulah, the beautiful collie.  The twelfth adventure in the Hank the
Cowdog series. For grades 3-7. 1989. Subjects: Humor; Adventure;
Animals and Wildlife. Available for download as DBC07256.

 Hank the Cowdog 17: The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog by John R. Erickson (DT05346)
When Hank finds himself stuck in town, he needs all the brains he can
muster to get rid of the mean, monster Great Dane, “Rambo,” who’s
been terrorizing his sister’s neighborhood.  The seventeenth adventure
in the Hank the Cowdog series. For grades 3-7. 1991. Subjects: Humor; Adventure; Animals and Wildlife. Available for download as DBC07270.

 Hank the Cowdog 25: The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado by John R. Erickson (DT06121)
Hank and his friend Drover come face-to-face with the Swirling
Killer Tornado, and must gather every ounce of courage they
have to save the ranch from the tornado’s course! For grades 3-7. 1995.
Subjects: Humor; Adventure; Animals and Wildlife. Available for download as DBC07271.

Hank the Cowdog 36: The Case of the Raging Rottweiler by John R. Erickson (DT06639)
The ranch is in the grip of a sweltering summer heat wave, and to make
matters worse, Bruiser the rottweiler is on the loose. First Bruiser
attacks a defenseless fawn, then he threatens to come after Hank the
Cowdog, the Head of Ranch Security! Can Hank put this crazy canine
in his place? Or are our hero’s dog days numbered? No. 36 in series.  For grades 3-7. 1989. Subjects: Humor; Adventure; Animals and Wildlife. Available for download as DBC07272.

Sweet Valley High 10: The Wrong Kind of Girl (DT04249)
Number ten in the “Sweet Valley High” series of easy reading books. For
junior and senior high readers. 1984. Subjects: School Fiction.
Available for download as DBC07258.

Snowflake, the Ghost Kitten by Zeno Zeplin (DT07346)
Snowflake was a kitten. Now he is a ghost, and the house where he
lives is getting lonely. But a family with three little girls is
moving in and the fun is about to begin. “Spooking” can be a good
thing if it teaches a real stinker to be a better person, can’t it?
For grades 2-4. 1992. Subjects: Animals and Wildlife.
Available for download as DBC07267.

Texas, the 28th State by Betsy Warren (DT07301)
Reviews cultural and industrial growth in Texas from statehood in
1846, through the 1970’s technological advances. For grades K-3 and older readers. 1984. Subjects: U.S. History. Available for download as DBC07266.        
To request a title please call us at 1-800-252-9605 (toll-free in Texas)/512-463-5458 (Austin area) or send an email to: tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov.

New from the TBP Recording Studio: November & December 2016

Check out these new adult and children’s titles fresh from the TBP Recording Studio.  They are available for loan on digital cartridge or for download via BARD.


Adult Titles:

Pleating for Mercy: A Magical Dressmaking Mystery by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez (DT07324)
Opening a custom dressmaking boutique in the old farmhouse she
inherited from her late great-grandmother, Harlow Jane Cassidy gets
more than she bargained for when her first client is accused of
murder and she must help find the real killer – with a little help
from beyond. Some strong language. 2011. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories; Supernatural and Horror Fiction. Available for download as DBC07232.

The Texas Navy (DT00282)
A history of the Texas Navy from its founding in 1835 to 1845 when
Texas became a state and the Navy was no longer formally recognized.
For high school and adult readers. 1968. Subjects: U.S. History.
Available for download as DBC07246.

The Angry Ocean by Ronald Johnston (DT03444)
The Inoco Emperor was the world’s biggest ship. On her maiden
voyage, a volcanic island explodes and sends a 300-foot wave
toward  the ship, where two men battle for command and a faulty
midship joint may mean the difference between life and death for
the supertanker and her crew. 1968. Subjects: Adventure.
Available to download as DBC07252.

One Man’s Christmas by Leon Hale (DT03915)
In the six pieces in this book the author recalls episodes from
his own Christmases past. He recounts a story by a fortune teller
from the Brazos river bottom. He remembers how painful a meager
Christmas during the Depression could be, how he indulged his own
children. He also shares the magic of Santa Claus and the challenge
of assembling toys. All the stories are told with a sympathy and
understanding that are “pure Hale.” 1984. Subjects: Biography of Writers; Holidays.
Available to download as DBC07253.

Shakespeare’s Planet by Clifford D. Simak (DT07333)
Carter Horton was the last of his kind. His three companions died in
hibernation during the thousand-year journey from Earth. But Horton’s
beautiful new home held all sorts of wonderful surprises. There was
an alien named Carnivore who claimed to have learned English from
Shakespeare, a defective tunnel from the stars that allowed people,
well, creatures – a one-way access to the planet, a dragon in aspic…
and a very odd, curved hill. And, of course, there was the terror
that froze all minds at regular intervals. Strong language. 1976.
Subjects: Science Fiction. Available to download as DBC07249.

Texas Love Song by Jodi Thomas (DT06367)
The Civil War has been over for three years but the bitterness toward
Confederate soldiers who changed sides to escape slow death in prison
camps still runs strong in Texas. Sloan Alexander is one of the hated
turncoats. McCall Harrison, the beautiful widow of a Confederate
officer, is searching for a man to help her return a group of
Cheyenne children to their home on the Great Plains in the midst of
warfare between soldiers and Indians. In Sloan, she has found someone
willing to face death for the chance to restore his honor. A poignant
story of two people who risk everything to help a band of children and
in the end find a future together. Explicit descriptions of sex and
violence. 1996. Subjects: Romance. Available to download as DBC07254.

Chile Death by Susan Wittig Albert (DT06719)
China Bayles is looking forward to the annual chili cook-off in Pecan
Springs, Texas. And when the event arrives, she takes along her
fiancee, giving both of them a nice break from China’s visiting (i.e.
meddling) mother. But then cook-off judge Jerry Jeff Cody dies of an
allergic reaction to a peanut. Everyone knows peanuts don’t belong in
a bowl of Texas chili and China knows something suspicious is afoot.
Now, with rumors flying about foul play, and whispered stories about
Jerry Jeff’s womanizing ways, things are heating up all over. 1998.
Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories. Available to download as DBC07257.

 Lavender Lies by Susan Wittig Albert (DT06751)
Ex-lawyer and herbalist China Bayles must put her upcoming nuptials
on the back burner when a murder investigation entangles her friends
and neighbors. It doesn’t take long for China to learn that the
murder victim, Edgar Coleman, was having numerous affairs and black-
mailing City Council members for their votes on a bad land development
deal. With her fiance immersed in the murder investigation, China can
forget about a honeymoon, unless she can find the killer. 1999.
Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories. Available to download as DBC07259.

Dance On His Grave by Sylvia Dickey Smith (DT07321)
Sidra Smart, disillusioned ex-wife of a fundamentalist preacher,
never imagined herself running The Third Eye, a private investigator
business, until she inherits her late brother’s detective agency.
Soon, a woman stumbles in with vague flashbacks of a 30-year-old
murder. Intrigued by the story, Sid takes the case and soon
plunges into a surreal world where the flames of Creole
superstition and passion burn as hot as the memories of child
abuse, arson, and murder. Violence, strong language, and explicit
descriptions of sex. 2012. Subjects: Suspense Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories. Available to download as DBC07260.

The Cowgirls by Joyce Gibson Roach (DT05088)
While Susan B. Anthony was declaring that females too were created
equal, Sally Skull was already riding and roping and marking cattle
with her Circle S brand on the Texas frontier, while pursuing her
career as a horse trader. Cowgirls like Sally are chronicled here,
in this important addition to the history of the West. 1990.
Subjects: The West; Social Sciences. Available to download as DBC07261.

Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right by Erica Grieder (DT07330)
Discusses how the laws of Texas can be used as an example for national
policy in such arenas as immigration, taxes and energy. Texas may well
be America’s most controversial state. Skeptical outsiders have found
much to be offended by in the state’s politics and attitude. And yet,
according to journalist (and Texan) Grieder, the United States has a
great deal to learn from Texas. Some violence. 2013.
Subjects: Government and Politics; U.S. History. Available to download as DBC07262.

Gunsights by Elmore Leonard (DT04360)
A western set in the decade between 1880 and 1890, when reporters
from the big eastern newspapers went west to witness the last frontier
wars–the great rail and mining companies versus the Indians,
Mexicans and others who lived on the land but had little power.
Strong language and racial epithets. 1979. Subjects: Western Stories.
Available to download as DBC07263.

Just One Riot by Ben H. Proctor (DT05259)
During the twentieth century the Texas Rangers have changed dramatically.
Before 1935 they were basically frontier marshalls, and now they
serve as walking police laboratories, mainly in rural Texas counties
which would otherwise lack law-enforcement manpower and criminal
investigative know-how. The author offers dramatic episodes of these
twentieth century Rangers. Violence. 1991. Subjects: The West.
Available to download as DBC07264.


Children’s Titles:

Hank the Cowdog 9: The Case of the Halloween Ghost by John R. Erickson (DT04878)
It’s Hank again, the cowdog with a nose for trouble. This time it
leads him to the scariest adventure of his life with his faithful
but cowardly companion, Drover, on the spookiest of nights, Halloween. The ninth adventure in the Hank the Cowdog series. For grades 3-7. 1989. Subjects: Humor; Adventure; Animals and Wildlife; Holidays. Available for download as DBC07248.

Hank the Cowdog 13: The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve by John R. Erickson (DT04882)
Driving into town for some last-minute Christmas shopping, Hank and
his sidekicks are struck not necessarily by the meaning of Christmas
but by a twenty-five pound buzzard who crashes through the
windshield. For grades 3-7.1989. Subjects: Humor; Animals and Wildlife; Holidays.
Available to download as DBC07245.

Hank the Cowdog 19: The Case of the Midnight Rustler by John R. Erickson (DT05348)
When a cattle rustler starts taking calves from Uncle Johnny’s canyon
pasture, it’s up to Cowboy Slim and Hank the Cowdog, head of ranch
security, to catch the “criminal” in the act.  Will Hank survive the
terrible poisoned weenies and the fierce coyote brothers, Rip and
Snort, to see good triumph over evil once again? For grades 3-7. 1992. Subjects: Humor; Adventure; Animals and Wildlife. Available to download as DBC07247.

Hank the Cowdog 24: The Case of the Black-Hooded Hangmans by John R. Erickson (DT06118)
Hank assists the ranch’s pet raccoon, Eddy the Rac, in performing
magic tricks, but the tricks backfire when Hank becomes prime
suspect in a felony and Eddy pulls a disappearing act! For grades 3-7. 1995. Subjects: Humor; Adventure; Animals and Wildlife. Available for download as DBC07251.

Hakon of Rogen’s Saga by Erik Christian Haugaard (DT00479)
Set in Norway during the post-Viking period, a 13-year-old boy tells
of his struggle to regain possession of his dead father’s property,
now usurped by a treacherous uncle. For grades 6-9. 1963.  Subjects: Historical Fiction. Available to download as DBC07255.

Bluebonnet at Johnson Space Center by Mary Brooke Casad (DT07314)
Bluebonnet the armadillo visits the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in
Houston and takes a ride on the space shuttle. For grades K-4. 1993.
Subjects: Animals and Wildlife. Available to download as DBC07265.

Angelina and Alice by Katharine Holabird (DT07337)
Angelina and her best friend Alice discover the importance of teamwork
when their acrobatics are the hit of the gymnastics show at the
village fair. For grades K-3. 2001. Subjects: Friendship Fiction; Animals and Wildlife.    Available to download as DBC07250.

The Boy in the Alamo by Margaret Cousins (DT03922)
Undoubtedly the best children’s book about the Alamo ever written.
With sure strokes, the author sketches both the physical and
emotional realities of Texas in 1836.  The reader is swept along the
trail from the pain of defeat to victory and hope. For grade 4-7 and older
readers. Subjects: Historical Fiction.
Available for download as DBC07244.

To request a title please call us at 1-800-252-9605 (toll-free in Texas)/512-463-5458 (Austin area) or send an email to: tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov.

New from the TBP Recording Studio September 2016

Check out these titles fresh from the TBP Recording Studio.  They are available for loan on digital cartridge or for download via BARD.

Welcome to Utopia: Notes From a Small Town by Karen Valby (DT 07302)
The author profiles the small town of Utopia, Texas, which has a population of fewer than three hundred people. It follows the struggles and lifestyles of four of its residents and examines themes of class, culture, and the influence of media. Strong language. Subjects: Social Sciences; U.S. History. Available for download as DBC07227.

Dead Men Running by Joel Lee (DT 07303)
The year is 1989, and the Cedar Mountain Six have just pulled off the impossible–a mass Death Row prison escape. Now they are on the run, and Officer Jack Spencer is the first responder. Jack is stuck in a dead-end life and contemplating suicide, and the Six’s escape is exactly what he needs–a real chance to finally be the hero he always thought he would become. Some strong language. Subjects: Suspense Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories. Available for download as DBC07226.

Beyond Summer by Lisa Wingate (DT 07214)
When soon-to-be college student Tam Lambert learns that her family’s finances are collapsing, the privileged life she’s known is forever changed. Tam and her family must move to a tiny house owned by her father’s company, Householders, in the Dallas neighborhood of Blue Sky Hill. Shasta Reid-Williams and her husband have just purchased their first home in Blue Sky Hill, and it’s the perfect place to raise her children. Even better is having a great neighbor like Tam, who lives across the street. When news of a corrupt mortgage scheme breaks, and Blue Sky Hill neighbors realize they could soon lose their homes, new friendships and old loyalties are tested, and two young women discover the strength and maturity to do the impossible. Subjects: Inspirational; Religious Fiction; Family. Available for download as DBC07225.

Murder on the Rocks: A Gray Whale Inn Mystery by Karen MacInerney (DT 06924)Trading Texas heat for Maine’s tangy salt air, Natalie Barnes has risked it all to buy the Gray Whale Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast on Cranberry Island. She adores whipping up wicked blueberry coffee cake and to-die-for fudgy frosted brownies for her visitors. But when one of her guests turns up dead, the police–and most of the islanders–think Natalie has added murder to the mix. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories. Available for download as DBC07205.

A Little Time in Texas by Joan Johnston (DT 05523) Past meets present when Angel Taylor, fearing for her life from a rogue bunch of 1864 cowboys, is pulled into a cave by a stranger–and into present-day Texas. Travelling alone in 19th century Texas had prepared Angel for almost anything–except maybe short dresses and modern dating etiquette. Stranded in an unknown world, Angel finds friendship and romance with Texas Ranger Dallas Masterson. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. Subjects: Romance. Available for download as DBC07218.

Black Plumes by Margery Allingham (DT 00783)
A murder mystery with emphasis on characterization, centering about the death of a noted art dealer. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories. Available for download as DBC07219.

Life on the King Ranch by Frank Goodwyn (DT 05653)
In the author’s words, “This is the story of me and my ranch friends, of the heritage that was ours, the way we worked, the tales we told, and the fun we had on America’s largest, most progressive cattle ranch.” Subjects: The West. Available for download as DBC07220.

Nights of the Red Moon by Milton T. Burton (DT 07291)
His small-town work thrown into chaos by the murder of a minister’s wife, Texas sheriff Bo Handel learns that the victim was addicted to prescription drugs and running with one of the roughest men in town. Some violence and strong language. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories. Available for download ad DBC07223.

Bluebonnet at Dinosaur Valley State Park by Mary Brooke Casad (DT 07313)Bluebonnet the armadillo visits Dinosaur Valley State Park and has adventures with a glyptodon, an armadillo ancestor. For grades K-3. Subjects: Animals and Wildlife. Available for download as DBC07224.

 

New from the TBP Recording Studio

Check out the most recently recorded titles from the TBP Recording Studio.  They are available for loan on digital cartridge or for download via BARD.

Zandy’s Bride by Lillian Bos Ross (DT 7233)
A rough pioneer from the primitive mountain country sends east for a mail order bride. She shares his harsh existence and teaches him how to love. Originally published in 1942 as “The Stranger.” Contains some strong language and some violence.  Subjects: Western Stories; Romance. Available for download as DBC07213.

Hot Iron by Elmer Kelton (DT 7304)
In the early days of the Texas Panhandle, starting a new life is hard but keeping it is even harder. Espy Norwood is a troubleshooter who’s got troubles of his own – and more troubles find him when he lands a job on a ranch on the Texas plains. Bitter landowners plot against him, determined cattle thieves sneak right under his nose, and his own son refuses to trust or even know him. Can he catch the thieves, save the ranch, and win his son’s love? 1956. Subjects: Family; Western Stories. Available for download as DBC07216.

The Girl from Charnell by K.L. Cook (DT 7218)
It’s 1960 in the Panhandle town of Charnelle, Texas – a year and a half since sixteen-year-old Laura Tate’s mother boarded a bus and mysteriously disappeared. Assuming responsibility for the Tate household, Laura cares for her father and three brothers and outwardly maintains a sense of calm. But her balance is upset and the repercussions of her family’s struggles are revealed when a chance encounter with a married man leads Laura into a complicated relationship for which she is unprepared. Contains explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and violence. Subjects: Growing Up; Historical Fiction; Family. Available for download as DBC07217.

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree by Susan Wittig Albert (DT 7080)
The country may be struggling through the Great Depression, but the good ladies of Darling, Alabama are determined to keep their chins up and their town beautiful. Their garden club, the Darling Dahlias, has just inherited a new clubhouse and garden, complete with two beautiful cucumber trees. When local blond bombshell Bunny Scott is found in a suspicious car wreck, garden club members Lizzy, Ophelia, and Verna decide to follow up on leads the sheriff is ignoring. Plus the town is all abuzz with news of an escaped convict from the prison farm, rumors of trouble at the bank, and tales of a ghost heard digging around the cucumber trees. If anyone can get to the root of these mysteries, it’s the Darling Dahlias. Contains some strong language and some violence. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories. Available for download as DBC07221.

A Deadly Affair at Bobtail Ridge by Terry Shames (DT 7292)
Sheriff Samuel Craddock has accepted that his neighbor and friend Jenny Sandstone’s personal life is strictly secret. But when Jenny’s dying mother discloses that Jenny is in danger, Craddock is faced with a dilemma. He wants to respect Jenny’s privacy, but he is haunted by the urgency in the old woman’s voice. When Jenny is injured in a suspicious car accident, Craddock has no choice but to get involved. Contains some descriptions of sex, some violence, and strong language. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories; Family. Available for download as DBC07222.

To request a title please call us at 1-800-252-9605 (toll-free in Texas)/512-463-5458 (Austin area) or send an email to: tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov.

New from the TBP Recording Studio: Hank the Cowdog 56 by John R. Erickson now on BARD

The following book is now available on the BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) website. Download this talking book.

Hank the Cowdog 56: The Case of the Coyote Invasion by John R. Erickson

Hank the Cowdog 56: The Case of the Coyote Invasion by John R. Erickson

DT 7110 – Hank the Cowdog 56: The Case of the Coyote Invasion by John R. Erickson.

Narrated by Lori Brix. Monitored by Tom Johnson.

When Hank the Cowdog hears reports that coyotes are planning to go after the chickens, he manages to resist the temptation to join them and instead thwarts their attack, earning Sally May’s forgiveness, and persuading Loper to stop feeding him Cheapo brand dog food.

2010. For grades 3-6.

Newly Digitized by the TBP Recording Studio: Salute to Sandy by Dale Evans Rogers

The following book is one of the thousands of titles the Texas Talking Book Program’s Studio staff are converting from analog to digital. It is now available on cartridge.

We expect this title available for download from BARD in the future.

Salute to Sandy by Dale Evans Rogers

Salute to Sandy by Dale Evans Rogers

DT 3148 – Salute to Sandy by Dale Evans Rogers.

Narrated by Ann Morrison. Monitored by Vic Rogers and Jack Gazzale.

Sandy was a battered child before being adopted by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. He fought an uphill battle and while serving with the Army in Germany, he made a mistake and paid for it with his life. This is his story, but also the story of all the younger generation whose bravery and idealism in the face of handicaps, danger, and death are the strength and hope of the future.

. . .

This recording was digitized from an analog master and contains some slight distortion in the opening announcements.