Check out what the Kansas Talking Books staff and a guest from the Topeka office have been reading recently!
Valarie Lamoreaux, Deputy State Librarian
DB 118891 The bullet swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
"In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He's good with his gun and is drawn to trouble but he's also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it-with his younger brother Hugo in tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul. In 1964, Jaime Sonoro is Mexico's most renowned actor and singer. But his comfortable life is disrupted when he discovers a book that purports to tell the entire history of his family beginning with Cain and Abel. In its ancient pages, Jaime learns about the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors. And when the same mysterious figure from Antonio's timeline shows up in Mexico City, Jaime realizes that he may be the one who has to pay for his ancestors' crimes, unless he can discover the true story of his grandfather Antonio, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Amanda Diggs, Production Manager
DB 109286 The Secret, Book, & Scone Society by Ellery Adams
"Miracle Springs is a place of healing. Strangers flock there hoping that the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. And, if none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That's Nora's special talent: prescribing the perfect novel to ease a person's deepest pain and lighten their heaviest burden. But when a visiting businessman reaches out to Nora for guidance, he's found dead on the train tracks before he can keep their appointment. Determined to uncover the truth behind the businessman's demise, Nora forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, and, as the society works to untangle the web of corruption surrounding the murder, they also discover their own courage, purpose, and a sisterhood that will carry them through every challenge." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 112637 Don’t fear the reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
"Four years after her tumultuous senior year, Jade Daniels is released from prison right before Christmas when her conviction is overturned. But life beyond bars takes a dangerous turn as soon as she returns to Proofrock. Convicted Serial Killer, Dark Mill South, seeking revenge for thirty-eight Dakota men hanged in 1862, escapes from his prison transfer due to a blizzard, just outside of Proofrock, Idaho. Dark Mill South's Reunion Tour began on December 12th, 2019, a Thursday. Thirty-six hours and twenty bodies later, on Friday the 13th, it would be over." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Michael Lang, Director Kansas Talking Books
DB 109291 Aurora by David Koepp
"In Aurora, Illinois, Aubrey Wheeler is just trying to get by after her semi-criminal ex-husband split, leaving behind his unruly teenage son. Then the lights go out, not just in Aurora but across the globe. A solar storm has knocked out power almost everywhere. Suddenly, all problems are local, very local, and Aubrey must assume the mantle of fierce protector of her suburban neighborhood. Across the country lives Aubrey's estranged brother, Thom. A fantastically wealthy, neurotically over-prepared Silicon Valley CEO, he plans to ride out the crisis in a gilded desert bunker he built for maximum comfort and security. But the complicated history between the siblings is far from over, and what feels like the end of the world is just the beginning of several long-overdue reckonings, which not everyone will survive." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 122458 Incidents around the house by Josh Mallerman
"A horror novel about a haunting, told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls "Other Mommy." To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There's Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: "Can I go inside your heart?" When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay. Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents' marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel. But Other Mommy needs an answer. Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home."-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 116859 Drowning: the rescue of Flight 1421 by T.J. Newman
"Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors-but it's too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside. More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives. Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent-Shannon's mother and Will's soon-to-be ex-wife-who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff. There's not much time. There's even less air. With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family's desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them-against impossible odds." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Dylan Calhoon, Patron Services Manager
DB 104847 My heart is a chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
In a quickly gentrifying rural town, tourists begin to die, and the tension between the community and the celebrity newcomers heads to a tipping point. Protected by her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films, Jade, of Blackfoot descent, hopes it is enough to help her survive. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.
DB 122021 Fat vampire, book 1 by Johnny B. Truant
"When overweight treadmill salesman Reginald Baskin finally meets a co-worker who doesn't make fun of him, it's just his own bad luck that tech guy Maurice turns out to be a thousand-year-old vampire. And when Maurice turns Reginald to save his life, it's just Reginald's own further bad luck that he wakes up to discover he's become the slowest, weakest, most out-of-shape vampire ever born, doomed to "heal" to his corpulent self for all of eternity. As Reginald struggles with the downsides of being a fat vampire -- too slow to catch people to feed on, mocked by those he tries to glamour, assaulted by his intended prey and left for undead -- he discovers in himself rare powers that few vampires have... and just in time too, because the Vampire Council might just want his head for being an inferior representative of their race."-- Goodreads. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 61222 Interview with the vampire by Anne Rice
Frightening world of vampires as told to a young boy who tapes the story on cassette. Follows the fortunes of Louis, a gentle vampire; Lestat, a vengeful and bloodthirsty vampire; and Claudia, a little demon with the face of a doll. 1976.
Troy Arndt, Circulation Clerk
DB 89005 My absolute darling by Gabriel Tallent
Since her mother's death, fourteen-year-old Turtle has been isolated. She keeps to herself at school and roams the woods near her Northern California home. Things change when she meets Jacob and realizes the treacherous life she shares with her father must change. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2017.
Nataly Renfro, Machine Clerk
DB 110476 Final heir by Faith Hunter
"Jane Yellowrock is the queen of the vampires, and that makes her a target as she fights to maintain control and keep peace in the city of New Orleans. She has enemies at every turn, because vampires live forever, and they keep their grudges alive with them. That includes the Heir, the vampire sire of the Pellissier bloodline, which gave rise to Leo Pellissier himself-Jane's old boss and the former master of the city. With the Heir and all the forces of darkness he can muster arrayed against her, Jane will need all the help she can get. She'll find it in her city, her friends, her found family, and, of course, the Beast inside of her." -- Provided by publisher. -- Some violence, some strong language and some descriptions of sex.
Maggie Witte, Outreach Librarian
DB 121430 Avenging angel by Kristen Ashley
"Rachel Armstrong has a burning need to right the world's wrongs. Thus, she becomes the Avenging Angel. And maybe she's a bit too cocky about it. While riding a hunch about the identity of a kidnapper, she runs into Julien "Cap" Jackson, who was trained by the team at Nightingale Investigations in Denver. Now he's a full-fledged member at their newly opened Phoenix branch. It takes Cap a beat to realize Raye's the woman for him. It takes Raye a little longer (but just a little) to figure out how she feels about Cap. As Raye introduces Cap to her crazy posse of found family and his new home in the Valley of the Sun, Cap struggles with his protective streak. Because Raye has no intention to stop doing what she can to save the world. But there's a mysterious entity out there who has discovered what Raye is up to, and they've become very interested. Not to mention, women are going missing in Phoenix, and it seems like the police aren't taking it seriously. Raye believes someone should. So she recruits her best friend Luna, and between making coffees, mixing cocktails, planning parties and enduring family interventions (along with reunions), the Avenging Angels unite to ride to the rescue."-- From publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 120986 Creed by Kristen Ashley
"As children, Tucker Creed and his neighbor Sylvie Bissenette find they have something awful in common. The bond they form blossoms with their ages. Creed breaks free from the town, and Sylvie is forced to endure a nightmare-- and do the unspeakable to end it. To deal, she develops a hard shell with sharp edges that very few can break through. When Creed again finds his Sylvie, he discovers he has to find his way back into her heart without getting shredded in the process."-- From publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 120987 Sebring by Kristen Ashley
"Nick Sebring has issues. Born feeling like an outsider in his own family, growing up under the shadow of a brother who could do anything, Nick isn't that great of a guy. But when this culminates with Nick lashing out to hurt his brother through the woman he loves, Nick turns inward and makes some decisions about the man he intends to be. And as he does this, he falls in love and truly learns the man that he's grown to be. When his love is murdered right before Nick's eyes, Nick knows he has to avenge her. He knows how he's going to avenge her. And he has no qualms using Olivia Shade to exact that vengeance. Olivia Shade has grown up on the outside of her family too. Her problem is that they don't want her outside. They want her all the way in, right under their thumbs. She pays the price for seeking escape and learns her lesson--she'll never see a dawn where she wakes up free. Then she meets Nick Sebring, and even as she fights it, the hope that died years ago starts to blossom. She can find love. She can have a man of her own. She can be happy. She can be free. Olivia hopes while Nick schemes. However, as Nick peels back the layers of all that is Olivia Shade, he finds something surprising. He understands its fragility. He falls in love with its beauty. He seeks to protect it. But he forgets to protect his Livvie from one thing: Nick Sebring"--Back cover. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 119074 Taking the leap by Kristen Ashley
"Alexandra Sharp has been crushing on her coworker John "Rix" Hendrix for years. He's her perfect man, she knows it. She's just not his perfect woman, and she knows that, too. Then Rix gives Alex a hint that maybe there's a spark between them, that if she takes the leap, she might be able to fan into a flame. This leads to a crash and burn, and that's all shy Alex needs to catch the hint never to take the risk again. However, with undeniable timing, Rix's ex, who broke his heart, and Alex's family, who spent her lifetime breaking hers, rear their heads, gearing up to offer more drama. With the help of some matchmaking friends, Rix and Alex decide to face the onslaught together.... As a fake couple." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 119383 Fighting the pull by Kristen Ashley
"Hale Wheeler inherited billions from his father. He's decided to take those resources and change the world for the better. He's married to his mission, so he doesn't have time for love. There's more lurking behind this decision. He hasn't faced the tragic loss of his father, or the bitterness of his parents' divorce. He doesn't intend to follow in his father's footsteps, breaking a woman's heart in a way it will never mend. So he vows he'll never marry. But Hale is intrigued when he meets Elsa Cohen, the ambitious celebrity news journalist who has been reporting on his famous family. He warns her off, but she makes him a deal. She'll pull back in exchange for an exclusive interview. Elsa Cohen is married to her career, but she wants love, marriage, children. She also wants the impossibly handsome, fiercely loyal, tenderhearted Hale Wheeler. They go head-to-head, both denying why there are fireworks every time they meet. But once they understand their undeniable attraction, Elsa can't help but fall for the dynamic do-gooder. As for Hale, he knows he needs to fight the pull of the beautiful, bold, loving Elsa Cohen, because breaking her would crush him." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 110785 Dream maker by Kristen Ashley
"Evie is a bona fide nerd and a hyperintelligent chick who has only ever been able to rely on herself. So when she decides to earn an engineering degree, she takes a job dancing at Smithie's club to make the tuition money she needs. But between her lack of dancing skills and an alpha bad boy who becomes overly protective, Evie realizes this gig might not be as easy as she thought. Daniel "Mag" Magnusson knows a thing or two about pain, but the mask he wears is excellent. No one can tell that this good-looking, quick-witted, and roguish guy has deep-seated issues. Mag puts on a funny-guy routine so he can hide his broken heart and PTSD. But when Evie dances her way into Mag's life, he realizes that he needs to come face-to-face with the demons of his past if he wants a future with her." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB 112337 Dream chaserby Kristen Ashley
"Ryn Jansen has no interest in taking a risk on Boone Sadler. Thanks to a long list of men who've done nothing but let her down, Ryn vows to stay far away from the caring, protective commando. And when Boone confronts Ryn with evidence that her loved ones are conning her, Ryn is less than thrilled -with her family and Boone. But even as Boone proves he's the kind of guy to meet her every need, she doesn't trust him to stay when life gets hard ... Boone Sadler's never been one to back down from a challenge. He's determined to show the funny, sexy Ryn that the irresistible connection between them is worth exploring. But caring for Ryn's heart and body becomes a matter of life and death when Ryn's beloved niece and nephew are put in danger and dirty cops begin gunning for Ryn. Soon Boone realizes their romance is in danger of more than heartbreak -and to have any future together, they'll have to put their trust in each other." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.