Holiday programming
Please join Radio Talking Book for its traditional Holiday Programming, beginning at 9 p.m. on Sat, Dec. 24, with regular programming resuming at 6 a.m. on Mon, Dec. 26.
Use an app to hear programs
Radio Talking Book is not just for listeners with visual disabilities. Anyone with difficulty reading or turning pages can enjoy the service.
Enjoy programming on a hand-held mobile device, for either iOS or Android. Visit the Apple App Store for iOS, or Google Play for Android, and download the Minnesota Radio Talking Book app.
Listen to RTB’s live or archived programs online at www.mnssb.org/rtb
Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available for loan through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. The catalog is at www.mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog. Call the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library at 800-722-0550, Mon-Fri, 9 am – 4 pm CST.
For more news, go to the Facebook site Minnesota Radio Talking Book.
Audio information about the daily book listings is on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newsline. Register for NFB Newsline by calling 651-539-1424. The NFB-NEWSLINE service provides access to more than 500 magazines and newspapers. To learn more, visit www.nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline.
Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate
The sampling published monthly in Access Press doesn’t represent the full array of programming.
Chautauqua*Monday – Friday 6 a.m.
The Urge, nonfiction by Carl Erik Fisher, 2022. An authoritative, illuminating and deeply humane history of addiction by psychiatrist striving to understand his own family and himself. Read by Lannois Neely. 15 broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 19.
Past is Prologue*Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
The War That Made the Roman Empire, nonfiction by Barry Strauss, 2022. An account of one of history’s most important and yet little-known wars, whose outcome determined the future of the Roman Empire. Read by Gary Rodgers. 14 broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 5.
The Inca, nonfiction by Kevin Lane, 2022. From their mythical origins to astonishing feats of engineering, an expertly informed reassessment of one of the great empires of the Americas: the Inca. Read by Dan Sadoff. Seven broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 26. – V
Bookworm*Monday – Friday 12 p.m.
Boom Town, fiction by Garrison Keillor, 2022. Bestselling author Garrison Keillor takes you back to Lake Wobegon, America’s most beloved fictional hometown. Read by Greg Olson. 10 broadcasts; begins Thu, Dec. 1. – L, R
The Ski Jumpers, fiction by Peter Geye, 2022. A writer and former ski jumper facing a terminal diagnosis takes one more leap—into a past of soaring flights and broken family bonds. Read by Tom Speich. 14 broadcasts; begins Thu, Dec. 15. – L, R
The Writer’s Voice*Monday – Friday 1 p.m.
The Beauty of Dusk, nonfiction by Frank Bruni, 2022. From New York Times columnist Frank Bruni comes a wise and moving memoir about aging, affliction, and optimism after partially losing his eyesight. Read by Philip Lowry. Nine broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec, 12.
Radiant, nonfiction by Liz Heinecke, 2021. The true story of an unlikely friendship between a dancer, Loie Fuller, and a scientist, Marie Curie, brought together by an illuminating discovery. Read by Holly Sylvester. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 26.
Choice Reading*Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
Other People Manage, fiction by Ellen Hawley, 2022. A quietly devastating novel, set in late 20th Century Minneapolis, about our failings and how we cope. Read by Diane Dahm. Six broadcasts; begins Thu, Dec. 1. – L
Tell Me How to Be, fiction by Neel Patel, 2022. A compulsively readable, funny, hard-hitting novel about family, Indian American culture, and the secrets we keep from the ones we love most. Read by Pat Muir. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 12. – L, S
Other People’s Clothes, fiction by Calla Henkel, 2021. Two American ex-pats obsessed with the Amanda Knox trial find themselves at the nexus of murder and celebrity in glittering late-aughts Berlin. Read by Michelle Juntunen. 13 broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 28.
Afternoon Report*Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
The Great Experiment, nonfiction by Yascha Mounk, 2022. A big-picture vision of the greatest challenge of our time—how to bridge the bitter divides within diverse democracies enough for them to remain stable and functional. Read by Eric Watkins. 11 broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 13.
Antitrust, nonfiction by Amy Klobuchar, 2022. Minnesota’s senior senator provides a fascinating exploration of antitrust law in America. Read by Carol Lewis. 14 broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 28.
Night Journey*Monday – Friday 7 p.m.
The Woman in the Blue Cloak (rebroadcast), fiction by Deon Mayer, 2018. South African police captain Benny Griessel must unravel a horrific murder and the theft of a rare painting. Read by Andrea Bell. Four broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 5. – V
Blood Up North, fiction by Fredrick Soukup, 2022. Cass and Jack’s sibling loyalty was forged in the crucible of their tragic upbringing in the Northwoods town of Backus, Minnesota. Now an illegal scheme endangers both of their lives. Read by Jeffrey Weihe. Seven broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 12. – L, V
The Ursulina, fiction by Brian Freeman, 2022. Deputy Rebecca Colder’s dark journey to reveal the truth about the Ursulina ultimately leads to an excruciating choice that will change her life forever. Read by Karen Ray. 11 broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 21. – L
Off the Shelf*Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
The Cartographers, fiction by Peng Shepherd, 2022. A highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret. Read by Michelle Juntunen. 16 broadcasts; begins Thu, Dec. 1.
Very Cold People, fiction by Sarah Manguso, 2022. A masterly debut novel about growing up in—and out of—the suffocating constraints of small-town America. Read by Parichay Rudina. Five broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 26. – L, S
Potpourri*Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
Beyond Order, nonfiction by Jordan B. Peterson, 2021. Guidance on the perilous path of modern life by a clinical psychologist and celebrated professor. Read by Phil Rosenbaum. 15 broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 5.
Whispers of the Gods, nonfiction by Peter Golenbock, 2022. Baseball greats from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s are brough to life through timeless stories told straight from the players themselves. Read by Nathan Hunter. Eight broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 26.
Good Night Owl*Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
Prince: The Last Interview (rebroadcast). nonfiction by various writers. 2019. The first, last and best interviews with music legend Prince across his nearly 40-year career. Read by Michelle Juntunen. 3 broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 6. – L
Necessary Deceptions, fiction by Pamela Nowak. 2022. A historical fiction about the wives of legendary old west lawman Wyatt Earp. Read by Cintra Godfrey. 16 broadcasts; begins Monday, December 12. – L, S, V
RTB After Hours*Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
Wild Rain (rebroadcast), fiction by Beverly Jenkins, 2021. A fearless female rancher forges her own path in the wake of the Civil War and becomes involved with a reporter from out east. Read by Karen Ray. Nine broadcasts; begins Thu, Dec. 1. – S
The Death of Jane Lawrence (rebroadcast), fiction by Caitlin Starling, 2021. A gothic horror set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England that upends expectations. Read by Brenda Powell. 16 broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 14. – V, S
Weekend program books
Your Personal World, 1 p.m. Sat, presents How To Not Die Alone by Logan Ury, read by Beverly Burchett; followed by Inspired by Matt Richtel, read by Beverly Burchett.
For the Younger Set, 11 a.m. Sun, presents The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill, read by Pat Muir.
Poetic Reflections, noon Sun, presents Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith, read by Mary Knatterud; followed by The Only Worlds We Know by Michael Lee, read by Jim Ahrens.
The Great North, 4 p.m. Sun, presents The View from Split Rock by Lee Radzak, read by Karen Ray.
