Tag Archives: Reader’s Advisory

Indigenous Imaginings: Native American Speculative Fiction

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

FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley (DB 102762)

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

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

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

INTERROGATION OF ASHALA WOLF by Ambelin Kwaymullina (DBC 19699)

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

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

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

KILLER OF ENEMIES by Joseph Bruchac (DB 78176)

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

MARROW THIEVES by Cherie Dimaline (DB 105657)

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

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

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

ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones (DB 100116)

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

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

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

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

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

Ghouls for Love: Halloween Romance

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

DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston (DB 108912)

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

EX HEX by Erin Sterling (DB 105193)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TROUBLE THE SAINTS by Alaya Dawn Johnson (DB 100117)

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

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

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

National Book Award Nominees 2022

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

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

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

Fiction

RABBIT HUTCH
Gunty, Tess
DB 109788 IN PRIOCESS

Nonfiction

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

Translated Literature

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

Young People’s Literature

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

TBP Book Club Title Announced for November 2022!

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

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

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

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

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

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

We ask that everyone remember the following:

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

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

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

Secretive Students

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

September 6: National Read a Book Day

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

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

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

Facts from the Texas Talking Book Program

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

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

Books about Books, Librarians, and Bookstores

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

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

 

August 27: Lyndon Baines Johnson Day

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

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

For More information

Books about LBJ in our collection:

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

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

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

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

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

LYNDON JOHNSON AND THE AMERICAN DREAM
DB 09793

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

WHITE HOUSE DIARY
DBC 18116

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

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

September 2022 Book Club Title Announced!

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Please join us on Thursday, September 22 at 7 p.m. (CDT) for our Book Club discussion of THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (DB 103929).

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

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

THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN is available by mail as a digital cartridge and in large print. It is also available to download on BARD.

Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge or large print copy of the book, or if you will download it from BARD.

We ask that everyone remember the following:

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

THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher MurrayIn 1906, Belle da Costa Greene was hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society, but she is African American passing as white. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2021.

We look forward to having you join us on September 22!

Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist 2022

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Since 1996, the Women’s Prize for Fiction honors books written in English by women. Six books were named as short list titles on April 27, and the winner was announced June 15. We’ve placed it first, but included the rest of the books that were selected as finalists because they are all truly wonderful reads.

For more information: https://womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/features/features/news/announcing-the-womens-prize-2022-longlist

Here are the finalists for 2022 that are in the TBP collection.

BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki (DB 105146)
BULD YOUR HOUSE AROUND MY BODY: A NOVEL by Violet Kupersmith (DB 104783)
GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead (DB 103266, LB 13435)
FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV by Dawnie Walton (DB 102932)
ISLAND OF MISSING TREES by Elif Shafak (DB 106690)
PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller (DB 104340)
SENTENCE: A NOVEL by Louise Erdrich (DB 105798)

LAMBDA Award Finalists 2022

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Since 1988, the Lambda Literary Awards, or the Lammys, have been awarded to the best lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender writing. The winners were announced on June 11. Here are the finalists for 2022 that are in the TBP collection.

2022 Lambda Literary Award Finalists – Lambda Literary

Lesbian Fiction

HOW TO WRESTLE A GIRL: STORIES by Venita Blackburn (DB 106092)
MATRIX by Lauren Groff (DB 104843, BR 23948, LB 13522)
FIVE WOUNDS by Kirstin Valdez Quade (DB 103802)

Gay Fiction

LADRILLEROS by Selva Almada (IN PROCESS)

Bisexual Fiction

MILK FED: A NOVEL by Melissa Broder (DB 103078)
MONSTER IN THE MIDDLE by Tiphanie Yanique (DB 105660)

Transgender Nonfiction

DETRANSITION BABY by Torrey Peters (DB 101806)
SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN by Shelley Parker-Chan (DB 104810)

Lesbian Memoir/Biography

WHY LABELLE MATTERS by Adele Bertei (IN PROCESS)

Gay Memoir/Biography

PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODS by Brian Brammer (DB 106011)

LGBTQ Young Adult

HANI AND ISHU’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING by Adiba Jaigirdar (DB 105388)
CITY BEAUTIFUL by Aden Polydoros (DB 106736, BR 24088)
PASSING PLAYBOOK by Isaac Fitzsimons (DB 105272)