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The sampling published monthly in Access Press doesn’t represent the full array of programming. More programs and books are available.
Radio Talking Book is not just for listeners with visual disabilities. It can be an asset for people whose disabilities limit hand movements, making it difficult to read a book.
Enjoy programming anytime and anywhere 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. It provides a convenient way to tune in wherever and whenever.
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 details.
Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via an inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.
To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site, Minnesota Radio Talking Book. Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newsline. Register for the NFB Newsline by calling 651-539-1424.
The NFB-NEWSLINE service provides access to more than 500 magazines and newspapers, plus information on COVID-19 in the “Breaking News” section. To learn more, visit www.nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline.
Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate
Listen to RTB’s live or archived programs online at www.mnssb.org/rtb
Chautauqua*
Monday – Friday 6 a.m.
A Walk Around the Block, nonfiction by Spike Carlsen, 2020. A simple walk set Minnesota journalist Spike Carlsen off to investigate things we take for granted – from manhole covers and recycling bins to bike lanes and stoplights. Read by Yelva Lynfield. Thirteen broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 5.
Sharks in the Time of Saviors, fiction by Kawai Strong Washburn, 2020. In 1995 seven-year-old Nainoa falls from a ship, only to be rescued and returned to his parents by sharks. Though Nainoa is called a “miracle boy,” the family faces a tragedy that tests them to the breaking point. Read by Jack Rossmann. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 24.
Past is Prologue*
Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
Last Boat Out of Shanghai, nonfiction by Helen Zia, 2019. Shanghai has been China’s richest, most modern, and most westernized city. But after Mao’s revolution citizens with money fled to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the US. Read by Stevie Ray. 19 broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 12.
Bookworm*
Monday – Friday noon
A Painted House, fiction by John Grisham, 2001. In Arkansas, Luke Chandler’s family must do what it takes to bring in the cotton crop. But Luke witnesses things that could threaten his family’s entire community. Read by Karen Ray. 14 broadcasts; begins Thu, Jan. 13.
The Writer’s Voice*
Monday – Friday 1 p.m.
Beeswing, nonfiction by Richard Thompson, 2021. British singer, songwriter, and guitarist Richard Thompson recounts his rise to influential rocker with Fairport Convention; to the duo he formed with his ex-wife Linda; and as a solo artist. Read by John Potts. Nine broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 5. – L
It’s Garry Shandling’s Book, nonfiction by Judd Apatow, 2019. From writing TV comedies, to a career as a standup comedian, to creating and starring in two groundbreaking TV series, Garry Shandling’s comic genius inspired fans and fellow performers alike. Read by Scott McKinney. Nine broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 18. – L
The Milk Lady of Bangalore, nonfiction by Shoba Narayan, 2018. A writer returns to India from Manhattan and forms a friendship with the local milk lady. Read by Esmé Evans. Eight broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 31.
Choice Reading*
Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
Murder at Cape Three Points, fiction by Kwei Quartey, 2014. A drifting canoe found in the Gulf of Guinea contains the bodies of two murdered people. Detective Darko Dawson learns there’s no shortage of those who wish them ill. Read by Jim Gregorich. 10 broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 4. – L, V
The House of Rust, fiction by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber, 2021. Aisha, a Kenyan girl, goes to sea to find her missing father. Accompanying her is a wise, skinny, and very talkative cat, Hamza. After Aisha brings her father back to land, she sets out again to track down Hamza. Read by Holly Sylvester. 10 broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 18. – L, V
Afternoon Report*
Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
Thinking, Fast and Slow, nonfiction by Daniel Kahneman, 2011. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman summarizes recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking, to show the immense complexity of ordinary thought and reveal the gatekeepers in our minds. Read by Lannois Neely. 21 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 3.
Night Journey*
Monday – Friday 7 p.m.
In the Blood, fiction by Lisa Unger, 2014. Lana Granger is haunted by her mother’s murder. When she takes a job babysitting for 11-year-old Luke, she feels a strange bond with the boy who surprisingly knows far more about her past than he should. Read by Carol McPherson. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 3. – L, V
A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain, fiction by Adrianne Harun, 2014. Young girls are disappearing in western Canada, and it’s unclear why or who’s responsible. Young Leo and his friends are barely touched by these disappearances – until enigmatic strangers arrive in their mountain town. Read by Tom Speich. Eight broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 19. – L, V
The Dime, fiction by Kathleen Kent, 2017. Betty Rhyzak is from a family of Brooklyn police detectives. But her city street wisdom will take her only so far when she relocates to Dallas, and her first investigation goes sideways. Fiction read by Pat Kovel-Jarboe. 11 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 31. – L, V
Off the Shelf*
Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
Jack of Spies, fiction by David Downing, 2014. In 1913 Jack McColl performs missions for British Intelligence during overseas business trips. But when he meets Caitlin Hanley, an American journalist, he must choose between his assignment and the woman he’s fallen for. Read by David Zierott. 11 broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 4. – L, V
Abundance, fiction by Jakob Guanzon, 2021. Single father Henry has less than $100 and plans to spend it on his son’s eighth birthday present: a night in a hotel with a real bed and cable TV, instead of sleeping in Henry’s truck. Read by Jack Rossmann. 10 broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 19. – L, V
Potpourri*
Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
American Baby, nonfiction by Gabrielle Glaser, 2021. Journalist Gabrielle Glaser describes how the adoption industry removed children from their birth mothers and placed them with families, fabricated stories about infants’ origins and destinations, then closed the door firmly between the parties forever. Read by Jan Anderson. 10 broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 18.
Good Night Owl*
Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry, fiction by C.M. Waggoner, 2021. Dellaria Wells runs petty cons to keep a roof over her head and look after her mother. She’s also a talented fire witch. Soon she joins a team of women tasked with protecting their wealthy charge from unknown assassins. Read by Laura Young. 14 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 3. – L, S
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, fiction by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, 2008. In 1946 British author Juliet Ashton is tired of covering the sunny side of the war’s aftermath. But soon Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet’s name in a used book and invites neighbors to write her with their stories. Read by Carol McPherson. 14 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 24.
RTB After Hours*
Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
The Sweetness of Water, fiction by Nathan Harris, 2021. George Walker grieves his son Caleb who he believes was killed in the Civil War. George meets up with two young brothers, Prentiss and Landry, who had been slaves at the house next door. The three start a peanut farm, until Caleb returns to disrupt the household. Read by Therese Murray. 13 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 17. – L, V
Weekend Program Books
Your Personal World, 1 p.m. Sat, presents On Compromise by Rachel Greenwald Smith (L), read by Beverly Burchett.
Rated R, 11 p.m. Sat, presents The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony (L), read by Scott McKinney.
For the Younger Set, 11 a.m. Sun, presents Expelled by James Patterson and Emily Raymond, read by John Mandeville.
Poetic Reflections, noon Sun, presents Leonard Cohen: Poems and Songs (L), read by Scott McKinney.
The Great North, 4 p.m. Sun, presents “Gunflint Burning” by Cary J. Griffith, read by Tom Speich.
All times listed are Central Standard Time.
