We have an eclectic reading taste at the Kansas Talking Books office. So many books, so little time.
Amanda Diggs, Production Manager
DB 13843 Ghost story by Peter Straub
Novel of the supernatural set in a small town in upstate New York where four old friends meet to honor the tradition of the Chowder Society by drinking and trading ghost stories. Since the sudden death of a fifth member the year before, the remaining members share the same frightening nightmare of imminent death. Some strong language. Bestseller. 1979.
Jason Brinkman, Library Assistant
DB 67035 When you are engulfed in flames by David Sedaris
Humor essayist recounts his experiences at home and abroad, including his encounter with dingoes in Australia, purchase of a skeleton in France, and attempt to quit smoking in Tokyo. The book title comes from a safety brochure Sedaris found in Hiroshima. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2008.
DB 54649 Do androids dream of electric sheep? by Philip K. Dick
In the year 2021 Rick Deckard is employed on a dying Earth as a bounty hunter. He seeks androids that look like humans and destroys them. Basis for the 1982 movie Blade Runner. 1968.
Michael Lang, Director
DB 110155 Fairy tale by Stephen King
"Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it. Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world." -- Provided by publisher.
DB 102760 A desolation called Peace by Martine Arkady
Ambassador Mahit Dzmare discovers that the death of her predecessor at a small independent mining station in the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire may not have been an accident. She must discover the killer, rescue herself, and save her station from expansion while navigating an alien culture. Contains some violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
Maggie Witte, Lead Readers’ Advisor / Outreach
DB 87501 Alien nation by Gini Koch
Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt is leaving jury duty when a man transforms into something monstrous in front of her. She kills it--and is quickly recruited by a secret organization. While learning to fight aliens, she becomes attracted to another agent. Violence, strong language, and explicit descriptions of sex. 2010.
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 72490 The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith
2020. In the Great Killing of 1870, vampires conquered the north, causing humans to flee to the tropics and the British Empire to rebuild itself as the Empire Equatoria. While on a goodwill tour in the north, Princess Adele, the empire's heir, is ambushed by a vampire clan. Violence. 2010.
Nataly Renfro, Machine Clerk
DB 84054 Every heart a doorway: Wayward Children series, book 1 by Seanan McGuire
What happens to children after they return from adventures in magical lands? Sometimes when they cannot cope with the real world, they end up at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. Nancy is a new arrival, trying to fit in, when a killer strikes. Contains some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2016.