Books listed in this issue of Braille Book Review 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.
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."
Finnegans Wake BR 10256
by James Joyce
6 volumes
A controversial experimental novel first published in 1939. The
book is apparently a dream sequence representing one night in
the unconscious mind of a Dublin tavern keeper. Joyce's unique
style makes extensive use of slang, arcane puns, and obscure
allusions. 1939.
Louisa May Alcott Unmasked: Collected Thrillers BR
10285
by Louisa May Alcott
10 volumes
A collection of twenty-nine spellbinders dealing with the dark
side of life by the author of Little Women (BR 9758).
Strong and beautiful women figure in complex plots, often
involving an intriguing piece of jewelry or clothing. Themes
include murder, struggles between the sexes, and narcotic
addictions. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 1995.
Rainbow's End: A Richard Jury Novel BR 10314
by Martha Grimes
4 volumes
Scotland Yard's Superintendent Richard Jury has been called in
to investigate the deaths of three women, all from "natural
causes." The first victim, a young American from Santa Fe, New
Mexico, died in Salisbury. The other two, who were British, died
in London and Exeter. When Jury learns that all three had been
in New Mexico at the same time, he is off to the U.S. to sleuth.
Some strong language. 1995.
The Far Side of the Dollar BR 10335
by Ross Macdonald
2 volumes
Detective Lew Archer seeks a youth who escaped from a private
school for delinquents. The search reveals the disturbing values
of a California coastal society. 1964.
A Visit to Highbury BR 10339
by Joan Austen-Leigh
2 volumes
The great-great-great-niece of Jane Austen has taken some of the
minor characters from Austen's Emma (BR 8733) and allowed
them to come into the spotlight. Letters between Mrs. Goddard,
the school headmistress in Highbury, and her recently remarried
sister, Mrs. Pinkney, in London speculate on events in the lives
of residents of both locations--especially a few romances. 1993.
Selected Short Stories of William Faulkner BR 10343
by William Faulkner
2 volumes
Thirteen short stories (most written in the 1930s) by the Nobel
Prize-winning American novelist who died in 1962. In "Barn
Burning," a man burns his enemies' barns, and his son tries to
warn the victims. "That Evening Sun" recounts the tale of a
black laundress who fears her lover after he learns she is
pregnant by a white man. In "A Rose for Emily," a woman hides
the corpse of her lover in an upstairs room. 1942.
Now Face to Face BR 10371
by Karleen Koen
6 volumes
1721. Financially ruined by her late husband's involvement in a
scandal, Barbara Devane, twenty, flees to Virginia to grow
tobacco on her grandmother's plantation. Meanwhile, George I and
James III battle for control of the British crown. When a more
mature Barbara returns to England, she becomes caught up in the
Jacobite plots. Sequel to Through a Glass Darkly (BR
6696). Strong language and some explicit descriptions of
sex. Bestseller 1995.
Surrender BR 10375
by Amanda Quick
3 volumes
Victoria Huntington, twenty-four, is not above getting into
mischief. With her friend Annabella, she plans to leave the ball
and go to the fair, escorted by Annabella's brother. Fortunately
he has confided in Lucas Colebrook, the earl of Stonevale, for
the earl's presence will be needed. But Victoria is suspicious
of the earl, because she fears all men are out to get her
fortune. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1990.
I Am an Artichoke BR 10376
by Lucy K. Frank
1 volume
Sarah, fifteen, wants desperately to get away from her family
for the summer. When she learns of a job as a mother's helper,
it seems a dream come true. But writer Florence Friedman is not
a typical mother, and Sarah can't understand why Florence needs
help with her twelve-year-old daughter, Emily. Emily doesn't do
anything except exercise and avoid food. For junior and senior
high readers. 1995.
The Price of Tea in China BR 10377
by E. Shaskan Bumas
2 volumes
Eight stories that explore the struggles people have in defining
their relationships--either to others or to their current
circumstances. 1995.
The King BR 10387
by Donald Barthelme
1 volume
Satirical resetting of Le Morte d'Arthur during World War
II. Lancelot, Guinevere, King Arthur, the Knights of the Round
Table--they are all here. But now, while England is at war on
several fronts, leaders from Germany, Italy, and the United
States and even Winston Churchill interfere with the crusades.
1990.
Lizard BR 10389
by Banana Yoshimoto
1 volume
Collection of six stories, most featuring Japanese professionals
who learn to blend traditional ways with modern values. In
"Newlywed" a husband finds himself talking with a stranger on a
commuter train; in the title story a man salvages his
relationship with his lover when he talks about childhood
secrets; and in "Helix" two young people, alone in an empty
restaurant, discover they are an "archetypal couple." 1995.
Listening Woman BR 10390
by Tony Hillerman
2 volumes
Navajo detective Joe Leaphorn investigates the dual murder of an
old soothsayer and a young girl, the bizarre kidnapping of a Boy
Scout troop, and attempts on his own life. Some strong language
and some violence. 1978.
Hostage to Fortune BR 10392
by Elizabeth Chaplin
2 volumes
When housewife Susan Bentham wins a football pool of more than a
million pounds, her attorney husband, Jeff, doesn't expect to
change his own life much. He takes a mistress, buys a Rolls, and
feels very lucky. But Susan quietly carries out a devious plan
until their roles have completely reversed. Jeff is now jobless,
in a house he didn't choose, with no money of his own. So he
devises his own plan. Some strong language and some descriptions
of sex. 1992.
The Stranger BR 10394
by Albert Camus
1 volume
An existential novel, set in Algiers, about a man who resists
any commitment, rendering his life meaningless. He does not
react to his mother's death nor to a killing he commits, and he
becomes a placid prisoner convicted of murder. His own impending
death, however, leads him to some realizations. 1988.
Presence of Mind BR 10397
by Fred Hunter
2 volumes
Elderly Emily Charters recognizes the faces of two murder
victims in the newspaper, but can't place them. When her friend
Meg also dies, she finally remembers. They were three of a
handful of people who attended a community play. She takes her
findings to Detective Jeremy Ransom, who has been stumped by the
first murder. He agrees there must be a connection, but why
would anyone kill off an audience? Violence and some strong
language. 1994.
Payment in Blood BR 10398
by Elizabeth George
3 volumes
Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara
Havers are investigating the murder of playwright Joy Sinclair.
She and a group of theater people had gone to a remote Scottish
estate for the reading of her play, and there she was murdered.
Lynley's ability to solve the crime is hampered by the fact that
the woman he loves is one of the suspects. Some strong language.
1989.
Well-Schooled in Murder BR 10399
by Elizabeth George
4 volumes
Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley is asked to look for a boy
who has disappeared from boarding school. In deference to old
school ties with the boy's housemaster, Lynley reluctantly
agrees. He enlists the help of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers
and forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James. When the
missing schoolboy's body is found, their investigation uncovers
some secrets in this privileged and loyal community. 1990.
For the Sake of Elena BR 10400
by Elizabeth George
4 volumes
Scotland Yard detectives Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers are
assigned to the murder case of Cambridge college student Elena
Weaver, who was killed during her morning run along the river.
Why had she told her running partner--her stepmother--that she
was not running that morning? Or had someone else used the
visual display telephone, pretending to be the deaf Elena?
Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions
of sex. 1992.
Hidden Fires BR 10417
by Sandra Brown
3 volumes
Lauren Holbrook, daughter of a preacher, leaves her North
Carolina home and comes to Texas to work for Ben Lockett. But
when she arrives, she learns that Ben died that very morning.
Now what is she to do? When Ben's wife, Olivia, asks Lauren to
enter an in-name-only marriage with son Jared, Lauren agrees but
suspects the motives behind the request. Strong language,
explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1982.
The Peculiar People BR 10419
by Jan de Hartog
3 volumes
The final novel, covering the 1830s, in a trilogy on the Quakers
in the United States. The struggles within the church are
chronicled through the lives of Mordecai Monk, who becomes a
Society of Friends evangelist, and Lydia Best, an Indiana
schoolteacher who champions the rights of Indians and escaped
slaves. Sequel to Peaceable Kingdom (BR 2590), but
can stand alone. Some descriptions of sex. 1992.
The Scout BR 10422
by Harry Combs
6 volumes
In this sequel to Brules (BR 9399), narrator Cat Brules
recounts his days as an Indian scout with the U.S. Army.
Describes in detail Custer's debacle against the Sioux, the
army's pursuit of the Nez Perce, and other brutal events. Strong
language and violence. 1995.
The Devil's Heart BR 10428
by Carmen Carter
3 volumes
Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise
investigate the suspicious deaths of a team of Vulcan
archaeologists on a barren planet. As a result, Picard finds the
Devil's Heart, a legendary artifact that imparts unimaginable
power to its possessor. It is an object that many are willing to
kill for, and even a man of Picard's character may not be able
to resist its seductive powers. A Star Trek: The Next Generation
novel. 1993.
Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary
Twins BR 10430
by Mark Twain
3 volumes
Two novels by an American humorist. In Pudd'nhead Wilson
Twain provides a complex, ironical, and morally disturbing
account of human nature under slavery as a brilliant and
inventive nineteenth-century lawyer attempts to prove his case
by using the newfangled science of fingerprinting. Those
Extraordinary Twins is about Siamese twins who share many
amusing problems. 1894.
Spare Parts BR 10444
by Rick Hanson
2 volumes
Ex-cop turned sculptor Adam McCleet lives in fear of his sister
Margot. Now Margot is demanding that Adam find the latest of her
many husbands, orthodontist Phillip Stang, who went to Seattle
for a convention but failed to check in with her. This is so
uncharacteristic of the staid Phil that Adam reluctantly agrees
to go to Seattle to play detective. Strong language, violence,
and explicit descriptions of sex. 1994.
Valley of the Sun: Frontier Stories BR 10446
by Louis L'Amour
2 volumes
Nine short stories about the gunmen, gamblers, outlaws, and
tough men- and womenfolk of the old West. In "We Shaped the Land
with Our Guns," sixteen-year-old Rye Tyler loads his guns and
polishes his reputation to defend the ranch. In "Valley of the
Sun," Brett Larane is double-crossed and left to die by his
riding partner. Violence. 1995.
The Gift BR 10453
by T. Davis Bunn
1 volume
Grace Mendez, middle aged and very devout, has finally given in
and entered the hospital to have her hip operated on. While she
is recuperating, Leslie Denton, an independent and ambitious
young woman, becomes her roommate. Leslie, who broke her ankle
on an escalator and just happened to be rescued by Grace's son,
at first has no time for Grace and her love for God. But as the
two become friends, each finds herself growing in spirituality.
1994.
Bay of Sorrows BR 10458
by Gaylord Dold
2 volumes
For Deputy Sheriff Tom Poole, life has become as suffocating as
the acrid and thick air on the Texas Gulf coast. He is tired of
corpses, but he knows that the old Vietnamese fisherman shot
through the head was not a suicide, contrary to the bloated
sheriff's decree. Even clashes between local and Vietnamese
shrimpers don't account for what Poole begins to uncover.
Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of
sex. 1995.
Star Wars: Darksaber BR 10460
by Kevin J. Anderson
3 volumes
Luke Skywalker and Han Solo return to the desert planet Tatooine
on a quest to restore Jedi powers to Luke's beloved Callista.
Meanwhile, the Hutt crime syndicate, headed by Jabba's
successor, Durga, is building a new death star to terrorize the
galaxy, and the ever-vengeful Admiral Daala of the Empire is
marshalling forces to crush the New Republic. Sequel to
Champions of the Force (BR 10104). Bestseller 1995.
Journey to Love BR 10471
by June Masters Bacher
1 volume
After her mother dies, Rachel Buchanan watches her father drink
away her inheritance. His sober moments are spent trying to find
a wealthy man to marry Rachel. Horrified, Rachel asks Colby Lord
to take her with him on a wagon train to Oregon Territory. Like
Rachel, Colby is a Christian, and he agrees to help her escape.
He suggests a marriage in name only to keep other men from
bothering her. 1985.
Dreams beyond Tomorrow BR 10472
by June Masters Bacher
1 volume
In this sequel to Journey to Love (BR 10471), Rachel and
Colby's marriage of convenience has yet to be consummated as the
wagon train arrives at its Oregon destination. Colby must now
travel to Portland to finalize plans for the city he will build.
Rachel and her adopted daughter remain with the other settlers
and Rachel's friend Yolanda, whose family settled there earlier.
But a traitor from the trail threatens everything, even the
young women's friendship. 1985.
Tomorrow, When the War Began BR 10509
by John Marsden
2 volumes
A group of Australian teenagers decide to spend a week in the
bush instead of attending the annual fair with their families.
At their remote campsite, they notice an unusual number of
planes flying over but think nothing of it until they return
home. There they find their families gone, their pets left to
die, and the phones and electricity out. Some violence. For
junior and senior high and older readers. 1993.
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