Inspired by Anya Seton's 1954 historical romance, Katherine, popular novelist and historian Weir chronicles the lives of John of Gaunt and his long-term mistress and eventual third wife, Katherine Swynford. John of Gaunt...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Thoreau%2c+Henry+David.+Walden.-a0189598373
THOREAU, Henry David. Walden. Read by Mel Foster. 10 cds. 11.5 hrs. Tantor Audio. 978-1-4001-0693-6. $32.99. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. Includes eBook. JSA 

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." This is one of the most quoted...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Rhodes%2c+Richard.+Arsenals+of+folly%3b+the+making+of+the+nuclear+arms...-a0189598372
RHODES, Richard. Arsenals of folly; the making of the nuclear arms race. Read by Robertson Dean. 11 cds. 14.25 hrs. Books on Tape. 2007. 978-1-4159-4329-8. $120.00. Vinyl; content notes. A

Rhodes's detailed look at the nuclear arms race from the 1940s to the end of the 20th century is as frightening as it is fascinating. He begins with a dramatic recounting of the Chernobyl...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Persico%2c+Joseph+E.+Franklin+%26+Lucy%3b+President+Roosevelt%2c+Mrs....-a0189598371PERSICO, Joseph E. Franklin & Lucy; President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the other remarkable women in his life. Read by Ted Barker. 14 cds. 17 hrs. Books on Tape. 2008. 978-1-4159-5001-2. $129.00. Vinyl; content notes. A

This fascinating and revealing account of the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the women who surrounded him introduces the listener to the private life of...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Parker%2c+Matthew.+Panama+fever%3b+the+epic+story+of+one+of+the+greatest...-a0189598370PARKER, Matthew. Panama fever; the epic story of one of the greatest human achievements of all time--the building of the Panama Canal. Read by William Dufris. 14 cds. 17.75 hrs. BBCAudiobooks America. 2008. 978-0-7927-5263-9. $115.95. Vinyl; content, author, reader notes. SA

This touching story of one man's attempt to help another is written from the point of view of Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, who, on his way to work one day,...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Larson%2c+Kate+Clifford.+Assassin's+accomplice%3b+Mary+Surratt+and+the...-a0189598367LARSON, Kate Clifford. Assassin's accomplice; Mary Surratt and the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln. Read by Laural Merlington. 7 cds. 8 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2008. 978-1-4233-6373-6. $87.25. Vinyl; content, reader notes. SA

This is a fascinating part of our history that many may not be aware of. Larson presents a carefully researched and meticulously detailed story that allows the...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Fuller%2c+Alexandra.+The+legend+of+Colton+H.+Bryant.-a0189598366
FULLER, Alexandra. The legend of Colton H. Bryant. Read by Ed Sala. 6 cds. 6.25 hrs. Recorded Books. 2008. 978-1-4361-0736-5. $77.75. Vinyl; content, reader notes. SA

Colton Bryant was a third generation oil man and cowboy whose main desire in life was to grow up like his father Bill, doing the things he and his friends felt were important--hunting, fishing and breaking...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Dugard%2c+Martin.+The+training+ground%3b+Grant%2c+Lee%2c+Sherman%2c+and+Davis...-a0189598365DUGARD, Martin. The training ground; Grant, Lee, Sherman, and Davis in the Mexican War, 1846-1848. Read by Robertson Dean. 10 cds. 12 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2008. 978-1-4332-1457-8. $90.00. Vinyl; content, author, reader notes. SA

These military professionals first gained experience in the Mexican War (1846-1848) and then went on to play major roles in the Civil War less than two decades...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Chester%2c+Roy.+Furnace+of+creation%2c+cradle+of+destruction%3b+a+journey...-a0189598364
CHESTER, Roy. Furnace of creation, cradle of destruction; a journey to the birthplace of earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. Read by Bill Weideman. 6 cds. 7 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2008. 978-1-4233-6401-6. $82.25. Vinyl; content, reader notes. JSA 

This book explains three of nature's most violent phenomena: earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, using a combination of...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Bruchac%2c+Joseph.+Jim+Thorpe%3b+original+all-American.-a0189598363BRUCHAC, Joseph. Jim Thorpe; original all-American. Read by the author. 5 cds. 8.5 hrs. Listening Library. 2006/2007. 978-0-73936229-7. $40.00. Vinyl; content, author notes. JSA

Native American Jim Thorpe is a true American treasure. Bruchac's biography is written as if by Thorpe, told by Thorpe. All characters are real and all conversations and dialogue are as close to accurate as...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Basho%2c+Matsua.+%22Narrow+road+to+the+interior.%22.-a0189598362
BASHO, Matsua. "Narrow road to the interior." CHOMEI, Kamo no. "Hojoki." Read by "logo Igawa & Takashi Sudo. 2 cds. 2 hrs. Naxos Audio. 2008. 978-962-634-879-6. $17.98. Content notes. A

Two famous Japanese actors read these two classics of Japanese literature written in the 13th and 17th centuries. Although both are poems, they sound more like letters written to...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Zarr%2c+Sara.+Sweethearts.-a0189598361ZARR, Sara. Sweethearts. Read by the author. 5 cds. 5.75 hrs. Listening Library. 2008. 978-0-7393-6776-6. $24.95. Vinyl; plot, author notes. S

Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were childhood outcasts together: Jennifer was overweight, with a loving mother hardly ever home; Cameron was the object of ridicule and lived with an abusive father. On Jennifer's 9th birthday, she and Cameron...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Zarr%2c+Sara.+Story+of+a+girl.-a0189598360
ZARR, Sara. Story of a girl. Read by the author. 4 cds. 4.75 hrs. Listening Library. 2007/2008. $38.00. Vinyl; plot, author notes. S*

From the January 2007 KLIATT review of the book: "Deanna Lambert is a girl with a past. Ever since she was caught by her father having sex in the backseat of a car, her life has become a high school joke. The event not only haunts her but also...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Wyndham%2c+John.+Chocky.-a0189598359
WYNDHAM, John. Chocky. BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatization. 2 cds. 1.6 hrs. BBC Audiobooks America. 1953/2008. 978-0-7927-5435-0. $29.95. Vinyl; plot, author notes. JSA 

Many children have imaginary friends, so when 12-year-old Matthew starts a dialog with Chocky, his family doesn't worry. After all, his younger sister Polly had a friend called "Piff." But how many...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Wizner%2c+Jake.+Spanking+Shakespeare.-a0189598358
WIZNER, Jake. Spanking Shakespeare. Read by Mike Chamberlain. 6 cds. 6.5 hrs. Listening Library. 2007/2008. 978-0-7393-6325-6. $45.00. Vinyl; plot, reader, author notes. S

Having struggled because of his name all through his school career, Shakespeare Shapiro arrives at his senior year less socially adept than his freshman brother, overly self-analytical, sex-starved, and...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Winslow%2c+Don.+The+dawn+patrol.-a0189598357
WINSLOW, Don. The dawn patrol. Read by Ray Porter. 8 cds. 9.5 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2008. 978-1-4332-1487-5. $90.00. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. SA

One of the first things you'll notice is that this story consists of many short chapters, often just a sentence or two long. This technique works well with the fast-paced, seemingly nonstop action. The setting of this...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Winerip%2c+Michael.+Adam+Canfield%2c+watch+your+back!-a0189598356WINERIP, Michael. Adam Canfield, watch your back! Read by Patrick G. Lawlor. 6 cds. 8 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2007. 978-1-59737-099-8. $26.95. Cardboard; plot, reader notes. J

Adam Canfield could be the poster child for having "too much on one's plate." In addition to being the co-editor of his school newspaper, The Slash, he's dealing with a science fair scare, a 300-year-old tree to...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Wells%2c+Pamela.+Heartbreakers.-a0189598355WELLS, Pamela. Heartbreakers. Read by Stina Nielsen. 7 cds. 8 hrs. Recorded Books. 2007/2008. 978-1-4281-8329-2. $97.75. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. JS

Alexia, Sydney, Kelly, and Raven all attend the same high school, and are best friends. The girls don't spend much time together because Sydney, Kelly and Raven have steady boyfriends with whom they spend every weekend. It is a painful...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Von+Arnim%2c+Elizabeth.+Vera.-a0189598354
VON ARNIM, Elizabeth. Vera. Read by Nicki Pauli. 8 cds. 9.5 hrs. Bolinda Audio. 1907/2008. 978-1-9214-1507-4. $103.95. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. A

This chilling portrait of an abusive relationship--courtship and marriage--in which a ruthless 45-year-old egomaniac, Everard Wemyss, overwhelms a naive 22-year-old, Lucy Entwhistle, is described perfectly by Pauli. In a cultured...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Twain%2c+Mark.+The+adventures+of+Tom+Sawyer.-a0189598353TWAIN, Mark. The adventures of Tom Sawyer. Read by Graver Gardner. 8 cds. 7 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 1876/2008. 978-1-4332-1591-9. $70.00. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. JSA

Because it is a less sophisticated novel than the complex and picaresque Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is often dismissed as a children's novel. It is, to be sure, a very approachable book for many...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Twain%2c+Mark.+The+adventures+of+Huckleberry+Finn.-a0189598352
TWAIN, Mark. The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Read by William Dufris. 8 cds. 10 hrs.Tantor Audio. 1884/2008. 978-1-4001-0641-8. $34.99. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. Includes eBook. SA

After hearing this classic, I am convinced that Twain should only be read aloud so people can listen to his work. Twain is a great storyteller and Dufris's voice for Huck Finn is...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Thompson%2c+Victoria.+Murder+in+Chinatown.-a0189598351
THOMPSON, Victoria. Murder in Chinatown. (A Gaslight Mystery.) Read by Suzanne Toren. 8 cds. 9.5 hrs. Recorded Books. 2008. 978-1-4281-8848-8. $92.75. Vinyl; plot, author notes. SA

Early 20th-century New York is the setting for this fast-moving, suspenseful mystery featuring midwife Sarah Brandt, who investigates the disappearance of a 14-year-old half-Chinese girl...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sones%2c+Sonya.+What+my+mother+doesn't+know.-a0189598350
SONES, Sonya. What my mother doesn't know. Read by Kate Reinders. 2 cds. 2 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2008. 978-1-4233-6572-3. $44.25. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. J*

From KLIATT's review of the book, September 2001: "Another story told in a series of short poems, with a wide appeal, especially for young teenage girls. Sophie is the narrator, and she is full of enthusiasm for...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Simon%2c+Michael.+The+last+Jew+standing.-a0189598349
SIMON, Michael. The last Jew standing. Read by Tom Stechschulte. 9 tapes. 10.5 hrs. Recorded Books. 2007. 978-1-4281-6069-9. $72.75. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. A

Dan Reles is something of an enigma on the Austin Police Department. Jewish, and originally from Elmira, New York, his formative years involved the mob. Dan's father Ben, a former mob enforcer, has been out of Dan's...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Shaffer%2c+Mary+Ann+%26+BARROWS%2c+Annie.+The+Guernsey+Literary+and+Potato...-a0189598348
SHAFFER, Mary Ann & BARROWS, Annie. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Read by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee and Juliet Mills. 7 cds. 8 hrs. Books on Tape. 2008. 978-14159-5440-9. $80.00. Vinyl; plot notes. SA*

This moving epistolary novel starts in the winter of 1946, just after the end of WW II in a stark London, barely...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Rosoff%2c+Meg.+What+I+was.-a0189598347
ROSOFF, Meg. What I was. Read by Ralph Cosham. 4 cds. 4.5 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2008. 978-1-4332-0853-9. $36.00. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. SA

Award-winning author Rosoff's descriptions of a dismal boarding school in East Anglia (terrible teachers, terrible food, and no heat in the winter) set the stage for a remarkable friendship story. Hilary--a boy bullied by...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Reinhardt%2c+Dana.+How+to+build+a+house.-a0189598346
REINHARDT, Dana. How to build a house. Read by Caitlin Greer. 5 cds. 5.5 hrs. Listening Library, Random House Audio. 2008. 978-0-7393-6412-3. $45.00. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. S*

From KLIATT's starred book review, May 2008: "Harper's family is in a shambles. Her stepmother, the only mother Harper has known, is moving out and creating a new home for her children (the...]]>Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Petterson%2c+Per.+Out+stealing+horses.-a0189598345
PETTERSON, Per. Out stealing horses. Read by Richard Poe. 6 cds. 7.25 hrs. Recorded Books. 2008. 978-1-4361-2139-2. $92.75. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. SA

Tron Sander, at 67, has isolated himself in a cabin deep in the Norwegian forest, living alone with his dog. Here he reviews in a series of flashbacks the most significant period of his life, when he was 15 in 1948, after the...]]>