### Talking Book Topics, Vol. 71, No. 1, January-February 2005 Talking Book Topics January-February 2005 Volume 71, Number 1 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped _Talking Book Topics_ is published bimonthly in large-print, cassette, and computer diskette formats and distributed free to blind and physically handicapped individuals who participate in the Library of Congress free reading program. It lists recorded books and magazines available through a network of cooperating libraries and covers news of developments and activities in library services. The annotated list in this issue is limited to titles recently added to the national collection, which contains thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles, including classics, biographies, gothics, mysteries, and how-to and self-help guides. To learn more about the wide range of books in the national collection, readers may order catalogs and subject bibliographies from cooperating libraries. Librarians can check other resources for titles and answer requests for special materials. To order books, contact your local cooperating library. Correspondence regarding editorial matters should be sent to: Publications and Media Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542 Library of Congress, Washington 2005 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 60-46157 ISSN 0039-9183 Contents: In Brief Books for Adults Cassettes--Nonfiction Cassettes--Fiction Books for Children Cassettes--Nonfiction Cassettes--Fiction Foreign Language Books Spanish Talking Book Magazines In Brief The following material is reprinted from NLS Flash, December 2004, volume 1, issue 2, a newsletter created to bring current information on NLS progress in digital technology to patrons, library staff, and other interested individuals. Flash technology: the perfect fit for NLS What has been dipped in cola, put through a washing machine, dunked in coffee, trampled by a skateboard, run over by a child's toy car and given to a six-year-old boy to destroy? Answer: a flash cartridge--an extremely durable device. Five cartridges were tested. Five survived. For this reason, among others, NLS settled on flash memory as the new distribution technology for its digital talking books (DTB). Flash memory--a term coined for the system's ability to rewrite content "in a flash"--is the industry standard for handheld devices such as cell phones, digital cameras and palmtop computers. It combines rewritability and portability with ease of operation and decreasing costs--all features that make it attractive to both the users of DTBs and librarians. In addition, the flash cartridges will be about the size of a credit card, or approximately 2 x 3-1/2 inches. This will permit NLS to label book titles in braille as well as large print. "Flash technology will provide readers with a DTB that is easy to use, portable, and virtually indestructible with the high-quality sound one expects from a digital product. It will allow users the reading experience of their choice," says Frank Kurt Cylke, the director of NLS. Flash was not a rash decision. NLS examined the range of other memory storage devices, such as the CD-ROM and magnetic drives. Until recently, flash memory was priced too high. But now costs are reasonable. "NLS has been tracking this technology for a number of years. Now it is clear from the continued drop in prices and from projections by industry analysts that it will be feasible by 2008," says Michael Moodie, deputy director of NLS. Consider the alternatives. Why flash cartridges instead of the more familiar CD-ROM? CDs are low-cost and can store a book; however, they are difficult to handle especially for people with limited dexterity. The discs are easily damaged and must be inspected each time they are sent out, or a new copy produced for each circulation. In addition, CD players are fragile and repairs are expensive. A magnetic hard drive system was also considered. This medium could store as many as 300 book titles on a single machine. However, the drives have sensitive electromechanical parts that damage easily and are expensive to repair. Based on careful evaluation of all available options, a flash-memory-based system was adopted for implementation in 2008. Technology for tomorrow. It was necessary for NLS to update the current system. "The current analog cassette system is based on a technology that is disappearing. In the future, parts for players will be difficult or impossible to obtain, and the cost of cassette tape is likely to increase significantly. In addition, digital technology offers many features that will benefit talking-book users," says Jean M. Moss, NLS digital projects coordinator. "Flash memory is more durable, easier to handle, and simpler to use than other digital media. It will also mean more reliable players because no moving parts are required," says Moss. Flash technology will most appeal to patrons because of its ease of use. "Patrons will like the fact that the great majority of books will each be on a single flash cartridge, so there will be fewer objects to keep track of," says Moodie. "An entire cartridge can be played from beginning to end without having to change any switches or turn the cartridge over. And the player will always keep track of where the reader left off." "Because flash memory cartridges can have new books quickly copied onto them and can be reused thousands of times, new distribution models are possible. For example, some books do not circulate very often but are still important to have in the program. Rather than having such books taking up shelf space in libraries across the country, copies can be quickly made when needed," says Moodie. "Flash was chosen because it fits so well with our many requirements for a talking- book medium," says Moodie. Tale of a talking book 1934 Talking books on 33-1/3 rpm discs introduced 1958 Prototype books produced on 16-2/3 rpm discs 1965 AE-1 talking-book machine with three-speed motor 1968 First transistorized, light-weight talking-book machine 1969 Standard cassettes distributed 1971 Issued first 1-7/8 and 15/16 cassette machines 1973 All discs recorded at 8-1/3 rpm 1973 Proprietary cassette machine prototype developed and modified for distribution 1983 Produced first C-1 cassette player, 15/16 speed, four-track format 1986 Simplified cassette machine distributed 2004 Flash technology selected as medium for the future Digital talking book (DTB) milestones Completed: - Defined and prioritized digital talking book (DTB) features. - Coordinated development and publication of Specifications for the Digital Talking Book (ANSI/NISO Z39.86). - Simulated a DTB player using a personal computer. - Developed a computer-based life-cycle cost analysis (LCC) model for the NLS system and for candidate digital systems. - Developed computer software for DTB production and presentation. - Developed software to test conformance of players and DTBs with the ANSI/NISO standard. - User survey - Player transition study - Distribution medium study Start 1/12/04-Finish 10/1/08 The following ongoing projects, set to conclude in 2008, are shown with start dates in parentheses. - Web-Magazine pilot (1/12/04) - Digital data management system development (11/1/04) - Player and medium design (11/1/04) - Distribution system design and transition planning (12/1/04) - Design DTB containers and labels (6/1/05) - Web-Book pilot (6/1/05) - Prepare for DTB distribution (10/1/05) - Circulation systems design (12/1/05) - Manufacture initial lot of DTB containers and labels (9/1/06) - Distribution system implementation (10/1/06) - Circulation systems implementation (10/1/06) - Media production (3/1/07) - Media duplication (5/1/07) - Full player production (9/1/07) For information on the NLS digital project, contact Jean M. Moss, Digital Projects Coordinator. E-mail: jemo@loc.gov; fax: (202) 707-1690. For the NLS Strategic Business Plan online: www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan/index.html. Collection Development Advisory Group seeks advice The members of the Collection Development Advisory Group wish to thank fellow patrons and librarians for their input concerning the NLS program. Ideas and suggestions from readers are key ingredients in the success of our program and are thoroughly discussed in the committee's deliberations. Please continue to assist us by contacting committee members or your cooperating braille or talking-book library with suggestions. The group will meet again May 25-27, 2005, at NLS. Representatives from consumer organizations: American Council of the Blind Mr. Otis Stephens University of Tennessee College of Law 1505 West Cumberland Ave. Knoxville, TN 37996 ostephen@utk.edu Blinded Veterans Association Mr. Clyde A. Compton 44 Crater Lane Stafford, VA 22556 cacompton1@earthlink.net National Federation of the Blind Ms. Ever Lee Hairston 113 Greensward Lane Cherry Hill, NJ 08002-4710 ehairston@camdencountry.com Readers-at-large representatives: Midlands Region-includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Ms. Gail Walter PO Box 22 Goodland, KS 67735 gailj@eaglecom.net Northern Region-includes Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. Ms. Sharon Strzalkowski 127 June Street #3 Worcester, MA 01602 strzal@charter.net Southern Region-includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Virgin Islands. Mr. Albert Salzstein 7740 NW 50th St., Apt 409 Lauderhill, FL 33351 kletskeral2@aol.com Western Region-includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Ms. Sheryl Nelson 1941 Puowaina Drive Honolulu, HI 96813 snelson@aloha.net Librarians Midlands Ms. Dori Middleton Detroit Subregional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Detroit Public Library Douglass Branch Library 3666 Grand River Avenue Detroit, MI 48208 (313) 833-5494 or (313) 833-5497; fax: (313) 832-5597 dmiddle@detroit.lib.mi.us Northern Ms. Bonnie Farrier Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library New York Public Library 40 West 20th Street New York, NY 10011 (212) 206-5432; fax: (212) 206-5418 bfarrier@nypl.org Southern Ms. Julie C. Harris Collection Librarian State of North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped 1811 Capital Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27604 (919) 733-4376; fax: (919) 733-6910 jharris@library.dcr.state.nc.us Western: Ms. Christie Briggs Montana Talking Book Library (406) 444-2064; fax: (406) 444-0266 cbriggs@state.mt.us Children-s/Young Adult Librarian: Ms. Cindy Nugent Blind and Physically Handicapped Services Mississippi Library Commission 1221 Ellis Avenue Jackson, MS 39209-7328 (601) 961-4093 frizsell@mlc.lib.ms.us Magazine of the Month selections for 2005 Two NLS programs offer readers samplings of magazines not otherwise available through network libraries. Subscribers to Magazine of the Month and Young Adult Magazine of the Month receive a different magazine on audio cassette each month. For a free subscription to either program, contact your cooperating talking-book library. Although the selections are subject to change, subscribers will receive some of the following magazines during 2005. Magazine of the Month - American Legacy (African American history and culture; stories, facts, and legends about people and events) - The BARk: The Modern Dog Culture Magazine (modern dog culture; book and film reviews, poetry, short fiction, news items, and information about dog behavior, health, care, and travel) - Better Homes and Gardens (gardening, interior design, building, family matters, food and health, with technical information) - Car and Driver (reviews and tests of domestic and foreign automobiles and other features) - Counter Terrorism (international counterterrorism and homeland security; articles on the latest technology and techniques available to battle insurgency; book reviews and news stories) - Lifetime: Real Life, Real Women (articles of interest to modern women on fashion, decorating, food and diet, human relations, careers, and family) - Poets and Writers (journal by and about writers; interviews, publishing industry news, genre writing, and historical issues) - Reunions Magazine (all sorts of reunions: family, school, military, and social; includes contributions from readers who share their experiences) - Science (news of the week from all areas of science; research articles and book reviews0 - Threads: For People Who Love to Sew (all aspects of sewing with projects to teach techniques, style, and design concepts) - People en Español (Spanish-language equivalent of People magazine in English) - Wired (the Internet and other areas of science and technology) Alternates: Black Enterprise, Budget Living, Dog Fancy, Knitter-s, More, Motor Trend, Novel Writing, Plenty, Scientific American, Where to Retire, World War II Young Adult Magazine of the Month - Black Beat Magazine (latest in urban musical news for African American teenagers) - Classic Fighting Arts (history, personalities, and evolution of martial arts) - Dig (news about archaeological discovery geared to children and younger teens; includes hands-on projects) - Discovery Girls (created by girls; articles on relationships, entertainment, and fashion) - E Magazine: The Environmental Magazine (information, news, and commentary on the environment; includes health, food, and products to buy) - Elle Girl (fashion, health, beauty, and lifestyle for teens) - Justine: The New Teen in Town (fashion, clothes, beauty, health, and celebrities for teens) - Scratch: The Science of Hip-Hop Magazine (the latest in hip-hop; personalities, reviews, and news) - SG: The Girls- Source for Surf/Snow/Skate Lifestyle (sports for women; places to go, equipment, fashions, personalities) - Soccer America (the U.S. soccer scene; players, college action, tournaments, and international news) - Starlog: Science Fiction Films, TV, Video (science fiction, fantasy, and horror in popular media; news, interviews, and articles) - Vanidades (magazine in Spanish about famous people, fashion, and popular culture) Alternates: Archaeology, Blackgirl, Elle, Environment, Grappling, Icarus, Mademoiselle, Sassy, Snowboard Life, Soccer Jr., Source ### _Books for Adults_ Books listed in this issue of _Talking Book Topics_ were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, contact your cooperating library. _Note:_ For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language." _Cassettes Nonfiction_ Voices from the Negro Leagues: Conversations with Fifty-two Baseball Standouts of the Period 1924-1960. RC 54770. by Brent Kelley. read by Chuck Young. 4 cassettes. Interviews with African American athletes from the segregated baseball teams of the twentieth century. Includes players from before and after 1947, when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Includes Rodolfo Fernandez, now in the Cuban Hall of Fame, and Frazier Robinson, Satchel Paige's favorite catcher. 1998. RC 54770. ## Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal. RC 55721. by David Konow. read by John Lescault. 3 cassettes. History of the music genre that evolved from the blues in England in the late 1960s. Discusses the careers of heavy metal's most notorious groups including Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Metallica, Def Leppard, and Guns N' Roses. Strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 55721. ## An Old Wife's Tale: My Seven Decades in Love and War. RC 55808. by Midge Decter. read by Susan McInerney. 2 cassettes. Midge Decter, conservative commentator, offers a memoir of her life over the past seventy years. From her first secretarial job in New York City to her reign as executive editor of _Harper's_ magazine, Decter relates her experiences against a backdrop of her opinions on feminism, motherhood, and politics. 2001. RC 55808. ## An Arrow through the Heart: One Woman's Story of Life, Love, and Surviving a Near-Fatal Heart Attack. RC 56006. by Deborah Daw Heffernan. read by Gillian Green. 2 cassettes. Inspirational tale of recovery from sudden heart failure from which the author almost dies at the age of forty-four. Explains illness and disability from a patient's point of view and describes the changes in relationships that result when death is a daily possibility. 2002. RC 56006. ## The Search for the Panchen Lama. RC 56058. by Isabel Hilton. read by Anne Flosnik. 3 cassettes. British journalist recounts the events surrounding the 1995 disappearance of the Tibetan boy considered to be the eleventh incarnation of the Panchen Lama--the second highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism. Hilton combines religious history, Chinese political intrigue, and her own travel experiences to explain this seven-year-old's importance. 1999. RC 56058. ## Toward Commitment: A Dialogue about Marriage. RC 56116. by Diane Rehm and John B. Rehm. read by Susan McInerney. 2 cassettes. National Public Radio talk show host and author of _Finding My Voice (RC 49385)_ reveals both her satisfaction and disappointment in her marriage to her attorney husband of forty-two years. Among topics discussed are sex, religion, parenting, money, in-laws, retirement, and aging. 2002. RC 56116. ## Remarkable Changes: Turning Life's Challenges into Opportunities. RC 56224. by Jane Seymour. read by Miriam Wagner. 2 cassettes. Autobiography of English actress born in 1951. Seymour shares seven lessons for making the most of life's changes and candidly discusses her own disappointments and triumphs--her divorces and marriages, her children, and her career. Also includes stories of others who grew from their experiences, as well as a preface by Christopher Reeve. 2003. RC 56224. ## Closing the Gap: A Strategy for Bringing Parents and Teens Together. RC 56365. by Jay McGraw. read by Gary Roan. 1 cassette. Manual written by the young adult author of _Life Strategies for Teens (RC 51563)_ suggests ways both parents and teens can reconnect by working out differences, respecting each other, and gaining a balance between control and independence. For senior high and older readers. 2001. RC 56365. ## Teens with the Courage to Give: Young People Who Triumphed over Tragedy and Volunteered to Make a Difference. RC 56366. by Jackie Waldman. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Thirty teenagers share their experiences overcoming hardship and finding fulfillment by helping others. In "The Fight for Life," a teen suffering from depression starts a suicide prevention program; in "Born to Win," a one-legged amputee wins races wearing a prosthesis and visits kids in hospitals. For junior and senior high readers. 2000. RC 56366. ## One Hundred One Foot-Care Tips for People with Diabetes. RC 56378. by Jessie H. Ahroni. read by Miriam Wagner. 1 cassette. Provides answers to common questions about foot problems associated with two complications of diabetes--poor circulation and nerve damage. Discusses skin and nail care, footwear, exercise, treatment of minor ailments, and identifying major concerns. 2000. RC 56378. ## For Better or for Worse...but Not for Lunch: Making Marriage Work in Retirement. RC 56387. by Sara Yogev. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. Psychologist addresses the impact of retirement on feelings toward home, money, friendships, and marriage. Drawing on case studies and research, Yogev offers strategies and innovative exercises to assist retirees and their partners adjust to the major transition. 2002. RC 56387. ## Choices: Taking Control of Your Life and Making It Matter. RC 56391. by Melody Beattie. read by Graci Ragsdale. 2 cassettes. Author of _Codependent No More (RC 28220)_ combines traditional wisdom with anecdotes about personal experiences to encourage others to make positive choices. Offers practical advice on approaching change, becoming proactive by controlling what one can, and observing the results of personal decisions. Each entry ends with a brief meditation. 2002. RC 56391. ## Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston. RC 56643. by Valerie Boyd. read by Anne Hancock. 4 cassettes. Biographical appraisal of the life and work of African American folklorist and writer Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960). Discusses Hurston's roots in rural Florida, her studies at Howard University and Barnard, her Harlem Renaissance friendships, her anthropological travels in the South, and her published writings. 2003. RC 56643. ## Jersey Rain. RC 56663. by Robert Pinsky. read by Geoffrey Centlivre. 1 cassette. This collection of lyric poems by the former U.S. poet laureate covers a wide variety of seemingly unrelated subjects. In "To Television," Pinsky reflects on the comforting distractions of a hotel room television set; in "The Green Piano," he relates neighborhood and family history. 2000. RC 56663. ## Khrushchev: The Man and His Era. RC 56692. by William Taubman. read by Bill Wallace. 7 cassettes in 2 containers. Chronicles the life and times of Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), a Ukrainian peasant who rose through the Communist ranks to eventually succeed Joseph Stalin as party leader of the Soviet Union. Uses newly released archives and interviews with Khrushchev's contemporaries to explore the complexity and contradictions in the leader's character. 2003. RC 56692. ## It's Not Over 'til It's Over. RC 56775. by Al Silverman. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 3 cassettes. Former _Sport_ magazine editor recounts the twentieth century's most dramatic sporting events, providing player perspective and historical context. Profiles include the sudden-death pro-football championship game between the Colts and the Giants in 1958, the 1971 Frazier-Ali fight, and the quest for hockey gold at the 1980 Olympics. Some strong language. 2002. RC 56775. ## The Sweet Hell Inside: A Family History. RC 56781. by Edward Ball. read by Thomas Penny. 3 cassettes. Continues BAll's study of his ancestors, the Harlestons of South Carolina, which he began in _Slaves in the Family (RC 46018)_. Chronicles the lives of slave-owner William Harleston and his mixed-race slave Kate Wilson and their eight children, born in the mid-1800s. Traces their extraordinary and prosperous lineage. 2001. RC 56781. ## Disabled Rights: American Disability Policy and the Fight for Equality. RC 56788. by Jacqueline Vaughn Switzer. read by Margaret Strom. 3 cassettes. History and politics of the disability rights movement in the United States. Discusses how the disability community has coalesced in the past fifty years to press its demands and how passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act has shaped public policy and individual expectations. Also reviews ADA-related litigation and some "hot button" issues. 2003. RC 56788. ## Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. RC 56789. by Kay Redfield Jamison. read by Mary Kane. 2 cassettes. A professor of psychiatry examines the relationship between mood disorders and artistic creativity. Discusses manic-depression, autobiographical material, family history, biological research, and artistic endeavor to explore their links. Examines these connections in the lives of writers and artists, focusing on Lord Byron as a prime example. 1993. RC 56789. ## Route 66 A.D.: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists. RC 56790. by Tony Perrottet. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. Armed with history's oldest surviving guidebook, an Australian travel writer retraces tour routes of the first people to enjoy safe and easy recreational travel around their empire. Blending historical anecdotes, personal encounters, and commentary on the culture of tourism, Perrottet and his companion journey through Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. 2002. RC 56790. ## Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Execution. RC 56796. by Jerry Bledsoe. read by Steven Carpenter. 3 cassettes. Follows the case of a North Carolina woman who was executed in 1984 for poisoning four people (including her mother and her fiancé) with arsenic. Includes interviews with her children and describes her jailhouse religious conversion. Some violence and some strong language. 1998. RC 56796. ## Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise. RC 56807. by Sally Cline. read by Faith Potts. 5 cassettes. English literary scholar reexamines the life of the Jazz Age writer, painter, and ballerina whose artistic efforts were overshadowed by the celebrity of her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and undermined by encroaching mental illness. Cline illuminates Zelda's character, explores her sometimes enigmatic self-expression, and reevaluates her legacy. 2002. RC 56807. ## A Matter of Degrees: What Temperature Reveals about the Past and Future of Our Species, Planet, and Universe. RC 56809. by Gino Segrè. read by Gregory Gorton. 2 cassettes. Physicist examines temperature as a fundamental factor in understanding the universe. Addresses major scientific problems such as the conditions for the birth of the universe, the first appearance of life on Earth, the concept of absolute zero, and the puzzle of constant mammal body temperature. 2002. RC 56809. ## Some of Us Did Not Die: New and Selected Essays. RC 56810. by June Jordan. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Forty essays and verse from the late poet, activist, and professor of African American studies. Jordan speaks out against racial and gender inequality, advocating legal reform. Includes work from four earlier anthologies and previously unpublished writings. The title piece is a reaction to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 2002. RC 56810. ## The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid--America's First World War II Victory. RC 56859. by Craig Nelson. read by Lou Harpenau. 4 cassettes. Chronicles the first U.S. retaliatory attack on Japan following Pearl Harbor. Details the planning, training, execution, and aftermath of the daring mission of the Doolittle Raid, focusing on the fliers' personal experiences. Draws extensively on firsthand accounts as well as military records. Some violence. 2002. RC 56859. ## The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution. RC 56860. by Barnet Schecter. read by Roy Avers. 3 cassettes. Examines the crucial role of New York City in the Revolutionary War--from General George Washington's initial defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn in August 1776 through the British evacuation in 1783. Describes the historic sites of skirmishes and fortifications with references to contemporary locations in the city. 2002. RC 56860. ## Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point. RC 56895. by David Lipsky. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 3 cassettes. Journalist follows the men and women of company G-4 from their arrival as plebes at the United States Military Academy to graduation. The group portrait provides an in- depth examination of the rigors of cadet life and how instilled principles such as honor, equality, and patriotism reflect American society. Some strong language. 2003. RC 56895. ## A Treasury of Great American Scandals: Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing. RC 56899. by Michael Farquhar. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 2 cassettes. Farquhar follows up _A Treasury of Royal Scandals (RC 52663)_ with three centuries of disgraceful conduct by U.S. presidents and other political figures--but nothing after 1980. His targets include George Washington, whose mother complained of his financial neglect; Abraham Lincoln, whose wife chased him with a butcher knife; and many others. Bestseller 2003. RC 56899. ## Thieves in High Places: They've Stolen Our Country--and It's Time to Take It Back. RC 56922. by Jim Hightower. read by Gregory Gorton. 2 cassettes. Populist author of _If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates (RC 51808)_ continues his sardonic criticism of the second Bush administration. Implores voters to defeat politicians who are controlled by wealthy corporations and other special interest groups. Bestseller 2003. RC 56922. ## Flyboys: A True Story of Courage. RC 57005. by James Bradley. read by James Bradley. 3 cassettes. Author Bradley of _Flags of Our Fathers (RC 50264)_ recounts events that led to the bombing of Japanese communication towers on Chichi Jima by nine American airmen in 1945. Discusses Japanese American relations and reveals the horrors endured by the men who died and by the one survivor, George H.W. Bush. Violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 57005. ## Absolute Beginner's Guide to eBay. RC 57024. by Michael Miller. read by John Richardson. 3 cassettes. Guide to buying and selling items on eBay, the online auction site launched in 1995 to facilitate trading of all types of merchandise. Provides information on setting up an account, searching for items, dealing with fraudulent sellers, becoming a successful seller, payment methods, shipment of items, and other topics. 2003. RC 57024. ## Helping Children with Autism Learn: Treatment Approaches for Parents and Professionals. RC 57033. by Bryna Siegel. read by Kerry Cundiff. 4 cassettes. Guide for teachers, parents, and therapists to designing treatments according to each child's particular learning style. Siegel, a developmental psychologist, identifies the fundamentals of disabilities associated with autistic spectrum disorders and integrates developmental, behavioral, educational, and medical research and theory into her strategies. 2003. RC 57033. ## Madam Secretary. RC 57048. by Madeleine Albright. read by Mary Kane. 5 cassettes. Memoir by former secretary of state under President Clinton. Albright seeks to "combine the personal with policy" to describe the worldwide events in which she participated. Includes her reminiscences of childhood as a Czechoslovakian refugee and married life before she entered the tumultuous world of politics. Bestseller 2003. RC 57048. ## Life on Wheels: For the Active Wheelchair User. RC 57050. by Gary Karp. read by Mark Ashby. 4 cassettes. A guide to help people with mobility disabilities enhance their quality of life and adapt more completely to wheelchair use. Karp, who lives fully despite his inability to walk, provides information on home access, intimacy issues, medical concerns, and selecting a wheelchair. Also discusses applicable politics and legislation. 1999. RC 57050. ## Good Poems. RC 57059. selected by Garrison Keillor. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. A selection of poems that were read over National Public Radio on a daily five-minute program called "The Writer's Almanac." Includes classics by Shakespeare and Walt Whitman as well as many works by twentieth-century poets including Hayden Carruth, John Updike, Elizabeth Bishop, e.e. cummings, and Maxine Kumin. 2002. RC 57059. ## A Look over My Shoulder: A Life in the Central Intelligence Agency. RC 57060. by Richard Helms. read by Steven Carpenter. 3 cassettes. Posthumous memoir by former director of Central Intelligence (1966-1973) chronicles his thirty years of service, beginning with his 1942 naval training. Helms's agency career in the world of covert action, espionage, and Cold War operations includes President Nixon's attempts to involve the CIA in the Watergate cover-up. Foreword by Henry Kissinger. 2003. RC 57060. ## The Irritable Heart: The Medical Mystery of the Gulf War. RC 57083. by Jeff Wheelwright. read by Lou Harpenau. 4 cassettes. Reviews the medical histories of five ailing veterans from the 1991 Persian Gulf War to seek a biomedical explanation for difficult-to-diagnose conditions. Also examines illnesses exhibited by military personnel after other armed encounters, including "irritable heart" disease following the Civil War. Concludes these maladies result from a combination of physical symptoms and psychological stress. 2001. RC 57083. ## The Ultimate Weight Solution: The Seven Keys to Weight Loss Freedom. RC 57111. by Phil McGraw. read by Jack Fox. 3 cassettes. Host of television's "Dr. Phil," who spent thirty years working with overweight people, presents his seven keys to attaining an appropriate weight and gaining more energy and vitality. He focuses on right thinking; control of emotions, environment, and habits; nutrition; exercise; and support systems. Bestseller 2003. RC 57111. ## Broken Music: A Memoir. RC 57114. by Sting. read by David Cutler. 2 cassettes. Memoir by British songwriter and musician born in 1951 reconstructs his life before he gained fame as a member of the band Police. Describes his childhood in Newcastle, his academic success that sends him to teachers' college, the influence of 1960s music, and his early bands. Strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57114. ## Bill Clinton: An American Journey. RC 57118. by Nigel Hamilton. read by Bill Wallace. 6 cassettes. A chronicle of the life of Bill Clinton from family background and childhood to his terms as president. Hamilton examines the highlights of Clinton's political career as well as the character flaws that undermined his successes. 2003. RC 57118. ## General Patton: A Soldier's Life. RC 57130. by Stanley P. Hirshson. read by Jake Williams. 6 cassettes. Author uses archives and family papers to analyze the life and career of the controversial World War II general nicknamed "Old Blood and Guts." Explores Patton's troops' atrocities in Italy, the infamous slapping of shell-shocked soldiers, and his unconcealed bigotry and belief in reincarnation. Some strong language. 2002. RC 57130. ## No More Misbehavin': Thirty-eight Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them. RC 57139. by Michele Borba. read by Jill Ferris. 2 cassettes. Educator and frequent National Public Radio speaker discusses the most common behavioral problems in children--including temper tantrums, hitting, biting, fighting, lying, and stealing--as well as strategies for discouraging them. Offers specific disciplinary methods for each misbehavior with the goal of permanently erasing it. Foreword by Jack Canfield. 2003. RC 57139. ## Dog Is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World's Oldest Friendship. RC 57155. by Editors of _The Bark_. read by Barbara Caruso. 3 cassettes. Anthology of essays, short stories, and expert commentaries celebrating the unique bond between humans and their dogs. Over forty selections chosen by the editors of a California-based dog magazine pay tribute to the very first meeting between man and animal, pack dynamics, canine wisdom, and the poignancy of friendship and loss. 2003. RC 57155. ## A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat. RC 57170. by Zell Miller. read by Dan Toohey. 2 cassettes. The senator from Georgia, a former marine sergeant, critiques his Democratic party, calls for reform, and outlines issues needing to be addressed to benefit the country. Miller also describes his rise from rural poverty and his six decades in public life. Bestseller 2003. RC 57170. ## The Funny Thing Is.... RC 57179. by Ellen DeGeneres. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. DeGeneres follows up _My Point...And I Do Have One (RC 41736)_ with another collection of stream-of-consciousness musings that highlight the absurdities of everyday life. Topics include brunches, gift exchanges, silence, clothes she has regretted wearing, penny-pinching, and things to be grateful for. Bestseller 2003. RC 57179. ## After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy. RC 57184. by Noah Feldman. read by Ted Stoddard. 2 cassettes. Explores whether democracy can "be made to flourish in the lands where Islam prevails." Discusses the political terrain in Iran, Turkey, Asia, Pakistan, and Arab countries to ascertain the compatibility of the Islamic religion with democratic values. Claiming there is no inherent conflict, Feldman suggests ways to refute anti- Americanism. 2003. RC 57184. ## No End to War: Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. RC 57188. by Walter Laqueur. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. Guerrilla warfare expert addresses the new elements of contemporary terrorism. Issues include the debate surrounding root causes of terrorism, Islamic fanaticism, and the phenomenon of suicide attacks. Laqueur also examines reactions of governments, academia, the media, and the public to the violence and speculates on future geopolitical conditions that could precipitate "catastrophic terrorism." 2003. RC 57188. ## Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper. RC 57190. by Charles A. Moose and Charles Fleming. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. Account by the police chief of Montgomery County, Maryland, of the massive search for the snipers who killed ten people, wounded four others, and terrorized the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in October 2002. Moose also recounts his personal journey to becoming the head of two police departments. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57190. ## Memoirs. RC 57198. by David Rockefeller. read by Ted Stoddard. 4 cassettes. Autobiography of billionaire John D. Rockefeller's youngest grandson, born in 1915. Recalls his childhood, college years, and military intelligence service during World War II. Describes his banking career, provides insights into the Rockefeller family, and presents many key twentieth-century figures of his acquaintance from the worlds of politics, finance, and the arts. 2002. RC 57198. ## I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. RC 57200. by Maya Angelou. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Memoir by well-known African American poet and college professor. Angelou describes her childhood and adolescent years in rural Arkansas, in St. Louis, and in San Francisco, and the racial and gender hardships she endured. 1969. RC 57200. ## The Backbone of the World: A Portrait of a Vanishing Way of Life along the Continental Divide. RC 57203. by Frank Clifford. read by Ted Stoddard. 2 cassettes. Journalist travels the Continental Divide Trail along 3,200 miles of mountains and desert, searching for remnants of the old American West. From Mexico's border north to Canada, Clifford explores the land and its history through the ranchers and Native Americans fighting to maintain their traditions against the encroachments of commerce. 2002. RC 57203. ## The Best American Poetry, 2003. RC 57234. edited by Yusef Komunyakaa. read by Roy Avers. 2 cassettes. Annual collection of poetry features seventy-five selections that touched the guest editor, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa, by their "content and aesthetics." Contributors include Kenneth Koch, Richard Wilbur, Rita Dove, and the three most recent Pulitzer Prize winners--Paul Muldoon, Carl Dennis, and Stephen Dunn. 2003. RC 57234. ## The Best American Recipes, 2003-2004. RC 57235. edited by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Collection of recipes gathered from various cookbooks, magazines, newsletters, and web sites. Selections, with hints from the back of food packages and tips for cooks, include starters, soups, salads, breakfast and lunch recipes, main dishes, breads, desserts, and drinks. Also includes the top ten food trends of the year. 2003. RC 57235. ## The Best American Essays, 2003. RC 57238. edited by Anne Fadiman. read by Barry Bernson. 3 cassettes. Twenty-four diverse essays selected and introduced by Fadiman. Subjects include war from a woman's viewpoint, emergency planning, World War II in occupied France, death and dying, medical topics, cooking, imaginary pals, and social life in America. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 57238. ## The Best American Science Writing, 2003. RC 57239. edited by Oliver Sacks. read by Bruce Huntey. 3 cassettes. Twenty-five articles from both scientific and general publications that cover various topics from natural history to biotechnology and medicine. Author Floyd Skloot observes the toll of Alzheimer's disease on his ninety-one-year-old mother. In the final selection, former colleagues of late scientist Stephen Jay Gould reflect on his radical approach to science. 2003. RC 57239. ## Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation. RC 57252. by Sari Horwitz and Michael E. Ruane. read by Butch Hoover. 2 cassettes. Reporters from the _Washington Post_ chronicle the hunt for the perpetrator(s) of ten random serial shootings during the fall of 2002 around the nation's capital and elsewhere. Concludes with the arrests of John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo at a Maryland highway rest stop. Some violence. 2003. RC 57252. ## Israelis and Palestinians: Why Do They Fight? Can They Stop?. RC 57256. by Bernard Wasserstein. read by Butch Hoover. 1 cassette. History professor offers reasons for the conflict in Israel other than ethnic and religious differences. Posits that neither Jews nor Arabs "are animated by crazed psychopathy" but rather fight over definable interests. Suggests that multifaceted analysis of demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, and territorial dimensions of the struggle may facilitate a peaceful resolution. 2003. RC 57256. ## Fire and Ashes: On the Front Lines of American Wildfire. RC 57258. by John N. Maclean. read by Alec Volz. 2 cassettes. Writer of _Fire on the Mountain (RC 50200)_ examines the conditions in America's forests, the history of wildland fires, and the dangers of fighting them. Includes an interview with the last survivor of a 1949 tragedy that the author's father wrote about in _Young Men and Fire (RC 35639)_. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57258. ## The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency. RC 57260. by Philip H. Melanson. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. A government secrecy expert recounts the development of the Secret Service, from its formation in 1865 to combat the counterfeit currency trade to its contemporary role as protector of the president. Melanson evaluates the agency's inner workings and explores the personal lives of agents and their relationships with those they protect. 2002. RC 57260. ## A Dab of Dickens and a Touch of Twain: Literary Lives from Shakespeare's Old England to Frost's New England. RC 57266. by Elliot Engel. read by Janis Gray. 2 cassettes. Professor of literature offers insights--little known and non-stuffy--about the intertwined lives and works of nineteen favorite authors, among them Edgar Allan Poe, whose _Tales of Mystery and Imagination (RC 21734)_ are the forerunners of the modern short story, and D.H. Lawrence, liberated author of _Lady Chatterley's Lover (RC 44295)_. 2002. RC 57266. ## Let's Talk: Sharing Our Thoughts and Feelings during Times of Crisis. RC 57267. by Michele Alpern. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. Offers teens practical information on coping with stressful events such as death, divorce, job loss, and disasters. Suggests ways to deal with depression and anxiety and outlines strategies for establishing good communication. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 57267. ## In The Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture. RC 57270. by Alister E. McGrath. read by Janis Gray. 3 cassettes. An Oxford University theology professor recounts the production of the King James Version of the Bible, detailing its impact on England's history, politics, literature, and law. Describes how the availability of the Scripture to ordinary people in plain English inspired a revolution of free thought, culminating in concepts of constitutional government and democracy. 2001. RC 57270. ## Mr. Strangelove: A Biography of Peter Sellers. RC 57272. by Ed Sikov. read by Fred Major. 4 cassettes. Biographer explores the quirky comic genius of Peter Sellers, famous for _The Pink Panther_ films, _Dr. Strangelove_, and _Lolita_. Interviewing family, friends, and colleagues, Sikov reconstructs Sellers's bizarre showbiz childhood, his successful film career, four unsuccessful marriages, and the emotional isolation provoked by his struggle for identity. 2002. RC 57272. ## Choosing Naia: A Family's Journey. RC 57277. by Mitchell Zuckoff. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Chronicles the experiences of an interracial couple coping with the news that their unborn child has a heart defect and probable Down syndrome. Details their agonizing decision to keep and raise the baby and explores the role of medical technology in abortion decisions. 2002. RC 57277. ## Women in the Middle East: Tradition and Change. RC 57282. by Ramsay M. Harik and Elsa Marston. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Social history of women, mainly Arab and Muslim, in the Middle East from Morocco to Pakistan. The authors explain the diversity of the region and the varying roles that religion, family, education, work, and traditions play in the women's lives. For senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 57282. ## The Sea Hunters II. RC 57292. by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo. read by Bob Askey. 3 cassettes. In this sequel to _The Sea Hunters (RC 43934)_, the author and his colleagues from the National Underwater and Marine Agency, a nonprofit group that searches for shipwrecks of historical significance, continue their adventures. Among the wrecks they seek are French explorer La Salle's flagship, Civil War ironclads, and PT-109. 2002. RC 57292. ## Bittersweet: The Story of Sugar. RC 57299. by Peter Macinnis. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Overview of the history of sugar production from its beginnings in New Guinea some nine thousand years ago to New World plantations using slave labor and finally to twentieth century developments. Discusses the sugar trade's influence on economic policies and international relations. Also notes the environmental destruction caused by sugar cane harvesting. 2002. RC 57299. ## Teens under the Influence: The Truth about Kids, Alcohol, and Other Drugs; How to Recognize the Problem and What to Do about It. RC 57302. by Katherine Ketcham and Nicholas A. Pace. read by Jill Ferris. 3 cassettes. Resource guide to help parents combat adolescent substance abuse. Detailed passages explain teenage addiction, biological and environmental factors, and the short- and long-term effects of specific drugs. Provides information about diagnosis, intervention, treatment options, the recovery process, and strategies for coping with relapses. 2003. RC 57302. ## Behind the Lines: The Oral History of Special Operations in World War II. RC 57309. by Russell Miller. read by Jake Williams. 3 cassettes. British journalist compiles letters, diaries, military documents, and firsthand accounts of World War II special agents who volunteered with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services and Britain's Special Operations Executive. Details high-risk missions of subversion and sabotage in occupied Europe, the Balkans, Burma, and Malaya. Some violence. 2002. RC 57309. ## To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight. RC 57312. by James Tobin. read by Jake Williams. 4 cassettes. Award-winning author reconstructs the early twentieth century competition to create a flying machine. While highlighting the monumental achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Tobin also details the efforts of their rivals--including inventor Alexander Graham Bell and Smithsonian secretary Samuel Langley. 2003. RC 57312. ## Sweet Recovery: A Young Woman's Emotional Ride with Diabetes, Vision Loss, and Food Addiction...to Health and Freedom. RC 57322. by Denise J. Bradley. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. The author of _What Does It Feel Like to Have Diabetes? (RC 32581)_ describes the effect on her and her family of two decades of uncontrolled illness. Recalls how she became healthy through self-motivation and careful oversight of her condition. 1992. RC 57322. ## Solo Suppers: Simple Delicious Meals to Cook for Yourself. RC 57326. by Joyce Goldstein. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. Restaurant chef offers sophisticated recipes designed for the single diner that minimize leftovers and maximize the versatility of basic ingredients. Goldstein includes tips on "shopping for one," planning meals, stocking a pantry, and outfitting a kitchen. Meal ideas cover soups, salads, sauces, pastas, seafood, meat, poultry, and desserts. 2003. RC 57326. ## For Spacious Skies: The Uncommon Journey of a Mercury Astronaut. RC 57329. by Scott Carpenter and Kris Stoever. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. Autobiography of one of the seven Project Mercury astronauts. Carpenter revisits his childhood, naval aviation training, and selection to NASA's landmark program. He details his 1962 three-orbit mission aboard _Aurora 7_ and his reactions that averted disaster upon reentry. Cowritten with his daughter. 2002. RC 57329. ## Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Death. RC 57330. by Ann Rule. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 3 cassettes. Former Seattle policewoman reconstructs the murder of an airline pilot by his "brilliant and charismatic sociopath" wife. Reports details of the case from the discovery of Chris Northon's body at a rural Oregon campsite in October 2000 and Liysa Northon's claims of abuse and self-defense to her trial and conviction in 2001. 2003. RC 57330. ## The Alzheimer's Health Care Handbook: How to Get the Best Medical Care for Your Relative with Alzheimer's Disease in and out of the Hospital. RC 57332. by Mary S. Mittelman and Cynthia Epstein. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. Advice for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients who suffer from physical ailments as well as dementia. Covers doctors' visits, medications, emergencies, hospital stays, post- hospitalization care, and end-of-life decisions. Also includes nursing home information and tips on self-care for the caregiver. 2002. RC 57332. ## In the Shadow of Memory. RC 57334. by Floyd Skloot. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Poet and novelist pens a first-person account of living with brain damage caused by a virus attack at age forty-one. Describes the process of reassembling his memories, relearning tasks of daily living, and coping with his ravaged mind. Also depicts experiences dealing with the Social Security Administration and dying family members. 2003. RC 57334. ## Final Accounting: Ambition, Greed, and the Fall of Arthur Andersen. RC 57336. by Barbara Ley Toffler. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Former ethics consultant for Arthur Andersen chronicles events leading to the prestigious accounting firm's demise, including its 2002 conviction for obstruction of justice in the federal investigation of star client Enron. Toffler provides an insider's look at gradually deteriorating values and increasing corporate corruption that, in her view, caused this and other financial scandals. 2003. RC 57336. ## The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook: Issues and Answers from Research to Recovery. RC 57339. by Kathy Steligo. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Breast-cancer survivor describes mastectomy and available options for breast reconstruction as well as the details of each procedure. Includes information on finding the right doctor, navigating the insurance maze, recovering from surgery, and dealing with lifestyle changes. 2003. RC 57339. ## Pain-Free Arthritis: A Seven-Step Program for Feeling Better Again. RC 57341. by Harris H. McIlwain and Debra Fulghum Bruce. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Rheumatologist offers a multistep plan for alleviating arthritis and other painful conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia, through therapeutic exercise, diet, and medication. Also discusses alternative therapies and includes recipes. 2003. RC 57341. ## Mayo Clinic on Osteoporosis. RC 57342. edited by Stephen Hodgson. read by Butch Hoover. 2 cassettes. Physician at the Mayo Clinic discusses how to keep bones healthy and strong to reduce the risk of fracture. Explains screening and diagnosis of osteoporosis, its prevention and treatment, as well as medication, exercise, diet, and home safety issues. 2003. RC 57342. ## _The_ _Diamond Sutra_ and _The Sutra of Hui-Neng_. RC 57343. translated by A.F. Price and Mou-lam Wong. read by Gordon Gould. 2 cassettes. _The Diamond Sutra_, a sacred Buddhist scripture, passed into written format in the fourth century A.D. Price's English translation of the text was made in 1947. In 1929 Wong made the first English translation of _The Sutra of Hui-Neng_, a T'ang dynasty record of sermons and sayings belonging to the Zen tradition. 1947. RC 57343. ## My Jihad: The True Story of an American Mujahid's Amazing Journey from Usama Bin Laden's Training Camps to Counterterrorism with the FBI and CIA. RC 57346. by Aukai Collins. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 2 cassettes. Autobiographical account by an American who converted to Islam during a stint in prison as a teenager. Recalls his participation in jihads in Bosnia and Chechnya, subsequent disillusionment with use of Islam to justify terrorist attacks killing civilians, and recruitment by U.S. intelligence as an undercover operative. Violence and strong language. 2002. RC 57346. ## "My Heart Became Attached": The Strange Journey of John Walker Lindh. RC 57347. by Mark Kukis. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 2 cassettes. Biography of the "American Taliban," first the U.S. citizen charged under the Patriot Act. Traces Lindh's odyssey from affluent California childhood through Arabic studies in Yemen, terrorist training in Pakistan, and combat alongside the Taliban in the Afghanistan war to his eventual U.S. trial as an enemy combatant. Research included copious author interviews. 2003. RC 57347. ## The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division. RC 57350. by Bing West and Ray L. Smith. read by Peter Johnson. 2 cassettes. Account of the march from Kuwait to Baghdad in the second Gulf War. Retired marine Major General Smith and former marine West, embedded journalists, describe "life and death on the front line" and the civilians and enemy soldiers they encountered during Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. Introduction by John Keegan. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57350. ## A Royal Duty. RC 57361. by Paul Burrell. read by David Cutler. 3 cassettes. Burrell, footman to Queen Elizabeth and butler to the late Princess of Wales, details Diana's life from the vantage point of his position of trust. Claiming personal access to Diana's confidences and facts behind the rumor mill, he undertakes to allay speculation about her plans for remarriage and relocation to America. Bestseller 2003. RC 57361. ## Stillness Speaks. RC 57365. by Eckhart Tolle. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. In short concise pieces that can be read individually or as a whole, Tolle, author of _The Power of Now (RC 55646)_, addresses the spiritual needs of people in the twenty-first century by showing them how to obtain inner peace. Bestseller 2003. RC 57365. ## Fish! Tales: Real-Life Stories to Help You Transform Your Workplace and Your Life. RC 57384. by Stephen C. Lundin and others. read by Dan Toohey. 1 cassette. In this companion to _Fish! (RC 54813)_, four companies improve their employees' morale and boost productivity by using positive reinforcement. They include businesses big and small: a hospital, a phone company, a car dealership, and a roofing company. Offers exercises to achieve a positive attitude. 2002. RC 57384. ## Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood. RC 57390. by Julie Gregory. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Author recalls a childhood of constant visits to doctors seeking cures for ailments invented by her mother, who suffered a psychological disorder (Munchausen by proxy) that causes caregivers to falsify illness in dependent persons to gain attention. Learning about this condition in college, Gregory came to recognize her mother's abuse. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57390. ## Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder. RC 57392. by Arnold Schwarzenegger. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 2 cassettes. Autobiographical account by the several-time winner of the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles relating his tireless struggle to reach the top in his field. Schwarzenegger also describes his diet, exercise, and progressive weight resistance training regimens for developing the body to its full potential. 1977. RC 57392. ## A Man Called Peter: The Story of Peter Marshall. RC 57404. by Catherine Marshall. read by Margaret Strom. 3 cassettes (Reissue). Widow writes the biography of her husband, a poor Scottish immigrant who became the senior minister at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in the nation's capital and chaplain of the United States Senate. Fiftieth anniversary edition includes additional selections of his prayers and sermons with a foreword by Marshall's son. 2001. RC 57404. ## If I Live to Be One Hundred: Lessons from the Centenarians. RC 57408. by Neenah Ellis. read by Faith Potts. 1 cassette. What began as an NPR history project became the author's personal search for the secret to living well. Ellis recalls her interviews with nineteen exceptional Americans aged one hundred or more, from 103-year-old Anna Wilmot who indulges in an occasional skinny-dip to a centenarian couple married for eighty years. 2002. RC 57408. ## The Queen of Clean Conquers Clutter. RC 57420. by Linda Cobb. read by Margaret Strom. 1 cassette. Author of books on house cleaning _(RC 51054) _and home management _(RC 53944) _offers suggestions for getting rid of clutter. From room to room Cobb shows how to use her QUEEN system: question, unpack, evaluate, eliminate, and neaten up. Her advice for the kitchen covers storage life for various foods. 2002. RC 57420. ## George Foreman's Guide to Life: How to Get Up off the Canvas When Life Knocks You Down. RC 57421. by George Foreman. read by David Toney. 1 cassette. Two-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world, father of ten, and author of _By George (RC 40645)_ gives advice on how to handle life's challenges. Foreman shares what he learned from his own triumphs and losses--including lessons on overcoming adversity, keeping dreams alive, and raising children. 2002. RC 57421. ## Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope. RC 57429. by Ed Smart and Lois Smart. read by Jack Fox. 1 cassette. Mormon parents describe their ordeal when their fourteen-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was kidnapped in June 2002 and their joy when she was found alive in March 2003. The Smarts recall the deep faith in God that sustained their family and to which they attribute Elizabeth's miraculous return. Bestseller 2003. RC 57429. ## Keep Chickens! Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs, and Other Small Spaces. RC 57434. by Barbara Kilarski. read by Kerry Cundiff. 1 cassette. A collection of frequently asked questions for city slickers who want to raise poultry. Coop construction, hen selection and care, egg laying and gathering (one doesn't need a rooster to get eggs), and chicken health are among the tips for the urban breeder. Includes recipes. 2003. RC 57434. ## Mission Jupiter: The Spectacular Journey of the Galileo Spacecraft. RC 57435. by Daniel Fischer. read by Butch Hoover. 2 cassettes. Award-winning German columnist describes the landmark discoveries of NASA's Galileo space probe, which reached Jupiter--after passing by Venus and two asteroids-- in December 1995, more than six years after liftoff. Fischer provides mission history and specifications, focusing on what the project datar evealed about the planet's moons and atmosphere. 1998. RC 57435. ## Virginia and the Capital Region: A Smithsonian Guide to Historic America. RC 57436. by Henry Wiencek. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Travel guide to colonial and postcolonial sites in the Chesapeake Bay region, which encompasses Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Provides detailed historical background, hours of operation, fees, and contact information for parks, memorials, museums, Civil and Revolutionary War battlefields, plantation houses, forts, port cities, and more. 1989. RC 57436. ## Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt. RC 57443. by Karen Scalf Linamen. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 1 cassette. Contributing editor for _Today's Christian Woman_ magazine offers fifteen ways women can lift their spirits in times of stress that go beyond eating chocolate. Linamen focuses on emotional, physical, and spiritual health with these "warm fuzzies, quick fixes, good ideas, and long-term solutions." 1999. RC 57443. ## Bush v. Gore: Controversial Presidential Election Case. RC 57466. by Diana K. Sergis. read by Butch Hoover. 1 cassette. Discusses the 2000 landmark decision by the Supreme Court that resulted in Texas governor George W. Bush becoming the forty-third U.S. president. Describes the contested ballot recounts in Florida, battles in state and federal courts, and constitutional arguments presented to the nation's highest court by Bush and his challenger, Vice President Albert Gore. For senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 57466. ## Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna. RC 57478. by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton. read by Frank Coffee. 1 cassette. Virginia teacher recounts his childhood as a nomadic tribe member in northern Kenya. Describes running from lions, tending cattle, being circumcised at thirteen to become a "warrior," attending boarding school, searching for his wandering village during vacations, and leaving home to study in the United States. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 57478. ## Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton. RC 57482. by Howard Reich and William Gaines. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Biography of Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, a New Orleans-born pianist who claimed to have invented jazz. Drawing on recently discovered archives, the authors document the innovative composer's turn-of-the- century rise to fame, his 1930s fall into obscurity and poverty, and his later avant-garde scores. Also considers evidence belying his undeserved reputation as a hustler and liar. 2003. RC 57482. ## Tycho and Kepler: The Unlikely Partnership That Forever Changed Our Understanding of the Heavens. RC 57485. by Kitty Ferguson. read by Dennis Rooney. 3 cassettes. Dual biography of Renaissance astronomers Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), a Danish aristocrat, and German-born mathematician Johannes Kepler (1571- 1630). Details their lives, eccentric personalities, contributions to the field, and their remarkable relationship at a time of conflict in Europe between religion and science. 2002. RC 57485. ## A Daily Dose of the American Dream: Stories of Success, Triumph, and Inspiration. RC 57501. by Alan C. Elliott. read by Bill Wallace. 3 cassettes. A reading for each day of the year about motivated individuals who have achieved success. Includes anecdotes and quotations selected to challenge the reader to aspire to greater heights. The messages "will change you from spectator to participant in the American Dream." 1998. RC 57501. ## Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears: The Road to Better Hearing. RC 57511. by John M. Burkey. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. An audiologist describes the loss of hearing as a traumatic condition that with patience and good information can be navigated. Addresses the benefits and fears surrounding hearing aids, using experiences of patients in his own practice. Provides information on types of hearing aids and their cost, health insurance, and general resources. 2003. RC 57511. ## An Intimate Look at the Night Sky. RC 57521. by Chet Raymo. read by Ralph Lowenstein. 2 cassettes. Essays by an astronomy professor describing what objects--planets, stars, and constellations--can be seen in different seasons. Raymo then imaginatively connects these nighttime sights to unseen wonders of the universe, such as supernovas, black holes, and galaxies. He also suggests a hypothesis for the end of the universe some 150 billion years from now. 2001. RC 57521. ## Frederick Douglass: For the Great Family of Man. RC 57522. by Peter Burchard. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Biography of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), an escaped slave from Maryland who became an abolitionist, a crusader for women's rights, and an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln. Discusses Douglass's personal life, his professional accomplishments, and his influence before and after the Civil War. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 57522. ## The Orion Nebula: Where Stars Are Born. RC 57523. by C. Robert O'Dell. read by Gordon Gould. 2 cassettes. Former project scientist for the Hubble space telescope chronicles the technology providing better observation of Earth's nearest nebula, a stellar nursery of collapsing gas and dust from which stars and planets are born. Discusses contributions of seventeenth- to twentieth-century astronomers to modern understanding of stars and the nature of the universe. 2003. RC 57523. ## One Hundred One Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy with Diabetes. RC 57527. by Patti B. Geil and Laura B. Hieronymus. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. Answers to frequently asked questions about issues unique to women with diabetes, both preexisting and gestational. Stresses the importance of monitoring blood glucose throughout the pregnancy; addresses nutrition, medication, and labor and delivery; and details postpartum care to ensure the best health for baby and mother. 2003. RC 57527. ## Blindsided: Lifting a Life above Illness; a Reluctant Memoir. RC 57643. by Richard M. Cohen. read by Peter Johnson. 2 cassettes. Emmy Award-winning television news producer and journalist chronicles his battle with multiple sclerosis and colon cancer. While detailing his vision loss and other symptoms, Cohen's frank account is "not about suffering" but about "surviving and flourishing, rising above fear and self-doubt" with the support of his wife and children. Bestseller 2004. RC 57643. ## General Washington's Christmas Farewell: A Mount Vernon Homecoming, 1783. RC 57652. by Stanley Weintraub. read by Jake Williams. 2 cassettes. Author of _Long Day's Journey into War (RC 35443)_ recreates the victorious commander's four-week journey home to Virginia after the Revolutionary War. Weintraub describes Washington's experiences along the way, including the farewell to his troops in New York, resignation of his commission in Annapolis, and reunion with his wife, Martha, on Christmas Eve. 2003. RC 57652. ## Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination, and the Birth of a World. RC 57657. by Oliver Morton. read by Lewis Grenville. 3 cassettes. Explores the telecommunications technology, scientists, and artists behind the mapping of the Martian landscape--once left to the imaginations of science fiction writers. Morton chronicles nineteenth- century observations and twentieth-century space expeditions to survey and understand the mountains, canyons, and missing waters of the Red Planet. 2002. RC 57657. ## The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup: My Encounters with Extraordinary People. RC 57670. by Susan Orlean. read by Suzanne Toren. 3 cassettes. More than twenty profiles by _New Yorker_ writer and author of _The Orchid Thief (RC 48462)_ of people who captured her interest throughout her career. Subjects range from the well-known, among them designer Bill Blass, to the unknown--for example, a typical ten-year-old boy--and many in between, such as Spain's first female matador. 2001. RC 57670. ## My Life. RC 58100. by Bill Clinton. read by Michael Beck. 9 cassettes in 2 containers. Detailed autobiography of William Jefferson Clinton, forty-second U.S. president. 2004. RC 58100. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ _The_ _Shuttered Room_ and Other Tales of Terror. RC 54788. by H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth. read by Conrad Feininger. 1 cassette (Reissue). Six tales of horror. In the title piece Abner Whateley's grandfather left him a strange letter instructing him to destroy every living thing in a shuttered room. Abner did not understand the message until he saw dusty prints and a monstrous creature squatting on the bed. 1971. RC 54788. ## Restitution. RC 55606. by Richard S. Wheeler. read by Jim Zeiger. 2 cassettes. Prosperous Utah rancher Truman Jackson and his wife, Gracie, are respected neighbors in Cottonwood until Truman feels compelled to confess his teenage outlaw past. He wants to repay man and God for his gang's transgressions but doesn't foresee the immediate consequences. 2001. RC 55606. ## Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. RC 55810. by Gregory Maguire. read by Celeste Lawson. 4 cassettes. Traces the life of the witch Elphaba from the _Wizard of Oz (RC 51047)_, both before and after Dorothy arrives. After attending a university with her roommate Glinda, Elphaba learns that a despotic Wizard is threatening animal rights in Oz. Some explicit descriptions of sex. For senior high and older readers. 1995. RC 55810. ## True to Form. RC 55811. by Elizabeth Berg. read by Carolyn Hecker. 2 cassettes. 1961. Thirteen-year-old Katie Nash, from _Durable Goods (RC 37047)_ and _Joy School (RC 45179)_, has trouble fitting in and misses her old friends when she moves from Texas to Missouri with her widowed father. But a trip back home forces her to reevaluate her own discontent. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 55811. ## Have Space Suit, Will Travel. RC 55814. by Robert A. Heinlein. read by Russ Weinstein. 2 cassettes. High school senior Kip Russell longs to go to the moon but is kidnapped by space pirates. He meets other prisoners on a flying saucer--an eleven-year-old girl named Peewee and a strange creature they call the Mother Thing. For junior and senior high readers. 1958. RC 55814. ## The Little Friend. RC 55856. by Donna Tartt. read by MaryBeth Wise. 5 cassettes. Mississippi, 1960s. Nine-year-old Robin Dufresnes is found hanging from a tree. Twelve years later, his tomboyish sister Harriet, an infant at the time of the murder, begins a search for his killer. With the help of her friend Hely, she concentrates on drug dealer Danny Ratliff. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2002. RC 55856. ## Hombre. RC 56001. by Elmore Leonard. read by Chuck Benson. 1 cassette. A stagecoach robbery in 1884 reveals the true character of the victims-- especially of John Russell, known as Hombre. He was shunned for his Apache ties by his travel companions, until they needed his physical prowess to save them. Basis for the 1967 film with same title. 1961. RC 56001. ## The Losers' Club. RC 56010. by John Lekich. read by Rick Wiseman. 2 cassettes. Jerry, a high school bully who extorts money from his classmates, challenges Alex and his Losers' Club friends to a holiday decorating contest. Alex, who has cerebral palsy, and his buddies surpass everyone's expectations--and Alex gets a girlfriend too! For junior and senior high readers. 2002. RC 56010. ## An Act of Love. RC 56225. by Nancy Thayer. read by Cyn Delafield. 2 cassettes. Linda and Owen McFarland's marriage falls apart when Linda's teenage daughter Emily attempts suicide after being raped. Emily accuses her older stepbrother Bruce of the attack, but he vehemently denies it. Each parent struggles with conflicting emotions until the truth finally comes out. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 1997. RC 56225. ## Blood of My Blood. RC 56371. by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. This autobiographical first novel--unpublished until 2002--by the Pulitzer Prize winner for _The Yearling (RC 33466)_, chronicles the author's growth as an artist. Includes portrayals of her sympathetic father; her cold, domineering mother; and some pioneer ancestors. 1928. RC 56371. ## The Stepford Wives. RC 56376. by Ira Levin. read by Cyn Delafield. 1 cassette. Joanna moves to an idyllic small town with her husband and children. She soon notices that all of the housewives appear to be beautiful but brainless zombies, and the men disappear nightly into their mysterious clubhouse. 2002 introduction by Peter Straub. Some strong language. 1972. RC 56376. ## Coming to My Senses. RC 56381. by Pam Rice. read by Mimi Bederman. 2 cassettes. Elderly widow Addie Marsh is losing her eyesight due to macular degeneration. Fighting to keep her lakeside home, she refuses to move to an assisted living facility. Instead, she learns to cope, deriving strength from her memories, a support group, and the friendship of a new neighbor abused by her boyfriend. 2001. RC 56381. ## From the Listening Hills. RC 56382. by Louis L'Amour. read by Gary Roan. 2 cassettes. Posthumously published collection of twelve tales by the well-known author of westerns. Contains his first and last short stories, "Anything for a Pal" and "The Moon of the Trees Broken by Snow," as well as a pair of World War II adventures, four westerns, a couple of football stories, and two crime tales. 2003. RC 56382. ## Come Home, My Heart. RC 56383. by Phyllis Campbell. read by Mimi Bederman. 1 cassette. Dr. Susan Perry, an obstetrician, becomes blind after the removal of a brain tumor. Once rehabilitated, she moves to a poor, rural Virginia town. In her new career as a social worker, she becomes an integral part of the community and falls in love. 1988. RC 56383. ## Matchstick Men. RC 56384. by Eric Garcia. read by Gary Roan. 2 cassettes. Roy and Frankie are two aging flim-flam artists waiting to pull one last score. Roy, suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, encounters Angela, the teenage daughter he never knew he had, and decides to go straight. Unfortunately Angela wants to learn the game. Strong language and some violence. 2002. RC 56384. ## King's Dragon: Crown of Stars, Volume 1. RC 56488. by Kate Elliott. read by Anne Flosnik. 4 cassettes. King Henry of Wendar and Varre is threatened by the nonhuman Eika to the north and by his half-sister Sabella's rebellion within the realm. Two orphans, Liath and Alain--one a sorcerer's daughter, one of unknown parentage--are drawn into the kingdom's struggles. Precedes _Prince of Dogs (RC 56489)_. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 1997. RC 56488. ## Prince of Dogs: Crown of Stars, Volume 2. RC 56489. by Kate Elliott. read by Anne Flosnik. 5 cassettes. After squelching Sabella's revolt in _King's Dragon (RC 56488)_, King Henry and his allies plot to retake Gent from the Eika, who conquered the city and captured Prince Sanglant. A battle looms as Liath grieves for Sanglant. Alain, proclaimed a count's heir, strives to prove his worth. Violence. 1998. RC 56489. ## The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twentieth Annual Collection. RC 56499. edited by Gardner Dozois. read by Richard Hauenstein. 7 cassettes in 2 containers. Editor reviews the status of science fiction published in 2002 and presents twenty-five stories by masters of the genre. The collection includes literary works by new writers and by established authors such as Nancy Kress, Bruce Sterling, Gregory Benford, Michael Swanwick, and Ian McDonald. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 56499. ## Great Lion of God. RC 56627. by Taylor Caldwell. read by Geoffrey Centlivre. 6 cassettes (Reissue). A novel of the life of Saul, later to be St. Paul, who, as the pious and intellectual son of a wealthy Roman Jewish family, was both a scholar and a poet with a sense of sin and desire for forgiveness that overshadowed his entire life. 1970. RC 56627. ## A Simple Habana Melody (from When the World Was Good). RC 56641. by Oscar Hijuelos. read by Dan Bloom. 2 cassettes. 1947. Aging Cuban composer Israel Levis, although mistaken for a Jew and imprisoned by Nazis occupying Paris, has survived the Holocaust. He makes a nostalgic Havana homecoming--a changed man with fond memories of prewar life and of his impossible love for singer Rita Valladares. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2002. RC 56641. ## The Piano Tuner. RC 56648. by Daniel Mason. read by Connie Crawford. 3 cassettes. October 1886. The British War Office asks mild-mannered piano tuner Edgar Drake to repair the instrument of an unorthodox officer on a peace-seeking mission in Burma. Leaving his wife behind, Drake travels to remote jungles, experiencing a perilous and seductive journey of self-discovery. Some descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 56648. ## Staggerford. RC 56651. by Jon Hassler. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 2 cassettes. Miles Pruitt teaches at the same high school he graduated from, eats at the same cafe, and sees the same faces every day in the small town of Staggerford, Minnesota. But during one week in his routine life, surprises still happen. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 1977. RC 56651. ## Summer of Pearls. RC 56653. by Mike Blakely. read by Ray Childs. 2 cassettes. In 1944, at age eighty-four, Ben Crowell recalls the events of 1874, his fourteenth summer. During the pearl rush in Port Caddo, Texas, that year, Judd Kelso, a local riverboat captain, was murdered. Ben witnessed the effects of greed, survived a steamboat explosion, and fell in love. Some strong language. Spur Award. 2000. RC 56653. ## Green Angel. RC 56667. by Alice Hoffman. read by Connie Crawford. 1 cassette. Called Green because of her talent for gardening, this fifteen-year-old changes her name to Ash after she loses her family to a disaster in a nearby city. She covers her body with dark tattoos that begin turning green as she responds to others' needs. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 56667. ## The Winds of War. RC 56737. by Herman Wouk. read by Roy Avers. 8 cassettes in 2 containers (Reissue). In 1939, Commander Victor Henry of the U.S. Navy is assigned to Berlin as a naval attaché. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he sees his sons, Warren and Byron, go off to war; his daughter, Madeline, caught in a love affair; and his wife, Rhoda, contemplating divorce. Some strong language. 1971. RC 56737. ## Snopes: _The Hamlet_, _The Town_, _The Mansion_. RC 56745. by William Faulkner. read by John Polk. 8 cassettes in 2 containers. Saga of the Snopes family of mythical Yoknapatawpha County in Mississippi, from the Civil War into the twentieth century. The trilogy, consisting of _The Hamlet_ (1940), _The Town_ (1957), and _The Mansion_ (1959), is presented here as a unified work, following the author's original intentions. 1994. RC 56745. ## War and Remembrance. RC 56764. by Herman Wouk. read by Roy Avers. 9 cassettes in 2 containers (Reissue). In the sequel to _The Winds of War (RC 56737)_, Navy captain Victor Henry and his sons, Warren and Byron, join in the fight against the Nazis and the Japanese. Meanwhile Byron's Jewish wife and son are stranded in Europe and sent to a prison camp. Some strong language. 1978. RC 56764. ## Maggie Needs an Alibi. RC 56795. by Kasey Michaels. read by Coleen Delany. 2 cassettes. When bestselling mystery writer Maggie Kelly's Regency-era characters come to life in her Manhattan living room, she is sure she is dreaming. It is Saint Just and his sidekick who come to her rescue, however, after she is accused of poisoning her publisher and former lover. Strong language. 2002. RC 56795. ## Sign-Talker: The Adventure of George Drouillard on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. RC 56803. by James Alexander Thom. read by Rick Rohan. 3 cassettes. Fictitious reconstruction of the experiences of half-Shawnee, half- Frenchman George Pierre Drouillard (1773-1810), a hired hunter and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition. Chronicles the monumental survey of the rugged American West and explores the spiritual culture of Native Americans and their struggles with early settlers. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2000. RC 56803. ## The Cock's Spur. RC 56805. by Charles F. Price. read by Terence Aselford. 2 cassettes. Hamby McFee, ex-slave of the Curtis family, still helps tend their land although he wants to leave the valley. Needing funds, he becomes involved in cockfighting. Consequently he helps others free themselves from the clutches of the area's moonshine kingpin. Sequel to _Freedom's Altar (RC 51065)_. Violence and strong language. 2000. RC 56805. ## Waifs and Strays. RC 56811. by Charles De Lint. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 3 cassettes. Fantasy stories about teenagers in many shapes and guises, collected from different stages of De Lint's career. In "The Graceless Child" sixteen-year-old misfit Tetchie, who has troll blood, summons the courage to help the "dreamlord" fight his brother, Nightmare. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 56811. ## Bangkok Eight. RC 56818. by John Burdett. read by Rick Rohan. 3 cassettes. Buddhist detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep of the Royal Thai Police, son of a Thai prostitute and an American soldier, investigates an African American marine's murder using snakes. Teamed with FBI agent Kimberley Jones, Sonchai also seeks revenge for his partner's death during the investigation. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2003. RC 56818. ## All over Creation. RC 56826. by Ruth Ozeki. read by Mary Kane. 3 cassettes. Elderly Idaho potato farmers Lloyd and Momoko Fuller run a seed company while neighbors Cassie and Will Quinn experiment with genetically modified products. When the Fullers' health fails, Cassie persuades their estranged daughter to return. Meanwhile an anti-biotech group befriended by Lloyd targets an agribusiness. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 56826. ## A Palestine Affair. RC 56834. by Jonathan Wilson. read by Vanessa Maroney. 2 cassettes. Jerusalem, 1924. English artist Bloomberg and his American wife, Joyce, a non-Jewish Zionist, arrive in British-ruled Palestine to begin a new life. After a murder in their garden, Joyce has an affair with Robert Kirsch, the British policeman investigating the crime. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 56834. ## Nothing That Meets the Eye: The Uncollected Stories of Patricia Highsmith. RC 56857. by Patricia Highsmith. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 4 cassettes. Collection of short stories from the author of _The Talented Mr. Ripley (RC 50315)_, complete with plot twists, misfits, and murderers. In "A Dangerous Hobby," a misogynistic kleptomaniac faces discovery. In "Music to Die By," a postal employee plots the extermination of his coworkers. Some violence. 2002. RC 56857. ## Presumption of Death. RC 56870. by Perri O'Shaughnessy. read by Mary Kane. 3 cassettes. After avoiding disbarment in _Unfit to Practice (RC 54806)_, attorney Nina Reilly takes time off to spend with her lover Paul in her hometown of Carmel Valley, California. When her former assistant's son, Wish Whitefeather, is accused of arson and murder nearby, Nina defends him. Strong language and some violence. 2003. RC 56870. ## Star Wars: A Clone Wars Novel; Shatterpoint. RC 56882. by Matthew Stover. read by Chuck Benson. 3 cassettes. Jedi Master Mace Windu's former student Depa Billaba disappears while training guerrilla fighters in the jungles of Haruun Kal, Mace's homeworld. A cryptic clue found at the scene of a massacre hints at Depa's involvement and a deeper madness, sending Mace on a journey to bring her back--or destroy her. 2003. RC 56882. ## Fear Itself. RC 56886. by Walter Mosley. read by Don Cheadle. 2 cassettes. Los Angeles, 1955. African American bookstore owner Paris Minton agrees to help his friend, Fearless Jones, locate his missing boss. Their search becomes entangled with the affairs of millionaire Winifred L. Fine, her priceless family diary, murder, and extortion. Sequel to _Fearless Jones (RC 52362)_. Violence and strong language. 2003. RC 56886. ## What Happened to Lani Garver. RC 56888. by Carol Plum-Ucci. read by MaryBeth Wise. 2 cassettes. Sixteen-year-old Claire struggles with increasing concerns about a recurrence of her leukemia and her mother's alcoholism until an enigmatic newcomer Lani--who is either a boy, a girl, or perhaps a "floating angel"--helps her get control of her life at the risk of his own. Strong language. For senior high readers. 2002. RC 56888. ## Long for This World. RC 56889. by Michael Byers. read by Rick Rohan. 3 cassettes. While studying a fatal aging disease in children, geneticist Dr. Henry Moss finds a potential cure that will brand him unethical but make him incredibly wealthy. Meanwhile, his nonpracticing physician wife and two teenage children struggle with unfulfilled expectations of their own. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 56889. ## Chill Wind. RC 56891. by Janet McDonald. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 1 cassette. Nineteen-year-old Aisha, from _Spellbound (RC 56560)_, is living on welfare with her two children when her checks run out. Faced with homelessness, she is forced to try workfare until she discovers a job as a large-sized model. For senior high readers. Coretta Scott King Award. 2002. RC 56891. ## Resolved. RC 56892. by Robert K. Tanenbaum. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. Helped by terrorists, convicted killer Felix Tighe escapes from prison and returns to the New York streets seeking payback for those who put him behind bars--including assistant DA Butch Karp. With Karp's wife, Marlene, in self-imposed exile, Tighe unleashes his demonic assault on Karp's daughter, Lucy. Strong language and some violence. 2003. RC 56892. ## The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. RC 56893. by Mark Haddon. read by Bruce Huntey. 2 cassettes. Fifteen-year-old Christopher, who exhibits behavioral problems associated with autism, investigates the murder of his neighbor's dog. His severely logical approach leads him down an unexpected path, bringing him face to face with the dissolution of his parents' marriage while providing insight into the workings of his mind. Some strong language. Bestseller 2002. RC 56893. ## One Night of Scandal. RC 56896. by Teresa Medeiros. read by Coleen Delany. 2 cassettes. Regency England, 1825. Before a London party, young Carlotta Fairleigh is discovered kissing Hayden St. Clair, a notorious neighbor dubbed the "Murderous Marquess," and is forced into marriage. At his Cornwall estate, Carlotta contends with Hayden's daughter while investigating his first wife's mysterious death. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 56896. ## Isle of Palms: A Lowcountry Tale. RC 56900. by Dorothea Benton Frank. read by Michele Schaeffer. 3 cassettes. Anna Lutz Abbot considers South Carolina's Isle of Palms her home, despite heartaches suffered there. She later returns to the island to make a place for herself and her daughter, Emily. She does so with spunk, heartbreak, and hilarious events as she gathers friends around. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56900. ## Sense of Evil. RC 56901. by Kay Hooper. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. South Carolina. With no leads to the serial killer stalking blond, beautiful women, police chief Rafe Sullivan needs help. The FBI sends in gorgeous Isabel Adams, a clairvoyant profiler who is flaxen-haired--a feature that could make her the next victim. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 56901. ## Green Rider: Green Rider, Book 1. RC 56903. by Kristen Britain. read by Annie Wauters. 3 cassettes. Karigan G'ladheon, heading home through Green Cloak Woods after being expelled from school, encounters a dying Green Rider. Accepting the Rider's magic brooch and allowing his horse to guide her, Karigan agrees to carry his message to King Zachary--a perilous journey. Precedes _First Rider's Call (RC 56909)_. For senior high and older readers. 1998. RC 56903. ## Split Second. RC 56904. by David Baldacci. read by Scott Brick. 2 cassettes. Secret Service agent Sean King's career ended after the assassination of a presidential candidate he was guarding. Eight years later, Sean's past converges with agent Michelle Maxwell, protecting another politician who gets kidnapped, and with former coworker and lover Joan Dillinger, who is investigating that abduction. Michelle--and more murders--convince Sean the incidents are related. Some violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 56904. ## Jarka Ruus: High Druid of Shannara, Book 1. RC 56906. by Terry Brooks. read by Gary Tipton. 3 cassettes. Twenty years after The Voyage of the _Jerle Shannara_ trilogy _(RC 51015, RC 53482, RC 56242)_, Grianne Ohmsford has denounced her life as the Ilse Witch and destroyed Morgawr--but she still has enemies. When she disappears, Tagwen and her nephew Pen set out to find her. Some violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 56906. ## The Victorious Opposition: American Empire, Book 3. RC 56907. by Harry Turtledove. read by John Polk. 5 cassettes. Third installment in an alternative history series, following _The Center Cannot Hold (RC 54441)_. In 1934 Jake Featherston becomes president of the Confederate States of America, where African Americans are being forcibly interned. Stumbling leadership in the United States prompts Featherston to contemplate another war. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2003. RC 56907. ## The Wedding. RC 56908. by Nicholas Sparks. read by Tom Wopat. 2 cassettes. Jane and Wilson Lewis have been married for thirty years. Wilson realized a year ago that the love was gone from his marriage. With the help of Jane's father, Noah Calhoun, from _The Notebook (RC 43180)_, Wilson sets out to make his wife fall in love with him again. Bestseller 2003. RC 56908. ## The Pleasure of My Company. RC 56936. by Steve Martin. read by Steve Martin. 1 cassette. Obsessive-compulsive Daniel Cambridge rarely leaves his shabby Santa Monica apartment but is visited twice weekly by Clarissa, a student shrink. When Clarissa and her baby hide out at his place, his grandmother dies, and he wins an essay contest, Daniel is forced to become part of the real world. Strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56936. ## Going Home: A Barnaby Skye Novel. RC 56987. by Richard S. Wheeler. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 2 cassettes. In 1832 Barnaby Skye receives an offer he can't resist--a voyage from Fort Vancouver to London to obtain a pardon for deserting the Royal Navy and then a job with the Hudson's Bay Company. But Skye barely survives the ship's stopover in Mexican California. 2000. RC 56987. ## She Is Me. RC 57003. by Cathleen Schine. read by Patricia Kalember. 2 cassettes. Manhattan professor Elizabeth Bernard moves to Los Angeles, with boyfriend Brett and their son in tow, to write a screenplay based on _Madame Bovary_. Both her ailing mother and grandmother live there and urge her to marry Brett. But Elizabeth fears commitment, and besides, she has fallen for someone else. Strong language. 2003. RC 57003. ## The Five People You Meet in Heaven. RC 57004. by Mitch Albom. read by Erik Singer. 1 cassette. Eddie spends his last hours on Earth in his usual way, maintaining the Ruby Pier amusement park rides. But something goes wrong, and Eddie dies on his eighty-third birthday while trying to save a little girl. In heaven he meets five people who explain his life to him. Bestseller 2003. RC 57004. ## Shark River. RC 57042. by Randy Wayne White. read by Michael Russotto. 2 cassettes. Covert operative turned marine biologist Doc Ford spends a working holiday on luxurious Guava Key. When Ford foils a would-be kidnapping, he becomes the target of a drug lord. Then he encounters political intrigue and a Bahamian woman claiming to be his sister. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2001. RC 57042. ## The Rescue: The English Garden, Book 2. RC 57044. by Lori Wick. read by Vanessa Maroney. 2 cassettes. England, 1811. Following _The Proposal (RC 57040)_, the Jenningses and Palmers get new neighbors when Robert Weston claims his inheritance. On the way to his estate, Weston acquires a wife in a most unusual manner: Anne falls off a ladder into his arms, and her religious--and unstable-- father insists they marry. 2002. RC 57044. ## Fifty-Two Pickup. RC 57057. by Elmore Leonard. read by Christopher Walker. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Self-made Detroit millionaire Mitch Mitchell is blackmailed by three losers after having a brief affair with a stripper. When Mitch refuses to pay, murder, kidnapping, and more extortion follow. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 1974. RC 57057. ## Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility. RC 57064. by Patricia Santana. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. San Diego, 1969. Fourteen-year-old Mexican American Yolanda's older brother Chuy returns from the Vietnam War. Suffering emotionally from his experiences, Chuy lands in trouble. Meanwhile, Yolanda and her sisters chafe under their father's no-dating rule. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 57064. ## Corruption of Blood. RC 57066. by Robert K. Tanenbaum. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. Assistant New York D.A. Butch Karp is summoned to Washington, D.C., to reopen the investigation of the assassination of U.S. president John F. Kennedy. Karp's wife, Marlene Ciampi, takes on a different case, which eventually intersects with her husband's probe. Meanwhile a killer targets witnesses. Violence and strong language. 1995. RC 57066. ## The Sky So Big and Black. RC 57086. by John Barnes. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Orbital Resonance (RC 57085)_, Teri Murray's only wish is to quit school, marry her boyfriend, and join her father in "ecospecting" Mars. But after an atmospheric catastrophe, Teri has to save herself and the other surviving humans. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2002. RC 57086. ## Talon of the Silver Hawk: Conclave of Shadows, Book I. RC 57087. by Raymond E. Feist. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Midkemia. On the verge of manhood, young Kieli alone survives the slaughter of his Orosini people. Vowing vengeance, he must first repay his rescuers--members of the conclave, who adopt and train him to fulfill his destiny as Talon of the Silver Hawk. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57087. ## For Love and Glory. RC 57106. by Poul Anderson. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. Surveying Earth-like planet Jonna, Lissa Windholm discovers an artifact of the long-lost race called Forerunners. She also encounters fellow human Torben Hebo, who seeks to make a profit. Years later they reunite for a dangerous venture when Hebo claims to know the whereabouts of an operating Forerunner base. 2003. RC 57106. ## Exit Wounds. RC 57119. by J.A. Jance. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Cochise County, Arizona. Sheriff Joanna Brady, pregnant and running for reelection, investigates the killing of a woman and her seventeen dogs. Meanwhile two television reporters are murdered with similar antique bullets. The case reveals family secrets involving incest and bigamy. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57119. ## Beneath a Southern Sky. RC 57150. by Deborah Raney. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. Missionary Daria Camfield returns home, grieving her husband's death. She overcomes her loss and falls in love again--but is shocked to learn that her husband is still alive. Now Daria discovers that her faith in God will help her resolve her dilemma.2001. RC 57150. ## The Murder Room. RC 57164. by P.D. James. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. When museum trustee Neville Dupayne votes to close the institution, he is murdered in a gruesome way that mimics one of the exhibits. Commander Adam Dalgliesh, still in love with Emma Lavenham from _Death in Holy Orders (RC 51889)_, investigates. But more deaths occur. Bestseller 2003. RC 57164. ## Lord John and the Private Matter. RC 57169. by Diana Gabaldon. read by Annie Wauters. 2 cassettes. England, 1757. Lord John Grey tries to save his cousin from marrying a man he suspects of having syphilis. Grey gets sidetracked by a murder investigation that quickly reveals treason and scandal involving every level of English society. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 57169. ## Blood Canticle: The Vampire Chronicles. RC 57172. by Anne Rice. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. When Mona Mayfair, a mortal witch near death, arrives at _Blackwood Farm (RC 54945)_, vampire Lestat reluctantly saves her by turning her into a vampire. Drawn into the complex saga of the Mayfair witches' lives, he falls for Dr. Rowan Mayfair. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. Bestseller 2003. RC 57172. ## Sorcery and Cecelia; or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country. RC 57183. by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. read by Corrie James. 2 cassettes. England, 1817. Two teenage cousins, Cecelia in the country and Kate in London, write to each other about their exploits--which take a sinister turn when they find themselves confronted by evil wizards. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 57183. ## Sisters. RC 57185. by Anita Richmond Bunkley and others. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 2 cassettes. Three novellas portray African American women bound by family loyalty but torn by romantic conflicts. In Sandra Kitt's "Homecoming," sisters are divided by the Hollywood success of one and the love interest of the other. Also includes Eva Rutland's "Guess What's Cooking" and Anita Bunkley's "Into Tomorrow." Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1996. RC 57185. ## My Heart's Desire. RC 57187. by Andrea Kane. read by Corrie James. 3 cassettes. Lady Alexandria Cassel wanted only to escape the London season and see her father in Canada when she stowed away on _La Belle Illusion_. But once she's in Canada, her father insists she marry the ship's captain to save her reputation. Later Alexandria discovers she has married Lord Cairnham. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1991. RC 57187. ## Acid Row. RC 57205. by Minette Walters. read by Vanessa Maroney. 2 cassettes. The residents of a bleak housing project in England riot when they discover a pedophile is living among them and a ten-year-old girl is missing. When young Dr. Sophie Morrison is taken hostage by the pedophile, black ex-con Jimmy James attempts a rescue. Violence and strong language. 2002. RC 57205. ## The Cowboy with the Tiffany Gun. RC 57209. by Aaron Latham. read by Michael Russoto. 3 cassettes. Continues the Arthurian-themed western begun in _Code of the West (RC 56584)_. Seventeen-year-old Percy accompanies his mother, Revelie, to Texas after Revelie's former lover is shot. Percy, ignorant of their affair, seeks to recover the legendary ax his late father pulled from an anvil. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 57209. ## The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog. RC 57210. by Marian Babson. read by Corrie James. 2 cassettes. Aging British actresses Trixie Dolan and Evangeline Sinclair accompany Dame Cecile Savoy to the taxidermist to have her beloved dead Pekinese stuffed. They discover the owner murdered and rescue a rare cat. Meanwhile, the housekeeper where they are staying as guests disappears, their hostess's antagonistic stepmother arrives, and Trixie's daughter panics while writing a cookbook. 2003. RC 57210. ## The Crusading Wizard: A Wizard in Rhyme, Book 7. RC 57212. by Christopher Stasheff. read by Erik Sandvold. 3 cassettes. As barbarian hordes invade the Arabian empire, Queen Alisande of Merovence and Lord Wizard Matt, her husband, receive a call for help from Jerusalem. A fledgling enchantress with the power to turn into a cat accompanies Matt on his journey to the holy city to assess the threat. Sequel to _The Haunted Wizard (RC 57140)_. 2000. RC 57212. ## The Feline Wizard: A Wizard in Rhyme, Book 8. RC 57216. by Christopher Stasheff. read by Erik Sandvold. 3 cassettes. In this sequel to _The Crusading Wizard (RC 57212)_, Matt again takes leave of Merovence and Queen Alisande--this time to help find his kidnapped apprentice Princess Balkis, feline sorceress. While Matt investigates her disappearance in Maracanda, Balkis begins a perilous journey home accompanied by her new friend, Anthony. 2000. RC 57216. ## A King's Cutter: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 2. RC 57219. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. 1792. In this sequel to _An Eye of the Fleet (RC 57218)_, Nathaniel Drinkwater, now married, is asked by the Royal Navy to return to work, this time aboard the cutter _Kestrel_. He uncovers sinister networks of intrigue, deals with mutiny, and acquires a new nemesis--Edouard Santhonax. Some violence and some strong language. 1982. RC 57219. ## A Brig of War: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 3. RC 57220. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _A King's Cutter (RC 57219)_, Lieutenant Nathaniel Drinkwater is running routine missions on the brig _Hellebore_, when Admiral Nelson suddenly sends the brig to the Red Sea. Later British operations against the French bring Drinkwater face to face with two old enemies, Santhonax and Morris. Some violence and some strong language. 1983. RC 57220. ## Blacklist. RC 57240. by Sara Paretsky. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 3 cassettes. While inspecting the vacant family manor for longtime client Darraugh Graham, private investigator V.I. Warshawski stumbles upon the bodies of African American reporter Marcus Whitby and teenager Catherine Bayard. Somehow the families are connected in scandal and deceit going back to the McCarthy era. Bestseller 2003. RC 57240. ## Taste of Honey: A Carson Springs Novel, Book 2. RC 57244. by Eileen Goudge. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 3 cassettes. Forty-eight-year-old divorcée Gerry Fitzgerald reaches out to the daughter she gave up for adoption more than twenty years ago. Family, friends, and lovers stand by as mother and daughter work to establish a relationship. Sequel to _Stranger in Paradise (RC 54224)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 57244. ## The First Mountain Man: The First Mountain Man, Book 1. RC 57247. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Oregon Trail, 1837. East of the Absaroka Range, the mountain man called Preacher encounters an unfriendly band of Arapaho and their terrified captives. Preacher frees the missionaries--two men and two women--and promises them safety, although toting four greenhorns through hostile territory won't be easy. Precedes _Blood on the Divide (RC 53030)_. 1991. RC 57247. ## Five Women. RC 57248. by Rona Jaffe. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 4 cassettes. 1995. Five women meet weekly at the Yellowbird bar in Manhattan. As they share their past relationships with parents, children, and spouses, and their hopes for the future, Billie, Gara, Felicity, Kathryn, and Eve find the courage to begin new lives. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1997. RC 57248. ## The Forbidden Tower: A Darkover Novel. RC 57254. by Marion Zimmer Bradley. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 3 cassettes. Tradition and a sacred caste system rule life on Darkover. But two couples--Damon and Ellemir Ridenow, and Andrew Carr and his wife, Ellemir's sister Callista--dare to defy the ancient law. The couples form a powerful, yet unnatural, alliance to resist the forces of Darkover. 1977. RC 57254. ## Season of Blessing. RC 57255. by Beverly LaHaye and Terri Blackstock. read by Janis Gray. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Times and Seasons (RC 53473)_, the women of Cedar Circle again come together to support each other. When Sylvia discovers she has breast cancer, her friends rally around to give her love and prayers even as they struggle with concerns of their own. 2002. RC 57255. ## The Sleuth of Baghdad: The Inspector Chafik Stories. RC 57257. by Charles B. Child. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. Fifteen tales of mystery and intrigue set in 1940s Baghdad featuring police inspector Chafik J. Chafik and his sergeant Abdullah. In "The Inspector Is Discreet," they suspect the father of an Englishman's murdered Iraqi mistress did her in to avenge the family's honor. Some violence and some strong language. 2002. RC 57257. ## Return of the Mountain Man: The Mountain Man, Book 2. RC 57261. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 1 cassette. Reputed outlaw Smoke Jensen is seeking revenge, and he's got his sights on bandits Potter, Richards, Stratton, and their gunmen. Using the alias Buck West, Smoke heads for Idaho territory and the town of Bury--which is exactly what he intends to do to those responsible for murdering his wife, baby, and other family members. 1986. RC 57261. ## Beachcomber. RC 57271. by Karen Robards. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Christy Petrino quits her job when she discovers that the law firm she works for and her fiancé are involved with the mob. Now, with her life at stake, she must deliver a package to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, where she faces more danger--a serial killer. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57271. ## The Ascent of Rum Doodle. RC 57275. by W.E. Bowman. read by Barry Bernson. 1 cassette. In a parody of the sport, a hapless group of British mountaineers attempts to climb a 40,000-and-a-half-foot peak in the Himalayas with the help of 30,000 local porters. Introduction by Bill Bryson. 1956. RC 57275. ## Claws. RC 57276. by Will Weaver. read by Brian Conn. 1 cassette. Popular sixteen-year-old Jed is carefree until Laura, a junior at another high school, tells him about the affair his father is having with her mother. Jed's life begins to unravel after the teenagers confront their errant parents and the marriages falter. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57276. ## Preacher: The First Mountain Man. RC 57278. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Long before attaining fame as the mountain man called Preacher, a twelve-year-old boy named Arthur leaves his Ohio family in 1813 for adventures westward. Art makes friends and enemies, lives with the Shawnee, and learns to shoot in the U.S. Army--all along the way to becoming a man and a legend. Some strong language. 2002. RC 57278. ## Avenger. RC 57280. by Frederick Forsyth. read by Jack Fox. 2 cassettes. New Jersey lawyer Calvin Dexter, a former Vietnam "tunnel rat," becomes a secret assassin after his daughter's murder. He is hired by billionaire Steve Edmond whose idealistic grandson is killed in Bosnia by Serbian warlord Zoran Zilic. But the CIA doesn't want Zilic dead. Violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57280. ## The Kingmaker. RC 57298. by Brian Haig. read by Chuck Benson. 3 cassettes. JAG attorney Major Sean Drummond, last seen in _Mortal Allies (RC 54157)_, defends Brigadier General Bill Morrison on a charge of spying for the Russians. Drummond uncovers a conspiracy to frame his client and exposes the real power behind Russia's postwar government. Violence and strong language. 2003. RC 57298. ## The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection. RC 57308. edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. read by L.J. Ganser. 8 cassettes in 2 containers. Thirty-nine stories, one essay, and thirteen poems from fairy tales to gothic horror by such authors as James Frenkel, Jeffrey Ford, Terry Dowling, Neil Gaiman, and Elizabeth Hand. Includes an overview of 2002's works in this genre and a list of honorable mentions. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 57308. ## Due Preparations for the Plague. RC 57313. by Janette Turner Hospital. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 3 cassettes. Lowell Hawthorne's mother died in the 1987 hijacking of Air France Flight 64, an event haunting him and survivor Samantha Raleigh, now nineteen. Samantha is convinced that American intelligence--and Lowell's agent father--knew about the ill-fated flight, a theory supported by classified documents Lowell discovers after his father's death. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57313. ## Living Large. RC 57315. by Rochelle Alers and others. read by Saidah Arrika Ekulona. 2 cassettes. Four novellas by bestselling authors featuring plus-size African American women finding love and happiness at turning points in their lives. "Reunion" portrays a curvaceous divorcée who falls for the former class geek, now a gorgeous god. In "Surprise!" fifty-something Elizabeth Howell drops a bombshell on her unsuspecting husband. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57315. ## Man of the House. RC 57324. by Felicia Mason and others. read by Bill Quinn. 2 cassettes. Three contemporary romances featuring African American fathers in love. In Adrianne Byrd's "One in a Million," successful businessman Gregory Woods reunites with a former lover and the nine-year-old son he never knew he had. Also includes Felicia Mason's "The Dreamers" and Doris Johnson's "Father at Heart." Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57324. ## His Mother's Son. RC 57331. by Cai Emmons. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Jana changes her identity after her brother commits a horrific crime and is incarcerated. Years later, Jana--now a physician--is alarmed by her young son's violent tendencies and becomes overly strict, alienating her husband and forcing her to relive the past. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 57331. ## Once More with Feeling. RC 57333. by Emilie Richards. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. Affluent housewife Elisabeth is involved in an automobile accident and wakes up in the body of a sexy television celebrity. With her own memories and Gypsy's attitude, Elisabeth gets a second chance at life-- and discovers the importance of what she's left behind. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1996. RC 57333. ## Love. RC 57353. by Toni Morrison. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Even after the death of seaside resort owner Bill Cosey, his women-- widow Heed, granddaughter Christine, and mistress Celestial--continue their feuds. These members of the town's African American former elite reminisce about the man they loved and hated. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003. RC 57353. ## Star Wars: The New Jedi Order; the Unifying Force. RC 57358. by James Luceno. read by Chuck Benson. 4 cassettes. With Luke, Mara, and their crew still off searching for the living world of Zonama Sekot, Han and Leia volunteer for a critical rescue mission. Meanwhile, discontent breeds revolt among the Yuuzhan Vong. Both sides prepare for the final epic battle that will decide the fate of the universe. 2003. RC 57358. ## The Future Scrolls. RC 57364. by Fern Michaels. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Alexander Mendeneres will do anything to protect some scrolls entrusted to his Argentinean family centuries ago. After his wife flees to New York with the treasure, Mendeneres hopes to find her by using their ten- year-old daughter, Maria, as bait. Befriending Maria, Manhattan editor Dani Arnold is drawn into dangerous activities and unexpected romance. Bestseller 2001. RC 57364. ## Bad Chemistry. RC 57387. by Nora Kelly. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Vancouver professor Gillian Adams takes a sabbatical and travels to Cambridge, England, to meet her boyfriend, Scotland Yard detective Edward Gisborne. Their vacation plans are derailed while they solve a dual murder that is shrouded by professional rivalries, clandestine relationships, and feminist overtones. Some violence. 1993. RC 57387. ## The Beast. RC 57388. by Walter Dean Myers. read by Christopher Walker. 1 cassette. When sixteen-year-old "Spoon" receives a scholarship to a New England prep school, he leaves Harlem and his girlfriend Gabi behind. Returning home at Christmastime, he discovers Gabi is a drug addict and he is no longer in step with street life. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 57388. ## Hot Pursuit. RC 57397. by Nora Kelly. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Professor Gillian Adams quit her job and moved to London to be with her lover, Edward, a policeman. She reconnects with her old friend Charlotte, whose actress daughter is being stalked by a perverted fan. When Gillian discovers Charlotte's body, she becomes involved in a murder investigation. Some strong language. 2002. RC 57397. ## She Went All the Way. RC 57433. by Meggin Cabot. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Action hero Jack Townsend and screenwriter Louise "Lou" Calabrese are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after their helicopter pilot crashes while trying to kill them. Despite their mutual dislike, they work together to survive the elements and hired killers--and fall in love. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2002. RC 57433. ## Tears of the Giraffe. RC 57445. by Alexander McCall Smith. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 2 cassettes. Mma Ramotswe of _The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency (RC 55503)_ in Botswana takes on more cases involving missing people, cheating spouses, and thieves. She also contends with her foster children and her fiancé. 2000. RC 57445. ## Castle Rouge. RC 57479. by Carole Nelson Douglas. read by Lisette Lecat. 4 cassettes. After Jack the Ripper--whom detective Irene Adler (and Sherlock Holmes) helped to capture in Paris--escapes from custody, Irene's husband and her friend Nell vanish. With help from an American prostitute and others, Irene travels throughout Europe to rescue her loved ones and corner her nemesis. Sequel to _Chapel Noir (RC 57499)_. Some violence. 2002. RC 57479. ## Lemon Meringue Pie Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. RC 57480. by Joanne Fluke. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. Bakery owner Hannah Swensen of Lake Eden, Minnesota--last seen in _Blueberry Muffin Murder (RC 55213)_--enlists the help of two sometime boyfriends when middle-aged flirt Rhonda Scharf is murdered after consuming one of Hannah's pies. As Hannah investigates, her family urges her to settle down. Includes recipes. 2003. RC 57480. ## A Gathering Place: A Cape Light Novel, Book 3. RC 57487. by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Home Song (RC 56726)_, residents of Cape Light, Massachusetts, confront life's problems. Mayor Emily still fears Dan will leave town. Her daughter Sara develops a shaky relationship with Luke. Charlie and Lucy have marital problems, Digger suffers memory loss, and Reverend Ben experiences a crisis of faith. 2003. RC 57487. ## Brick Lane. RC 57490. by Monica Ali. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 3 cassettes. Nazneen, an eighteen-year-old girl from a small Bangladesh village, is wed to much older Chanu in an arranged marriage and moves to London where her Muslim religious, social, and moral traditions clash with Western culture. Transformed by the experience, she embraces new freedoms and examines the role of fate in her life. 2003. RC 57490. ## The McCone Files. RC 57496. by Marcia Muller. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Fifteen investigative case files of San Francisco private detective Sharon McCone trace her two decades at the All Souls Legal Cooperative, from the beginning of her career there to her eventual relocation of the business to a swanky new office. Some violence and some strong language. 1995. RC 57496. ## Bold Sons of Erin. RC 57497. by Owen Parry. read by Nick Sullivan. 3 cassettes. At President Lincoln's request, Major Abel Jones--last seen in _Honor's Kingdom (RC 57524)_--returns home to Pennsylvania in 1862 to inspect the grave of a Union general's Irish assassin. When the exhumation reveals the body of a slain young woman instead, Abel investigates both murders. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 57497. ## Hunting in Harlem. RC 57500. by Mat Johnson. read by Bill Quinn. 2 cassettes. Bobby, Cedric, and Horus join Horizon Realty's "Second Chance Program" to rehabilitate ex-cons and revitalize Harlem by remodeling dilapidated brownstones for resale to African American professionals. But after troublesome tenants begin to die in accidents, crime reporter Piper Goines becomes suspicious of Horizon and investigates. Strong language and some violence. 2003. RC 57500. ## Shifting Calder Wind: Calder Saga, Volume 7. RC 57507. by Janet Dailey. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Texas. When Chase Calder regains consciousness, he has amnesia but is sure someone tried to kill him. Chase and his rescuer, Laredo Smith, decide to let everyone except Chase's daughter-in-law, Jessy, think he is dead while they search for the shooter. Sequel to _Green Calder Grass (RC 54999)_. Some strong language. 2003. RC 57507. ## A Time to Embrace: A Story of Hope, Healing, and Abundant Life. RC 57509. by Karen Kingsbury. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _A Time to Dance (RC 57529)_, John and Abby Reynolds are back together and believe they can handle anything. However, their faith will be greatly tested as John struggles in his coaching job, Nicole and Matt have family problems, and tragedy strikes. 2002. RC 57509. ## Naughty or Nice. RC 57510. by Eric Jerome Dickey. read by Suzanne Toren. 2 cassettes. Three Los Angeles sisters--Frankie, Livvy, and Tommie--all suffer from miserable love lives as the holiday season approaches. Frankie turns to the Internet, Livvy has an affair to punish her cheating husband, and Tommie recovers from an abusive relationship. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 2003. RC 57510. ## Something to Celebrate. RC 57518. by Felicia Mason and others. read by Catherine Byers. 2 cassettes. Three stories of holiday romance by African American authors. As the New Year approaches in Brenda Jackson's "Truly Everlasting," Trask and Felicia discover they are meant for each other. Others find love in "The First Noel" by Felicia Mason and Margie Walker's "Kwanzaa Kupendi." Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1999. RC 57518. ## If I Could. RC 57519. by Donna Hill. read by Lizan Mitchell. 2 cassettes. Three years after divorcing her emotionally unsatisfying husband, forty- year-old African American journalist Regina Everette walks away from a promising career. Unemployed and unattached, Regina is determined to live and love on her own terms despite having two teenage children to support. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2000. RC 57519. ## Stone Garden. RC 57520. by Molly Moynahan. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Seventeen-year-old prep-school student Alice McGuire spends senior year mourning the murder of her best friend, Matthew Swan. When she teaches poetry to hard-core prison inmates, she learns about life beyond her sheltered environment. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57520. ## McNally's Alibi: An Archy McNally Novel by Vincent Lardo. RC 57525. by Vincent Lardo. read by Chuck Benson. 2 cassettes. Hunting for the manuscript of Truman Capote's _Answered Prayers_, Archy McNally becomes involved in a sting operation in which he is a primary murder suspect. Unravelling the mystery, McNally encounters a scandal comprising rich eccentrics, shady antiques dealers, and tangled relationships. 2002. RC 57525. ## Return to Oak Valley. RC 57526. by Shirlee Busbee. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 3 cassettes. After her brother's apparent suicide, Shelly Granger returns to the family ranch, old friends, and betrayed love in the California hometown she abandoned seventeen years earlier. While coping with her grief, she discovers the unexpected truth behind shocking family secrets. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 57526. ## Getting Mother's Body. RC 57528. by Suzan-Lori Parks. read by Saidah Arrika Ekulona. 2 cassettes. 1960s. African American Billy Beede's wild mama is rumored to be buried with a trove of jewels in an Arizona grave now threatened by development. Billy--sixteen, pregnant, and broke--steals a truck and heads west from Texas with her uncle and one-legged aunt to find the treasure. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 57528. ## A Time to Dance. RC 57529. by Karen Kingsbury. read by Gabriella Cavallero. 2 cassettes. John and Abby Reynolds are about to inform their children that their twenty-one-year marriage is over when their daughter announces her engagement. They decide to remain silent until after Nicole's wedding. Yet neither can ignore God's voice encouraging them to rekindle their love. Prequel to _A Time to Embrace (RC 57509)_. 2001. RC 57529. ## Key of Light: Key Trilogy, Book 1. RC 57639. by Nora Roberts. read by Catherine Byers. 2 cassettes. At a mysterious cocktail party, art gallery manager Malory Price with Dana Steele and Zoe McCourt attempts to unravel an ancient legend. Dana's brother, Flynn, helps Malory find the first key. Precedes _Key of Knowledge (RC 57678)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57639. ## Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras. RC 57640. by Cathy Hopkins. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. Londoners Lucy, Izzie, and Nesta are best friends but fourteen-year-old Lucy feels she looks young for her age and longs to grow up. Then after she falls in love at first sight she begins having different problems. For junior and senior high readers. 2001. RC 57640. ## Pompeii. RC 57646. by Robert Harris. read by Gordon Gould. 2 cassettes. Italy, A.D. 79. Pliny the Elder sends engineer Marcus Attilius Primus to Pompeii to investigate a water flow problem. Attilius examines the aqueduct, uncovers an embezzlement scheme, discovers the imminent eruption of the volcano Vesuvius, and attempts to rescue his new love. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57646. ## Almost a Wife. RC 57651. by Eva Rutland. read by Lindsay Ellison. 1 cassette. Lisa Reynolds, just fired as a well-paid marketing director, doesn't expect problems finding a new high-status job. Yet several months later she is cleaning houses. But when she begins working for Tray Kingsley, she finds herself caring deeply for the children in his care, and for him. 2000. RC 57651. ## Monsieur Pamplemousse Omnibus, Volume 1. RC 57661. by Michael Bond. read by Robert Blumenfeld. 3 cassettes. Three novels featuring a retired French police inspector turned food critic and his bloodhound, Pommes Frites. While tasting the best each restaurant has to offer, the critic also uncovers mayhem and murder in _Monsieur Pamplemousse_, _Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Secret Mission_, and _Monsieur Pamplemousse on the Spot_. 1983. RC 57661. ## Catch Me. RC 57668. by A.J. Holt. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Before she entered the witness protection program, rogue FBI agent and computer expert Jay Fletcher, last seen in _Watch Me (RC 42014)_, helped capture serial killer Billy Bones. Now escaped, Billy taunts Jay and U.S. marshal Jack Dane with a vengeful, bloody murder spree. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1999. RC 57668. ## Mates, Dates, and Cosmic Kisses. RC 57672. by Cathy Hopkins. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. Londoners Lucy, Izzie, and Nesta are best friends but when Izzie meets a fabulous new boy she refuses to leave the house in case he calls. Her friends and mum try persuading her to get on with her life, yet she resists. For junior and senior high readers. 2001. RC 57672. ## Key of Knowledge: Key Trilogy, Book 2. RC 57678. by Nora Roberts. read by Catherine Byers. 2 cassettes. Sequel to _Key of Light (RC 57639)_. Malory, Zoe, and Dana hold keys to the mystical Box of Souls ending sorcerer Kane's curse. Malory opened the first box. Dana must unlock the second. Clues rest in the past, present, and future. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 57678. ## Mates, Dates, and Designer Divas. RC 57680. by Cathy Hopkins. read by Kristin Allison. 1 cassette. When Jamaican Italian Nesta of London begins dating a wealthy boy she pretends to be well-off even though her family has hit hard times. She also risks alienating her friends Izzie and Lucy by withholding the truth. For junior and senior high readers. 2001. RC 57680. ## R Is for Ricochet. RC 58104. by Sue Grafton. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 3 cassettes. Convicted embezzler Reba Lafferty's dying father hires P.I. Kinsey Millhone to keep Reba out of trouble upon her release from prison. But the wealthy thirty-two-year-old party girl resumes her previous lifestyle and involves Kinsey in burglary, revenge, and eventually murder. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2004. RC 58104. ## ### _Books for Children_ Books listed in this issue of _Talking Book Topics_ were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including animals, geography, nature, mystery, sports, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection. Cassette books are labeled with the code RC and play at 15/16 ips. To order books, contact your cooperating library. _Cassettes Nonfiction_ Dealing with Terminal Illness in the Family. RC 56373. by Heather Lehr Wagner. read by Miriam Wagner. 1 cassette. Information to help teenagers cope with emotional issues that arise when a parent, sibling, or grandparent is diagnosed with an incurable disease. Discusses the various stages of grief felt by those facing the death of family members and the changes in family life that occur. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 56373. ## The Electoral College. RC 56385. by Martha S. Hewson. read by Peter Lavezzoli. 1 cassette. Discusses the electoral college procedure for choosing U.S. presidents that gives each state the same number of votes as the number of representatives and senators it sends to Congress. Reviews conflicts arising during the disputed elections of 1876, 1888, and especially 2000. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2002. RC 56385. ## How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports. RC 56528. by Gary Paulsen. read by Michael Kramer. 1 cassette. Author of _Hatchet (RC 30535)_ and other survival adventures recalls his own escapades at age twelve. Describes how he attempted to shoot a twelve-foot waterfall in a barrel, how a friend on skis was pulled by a car at high speed, and other daredevil feats. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 56528. ## A Christmas Treasury: Very Merry Stories and Poems. RC 56658. compiled by Kevin Hawkes. read by Connie Crawford. 1 cassette. An anthology that includes a selection from _Wind in the Willows (RC 24592)_ depicting Mole's hospitality and Rat's resourcefulness; "Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn," a story featuring a dog who plays Santa Claus; two traditional carols; and Clement Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." For grades 3-6 and older readers. 2001. RC 56658. ## One More Valley, One More Hill: The Story of Aunt Clara Brown. RC 57201. by Linda Lowery. read by Andrea Frierson-Toney. 1 cassette. Biography of an intrepid woman born into the hardships of slavery in Virginia. When granted freedom at age fifty-six, she moved westward in search of her daughter. Aunt Clara Brown became a pioneer and entrepreneur, working to help former slaves start new lives in Colorado. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57201. ## The Greatest Sports Stories Never Told. RC 57285. by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Thirty-four accounts of triumphant wins against great odds and some amazing game finishes. In "Blind Faith," a big-league baseball player hits home runs to encourage a Little Leaguer who lost his sight when struck by lightning. For grades 4-7. 1993. RC 57285. ## An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow-Fever Epidemic of 1793. RC 57418. by Jim Murphy. read by Mary Kane. 1 cassette. Describes the horrific events in Philadelphia in 1793 when citywide illness prevented Congress from convening. Thousands of people were dying, many unattended, and physicians of the time were unsure of the cause or treatment of the yellow-fever outbreak. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57418. ## The Book of Rock Stars: Twenty-four Musical Icons That Shine through History. RC 57423. by Kathleen Krull. read by Coleen Delany. 1 cassette. Two dozen minibiographies of rock music legends. Includes the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, and Kurt Cobain, among others. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 57423. ## America's Great Disasters. RC 57432. by Martin W. Sandler. read by Alec Volz. 1 cassette. Examines causes and effects of some historic disasters in the United States such as the 1888 "Blizzard of '88"; the 1889 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood; the 1900 Galveston hurricane; and the 1918 flu epidemic among others. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 57432. ## Space Flight: Crossing the Last Frontier. RC 57463. by Jason Richie. read by Butch Hoover. 1 cassette. Profiles seven engineers and scientists who made space flight possible. In describing important projects, the author includes Robert Goddard and the liquid-fuel rocket, William Pickering and planetary probes, and Wernher von Braun and the moon program. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57463. ## Christmas around the World, Volume 2. RC 57498. by Emily Kelley. read by Catherine Byers. 1 cassette. This companion to _Christmas around the World (RC 31285)_ describes holiday celebrations in eight countries--Mexico, Ethiopia, China, Germany, Lebanon, Sweden, Australia, and Russia--most of which were not included in the earlier volume. Also contains jokes, tongue twisters, and a recipe. Beginning chapter book. For grades 2-4. 2004. RC 57498. ## The Case of the Monkeys That Fell from the Trees and Other Mysteries in Tropical Nature. RC 57502. by Susan E. Quinlan. read by Barbara Caruso. 1 cassette. Wildlife biologist describes the characteristics of tropic forests and the species that inhabit them. Explains how scientists have researched ecological problems and found answers by using the "scientific method." Includes case studies of howling monkeys and poison-dart frogs. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57502. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ Evvy's Civil War. RC 55162. by Miriam Brenaman. read by Cyn Delafield. 2 cassettes. Fourteen-year-old Evvy chafes at the customs confining Virginia women and slaves. During the Civil War, with her mother unwell and her father in the Confederate army, Evvy's pluck and values help her to run the family plantation as well as aid slaves in the Underground Railway. Some strong language. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 55162. ## The Same Stuff as Stars. RC 55611. by Katherine Paterson. read by Peggy Gilleland. 2 cassettes. Angel is not yet twelve when her mother abandons her and her younger brother, Bernie, at their great-grandmother's rundown farmhouse in Vermont. Angel's bleak existence is brightened by a mystery man with a telescope who lives in a nearby trailer and teaches her about stars. Some strong language. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 55611. ## I Was a Third Grade Spy. RC 56007. by Mary Jane Auch. read by Gary Roan. 1 cassette. Following _I Was a Third Grade Science Project (RC 46918)_, Brian's dog Arful can now speak. Brian and his friends Josh and Dougie use Arful to find out what Emily and the girls will be doing for the school talent show. For grades 2-4. 2001. RC 56007. ## Runt. RC 56009. by Marion Dane Bauer. read by Gary Roan. 1 cassette. Runt, the smallest wolf cub in the litter, has to prove his usefulness to his father, King, and the rest of the pack. But Runt can't seem to do anything right--until one day he warns his father of trouble. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 56009. ## High Tide in Hawaii: Magic Tree House, Book 28. RC 56011. by Mary Pope Osborne. read by Gillian Green. 1 cassette. When Jack and Annie find a secret rhyme inside the book _A Visit to Old Hawaii_ they are off on another adventure. They experience a tsunami, discover a special kind of ship, and meet a brother and sister who teach them surfing. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 56011. ## Anne of Green Gables. RC 56114. by Lucy Maud Montgomery. read by Barbara Rappaport. 2 cassettes. Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm in Canada. There she proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. Complete and unabridged text. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1908. RC 56114. ## The Sands of Time: A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure. RC 56171. by Michael Hoeye. read by Bruce Nelson. 2 cassettes. Despite fierce opposition from mouse supremacists and other residents of Pinchester, three mice team up with an old chipmunk to prove that there existed, long before the time of mice, a Cat Kingdom. Sequel to _Time Stops for No Mouse (RC 54785)_. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 56171. ## A Face First. RC 56357. by Priscilla Cummings. read by Carolyn Hecker. 1 cassette. After sixth-grader Kelley suffers severe face and body burns in a car accident, she doesn't want any contact with her friends or classmates, believing she will never look "normal" again. But her big sister, her mother, and a caring community help Kelley overcome her fears and isolation. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 56357. ## The Rope Trick. RC 56361. by Lloyd Alexander. read by Peg Gilleland. 1 cassette. Although a talented magician, Lidi desires to master the elusive rope trick. She sets out across Renaissance Italy seeking the legendary Ferramondo--the one magician who can perform it. But before she can find him, her orphaned companion, Daniella, is kidnapped. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 56361. ## Hannah, Divided. RC 56374. by Adele Griffin. read by Mimi Bederman. 1 cassette. Rural Pennsylvania, 1934. Thirteen-year-old Hannah cannot read, but she loves to count and calculate in her head, like the number of minutes she's been alive. This mathematical gift leads Hannah to an exclusive Philadelphia girls' school to prepare for a scholarship test and a big decision. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 56374. ## Parents Wanted. RC 57196. by George Harrar. read by Steven Carpenter. 1 cassette. Twelve-year-old Andrew Fleck wants to be adopted by Jeff and Laurie Sizeracy. But Andy has ADD (attention deficit disorder) and lots of problems due to impulsive behavior. After falsely accusing Jeff of inappropriate touching, Andy almost loses his chance for a permanent home--until he finally convinces authorities that he lied. For grades 6- 9. 2001. RC 57196. ## The World before This One: A Novel Told in Legend. RC 57206. by Rafe Martin. read by Steven Carpenter. 1 cassette. Considered outcasts from their Seneca tribe, Crow and his grandmother depend on Crow's survival skills to eat. But he stops hunting when he finds a talking stone that tells him long-ago stories about the creation of the world. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57206. ## The Goblin Wood. RC 57268. by Hilari Bell. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Makenna, a young hedgewitch, organizes an army of clever goblins to fight against the ruling human hierarchy, who are trying to rid the land of all magical creatures. Tobin, an idealistic knight, is sent to entrap her. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57268. ## Slaves of the Mastery: An Adventure; the Wind on Fire, Book 2. RC 57317. by William Nicholson. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. After five years of enjoying the freedom attained in _The Wind Singer (RC 57290)_, Aramanth is unprepared for attack. As flaming arrows destroy their city, fifteen-year-old twins Bowman and Kestrel are separated. They discover their individual special powers and reunite to liberate their people yet again. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2001. RC 57317. ## Firesong: An Adventure; the Wind on Fire, Book 3. RC 57337. by William Nicholson. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. Bowman and Kestrel, the twin brother and sister who saved their people from bondage in _Slaves of the Mastery (RC 57317)_, now follow their prophetess mother's lead to a promised land. Their group encounters insects, kidnappers, an enchanted valley, and self-doubt on their journey. For grades 6-9. 2002. RC 57337. ## The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. RC 57349. by Mark Twain. read by Nick Sullivan. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Tom Sawyer's friend young Huck Finn explains the reasons he is running away from home and recounts his exploits floating down the Mississippi River on a raft with Jim, an escaped slave. Companion to _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (RC 53084)_. Some strong language. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 1884. RC 57349. ## Cuba Fifteen. RC 57382. by Nancy Osa. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. Half-Cuban and half-Polish Violet Paz, who just turned fifteen in Chicago, reluctantly goes along with her Cuban grandmother's wish to have a traditional Latin American quinceañero (festivity) to celebrate her coming-of-age. As the family prepares for the event, Violet gradually begins to appreciate her heritage. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57382. ## The River between Us. RC 57400. by Richard Peck. read by Annie Wauters. 1 cassette. Illinois, 1861. Tilly Pruitt's mother accepts two mysterious young women from New Orleans, Delphine and Calinda, as boarders in the early Civil War days. Fifteen-year-old Tilly finds them fascinating, but townspeople think they are Confederate spies. Their secrets emerge after Tilly's brother, a Union army soldier, is wounded. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57400. ## Get Ready for Gabí! A Crazy Mixed-Up Spanglish Day. RC 57402. by Marisa Montes. read by Kimberly Schraf. 1 cassette. In California, third-grader Maritza Gabriela Morales Mercado usually speaks Spanish at home and English at school, but she mixes them up when she is upset. Class bully Johnny Wiley teases her about that and about her name, calling her Maritza Pizza. Furious, Gabí comes up with a plan. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 57402. ## The Ballad of Sir Dinadan. RC 57431. by Gerald Morris. read by Brian Conn. 2 cassettes. Although more musically than athletically inclined, eighteen-year-old Dinadan is forced by his father to become a knight. He sets out on his adventures and winds up involved in older brother Sir Tristram's sad love affair with Iseult. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57431. ## Starting with Alice. RC 57437. by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. read by Kerry Cundiff. 1 cassette. Motherless eight-year-old Alice McKinley moves from Chicago to Maryland with her father and older brother, Lester. While she has trouble at first fitting into her new third grade class, Alice gradually makes friends with Rosalind and Sara and gets a new kitten. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 57437. ## Alice in Blunderland. RC 57438. by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. read by Kerry Cundiff. 1 cassette. Following _Starting with Alice (RC 57437)_ Alice McKinley is now in fourth grade and makes a new effort to get along with her teasing older brother, Lester. She also tries not to do embarrassing things at school, such as singing. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 57438. ## Kaiulani: The People's Princess. RC 57440. by Ellen Emerson White. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. Princess Kaiulani begins her diary in 1889 in Oahu as she learns her royal duties in preparation for leading the Hawaiian people. At thirteen she is sent to England to study. Meanwhile rebel Americans conspire to make the islands their own. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 57440. ## The Girls Take Over. RC 57456. by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. read by John Polk. 1 cassette. The Hatford brothers and the Malloy sisters of West Virginia continue their rivalry. This time they compete in baseball, the spelling bee, and a school reading project. But together they nab some computer thieves. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 57456. ## Casting the Gods Adrift: A Tale of Ancient Egypt. RC 57471. by Geraldine McCaughrean. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. In ancient Egypt, Tutmose, a skillful carver, and Ibrim, his almost blind musical brother, enjoy living at Pharaoh Akhenaten's court. But when their father, Harkhuf, plots to kill the pharaoh for abandoning the traditional gods, Tutmose faces difficult decisions. For grades 5-8. 1998. RC 57471. ## Attack of Apollyon: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 19. RC 57475. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. In this sequel to _Darkening Skies (RC 55386)_, freezing temperatures are enveloping the world. As Judd and Lionel decide their next move, Vicki brings the kids together in the schoolhouse. Then a strange star falls to earth and suddenly there are locusts everywhere. For grades 5- 8. 2002. RC 57475. ## Secrets of New Babylon: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 21. RC 57476. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. In this sequel to _A Dangerous Plan (RC 57477)_ Vicki and her followers, discovered by members of the Global Community, fear being arrested. Judd, Lionel, and Sam have traveled to New Babylon, accompanied by Nada, to visit Judd's dangerously ill friend, Pavel. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57476. ## A Dangerous Plan: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 20. RC 57477. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. In this sequel to _Attack of Apollyon (RC 57475)_, the Young Trib Force continues to battle the locusts. Sam tries once more to convert his father, and Vicki is offered an exciting opportunity. The entire force continues to risk their lives to encourage more believers. For grades 5- 8. 2002. RC 57477. ## Escape from New Babylon: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 22. RC 57483. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. In this sequel to _Secrets of New Babylon (RC 57476)_ Vicki returns to the schoolhouse with newcomer Chris Traickin, although she wonders if he can be trusted. In New Babylon, Judd and Nada discover that Nada's brother is still alive. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57483. ## Uplink from the Underground: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 24. RC 57488. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. In this sequel to _Horsemen of Terror (RC 57484)_, the horsemen are causing havoc and killing people across the world. The kids in the schoolhouse have developed a bold plan to help spread the word. Meanwhile Judd is faced with the task of stopping an assassination attempt. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 57488. ## Death at the Gala: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 25. RC 57489. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. A Global Community raid forces the kids to abandon their Illinois schoolhouse hideout, but Vicki makes one more broadcast to her satellite community. In Israel, Judd and Lionel watch as Eli and Moishe are executed. Then a miracle occurs. Sequel to _Uplink from the Underground (RC 57488)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57489. ## Stop the Train!. RC 57492. by Geraldine McCaughrean. read by Tere Mele. 2 cassettes. Cissy Sissney and her parents join other homesteaders and head for the Oklahoma territories. In Florence they discover the town hasn't been built yet, so they set to work. When the railroad threatens to bypass the town, everyone schemes to force the railroad to schedule stops there. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 57492. ## The Beast Arises: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 26. RC 57493. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. After rescuing singer Z-Van, Judd and Lionel are promised a ride home. But Z-Van, a follower of Nicolae Carpathia, detours to Israel where Carpathia rises from the dead. In another hiding place, Vicki continues her warnings of events ahead. Sequel to _Death at the Gala (RC 57489)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57493. ## Wildfire! Left Behind--The Kids, Book 27. RC 57494. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. Vicki and the kids in Wisconsin seek a new hiding place. In Illinois Natalie Bishop, a Morale Monitor, works to free prisoners of the Global Community. In New Babylon Lionel and Judd hope singer Z-Van will see behind the Antichrist. Sequel to _The Beast Arises (RC 57493)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57494. ## The Mark of the Beast: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 28. RC 57503. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. Thanks to Natalie's quick thinking, Vicki and others escape the Global Community's latest capture attempt but remain in danger. In New Babylon Judd and Lionel find a new believer. The time has come for prisoners to receive Carpathia's mark of the beast. Sequel to _Wildfire! (RC 57494)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57503. ## Breakout! Left Behind--The Kids, Book 29. RC 57504. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. Vicki and other Trib members risk their lives to save believers held by the Global Community. Z-Van receives Carpathia's loyalty mark. But the entire Trib Force faces extreme danger by refusing to accept that mark. Sequel to _The Mark of the Beast (RC 57503)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57504. ## Murder in the Holy Place: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 30. RC 57513. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. After getting kicked off Z-Van's plane, Judd and Lionel find a ride to Jerusalem where Carpathia is preparing another deadly power display. Back in the States, Vicki decides to help a new believer, thrusting the kids into an unexpected adventure. Sequel to _Breakout! (RC 57504)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57513. ## Escape to Masada: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 31. RC 57514. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. As horrified thousands watch, Nicolae Carpathia commits murder in the temple. Vicki and her friends try to rescue a Morale Monitor from the Global Community. Around the world Carpathia's followers are developing sores on their bodies. Sequel to _Murder in the Holy Place (RC 57513)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57514. ## War of the Dragon: Left Behind--The Kids, Book 32. RC 57530. by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. read by Jim Zeiger. 1 cassette. Lionel's and Judd's hopes for heading home are delayed when Z-Van's plane is destroyed. They face further danger after Z-Van writes songs about them. In Wisconsin Vicki embarks on another dangerous mission. The grace period for getting Carpathia's mark expires. Sequel to _Escape to Masada (RC 57514)_. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57530. ## Run, Boy, Run. RC 57664. by Uri Orlev. read by Frank Coffee. 1 cassette. Eight-year-old Srulik escapes from Warsaw's Jewish ghetto and survives the rest of the war in Nazi-occupied Poland by pretending to be a Christian. After the war, having lost an arm, he reaffirms his original faith. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2003. RC 57664. ## ### _Foreign Language Books_ The following titles are available in the languages designated. _Spanish_ Una Sencilla Melodía Habanera (A Simple Habana Melody). RC 56962. por Oscar Hijuelos. leído por Juan Ramírez. 3 cassettes. Corre el año 1947, e Israel Levis, un compositor cubano regresa a Cuba después de haber sido equivocadamente encarcelado por judío durante la ocupación nazista de Francia. Ya viejo y cambiado, Levis llega a La Habana arrollado en las memorias nostálgicas de su vida pasada y, sobre todo, de su amor no correspondido por la hechizante Rita Valladares, una cantante para quien Levis había escrito su canción más famosa. Algunas descripciones explícitas de índole sexual y algunas descripciones de violencia. (1947. Aging Cuban composer Israel Levis, although mistaken for a Jew and imprisoned by Nazis occupying Paris, has survived the Holocaust. He makes a nostalgic Havana homecoming--a changed man with fond memories of prewar life and of his impossible love for singer Rita Valladares. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence.) 2002. RC 56962. ## Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada (Chronicle of a Death Foretold). RC 56964. por Gabriel García Márquez. leído por Juan Ramírez. 1 cassette. En un pequeño pueblo sudamericano un hombre es asesinado por haber deshonrado a una mujer antes de la boda de ella. Veintisiete años más tarde un hombre del pueblo vuelve a narrar la historia del crimen, precipitándose hacia una desconcertante conclusión: que los asesinos no eran sino el pueblo entero. Lenguaje injurioso. (In a small South American village a merchant is murdered for seducing a bride before her wedding. Twenty-seven years later, the narrator gradually reconstructs events, revealing with mounting horror the day that a whole community shared complicity for a man's death. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language.) 1981. RC 56964. ## Winny de Puh (Winnie the Pooh). RC 56966. por A.A. Milne. leído por María Pino. 1 cassette. Winny de Puh es un osito simpático que siempre se mete en líos sin querer. Al visitar a Conejo, Puh come demasiado y se engorda tanto que no puede salir por el agujero de la conejera. Tiene que permanecerse allí por una semana hasta adelgazarse de nuevo. Por grados 2 a 4. (Winnie-the-Pooh is a lovable little bear who is always getting himself into trouble. On a visit to Rabbit, greedy Pooh eats so much that he gets stuck in Rabbit's hole and has to stay there for a week until he gets thin again! For grades 2-4.) 1985. RC 56966. ## ### ### Talking Book Magazines Cassette For a free subscription to these magazines, contact your cooperating library. American Heritage (8 issues) Analog Science Fiction and Fact (11 issues) Asimov's Science Fiction (11 issues) The Atlantic Monthly (11 issues; combined issue July-August) Das Beste aus Reader's Digest (German; 12 issues) Bon Appétit (monthly) Buenhogar (Spanish; monthly) Choice Magazine Listening (on loan from cooperating libraries, bimonthly) Consumer Reports (monthly) Contemporary Sound Track: A Review of Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Country (bimonthly) Cricket (for children, on one cassette with National Geographic Kids, monthly) Diabetes Forecast (monthly) Discover (monthly) Ebony (monthly) Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (11 issues) Foreign Affairs (6 issues) Good Housekeeping (monthly plus special issues) Health and Nutrition Newsletters (includes Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing, The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter--Health after Fifty, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and Nutrition Action Healthletter, monthly) Horticulture (6 issues) Journal Français (French; monthly) Magazine of the Month (monthly) Money (monthly plus special issues) The Musical Mainstream (quarterly) The Nation (47 issues) National Geographic (monthly) National Geographic Kids (for children and teens, on one cassette with Cricket, monthly) National Review (25 issues) The New York Times Book Review (weekly) Outdoor Life (10 issues; combined issues June-July, December- January) People Weekly (weekly plus special issues) QST (monthly) Quarterly Music Magazine (quarterly) Selecciones del Reader's Digest (Spanish; monthly) Sélections du Reader's Digest (French; monthly) Smart Computing (monthly) Sound & Vision (10 issues) Spider: The Magazine for Children (monthly) Sports Illustrated (weekly plus special issues) Sports Illustrated for Kids (monthly) Talking Book Topics (bimonthly, also contains selections from NLS News irregularly) Teen People (10 issues) Travel & Leisure (monthly) True West (monthly) U.S. News and World Report (weekly) The Writer (12 issues) Young Adult Magazine of the Month (monthly)