Talking Books Talk

Living in Kansas, we are used to a wide range of weather changing with our four distinguishable seasons. Summer is full of hot days, plenty of sun, and occasional rain and storms. Fall sees warm temperatures cooling down with rain, sun, and the occasional snow during the later part of the season. Temperatures become cold in winter with some moderately cool days mixed with other days of extreme wind chills. We might experience rain and sun, but also have the danger of snowstorms, snow showers, ice, sleet, and freezing rain that can wreak havoc. Then comes spring, the season of intense storms bringing the threat of torrential rains, hail, and tornadoes, as well as the temperature roller coaster.

Most likely, you've heard stories about the weather in Kansas and how different Kansans react to it, such as the front porch storm watchers when major storms roll in and tornadoes are predicted. Maybe you've heard of a street being split down the middle with rain on one side and no rain and bright sunshine on the other that never ends up getting the rain. There's also the stories from adults of when they were kids occasionally having to go trick-or-treat in snow and a winter coat. Many Kansans will say they've been taught how to recognize storm clouds, wall clouds, and funnel clouds since they were a child. Kansans love their weather stories and to talk about how weather patterns are changing. 

But talking about the weather and climate isn't only a Kansas pastime. Other people from around the U.S. and in other countries find weather and climate just as fascinating and like to share their own stories. We've found some weather and climate related books in our collection that relay stories of past weather events, anecdotal experiences, meteorological insight, and climate concerns. Make one of these your next read this fall.

DB118644 Wait five minutes: weatherlore in the twenty-first century by Shelley Ingram 
"The weather governs our lives. It fills gaps in conversations, determines our dress, and influences our architecture. No matter how much our lives may have moved indoors, no matter how much we may rely on technology, we still monitor the weather. Wait Five Minutes: Weatherlore in the Twenty-First Century draws from folkloric, literary, and scientific theory to offer up new ways of thinking about this most ancient of phenomena. Weatherlore is a concept that describes the folk beliefs and traditions about the weather that are passed down casually among groups of people. Weatherlore can be predictive, such as the belief that more black than brown fuzz on a woolly bear caterpillar signals a harsh winter. It can be the familiar commentary that eases daily social interactions, such as asking, "Is it hot (or cold) enough for you?" Other times, it is simply ubiquitous: "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change." From detailing personal experiences at picnics and suburban lawns to critically analyzing storm stories, novels, and flood legends, contributors offer engaging multidisciplinary perspectives on weatherlore. As we move further into the twenty-first century, an increasing awareness of climate change and its impacts on daily life calls for a folkloristic reckoning with the weather and a rising need to examine vernacular understandings of weather and climate. Weatherlore helps us understand and shape global political conversations about climate change and biopolitics at the same time that it influences individual, group, and regional lives and identities. We use weather, and thus its folklore, to make meaning of ourselves, our groups, and, quite literally, our world." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Commercial audiobook.

DB130668 Cloud warriors: deadly storms, climate chaos—and the pioneers creating a revolution in weather forecasting by Thomas E. Weber 
For millennia, humans have tried to understand and predict the weather. The Space Age helped usher in satellites and radar, while computers made it possible to plug all that data into complex equations that anticipated the atmosphere's future behavior. Now a new age of advances in forecasting is unfolding, driven by AI, drones, and satellites. The Internet of Things has turned everything from cellphones to cars into ubiquitous weather sensors. Equally significant are new efforts to understand how people respond to forecasts and warnings. Scientists and government officials are realizing that how people get their weather information, and how they use it, are crucial factors in the outcome of a catastrophic weather event. Employing in-depth reporting on cutting edge science and technology, veteran journalist Thomas E. Weber takes us on a tour of how meteorologists, scientists, and officials track and prepare for major weather events. As climate change is altering our planet and making weather events more extreme, Weber introduces us to those on the front lines of weather preparation and prediction. We travel from coast-to-coast, to space and back, meeting TV meteorologists and storm chasers, city planners, backyard weatherman, and many others. Cloud Warriors will change the way you think about the weather--and the power of being able to see it coming.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DBC05312 How to find a good weather forecast by Tony Pann 
This engaging and entertaining book takes a humorous, but detailed, look at one of the things we all take for granted every day: The Forecast.

DB 82316 Rain: a natural and cultural history by Cynthia Barnett 
Journalist details the history of rain, from its beginnings approximately four billion years ago during Earth's infancy to its impact on life in the twenty-first century. Describes the geometry of the raindrop, technologies to control and direct rainfall, and rain's influence on the arts. 2015.

DB 76324 Global weirdness: severe storms, deadly heat waves, relentless drought, rising seas, and the weather of the future by Climate Central, Inc. 
Nonprofit science and journalism organization compiles information regarding climate change as of the early twenty-first century. Details research and predictions for future trends, such as fewer but more powerful hurricanes. Provides solutions for limiting the impact of climate change. Commercial audiobook. 2012.

DB 31760 The Old Farmer's almanac book of weather lore: the fact and fancy behind weather predictions, superstitions, old-time sayings, and traditions by Edward F. Dolan 
"Clear moon, frost soon." "Kill a beetle and it will rain." "Lighting never strikes twice in the same place." These statements belong to a centuries-old body of weather lore that ranges from pure superstition to reasonable accuracy. Dolen investigates fact or fallacy behind weather phenomena.

DB 72280 The weather of the future: heat waves, extreme storms, and other scenes from a climate-changed planet by Heidi Cullen 
Climatologist discusses the art and science of long-term climate forecasting. Examines forty-year forecasts for seven locations that are physically vulnerable to climate change. Predicts that unless we actively work to reduce carbon emissions, weather conditions around the world will become unbearable. 2010.

DB 73506 Into the storm: violent tornadoes, killer hurricanes, and death-defying adventures in extreme weather by Reed Timmer 
Meteorology doctoral candidate and star of Discovery Channel's reality TV series Storm Chasers discusses his love of dangerous weather--especially tornadoes; his career as a storm chaser; and the science behind severe conditions. Describes his adventures during such hurricanes as Katrina, Floyd, Ike, and others. 2010.

Find more weather-related books using the Kansas Talking Books online catalog at https://kstb.klas.com/. Some possible search terms include:

• storms nonfiction
• tornado nonfiction
• hurricane nonfiction
• weather nonfiction

Or, you can contact the office for help from a readers' advisor to find more weather-related books by calling 1-800-362-0699 or emailing KTB@ks.gov. 

These books are all available for immediate download using BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a download service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled making almost our entire collection available to you at anytime of day with no due dates, no expiration dates, and no waiting. BARD can be accessed on various devices such as smartphone, tablet, the new DA2 digital player, Windows computer, or just using a web browser on a Mac computer. To learn more, visit our BARD Resources webpage. If you would like an account, contact the office to get an account started.

Welcome back to our 5th year of the annual Horror in October blog series, where we bring you selections of horrific, spooky, or terrifying reads perfect for this time of year.

We're kicking this year off with a haunted tour of America. Stories abound from all across the country about spectral figures, spooky noises, and mysterious happenings from hauntings in those areas. This is not something unusual as ghost stories, tales of spirits returned from the dead, have existed since ancient times in many cultures around the world. Visit haunted places in America with the following list of books about different states and cities in the U.S. 

We'll start with Kansas. Thank you to our own Kansas Talking Books (KTB) Director, Michael Lang, who narrated this book as a volunteer before he started working for KTB.

DBC05123 Haunted Kansas: ghost stories and other eerie tales by Lisa Hefner Heitz 
Collects oral histories, eye-witness accounts, and local legends about ghosts, poltergeists, spook lights, and other restless spirits. Some violence and some strong language.

DBC24338 Haunted Missouri: a ghostly guide to the Show-Me State's most spirited spots by Jason Offutt 
A serious but witty look at Missouri's place in the ghostly realm, this book brings together history, folklore, and just enough mystery to intrigue the sceptics and delight the believers. Adult. Some strong language.

DBC18962 Haunted Oklahoma: ghosts and strange phenomena of the Sooner State by Jeff Provine 
Oklahoma's Ghostly Legends are as varied as its history and culture. The state boasts hauntings by ancient Native Americans, Spanish miners, soldiers, outlaws, ranchers, performers, students, repairmen, and many more. Oklahoma's stately mansions, theaters, and old hotels still have previous residents dwelling in a spectral form. One phenomenon that may be surprising is Oklahoma's uncanny number of headless ghosts. Haunted Oklahoma explores King Tutt's Tomb on the Arkansas, Mr. Apple's Mausoleum, and the Spooksville Triangle, to name just a few. Eerie occurrences, spooky events, unsolved mysteries, and terrifying specters make for a scary journey through Oklahoma's Haunted past. Adult. Some violence. Unrated.

DBC17908 Haunted Texas: famous phantoms, sinister sites, and lingering legends by Scott Allen Williams 
Texas history buffs and travelers have an eerie need for this book, which offers an unusual twist to seeing the sights in the Lone Star state. Organized by region--Gulf Coast, Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, Central Texas, North Texas, and West Texas--this book is the complete guide for both hardcore ghost hunters and more earthly tourists seeking to add some spirited fun to their travels.

DBC13065 Ghost stories of the Rocky Mountains by Barbara Smith 
This collection of paranormal tales from the Rocky Mountain states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico recounts more than three dozen stories, including a ghost seen cleaning up the site of the 1903 Frank Slide; Idaho's phantom white stallion that rescues people lost in the high country; a ghostly bookworm in Colorado who haunts a used bookstore; and more. 2003.

DBC25817 The haunted heart of Denver by Kevin Pharris 
The Gates of Hell are rumored to lie below a hotel near Denver's capitol building, and there are tales of restless spirits of those buried in Cheesman Park. Above the subterranean darkness, the city streets are haunted by the murderous poltergeist of the Capitol Hill Thug. Even the stately mansions of Millionaires' Row hide their own secrets, a sad Victorian lady begs for help before vanishing in the Sheedy Mansion, and an eerie face appears on the facade of the Cresswell House. Join tour guide and reluctant ghost hunter Kevin Pharris as he takes a chilling journey through The Haunted Heart of Denver. Some violence. Adult.

DBC10267 Haunted highways: the ghost towns of new Mexico by Ralph Looney 
No description.

DBC13353 Haunted Nevada by Janice Oberding 
Nevada maybe one of the most haunted states in the United States, according to this book. Some of the Silver State's most bizarre and creepy stories of paranormal activity include Las Vegas's Flamingo Hotel, the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, the haunted Goldfield Hotel, the Mizpah hotel in Tonopah, and apparitions of Marilyn Monroe at Cal Neva Resort in Lake Tahoe. 2001. Adult. Some violence.

DBC19021 Haunted Everett, Washington by Deborah Coyle 
Everett, Washington has its share of hauntings. Ships, the YMCA, a theater, and the cemetery are all said to have resident ghosts. Adult. Unrated.

DBC27324 Ghostly tales of Wisconsin by Ryan Jacobson 
A place so haunted it was featured on national television, the spirits of long-dead gangsters and serial killers, and perhaps the most famous werewolf story in US history--Wisconsin has long been regarded as one of the most haunted states in America. This collection of ghost stories presents the creepiest, most surprising of them all. Horror fans and history buffs will delight in these 28 chilling tales about haunted locations. They're based on reportedly true accounts, proving that Wisconsin is the setting for some of the most compelling ghostly tales ever told. The short stories are ideal for quick reading, and they're sure to captivate anyone who enjoys a good scare. Share them with friends around a campfire, or try them alone-if you dare! -- Back cover. Adult. Violence.

DBC13575 Haunted tales from the region: ghosts of Indiana's south shore by Dorothy Salvo Davis 
South Shore lights blaze through the night, warding off restless spirits that slink among shadows. Join paranormal researcher and author Dorothy Salvo Davis as she reveals the legends and ghouls that haunt this generally peaceful area. Cut the lights at your own peril, because the ghouls of the South Shore won't soon find solace.

DBC08179 Haunted islands in the Gulf of Maine by Marcus A. LiBrizzi 
18 scary stories of Maine coastal hauntings. Unrated.

DBC04401 Haunted New England: classic tales of the strange and supernatural by Martin Harry Greenberg 
A collection of tales of the supernatural, some based on ancient legends, set in New England. The outstanding ghost/horror fiction authors represented here include Sarah Orne Jewett, John W. Vandercook, H.P. Lovecraft, Conrad Aiken, and Edith Wharton.

DBC12527 Haunted Ocean City and Berlin by Mindie Byrgoyne 
A chilling journey through the haunted history and lore of Ocean City and Berlin, Maryland. A ghostly sea captain, an ill-fated lover and jazz musicians who go on playing long after their last songs --- these are just some of the spirits who make their presence known from Ocean City's Boardwalk to the picturesque town square of Berlin. The phantom scent of a woman's perfume floats from Trimper's carousel while the Ocean City Life-Saving Station is haunted by the ghost of a drowned sailor. In Berlin, some guests never check out of the Atlantic Hotel, and strange happenings have been reported at the Rackliffe House, where legend has it that a cruel plantation owner was murdered by his slaves.

DBC17629 Haunted houses and family ghosts of Kentucky by William Lynwood Montell 
Folklorist discusses Kentucky's rich legacy of ghost stories and spectral visitations.

Thank you to our KTB staff, other talking book network libraries, and all of the volunteers that helped record and produce these books and for making them available on BARD. Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD), a download service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, allows patrons access to almost all its collection, including other locally produced books and many horror books. BARD is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for you to access with no due dates, no expiration dates, and no holds so there is no waiting on a book because someone else is reading it. If you would like to learn more, visit https://library.ks.gov/talking-books/bard or call 1-800-362-0699 or email KTB@ks.gov. 

These titles are also available to be added to a cartridge and mailed to you. Just contact our office if you would like to order any of these books by calling 1-800-362-0699 or emailing KTB@ks.gov.

The William Allen White (WAW) Children's Book Award is being presented to the winning authors on October 4, 2025, at Emporia State University. This award is given to books and their authors that are voted for by children across the state of Kansas. There are two age groups for titles and voting: grades 3-5 and grades 6-8. The award was established in 1952 by Ruth Garver Gagliardo who had worked with William Allen White at the Emporia Gazette where they became friends. She named it in his honor. For more information about the award, visit the William Allen White Children's Book Award website. 

2025 Winners

Grades 3-5: DB 110420 Odder by Katherine Applegate 
"Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she's known. She's a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself--and about the humans who hope to save her." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7.

Grades 6-8: DB 109640 The fort by Gordon Korman
"Five middle schoolers find a fully stocked bomb shelter constructed decades ago in the local woods by an eccentric tycoon and lost until a hurricane exposes the entrance. So, how to keep the hideout secret from interfering grown-ups--and, more particularly, from scary teen psychopath, Jaeger Devlin." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For grades 6-9.

Kansas Talking Books (KTB) records and produces audiobooks for the talking books program, focusing on Kansas interest materials: books about Kansas, books by Kansas authors, and children's and young adult books, in particular books that were nominated for or were awarded the William Allen White Children's Book Award. The following titles are just some of the WAW Children's Book Award nominees and winners provided in preparation for the award ceremony in October. You can find more titles by browsing the list of the titles in our online catalog. 

Grades 3-5

DB 103410 Stella by McCall Hoyle 
As a puppy, Stella was trained to use her powerful beagle nose to sniff out dangerous chemicals. But after a terrible accident, she goes to live on a small family farm to recover from her fear of loud noises. For grades 3-6. 2021.

DB 100929 The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman (Also available in braille: BR 23707.) 
Kate's humdrum life is transformed when her eccentric Uncle Herbert brings her a colossal locomotive train, the Silver Arrow, as her eleventh birthday gift, leading her and her younger brother on a mysterious quest. Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7. 2020.

DB 113090 Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd 
"When twelve-year-old Olive, who suffers from brittle bone disease and has been homeschooled all her life, finally attends school in person she soon discovers fitting in is not that easy, but if she can find the magical wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives nearby, and prove herself worthy, maybe her deepest wish will be granted." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7.

Grades 6-8

DB 94721 The remarkable journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart 
Twelve-year-old Coyote and her father rush to Poplin Springs, Washington, in their old school bus to save a memory box that is buried in a park that will soon be demolished. Commercial audiobook. For grades 3-6. 2019.

DB 104863 Ground zero: a novel of 9/11 by Alan Gratz 
Brandon is visiting his dad on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, when the attack comes; Reshmina is a girl in Afghanistan who has grown up in the aftermath of that attack but dreams of peace. Both are changed by the events of 9/11. Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7. 2021.

DB 105729 The last cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (Also available in braille: BR 23967.) 
Petra Peña's world is ending, and only the chosen few will journey to a new planet. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to discover that she alone remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. Commercial audiobook. For grades 5-8. 2021.

If you don't want to wait on the mail, these books (and others from our online catalog) can be found on BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled that makes these books available at all times to all patrons. Find more information on BARD at the KTB BARD Resources webpage or contact Kansas Talking Books at 1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov.

September is the time for the Kansas Talking Books staff to reread old favorites and try something new. Find out what the staff has been reading this month.

Michael Lang, Director

DB 104524 Once there were wolves by Charlotte McConaghy 
Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team of biologists reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the remote Highlands. She hopes to heal not only the dying landscape, but also Aggie, who is traumatized by the secrets that drove them out of Alaska. Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

Maggie Witte, Outreach Librarian

DB 100535 The big door prize by M. O. Walsh 
The residents of Deerfield, Louisiana, are intrigued when the mysterious DNAMIX machine appears in their local grocery store. With just a quick swab of your cheek and two dollars, the device claims to use the science of DNA to tell you your life's potential. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

DB 128356 Custodians of wonder: ancient customs, profound traditions, and the last people keeping them alive by Eliot Stein 
"A vivid look at the ten key people who are maintaining some of the world's oldest and rarest cultural traditions. Eliot Stein has traveled the globe in search of remarkable people who are preserving some of our rarest cultural rites. In Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, Stein introduces readers to a man saving the secret ingredient in Japan's 700-year-old original soy sauce recipe. In Italy, he learns how to make the world's rarest pasta from one of the only women alive who knows how to make it. And in India, he discovers a family rumored to make a mysterious metal mirror believed to reveal your truest self. From shadowing Scandinavia's last night watchman to meeting a 27th-generation West African griot to seeking out Cuba's last official cigar factory "readers" more than a century after they spearheaded the fight for Cuban independence, Stein uncovers an almost lost world. Climbing through Peru's southern highlands, he encounters the last Inca bridge master who rebuilds a grass-woven bridge from the fabled Inca Road System. He befriends a British beekeeper who maintains a touching custom of "telling the bees" important news of the day and crunches through a German forest to find the official mailman of the only tree in the world with its own address--to which countless people all over the world have written in hopes of finding love. These are just some of the last people on Earth still in touch with quickly vanishing rites. Let Eliot Stein introduce you to all of them."-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 72629 A discovery of witches: All Souls trilogy, book 1 by Deborah Harkness 
After scholar and witch Diana Bishop requests an alchemical manuscript from the depths of Oxford's Bodleian Library, she finds the magical power within the leather cover disturbing and hastily sends it back. But the book's reemergence causes a chain reaction through the paranormal community. Descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2011.

DB 75214 Shadow of night: All Souls trilogy, book 2 by Deborah Harkness 
Diana and Matthew, from A Discovery of Witches (DB 72629), find themselves in Elizabethan England. Court intrigues demand their attention as they search for the enchanted Ashmole manuscript and Diana struggles to understand her powers. Descriptions of sex and some violence. Bestseller. 2012.

DB 79442 The book of life: All Souls trilogy, book 3 by Deborah Harkness 
After the events of Shadow of Night (DB 75214), Diana and Matthew return to modern-day Sept-Tours. The Congregation hunts them to demand answers regarding Diana's change in powers. They race against time to find the final pages of the Book of Life. Explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. Bestseller. 2014.

Nataly Renfro, Machine Clerk

DB 125873 Blood of the Earth: Soulwood, book 1 by Faith Hunter 
"When Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she was almost alone in the world, exiled by both choice and fear from the cult she was raised in, defending herself with the magic she drew from her deep connection to the forest that surrounds her. Now, Jane has referred Nell to PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, and agent Rick LaFleur has shown up at Nell's doorstep. His appearance forces her out of her isolated life into an investigation that leads to the vampire Blood Master of Nashville. Nell has a team, and a mission. But to find the Master's kidnapped vassal, Nell and the PsyLED team will be forced to go deep into the heart of the very cult Nell fears, infiltrating the cult and a humans-only terrorist group before time runs out."-- From publisher. -- Some violence and some strong language.

DB 125696 Curse on the land: Soulwood, book 2 by Faith Hunter 
"Set in the same world as Faith Hunter's New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, the second Soulwood novel tells the story of a woman whose power comes from deep within the earth... Before Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she had no one to rely on, finding strength only in her arcane connection to the dark woods around her. But now she has friends in the newly formed PsyLED team to keep her grounded--even if being part of the agency responsible for policing paranormals comes with dangers of its own... After training at the PsyLED academy, Nell returns home to her woods to find the land feeling sick and restless. And that sickness is spreading. With the help of her team, under the leadership of agent Rick LaFleur, Nell tries to determine the cause. But nothing can prepare them for the evil that awaits: an entity that feeds on death itself. And it wants more..."-- From publisher. -- Violence and some strong language.

DB 125697 Flame in the dark: Soulwood, book 3 by Faith Hunter 
"Nell Ingram has always known she was different. Since she was a child, she's been able to feel and channel ancient powers from deep within the earth. When she met Jane Yellowrock, her entire life changed, and she was recruited into PsyLED--the Homeland Security division that polices paranormals. But now her newly formed unit is about to take on its toughest case yet. A powerful senator barely survives an assassination attempt that leaves many others dead--and the house he was visiting burns to the ground. Invisible to security cameras, the assassin literally disappears, and Nell's team is called in. As they track a killer they know is more--or less--than human, they unravel a web of dark intrigue and malevolent motives that tests them to their limits and beyond."-- Provided by publisher. -- Violence, some strong language and some descriptions of sex.

DB 125698 Circle of the moon: Soulwood, book 4 by Faith Hunter 
"Nell can draw magic from the land around her, and lately she's been using it to help the Psy-Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. PsyLED head agent Rick LaFleur shifts into a panther when the moon calls him, but this time, something has gone wrong. He calls Nell from a riverbank--he's naked, with no memory of how he came to be there, beside a black cat killed by black magic. Then more animals turn up dead--a blood-witch is out to kill. But when it seems as if their leader is involved in the crime, the bonds that hold the team together could shatter at any moment."-- From publisher. -- Violence, some strong language and some descriptions of sex.

DB 125699 Spells for the dead: Soulwood, book 5 by Faith Hunter 
"Nell Ingram is a rookie PsyLed agent, using the powers she can channel from deep within the earth to solve paranormal crimes. Together with her team, she's taken on the darkest magic and the direst foes. But she'll need to tap into every ounce of power she has for her newest case. Nell is called to the Tennessee mansion of a country music star and finds a disturbing scene--dead bodies rapidly decaying before everyone's eyes. The witch on her team, T. Laine, knows this can only be one thing: death magic, a rare type of craft used to steal life forces. PsyLed needs to find this lethal killer fast. But when a paranormal-hating FBI agent tries to derail the investigation, they find themselves under attack from all sides."-- Provided by publisher. -- Some violence, some strong language and some descriptions of sex.

DB 125700 Rift in the soul: Soulwood, book 6 by Faith Hunter 
"Nell Ingram draws her powers from deep in the earth, and uses them to help Psy-LED, the Psychometric Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. When a local vampire calls to report a dead body on her compound, Nell knows she and her team have to be ready for anything. But the dead body is just the beginning of a mystery that involves supernaturals of all kinds, including some of the most powerful vampires in the country. As Nell gets closer to the truth, she begins to understand that the perpetrator is tracking her too and that there is something personal about this crime. Something with roots that go almost as deep as those in Soulwood."-- Provided by publisher. -- Some violence, some strong language and some descriptions of sex.

Dylan Calhoon, Patron Services Manager

DB 35894 Along came a spider: Alex Cross, book 1 by James Patterson 
At 5 a.m. Deputy Chief Alex Cross, detective and psychologist, is investigating a brutal triple murder in southeast Washington. Later that day, Washington Day School teacher Gary Soneji kidnaps two students. Secret Service agent Jezzie Flanagan is called in to work with Cross. They realize the killer of more than 200 people may be a psychopath with a split personality. Strong language, violence, and descriptions of sex. Bestseller.

DB 81077 Deathworld by Harry Harrison 
On the planet Pyrrus all the beasts, plants, and other natural elements were designed for one specific purpose--to destroy humans. The settlers there were supermen, twice as strong as regular men. It's up to Jason dinAlt, interplanetary gambler, to discover why Pyrrus had become so hostile. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 1983.

Troy Arndt, Circulation Clerk

DB 61197 A man without a country by Kurt Vonnegut 
Eighty-two-year-old writer comments on life, art, politics, America's soul, war, music, and the destruction of the planet, among other topics. Reminisces about personal experiences. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2005.

Sarah Bruemmer, Library Assistant

DB 130031 Immaculate conception by Ling Ling Huang 
"Mathilde is a dizzyingly talented yet tortured artist whose star is on the rise-and Enka, struggling to make art that feels original, is immediately drawn to her. The two strike up a close friendship that soon turns codependent. But when Mathilde's fame reaches new heights, Enka becomes desperate to keep her best friend close-no matter the cost. Enka quickly falls in love with and marries a billionaire whose family's company is funding a cutting-edge technology purported to enhance empathy, and which could allow someone else to inhabit Mathilde's mind and absorb the trauma from her brain. Soon, the boundaries between Mathilde and Enka begin to blur even further, setting in motion a haunting series of events that forever change their lives."-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Check out August's top BARD downloads in Kansas! If you aren't yet a BARD user, you can learn more at the NLS BARD website. If BARD isn't a good fit for you, we are still happy to mail books and magazines directly to your home. Just drop us a line at KTB@ks.gov or call 800-362-0699. Happy reading!

Most popular KS1A user audiobook downloads from August 2025

• DB130041 25 Alive by Patterson, James & Paetro, Maxine.

• DB130298 Nightshade by Connelly, Michael.
• DB129760 Hidden Nature by Roberts, Nora.
• DB126841 The Big Empty by Crais, Robert.
• DB129803 2 Sisters Murder Investigations: Don't mess with the Bird sisters! By Patterson, James & Fox, Candice.
• DB127136 Hidden Star by Roberts, Nora.
• DB130129 The Wife Upstairs by McFadden, Freida.
• DB130125 The First Gentleman by Clinton, Bill; Patterson, James.
• DB130021 Stuart Woods' Finders Keepers by Battles, Brett & Woods, Stuart.
• DB129316 A Mind of Her Own by Steel, Danielle.
• DB129914 Sunrise Reef by Hannon, Irene.
• DB129034 South of Nowhere by Deaver, Jeffery.

Most popular KS1A user audio magazine downloads from August 2025

• Consumer Reports July, 2025
• Foreign Affairs July, 2025
• Atlantic Monthly August, 2025
• Reader's Digest July, 2025
• Talking Book Topics July, 2025
• Smithsonian July, 2025
• The New Yorker August 11, 2025
• Discover July, 2025
• Economist August 09, 2025
• Cooking Light June, 2025

• Atlantic Monthly July, 2025

  A full list of available magazines can be found on the NLS Website. 
  

Most popular KS1A user braille book downloads from August 2025

• BR25728 Don't Ask the Blind Guy for Directions: A 30,000-mile journey for love, confidence, and a sense of belonging by Samuel, John.
• BR25570 Connect to Your Calling by Jakes, T. D.
• BR15471 The Friendship Crisis: Finding, making, and keeping friends when you're not a kid anymore by Paul, Marla.
• BR25280 Managing Your Emotions: Daily wisdom for remaining stable in an unstable world : a 90 day devotional by Meyer, Joyce.
• BR25533 Saturdays with Billy: My friendship with Billy Graham by Wilton, Don & Stanley, Charles F.
• BR25594 Guiding Emily: A tale of love, loss, and courage by Hinske, Barbara.
• BR25571 This Man Must Die by Johnstone, William W. & Johnstone, J. A.
• BR25596 Life Unseen: A story of blindness by Mills, Selina.
• BR07774 Tuck Everlasting by Babbitt, Natalie.

The KTB staff has been reading all kinds of books in August. Find out what they've been reading in this list of books. Get these books in just minutes using BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a download service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Most of the collection of audio books and magazines are available to patrons 24/7 using this download service. Learn more at our BARD Resources page.

Michael Lang, Director

DB 51047 The wonderful wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 
When a cyclone blows Dorothy and her dog Toto from their Kansas home to the magical Land of Oz, Dorothy meets the Munchkins and witches. With her new companions the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy travels to the Emerald City to petition the Wizard. For grades 4-7. 1899.

Dylan Calhoon, Patron Services Manager

DB 66657 Armageddon in retrospect: and other new and unpublished writings on war and peace  by Kurt Vonnegut 
Twelve fiction and nonfiction pieces representing Vonnegut's views on violence and war and his desire for world peace. Contains both a 1945 letter to his family summarizing his prisoner-of-war experience in Germany and his last speech, written in 2007. Introduction by his son Mark Vonnegut. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.

DB 64695 The gates to the witch world: comprising Witch world; Web of the witch world; and Year of the unicorn by Andre Norton 
Presents the first three volumes in the Witch World series. In Witch World secret agent Simon Tregarth flees his customary reality through a portal and ends up in a medieval land of magic where the forces of evil threaten three benevolent witches. 2001. Includes Book 1: Witch World, Book 2: Web of the Witch World, and Book 1: Year of the Unicorn (from the High Halleck Cycle)

Jason Brinkman, Production Manager

DB 129931 The Project: how Project 2025 is reshaping America by David A. Graham 
"When President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, news spread about his implementation of Project 2025, a nearly 1,000-page document published by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. The debates--and anxiety--surrounding this initiative have only increased as authors of the Project assume positions of power in the second Trump administration. So, what is Project 2025, exactly? Who wrote it, and what does it mean for everyday Americans, across the political spectrum, now and in the years to come? In The Project, award-winning journalist David A. Graham offers much-needed context and distills the essential elements of this sprawling document. Breaking down the Project's strategy for transforming--and radically empowering--the executive branch, Graham then explains what the architects behind Project 2025 are doing with that power: enforcing traditional gender norms, decimating the civil service, performing mass deportations, reducing corporate regulation and worker protections, and more. Project 2025 is the intellectual blueprint for the new administration, Graham argues, and its tenets should not be legible only to policy wonks. Authoritative yet highly accessible, The Project demystifies it for those whose lives it will affect most."-- From publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

Nataly Renfro, Machine Clerk 

DB 37043 Good omens: the nice and accurate propehcies of Agnes Nutter, witch by Neil Gaiman (Also available in braille as BR 21217) 
Armageddon is scheduled for next Saturday! But demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale are not looking forward to it. In order to prevent this, they must kill the Antichrist, who lives on earth as a young child. However, there is a problem--three children were switched at birth, and no one knows which one is the Antichrist. Violence and some strong language.

DB 118356 Activate your vagus nerve: unleash your body's natural ability to heal gut sensitivities, inflammation, brain fog, autoimmunity, anxiety, depression by Navas Habib 
"Repair your vagus nerve and experience amazing health and wellness benefits. Your vagus nerve is the largest and most important nerve in your body. It carries messages to and from your brain, gut, heart, and other major muscles and organs. However, common issues like inflammation, stress, or physical trauma can interfere with the nerve's ability to function. Luckily, there are tons of quick-and-easy ways to activate and exercise the nerve, strengthening its function and restoring your body to good health. Packed with easy-to-follow exercises and activities, this book will show you how to unlock the power of the vagus nerve to heal your body and get back to a state of balance." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook.

Sarah Bruemmer

DB 120977 Sociopath by Patric Gagne 
"Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she started kindergarten. Something about her caused people to react in a way she didn't understand. She suspected it was because she didn't feel things the way other kids did. Emotions like fear, guilt, and empathy eluded her. For the most part, she felt nothing. And she didn't like the way that "nothing" felt. She did her best to pretend she was like everyone else, but the constant pressure to conform to a society she knew rejected anyone like her was unbearable. So Patric stole. She lied. She was occasionally violent. She became an expert lock-picker and home-invader. All with the goal of replacing the nothingness with...something. In college, Patric finally confirmed what she'd long suspected. She was a sociopath. But even though it was the very first personality disorder identified--well over 200 years ago--sociopathy had been neglected by mental health professionals for decades. She was told there was no treatment, no hope for a normal life. She found herself haunted by sociopaths in pop culture, madmen and evil villains who are considered monsters. Her future looked grim. But when Patric reconnects with an old flame, she gets a glimpse of a future beyond her diagnosis. If she's capable of love, it must mean that she isn't a monster. With the help of her sweetheart (and some curious characters she meets along the way) she embarks on a mission to prove that the millions of Americans who share her diagnosis aren't all monsters either"--Dust jacket. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Troy Arndt, Circulation Clerk

DB 32537 The fall by Albert Camus 
A philosophical monologue told by a man who realizes he is kind to others only to satisfy his vanity. The consequent feeling of guilt convinces him to reveal his true self to others, an action that soon brings about his disgrace.

DB 15217 Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre 
The author's first novel, originally published in 1938, is a statement about the alienation of personality and the mystery of being. Sartre presents the first full-length essay on existentialism, the philosophy for which he has since become famous. Offered Nobel Prize for literature in 1964 which he declined.

DB 34599 Being and nothingness: a phenomenological essay on ontology by Jean-Paul Sartre 
Translator Hazel Barnes describes Sartre as "one of the very few twentieth-century philosophers to present us with a total system." The chapters in this principal text on existentialism are entitled: the pursuit of being; the problem of nothingness; being-for-itself; being-for-others; and having, doing, and being. Some discussion of sex.

DB 37598 Notes from underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 
First published in 1864, this psychological portrait of the nameless fictional narrator is in the form of a meditation on the injuries people inflict on one another. The narrator is obsessed with the absurdity of life and the meaninglessness of his own existence.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been making waves around the world as AI tools, such as ChatGPT, and other AI technologies have been adopted as they've become available in the last several years, or, completely avoided as concern rises over the use. AI is changing how we function in our personal and professional daily life and how various industries do business. It's mentioned in the news quite often as discussion grows about what roles AI will have in the future, what advances are being made, and what impacts AI is having.

With how much AI is influencing the world, there are important considerations to be made in therms of regulations to limit or increase AI use and the ethics of use. Global leaders and policy makers are working on various legislation regarding AI. Although AI and machine learning have been actively researched for decades through government agencies, private companies, and universities, foreign and domestic governments are pushing for even more extensive AI research and advancement as technology has improved. Universities, in particular, may receive funding from or may collaborate with government agencies through joint research projects to further AI research and development. Universities and K-12 schools and their instructors are learning about and discussing best practices for student use and how to manage AI use (or use prevention) in homework and exams. They also have to teach about AI use in source material as more content on the Internet (social media and some news - particularly fake news) is full of AI-generated content that may appear real.

The important thing to note is that AI is here to stay. It continues to permeate our lives and how people everywhere do things. Learn more about artificial intelligence with books from the following selected titles available through our Kansas Talking Books collection and on BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a download service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled allowing all patrons access to almost the entire collection any time, any where. Make one of these books your next read.

La inteligencia articial (IA) hace ondas a través del mundo con muchos adoptando herramientas tales como ChatGPT para mejorar eficiencia mientras otros evitan el uso de estos programas a medida que incrementan las preocupaciones sobre su uso.

IA está cambiando como funcionamos en nuestras vidas personales y profesionales y también la forma en que las compañías llevan a cabo sus negocios. Con el auge de IA hay consideraciones importantes sobre la ética de uso y losa impactos ambientales. A nivel mundial políticos trabajan para proporcionar varias leyes y regulaciones para ralentizar y también para acelerar el crecimiento del IA.

Instructores y administradores en universidades y escuelas de Kinder-12 aprenden y discuten las mejores practicas para manejar el uso (o la prevención de uso) del IA en tareas y exámenes. También enseñan sobre el uso del IA en investigaciones ya que más recursos en el internet están creadno contenido que parece real usando IA.

Sin importar lo que uno sienta sobre estos desarrollos, IA está aquí para quedarse y continuará extendiéndose por nuestras vidas cotidianas. Aprende sobre la inteligencia artificial con los siguientes titulos disponibles en nuestra colección de Libros Parlantes de Kansas y en BARD, (Braille and Audio Reading Download) un servicio de descarga proporcionado por El Servicio Bibliotecario Nacional para Ciegos y Personas con Dificultades para Acceder al Texto Impreso, permitiéndole acceso a todos nuestros usuarios a acceder a la colleción desde donde sea a la hora que sea. Haz uno de estos titulos tu próxima lectura.

DB 120757 Simply AI: facts made fast by Claire Quigley

"Covering a broad range of fields within AI--from computing and mathematics to politics and philosophy--entries demystify what artificial intelligence is and how it works, how it has dramatically changed how we live, and how it might evolve in the future. Everyone is talking about AI, but this book helps to explain each individual aspect of AI more clearly than ever before." --WorldCat.

DB 116405 The coming wave: technology, power, and the twenty-first century's greatest dilemma by Mustafa Suleyman and Michael Bhaskar

"We are approaching a critical threshold in the history of our species. Everything is about to change. Soon you will live surrounded by AIs. They will organise your life, operate your business, and run core government services. You will live in a world of DNA printers and quantum computers, engineered pathogens and autonomous weapons, robot assistants and abundant energy. None of us are prepared. As co-founder of the pioneering AI company DeepMind, part of Google, Mustafa Suleyman has been at the centre of this revolution. The coming decade, he argues, will be defined by this wave of powerful, fast-proliferating new technologies. In The Coming Wave, Suleyman shows how these forces will create immense prosperity but also threaten the nation-state, the foundation of global order. As our fragile governments sleepwalk into disaster, we face an existential dilemma: unprecedented harms on one side, the threat of overbearing surveillance on the other. Can we forge a narrow path between catastrophe and dystopia? This groundbreaking book from the ultimate AI insider establishes "the containment problem"-the task of maintaining control over powerful technologies-as the essential challenge of our age." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook.

DB 96490 Rebooting AI: building artificial intelligence we can trust by Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis

Researchers present an overview of the state of artificial intelligence in the early twenty-first century. Topics covered include the development of the technology, milestones, programming, and ethics. Offers ideas for future development. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

DB 89149 Life 3.0: being human in the age of artificial intelligence by Max Tegmark

Exploration of the development of artificial intelligence, also known as AI, and its role as the purported third iteration of life after bacteria and humans. Discusses the role of AI in the workforce, adjustments needed in legal systems, the likelihood that a form of superhuman intelligence will arise, and more. Commercial audiobook. 2017.

DB 126169 Genesis: artificial intelligence, hope, and the human spirit by Henry Kissinger, Craig Mundie, Eric Schmidt, Eleanor Runde, and Niall Ferguson

"As it absorbs data, gains agency, and intermediates between humans and reality, AI (Artificial Intelligence) will help us to address enormous crises, from climate change to geopolitical conflicts to income inequality. It might well solve some of the greatest mysteries of our universe and elevate the human spirit to unimaginable heights. But it will also pose challenges on a scale and of an intensity that we have never seen--usurping our power of independent judgment and action, testing our relationship with the divine, and perhaps even spurring a new phase in human evolution. The last book of elder statesman Henry Kissinger, written with technologists Craig Mundie and Eric Schmidt, Genesis charts a course between blind faith and unjustified fear as it outlines an effective strategy for navigating the age of AI."-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 121008 Co-intelligence: living and working with AI by Ethan Mollick

"AI has arrived. And with it, inescapable upheaval as we grapple with what it means for our jobs, lives and the future of humanity.Cutting through the noise of AI evangelists and AI doom-mongers, Wharton professor Ethan Mollick has become one of the most prominent and provocative explainers of AI, focusing on the practical aspects of how these new tools for thought can transform our world. In Co-Intelligence, he urges us to engage with AI as co-worker, co-teacher and coach. Wide ranging, hugely thought-provoking and optimistic, Co-Intelligence reveals the promise and power of this new era."-- Goodreads. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 116251 Scary smart: the future of artificial intelligence and how you can save the world by Mo Gawdat

"Artificial intelligence is smarter than humans. It can process information at lightning speed and remain focused on specific tasks without distraction. AI can see into the future, predicting outcomes and even use sensors to see around physical and virtual corners. So why does AI frequently get it so wrong? The answer is us. Humans design the algorithms that define the way that AI works, and the processed information reflects an imperfect world. Does that mean we are doomed? In Scary Smart, Mo Gawdat, the internationally bestselling author of Solve for Happy, draws on his considerable expertise to answer this question and to show what we can all do now to teach ourselves and our machines how to live better. With more than thirty years' experience working at the cutting-edge of technology and his former role as chief business officer of Google [X], no one is better placed than Mo Gawdat to explain how the Artificial Intelligence of the future works. By 2049 AI will be a billion times more intelligent than humans. Scary Smart explains how to fix the current trajectory now, to make sure that the AI of the future can preserve our species. This book offers a blueprint, pointing the way to what we can do to safeguard ourselves, those we love and the planet itself." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 92919 AI superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the new world order by Kai-Fu Lee

Technology executive and investor analyzes the technological developments and business opportunities for artificial intelligence in the twenty-first century. Pays particular attention to the work being done in China and the United States. Explores the possibilities of the technology in the future. 2018.

DB 128344 As if human: ethics and artificial intelligence by Nigel Shadbolt and Roger Hampson

"Every day we are confronted with ethical challenges arising from machine-mediated decision-making. Is the facial recognition software used by an agency fair? When algorithms determine questions of justice, finance, health, and defense, are the decisions proportionate, equitable, transparent, and accountable? How do we harness technology to empower rather than oppress?"-- From publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 19890 Machines who think: a personal inquiry into the history and prospects of artificial intelligence by Pamela McCorduck

Traces the American contribution to the development of artificial intelligence from its earliest beginnings to its sometimes frightening future. Based on personal interviews with major figures in the field.

DB 22452 Inteligencia alienigena by Stuart Holroyd 

The author analyzes the human perception of intelligence and examines evidence that supports the existence of alien intelligences that are nonhuman, incorporeal, or extraterrestrial. Spanish language.

DB 117717 Artificial : la nueva inteligencia y el contorno de lo humano by Mariono Sigman and Santiago Bilinkis 

"Este no es un libro de oráculos o vaticinios, sino las reflexiones de dos autores que consideran que para aproximarse al futuro será imprescindible navegar la ola de la inteligencia artificial. En una conversación tan lúcida como estimulante, el neurocientífico superventas Mariano Sigman y el emprendedor Santiago Bilinkis repasa el origen, las utilidades y los riesgos de esta tecnología. ¿Qué hará la humanidad con esta lámpara de Aladino? ¿Cuál es el mejor escenario? ¿Cobrará más valor lo fabricado por personas? ¿Qué ocurrirási supera nuestras debilidades? Si bien exponen las razones por las que debemos ser cautos y responsables, huyen del pesimismo. Muy al contrario, nos invitan pensar que de este desafío podemos sacar nuestra mejor versión." -- Proporcionada por la editorial. -- Sin calificación. Audiolibro comercial.

DB 118868 La ola que viene: tecnología, poder y el gran dilema del siglo XXI by Mustafa Suleyman

"En La ola que viene, Suleyman (uno de los mayores expertos del planeta en sistemas inteligentes) demuestra cómo estas fuerzas amenazan seriamente las bases del orden mundial. Mientras nuestros frágiles gobiernos caminan sonámbulos hacia el desastre, nos enfrentamos a un dilema existencial: por un lado, enfrentarnos a los daños sin precedentes derivados de una exposición incontrolada a estas nuevas tecnologías; por otro, a la amenaza de una vigilancia tiránica y abusiva. ¿Conseguiremos abrir un estrecho punto de fuga entre la catástrofe y la distopía?" -- Proporcionada por la editorial. -- Traducido de la edición en inglés de 2023.

DB 124345 Nexus : una breve historia de las redes de información desde la Edad de Piedra hasta la IA by Yuval N. Harari

"Durante los últimos 100.000 años, los sapiens hemos acumulado un enorme poder. Pero, a pesar de todos los descubrimientos, inventos y conquistas, ahora nos enfrentamos a una crisis existencial: el mundo está al borde del colapso ecológico, abunda la desinformación y nos precipitamos hacia la era de la I.A. Con todo el camino andando, ¿por qué somos una especie autodestructiva? A partir de una fascinante variedad de ejemplos históricos, desde la Edad de Piedra, pasando por la Biblia, la caza de brujas de principios de la Edad Moderna, el estalinismo y el nazismo, hasta el resurgimiento del populismo en nuestros días, Harari nos ofrece un marco revelador para indagar en las complejas relaciones que existen entre información y verdad, burocracia y mitología, y sabiduría y poder. Examina cómo diferentes sociedades y sistemas políticos han utilizado la información para lograr sus objetivos e imponer el orden, para bien y para mal. Y plantea las opciones urgentes a las que nos enfrentamos hoy en día, cuando la inteligencia no humana amenaza nuestra propia existencia." -- Proporcionada por la editorial. -- Traducido de la edición en inglés de 2024. Sin calificación. Audiolibro comercial.

The VIP (Visually Impaired Persons) Book Club, also known as the Manhattan VIP Book Club, was created by a librarian at the Kansas Talking Books (KTB) subregional library in Manhattan. For many years, patrons from Manhattan and the surrounding area met in-person on the 3rd Tuesday of each month to discuss books with the help of a KTB librarian to facilitate discussion. But, when COVID happened, the book club and its members had to adapt. To keep it going, some very dedicated participants encourage the move to first a conference call and then to Zoom as the book club outgrew the capacity of the conference call. Moving to a virtual meeting platform enabled the book club to open to other KTB patrons around the state. The current members encourage other patrons to join and look forward to your participation, especially as they just finished making the final selections for the 2025-2026 book club year.

If you are unsure about using Zoom or don't have a computer or smart device, don't worry. All you need is a telephone. Let the Kansas Talking Books staff know which discussion you are interested in joining and need to do so by phone. Our staff will call you about 5-10 minutes before that book club meeting begins and will transfer you into the discussion. Contact the KTB staff at 1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov.

Occurrence

3rd Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m.

Dates and Books

September 17, 2025 (date changed from Tuesday to Wednesday because of schedule conflict)

DB 128356 Custodians of wonder: ancient customs, profound traditions, and the last people keeping them alive by Eliot Stein
"A vivid look at the ten key people who are maintaining some of the world's oldest and rarest cultural traditions. Eliot Stein has traveled the globe in search of remarkable people who are preserving some of our rarest cultural rites. In Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, Stein introduces readers to a man saving the secret ingredient in Japan's 700-year-old original soy sauce recipe. In Italy, he learns how to make the world's rarest pasta from one of the only women alive who knows how to make it. And in India, he discovers a family rumored to make a mysterious metal mirror believed to reveal your truest self. From shadowing Scandinavia's last night watchman to meeting a 27th-generation West African griot to seeking out Cuba's last official cigar factory "readers" more than a century after they spearheaded the fight for Cuban independence, Stein uncovers an almost lost world. Climbing through Peru's southern highlands, he encounters the last Inca bridge master who rebuilds a grass-woven bridge from the fabled Inca Road System. He befriends a British beekeeper who maintains a touching custom of "telling the bees" important news of the day and crunches through a German forest to find the official mailman of the only tree in the world with its own address--to which countless people all over the world have written in hopes of finding love. These are just some of the last people on Earth still in touch with quickly vanishing rites. Let Eliot Stein introduce you to all of them."-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

October 21, 2025

DB 111034 Witch queens, voodoo spirits & hoodoo saints: a guide to magical New Orleans by Denise Alvarado
"A magical mystery tour of the extraordinary historical characters that have defined the unique spiritual landscape of New Orleans. New Orleans has long been America's most magical city, inhabited by a fascinating visible and invisible world, full of mysteries, known for its decadence and haunted by its spirits. If Salem, Massachusetts, is famous for its persecution of witches, New Orleans is celebrated for its embrace of the magical, mystical, and paranormal. New Orleans is acclaimed for its witches, ghosts, and vampires. Because of its unique history, New Orleans is the historical stronghold of traditional African religions and spirituality in the US. No other city worldwide is as associated with Vodou as New Orleans. In her new book, author and scholar Denise Alvarado takes us on a magical tour of New Orleans. There is a mysterious spiritual underbelly hiding in plain sight in New Orleans, and in this book Alvarado shows us where it is and who the characters are. She tells where they come from and how they persist and manifest today. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints shines a light on notable spirits and folk saints such as Papa Legba, Annie Christmas, Black Hawk, African-American culture hero Jean St. Malo, St. Expedite, plague saint Roch, and, of course, the mother and father of New Orleans Voudou, Marie Laveau and Doctor John Montenée. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints serves as a secret history of New Orleans, revealing details even locals may not know." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

November 18, 2025

DB 57755 Touching the void by Joe Simpson 
Mountain climber recounts his harrowing 1985 survival story of plunging off an Andean ice ledge, forcing his partner, Simon Yates, to cut the rope binding them. Describes Simpson's grueling descent with a broken leg and Yates's emotional turmoil believing his friend dead. Some strong language. Bestseller. 1988.

December 16, 2025

DB 38703 The unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman 
Bored and depressed after her husband's death, Mrs. Pollifax decides to take her doctor's advice and do something enjoyable. Since she has always wanted to be a spy, Mrs. Pollifax heads to Washington, D.C., to apply to the CIA. She admits that she is quite prepared to offer up her life on assignment. As luck would have it, there is a pressing need for a tourist-type to smuggle a document out of Mexico. Some strong language and some violence.

January 20, 2026

DB 115207 The book of Charlie: wisdom from the remarkable American life of a 109-year-old man by David Von Drehle
"When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship-and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie's sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey across the continent, and later found him swinging across bandstands of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru's president. David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie's resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie's secrets. The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit-the inspiring story of one man's journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie's story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation, an inventive nation-a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life." -- Provided by publisher. -- Some violence. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

February 17, 2026

DB 123788 Love triangle: how trigonometry shapes the world by Matt Parker
"Trigonometry is perhaps the most essential concept humans have ever devised. The simple yet versatile triangle allows us to record music, map the world, launch rockets into space, and be slightly less bad at pool. Triangles underpin our day-to-day lives and civilization as we know it. Matt Parker argues we should all show a lot more love for triangles, along with all the useful trigonometry and geometry they enable. To prove his point, he uses triangles to create his own digital avatar, survive a harrowing motorcycle ride, cut a sandwich, fall in love, measure tall buildings in a few awkward bounds, and make some unusual art. Along the way, he tells extraordinary and entertaining stories of the mathematicians, engineers, and philosophers-starting with Pythagoras-who dared to take triangles seriously"-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

March 17, 2026

DB 124237 Somewhere beyond the sea by TJ Klune
"Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one. He's the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there. Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. And there's the island's sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children. But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve. And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home -- one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from -- Arthur knows they're at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart."-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

April 21, 2026

DB 123831 Here one moment by Liane Moriarty
"A woman stands up on a plane, and predicts when everyone will die. Everyone laughs it off until it starts to come true"-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

May 18, 2026

DB 122023 Vision: a memoir of blindness and justice by David S. Tatel
"A memoir by one of America's most accomplished public servants and legal thinkers-who spent years denying and working around his blindness, before finally embracing it as an essential part of his identity. David Tatel has served nearly 30 years on America's second highest court, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where many of our most crucial cases are resolved-or teed up for the Supreme Court. He has championed equal justice for his entire adult life; decided landmark environmental and voting cases; and embodied the ideal of what a great judge should be. Yet he has been blind for the past 50 of his 80-plus years. Initially, he depended upon aides to read texts to him, and more recently, a suite of hi-tech solutions has allowed him to listen to reams of documents at high speeds. At first, he tried to hide his deteriorating vision, and for years, he denied that it had any impact on his career. Only recently, partly thanks to his first-ever guide dog, Vixen, has he come to fully accept his blindness and the role it's played in his personal and professional lives. His story of fighting for justice over many decades, with and without eyesight, is an inspiration to us all."-- Goodreads. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

June 16, 2026

DB 127313 Three days in June by Anne Tyler
"Gail Baines is long divorced from her husband, Max, and not especially close to her grown daughter, Debbie. Today is the day before Debbie's wedding. To start, Gail loses her job--or quits, depending who you ask. Then, Max arrives unannounced on Gail's doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay and without even a suit in which to walk their daughter down the aisle. But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband-to-be. It will not only throw the wedding itself into question but also send Gail back into her past and how her own relationship fell apart."-- Provided by publisher. -- Some strong language, some violence. Commercial audiobook.

July 21, 2026

DB 119947 Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray
"Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference. When she's not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell's Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love. But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he's a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she's a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House. Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR's most trusted lieutenant-even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she's willing to do-and what she's willing to sacrifice-to save a nation"-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

August is Romance Awareness Month, a time to check the health of your romantic relationship. Take this time to build more connection and romance between you and your partner. There are many things you can do to work on your relationship whether it's a large gesture of love or something more simple but heartfelt. One simple thing you can do is spend time together. That time could doing activities you enjoy as a couple, or it could be just being together in the same room at home cuddling, watching a movie, or even reading books.

Kansas Talking Books can assist you with books. We've gathered a few romance novels and a few nonfiction books on love and human relationships. Though there are some people that disagree, romance novels are not just for women and can be enjoyed by all. While some may seem unrealistic in their expectations, others can assist you in learning about activities, gestures, or even gain insight to the emotional experiences of those in the relationship. For those less inclined to romance novels, learn about love, the psychology of relationships, and what to do to encourage connection in your relationship. 

BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a download service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, makes getting these books quick and easy with just the press of your finger on a mobile device or a few clicks on a computer. To learn more, visit our BARD Resources page or contact our office at 1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov.

Romance

DB 120998 Funny story by Emily Henry

"Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story. How they met, fell in love, and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. Too bad it turned out to be more of a prequel, a complication to Peter's actual love story, the one that ends with him dumping Daphne before their wedding to begin a relationship with his lifelong best friend, Petra. And so that's how Daphne's story really begins: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children's librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only other non-Peter-related person she knows: Petra's heartbroken ex, Miles Nowak. Just until she can get a new dream job literally anywhere else. Scruffy and chaotic, Miles is entirely the opposite of buttoned-up Daphne, and they mainly avoid one another until one night, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship. Miles decides he will convince Daphne to give Waning Bay a real shot. He'll show her why he loves this idyllic town and its residents, and if they happen to post deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together--for a particular audience of two--who could blame them? Miles believes Daphne deserves the chance to build a life here, her own life. As she begins to fall for the town, Daphne wonders what this summer is supposed to mean. Is it just for fun? An interlude to her own love story? Or maybe it was never meant to be a love story? Maybe it was just an anecdote to share at future dinner parties: that time she fell in love with her ex-fiancé's new fiancée's ex-boyfriend. Who's to say?"-- Provided by publisher.  --  Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language. Commercial audiobook.

DB 81845 Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool's career as a television writer is taking off, but her marriage to Neal is in trouble. Missing the Christmas trip with her family is the last straw, and they go to Omaha without her. When Georgie tries to phone Neal, she somehow calls the past. Some strong language. 2014.

DB 97443 The bromance book club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Baseball player Gavin Scott's marriage is in trouble, and to fix things, he's going to need some assistance. He finds a secret book club of other men who have used romance novels to fix their own relationships, and they agree to help him win back his family. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

DB 65344 Call me by your name by André Aciman

Each summer Elio's parents host a scholar in their home on the Italian Riviera. Oliver, a young academic from America arrives, igniting in seventeen-year-old Elio a passionate longing and desire. Years later Elio recollects his search for intimacy during that transformative season. Some descriptions of sex. 2007.

DB 112344 This must be the place by Maggie O'Farrell

"Daniel Sullivan leads a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and his wife, Claudette, is a reclusive ex-film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Together, they have made an idyllic life in the country, but a secret from Daniel's past threatens to destroy their meticulously constructed and fiercely protected home. Shot through with humor and wisdom, This Must Be the Place is an irresistible love story that crisscrosses continents and time zones as it captures an extraordinary marriage, and an unforgettable family, with wit and deep affection." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Find more romance novels to browse in the Kansas Talking Books online catalog. You can narrow the results by using the filters on the left-hand side of the book list. 

Human Relationships

DB 121493 Somehow: thoughts on love by Anne Lamott

""Love is our only hope," Anne Lamott writes in this perceptive new book. "It is not always the easiest choice, but it is always the right one, the noble path, the way home to safety, no matter how bleak the future looks." In Somehow: Thoughts on Love, Lamott explores the transformative power that love has in our lives: how it surprises us, forces us to confront uncomfortable truths, reminds us of our humanity, and guides us forward. "Love just won't be pinned down," she says. "It is in our very atmosphere" and lies at the heart of who we are. We are, Lamott says, creatures of love. In each chapter of Somehow, Lamott refracts all the colors of the spectrum. She explores the unexpected love for a partner later in life. The bruised (and bruising) love for a child who disappoints, even frightens. The sustaining love among a group of sinners, for a community in transition, in the wider world. The lessons she underscores are that love enlightens as it educates, comforts as it energizes, sustains as it surprises. Somehow is Anne Lamott's twentieth book, and in it she draws from her own life and experience to delineate the intimate and elemental ways that love buttresses us in the face of despair as it galvanizes us to believe that tomorrow will be better than today. Full of the compassion and humanity that have made Lamott beloved by millions of readers, Somehow is classic Anne Lamott: funny, warm, and wise"-- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

DB 64174 The five love languages: how to express heartfelt commitment to your mate by Gary Chapman

Marriage counselor offers advice on affirming love to one's partner. Chapman defines five different love languages--quality time, words of affirmation, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch--that are based on psychological disposition. Suggests ways individuals can decipher their spouse's emotional preferences, providing examples from his own practice. Bestseller. 2004.

DB 128907 Attached: the new science of adult attachment and how it can help you find-and keep-love by Amir Levine

"We already rely on science to tell us what to eat, when to exercise, and how long to sleep. Why not use science to help us improve our relationships? In this revolutionary book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller scientifically explain why why some people seem to navigate relationships effortlessly, while others struggle. Discover how an understanding of adult attachment--the most advanced relationship science in existence today--can help us find and sustain love. Pioneered by psychologist John Bowlby in the 1950s, the field of attachment posits that each of us behaves in relationships in one of three distinct ways: -Anxious people are often preoccupied with their relationships and tend to worry about their partner's ability to love them back -Avoidant people equate intimacy with a loss of independence and constantly try to minimize closeness -Secure people feel comfortable with intimacy and are usually warm and loving. [This book] guides listeners in determining what attachment style they and their mate (or potential mate) follow, offering a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling connections with the people they love."-- From publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 112671 The love prescription: seven days to more intimacy, connection, and joy by John Mordechai Gottman

"What makes love last? Why does one couple stay together forever, while another falls apart? And most importantly, is there a scientific formula for love? Drs. John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman are the world's leading relationship scientists. For the past forty years, they have been studying love. They've gathered data on over three thousand couples, looking at everything from their body language to the way they converse to their stress hormone levels. Their goal: to identify the building blocks of love. The Love Prescription distills their life's work into a bite-size, seven-day action plan with easy, immediately actionable steps. There will be no grand gestures and no big, hard conversations. There's nothing to buy or do to prepare. Anyone can do this, from any starting point. The seven-day prescription will lead you through these exercises: Day 1: Make Contact; Day 2: Ask a Big Question; Day 3: Say Thank You; Day 4: Give a Real Compliment; Day 5: Ask for What You Need; Day 6: Reach Out and Touch; Day 7: Declare a Date Night. There is a formula for a good relationship, and this book will show you how a few small changes can fundamentally transform your relationship for the better." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Looking for other books on human relationships. Try browsing the Kansas Talking Books online catalog for other titles.

Check out July's top BARD downloads in Kansas! If you aren't yet a BARD user, you can learn more at the NLS BARD website. If BARD isn't a good fit for you, we are still happy to mail books and magazines directly to your home. Just drop us a line at KTB@ks.gov or call 800-362-0699. Happy reading!

Most popular KS1A user audiobook downloads from July 2025

• DB127136 Hidden Star by Roberts, Nora

• DB126887 Guilty by Elliot, Laura

• DB127341 A.I. for Life: 100+ ways to use artificial intelligence to make your life easier, more productive...and more fun! by Quillian, Celia

• DB128900 Strangers in Time by Baldacci, David

• DB127169 Captive Star by Roberts, Nora

• DB128607 The Writer by Patterson, James & Barker, J. D.

• DB128659 Nobody's Fool by Coben, Harlan

• DB126867 Sandwiches of History: The cookbook: All the best (and most surprising) things people have put between slices of bread by Enderwick, Barry W.

• DB129316 A Mind of Her Own by Steel, Danielle

• DB128129 The Kindness of Strangers by Weinberger, Andy

• DB127765 Securing Kalee by Stoker, Susan

Most popular KS1A user audio magazine downloads from July 2025

• Atlantic Monthly July, 2025

• The New Yorker July 07, 2025

• National Geographic June, 2025

• Southern Living May, 2025

• Southern Living April, 2025

• The Week July 18, 2025

• The Week July 04, 2025

• Economist June 28, 2025

• National Geographic July, 2025

• Mother Jones July, 2025

• Guide Posts June, 2025

• Smithsonian April, 2025

• Good Housekeeping July, 2025

• Economist July 05, 2025

   

  A full list of available magazines can be found on the NLS Website. 
  

Most popular KS1A user braille book downloads from July 2025

• BR25586 Divine Rivals by Ross, Rebecca (Rebecca J.)

• BR25363 An Amish Reunion: Four stories by Clipston, Amy; Fuller, Kathleen; Irvin, Kelly; &  Wiseman, Beth

• BRG04508 Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness + self-compassion practices to rewire your brain for calm, clarity + joy by Shapiro, Shauna L.

• BR04563 Mysteries of the Mummies: The story of the unwrapping of a 2,000-year-old mummy by a team of experts by David, A. Rosalie