Books listed in this issue of Braille Book Review were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.
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Note: For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language."
His Share of Glory: The Complete Short Science Fiction of
C.M. Kornbluth BR 11921
by C.M. Kornbluth
10 volumes
This collection of more than fifty short stories contains all
the solo works of Kornbluth, even those written under
pseudonyms. Includes an introduction by his longtime friend and
collaborator Frederik Pohl, who provides insights into
Kornbluth's short life. 1997.
The Diary of a Country Priest BR 11936
by Georges Bernanos
2 volumes
Story of a young priest who maintains his idealism and
dedication to God despite poor health, personal failures, and
malicious gossip. French Academy Grand Prize for the Novel,
1936. 1937.
Love Me Tomorrow BR 12108
by Rosanne Bittner
3 volumes
1850. When her wealthy husband Edward decides to leave
Pittsburgh for the West, young Maggie McCahan has no choice but
to accompany him. Maggie and their guide, Rafe Morrisey, are
immediately attracted to each other. The hardships they endure
only increase their love. Some violence and some explicit
descriptions of sex. 1998.
The Music School: Short Stories BR 12109
by John Updike
2 volumes (Reissue)
An anthology of twenty short stories, nine of them dealing with
divorce, in a style that explores stream of consciousness and
point of view. In the title work, the author ponders life and
divorce while waiting for his beloved daughter at her piano
lesson. 1966.
Look Homeward, Angel: A Story of the Buried Life BR
12167
by Thomas Wolfe
6 volumes
In this largely autobiographical novel, Wolfe describes Eugene
Gant, who longs to escape his drab existence with his alcoholic
father and neurotic mother in a provincial North Carolina town.
Finally, through his fascination with literature and ideas,
Eugene escapes to the university and later to Harvard. Some
strong language. 1929.
The Collected Short Stories BR 12176
by Jeffrey Archer
5 volumes
A compilation of the author's previously published short stories
featuring a final surprise or red herring at the end. In "Never
Stop on the Motorway," a woman alone is trailed by a maniac in a
van. In "The Perfect Murder," a man accidentally kills his
mistress and manages to go undetected. 1998.
The Bridge over Flatwillow Creek BR 12184
by Lance Wubbels
3 volumes
Minnesota, 1900s. Annie and Stuart's lives change the day that
Stuart rescues her from drowning in Flatwillow Creek. Even
though Annie's father insists that she marry the banker's son
and Stuart is torn between a career in the ministry versus one
in medicine, God's love shows them the way. 1998.
Rainbow Six BR 12192
by Tom Clancy
8 volumes
John Clark, ex Navy SEAL, is off to London to head up the
antiterrorist strike force, Rainbow Six, when his plane is
hijacked. He and coworker Ding Chavez quickly foil the attempt.
In England, the two deal with bank robbers, hostage situations,
a raid, and an environmentalist who thinks more of nature than
humans. Violence and strong language. Bestseller 1998.
Karoo BR 12197
by Steve Tesich
4 volumes
New Yorker Saul Karoo is a Hollywood script doctor who has an
array of diseases, worsened by excessive drinking and smoking.
He is plagued by his divorce and can no longer communicate with
his adopted college-age son, Billy. Now the scenes he has cut
from other people's movies are becoming part of his life. 1998.
Fado and Other Stories BR 12207
by Katherine Vaz
2 volumes
Twelve tales expressing yearnings, like the Portuguese fados
(songs of fate and longing). In the title story, a young girl
tells about her next-door neighbors--Xica, her son Manuel, and
his wife Marina--and the tragedy that consumes them. Some strong
language and some descriptions of sex. 1997.
The Company of Knaves: A Philip Fletcher Mystery BR
12220
by Simon Shaw
2 volumes
British actor Philip Fletcher needs to find the diary of his
late friend, fellow thespian Seymour Loseby, before a
blackmailer divulges its compromising secrets. Loseby's
politician son agrees to sponsor a knighthood for Fletcher in
return for his assistance. Fletcher resorts to crime to achieve
his goals. Some violence and some strong language. 1996.
Havana Bay BR 12222
by Martin Cruz Smith
3 volumes
Last seen in Red Square (RC 35879), depressed Russian
detective Arkady arrives in Cuba to investigate the murder of a
fellow countryman. The Cubans, including policewoman Ofelia
Osorio, resent the few remaining Russians on their communist
island, so Arkady is the only one interested in finding the
culprit. Some strong language and some violence. Bestseller
1999.
Asylum for Nightface BR 12224
by Bruce Brooks
1 volume
Fourteen-year-old Zimmerman's parents are always mocking him for
his religious beliefs until they join a cult while vacationing
in Jamaica. When their minister decides to use him as a "poster
boy" for his church, Zimmerman steals a valuable trading card in
order to tarnish his reputation. For junior and senior high
readers. 1996.
Hemingway's Chair BR 12225
by Michael Palin
2 volumes
British assistant postmaster Martin Sproale still lives with his
mother and has a shrine to Ernest Hemingway in his bedroom. When
a new supervisor fires old-timers and modernizes the post
office, Sproale decides to emulate his hero and protest. With
the help of a Hemingway scholar, American Ruth Kohler, Martin
rebels. Some strong language. 1995.
Glorie BR 12226
by Caryn James
2 volumes
Widowed for seven years, Glorie Carcieri still maintains a
running conversation with her beloved husband Jack. She resists
family pressures to sell her house and move into a retirement
home--after fifty years of marriage the house is all she has
left of her life with Jack. 1998.
Back of Beyond: Stories of the Supernatural BR 12236
by Sarah Ellis
1 volume
Twelve stories about teenagers whose everyday existence is
changed by encounters with the mysterious. In "Gore," sibling
teasing over possession of a new horror book takes on an ominous
tone. In "Knife," Curtis tells about a lost Swiss army knife
that strangely reappears. For junior and senior high readers.
1996.
Night Talk BR 12261
by Elizabeth Cox
3 volumes
Georgia, 1949. When Evie's father leaves the family, the
housekeeper and her daughter, Janey Louise, move in for eleven
years. The two girls of different races share everything at
home, but school and town are still segregated. Problems
intervene in the girls' enduring friendship. Some strong
language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex.
1997.
The Foreign Student BR 12262
by Susan Choi
3 volumes
In 1955 South Korean student Chang Ahn, called Chuck, arrives in
Sewanee, Tennessee, to attend the university. He is befriended
by a local woman, Katherine Monroe. As their friendship slowly
turns to romance, flashbacks tell of Chuck's experience in war-torn Seoul and Katherine's relationship since girlhood with an
older professor. Explicit descriptions of sex. 1998.
Midnight Magic: Selected Stories of Bobbie Ann Mason BR
12263
by Bobbie Ann Mason
3 volumes
Set in Kentucky, seventeen short stories revolving around
country people as they learn to cope with modern life. In "Big
Bertha Stories," Jeannette watches her husband's descent into
mental illness and its effects on her son. In "Residents and
Transients," a woman takes a lover when her husband moves to
Louisville. 1998.
Faithful unto Death: A Chief Inspector Barnaby Mystery BR
12266
by Caroline Graham
3 volumes
Chief Inspector Barnaby investigates the disappearance of
housewife Simone Hollingsworth, but it is unclear whether she
ran off, was kidnapped, or is dead. Barnaby begins looking in
earnest when her husband is murdered and two more women vanish.
Some violence. 1996.
This Time Last Year BR 12267
by Douglas Hobbie
3 volumes
Mourning his daughter's death, writer Henry Ash retreats to his
late brother-in-law's house in Vermont while his wife,
Elizabeth, travels abroad. Henry discovers computer files
chronicling the owner's private thoughts and regrets. Visiting
relatives arrive and they, too, are trying to cope with life's
losses. Another tragedy strikes at summer's end. Strong
language. 1997.
Mama Flora's Family BR 12268
by Alex Haley and David Stevens
4 volumes
A three-generation saga of Flora Palmer and her family. Born in
Mississippi, she moves to Tennessee, marries a sharecropper, and
raises her son and a niece. Years later, the children's
offspring include social activists, Black Muslims, respected
professionals, and a few with serious problems. All share a
common respect for their matriarch. Some violence. 1998.
Juneteenth BR 12277
by Ralph Ellison
3 volumes
Senator Sunraider lies in the hospital struggling to survive a
gunshot wound. The apparently white politician asks to see
Reverend Hickman, the African American minister who raised him.
In the course of their conversations, the senator recalls his
childhood and begins to understand his own complex racial
identity. Some strong language. Bestseller 1999.
Cloud Nine BR 12282
by Luanne Rice
3 volumes
Newly recovered from cancer, Sarah is given a chartered flight
as a present on her thirty-seventh birthday. The pilot, Will
Burke, has as many emotional wounds as Sarah. Together, with the
help of Will's daughter and even Sarah's estranged son, they
start over. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions
of sex. 1999.
Monkey Bridge BR 12285
by Lan Cao
2 volumes
In 1975 teenager Mai Nguyen and her mother escape from Vietnam
to live in northern Virginia's Little Saigon neighborhood. Mai,
although tortured by nightmares, adjusts to the strange culture;
her mother cannot escape her past and blames bad karma. After
her mother's death, Mai discovers the family history of sin,
betrayal, and murder. 1997.
California Time BR 12286
by Ernest J. Finney
3 volumes
The children of three immigrant families interact in
California's Great Central Valley from the late 1920s through
World War II. Portrays the interrelationship between the
Portuguese dairymen, the Japanese who raise chickens and
strawberries, and the Italians who grow grapes. Shows how they
are affected by the depression, new technology, and the war.
1998.
After You BR 12289
by Annie Garrett
2 volumes
Shortly after Clare battles breast cancer, her marriage is
further stressed by her husband's caring for his mother, who has
Alzheimer's disease. Then Clare hears from the wife of an ex-boyfriend from long ago. An accident has caused Riley to think
he's seventeen again, and he's desperate to see Clare. Some
strong language. 1998.
The Trial BR 12290
by Franz Kafka
2 volumes (Reissue)
On his thirtieth birthday, Josef K., a conscientious bank
official, is arrested in his lodgings on unstated charges. He is
constantly thwarted in his attempts to clarify his situation
even in court. A new translation by Breon Mitchell based on the
restored 1914 text. 1998.
Hannibal BR 12326
by Thomas Harris
3 volumes
Clarice Starling's career in the FBI has soured, but when
Hannibal Lecter's case is revived, she rejoins Jack Crawford to
track him down. Also searching is one of Hannibal's victims--wealthy, disfigured Mason Verger. Violence, strong language, and
some descriptions of sex. Sequel to The Silence of the Lambs
(RC 27020). Bestseller 1999.
Going after Cacciato BR 12371
by Tim O'Brien
3 volumes
This tough but lyric novel relates the saga of an American
soldier in Vietnam who goes AWOL and heads for Paris with the
rest of his squad pursuing him. Strong language. National Book
Award. 1978.
Island Justice BR 12372
by Elizabeth Winthrop
3 volumes
When Maggie Hammond inherits her godmother's house on an island,
she travels there with her Siberian husky. At first she has
every intention of selling the place, but after a while the pace
and beauty of the community draw her in--as do the romantic
overtures of naturalist Sam Matera. 1998.
Murder Shoots the Bull: A Southern Sisters Mystery BR
12373
by Anne George
2 volumes
Petite Patricia Anne Hollowell and her plus-size sister Mary
Alice Crane are thinking about getting involved in an investment
club with neighbor Mitzi Phizer, when Mitzi's husband is accused
of murdering his first wife. Of course the sisters feel they
must help. And their own families create problems too. 1999.
Fire and Ice: A Liam Campbell Mystery BR 12374
by Dana Stabenow
3 volumes
Recently demoted Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell deplanes at
his new post and finds a dead body on the tarmac; his former
lover, pilot Wy Chouinard, is bent over the corpse. Strong
language, violence, and explicit descriptions of sex. 1998.
1998.
Snow Man BR 12376
by Carolyn Chute
2 volumes
Soon after a U.S. senator is shot by a Maine right-wing militia
group, the household of a liberal Massachusetts senator finds
the wounded gunman on their grounds. As the senator's wife and
adult daughter secretly nurse the killer back to health, their
feelings for him grow. Strong language and explicit descriptions
of sex. 1999.
It's a Nold Story BR 12378
by Don O. Nold
1 volume
Humorous anecdotes, light verse, and short stories by Don Nold,
founder of Dialogue magazine. Nold broke into journalism
in 1930 at age eighteen. The hometown newspaper editor, planning
a vacation, asked Nold to run the agency in his absence. When
Nold lost his sight, he began publishing for blind people. 1991.
Her Forbidden Knight BR 12387
by Rex Stout
2 volumes
The "Erring Knights," a group of men who spend the day in the
lobby of New York City's Lamartine Hotel, establish themselves
as champions of Miss Lila Williams, the hotel telegrapher. When
newcomer John Knowlton shows an interest in Lila, they check him
out and learn he has a shady past. 1997.
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