Category Archives: TBP Book Club

TBP Book Club Title Announced for November 2025!

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Join the Talking Book Program for a book club discussion on Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. (Central). We’ll be discussing the book STARTER VILLAIN by John Scalzi (DB 118263).

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 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).

STARTER VILLAIN by John Scalzi (DB 118263)

NLS Annotation: “Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place. Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good. In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat.” — Provided by publisher. Strong langauge. Commercial audiobook. 2023.

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, November 18!

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!

TBP Book Club Title Announced for January 2025!

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Please join us on Tuesday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. central time for our book blub discussion of FROZEN RIVER: A NOVEL by Ariel Lawhon.

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 register for our January 2025 Book Club discussion, contact the Texas Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605 or tbp.ral@tsl.texas.gov.

If you prefer, you can also self-register via this Zoom registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85393198029

FROZEN RIVER is available by mail as a digital cartridge and is also available to download on BARD.

FROZEN RIVER: A NOVEL by Ariel Lawhon

DB 117781

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen-one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

We’re looking forward to having you join us on Tuesday, January 28.

TBP Book Club Title Announced for November 2024!

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Please join us on Thursday, November 21 at 7 pm (Central) for our Book Club discussion of UNRAVELING: WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE WHILE SHEARING SHEEP, DYEING WOOL, AND MAKING THE WORLD’S UGLIEST SWEATER by Peggy Orenstein.

We host our Book Club discussions via Zoom. However, all you need to participate is a telephone! If you have a land line, we will provide a telephone number for accessing the Book Club. If you have a smart phone, we will email an easy “one click” number you can use to join the discussion. We will also email a Zoom invitation to those who prefer to use a computer.

Patrons who register for the discussion will receive this information a week before the book club meeting.

To RSVP please call 1-800-252-09605 or email us at tbpRAL@tsl.texas.gov

UNRAVELING is available by mail as a digital cartridge and is also available to download on BARD.

UNRAVELING: WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE WHILE SHEARING SHEEP, DYEING WOOL, AND MAKING THE WORLD’S UGLIEST SWEATER by Peggy Orenstein

DB 113482

The COVID pandemic propelled many people to change their lives in ways large and small. Some adopted puppies. Others stress-baked. Peggy Orenstein, a lifelong knitter, went just a little further. To keep herself engaged and cope with a series of seismic shifts in family life, she set out to make a garment from the ground up: learning to shear sheep, spin and dye yarn, then knitting herself a sweater. Orenstein hoped the project would help her process not just wool but her grief over the recent death of her mother and the decline of her dad, the impending departure of her college-bound daughter, and other thorny issues of aging as a woman in a culture that by turns ignores and disdains them. What she didn’t expect was a journey into some of the major issues of our time: climate anxiety, racial justice, women’s rights, the impact of technology, sustainability, and, ultimately, the meaning of home. With her wry voice, sharp intelligence, and exuberant honesty, Orenstein shares her year-long journey as daughter, wife, mother, writer, and maker–and teaches us all something about creativity and connection. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

We look forward to having you join us on November 21.

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!

August 20: “TEXAS GREAT READ” BONUS BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION

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Please join us on Tuesday, August 20 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) for our Great Texas Read book club discussion of WHICH WAY TREE by Elizabeth Crook DB 90644.

Every year, the Library of Congress asks each state Center for the Book to select a title that represents the state’s literary landscape to highlight at the National Book Festival. The event showcases the importance of books and reading. The festival is sponsored by the Library of Congress and takes place during Labor Day weekend in Washington, D.C.

In honor of this event, the Texas Talking Book Program will host a bonus book club meeting so that our patrons can participate in the Great Texas Read initiative. The Great Texas Read is an event sponsored by Texas Center for the Book.

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 RSVP, please call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605. 

Please indicate if you would like us to mail you the digital cartridge 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).

NLS Annotation: After a panther attacks her family and kills her mother, young Samantha sets out to stalk and kill the ferocious creature. She travels along with her half brother, Benjamin, a Tejano outlaw, and a preacher. The group is, in turn, pursued by a sadistic Confederate soldier with a score to settle. Violence and some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

We request that everyone remember the following:

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

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, August 20!

July 2024 TBP Book Club Title Announced!

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Please join us on Thursday, July 25 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) for our Book Club discussion of MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

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

MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER is available by mail as a digital cartridge and is also available to download on BARD.

MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite (DB 93043)
Though it wears on her, Korede has grown very good at cleaning up her sister’s messes—namely, those left after she murders her boyfriends. The bright spot in Korede’s life is a kind doctor at the hospital where she works–until the day he meets Korede’s sister and asks for her number. Some violence. Bestseller. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

We’re looking forward to having you join us on Thursday, July 25!

May 2024 TBP Book Club Title Announced!

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Please join us on Tuesday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) for our Book Club discussion of MERCURY RISING: JOHN GLENN, JOHN KENNEDY, AND THE NEW BATTLEGROUND OF THE COLD WAR by Jeff Shesol.

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

MERCURY RISING is available by mail as a digital cartridge and is also available to download on BARD.

MERCURY RISING: JOHN GLENN, JOHN KENNEDY, AND THE NEW BATTLEGROUND OF THE COLD WAR by Jeff Shesol (DB 110864)

A riveting history of the epic orbital flight that put America back into the space race. If the United States couldn’t catch up to the Soviets in space, how could it compete with them on Earth? That was the question facing John F. Kennedy at the height of the Cold War–a perilous time when the Soviet Union built the wall in Berlin, tested nuclear bombs more destructive than any in history, and beat the United States to every major milestone in space. The race to the heavens seemed a race for survival—and America was losing. On February 20, 1962, when John Glenn blasted into orbit aboard Friendship 7, his mission was not only to circle the planet; it was to calm the fears of the free world and renew America’s sense of self-belief. Mercury Rising re-creates the tension and excitement of a flight that shifted the momentum of the space race and put the United States on the path to the moon. Drawing on new archival sources, personal interviews, and previously unpublished notes by Glenn himself, Mercury Rising reveals how the astronaut’s heroics lifted the nation’s hopes in what Kennedy called the “hour of maximum danger.” Commercial audiobook.

We’re looking forward to having you join us on Tuesday, May 21!

TBP Book Club Title Announced for March 2024!

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Please join us on Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) for our book club discussion of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus (DB 107538, BR 24813, LB 13735).

Our book club meetings take place 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 RSVP, please call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605. 

Please indicate if you would like us to mail the digital cartridge to you or if you prefer to download it from NLS BARD. Also, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone call (or both).

NLS Annotation: In the early 1960s, chemist Elizabeth Zott has a lot of challenges as the only woman on her team at Hastings Research Institute. She falls for colleague Calvin Evans, but the double standards of the day eventually have her looking for a new chapter outside academia, hosting a television cooking show. Strong language and some violence. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2022.

We request that everyone remember the following:

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

We look forward to having you join us on Thursday, March 21!