### Talking Book Topics, Vol. 71, No. 5, September-October 2005 Talking Book Topics September-October 2005 Volume 71, Number 5 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 information is reprinted from two issues of NLS Flash, a newsletter created to bring current information on NLS progress in digital technology to patrons, library staff, and other interested individuals. Flash, June 2005, volume 1, issue 7 Made to order: creating a DTBM suitable for all Since the program began in the 1930s, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has relied on consumer input and understands its importance. Developing a complete picture of the needs of program users is one of the top challenges for engineers of NLS's digital talking-book (DTB) project, and they have recently completed the first in a series of eight rigorous user-needs tests. Two objectives guided the user-needs tests. The first was to validate requirements for the digital talking-book machine (DTBM), flash-memory cartridge, and mailing container, and to make adjustments as necessary. The second was to gather patron feedback from hands-on testing to guide the product design. "User testing will enable us to optimize the experience of operating the machine and get the most out of the system," says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. "Patron comments will help designers to enhance areas that most concern our patrons." Focus groups were conducted over a three-week period in Baltimore; Los Angeles; Clearwater, Florida; and Madison, Wisconsin. A diverse range of current and potential users with visual and/or physical impairments provided valuable input. The regional and subregional libraries involved identified the users and organized their participation. Four industry leaders in assistive technology played varying roles in the process. The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) developed test procedures and moderated most of the focus groups. HumanWare, formerly VisuAide, managed the tests and identified user needs. The Trace Research and Development Center at the University of Wisconsin gathered feedback from seniors with multiple disabilities in separate test sessions. Industrial designers from Battelle‡a technology innovation firm contracted to create the DTB system‡were at each location to observe. Developed by the National Federation of the Blind with NLS support, the agenda ensured constructive and thorough feedback. Group sizes were generally limited to two or three participants, permitting examiners to gain a personal understanding of user needs through interviews and operational tasks performed on the current C-1 cassette player. Additional interviews were conducted with library support-staff members, whose needs will also impact the design. Participants carried out a series of tasks to test accessibility and performance, including operating the main controls of a C-1, wrapping the power cord for storage, and opening and closing mailing containers. Patrons also reviewed various proposed player shapes and sizes, cartridge shapes, and insertion and removal methods, as well as button shapes and layout. "Operational tasks are important because they give us an idea of the range of abilities of users, and provide an understanding of the challenges they face and what we must design for," says Michael Moodie, NLS deputy director. "We learn more specifics about the machine's operation by observing how patrons handle the machine." Lessons learned Results place patron needs into four main categories: usability, portability, maintenance, and packaging/labeling. Patrons noted the importance of portability and reported moving players around relatively frequently. They preferred a smaller, lighter machine with a built-in handle. Accessible design remains a key issue. Buttons accessible in shape and layout are essential as are built-in audio prompts to guide users. According to James Gashel, NFB executive director for strategic initiatives, the findings underscore the importance of user testing. "These results illustrate just how informed consumers are," says Gashel. "Not only do we know exactly what we need from information technology, but we can help engineers design for those needs. We will help them help us." Library support-staff members were generally interested in how the new technology can help them better serve patrons. They value a simple interface that can be easily explained. Librarians anticipate that the packaging design will make the book-return process more efficient. Repair technicians look forward to a design that facilitates service and cleaning. The lessons learned affect each component of the DTB system‡player, cartridge, and mailing container‡underscoring the need to integrate and coordinate all parts of the system. "This decision will impact the entire distribution network‡duplication, circulation systems, data management, and possibly even facilities," says Moodie. "It is important that we consider the economic, operational, and human impact of each model." Striking a balance Creating a made-to-order digital talking-book machine is a tough assignment. The sessions uncovered a variety of patron needs. Success hinges on the understanding that some compromise will be necessary in the final DTBM design. While NLS values user feedback, it will be impossible to incorporate every recommendation. According to Moodie, NLS must review all patron needs and prioritize their integration. Trade-offs will ultimately be made. "This is an exercise in trade-offs. Incorporating some feedback will unavoidably happen at the expense of other accommodations," says Moodie. "Nevertheless, we will strive towards a design that reflects the highest patron priorities. We are confident that the end result will be a smart, easy-to-use player that provides an enhanced user experience for all." ### Flash, July 2005, volume 1, issue 8 Teamwork builds the digital talking-book collection The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, has made steady progress toward converting the analog talking-book collection to a digital format. Four thousand titles have been produced since 2004. The agency will produce nearly two thousand born-digital and three thousand converted talking books annually. There are two types of DTBs: born and converted. Born refers to new books that are recorded digitally, whereas converted DTBs are audiobooks from the current analog collection that have been changed to digital format. "We've made noticeable strides in the digital conversion project that will transform the way our patrons experience audiobooks," says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. "The advanced navigation capabilities and audio quality made possible through flash technology will enhance the way they read and access information." Building a digital library is a multistage process that relies on the teamwork of NLS sections, particularly the Collection Development Section, the Production Control Section, and the Quality Assurance Section. "While each office is responsible for a separate part of the process, they all share the same goal of delivering the highest- quality product possible," Cylke says. Making the cut The first stop for a digital book on the path to completion is the Collection Development Section, where librarians decide which books will be added to the collection. They spend much of their time scouring book reviews and bestseller lists, monitoring publishing trends, and assessing patron reading tastes before choosing the titles to be added each week. Selected titles must be well reviewed in prominent national sources, have literary merit, and be published in print. "The challenge is to build a well-rounded reserve of titles that meets the informational and recreational needs of a diverse readership," says Jim Herndon who heads the section. That often means balancing two common philosophies of collection development‡satisfying popular demand for current trends and providing literature that stands the test of time. "Because we have to satisfy many reading tastes; we abide by the same philosophy as any library‡we try to find a happy medium between the two," Herndon says. After a book is selected, a short description of the book is written to be used in Talking Book Topics and the International Union Catalog. The librarians prioritize the book for production and suggest where digital markers should be placed to help patrons navigate the recording. They also establish an initial catalog record for each book, which is updated as it travels through production. Books for digital conversion undergo a slightly different process than their born counterparts. "They are chosen using the practices we designed to select books across the literary spectrum," Herndon says. "Since 2001, we have converted 6,500 toward our goal of 10,000." The book then moves to the Production Control Section where it is assigned to a contractor for conversion into a digital talking book. Each title is assigned to a producer along with a deadline based on the book's word count and complexity. A narrator records the book and the production staff marks key navigation points within the book, such as the start of a new chapter. "The process is more involved than recording cassettes because of the added navigation features," says John Bryant, head of the Production Control Section. By 2008, the collection will contain twenty thousand titles, evenly split between born and converted titles. Assuring excellence All books are reviewed by the Quality Assurance Section to verify that they adhere to NLS's high technical, artistic, and structural standards. They are inspected for audio flaws such as background noise and improper audio volume; and navigation flaws such as incorrect announcements and markers. Narration and pronunciation are monitored to ensure that the content is well represented. The cartridge and packaging, when determined, will be tested for size and sturdiness and other physical characteristics. These quality-assurance assessments take three to five days, depending on the complexity of the book. Books that fail to pass the two rounds of inspection are returned to producers for correction. "Mediocrity is never acceptable," says Robert Fistick, acting chief, Materials Development Division. "NLS is committed to providing patrons with only the highest quality product. The checks are quite elaborate," he says. "It's much more complicated to quality-check DTBs because digital technology enables more navigation and accessibility features than does analog, and every feature of the recording must be evaluated." Digital talking-book (DTB) milestones Completed - Defined and prioritized DTB features - Coordinated development and publication of Specifications for the Digital Talking Book (ANSI/NISO Z39.86) - Simulated a DTB player using 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 - Player and medium design contract awarded - Distribution system design contract awarded Start 1/12/04‡Finish 10/1/08 The following ongoing projects, set to conclude by 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 development (3/01/05) - Distribution system design and transition planning (3/15/05) - Design DTB containers and labels (6/01/05) - Web-Book pilot (6/01/05) - Prepare DTBs for distribution (10/1/05) - Circulation systems design (12/1/05) - Manufacture initial lot of DTB containers and labels (9/01/06) - Distribution system implementation (10/1/06) - Circulation systems implementation (10/1/06) - Media production (3/01/07) - Media duplication (5/01/07) - Full player production (9/01/07) For information on the NLS digital project contact: Jean M. Moss Digital Projects Coordinator jemo@loc.gov Fax: (202) 707-1690 To view the Strategic Business Plan on the web visit: www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan2003.html ____________________________________________________________ ______ Newsstand The following announcements may be of interest to readers. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped reserves the right to publish announcements selectively, as space permits. Items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listing does not imply endorsement. Magazines in alternative formats Free subscriptions to Reader‡s Digest in braille, Reader‡s Digest on cassette, and Newsweek on cassette are available from the American Printing House for the Blind. Call 1-800- 223-1839. Jewish Museum offers specialized tours The Jewish Museum in New York City offers specialized tours of its exhibitions for visitors who are blind or visually handicapped. Museum docents are trained to provide verbal imaging tours of any exhibition, and touch tours of the permanent exhibition, Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey. Touch tours feature handling objects, reproductions, tactile images, and fabrics. They focus on "Art in the Ancient World" and "The Modern Jewish Experience." Tours are available by appointment for individuals, adult groups, and school groups. Large-print labels are also available at the start of each temporary exhibition. The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue, on the corner of 92nd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City. For more information or to be placed on a mailing list for programs and services for blind or partially sighted visitors, please call (212) 423-3289 or e-mail access@thejm.org. ### _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_ The Fish's Eye: Essays about Angling and the Outdoors. RC 56002. by Ian Frazier. read by Richard Magesis. 1 cassette. Seventeen essays reflect the author's lifelong concern for the environment and his passion for fishing, whether in a city park or off the Florida Keys. Frazier is more interested in people and places than in the fine points of angling technique or the catch itself. 2002. RC 56002. ## Hip-Hop Divas. RC 56526. . read by Tracy Mickens-Hundley. 3 cassettes. Chronicles the struggles and triumphs of women performers in the world of hip-hop music. Includes essays on the lives and careers of fifteen stars, such as Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Lil' Kim, and TLC. Strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2001. RC 56526. ## Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s. RC 56540. by Gerald Nachman. read by Gary Telles. 7 cassettes in two containers. Entertainment journalist profiles over twenty-five post- Korean War humorists whose satire helped usher in cultural changes of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Biographical sketches are presented chronologically and examine the life and work of groundbreaking comedy stars like Phyllis Diller, Lenny Bruce, the Smothers brothers, Mel Brooks, and Bill Cosby. 2003. RC 56540. ## War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom. RC 57762. by Oliver L. North. read by Ray Childs. 2 cassettes. Eyewitness account of the second Iraq war by retired marine combat veteran and author of _Under Fire (RC 33903)_. As a correspondent embedded with military units in 2003, North chronicles the campaign to end Saddam Hussein's rule. His commentary in support of operations denounces the critical liberal media. 2003. RC 57762. ## Disabling America: The Unintended Consequences of Government's Protection of the Handicapped. RC 57766. by Greg Perry. read by Norm Thibeault. 2 cassettes. Outspoken critic of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) contends that the 1990 law to help disabled individuals actually hinders all citizens through higher costs, increased regulation, invasive bureaucracies, and frivolous lawsuits. Interweaves firsthand accounts to expose the impact of "government policy gone wrong." 2003. RC 57766. ## The Best Lawyer in a One-Lawyer Town: A Memoir. RC 57778. by Dale Bumpers. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 2 cassettes. Autobiography of former Arkansas governor and Democratic U.S. senator Dale Bumpers. Born in 1925, Bumpers describes growing up in a small town during the depression, his military experience, law practice, and twenty-eight years in public office. Includes his closing argument on behalf of President Bill Clinton during the 1999 impeachment trial. 2003. RC 57778. ## The Greatest Hunting Stories Ever Told. RC 57782. edited by Lamar Underwood. read by Ray Childs. 3 cassettes. Twenty-nine essays by notable authors about hunting and nature in a wide variety of places. Includes pieces by Patrick O'Brian, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and Tom Kelly. 2000. RC 57782. ## What to Expect the First Year. RC 57900. by Heidi Murkoff and others. read by Mary Kane. 8 cassettes in 2 containers. Revised and updated edition addresses a wide range of issues concerning newborns and new parents. Month-by-month guide provides information on preparing for baby's arrival, breastfeeding, adding solid foods, sleeping and crying problems, traveling, handling an older sibling, home safety, and health matters. 2003. RC 57900. ## Jack Welch and the GE Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of the Legendary CEO. RC 57915. by Robert Slater. read by David Toney. 2 cassettes. Leadership lessons from General Electric CEO Jack Welch, whose revolutionary business philosophy transformed GE in the 1980s from a "bureaucratic, labor-intensive corporate giant into a highly productive machine." Welch's strategies, which apply to any size corporation, include creating a culture of learning, effectively communicating his ideas, empowering employees, and fighting bureaucracy. 1999. RC 57915. ## The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha. RC 58027. edited by E. A. Burtt. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. The Oriental religion of Buddhism, founded twenty-five centuries ago by Siddhartha Gautama of India, is now practiced by millions. This book includes the early scriptures of Buddhism, as well as Buddhist thought in later centuries. RC 58027. ## The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. RC 58120. by Karl P.N. Shuker. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Explains wild and domestic animal behavior via scientific research on psychic pets, whale strandings, fainting goats, talking apes, homing horses, and waltzing worms, among other species. For senior high and older readers. 2001. RC 58120. ## The Hidden Cost of Being African American: How Wealth Perpetuates Inequality. RC 58125. by Thomas M. Shapiro. read by Butch Hoover. 2 cassettes. Brandeis professor argues from interviews and national survey data that American racial inequality persists through asset poverty, notwithstanding the nation's declining racial prejudice and increasing minority employment and income. Presents several antipoverty solutions, among them home ownership, renters' tax credits, and estate tax reform. 2004. RC 58125. ## Athens: A History; from Ancient Ideal to Modern City. RC 58127. by Robin Waterfield. read by Richard Hauenstein. 3 cassettes. Selective history of Athens, Greece, the birthplace of Western civilization, from its Classical period (circa 480- 340 B.C.E.) to its revival as a capital city in 1834 C.E. Highlights influential personalities and cultural and political achievements, portraying its fall as a tragic betrayal of Olympic values. 2004. RC 58127. ## Burnt Bread and Chutney: Growing Up between Cultures; a Memoir of an Indian Jewish Girl. RC 58131. by Carmit Delman. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Reminiscences of Delman's childhood in Ohio, New York, and Israel, flavored with her mother's Bombay Jewish heritage and her American father's Ashkenazi Jewish background. Compares tastes and traditions and relates matriarch Nana- bai's India memories. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2002. RC 58131. ## Had Enough? A Handbook for Fighting Back. RC 58132. by James Carville. read by Roy Avers. 2 cassettes. Political pundit Carville's guide for restoring power to America's people. Accusing the Bush administration and Republican-led Congress of squandering the budget surplus, falling short of education and other domestic goals, and mismanaging foreign policy, Carville proposes increased education spending, restructured entitlement programs, fairer income tax policies, and greater international cooperation. 2003. RC 58132. ## Pain Killer: A "Wonder" Drug's Trail of Addiction and Death. RC 58141. by Barry Meier. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative reporter demonstrates widespread abuse of OxyContin, citing a case study in rural Virginia. Meier explores pain management and prescription drug abuse issues and asserts that regulations favoring pharmaceutical companies could threaten public health and cause higher crime rates and rehabilitative costs. 2003. RC 58141. ## Almost Heaven: The Story of Women in Space. RC 58143. by Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles. read by Kerry Cundiff. 3 cassettes. Account of forty women of diverse international cultures and various ages struggling to enter American and Soviet space programs during the Cold War and later. From extensive interviews and research, Yale historian chronicles legal, institutional, and social developments that eventually eased women's participation in the secretive, male dominated field. 2003. RC 58143. ## DW: A Lifetime Going Around in Circles. RC 58145. by Darrell Waltrip. read by Alec Volz. 2 cassettes. Memoir by sports commentator Darrell Waltrip, retired race car driver, 1989 Daytona 500 winner, and three-time Winston Cup champion. Describes his childhood, faith, love of family, and victories and defeats in a career spanning NASCAR racing's history. 2004. RC 58145. ## Transplant: From Myth to Reality. RC 58146. by Nicholas L. Tilney. read by Butch Hoover. 2 cassettes. Surgeon traces the evolution of organ transplantation from its origins in ancient myth and religion to its practice in twentieth-century biology and medicine. Chronicles landmark scientific achievements and considers how societal forces have driven transplant development and how "competition, commerce, and exploitation" have marred its success. 2003. RC 58146. ## The Pen Commandments: A Guide for the Beginning Writer. RC 58151. by Steven Frank. read by Gary Tipton. 2 cassettes. Rules of good writing in a playful, informative guide for teens, parents, and students of all ages. Author, a longtime high school English teacher, gives solid basics of punctuation, grammar, style, sentence structure, composition, and topic choice along with suggestions, exercises, and examples. 2003. RC 58151. ## Before Lewis and Clark: The Story of the Chouteaus, the French Dynasty That Ruled America's Frontier. RC 58181. by Shirley Christian. read by Mary Kane. 4 cassettes. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist traces several generations of the Chouteaus, a fur-trading French family that dominated the Louisiana frontier and founded St. Louis forty years before Lewis and Clark's 1803 arrival. Historical portrait features half-brothers Auguste and Pierre Chouteau, whose regional knowledge aided the famed expedition to the Pacific. 2004. RC 58181. ## A Rage for Glory: The Life of Commodore Stephen Decatur, USN. RC 58186. by James Tertius de Kay. read by Mark Ashby. 2 cassettes. Biography of early American hero Stephen Decatur (1779-1820) by a well-known naval historian. Portraying Decatur as a brilliant, fearless, and adored commander, de Kay recounts his rise to national prominence through exploits in the Barbary wars and the War of 1812. Offers new details on Decatur's tragic death in a senseless duel. 2004. RC 58186. ## America's Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines. RC 58187. by Gail Collins. read by Faith Potts. 4 cassettes. _New York Times_ editor presents a cultural history of women in America from colonial times through the twentieth century as they sought new horizons beyond the home. Charts the progress of both ordinary and celebrated personalities who struggled for freedom and gender identity in changing social and political climates. 2003. RC 58187. ## A Measure of Endurance: The Unlikely Triumph of Steven Sharp. RC 58189. by William Mishler. read by Mark Ashby. 2 cassettes. A former college professor recounts the ordeal of a rural Oregon teen whose arms were violently amputated by a hay baler he had powered off. Mishler details how Sharp sued for millions after discovering the manufacturer knew its machine was defective. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 58189. ## They Marched into Sunlight: War and Peace, Vietnam and America, October 1967. RC 58193. by David Maraniss. read by Steven Carpenter. 4 cassettes. Interwoven accounts of two Vietnam war-related events in October 1967: the deadly jungle ambush of the Black Lions army battalion and a violent antiwar student protest in Wisconsin against recruiters for the Dow Chemical Company. Also describes the U.S. government's uncertainty about how to respond. Violence and strong language. 2003. RC 58193. ## No Picnic on Mount Kenya. RC 58196. by Felice Benuzzi. read by Ted Stoddard. 2 cassettes. A wartime account of adventure and freedom in 1940s British east Africa. The author, an Italian officer captured by English forces, chronicles his daring escape with two compatriots from a remote prisoner-of-war camp to climb Mt. Kenya, their experiences on the 17,000-foot peak, and their inevitable return to captivity. 1953. RC 58196. ## The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old. RC 58202. by Harvey Karp. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 2 cassettes. Karp, author of _The Happiest Baby on the Block (RC 55987)_, suggests toddlers need a simple style of communication. Focuses on praise and discipline and addresses sleep issues, toilet training, biting, and separation anxiety. 2004. RC 58202. ## All My Sons: A Drama in Three Acts. RC 58209. by Arthur Miller. read by Steven Carpenter. 1 cassette. Joe Keller's son prepares to propose to Steve Deever's daughter, forcing the families to confront Joe's crime. Under wartime production pressures, manufacturer Joe Keller knowingly produced faulty airplane parts and allowed his employee and neighbor, Deever, to take the fall when soldiers were killed. Includes 2000 introduction. 1947. RC 58209. ## Big Russ and Me: Father and Son; Lessons of Life. RC 58298. by Tim Russert. read by Gregory Gorton. 2 cassettes. Television journalist's memoir celebrating his bond with his father, "Big Russ," a WWII veteran whom Russert calls "endlessly hardworking and eternally optimistic." Author recollects his own 1950s Buffalo childhood in a close-knit Irish Catholic neighborhood and recalls teachers who inspired him throughout his life. Bestseller 2004. RC 58298. ## The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies That Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity; a Diplomat's Memoir. RC 58299. by Joseph Wilson. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. Former ambassador's background chronicle of his three-decade U.S. foreign service career includes his 1990 showdown with Saddam Hussein. Asserts that the White House leaked his wife's identity as a CIA analyst in retaliation for his disputing George W. Bush's televised claim of an attempted Iraqi uranium purchase from Niger. Bestseller 2004. RC 58299. ## Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth. RC 58301. by Jenny McCarthy. read by Colleen Delany. 1 cassette. Actress and former television dating show host relates in humorous, gritty detail the unseemly, uncomfortable, but ultimately rewarding aspects of childbearing. Author shares personal anecdotes while offering frank discussion on morning sickness, constipation, cravings, hemorrhoids, gas, weight gain, water retention, labor, and other bodily functions. Strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58301. ## Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. RC 58302. by Mary Roach. read by Kimberly Schraf. 2 cassettes. Journalist explores the role of dead bodies in science's "boldest strides and weirdest undertakings" throughout history and the twentieth century. Describes such productive, sometimes bizarre uses for corpses in testing guillotines, studying plane and car crashes, and experimenting with organ transplants, plastic surgery, and other medical procedures. Bestseller 2003. RC 58302. ## In Search of Tiger: A Journey through Golf with Tiger Woods. RC 58306. by Tom Callahan. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Unconventional biography of precocious professional golfer Tiger Woods, who at twenty-four won twelve tournaments around the world in 2000. Callahan portrays the bond between Woods and his father and highlights golf's other father-son pairs. Explores Woods's victorious career through anecdotes from his older contemporaries. 2003. RC 58306. ## How Not to Be My Patient: A Physician's Secrets for Staying Healthy and Surviving Any Diagnosis. RC 58308. by Edward T. Creagan. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. Mayo Clinic cancer specialist outlines strategies for reducing the risk of developing serious illness. Discusses lifestyle choices, health screening, doctor-patient communication, and the mind-body-spirit connection. Also explains how to survive a life-threatening diagnosis through complementary medicine, a positive attitude, and a good support system. 2003. RC 58308. ## The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race against an Epidemic. RC 58310. by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Chronicles the valiant efforts of a dogsled relay to bring serum to ice-bound Nome, Alaska, when a deadly diphtheria outbreak put Eskimo natives and especially their children at risk in 1925. Blends Alaska's early history with portraits of courageous team leaders and their dogs--including the famous Balto--who trekked 674 miles across frozen terrain. 2003. RC 58310. ## Be Alert, Be Aware, Have a Plan: The Complete Guide to Protecting Yourself, Your Home, Your Family. RC 58312. by Neal Rawls. read by Todd Scofield. 2 cassettes. Former police officer's advice for individual and family security in any situation. Includes tips on travel, workplace safety, self-defense, and teaching kids self- protection; guidelines for preventing credit card fraud, road rage, and carjackings; and recommendations for responding to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Provides resources. 2002. RC 58312. ## A Different Way of Seeing: Youth with Visual Impairments and Blindness. RC 58329. by Patricia Souder. read by Margaret Strom. 1 cassette. Follows a young girl's coping with sudden vision loss. Includes descriptions of various visual disorders, their causes, and the kinds of help that adaptive devices like white canes and guide dogs can provide to people with diminished sight. For junior and senior high readers. 2004. RC 58329. ## Hacker Culture. RC 58336. by Douglas Thomas. read by Todd Scofield. 2 cassettes. Communications professor traces the history and evolution of the "computer underground" from its mainly university graduate student origins in the 1950s and 1960s to its widespread presence in today's home computers. Thomas analyzes media representation and mainstream opinion of hacking and explores the relationship between the subculture and the computer industry. 2002. RC 58336. ## Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8): A Memoir of Love, Exile, and Crosswords. RC 58338. by Sandy Balfour. read by David Cutler. 2 cassettes. Memoir of a television journalist born in Johannesburg. Balfour recalls his decision to leave South Africa in 1983, his travels with his girlfriend, his life in exile in England, and his passion for cryptic crosswords. A cryptic clue inspired the title of his account. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58338. ## Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why; True Stories of Miraculous Endurance and Sudden Death. RC 58339. by Laurence Gonzales. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. _National Geographic Adventure_ magazine contributing editor explores the psychological, physiological, and spiritual characteristics that allow certain individuals to avoid fatal panic and overcome life-threatening predicaments. Examines real-life survival accounts and identifies principles that apply not only to wilderness calamities but to any of life's stressful, demanding situations. 2003. RC 58339. ## High Latitudes: An Arctic Journey. RC 58353. by Farley Mowat. read by Mark Ashby. 2 cassettes. Author of _Farfarers (RC 51550)_ chronicles his 1966 journey across northern Canada to examine the impacts of the Ottawa government's plan to promote development of resources and cities. Emphasizes the exploitation of native Inuit people and devastation of their culture. Includes original interviews and notes on changes that have since occurred. Some strong language. 2002. RC 58353. ## LeBron James: The Rise of a Star. RC 58354. by David Lee Morgan. read by Mark Ashby. 1 cassette. Sportswriter traces the life of NBA's number one 2003 pick: Akron, Ohio, high school phenom LeBron James. Describes the athlete's upbringing in a rough neighborhood, the work ethic that led to his success on the basketball court, and controversies he faced. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 58354. ## One Hundred Words Every High School Graduate Should Know. RC 58357. edited by American Heritage Dictionaries. read by Mark Ashby. 1 cassette. The _American Heritage College Dictionary_ web site list of vocabulary words, which evolved into a published book by popular demand. For senior high and older readers. Bestseller 2003. RC 58357. ## Alexander Hamilton. RC 58364. by Ron Chernow. read by Roy Avers. 7 cassettes in 2 containers. Award-winning author chronicles the life of the foremost American founding father who never became president. Describes Hamilton (1757-1804) as self-pitying, cynically manipulative, yet compassionate. Documents his participation in the Constitutional Convention, service as Treasury secretary, and prolific authorship that helped shape U.S. political agendas and institutions. Bestseller 2004. RC 58364. ## House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties. RC 58368. by Craig Unger. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. Investigative journalist examines the longstanding connection between the Bush circle and the ruling family of Saudi Arabia. Unger wonders what forged the relationship, if Saudi money given to Muslims created a bloc of votes for Bush in 2000, and why Bush ignored terrorism czar Richard Clarke's warnings about Al Qaeda. Bestseller 2004. RC 58368. ## Man in Black. RC 58372. by Johnny Cash. read by Alec Volz. 2 cassettes (Reissue). In this candid autobiography, legendary country-western singer Johnny Cash revisits the "good and bad times" of his life and career. Describes his rural Arkansas childhood, older brother Jack's death, seven nightmarish years of drug addiction, marriage to June Carter, and the faith in God he ultimately found. 1975. RC 58372. ## The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. RC 58373. by Diane Ravitch. read by Carol Dines. 3 cassettes. Examines the causes and consequences of censoring educational publications to weed out references deemed offensive by right-wing and left-wing interests. Contends that sanitizing text makes the material so bland, simplistic, and unrealistic that students fail to develop critical abilities. Provides many examples and offers practical solutions to end this problem. 2003. RC 58373. ## Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity. RC 58378. by Samuel P. Huntington. read by Gary Tipton. 3 cassettes. Scholar and bestselling author of _The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (RC 53800)_ contends that cultural differences resulting from an increasingly multiethnic, multiracial U.S. society are eroding American nationalism. Urges a return to the country's founding Anglo-Protestant culture, traditions, and values to preserve national identity. 2004. RC 58378. ## Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth about Exercise and Health. RC 58384. by Gina Kolata. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. _New York Times_ science reporter--who enjoys a workout-- uses examples from her own experience to investigate the myths and realities of physical exercise. Traces the history of the fitness movement from Greek times to computerized gyms, explains the scientific basis of exercise, and questions some generally accepted training claims. 2003. RC 58384. ## An Ocean to Cross: Daring the Atlantic, Claiming a New Life. RC 58390. by Liz Fordred. read by Janis Gray. 2 cassettes. Account of a resourceful paraplegic couple that built a boat in landlocked Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and sailed from South Africa to the Americas in 1981. Fordred describes how she and her husband, Pete, overcame formidable obstacles in constructing the _Usikusiku_ to accommodate their handicaps. Details their remarkable journey to gain independence and a new life. 2001. RC 58390. ## Who Owns Native Culture?. RC 58391. by Michael F. Brown. read by Richard Hauenstein. 2 cassettes. Anthropologist uses court cases to show the conflict between indigenous peoples' claims to their cultural artifacts and the rights of liberal democracies. Suggests that resolution lies not in litigation but in compromise between the parties, affording mutual respect and balanced proprietary interests in art, symbols, land sites, wildlife, and botanic species. 2003. RC 58391. ## The Real Fidel Castro. RC 58396. by Leycester Coltman. read by Barry Bernson. 3 cassettes. Drawing on personal observations and archival sources, former British ambassador to Cuba chronicles Castro's life from his early political activism through exile, imprisonment, guerilla warfare, and ascent to power after a 1959 government takeover. Illuminates Castro's shift from rebel to dictator, soldier to diplomat, and nationalist to Communist. 2003. RC 58396. ## Saboteurs: The Nazi Raid on America. RC 58401. by Michael Dobbs. read by Richard Hauenstein. 3 cassettes. _Washington Post_ reporter describes Operation Pastorius, the first German sabotage mission to reach U.S. shores. Having researched FBI archives, the author describes Hitler's 1942 plan to cripple American defense industries. Discusses saboteurs' background and training; their FBI capture, trial, and execution; and precedents set for handling terrorists. 2004. RC 58401. ## The Wilderness World of John Muir. RC 58404. by John Muir. read by Bruce Huntey. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Selections from the journals and published works of Scottish-born naturalist/conservationist, who emigrated to Wisconsin at age eleven. Muir (1838-1914), first president of the Sierra Club, describes his delight in observing nature while traversing the North American wilderness, primarily alone and on foot. Includes introduction and comments by Edwin Way Teale, editor. 1954. RC 58404. ## The Storyteller's Daughter. RC 58409. by Saira Shah. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Memoir by British-born Afghani writer of her visits to war- torn Afghanistan. In 1986 at age twenty-one she arrives as a war correspondent, later as documentary producer of _Beneath the Veil_ during Taliban rule. Chronicles her attempts to reconcile bicultural values and interweaves her father's legends of the homeland with her own reality. 2003. RC 58409. ## The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece, from Utopia to Crisis and Collapse. RC 58416. by Paul Cartledge. read by Lou Harpenau. 2 cassettes. History of the Spartans in southern Greece from around 1100 B.C. to their demise one thousand years later. Focuses on 480-360 B.C. spanning Sparta's repulsing of Persian invaders, wars with Athens, and decline as a significant power. Studies the prominent role of women, training of warriors, important kings, and Sparta's influence on western civilization. 2002. RC 58416. ## Reflections from a Different Journey: What Adults with Disabilities Wish All Parents Knew. RC 58425. edited by Stanley D. Klein and John D. Kemp. read by Carol Dines. 2 cassettes. Forty informative essays by successful adult role models who have "lived the disability experience." Individuals with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, vision and hearing loss, autism, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, learning disabilities, and other health conditions share their thoughts on acceptance, parenting, sexuality, and education. 2004. RC 58425. ## Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House. RC 58448. by Sally Bedell Smith. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 4 cassettes. Biographer's portrait of Jack and Jackie Kennedy during their three years as president and first lady. Uses previously unavailable personal papers and interviews with the Kennedy inner circle to discuss the couple's marriage, friendships, and political associations; Jack's extramarital affairs; and the days surrounding his assassination. Strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58448. ## Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, and Lasagna. RC 58502. by Doris Roberts. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. Memoir by Emmy Award-winning actress who plays the matriarch on television's _Everybody Loves Raymond_ sitcom. Describes her upbringing in the Bronx, show business success on both stage and screen, hit comedy series, passion for food, and weight loss efforts. Also includes some of her favorite recipes. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58502. ## Partners in Independence: A Success Story of Dogs and the Disabled. RC 58508. by Ed Eames and Toni Eames. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Accounts of disabled people whose lives have been enhanced by specially trained guide, hearing, and service dogs. Documents heroism as well as everyday deeds. The authors, who are visually impaired, also describe their own experiences with canine partners and chronicle the 1990s assistance dog movement. Revision of 1997 edition. 2004. RC 58508. ## Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America. RC 58510. by Amy Sutherland. read by Colleen Delany. 3 cassettes. Intrigued by the 2000 Pillsbury Bake-Off contest, journalist Sutherland follows a group of contestants around the country for a year. She describes chili cook-offs, county fairs, and other competitive cooking events while recounting the participants' backgrounds and motivations. Includes winning recipes. 2003. RC 58510. ## The Etiquette of Illness: What to Say When You Can't Find the Words. RC 58522. by Susan P. Halpern. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. Cancer survivor and psychotherapist addresses how individuals can best respond with sensitivity and compassion to a sick friend or relative. Demonstrates making a potentially awkward situation more comfortable through effective speech and behavior. Includes suggestions for talking to children about illness. 2004. RC 58522. ## Thura's Diary: My Life in Wartime Iraq. RC 58523. by Thura Al-Windawi. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Nineteen-year-old Iraqi author, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, shares the diary of her life during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Describes the bombing of Baghdad, the first weeks of postwar occupation, and her family's ambivalence toward political and social events. For senior high and older readers. 2004. RC 58523. ## Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945. RC 58525. by Frederick Taylor. read by Ted Stoddard. 4 cassettes. Historian examines the controversial World War II Allied bombing of the ancient German cultural center and industrial city, deemed a "legitimate military target." Along with historical background, provides a minute-by-minute account of the air raid and reviews the postwar moral debate over the magnitude of destruction and civilian casualties. 2004. RC 58525. ## Dreams of Iron and Steel: Seven Wonders of the Nineteenth Century, from the Building of the London Sewers to the Panama Canal. RC 58527. by Deborah Cadbury. read by Robert Sams. 2 cassettes. Historian and Emmy Award-winning producer surveys monumental engineering feats rooted in the Industrial Revolution. Profiles the personal and financial struggles of visionaries and workers behind Britain's mammoth oceangoing ship the _Great Eastern_, Scotland's Bell Rock lighthouse, and America's Transcontinental Railroad, Brooklyn Bridge, Hoover Dam, and others. 2003. RC 58527. ## My Thirteenth Winter: A Memoir. RC 58528. by Samantha Abeel. read by Kimberly Schraf. 2 cassettes. Abeel, both gifted and learning disabled, describes being different at school. Discusses her diagnosis of dyscalculia, which compromises sequential processing required for spelling, telling time, remembering locker combinations, and understanding math and grammar. Relates learning coping skills in a prescribed special ed math class. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 58528. ## Appetites: Why Women Want. RC 58537. by Caroline Knapp. read by Annie Wauters. 2 cassettes. Posthumous memoir from the author of _Drinking: A Love Story (RC 42791)_. To exemplify the conflict between female desires and cultural expectations of femininity, author presents her personal battle with anorexia. Holds that society inhibits natural longing for food, love, and work, preventing women from experiencing fulfillment. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58537. ## The X in Sex: How the X Chromosome Controls Our Lives. RC 58538. by David Bainbridge. read by Ted Stoddard. 2 cassettes. Discusses the history, biology, and philosophy surrounding the female sex chromosome, beginning with its discovery in the nineteenth century. Topics include inheritance, sex- linked diseases like hemophilia and muscular dystrophy, the "mixed nature" of women due to the random inactivation of certain X chromosomes, and the role of X in explaining cancer development. 2003. RC 58538. ## The Thirty Day Natural Hormone Plan: Look and Feel Young Again--without Synthetic HRT. RC 58540. by Erika Schwartz. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Physician provides a month-long program that relies on natural hormones to alleviate menopausal symptoms. Suggests using diet and exercise to maintain good health while aging. Includes meal plans and a summary of the National Institutes of Health synthetic hormones study. 2004. RC 58540. ## Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes. RC 58545. by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton. read by Gregory Gorton. 2 cassettes. Basketball great Abdul-Jabbar and journalist Walton chronicle the training, battlefield, and postwar experiences of the first African American armored unit to fight in World War II alongside white troops. Authors describe the soldiers' 183 days on the French and German fronts and their struggles with racial prejudice. 2004. RC 58545. ## Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens. RC 58546. by Deepak Chopra. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. Noted Hindu author and physician uses his own youthful experiences to provide a plan for teens who are seeking their own spiritual paths. Answers universal philosophical questions and offers suggestions for improving relationships. For senior high readers. 2004. RC 58546. ## The Spirits of America: A Social History of Alcohol. RC 58547. by Eric Burns. read by Steven Carpenter. 3 cassettes. Broadcast journalist briefly summarizes alcohol's history prior to American colonization, then traces to modern times the role of America's "first national pastime." Describes early medicinal uses and draws on anecdotes of bootleggers, temperance advocates, and other notable characters to explore political and economic motivations behind prohibition. 2004. RC 58547. ## A Pretext for War: 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies. RC 58553. by James Bamford. read by Fred Major. 3 cassettes. Author of _Body of Secrets (RC 52277)_ examines the September 11, 2001, hijackings using insider interviews. Claims CIA inadequacy in the Middle East and blames the Bush administration for insistence on war with Iraq. Posits that the Palestinian cause ignites Arab rage against the United States. 2004. RC 58553. ## Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino. RC 58562. by Emily W. Leider. read by Roy Avers. 4 cassettes. Biography of Italian-born movie actor Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926), Hollywood's first romantic hero to specialize in portraying such "exotics" as Arab sheiks and Indian rajahs. Examines the mystique surrounding his personal life and career in films such as _The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse_, which broadened American masculine ideals. 2003. RC 58562. ## Quest for Adventure: Ultimate Feats of Modern Exploration. RC 58563. by Chris Bonington. read by Roy Avers. 3 cassettes. Chronicles fifty years of pioneering "firsts" by land, sea, and air. Seventeen stories of perseverance include the first ascent of Mount Everest, the crossing of both poles, and two first circumnavigations of the earth: one nonstop by balloon, the other solo by sailboat. 2000. RC 58563. ## Design for Living: Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne; a Biography. RC 58567. by Margot Peters. read by Gary Tipton. 3 cassettes. Recounts the tempestuous lives of the famous acting team that captured the hearts of American theatergoers from 1919 to 1959. Peters details Lunt's and Fontanne's stage and film careers, their circle of friends and intriguing private life, and the professional and personal influences they had on each other. 2003. RC 58567. ## Three Thousand Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men Who Fought It. RC 58568. by Sean Flynn. read by Alec Volz. 2 cassettes. Vivid, minute-by-minute account of the 1999 three-alarm, six-story abandoned warehouse blaze that claimed six firefighters' lives. Depicts efforts to extinguish the Worcester, Massachusetts, "building from hell" inferno and profiles the firemen and their families. Based on an award- winning _Esquire_ magazine article. Strong language. 2002. RC 58568. ## The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting. RC 58569. by Laurence Steinberg. read by Kerry Cundiff. 2 cassettes. Psychologist author of _Beyond the Classroom (RC 45321)_ draws on scientific research in this philosophical guide to raising a good child and being a better parent. His ten fundamentals of effective child rearing include establishing rules, setting limits, fostering independence, being consistent, and avoiding harsh discipline. 2004. RC 58569. ## Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline. RC 58571. by Ellis Nassour. read by Jill Fox. 3 cassettes. Biography portrays Patsy Cline (1932-1963) as the first female country singer to cross over into pop music. From interviews with Cline's family and friends, Nassour details the performer's trailblazing career, dynamic relationships, and untimely death in a plane crash. Foreword by Dottie West. Some strong language. 1993. RC 58571. ## William Clark and the Shaping of the West. RC 58572. by Landon Y. Jones. read by Richard Hauenstein. 3 cassettes. Board member of the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial chronicles Clark's life from his 1770 birth in Virginia to his 1838 death. Describes brother George's western campaigns during the American Revolution, the famous 1803-1806 Corps of Discovery expedition, and Clark's subsequent political career as superintendent of Indian removal. 2004. RC 58572. ## Lincoln's War: The Untold Story of America's Greatest President as Commander in Chief. RC 58574. by Geoffrey Perret. read by Butch Hoover. 3 cassettes. The author of _Eisenhower (RC 49646)_ demonstrates from National Archives documents that Abraham Lincoln redefined the presidency by expanding his "war powers." Contends that by ignoring military, political, and legal restraints, Lincoln successfully prevented the South from seceding from the Union. 2004. RC 58574. ## Life Is a Series of Presentations: Eight Ways to Punch Up Your People Skills at Work, at Home, Anytime, Anywhere. RC 58576. by Tony Jeary. read by Jack Fox. 2 cassettes. Lifelong entrepreneur and speaking coach to America's top executives adapts his corporate techniques to the general public. Explains the psychology of persuasion and reveals eight essential practices for successful communication and social interaction including preparation, delivery, knowing one's audience, and overcoming anxiety. 2004. RC 58576. ## The Moonlandings: An Eyewitness Account. RC 58578. by Reginald Turnill. read by Bruce Huntey. 3 cassettes. Memoir by award-winning British journalist chronicles the U.S. space program from projects Mercury to Apollo. Author's firsthand account draws on unparalleled access to politicians, scientists, technicians, and early astronauts like Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and Neil Armstrong who pioneered techniques that made moon landings possible. Foreword by Buzz Aldrin. 2003. RC 58578. ## Hidden from History: The Lives of Eight American Women Scientists. RC 58587. by Kim K. Zach. read by Margaret Strom. 1 cassette. Collective biography of eight female scientists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who excelled in their male-dominated fields. Describes the background and achievements of biochemist Gertrude Elion, biologist/geneticist Nettie Stevens, astronomer Annie Cannon, anatomist Florence Sabin, and computer scientist Grace Hopper, among others. For junior and senior high readers. 2002. RC 58587. ## There's No Toilet Paper...On the Road Less Traveled: The Best of Travel Humor and Misadventure. RC 58588. edited by Doug Lansky. read by Gregory Gorton. 2 cassettes. Twenty-six writers relate embarrassing, frustrating, comical, but certainly memorable moments from their sojourns abroad. Bill Bryson takes an enlightening stroll through Paris, while Dave Barry attempts to learn Japanese in five minutes. Peter Mayle, P.J. O'Rourke, and Mary Roach, among others, also share their outrageous travel experiences. 1998. RC 58588. ## Of Time and Place. RC 58591. by Sigurd F. Olson. read by Todd Scofield. 1 cassette (Reissue). Collection of vignettes completed by naturalist and conservation activist Sigurd F. Olson (1899-1982) just before his death. Considered by Audubon as "the poetic voice of the modern wilderness," Olson lyrically recalls his experiences with the lakes, streams, prairies, and forests of his memories. 1982. RC 58591. ## Six Secular Philosophers: Religious Themes in the Thought of Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, William James, and Santayana. RC 58604. by Lewis White Beck. read by Steve Douglas Craig. 1 cassette. Philosophy professor examines the place of religion in the work of six major thinkers. Whether leading to a rejection of religion or a call for reform, the critical perspectives of these philosophers are, according to Beck, important to people concerned about the function of religion in a contemporary secular culture. 1997. RC 58604. ## Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II. RC 58650. by Robert Kurson. read by Bruce Huntey. 3 cassettes. Journalist chronicles scuba divers John Chatterton's and Richie Kohler's 1991 discovery of a sunken World War II German U-boat off the New Jersey coast. Describes their perilous six-year search in the 230-foot-deep sunken wreck for clues to identify the submarine and its crew. Strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58650. ## Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again; A Doctor's Story. RC 58651. by Drew Pinsky. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Radio show advice doctor details his work as medical director of a Southern California drug addiction rehabilitation facility. Pinsky clinically describes the frightening process of detoxification, patients' underlying physical and psychiatric problems, the raw emotions displayed in the clinic, and his own recurrent struggles with despair. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58651. ## Shattered: Reclaiming a Life Torn Apart by Violence. RC 58654. by Debra Puglisi Sharp. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. A Delaware hospice nurse and victims' rights advocate recounts her 1998 abduction and rape by forty-year-old Donald Flagg, who also murdered her husband. Sharp details her agonizing ordeal, Flagg's trial, and her physical and emotional recovery. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2003. RC 58654. ## We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans, from World War II to the War in Iraq. RC 58665. by Yvonne Latty. read by John Polk. 1 cassette. Reporter profiles twenty-eight African American veterans, male and female, from five wars and briefly describes their U.S. armed forces careers. Includes their personal accounts of combat, racism, and military service's lasting effects. Some violence and some strong language. 2004. RC 58665. ## Writing Winning Reports and Essays. RC 58668. by Paul B. Janeczko. read by Patricia McDermott. 2 cassettes. Outlines strategies for writing successful research reports and essays. Gives basic guidelines for using note cards, citing sources, outlining, and writing drafts. Provides samples of completed papers. Suggests ideas by school subject and offers research tips. For junior and senior high readers. 2003. RC 58668. ## Scattered Shadows: A Memoir of Blindness and Vision. RC 58675. by John Howard Griffin. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. The author of _Black like Me (RC 17498)_ recounts losing his sight in 1947 from a war injury and unexpectedly recovering it ten years later. Describes his religious conversion to Catholicism during his blindness and individual and institutional reactions to his physical impairment. Some strong language. 2004. RC 58675. ## Inside the Asylum: Why the U.N. and Old Europe Are Worse than You Think. RC 58683. by Jed Babbin. read by Richard Hauenstein. 2 cassettes. Deputy undersecretary of defense under president George H.W. Bush asserts an anti-American United Nations agenda even as the United States pays billions in annual dues. Investigates the agency's possible link with terrorists including the oil-for-food scandal and Europe's disdain for America. Offers recommendations for change. 2004. RC 58683. ## Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America. RC 58685. by Firoozeh Dumas. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Author recollects her family's adjustment to American culture after moving from Iran to California in 1972 when she was seven. In a series of vignettes, Firoozeh describes her father's amusing attempts to assimilate, her uncle's penchant for fast food, and their experiences during the Iranian Revolution. 2003. RC 58685. ## Young Adult's Guide to a Business Career. RC 58693. by M.J. Giles. read by Carol Dines. 1 cassette. Guide for students who are choosing a career. Gives examples of jobs in a variety of fields, highlighting both positive and negative aspects and listing skills and education needed. Profiles include work in computers, accounting, finance, management, and marketing. For senior high and older readers. 2004. RC 58693. ## Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How the Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of All Time. RC 58717. by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. read by Dennis Rooney. 3 cassettes. Authors of _Wittgenstein's Poker (RC 55828)_ chronicle the 1972 chess contest between the Soviet world champion Boris Spassky and twenty-nine-year-old American upstart Bobby Fischer. Presents the match not simply as a game but also as a clash of Cold War political ideologies. 2004. RC 58717. ## The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson. RC 58718. by Terry Coleman. read by John Horton. 3 cassettes. Portrays the man behind the legend of British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). Details the naval genius's early career at sea, his greatest engagements including the battle of the Nile, and his personal life until his death in the battle of Trafalgar. Also reflects on the contradictions of his character. 2002. RC 58718. ## Seven Things That Steal Your Joy: Overcoming the Obstacles to Your Happiness. RC 58823. by Joyce Meyer. read by Joyce Meyer. 1 cassette. Christian radio and television host shares wisdom from scripture passages and her own ministry that has enabled her to find happiness, health, and strength in daily life. Offers advice to replace with God's truth and love such joy stealers as jealousy, discontentment, excessive reasoning, and anger. 2004. RC 58823. ## Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. RC 58825. by David Sedaris. read by David Sedaris. 2 cassettes. Picaresque collection of essays by gay public radio commentator and bestselling author of _Me Talk Pretty One Day (RC 50514)_. Author recalls memorable episodes from his life including trick-or-treating, vacationing with his family, finding work, and living in Paris. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 58825. ## Practicing Resurrection: A Memoir of Work, Doubt, Discernment, and Moments of Grace. RC 58866. by Nora Gallagher. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Continuation of the author's account, begun in _Things Seen and Unseen (RC 49806)_, of her spiritual journey toward becoming an Episcopalian priest. She describes her loss of spirituality following her brother's death, the disruption of her marriage, her writing career, and the year of discernment when she explored her fitness for the ministry. 2003. RC 58866. ## Fiction Writer's Workshop. RC 58867. by Josip Novakovich. read by Bill Wallace. 2 cassettes. Elementary guide to fiction writing by prize-winning author of _Salvation and Other Disasters (RC 47949)_. Using examples from contemporary and classic literature, covers basics: setting, character, dialogue, scene, plot, point of view, and voice. Offers exercises to help writers assess, improve, and expand their prose. 1995. RC 58867. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ Dead and Gone. RC 58663. by Andrew Vachss. read by Ray Foushee. 2 cassettes. P.I. Burke is hired to be the middleman in a ransom swap for a kidnapped boy. But it turns out he was set up to be murdered. After months in the hospital, Burke goes underground to find his betrayers and runs into an underworld of pedophiles. Strong language and some violence. 2000. RC 58663. ## A Few Minutes past Midnight: A Toby Peters Mystery. RC 54629. by Stuart M. Kaminsky. read by Rick Wiseman. 1 cassette. A mysterious man threatens to harm Charlie Chaplin unless he stops making a movie about a serial killer. The actor hires private investigator Toby Peters. Peters's sleuthing unearths so many Chaplin enemies that the private eye enlists the help of his policeman brother, Phil Pevsner. Some strong language. 2001. RC 54629. ## Children of the Storm. RC 55871. by Elizabeth Peters. read by Barbara Rappaport. 3 cassettes. Amelia Peabody's family--including twin grandchildren-- return to Egypt after World War I to continue archaeological work. Violence plagues their work site, including kidnapping, theft, and a nemesis from the past. Sequel to _The Golden One (RC 54161)_. 2003. RC 55871. ## Tales of the American West: The Best of Spur Award-Winning Authors. RC 56372. edited by Richard S. Wheeler. read by Lindsay Ellison. 2 cassettes. Fifteen western short stories spanning the frontier experience. "The Indian Summer of Nancy Redwing" by Harry W. Paige depicts the despair of a reservation woman at home alone on her thirty-fifth birthday. Loren D. Estleman's "The Cat King of Cochise County" is a comic tale about the inventor of chicken wire. 2000. RC 56372. ## The Sniper's Wife. RC 56375. by Archer Mayor. read by Dan Bloom. 2 cassettes. When his ex-wife appears to have died from an overdose, Detective Willy Kunkle--nicknamed "The Sniper" in Vietnam-- returns to the streets of New York and the life he abandoned. Kunkle struggles with ghosts from his past as he pursues the truth. Strong language and some violence. 2002. RC 56375. ## Ghost Image. RC 56379. by Joshua Gilder. read by Dan Bloom. 3 cassettes. San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Plastic surgeon Jackson Maebry discovers that the brutally beaten and burned patient is his lover. He saves her life and tries to restore her beauty. But other suspicious deaths lead to a number of suspects, including the doctor himself. Some violence and some strong language. 2002. RC 56379. ## A Boy's Own Story. RC 56516. by Edmund White. read by Bruce Nelson. 2 cassettes. Autobiographical novel of boyhood homosexual awakening. Emotionally distant from his divorced parents, the protagonist craves men's love and affection--especially his father's. At boarding school, he leaves his childhood behind in one defining moment. Precedes _The Beautiful Room Is Empty (RC 56517)_. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1982. RC 56516. ## The Beautiful Room Is Empty. RC 56517. by Edmund White. read by Bruce Nelson. 2 cassettes. American Midwest, 1950s. Narrator comes to terms with his homosexuality, having struggled from prep school through college with his self-deprecation, desire, and role in the gay community. Concludes with New York's Stonewall uprising. Sequel to _A Boy's Own Story (RC 56516)_. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1988. RC 56517. ## What Harry Saw. RC 56538. by Thomas Moran. read by Bruce Nelson. 3 cassettes. Penetrating journey into the mind of Australian veteran Harry Hull. Returning from the Vietnam War scarred and traumatized, he struggles to cope. Harry's post-war existence is full of emotional and complicated relationships--he has an alcoholic father and a stormy love life. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2002. RC 56538. ## Killer in the Rain. RC 56541. by Raymond Chandler. read by Conrad Feininger. 3 cassettes (Reissue). Eight short stories originally published in pulp magazines by the author of _The Big Sleep (RC 32657)_. Featured is a hard-boiled private investigator looking for justice. In the title piece, the nameless protagonist tries to salvage a client's love life. Some violence and some strong language. 1964. RC 56541. ## Nick's Trip. RC 56542. by George P. Pelecanos. read by Conrad Feininger. 2 cassettes. Private investigator Nick Stefanos is tending bar in Washington, D.C., when old friend Billy Goodrich asks him to find his missing wife. Nick agrees and uncovers lies and deception amid shady business deals. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1993. RC 56542. ## Death before Dishonour. RC 56686. by Barnaby Williams. read by Geoffrey Centlivre. 4 cassettes. In 1914, British aristocrat Fish de Clare enters the fight against the Germans. Fish, who stammers, conducts himself admirably and returns to marry his cousin, Violet, and inherit the family title. And Fish's son, Gawaine, fights in the next war. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1997. RC 56686. ## Mary, Called Magdalene. RC 56687. by Margaret George. read by Anne Hancock. 5 cassettes. On her first pilgrimage to Jerusalem, young Mary of Magdala unearths a beautiful idol that she keeps hidden from everyone. By the time she is married, the demonic idol is the first of six that will possess Mary, who finds relief and salvation through Jesus. 2002. RC 56687. ## Lucia, Lucia. RC 56867. by Adriana Trigiani. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. Kit Zanetti visits her elderly Greenwich Village neighbor, Lucia Sartori, and learns the story of her life. In the 1950s, beautiful Lucia rejects the values of her large Italian family by working in the fashion industry, breaking off her engagement, and falling in love with a con man. Some strong language. Bestseller 2003. RC 56867. ## Bright Angel Time. RC 57069. by Martha McPhee. read by Anne Hancock. 2 cassettes. Kate recounts her childhood experiences in the 1970s after her parents' divorce. She and her sisters begin a new life wandering across the country in a turquoise camper after her mother becomes infatuated with a charismatic hippie. Companion to _Gorgeous Lies (RC 57070)_. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1997. RC 57069. ## Gorgeous Lies. RC 57070. by Martha McPhee. read by Anne Hancock. 2 cassettes. Anton Furey, once the free-living and charismatic patriarch of a 1970s utopian commune, is dying of cancer. As extended family members gather at his deathbed, they vie for his affections and possessions. They struggle to cope with memories of their confused upbringing. Descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 57070. ## Crescent. RC 57071. by Diana Abu-Jaber. read by Jennifer Mendenhall. 3 cassettes. Thirty-nine-year-old Iraqi American chef Sirine works in Los Angeles, where her Iranian and Iraqi customers worry about the war back home. She falls in love with a professor who wants to return to Baghdad to find out what happened to his family under Saddam Hussein's rule. 2003. RC 57071. ## The Shadow of the Eagle: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 13. RC 57230. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _Beneath the Aurora (RC 57229)_, Napoleon has abdicated as Emperor of France and gone into exile. But fears that Napoleon may try to escape to America have Captain Drinkwater posted to the Azores to prevent anyone from offering him aid. Violence and strong language. 1997. RC 57230. ## Ebb Tide: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel, Book 14. RC 57231. by Richard Woodman. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. 1843. In the years since _The Shadow of the Eagle (RC 57230)_, Drinkwater has been knighted for his service to the English Crown. He is aboard the paddle-steamer _Vestal_, inspecting lighthouses along the coast of England, when tragedy strikes and he must confront his past. Violence and strong language. 1998. RC 57231. ## Seek My Face. RC 57473. by John Updike. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. A young woman interviews elderly artist Hope Chafetz over the course of a spring day. Hope revisits her troubled marriages to painters and her personal struggle with self- expression, revealing the inner world of pop and abstract art in post-World War II America. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002. RC 57473. ## Hugh Kenrick: Sparrowhawk, Book 2. RC 57731. by Edward Cline. read by David Cutler. 4 cassettes. England, 1756. Unruly young Hugh Kenrick is raised to inherit his uncle's royal title. When he becomes involved in a secret society that advocates overthrowing the monarchy, Hugh's parents send him to the American colonies to finish his education and keep out of trouble. Sequel to _Jack Frake (RC 55242)_. 2002. RC 57731. ## Smoky Valley. RC 57758. by Donald Hamilton. read by Ray Childs. 2 cassettes. Peace-loving John Parrish, a little dude from the East, is provoked into killing a tough hombre out West where Parrish has been living for three years. He contends with many dangers and woman problems on his way to belonging on a ranch. Some strong language. 1954. RC 57758. ## Moon Tide. RC 57776. by Dawn Clifton Tripp. read by Anne Hancock. 2 cassettes. Follows the lives of three women in a small Massachusetts fishing town from 1913 to the devastating New England hurricane in 1938. The passions, longings, and memories of beautiful but reclusive Eve, her eccentric grandmother Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's mystical servant Maggie progress to a cataclysmic conclusion none of them is prepared for. 2003. RC 57776. ## Goodbye, Mr. Chips. RC 57794. by James Hilton. read by John Lescault. 1 cassette (Reissue). Chronicles sixty years in the life of Mr. Chipping, an English schoolmaster who arrives at exclusive Brookfield in 1870 with much enthusiasm but little experience. At first unpopular, Mr. Chips eventually develops a more personal relationship with his students and becomes a legend by the time they must say goodbye. 1933. RC 57794. ## Whole Wide World. RC 57912. by Paul McAuley. read by Steve Douglas-Craig. 2 cassettes. In the aftermath of the InfoWar, when surveillance cameras all over London are linked to an artificial intelligence system, a young art student's brutal murder is broadcast on the Internet. Called to investigate, John--an alcoholic cop assigned to the computer crime unit--discovers a web of high-tech intrigue. Violence and strong language. 2002. RC 57912. ## The Well of Lost Plots. RC 58070. by Jasper Fforde. read by Yolande Bavan. 3 cassettes. England, 1985. Unable to rescue her missing husband in _Lost in a Good Book (RC 58054)_, pregnant literary detective Thursday Next retires to the Well of Lost Plots, where all fiction is created. As part of the Character Exchange Program, she joins BookWorld's police and investigates a murder. 2003. RC 58070. ## The Fortunes of Wangrin. RC 58076. by Amadou Hampaté Bâ. read by Peter Jay Fernandez. 3 cassettes. Drawing on traditional oral literature, Malian scholar and novelist Hampaté Bâ (1900-1991) tells the story of an ambitious native interpreter for a French colonial officer in West Africa. Standing between two conflicting cultures and value systems, Wangrin tries to work both sides of the street, with consequences that are comic and painful. 1973. RC 58076. ## Baby Momma Drama. RC 58078. by Carl Weber. read by Saidah Arrika Ekulona. 2 cassettes. Two African American sisters bond as they cope with man troubles. Faithful to her smooth-talking boyfriend incarcerated in jail, Jasmine finds him embracing his baby's mother on visiting day. Meanwhile, preparing to marry another man, Stephanie resumes an affair with her first child's father. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 2003. RC 58078. ## Princess in Pink: The Princess Diaries, Volume 5. RC 58085. by Meg Cabot. read by Erin Jones. 1 cassette. Fifteen-year-old Mia, last seen in _Princess in Waiting (RC 56102)_, is dying to go to the prom with her boyfriend. The trouble is, Michael isn't interested, Mia's mom is having a baby, and a city-wide strike might cancel all plans. For junior and senior high readers. 2004. RC 58085. ## _Heart of Darkness_ with _The Congo Diary_ and _Up-River Book_. RC 58105. by Joseph Conrad. read by Gary Telles. 2 cassettes. Allegorical tale in which Marlow, a wandering seaman, recounts a journey into the heart of the Belgian Congo where he confronted human savagery. Centenary edition includes "The Congo Diary" and "Up-River Book," Conrad's notes documenting his 1890 visit to the region. 2002 foreword by A.N. Wilson. Some strong language. 1902. RC 58105. ## The Priestly Sins. RC 58119. by Andrew M. Greeley. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. Wholesome, prairie-bred Father Herman Hoffman, having witnessed a young boy's rape in the parish rectory, exposes sexual abuse and cover-ups in the Church hierarchy. Herman risks his reputation by testifying against the guilty priest and the corrupt institutionalized system. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2004. RC 58119. ## Spherical Harmonic: Saga of the Skolian Empire, Volume 7. RC 58121. by Catherine Asaro. read by Jill Fox. 3 cassettes. Having escaped an enemy raid, empathic mathematician Dyhianna Selei, the Ruby Pharaoh, awakens on a distant moon after the Radiance War. Her search for surviving relatives thrusts her into Skolian politics. Sequel to _The Quantum Rose (RC 56766)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2001. RC 58121. ## Fool's Fate: The Tawny Man, Book 3. RC 58122. by Robin Hobb. read by Jack Fox. 6 cassettes. FitzChivalry Farseer, known as Tom Badgerlock, man-at-arms of the queen's guard, joins Prince Dutiful's quest to slay an icebound dragon, win the hand of Narcheska Elliania, and forge an alliance with the Out Islands. Sequel to _Golden Fool (RC 55513)_. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2004. RC 58122. ## Deep Pockets. RC 58134. by Linda Barnes. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. Tenured Harvard professor Wilson Chaney hires Carlotta Carlyle, Boston cop-turned-private-detective, to investigate a blackmail threat he received. Chaney admits to an affair with a student, details of which threaten his reputation, but now the young woman's mysterious death and another fatality escalate the case. Strong language. 2004. RC 58134. ## Miss Julia Meets Her Match. RC 58135. by Ann B. Ross. read by Terry Hayes Sales. 2 cassettes. Sam is still courting the widow Miss Julia, but she is unsure about marrying again. Meanwhile she leases some property to a man wanting to build a religious theme park and learns more about her deceased husband's indiscretions. Sequel to _Miss Julia Hits the Road (RC 56262)_. 2004. RC 58135. ## Skyfall: Saga of the Skolian Empire, Volume 9. RC 58140. by Catherine Asaro. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. Foreign affairs councillor Roca Skolia accompanies bard Eldrinson Valdoria to his mountain fortress, where they fall in love. Snowbound, Roca misses a critical assembly meeting that could mean war with the Eubians. Sequel to _The Moon's Shadow (RC 58147)_. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2003. RC 58140. ## The Intelligencer. RC 58144. by Leslie Silbert. read by Fred Major. 3 cassettes. Kate Morgan, a New York private eye and Renaissance scholar, attempts to unravel the 1593 murder of court spy and playwright Christopher Marlowe. She turns up a sixteenth- century encoded intelligence manuscript that contains information as deadly today as it was five hundred years ago. 2004. RC 58144. ## Sloppy Firsts. RC 58148. by Megan McCafferty. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Brainy sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling of Pineville, New Jersey, spends a year moping when her best friend moves away and her family obsesses about her sister's upcoming wedding. At school Jess despises the cliques and being boyfriendless. Followed by _Second Helpings (RC 58114)_. Strong language. For senior high readers. 2001. RC 58148. ## Strange Brew: A Callahan Garrity Mystery. RC 58149. by Kathy Hogan Trocheck. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. On a stormy Halloween night, Atlanta cleaning lady and part- time P.I. Callahan Garrity discovers the body of prospective microbrewery owner Jackson Poole. An aging flower child named "Wuvvy," recently evicted by Poole, is the main suspect. But she contacts Garrity for help--then also turns up dead. Strong language. 1997. RC 58149. ## When the Emperor Was Divine. RC 58157. by Julie Otsuka. read by Kimberly Schraf. 1 cassette. The tale of a Japanese American family of four, interned at the start of World War II. After the father's arrest, his ten-year-old daughter, seven-year-old son, and wife are relocated to Utah where they are detained for over three years. For senior high and older readers. Alex Award. 2002. RC 58157. ## A Wizard in the Way: The Rogue Wizard, Book 8. RC 58167. by Christopher Stasheff. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. Interstellar problem-solver Magnus d'Armand and his companion, Alea, reach a lost world where serfs suffer under tyrannical magician rulers. Magnus assumes the name Gar Pike and, with help from Alea and a pair of fugitives, encourages an uprising. Sequel to _A Wizard and a Warlord (RC 57896)_. 2000. RC 58167. ## Slightly Sinful. RC 58180. by Mary Balogh. read by Anne Flosnik. 3 cassettes. Left for dead at the Battle of Waterloo, Alleyne Bedwyn is rescued by Rachel York. Although suffering from memory loss, Alleyne agrees to help Rachel regain her fortune by posing as her husband. The masquerade embroils them in scandal. Sequel to _Slightly Tempted (RC 57746)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58180. ## Whisker of Evil. RC 58182. by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. read by Laura Giannarelli. 2 cassettes. Virginia postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen from _The Tail of the Tip-Off (RC 55754)_ finds horse breeder Barry Monteith bleeding to death. After another killing, two rabies cases, and discovery of a ring owned by a long- missing woman, Harry's sleuthy four-legged cohorts help investigate. Some violence and some strong language. 2004. RC 58182. ## Sometimes a Great Notion. RC 58184. by Ken Kesey. read by Gary Telles. 6 cassettes (Reissue). Oregon timber country. A bitter labor strike against old Henry Stamper's lumber empire intensifies his two sons' rivalry. Hank, rough-hewn like his father, is eventually provoked to fight his sensitive half-brother Lee, who has returned home intent on revenge. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1963. RC 58184. ## The Last Light of the Sun. RC 58191. by Guy Gavriel Kay. read by Michael Scherer. 3 cassettes. A tale intertwining the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse cultures linked by violence and the supernatural. A central figure is Bern Thorkellson, member of a Viking mercenary band that confronts rival Welsh clans. A fairy queen claims the soul of a fallen prince. Violence and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58191. ## The Pursuit of Marriage. RC 58192. by Victoria Alexander. read by Corrie James. 2 cassettes. London, 1821. Beautiful, independent Cassandra Effington wagers with Viscount Berkley over who can first find the perfect partner for the other. Matchmaking mothers and outside forces raise the stakes as the competitors discover theirs is the ideal match. Sequel to _The Lady in Question (RC 57913)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58192. ## Crumbtown. RC 58195. by Joe Connelly. read by Michael Russotto. 2 cassettes. Bank robber Don Reedy is paroled early to act as consultant on a television show based on his life. Back in his hometown, he decides to rob the TV actors reenacting his crime. He also falls in love with a Russian bartender. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58195. ## The Monkey's Raincoat. RC 58199. by Robert Crais. read by Gregory Gorton. 2 cassettes. Ellen Lang hires private detective Elvis Cole to find her philandering husband, Mort, who has disappeared with their school-age son. When Mort, a Hollywood talent agent, turns up dead and Ellen is kidnapped, Elvis uncovers ties to illegal drugs. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1987. RC 58199. ## Something Happened. RC 58200. by Joseph Heller. read by Gregory Gorton. 4 cassettes (Reissue). Disillusioned with the life he once had such high hopes for, forty-year-old sales executive Bob Slocum tries to come to grips with his work and family. In a stream-of-consciousness style, Bob ruminates about his past, present, and future until something unimaginable happens. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 1966. RC 58200. ## A Wizard in a Feud: The Rogue Wizard, Book 9. RC 58203. by Christopher Stasheff. read by Michael Scherer. 2 cassettes. In this sequel to _A Wizard in the Way (RC 58167)_, a computer malfunction forces renegade psychic savior Magnus d'Armand and his companion, Alea, to land their spaceship on a planet inhabited by faeries, elves, Druid priests, and feuding Celt-like clans. To make peace, they must introduce law. Some violence. 2001. RC 58203. ## The Rule of Four. RC 58297. by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. read by Mark Ashby. 3 cassettes. Princeton seniors Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris unravel the secrets of the _Hypnerotomachia Poliphili,_ a baffling Renaissance text. Using the Rule of Four, they decode a hidden crypt's location and quickly face revelations, bizarre events, and even death. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58297. ## The Taking. RC 58300. by Dean Koontz. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Twenty-eight-year-old Molly Sloan and her husband, Neil, awaken to terrifying news of impending global disaster. As they lose all communication and watch an eerie fog settle on their small California town, Molly, Neil, and their neighbors brace themselves against the onslaught of evil. Violence and some strong language. Bestseller 2004. RC 58300. ## The Perfumed Sleeve. RC 58303. by Laura Joh Rowland. read by Robert Sams. 2 cassettes. Japan, 1694. Sano, the shogun's private detective, honors fellow samurai Makino Narisada's posthumous request to determine whether Makino's own death was murder. Sano, with his wife Reiko under cover, fears the investigation will implicate dangerous leaders of rival political factions. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2004. RC 58303. ## Keeping Watch. RC 58304. by Laurie R. King. read by Michael Russotto. 3 cassettes. Since the Vietnam war Allen Carmichael has been a soldier. He fights underground now and outside the law to rescue abused and exploited children. He postpones retirement and takes one last case to save twelve-year-old Jamie from his father. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58304. ## The Enemy. RC 58309. by Lee Child. read by Christopher Walker. 3 cassettes. 1990. After two-star General Kramer dies in a cheap motel in North Carolina, someone flees the scene with a briefcase full of secrets. Hours later the general's wife is found murdered. MP Major Reacher and female MP Lieutenant Summer investigate, uncovering a military conspiracy. Violence and some strong language. 2004. RC 58309. ## Good Grief. RC 58313. by Lolly Winston. read by Annie Wauters. 2 cassettes. Thirty-six-year-old Sophie Stanton, widowed after three years of marriage, experiences all the emotional stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and overeating. Acceptance accompanies a madcap new life with college friend Ruth in Oregon, where Sophie mentors a wild teenager and ventures out on dates. Some strong language. 2004. RC 58313. ## Leaving Protection. RC 58314. by Will Hobbs. read by Gregory Gorton. 1 cassette. Port Protection, Alaska. Sixteen-year-old Robbie signs on with captain Tor Torsen to fish for salmon. Robbie realizes he's in danger when he discovers Torsen secretly searching for valuable metal plaques laid by early Russian explorers to claim Alaska. Then a storm hits, imperiling them both. For senior high readers. 2004. RC 58314. ## Islands. RC 58315. by Anne Rivers Siddons. read by Laura Giannarelli. 3 cassettes. Upon marrying Charleston's Lewis Aiken, MD, Anny Butler not only finally gains a real family but also joins the "Scrubs" social circle. These longtime friends of Lewis's share leisure time at their Sullivan's Island communal beach house until misfortune plagues the group. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58315. ## Killer Smile. RC 58316. by Lisa Scottoline. read by Kimberly Schraf. 3 cassettes. Philadelphia attorney Mary DiNunzio tackles a complicated case. During World War II, Italian American detainee Amadeo Brandolini supposedly committed suicide in a U.S. internment camp. While Mary tries to obtain reparations from the government for the Brandolini estate, someone tries to silence her. Some violence and some strong language. 2004. RC 58316. ## An Invitation to Seduction. RC 58317. by Lorraine Heath. read by Vanessa Maroney. 3 cassettes. England, 1881. American Kitty Robertson feels happy about her engagement to the marquess of Farthingham until she meets the notorious duke of Weddington. Privy to a secret that could doom the innocent bride, Weddington determines to end the betrothal and seduce Kitty. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58317. ## Stallions at Burnt Rock. RC 58318. by Paul Bagdon. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Texas, 1870s. To prove she raises the best ranch horses in the west, Lee Morgan agrees to race her prize stallion in Burnt Rock's upcoming festival, despite her fears of unchristian behavior. As gamblers and gunslingers pour into town, their lawlessness threatens everything she loves. Some violence. 2003. RC 58318. ## This Must Be Love. RC 58320. by Kasey Michaels. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Jane Preston goes undercover as an escort for a prestigious retreat in Cape May. Professor Patrick Romanowski, a.k.a. bestselling author J.P. Roman, also plans to attend. Both want to expose the scandals of New Jersey senator Aubrey Harrison. The two team up and fall in love. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58320. ## Back Bay. RC 58322. by William Martin. read by Michael Russotto. 4 cassettes (Reissue). Harvard grad student Peter Fallon is drawn into the search for George Washington's priceless silver tea set, which disappeared during the British invasion in the War of 1812. Generations of the Boston Pratt clan have also pursued the Paul Revere treasure. Some violence. 1979. RC 58322. ## Winterkill. RC 58323. by C.J. Box. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 2 cassettes. A sudden winter storm doesn't stop a madman stalking federal employees in Wyoming's Twelve Sleep National Forest. Game warden Joe Pickett finds a brutally murdered supervisor and then an injured manager whom someone left to die. Then Joe's foster daughter April is kidnapped. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 58323. ## Shooter. RC 58327. by Walter Dean Myers. read by Christopher Walker. 1 cassette. A high school tragedy related from multiple viewpoints: interviews, reports, and journals. Seventeen-year-old Len shoots a football player to death, injures several others, and commits suicide. His troubled friends recall Len's problems. In the surrounding culture, no one is completely innocent nor completely guilty. For senior high readers. 2004. RC 58327. ## The Consignment. RC 58331. by Grant Sutherland. read by Gregory Gorton. 3 cassettes. A former army ranger in the Gulf War who saw his men killed by U.S.-made weapons sold to the enemy, Ned Rourke works undercover for the Defense Intelligence Agency investigating illegal arms trading. When his partner is killed, Rourke vows to complete the mission--even at the cost of his marriage. Violence and strong language. 2003. RC 58331. ## See Jane Score. RC 58334. by Rachel Gibson. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Reporter Jane Alcott is assigned to cover Seattle's hockey team, but she achieves more than she expects. Especially when she tries to get the scoop on the team's secretive goalie, Luc Martineau. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 58334. ## The Clock Winder. RC 58335. by Anne Tyler. read by Mary Kane. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Baltimore, 1960. Eccentric elderly widow Pamela Emerson hires college-age drifter Elizabeth Abbott as a live-in helper. Pamela's unstable family, including her grown sons, rely increasingly on Elizabeth and absorb her into their bizarre and deadly personal dramas. Some violence. 1972. RC 58335. ## The Thousand Orcs: Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Book 1. RC 58337. by R.A. Salvatore. read by Michael Russotto. 3 cassettes. Frost giants and human-like orcs sweep across the Spine of the World targeting dwarf strongholds, so a defense must be led by elf Drizzt Do'Urden and companions Wulfgar the barbarian, human female Catti-brie, and Mithral Hall king- apparent Bruenor Battlehammer. Violence. 2002. RC 58337. ## Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart. RC 58344. by Alice Walker. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. Fifty-seven-year-old writer Kate and her artist-lover Yolo begin separate journeys: Yolo to Hawaii and Kate to the Colorado and Amazon rivers. In the course of adventures filled with snakes, shamans, and memories, both experience spiritual alignment while cleansing themselves of materialism, past loves, and tragedies. Some descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58344. ## Sweet Land Stories. RC 58345. by E.L. Doctorow. read by Michael Russotto. 1 cassette. Five short stories about faith, love, and abuse of power. In "A House on the Plain," a son abets his mother's murderous greed; in "Jolene: A Life," a young woman navigating some bad relationships reaches a bruised but resolute independence. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58345. ## The Stone Virgins. RC 58356. by Yvonne Vera. read by Corrie James. 2 cassettes. A tale portraying the gruesome atrocities committed during Zimbabwe's decades-long struggle for liberation from British rule and the subsequent civil turmoil. Two sisters awaiting freedom in the village of Kezi--Nonceba and Thenjiwe--become victims of the violence in the 1980s. Violence and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 58356. ## Skyhook. RC 58359. by John J. Nance. read by Annie Wauters. 3 cassettes. For a top secret project, engineer Ben Cole developed software allowing remote steering of aircraft--but it fails the test flight, and Ben suspects sabotage. The same day, April Rosen's parents survive a suspicious plane crash. Ben and April meet while searching for answers. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58359. ## Quest of the Mountain Man. RC 58369. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Visionary William Van Horne comes to Colorado looking for experienced mountain men to help him find a suitable route for the new Canadian railroad. Gunfighter-turned-rancher Smoke Jensen with his team of old friends must soon contend with mountains, Indians, and some dangerous cross-border bandits. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58369. ## War of the Mountain Man. RC 58370. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Smoke and his wife, Sally, take a vacation to Hell's Creek, Montana, to visit Sally's college roommate and her husband. They did not plan on running into Max Huggins and his band of outlaws or restoring order to a lawless land. Some violence. 1990. RC 58370. ## Do No Harm. RC 58375. by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz. read by John Polk. 4 cassettes. Two female practitioners at the UCLA Medical Center are savagely attacked by a madman who is apprehended and brought to the hospital for treatment. A mutinous staff, angry cops, and bloodthirsty media hinder Dr. David Spier as he faces an ethical dilemma and grossly underestimates the criminal mind. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2002. RC 58375. ## Away Laughing on a Fast Camel: Even More Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. RC 58377. by Louise Rennison. read by Erin Jones. 1 cassette. Following _Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants (RC 56064),_ English schoolgirl Georgia Nicolson continues her journal. She describes her trying existence at school and home and falling in love with a local Italian American singer. For senior high readers. 2004. RC 58377. ## Sullivan's Law. RC 58379. by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. read by Jill Fox. 2 cassettes. California. Single mom, part-time law student, and overworked probation officer Carolyn Sullivan receives a new parolee, brilliant schizophrenic Daniel Metroix, who has served twenty-three years for killing the police chief's son. Suspecting he's innocent, Carolyn investigates further, jeopardizing her career and her life. Some violence and some strong language. 2004. RC 58379. ## Havoc's Sword: An Alan Lewrie Naval Adventure. RC 58385. by Dewey Lambdin. read by Neil Hunt. 3 cassettes. English Foreign Office spies meet captain Alan Lewrie in the Caribbean and order him back into the battle for French colony Saint Domingue. Using bribery, diplomacy, and the fledgling American navy, Lewrie confronts his archenemy Guillaume Choundas. Sequel to _Sea of Grey (RC 58124)_. Strong language and some violence. 2003. RC 58385. ## Picture Me Dead. RC 58386. by Heather Graham. read by Sharon Murray. 3 cassettes. After spying a friend lying nearly dead on I-95, south Florida police cadet Ashley Montague investigates. Her search leads to homicide detective Jake Dilessio, who is consumed by a bizarre murder reminiscent of past cult killings. Together they explore possible links--and their desire. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2003. RC 58386. ## Poison Blonde: An Amos Walker Mystery. RC 58388. by Loren D. Estleman. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. Detroit private detective Amos Walker assists blackmailed Latin entertainer Gilia Cristobal (her assumed name) who fled arrest in her native land. Complicating matters is Gilia's manager--drug dealer Hector Matador--Walker's old enemy. When the blackmailer is murdered, Walker investigates. Some violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 58388. ## The Return of the Black Widowers. RC 58389. by Isaac Asimov. read by Richard Hauenstein. 2 cassettes. Sixteen stories, some previously unpublished in any collection, involving the Black Widowers club members, who gather monthly to dine and solve a brainteasing puzzle. The men ponder mysteries ranging from murder and theft to an umbrella's seemingly inexplicable disappearance into a space warp. Foreword by Harlan Ellison. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58389. ## New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2004. RC 58394. edited by Shannon Ravenel. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. Nineteenth annual collection of southern short stories. In Edward P. Jones's "A Rich Man," a search for lost youth yields more than expected. Includes Ann Pancake's "Dog Song" and Jill McCorkle's "Intervention," a tale of a woman's devotion to her alcoholic husband. Preface by Tim Gautreaux. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58394. ## Absaroka Ambush: The First Mountain Man, Book 3. RC 58395. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Preacher and his fellow mountain men help a detachment of U.S. soldiers escort some women across the mountains. When cutthroats attack the wagon train and kidnap the women, Preacher launches a rescue. Sequel to _Blood on the Divide (RC 53030)_. Violence and some strong language. 1993. RC 58395. ## A Visible Darkness. RC 58400. by Jonathon King. read by Roy Avers. 2 cassettes. Following _The Blue Edge of Midnight (RC 56676)_, former Philadelphia cop Max Freeman is again pulled from his isolated Everglades refuge to help an old friend. Assisted by agent Sherry Richards, Max investigates the suspicious deaths of elderly black Fort Lauderdale widows. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2003. RC 58400. ## My Sister's Keeper. RC 58402. by Jodi Picoult. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. When Kate is diagnosed with a rare leukemia, her parents create test-tube baby Anna to save her life. After years of medical procedures, Anna, now thirteen, is expected to donate a kidney. She files for medical legal emancipation and throws the family into a fundamental moral crisis. 2004. RC 58402. ## The Truth Hurts. RC 58408. by Nancy Pickard. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. Florida author Marie Lightfoot receives e-mails demanding she collaborate on a book about her own murder. Cooperating with her would-be killer leads Marie back to her Alabama hometown to confront her parents' racist past. Sequel to _Ring of Truth (RC 52443)_. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2002. RC 58408. ## Scenarios: A "Nameless Detective" Casebook. RC 58413. by Bill Pronzini. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Fourteen short mysteries spanning thirty-five years of "Nameless" San Francisco P.I. stories. In "It's a Lousy World," Nameless vindicates a friend suspected of--and shot for--robbing a liquor store. Also includes "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" and "Incident in a Neighborhood Tavern." Violence and some strong language. 2003. RC 58413. ## Joust. RC 58415. by Mercedes Lackey. read by Richard Hauenstein. 3 cassettes. Vetch, a young Altan serf, works his family's land under a cruel Tian master. Barely surviving, he meets an elite dragon rider who trains him as a dragon boy. Under the tutelage of Jouster Ari, Vetch learns the secrets of taming these reptiles--and dreams of freedom. Some violence. 2003. RC 58415. ## Firebirds: An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction. RC 58418. edited by Sharyn November. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 3 cassettes. Sixteen short stories. In "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box," Penny learns her true identity after living for eighteen years in the bank where she was abandoned as an infant. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2003. RC 58418. ## Ringworld's Children. RC 58419. by Larry Niven. read by Alec Volz. 2 cassettes. In 2893 Earth-born explorer Louis Wu encounters interplanetary and interspecies intrigue on Ringworld, a ribbon-like artificial habitat circling a distant star. Threatened by war and new weaponry, Ringworld places its future with its children. Sequel to _The Ringworld Throne (RC 44067)_. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2004. RC 58419. ## Almost Forever. RC 58421. by Linda Howard. read by Sharon Murray. 2 cassettes. Max Conroy's boss wants to take over Bronson Alloys. When assigned the task of infiltrating the company, Max realizes that the only way to get in is through secretary Claire Westbrook. But his plan did not include falling in love with her. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1986. RC 58421. ## With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill. RC 58422. by Parnell Hall. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 2 cassettes. Crossword puzzle columnist Cora Felton has asked her less- than-enthusiastic niece, Sherry, to be her maid of honor at an upcoming double wedding ceremony in which Sherry's friend, Brenda, will also be tying the knot--with Sherry's abusive ex-husband, Dennis. Threatening cryptograms and murder disrupt the pending nuptials. 2003. RC 58422. ## Alta. RC 58428. by Mercedes Lackey. read by Richard Hauenstein. 3 cassettes. After years of captivity in Tia, Vetch escapes with dragon Avatre, whom he secretly raised. Returning home to Alta, Vetch, now called Kiron, teaches the Altan Jousters to train dragons in preparation for combat with Tia. Sequel to _Joust (RC 58415)_. Some violence. 2004. RC 58428. ## Hollywood Tough. RC 58429. by Stephen J. Cannell. read by Fred Major. 2 cassettes. Shane Scully and his new wife, Alexa, both Los Angeles police officers, uncover a Mafia plot to take over film unions. They set up a phony movie company to expose the mob- -but can't prevent a starlet's murder and a street gang war. Descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2003. RC 58429. ## Trek of the Mountain Man. RC 58432. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. Colorado mountain man Smoke Jensen is cleared of charges for an old crime. But some unknowing Texas bounty hunters still pursue him, hoping to collect a $10,000 reward. Not finding Smoke, they kidnap his strong-willed wife for ransom money and head into the wintry mountains. Smoke vows to find them. Some violence. 2002. RC 58432. ## Vengeance of the Mountain Man. RC 58433. by William W. Johnstone. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. A young gunfighter rallies a band of Mexican and Texan outlaws to help him track down and exact revenge on Colorado mountain man Smoke Jensen for shooting off his ear. The town of Big Rock rallies to defend the benefactor of the town's well being. Violence and some strong language. 1997. RC 58433. ## Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Slayer, Volume 3. RC 58435. . read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Four stories about vampire slayers in times past. In "Dark of the Moon," an Anasazi girl guards her tribe from evil. In "The Code of the Samurai," fifteen-year-old American slayer India Cohen arrives in Japan to help combat forces of darkness. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2003. RC 58435. ## Runaway Heart. RC 58436. by Stephen J. Cannell. read by John Polk. 2 cassettes. While hospitalized for heart problems, attorney Herman Strockmire learns an employee has been murdered after downloading a biotech firm's files. Postponing surgery, Strockmire, his daughter Susan, and ex-cop Jack Wirta uncover a government project to genetically engineer manlike creatures as disposable soldiers. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58436. ## The Body of David Hayes. RC 58438. by Ridley Pearson. read by Ray Foushee. 2 cassettes. Seattle police lieutenant Lou Boldt investigates a case involving his bank executive wife, Liz, a past affair of hers, unrecovered fraud money, and the Russian mob. Lou hopes to solve the case while protecting Liz's reputation and keeping his family together. Violence and strong language. 2004. RC 58438. ## Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Slayer, Volume 1. RC 58440. . read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Seven short stories describe vampire slayers from times past. In "A Good Run," a slayer in ancient Greece fights in the battle of Marathon. In "The White Doe," slayer Virginia Dare of the Roanoke lost colony is adopted by a tribe. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2001. RC 58440. ## Ten Big Ones. RC 58499. by Janet Evanovich. read by Annie Wauters. 2 cassettes. New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum from _To the Nines (RC 56437)_ and her sidekick, Lula, witness a convenience store robbery. Because Stephanie can identify the culprit, she is a hit-list target. Stephanie tracks a killer and suppresses her attraction to Ranger. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2004. RC 58499. ## After Dark. RC 58500. by Jayne Castle. read by MaryBeth Wise. 2 cassettes. Licensed para-archaeologist Lydia Smith has plans to resume her career after a trauma curtailed her ability to work. But first she must deal with a dead colleague and a client with a hidden agenda. Followed by _After Glow (RC 58524)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2000. RC 58500. ## All She Can Be. RC 58503. by Fern Michaels. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Forty-three-year-old divorced romance writer Rita Bellamy is completing her novel at a Pennsylvania lakeside cottage. Determined to reinvent herself, she finds new love with marine biologist Twigg Peterson, ten years younger. Complications arise when Rita's visiting daughter develops feelings for Twigg. Explicit descriptions of sex. 1983. RC 58503. ## Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African American Authors. RC 58506. edited by Eleanor Taylor Bland. read by Steven Carpenter. 2 cassettes. Twenty-two short mysteries featuring African American characters. In Hugh Holton's "The Werewolf File" Chicago police confront a supernatural killer. Also includes "Bombardier" by Walter Mosley and stories by Gar Anthony Haywood, Penny Mickelbury, Grace F. Edwards, and others. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2004. RC 58506. ## The Crying of Lot Forty-Nine. RC 58507. by Thomas Pynchon. read by Annie Wauters. 1 cassette. Satirical novel on the subculture of southern California. While executor of her former lover's estate, Oedipa Maas becomes involved with a worldwide conspiracy to subvert the public mail system and a gang of zanies trying to kick the love habit. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1965. RC 58507. ## Immortalis: The Second Demonwars Saga, Book 3. RC 58511. by R.A. Salvatore. read by Michael Scherer. 4 cassettes. Epic conclusion following _Transcendence (RC 55136)_. Young Aydrian Boudabras solidifies his ambitions to usurp the throne of Honce-the-Bear and overtake neighboring Behren. As his power grows, so does his opposition. Alliances form and crumble in anticipation of the beginning of the end of the second Demon War. Some violence. 2003. RC 58511. ## Screwball. RC 58514. by David Ferrell. read by Eric Synnestvedt. 2 cassettes. When the Boston Red Sox acquire rookie Ron Kane and his scorching fastball, it could mean the end of "the curse" and an eighty-year slump. Manager Augie Sharkey anticipates a great season, but something isn't quite right: it seems wherever they play, a killer strikes. Violence and strong language. 2003. RC 58514. ## Rendezvous Eighteenth. RC 58521. by Jake Lamar. read by Mark Ashby. 2 cassettes. Ricky Jenks, an African American expatriate in Paris, agrees to help his hated cousin Cash, a doctor, find his runaway wife. Ricky soon uncovers Cash's shady business dealings and enters a world of drugs, fraud, murder, and sexual deviance. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58521. ## After Glow. RC 58524. by Jayne Castle. read by Mary Beth Wise. 2 cassettes. Sequel to _After Dark (RC 58500)_. Para-archaeologist Lydia Smith discovers a second dead body: a former professor who insisted on revealing some information about Lydia's Lost Weekend. Meanwhile she tries to untangle her relationship with client Emmett London. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58524. ## Aunt Dimity: Snowbound. RC 58529. by Nancy Atherton. read by Michele Schaeffer. 2 cassettes. When a blizzard interrupts her hike through the English countryside, Lori Shepherd seeks refuge in Ladythorne Abbey, where she encounters two suspicious backpackers and the abbey's eccentric, gun-wielding caretaker. Believing her fellow travelers are would-be robbers, Lori turns to ghostly Aunt Dimity for guidance. 2004. RC 58529. ## Slightly Dangerous. RC 58530. by Mary Balogh. read by Anne Flosnik. 3 cassettes. The unmarried, aloof, aristocratic duke of Bewcastle, Wulfric Bedwyn, meets lively but lowborn widow Christine Derrick at a house party. Wulfric proposes that she become his mistress, but Christine sets the record straight. Sequel to _Slightly Sinful (RC 58180)_. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58530. ## Confessions of a Not It Girl. RC 58535. by Melissa Kantor. read by Margaret Strom. 2 cassettes. Seventeen-year-old New Yorker Jan has trouble keeping up with school, boys, her family, and her perfect best friend, Rebecca. She finally makes sense out of her hectic life and finds romance with the son of her mom's best friend. For senior high readers. 2004. RC 58535. ## The Kissing Game. RC 58536. by Kasey Michaels. read by Corrie James. 2 cassettes. When Lady Allegra Nesbitt (Ally) accompanies her practical- joker father to London, the only social invitation they receive is from the mysterious Armand Gauthier. Ally and Armand become a couple as he helps extricate her father from a joke gone bad, and she helps Armand uncover his true identity. Some descriptions of sex. 2003. RC 58536. ## Plowing the Dark. RC 58541. by Richard Powers. read by Annie Wauters. 4 cassettes. Divorced artist Adie Klarpol participates in constructing a virtual reality chamber in Seattle that conjures up everything imaginable. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, American teacher Taimur Martin is kidnapped and held hostage. The lives of Adie and Taimur eventually converge in cyber- reality. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2000. RC 58541. ## The Summer I Dared. RC 58542. by Barbara Delinsky. read by Annie Wauters. 3 cassettes. While visiting her aunt's small Maine island, Manhattan homemaker Julia Bechtel survives a ferry collision, as does divorced lobsterman Noah Prine. United by the tragedy that killed nine, Julia and Noah investigate the accident, reevaluate their lives, and find solace together. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58542. ## Havana Run. RC 58554. by Les Standiford. read by Roy Avers. 2 cassettes. Building contractor John Deal is resurrecting his south Florida company--ruined by his presumed-dead father--when a stranger offers him a lucrative but dubious opportunity in post-Castro Cuba. The feds discover the offer and want Deal to help them. Once in Havana, Deal uncovers the truth about his dad. Descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2003. RC 58554. ## Heart Trouble: A Callahan Garrity Mystery. RC 58555. by Kathy Hogan Trocheck. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 2 cassettes. Just as her sideline cleaning business takes off, private investigator Callahan Garrity is hired by Atlanta socialite Whitney Dobbs, recently acquitted of a drunk-driving, hit- and-run homicide that ignited racial tensions. Whitney wants the assets her rich husband hid after filing for divorce. The case becomes a murder investigation. Strong language and some violence. 1996. RC 58555. ## A Company of Three. RC 58561. by Varley O'Connor. read by John Polk. 3 cassettes. New York, 1970s. Robert from New Jersey, Patrick from New England, and Irene from Kansas begin their acting careers and promise one another lifelong support. But complicated love affairs, inner demons, and diverging careers challenge their mutual pledge. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003. RC 58561. ## Lords of the White Castle. RC 58566. by Elizabeth Chadwick. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 5 cassettes. Twelfth-century England. A youthful rivalry between Prince John and courtier Fulke FitzWarin resurfaces when John, as king, refuses to grant Fulke's rightful fiefdom. Fulke is also denied love: tempestuous Maude marries another. Renouncing his loyalty, Fulke becomes an outlaw determined to restore his legacy. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2000. RC 58566. ## Leaving Cecil Street. RC 58570. by Diane McKinney-Whetstone. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. West Philadelphia, 1969. Novel of Cecil Street neighbors' lives. Joe loves his wife, Louise, but is haunted by memories of his club days playing sax. Their teenage daughter Shay helps her best friend cope with an unwanted pregnancy. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2004. RC 58570. ## Awakening: The Holts; an American Dynasty, Volume 10. RC 58575. by Dana Fuller Ross. read by Roy Avers. 3 cassettes. New York, 1900. Sequel to _Homecoming (RC 42633)_ relates events in the lives of Sally Holt, sixteen, and friend India Blackstone, twenty. Over the course of forty years they discover politics, art, husbands, and lovers and experience world wars and personal tragedies. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1995. RC 58575. ## Days of the Dead. RC 58644. by Barbara Hambly. read by Frank Coffee. 3 cassettes. 1835. Freedman Benjamin January and his new wife, Rose, travel from New Orleans to Mexico City to help a friend accused of poisoning the son of a mentally unstable landowner. Benjamin investigates while Don Prospero awaits an upcoming holy day when he believes his slain son will reveal the killer. Some violence. 2003. RC 58644. ## Tar Baby. RC 58646. by Toni Morrison. read by Bill Quinn. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Son, a black fugitive, invades the West Indian home of a retired millionaire, upsetting the racially diverse household. He captivates pampered Jadine, a black fashion model. Their ideologically complicated love affair plays out from the Caribbean to Manhattan. 2004 foreword by the author. Strong language. 1981. RC 58646. ## Skinny Dip. RC 58649. by Carl Hiaasen. read by Fred Major. 3 cassettes. Joey's biologist husband Chaz throws her overboard during a cruise because he thinks she knows he's faking Everglades water samples. Joey is rescued by former cop Mick Stranahan, who helps her in a plan to drive Chaz insane. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. Bestseller 2004. RC 58649. ## War and Peas: A Jane Jeffry Mystery. RC 58655. by Jill Churchill. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Sleuthy single mother Jane Jeffry participates in a Civil War reenactment at the Snellen Museum's annual pea festival during which the museum director is shot to death. Jane utilizes her volunteer hours at the museum and her relationship with detective VanDyne to identify suspects, including a disgruntled Snellen heir. 1996. RC 58655. ## If He Hollers Let Him Go. RC 58656. by Chester Himes. read by Richard Hauenstein. 2 cassettes. Los Angeles, 1940s. Shipyard worker Bob Jones, a black man, has become a foreman. Still he feels "scared, walled in, locked up" because of the racism he encounters daily. Accused of raping a white woman, he loses his job, his girlfriend, and his freedom. Some violence and some strong language. 1945. RC 58656. ## The Christmas Shoes. RC 58657. by Donna VanLiere. read by Gary Tipton. 1 cassette. Robert Layton has become focused on material things, and his marriage is in jeopardy. But when on Christmas Eve 1985 he crosses paths with a young boy whose mother is dying, the impact has a positive effect on both families for years to come. 2001. RC 58657. ## Sunny Chandler's Return. RC 58662. by Sandra Brown. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 1 cassette. A friend's wedding brings Sunny Chandler back from New Orleans to her hometown and to the runaway-bride scandal she hoped to leave behind. Local sheriff Ty Beaumont quickly takes an interest, but before Sunny can pursue a romance she must put rumors to rest. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1987. RC 58662. ## When He Was Wicked: A Bridgerton Novel. RC 58722. by Julia Quinn. read by Kristin Allison. 2 cassettes. England, 1820. Notorious rake Michael Stirling finally falls for beautiful Francesca Bridgerton, but she marries his cousin John. When John suddenly dies, Michael flees, afraid to comfort the grieving widow. Four years later he returns to claim his inheritance--and Francesca's heart. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2004. RC 58722. ## Sam's Letters to Jennifer. RC 58826. by James Patterson. read by Anne Heche. 1 cassette. When grieving widow Jennifer returns to Lake Geneva, the resort town where her grandmother Samantha, "Sam," is in a coma, Jennifer finds letters addressed to her from Sam detailing the love of Sam's life, someone not her husband. Jennifer also rekindles a romance with a childhood friend. Bestseller 2004. RC 58826. ## Celeste: Gemini Series. RC 58860. by V.C. Andrews. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. When Celeste's twin brother, Noble, dies tragically, her obsessed mother makes her cut her hair, wear boys' clothes, and impersonate him. Celeste virtually disappears until handsome Elliot Fletcher moves in next door and forces her to confront her true identity. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. Bestseller 2004. RC 58860. ## Dark Justice: Sean Dillon Series. RC 58861. by Jack Higgins. read by David Hartley-Margolin. 2 cassettes. White House operative Blake Johnson is dispatched to London after thwarting an assassination attempt linked to a U.K. terror organization. Johnson's British counterpart, ex-IRA enforcer Sean Dillon, follows the trail to oil magnate Belov, an associate of Russian president Putin. Sequel to _Bad Company (RC 56701)_. Some violence. Bestseller 2004. RC 58861. ## The Winds of Change: A Richard Jury Mystery. RC 58862. by Martha Grimes. read by Jim Zeiger. 3 cassettes. London, England. After being hospitalized in _The Grave Maurice (RC 55003)_, superintendent Richard Jury investigates a five-year-old girl's murder. Evidence of sexual abuse leads to a ring of pedophiles and to the body of a woman on a wealthy businessman's estate. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller 2004. RC 58862. ## Visions in Death: An Eve Dallas Mystery. RC 58864. by J.D. Robb. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. New York City, 2059. Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates a series of murders, their horrific details foreseen by a psychic whom Eve reluctantly consults. After a near-fatal assault on her partner, Eve and husband Roarke attempt to resolve the nightmare. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004. RC 58864. ## The Dangerous Hour: A Sharon McCone Mystery. RC 58865. by Marcia Muller. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. San Francisco P.I. Sharon McCone's newfound success is threatened when one of her operatives is arrested for stealing city supervisor Alex Aguilar's credit card. As she investigates the case she uncovers Aguilar's secrets and dodges her lover's marriage proposal. Strong language and some violence. 2004. RC 58865. ## Fleur de Leigh in Exile. RC 58876. by Diane Leslie. read by Martha Harmon Pardee. 2 cassettes. Fifteen-year-old Fleur de Leigh is sent to Arizona's Rancho Cambridge West, the cheapest boarding school in the country. Despite some prejudice and the stress of being new, Fleur survives--though a night of dorm-room mischief could lead to trouble. Sequel to _Fleur de Leigh's Life of Crime (RC 48527)_. Some strong language. 2003. RC 58876. ## Island Dreams/Sueños Isleños. RC 58954. by Erica Fuentes. read by María Pino. 2 cassettes. Widowed mom Mickey Campos de Vasco vows to succeed on her own. The last thing she wants is a man complicating her life and her promising career. But she meets Mauricio, a dashing Cuban doctor, who upsets her plans. Some descriptions of sex. Bilingual edition in English and Spanish. (La viuda Mickey Campos de Vasco está determinada de trunfar por sus proprios medios. Lo menos que necesita es un hombre que le complique la vida y su carrera prometedora. Pero su vida cuidadosamente planificada cambia cuando conoce a Mauricio, un gallardo médico cubano. Algunas descripciones de índole sexual. Edición bilingüe en español e inglés.) 2000. RC 58954. ## ### _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_ The Deserts of the Southwest. RC 55156. by Maria Mudd Ruth. read by Gary Roan. 1 cassette. Examines the deserts of the United States and Mexico, their biodiversity, and their response to temperature and weather. Includes two science activities. For grades 5-8. 1999. RC 55156. ## Real Stories from the Rink. RC 56388. by Brian McFarlane. read by Neil Berman. 1 cassette. Tales about ice hockey--its history, players, and records. Describes the first organized game, the 1955 riot in Montreal, women participants, the longest and shortest contests, the first black skater on an NHL team, and the best European player. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2002. RC 56388. ## Dog of Discovery: A Newfoundland's Adventures with Lewis and Clark. RC 56530. by Laurence Pringle. read by Michael Kramer. 1 cassette. An account of the Meriwether Lewis and William Clark expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1803-1806 that features the exploits of Lewis's large Newfoundland, Seaman. Relying on journals of expedition members and some "informed guesses," Pringle tells how Seaman earned his keep as hunter, retriever, and guard dog. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 56530. ## Double Dutch: A Celebration of Jump Rope, Rhyme, and Sisterhood. RC 56537. by Veronica Chambers. read by Tracy Mickens-Hundley. 1 cassette. History of a two-rope game played by friends on sidewalks in the summer and by athletes in competitions. Author explains her personal involvement in this sport, describes various participants and team players, and includes some of the rhymes girls chant while jumping. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 56537. ## New Dinos: The Latest Finds! The Coolest Dinosaur Discoveries!. RC 57994. by Shelley Tanaka. read by Gary Telles. 1 cassette. Discusses new species of dinosaurs found by paleontologists excavating sites as diverse as the Sahara Desert, northeast China, Madagascar, and the Patagonian Desert in Argentina. Revises previous information about Tyrannosaurus rex and reveals facts, determined through improved technology, about other species. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 57994. ## Bahrain. RC 58190. by Carol Ann Gillespie. read by Mark Ashby. 1 cassette. Covers the history, geography, culture, government, economy, and future prospects of Bahrain, the smallest and most densely populated Arab country--about the size of Chicago, Illinois. Explains the Persian Gulf nation's rise to prosperity and its strict adherence to the Islamic religion. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 58190. ## How Smart Is Your Dog? Thirty Fun Science Activities with Your Pet. RC 58330. by D. Caroline Coile. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Discusses how a dog's body works, how it perceives the world, and how it communicates and responds. Also includes information about canine health and activities to test a pet's abilities. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 58330. ## The Stone Lamp: Eight Stories of Hanukkah through History. RC 58358. by Karen Hesse. read by Barbara Rappaport. 1 cassette. An episode, seen through a child's eyes, for each night of Hanukkah, following a chronicle of the Jewish people from twelfth-century England to twentieth-century Israel. Describes painful periods such as the Crusades, the Inquisition, and Kristallnacht. For grades 3-6. 2003. RC 58358. ## Where Fish Go in Winter and Other Great Mysteries. RC 58441. by Amy Goldman Koss. read by Gary Telles. 1 cassette. A collection of poems that answer such simple science- related questions as "Where do fish go in winter?" "Why does popcorn pop?" and "How do birds fly?" Beginning reader. For grades K-3. 1987. RC 58441. ## Living on a Space Shuttle. RC 58446. by Carmen Bredeson. read by Gary Telles. 1 cassette. Provides a simple description of how astronauts aboard a space shuttle perform everyday activities such as eating, drinking, and sleeping. Easy reader. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 58446. ## Burns and Blisters. RC 58513. by Alvin Silverstein and others. read by Gregory Gorton. 1 cassette. Describes the function of skin, including its response to burns and other injuries, as well as treatment options. Emphasizing prevention, also provides safety rules. For grades 3-6. 2002. RC 58513. ## The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient China. RC 58517. by Leonard Everett Fisher. read by Mary Kane. 1 cassette. The author of _Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Maya (RC 51626)_ describes the most prominent figures from Chinese mythology. Deities include the Jade Emperor, the God of Fire, the God of Mischief, and the Goddess of Love, among others. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 58517. ## Go Fly a Bike! The Ultimate Book about Bicycle Fun, Freedom, and Science. RC 58543. by Bill Haduch. read by Mark Ashby. 1 cassette. Humorous guide to the sport of bicycling discusses care, maintenance, and safety; different types of equipment; the science of aerodynamics and gravity; and trends and trivia. For grades 4-7. 2004. RC 58543. ## A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers. RC 58664. by Nancy Willard. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette (Reissue). A collection of magical poems about life at an imaginary inn staffed by two dragons, two angels, and a rabbit who shows to their rooms many curious visitors, including a man in a marmalade hat and the king of cats. For grades 2-4 and older readers. Newbery Medal. 1980. RC 58664. ## York's Adventures with Lewis and Clark: An African American's Part in the Great Expedition. RC 58671. by Rhoda Blumberg. read by Patricia McDermott. 1 cassette. Relates the experiences of the slave who journeyed west with the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806. Explains York's importance to the explorers and his role in establishing cordial relations with Native Americans. Companion to _The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark (RC 29633)_. For grades 5-8. 2004. RC 58671. ## Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes. RC 58687. by Roald Dahl. read by Jill Fox. 1 cassette. Recipes for preparing some of the scrumptious and wonderfully disgusting dishes that appear in Dahl's books. There's wormy spaghetti from _The Twits (RC 32792)_, toffee- apple trees from _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (RC 33498)_, and frobscottle from _The BFG (RC 44101)_, among other tasty treats. For grades 3-6. 1994. RC 58687. ## The Right Dog for the Job: Ira's Path from Service Dog to Guide Dog. RC 58712. by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. read by Erin Jones. 1 cassette. Account of a golden retriever puppy named Ira, raised by a sixth-grade teacher whose students help train Ira as a service dog for people with disabilities. Also traces Ira's later education at a special school where he learns to assist people who are blind. For grades 2-4. 2004. RC 58712. ## Baby Dinosaurs: Eggs, Nests, and Recent Discoveries. RC 58810. by Thom Holmes and Laurie Holmes. read by Gary Telles. 1 cassette. Describes how different kinds of dinosaurs hatched their young from eggs. Explains how scientists discovered fossilized eggs and studied them to learn about these prehistoric creatures. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 58810. ## Happy New Year! Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai!. RC 59021. by Demi. read by Yolande Bavan. 1 cassette. Explains the folklore, traditions such as the zodiac, and foods that come with the celebration of Chinese New Year. For grades K-3. 1997. RC 59021. ## ### _Cassettes Fiction_ Shaper. RC 55607. by Jessie Haas. read by Peter Lavezzoli. 1 cassette. Fourteen-year-old Chad hasn't forgiven his eccentric Vermont family for the accidental death of his dog. In the summer, he works for a neighbor who trains animals by using a clicker. Now Queenie, the new family pet Chad rejected, becomes the ideal candidate for his teaching skills. For grades 5-8. 2002. RC 55607. ## The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues. RC 56912. by Walter Dean Myers. read by Chuck Young. 1 cassette. Teenager Biddy Owens's 1948 journal about working for the Birmingham Black Barons as equipment manager (and sometimes right fielder) recalls the season's games and players, racism faced by the team from New Orleans to Chicago, and his family's resistance to his becoming a professional baseball player. For grades 5-8. 2001. RC 56912. ## Junie B., First Grader: One-Man Band. RC 57117. by Barbara Park. read by Susan McInerney. 1 cassette. When Junie B. can't play in the school kickball tournament because of a sore toe, she brings her unique talents to the halftime show. For grades K-3. 2003. RC 57117. ## Granny Torrelli Makes Soup. RC 57472. by Sharon Creech. read by Laura Giannarelli. 1 cassette. Rosie's grandmother knows that the kitchen is a wonderful place for trading confidences and advice in the form of stories. When Rosie and her best friend, Bailey, who is vision impaired, have a falling out, Granny Torrelli reunites them through cooking. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 57472. ## I Smell like Ham. RC 57634. by Betty Hicks. read by Eric Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. Sixth-grader Nick has a hard time adjusting to a dorky younger stepbrother and to a new stepmother who puts cloves in the shampoo. He also struggles to be the best basketball player on the team. For grades 4-7. 2002. RC 57634. ## See You Later, Gladiator: The Time Warp Trio. RC 57886. by Jon Scieszka. read by Ray Hagen. 1 cassette. Joe, Sam, and Fred accidentally open their magic book and are transported back to ancient Rome as gladiators. They use their wrestling moves to impress the fans in the Colosseum until they can return home. For grades 3-6. 2000. RC 57886. ## Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day. RC 58154. by Barbara Park. read by Susan McInerney. 1 cassette. Junie B. Jones is selected as her classroom's captain in the kindergarten field day. After her group loses several races to another team, Junie B. rallies her schoolmates to victory. For grades K-3. 2001. RC 58154. ## Junie B. Jones Is (Almost) a Flower Girl. RC 58155. by Barbara Park. read by Susan McInerney. 1 cassette. Five-year-old Junie B. is disappointed when she finds out that her aunt has asked someone else to be a flower girl at her wedding. Junie decides to show the other girl how to act like a grown-up lady at the event. For grades K-3. 1999. RC 58155. ## Junie B., First Grader: Shipwrecked. RC 58156. by Barbara Park. read by Susan McInerney. 1 cassette. Junie B.'s journal entries for school include her classroom's stomach virus problem and her part in the Columbus Day play. For grades K-3. 2004. RC 58156. ## Haunting at Home Plate. RC 58204. by David Patneaude. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. Twelve-year-old Nelson recruits his female cousin Mike to coach his baseball team. They are on a losing streak when they see messages scratched in the dirt at home plate. The team wonders if the ghost of a boy who died years ago is responsible. For grades 4-7. 2000. RC 58204. ## Gus and Grandpa Go Fishing. RC 58205. by Claudia Mills. read by Christopher Walker. 1 cassette. Gus goes fishing for the first time and receives expert guidance from his grandfather. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 2003. RC 58205. ## The Dolphins of Laurentum: The Roman Mysteries, Book 5. RC 58206. by Caroline Lawrence. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. Italy, A.D. 79. Following _The Assassins of Rome (RC 57894)_, Flavia Gemina's family is bankrupt after their trading ship sinks. Flavia and her friends Lupus, Nubia, and Jonathan plan to retrieve sunken treasure, but the slave dealer who killed Lupus's parents is also after the loot. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 58206. ## The Supernaturalist. RC 58311. by Eoin Colfer. read by Christopher Walker. 2 cassettes. In a future world fourteen-year-old Cosmo Hill escapes from an orphanage where children are used for product testing. Cosmo joins a gang of "spotters," kids who share his rare ability to see small, blue creatures that steal energy from wounded humans. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2004. RC 58311. ## Sign of the Qin: Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh, Book 1. RC 58326. by L.G. Bass. read by Robert Sams. 2 cassettes. Chinese Prince Zong is born with a mark identifying him as the Starlord who will save his people from his father's oppressive regime. Rejoicing, the gods send Monkey and the Tattooed Monk to guard the boy against the evil Lord of the Dead. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2004. RC 58326. ## The Bear Says North: Tales from Northern Lands. RC 58328. retold by Bob Barton. read by Mark Ashby. 1 cassette. Ten folktales from Scandinavian and other northern hemisphere countries. In "Good Neighbors" a family happily coexists with mountain trolls. In "Grandfather Bear" a fox tricks an old bear into dropping his dinner. For grades 4-7. 2003. RC 58328. ## The Westing Game. RC 58350. by Ellen Raskin. read by Christopher Walker. 1 cassette (Reissue). The mysterious death of eccentric millionaire Samuel W. Westing brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they may claim their inheritance. For grades 5-8. Newbery Medal. 1978. RC 58350. ## Snowed In with Grandmother Silk. RC 58352. by Carol Fenner. read by Colleen Delany. 1 cassette. Eight-year-old Ruddy is disappointed when his parents go on a cruise and leave him with his fussy grandmother. But an unexpected Halloween snowstorm strands Grandmother Silk's house without power, and the two must learn to survive--and to make their own fun. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 58352. ## Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. RC 58360. by Rachel Field. read by Colleen Delany. 2 cassettes (Reissue). Hitty, no ordinary doll, was carved from a block of wood for Phoebe, a little girl who took her toy everywhere. Hitty, now securely perched in a window of an antiques shop, recalls her adventuresome life on land and sea. For grades 4-7 and older readers. Newbery Medal. 1929. RC 58360. ## Go to Sleep, Groundhog!. RC 58445. by Judy Cox. read by Gary Telles. 1 cassette. When Groundhog is unable to hibernate as usual, he goes outside and experiences autumn and winter holidays he never knew existed. After celebrating them all, the critter finally falls asleep just before Groundhog Day. For preschool-grade 2. 2004. RC 58445. ## Wandering Warrior. RC 58512. by Da Chen. read by Robert Sams. 2 cassettes. Young Luka, destined to become the future emperor of China, is trained in the ways of the kung fu wandering warriors by his guardian--the wise monk Atami. But when Atami is captured by their enemies, Luka has to fight for his own survival. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2003. RC 58512. ## Gilbert and Sullivan Set Me Free. RC 58519. by Kathleen Karr. read by Colleen Delany. 1 cassette. 1914. A new chaplain organizes a choir in the Sherborn women's prison where sixteen-year-old Libby Dodge endures the humiliations of life in jail. Libby soon discovers her singing talent and enjoys staging an operetta, giving her hope for the future. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 58519. ## The Little Island. RC 58520. by Margaret Wise Brown. read by Erik Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. The story of a small island, its weather, and the creatures who visit it, including a kitten. For preschool-grade 2. Caldecott Medal. 1946. RC 58520. ## The Three Funny Friends. RC 58533. by Charlotte Zolotow. read by Michele Schaeffer. 1 cassette. When a little girl moves to a new town, her three imaginary friends help her cope with the change. But when she gets to know the little boy next door, her make-believe companions disappear. For preschool-grade 2. 1961. RC 58533. ## Holding at Third. RC 58534. by Linda Zinnen. read by Eric Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. Thirteen-year-old Matt must relocate and adjust to a new neighborhood, school, and baseball team when his older brother, Tom, moves to an out-of-town hospital for a bone marrow transplant. Matt falls into a batting slump, but his coach helps him steadily improve and deal with Tom's illness. For grades 5-8. 2004. RC 58534. ## Lucinda's Secret: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 3. RC 58579. by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. read by Kimberly Schraf. 1 cassette. Following their adventures in _The Seeing Stone (RC 56515)_, Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace are now being harassed by a house boggart. Mallory wants to get rid of the Field Guide, but hospitalized great-aunt Lucinda comes to the rescue. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 58579. ## _Corduroy_ and Company: A Don Freeman Treasury. RC 58583. by Don Freeman. read by Eric Synnestvedt. 1 cassette. One new and ten previously published complete stories. Contains "Corduroy," "Chuggy and the Blue Caboose," "Pet of the Met," "Beady Bear," "Mop Top," "Fly High, Fly Low," "Norman the Doorman," "Dandelion," "Tilly Witch," "Flash the Dash," and the brand-new "Gayelord," about a paint-loving goat. For grades K-3. 2001. RC 58583. ## Minnie and Moo: The Attack of the Easter Bunnies. RC 58640. by Denys Cazet. read by Gail Nelson. 1 cassette. Cow friends Minnie and Moo enlist the other farm animals to dress up as Easter bunnies and surprise the farmer's grandchildren. Easy chapter book. For grades K-3. 2004. RC 58640. ## So B. It. RC 58658. by Sarah Weeks. read by Madelyn Buzzard. 1 cassette. After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York state to find out who she is. With the help of some old photographs she uncovers family secrets. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2004. RC 58658. ## Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception: A Sammy Keyes Mystery. RC 58672. by Wendelin Van Draanen. read by Erin Jones. 2 cassettes. Seventh-grader Sammy is attending an art show with her grandmother and elderly friend Hudson when a thief tries to steal some paintings. Grams and Sammy thwart the robbery, but their investigation uncovers shady deals. Meanwhile Sammy falls for her school rival's older brother. For grades 5-8. 2003. RC 58672. ## Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch: The Twenty-fourth Book of Their Adventures. RC 58688. by Cynthia Rylant. read by Mitzi Friedlander. 1 cassette. Henry and his dad plan a special juicy and crunchy lunch for Mother's Day. Their dog Mudge joins them in the supermarket and helps select the food. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 2004. RC 58688. ## Looking After Louis. RC 58701. by Lesley Ely. read by Erin Jones. 1 cassette. When Louis, a boy with autism, joins a new class, the children try to understand his world and to include him in theirs. For grades K-3. 2004. RC 58701. ## Horrible Harry and the Holidaze. RC 58706. por Suzy Kline. read by John Polk. 1 cassette. Miss Mackle's third graders share December holiday traditions--Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Three Kings' Day, and Korean New Year--with one another and with Harry's great-grandfather who just moved into a nursing home. For grades 2-4. 2003. RC 58706. ## ### _Foreign Language Books_ The following titles are available in the languages designated. _Spanish_ La Tajada de Oro (A Share of Gold). RC 56974. por Ralph Barby. leído porLuis Alfonso Omana. 1 cassette. El pistolero Copper Hair es empleado por el inglés Stanley Forsite para que mantenga ley y orden en Black Valley. Desconocidos chantajistas amenazan el plan de Forsite de explotar carbón en Black Valley, pero Copper se preocupa más por la seguridad de la hija hermosa de Forsite. (Gunfighter Copper Hair hires on with Englishman Stanley Forsite to keep the peace in Black Valley. Unknown blackmailers jeopardize Forsite's plan to mine coal, but Copper's true concern is for the safety of Forsite's beautiful daughter.) 1987. RC 56974. ## La Dieta South Beach: El Delicioso Plan Diseñado por un Médico para Asegurar el Adelgazamiento Rápido y Saludable (The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss). RC 56981. por Arthur Agatston. leído porJuan Ramírez. 3 cassettes. Un cardiólogo presenta un régimen de tres fases para las personas que sufren de sobrepeso. El programa enseña cómo evitar comidas que tienen carbohidratos y grasas malos y encontrar los buenos para corregir los problemas de sobrepeso. Da enfasís en la importancia de no pasar hambre durante el régimen de dieta. Incluye recetas y menús. Bestseller. (Description of a three-phase program developed by a Florida cardiologist to help his overweight patients. The plan involves eating the right carbohydrates and fats to correct the body's reaction to foods previously causing weight problems. Includes menus and recipes. Bestseller 2004. RC 56981. ## Los Refugios de Piedra (Shelters of Stone). RC 56984. por Jean M. Auel. leído porMaría Pino. 7 cassettes in 2 containters. Sigue la saga de la época glacial que se desarrolló en el libro _Las Llanuras del Tránsito (RC 56971)_. Ayla y Jondalar--acompañados de dos caballos y un lobo--llegan a las cavernas de los zelandones--la gente de Jondalar. Pero no todos los zelandones los reciben con agrado--algunos temen las influencias y costumbres de Ayla. Y Ayla tiene que recurrir a todas sus habilidades para ganar una aceptación. Contiene descripciones de índole sexual. (Saga of prehistoric society continues from _Las Llanuras del Tránsito (RC 56971)_. Ayla, Jondalar, their two horses, and a wolf arrive at the caves of the Zelandoni--Jondalar's people--and receive a mixed welcome. Ayla, as an outsider with strange customs, strives to win acceptance. Explicit descriptions of sex.) 2002.) RC 56984. ## Sueños Isleños/Island Dreams/. RC 58954. por Erica Fuentes. leído porMaría Pino. 2 cassettes. La viuda Mickey Campos de Vasco está determinada de trunfar por sus proprios medios. Lo menos que necesita es un hombre que le complique la vida y su carrera prometedora. Pero su vida cuidadosamente planificada cambia cuando conoce a Mauricio, un gallardo médico cubano. Algunas descripciones de índole sexual. Edición bilingüe en español e inglés. (Widowed mom Mickey Campos de Vasco vows to succeed on her own. The last thing she wants is a man complicating her life and her promising career. But she meets Mauricio, a dashing Cuban doctor, who upsets her plans. Some descriptions of sex. Bilingual edition in English and Spanish.) 2000. RC 58954. ## Celia: Mi Vida (Celia: My Life). RC 58956. por Celia Cruz. leído porMaría Pino. 2 cassettes. Autobiografía de la famosa cantante afrocubana, publicada poco después de su muerte en 2003. Mundialmente conocida como "La Reina de la Salsa," Cruz cuenta de su vida y de los comienzos de su carrera en La Habana que después abrió el camino para un fenomenal éxito internacional. Cuenta de su exilio voluntario de Cuba después de la ascendencia del regimen castrista. También habla de su matrimonio de muchos años y de sus relaciones con otros músicos. (Autobiography by the Afro-Cuban singer, the "Queen of Salsa," who died in 2003. Reminisces about her upbringing and early career in Havana and her road to international success. Recalls her voluntary exile after Castro came to power, her long marriage, and associations with other musicians.) 2004. RC 58956. ## Historia de una Gaviota y del Gato Que le Enseñó a Volar (Story of a Sea Gull and the Cat Who Taught Her How to Fly). RC 58959. por Luis Sepúlveda. leído porMaría Pino. 1 cassette. Una gaviota, moribunda por los efectos de un derrame de petróleo en el mar, entrega su huevo a Zorba el gato. Zorba promete cuidar el huevo hasta que sale el pollito y que entonces le enseñará a volar al pollito. Para grados 4 a 7 y lectores mayores. (A seagull dying from the effects of an oil spill entrusts her egg to Zorba the cat, who promises to care for it until the chick hatches and then teach it to fly. For grades 4-7 and older readers.) 1996. RC 58959. ## ### ### 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)