During this holiday season, here’s to a joyful present and a well-remembered past. May the closeness of friends and the comforts of home renew your spirits. Season’s greetings from Radio Talking Book.
Holiday Programming
Please join us at Radio Talking Book for our Holiday Programming broadcast. This annual tradition begins at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, and concludes at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26. (All times CST).
Weekend Program Books
Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) presents “The Power of Meaning” by Emily Esfahani Smith, read by Beverly Burchett. For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) presents “Flying” by Carrie Jones, read by Stevie Ray. Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) presents “Advice from the Lights” by Stephen Burt, read by Laura Rohlik. The Great North (Sunday at 4 p.m.) presents “The Big Marsh” by Cheri Register, read by Nan Felknor.
Books Available Through Faribault
Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault, MN. Their phone is 1-800-722-0550 and hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Their catalog is also online, and you can access it by going to the main website, www.mnbtbl.org, and then clicking on the link Search the Library Catalog. If you live outside of Minnesota, you may obtain copies of our books via an inter-library loan by contacting your own state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.
Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, live or archived programs from the last week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call the staff at the Radio for your password to the site.
Audio information about the daily book listings is also on NFB Newsline. Register for NFB Newsline by calling 651-539-2363.
Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate.
Chautauqua Tuesday, Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m
The Happiness Effect. Nonfiction by Donna Freitas, 2017. Social media has become a dominant force in many people’s lives. But many believe it has magnified something to a great degree: the need to look perfect. Read by Mary Hall. 13 broadcasts, began November 28. – L
The Internet of Us. Nonfiction by Michael Patrick Lynch, 2016. With access to the world’s information at our fingertips, we no longer need to go to the library in search of answers. The Internet has revolutionized the way we learn and know, and how we interact with each other. But in some ways, it seems we understand less. Read by Lannois Neely. 7 broadcasts, begins December 15. – V, L, S
Raising Robert. Nonfiction by Janet Favorite, 2017. When Robert is born, parents Janet and Carey knew nothing about Prader-Willi Syndrome – and neither did anyone else. With nowhere to turn for guidance, they must learn about the disability on their own. Read by Jodi Lindskog. 4 broadcasts, begins December 27.
Past is Prologue, Monday – Friday 9 a.m
Mrs. Sherlock Holmes. Nonfiction by Brad Ricca, 2017. Grace Humiston turned her back on New York society life to become one of the nation’s great crime fighters. She solved the famous cold case of an 18-year-old girl who disappeared in 1917. A detective and lawyer, Humiston also became the first female US District Attorney during a time when women rarely practiced these professions. Read by Michelle Juntunen. 16 broadcasts, begins December 11.
Bookworm, Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
Dodge City. Nonfiction by Tom Clavin, 2017. Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson led the effort to establish frontier justice in Dodge City, the most violent and turbulent town in the American West. Read by Stevie Ray. 15 broadcasts, began December 4. – V, L
My Kind of You. Fiction by Tracy Brogan, 2017. Emily returns to her rustic northern Michigan town to renovate a property in exchange for a loan. But there are complications, including a man named Ryan. Read by Nan Felknor. 12 broadcasts, begins December 26.
The Writer’s Voice, Monday, Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
In Such Good Company. Nonfiction by Carol Burnett, 2016. Fifty years since “The Carol Burnett Show” went on the air, the beloved comedienne reminisces about the funny and touching moments that made her show a comedy legend. Read by Holly Sylvester. 8 broadcasts, began December 4. – L, S
His Father’s Son. Nonfiction by Tim Brady, 2017. Despite being a hero in both World Wars with charm and vigorous demeanor, Theodore Roosevelt’s son Ted seemed destined to live in his father’s shadow. Read by Al Apple. 13 broadcasts, begins December 14.
Choice Reading, Monday, Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
The Lioness of Morocco. Fiction by Julia Drosten, 2017. In 1830s London, marriage was Sibylla’s ticket to freedom and travel – until her new husband’s dark dealings threaten her family’s safety. Read by Esmé Evans. 14 broadcasts, began December 6.
The Stars Are Fire. Fiction by Anita Shreve, 2017. Fires along the Maine coast lead Grace Holland to discover the power of her own resilience, along with new freedoms and joys in the midst of catastrophe. Read by Anne Obst. 8 broadcasts, begins December 27. – L, S
PM Report, Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
Panic at the Pump. Nonfiction by Meg Jacobs, 2016. The 1970s energy crisis became a lesson in the limitations of government power. Mounting insecurity and skepticism set the stage for the rise of conservatism. Read by Nancy Bader. 20 broadcasts, began November 30.
Night Journey, Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
Fever in the Dark. Fiction by Ellen Hart, 2017. A same-sex couple are pleased their online marriage proposal video gets attention. But some of the attention is vicious and when a murder occurs, both are suspects. Read by Sue McDonald. 9 broadcasts, began December 5. – L
The Miser’s Dream. Fiction by John Gaspard, 2015. Magician Eli Marks is drawn into using his skills to solve a mystery, when he spots a dead body in the locked projection booth of the theater next door. Read by Art Nyhus. 9 broadcasts, begins December 18.
Off the Shelf, Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
The Second Winter. Fiction by Craig Larson, 2016. During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, a Dane helps Jewish refugees escape to Sweden. But a precious stolen necklace creates repercussions that last for decades. Read by Don Lee. 12 broadcasts, began December 4. – V, L, S
Who Killed Piet Barol? Fiction by Richard Mason, 2017. Piet Barol and his wife Stacey are living the high life, pretending to be French aristocrats in Cape Town. But their lives are quickly catching up to them. Read by Arlan Dohrenburg. 18 broadcasts, begins December 20.
Potpourri, Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
Three Stones Make a Wall. Nonfiction by Eric H. Cline, 2017. Archaeology began as an amateur pursuit, but over the last century has become a cutting-edge science. Eric Cline shares more than thirty years of stories and discoveries. Read by Lannois Neely. 16 broadcasts, began November 20.
Playing For Their Lives. Nonfiction by Tricia Tunstall and Eric Booth, 2016. Musicians with strong social consciences are organizing programs for children in some of the bleakest areas of the world. From its beginnings four decades ago, El Sistema is now in 64 countries across the globe. Read by Carol McPherson. 18 broadcasts, begins December 12.
Good Night Owl, Monday – Friday midnight
Sisi: Empress on Her Own. Fiction by Allison Pataki, 2016. Empress Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary, known as Sisi, captured the hearts of her people but felt stifled by the Habsburg Court and her marriage to Franz Joseph. Read by Bonita Sindelir. 18 broadcasts, begins December 4. – V, L, S
After Midnight, Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.
The Violated. Fiction by Bill Pronzini, 2017. When a sex offender is found dead in a small town, suspicion falls on the family and friends of his victims. A police chief and detective are pressured for an answer, where little information exists. Read by Chris Colestock. 7 broadcasts, began December 6. – V, L, S, RE
The Bitter Season. Fiction by Tami Hoag, 2016. Detectives Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac work on two cases a quarter century apart. Despite the years of difference, they must find answers before a killer strikes again. Read by Isla Hejny. 14 broadcasts, begins December 15. – V, L, S
Abbreviations: V – violence, L – offensive language, S – sexual situations
