Talking Books Talk

Let your heart be light this holiday season by reading one (or all; there are no restrictions) of these cozy reads. These are books that tell stories of relatable, sometimes quirky characters and the relationships they build between each other without much, if any, explicitly graphic content. The term cozy is probably most well-known when referring to cozy mysteries but has expanded to use with many other genres and books for all ages.

Cozy reads may seem pretty straightforward with endings that finish all neat and tidy but the real strength of these books are the warm, close relationships, comforting messages, and mostly happy endings. Immerse yourself in these books whenever you have time or need a second to yourself, and let them brighten your holidays. Happy reading and warm wishes for this holiday season!

DB 98951 The house in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune 
As a case worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, Linus Baker spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. He is unexpectedly given a highly classified assignment: travel to a remote island orphanage where six dangerous children reside. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

DB 110401 The very secret society of irregular witches by Sangu Mandanna 
"As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat. As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 111420 Legends & lattes: a novel of high fantasy and low stakes by Travis Baldree 
"Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv, the orc barbarian, cashes out of the warrior's life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen. However, her dreams of a fresh start filling mugs instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune's shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners, and a different kind of resolve." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Strong language, some violence. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

DB 56114 Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery 
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm in Canada. There she proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. Complete and unabridged text. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1908.

DB 22906 Where the wild things are by Maurice Sendak 
After being sent to bed without supper for misbehaving, Max puts on his wolf suit and sails away 'through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year' to where the wild things are. An imaginative fantasy for grades K-3. Caldecott Medal 1964.

DB 44101 The BFG by Roald Dahl 
Sophie is taken from her orphanage by a big friendly giant ("BFG") who enjoys "dream blowing"-- sending happy dreams to children with his magical trumpet. Together they devise a plan to save the world from nine people-eating "cannybull" giants. For grades 3-6.

DB 31831 Stuart Little by E. B. White 
When Mrs. Little's second son is born, everybody notices that he is not much bigger than a mouse. In fact, they soon discover that he is a mouse! Because of his size, Stuart is always getting lost, but this is the least of his unique problems. For grades 4-7.

DB 106691 Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather S. Webber 
Anna Kate returns to a small Alabama town to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café. Despite her best intentions, Anna is drawn to the town her mother fled. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

DB 84392 A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman 
Ove has always been a grumpy man, and when he loses his wife and his job, he decides to commit suicide. But a lively family of new neighbors and a stray cat might give Ove a reason to keep living. First published in Swedish in 2012. 2013.

DB 107924 Remarkably bright creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 
After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift cleaning at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

DB 104764 A psalm for the wild-built by Becky Chambers 
Centuries ago, the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and disappeared into the wilderness. When Sibling Dex, a tea monk, meets Splendid Speckled Mosscap, a robot, they are the first person to encounter a robot in years. Dex and Mosscap travel through the woods together, engaging in philosophical conversation. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

DB 78978 The storied life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 
When his most prized possession, a rare volume of poetry by Edgar Allan Poe, is stolen, bookstore owner A.J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family, and associates. Then he receives a mysterious package that compels him to remake his life. Strong language. Bestseller. 2014.

DB 115232 The wishing game by Meg Schaffer 
"Make a wish. . . . Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it's like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher's aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability. But be careful what you wish for. . . . Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he's finally written a new book. Even better, he's holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy. For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack "the Mastermind" Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever. . . . You might just get it." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 119077 Sophie Go's lonely hearts club by Roselle Lim 
"Newly minted professional matchmaker Sophie Go has returned to Toronto, her hometown, after spending three years in Shanghai. Her job is made quite difficult, however, when she is revealed as a fraud-she never actually graduated from matchmaking school. In a competitive market like Toronto, no one wants to take a chance on an inexperienced and unaccredited matchmaker, and soon Sophie becomes an outcast. In dire search of clients, Sophie stumbles upon a secret club within her condo complex: the Old Ducks, seven septuagenarian Chinese bachelors who never found love. Somehow, she convinces them to hire her, but her matchmaking skills are put to the test as she learns the depths of loneliness, heartbreak, and love by attempting to make the hardest matches of her life." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 23625 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 
On a dark Christmas Eve, a boy who believes in Santa Claus boards a mysterious train, the Polar Express. He and the other children, still in their nightclothes, drink hot chocolate and sing carols as the train races through snowy landscapes carrying them to a huge city at the North Pole to visit Santa Claus. For preschool-grade 2 and older readers. Caldecott Medal. 1985.

DB 85266 The city baker's guide to country living by Louise Miller 
After pastry chef Olivia Rawlings accidentally sets fire to the Boston supper club where she works, she heads off to visit her best friend in rural Vermont. Olivia gets a job at the local inn and finds herself falling for fiddle player Martin McCracken. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2016.

DB 25892 Howl's moving castle by Diana Wynne Jones 
As the eldest of three daughters, Sophie Hatter knows that--according to fairy-tale convention--she's expected to fail first and worst when she sets out to seek her fortune. When the Ingarian countryside is threatened by both the moving castle of Wizard Howl and the schemes of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds a kind of courage and determination she's never known before. A magical fantasy for grades 6-9.

DB 67526 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows 
London, 1946. Writer Juliet Ashton corresponds with Dawsey Adams and other members of a literary society created as a front during the Nazi occupation of the British channel island Guernsey. Through letters, Juliet learns about their wartime experiences. Intrigued, Juliet sails to Guernsey, where she finds new inspiration. Bestseller. 2008.

DB 89990 The story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg 
Grieving widower Arthur eats lunch in the cemetery every day, to be near his wife's grave. There he meets troubled teenage Maddy, and the pair form a friendship that helps them both out of their isolation. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2017.

When most people think of horror, they think of haunted houses, terrifying monsters, masked killers, or other supernatural occurrences. But, perhaps one of the most disturbing tropes in horror is the innocent face of a child hiding something dark and sinister. They are often the only ones people don't expect to be behind, or even capable of, horrific happenings. Experience the eerie tales of possessed, supernatural, or just truly malevolent in this selection of horror books with nightmare children.

Explore these stories demonstrating that sometimes the scariest monsters come in the guise of the innocent right on your mobile device, any where you want, any time you want with BARD Mobile. BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled and Kansas Talking Books, allows every patron to download books and magazines in audio and digital braille to a mobile device, PC computer, and/or braille ereader for direct reading, or to a flash drive to listen with the player. Visit our website or contact our office (1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov) for more information or if you have any questions.

DB 91802 Baby teeth by Zoje Stage 
Suzette is a stay-at-home mother desperate to bond with her mute daughter, Hanna. The seven-year-old is all smiles and love with her father, Alex, but seems to hate Suzette. It could be a phase, but Suzette begins to fear that Hanna is trying to get rid of her. Contains some violence, strong language and explict descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

DB 15323 The bad seed by William March 
Bizarre story of a little girl whose lovely face and charming manners mask a chilling dark secret.

DB 27891 The fifth child by Doris May Lessing 
A man and a woman meet, appear perfectly matched to each other, fall in love, and are married. They buy the perfect home and begin to raise the perfect family, bearing two boys and two girls in rapid succession. But the birth of their strange fifth child, a son, soon begins to destroy all of their previous contentment.

DB 65808 We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver 
In a series of letters to her husband, Eva Khatchadourian examines their past in order to understand the reason their son Kevin chose to go on a killing spree a few days before he turned sixteen. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Orange Prize. 2003.

DB 104297 The book of accidents by Chuck Wendig 
Years after experiencing their own separate traumas, Nate and Maddie move to Nate's childhood home in rural Pennsylvania with their son, Oliver. There, Oliver meets a strange boy with secrets of his own and a taste for dark magic. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

DB 16457 Ariel by Lawrence Block 
Spooky tale of an appealing child who is possessed of a malevolent streak. After her adoptive mother bears a son of her own, the young girl is neglected. Then the boy dies, and the mother suspects that the mysterious Ariel is to blame. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex.

DB 96861 Imaginary friend by Stephen Chbosky 
Kate Reese and her son Christopher are on the run from an abusive relationship. They land in Mill Grove, a tight-knit Pennsylvania community. It seems perfect until Christopher vanishes. He emerges from the woods six days later, unhurt but hearing a voice in his head. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

DB 116912 The omen by David Seltzer 
"Jeremy Thorn and his wife, Katherine, have just welcomed the newest member of their family to the world: their beautiful son Damien. But as the boy grows, so does the terror surrounding him. Fatal accidents, suicides, and unexplained violence seem to follow the Thorns wherever they go--but why? And how can Damien have anything to do with the carnage and bloodshed? He is only a child. But Damien Thorn is like no child on Earth. He bears the mark of the beast. And his time is at hand. This audiobook edition is narrated by Holly Palance, who starred in David Seltzer's The Omen in 1976." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 84517 Little girls by Ronald Damien Malfi 
Laurie moves back to her childhood home after her father's suicide. Her husband and daughter love the house, but Laurie begins to hear things. And her daughter's new best friend looks just like her childhood playmate who died. Some violence and some strong language. 2015.

DB 59339 The other by Thomas Tryon 
1930s. In a small Connecticut town a series of bizarre events surround the once-well-to-do Perry family, whose male members have all died violently. The deaths seem mysteriously linked to twelve-year-old twins Niles and Holland. Some violence and some strong language. 1971.

Welcome to the unsettling world of domestic horror, where your comfy home transforms into a breeding ground for fear. These stories peel back the layers of “normal” life, revealing the sinister truths lurking just beneath the surface. From haunted houses to psychologically chilling family dynamics, domestic horror explores how the places, and the people with whom we should feel the safest can become our greatest nightmares. Join us as we delve into this brief selection of books that capture the essence of domestic dread, reflecting our deepest anxieties about the fragility of our perceived safe zones.

Uncover the dark secrets hiding behind closed doors in any of these books, all of which are available for scary fast download any time you want with BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download. The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled and Kansas Talking Books provide this free download service to all patrons. It can be used on your smartphone and/or tablet through the BARD Mobile app, letting you listen to books directly on the device. There is also a desktop application with built-in player for Windows PCs only, called BARD Express, or the website to download to a flash drive for use in the port in the player. Visit our website, call the office at 1-800-362-0699, or email KTB@ks.gov for more information on downloading books.

DB 21679 The haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 
During his scientific investigation of the ghosts in an old abandoned house, Dr. Montague invites a young man and two women to participate in his experiments.

DB 85265 Behind closed doors by B. A. Paris 
Jack has looks and wealth, and his wife, Grace, has charm and elegance. It's difficult to get to know Grace better, because Jack and Grace are never apart. Grace never answers the phone and can never meet for coffee. And there are bars on one of the bedroom windows. Contains some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2016.

DB 119233 My darling girl by Jennifer McMahon 
"Alison has never been a fan of Christmas. But with it right around the corner and her husband busily decorating their cozy Vermont home, she has no choice but to face it. Then she gets the call. Mavis, Alison's estranged mother, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only weeks to live. She wants to spend her remaining days with her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. But Alison grew up with her mother's alcoholism and violent abuse and is reluctant to unearth these traumatic memories. Still, she eventually agrees to take in Mavis, hoping that she and her mother could finally heal and have the relationship she's always dreamed of. But when mysterious and otherworldly things start happening upon Mavis's arrival, Alison begins to suspect her mother is not quite who she seems. And as the holiday festivities turn into a nightmare, she must confront just how far she is willing to go to protect her family." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 93085 Someone like me by M. R. Carey 
Gentle Liz Kendall is devoted only to her kids. Then a dark and malicious side of Liz begins to take control--a version of her that will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. To save herself and her family, Liz must stop this alter ego. Contains some violence and some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

DB 111782 Just like home by Sarah Gailey 
""Come home." Vera's mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories - she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there, beneath the house he'd built for his family. Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren't alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back and is slowly stripping Vera's childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn't the one leaving notes around the house in her father's handwriting... but who else could it possibly be? There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 88330 The changeling by Victor D. LaValle 
Apollo Kagwa believes he and his wife Emma are suffering the normal stresses of new parents, until Emma's erratic behavior turns horrifyingly violent. After committing a terrible act, Emma disappears, and his search for her sends Apollo on a journey to places he never imagined. Contains some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2017.

DB 116090 The only one left by Riley Sager 
At seventeen, Lenora Hope hung her sister with a rope. Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope's End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred. Stabbed her father with a knife. Took her mother's happy life. It's now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope's End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer-I want to tell you everything. "It wasn't me," Lenora said. But she's the only one not dead. As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there's more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor's departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth-and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

DB 116597 The September house by Carissa Orlando 
"A thrilling psychological horror debut about a woman who is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes haunted, no matter the cost... You can survive anything. That's what Margaret tells herself when the walls of her house start to drip blood every September. She's learned how to live with it...and the other terrifying apparitions that have made the sprawling Victorian house she and her husband bought four years ago turn from a dream home into a living nightmare. But she can outlast all of it. Hal felt differently, though. Her husband couldn't take the hauntings anymore, and he left. But now he's not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine arrives, intent on looking for her missing father, convinced something grim has happened to him. With every desperate attempt Katherine makes at finding Hal, the hauntings at the September House grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep." -- Provided by publisher. -- Strong language, violence. Commercial audiobook.

DB 105260 The last house of Needless Street by Catriona Ward 
In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods, an unspeakable secret binds a strange family together. But when a new neighbor moves in next door, something buried among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

DB 114719 A house with good bones by T. Kingfisher 
"In this ordinary North Carolina suburb, family secrets are always in bloom. Samantha Montgomery pulls into the driveway of her family home to find a massive black vulture perched on the mailbox, staring at the house. Inside, everything has changed. Gone is the eclectic warmth Sam expects; instead the walls are a sterile white. Now, it's very important to say grace before dinner, and her mother won't hear a word against Sam's long-dead and little-missed grandmother, who was the first to put down roots in this small southern town. The longer Sam stays, the stranger things get. And every day, more vultures circle overhead." -- Strong language, some violence. Provided by publisher.

DB 110609 Jackal by Erin E. Adams 
"It's watching. Liz Rocher is coming home reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn't exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward, passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the day of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the couple's daughter, Caroline, disappears-and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood. It's taking. As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: A summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She's seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in Liz's high school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart removed. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can't be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town's history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls. It's your turn. With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

DB 108427 Hidden pictures by Jason Rekulak 
"Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman's lifeless body. Then, Teddy's artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force. Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it's too late." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

DB 12162 Blood secrets by Craig Jones 
A romantic marriage between a beautiful woman and a secretive young man becomes a nightmare as the wife gradually uncovers terrifying secrets about her husband and his family. The wife watches as her daughter becomes drawn into the unspeakable horror that surrounds her husband's bizarre family life. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex.

DB 38470 Lost boys by Orson Scott Card 
Step and DeAnne Fletcher move to a new town and slowly adjust to their new community. Preoccupied with their own problems, Step and DeAnne do not realize that their eight-year-old son, Stevie, has become extremely introverted and is spending all his time with his imaginary friends. The terror begins when a connection is made between Stevie's friends and a rash of disappearances of other boys in the town. Strong language.