Talking Book Topics May–June 2018 Volume 84, Number 3 Need help? Your local cooperating library is always the place to start. For general information and to order books, call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) to be connected to your local cooperating library. To find your library, visit www.loc.gov/nls and select “Find Your Library.” To change your Talking Book Topics subscription, contact your local cooperating library. Get books fast from BARD Most books and magazines listed in Talking Book Topics are available to eligible readers for download on the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) site. To use BARD, contact your local cooperating library or visit nlsbard.loc.gov for more information. The free BARD Mobile app is available from the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon’s Appstore. About Talking Book Topics Talking Book Topics, published in audio, large print, and online, is distributed free to people unable to read regular print and is available in an abridged form in braille. Talking Book Topics lists titles recently added to the NLS collection. The entire collection, with hundreds of thousands of titles, is available at www.loc.gov/nls. Select “Catalog Search” to view the collection. Talking Book Topics is also online at www.loc.gov/nls/tbt and in downloadable audio files from BARD. Overseas Service American citizens living abroad may enroll and request delivery to foreign addresses by contacting the NLS Overseas Librarian by phone at (202) 707-9261 or by email at [email protected]. Page 1 of 85 Music scores and instructional materials NLS music patrons can receive braille and large-print music scores and instructional recordings through the NLS Music Section. To learn more, email [email protected], call 1-800-424-8567 ext. 2, or visit www.loc.gov/nls/music/index.html. Publication feedback? Share your thoughts about this publication by writing us at: NLS Publications and Media Section Library of Congress Washington, DC 20542 or email us at [email protected]. Library of Congress, Washington 2018 Catalog Card Number 60-46157 ISSN 0039-9183 Contents Talking Book Topics May–June 2018 Contents In Brief Books for Adults Adult Fiction Adventure Fantasy Folktales General Gothics Historical Fiction Holidays Human Relationships Legal Themes Mystery and Detective Page 2 of 85 Religious Themes Romance Science Fiction Short Stories Spies and Espionage Suspense Animals and Wildlife Astronomy Biography Blindness and Physical Disabilities Business and Economics Career and Job Training Cooking Government and Politics Home Management Journalism and the Media Literature Medicine and Health Music Nature and the Environment Philosophy Poetry Psychology and Self-Help Religion Science and Technology Social Sciences Sports and Recreation Stage and Screen U.S. History Women's Concerns Page 3 of 85 World History Books for Children Children’s Fiction Adventure Animals and Wildlife Family Fantasy Friendship Growing Up Historical Fiction Humor Mystery and Detective School Science Fiction Sports Stories Children's Nonfiction Animals and Wildlife Biography General History Music Poetry Religion Foreign Language Books Español Audio Magazines Page 4 of 85 In Brief NLS on the Move: The latest on our new initiatives In July 2017, NLS launched a newsletter called “NLS on the Move” to keep the staff in our national network of cooperating libraries updated on the progress of pilot projects and other new initiatives. Selections from this newsletter that may be of interest to NLS patrons are reprinted in Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review. Next phase of wireless delivery pilot begins Originally published February 22, 2018 Patron volunteers from almost forty network libraries around the country are beginning the next phase of testing of wireless delivery using the prototype device we call the MOCA (an acronym for MObile CArtridge device). The MOCA—designed largely by NLS engineers—allows the volunteers to access books and magazines from the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) site that have been “pushed” to the device by network library reader advisors. The selections are transferred to a cartridge that can be played on an NLS digital talking-book machine or compatible third-party player—and used again and again to receive more books and magazines. The MOCA relies on public cellular networks, not on Wi-Fi. Staff members at several network libraries tested the MOCA last fall and then recruited patrons for the current pilot. “We asked each participating library to identify three or four patrons who are avid readers but don’t use BARD because they don’t have a computer or a mobile device,” Education and Training Specialist Paula Bahmani said. “We were also looking for patrons who were willing to try something new and give us detailed feedback on their experience with wireless delivery.” The first MOCAs were shipped to patrons from eight libraries in January; more will go out in the coming weeks. When the pilot ends this summer, NLS will evaluate the results and decide next steps. “This pilot is intended to study the feasibility and cost of wireless download for our patrons,” Director Karen Keninger said. “It’s one small step of many that we’re taking toward planning the future of NLS.” Page 5 of 85 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. The items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listings do not imply endorsement or support. Wooden games available for purchase The Braille Superstore has brought back its wooden games, which are made of teak and adapted for blind players. Titles include Connect Four, Chess, Shut the Box, Backgammon, Tangram, Parcheesi, Chinese Checkers, and Snakes and Ladders. For more information, call the Braille Superstore at 1-800-987-1231 (toll-free) or visit www.braillebookstore.com. Braille maps available from NBP The collection of tactile maps and other drawings produced by the Princeton Braillists over the past three decades has been transferred to National Braille Press (NBP), where arrangements are being made for ongoing distribution. The Princeton Braillists produced thirty-five books of tactile maps. The maps are detailed and labeled in braille only, so some experience with tactile drawings is recommended for map users. National Braille Press hopes to maintain and reproduce the current maps while looking into ways to update the geographical information, recode the braille to meet Unified English Braille standards, and create new volumes for different countries and states. For more information about these maps and drawings, call (617) 425-2442. Page 6 of 85 Books for Adults Books listed in this issue of Talking Book Topics were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains a wide range of fiction and nonfiction books, including biographies, classics, westerns, mysteries, romances, and others. Registered users may also immediately download all titles and magazines from the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service at https://nlsbard.loc.gov. The free BARD Mobile app is available from the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon’s Appstore for reading talking books on your personal smart phone or tablet. To learn more about the collection or to sign up for BARD, contact your local cooperating library. Regional library telephone numbers and email addresses are listed on the last pages of this magazine. Books within the headings Adult Fiction and Adult Nonfiction are listed alphabetically by subject category, author last name, and title. For example the title War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy would be listed in Adult Fiction under the Classics subject category and by the last name Tolstoy. Note: A notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of violence, strong language, or descriptions of sex. The word “some” before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in “some strong language.” Commercial audiobooks for which NLS does not have access to the print book may display the notice “unrated,” which means that the book may or may not contain violence, strong language, or descriptions of sex. Adult Fiction Adventure Strange the Dreamer DB87837 18 hours 22 minutes by Laini Taylor read by Steve West War orphan and junior librarian Lazlo Strange gets an unexpected opportunity to follow his dream of seeking the mythic lost city of Weep, with the Godslayer and Page 7 of 85 his band of legendary warriors. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2017. Fantasy King's Cage DB87322 16 hours 37 minutes by Victoria Aveyard read by Lise Bruneau With Mare powerless as a prisoner of King Maven Calore, her rebel Reds and newbloods continue to organize and train as they prepare for war, while exiled prince Cal sets out to rescue Mare from captivity. Sequel to Glass Sword (DB84411). Violence. For senior high and older readers. 2017. The Queen of Swords DB89486 14 hours 45 minutes by R.S. Belcher read by Teresa Willis The Daughters of Lilith come from a long line of supernatural assassins trained to fight evil. In 1870, Maude Stapleton will need those skills to rescue her kidnapped daughter, while in 1721 her ancestor Anne Bonny employed her skills as a notorious pirate. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2017. City of Miracles DB88006 19 hours 33 minutes by Robert Jackson Bennett read by Alma Cuervo After all their adventures together, Sigrud je Harkvaldsson always thought his old boss Ashara Komayd would call him back to her service. When he discovers she has been murdered, Sigrud focuses on revenge, even if it means fighting divine forces. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2017. One Dark Throne DB89215 12 hours 6 minutes by Kendare Blake read by Madelyn Buzzard The battle for the crown continues among the triplets.