Great Lakes Talking Books

11/21/2019

Our locally recorded book "Love Affair with the UP", by Cully Gage (DBC 16187)is now available for download from BARD or can be sent to you by your Talking Book Advisor. It was narrated by Dan Junttila from Calumet, MI, so you can enjoy listening to an authentic Yooper accent!

11/21/2019

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/16/throat-hurts-brain-hurts-secret-life-of-audiobook-stars-tim-dowling?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail

As the business booms, narrators talk tricky accents, lonely shifts and tackling 100 pages a day

02/14/2019

We now have BECOMING by Michelle Obama available! DB 92627 Reading time 19 hours, 5 minutes

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.
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02/14/2019

The Library of Congress Wants Your Opinion

Beginning in early March, a sample of patrons across the country who currently use services provided by the Library of Congress’s National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped–also known as NLS–will be invited to participate in a nationwide survey. The information collected from this survey will guide NLS as they move forward on a variety of projects to enhance and expand the braille and talking-book program and help us understand the needs of patrons. As a part of NLS’s cooperating network of libraries, [Library Name Here] encourages invited patrons to respond to the survey at their earliest convenience. Thanks for sharing your opinions!

02/05/2018

The Michigan Braille and Talking Book Library currently has over 350 locally recorded books available on digital talking book format, either through the library on digital cartridge or to be downloaded from the National Library Service's (NLS) online Braille Audio Reading Download (BARD) database. https://nlsbard.loc.gov/

In an effort to keep patrons informed of the newest books in the growing collection, we are now sending out a monthly email with the books completed in the previous month. Happy Reading!

MICHIGAN BIOGRAPHY
DBC11093 - Never Turn Your Back on an Angus Cow : My Life as a Country Vet by Jan Pol, narrated by Tracey Dolinar - The star of the TV show The Incredible Dr. Pol shares his amusing, and often poignant, tales from his four decades as a vet in rural Michigan. 2014. (7h 55m)

DBC11179 - If These Walls Could Talk : Detroit Lions : Stories from the Detroit Lions Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box by Lomas Brown, narrated by Michael P. Donovan - An insider's account of recent Detroit Lions football history includes a behind-the-scenes look at the era. Stories about coaches and stars include Wayne Fontes, Jim Caldwell, Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh, and more. 2016. (7h 44m)

PEOPLES OF MICHIGAN SERIES
DBC11167 - Latvians in Michigan by Silvija D. Meija, narrated by Adrienne Thelen (3h 8m)
DBC11171 - Norwegians in Michigan by Clifford Davidson, narrated by Adrienne Thelen (4h 8m)

CHILDREN’S BOOKS
DBC11190 - The Legend of Leelanau by Kathy-jo Wargin, narrated by Maximilian Froelicher - A young Ojibwe maiden is entranced by the Spirit Wood, where playful fairies known as the Pukwudjininees live, and wants to keep visiting there despite being forbidden to do so by her family. For grades 4-7. 2003. (17m)

DBC11189 - Nurse, Soldier, Spy : the Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero by Marissa Moss, narrated by Melanie Vandenberg - The true story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who at age nineteen disguised herself as a man in order to fight in the Civil War. She took the name Frank Thompson and joined a Michigan army regiment to battle the Confederacy. Sarah excelled as a soldier and nurse on the battlefield. Because of her heroism, she was asked to become a spy. For grades 4-7. 2011. (40m)

DBC05971 - An A from Miss Keller by Patricia Polacco, narrated by Shelby Alayne Antel - Trisha wants to write something that will please her demanding writing teacher who is rumored to have never given a student an A. For grades 2-4. 2015. (18m)

DBC05972 - Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco, narrated by Anabel Spencer - Fiona and her family moved from Ireland to Chicago to begin a new life. Yet, when the family is struck with misfortune, will Fiona's lace help save them? For grades 2-4. 2014. (22m)

DBC11193 - Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot : a True Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy that Dropped from the Sky by Margot Theis Raven, narrated by Rachel Beck - The true story of a young German girl, Mercedes Simon, and of the American pilot, Gail Halvorsen, who shared hope and joy with the children of West Berlin by dropping candy-filled parachutes during the World War II Airlift. For grades 4-7. 2002. (29m)

DBC11192 - The Legend of the Teddy Bear by Frank Murphy, narrated by Maxwell Sanders - A retelling of the legend of how American president Theodore Roosevelt inspired the making of the first stuffed toy bear. For grades 3-6. 2000. (20m)

DBC11194 - A is for America : an American Alphabet by Devin Scillian, narrated by Matthew Kowalczyk - Brief rhymes for each letter of the alphabet, accompanied by longer explanatory text, present features of the United States. For grades K-3. 2001. (31m)

DBC11191 - One Nation : America by the Numbers by Devin Scillian, narrated by Matthew Kowalczyk - A counting book presenting various aspects of the United States, from the concept of one nation to the hundred men and women in the U.S. Senate. For grades K-3. 2002. (23m)

DBC11145 - Spinster Goose : Twisted Rhymes for Naughty Children by Lisa Wheeler, narrated by Jacob Covert - Humorous nursery rhyme-style poems about rude and disruptive children. For grades K-3. 2011. (22m)

At the end of July 2017, the library compiled all titles into a catalog that is available for download from the library's website http://michigan.gov/btbl in text or audio formats. The catalog can also be sent in large print, braille, or electronic text formats. Call the library to have the catalog mailed or emailed to you 1-800-992-9012.

Access to the BARD web site is restricted to eligible readers. You will need a login ID and password to access it. If you do not have them, review the criteria for participation by reading the BARD application instructions and, if you qualify, request an account.

02/01/2018

1. IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN YOU THINK
by David Cay Johnston
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist describes how he believes the scope of the Trump presidency differs from all the others.

2. HORSE SOLDIERS
by Doug Stanton
A small group of Special Forces operatives fought the Taliban on horseback shortly after Sept. 11. The basis of the movie "12 Strong."

3. ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
A straightforward, easy-to-understand introduction to the laws that govern the universe.

4. TRUMPOCRACY by David Frum A former speechwriter for George W. Bush argues how the current president might push America to become an illiberal democracy.

5. LEONARDO DA VINCI by Walter Isaacson A biography of the Italian Renaissance polymath which connects his work in various disciplines.

6. TOGETHER WE RISE
by Women's March Organizers and Condé Nast
Photographs and profiles of the organizers and participants of the 2017 Women’s March.

7. HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE
by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
The Harvard professors examine the erosion of democracies in Europe and Latin America and recommend ways to avoid authoritarianism.

8. THE SQUARE AND THE TOWER by Niall Ferguson
The historian uses network theory to understand the past and the present.

9. THE LAST BLACK UNICORN by Tiffany Haddish
The comedian recounts growing up in South Central Los Angeles, exacting revenge on an ex-boyfriend and finding success after a period of homelessness.

10. WHEN by Daniel H. Pink Research from several fields reveals the ideal time to make small decisions and big life changes.

11. GRANT by Ron Chernow
A biography of the Union general of the Civil War and two-term president of the United States.

12. HILLBILLY ELEGY by J.D. Vance
A Yale Law School graduate looks at the struggles of the white working class through the story of his own childhood.
13. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
by David Grann
The story of a murder spree in 1920s Oklahoma that targeted Osage Indians, whose lands contained oil.

14. HOME SWEET MURDER by James Patterson
A true-crime story involving a lawyer, his wife and a man claiming to be a Securities and Exchange Commission agent.

01/30/2018

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The latest from Danielle Steel, Past Perfect is a spellbinding story of two families living a hundred years apart who come together in time in a startling moment, opening the door to rare friendship and major events in early-twentieth-century history.

Sybil and Blake Gregory have established a predictable, well-ordered Manhattan life—she as a cutting-edge design authority and museum consultant, he in high-tech investments—raising their teenagers Andrew and Caroline and six-year-old Charlie. But everything changes when Blake is offered a dream job he can’t resist as CEO of a start-up in San Francisco. He accepts it without consulting his wife and buys a magnificent, irresistibly underpriced historic Pacific Heights mansion as their new home.

The past and present suddenly collide for them in the elegant mansion filled with tender memories and haunting portraits when an earthquake shocks them the night they arrive.

01/30/2018

#1 New York Times Bestseller "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" is now available: DB 89802

With extraordinary access to the West Wing, Michael Wolff reveals what happened behind-the-scenes in the first nine months of the most controversial presidency of our time in Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the country―and the world―has witnessed a stormy, outrageous, and absolutely mesmerizing presidential term that reflects the volatility and fierceness of the man elected Commander-in-Chief.

This riveting and explosive account of Trump’s administration provides a wealth of new details about the chaos in the Oval Office

01/30/2018

In October, 2017, Reader Advisor Lynn Buckland-Brown attended orientation at the National Library Services for the Blind in Washington DC. She is pictured here with Reader Advisors from around the country and Vickie Collins, Orientation Coordinator, and Richard Smith, Chief, Network Division.

01/29/2018

Do you or someone you know have difficulty reading books and magazines? Are you aware that the United States Library of Congress provides FREE audio books and magazines on cartridge, along with a Talking Book machine and headphones, for people who love to read but find it a struggle to do so? There is no charge for postage- ever. Audio books and magazines can also be downloaded onto iOS or Android mobile devices. This service began by an Act of Congress in 1934 is still going strong!

Great Lakes Talking Books, Marquette, an affiliate of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, offers free library service to people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers reading materials in a variety of formats: in braille or recorded format, mailed to patrons for free or instantly downloadable online or through a mobile app.

As the Talking Book Advisor of Great Lakes Talking Books Advisory and Outreach Center, in Marquette, I want to spread the word about our free program. If you or someone you know has difficulty reading regular print, I encourage you to contact Lynn Buckland-Brown to learn more about what we have to offer. A physical or visual disability doesn’t have to limit your enjoyment of the written word. NLS offers books, magazines, and more, in accessible formats, so that all may read.
Lynn Buckland-Brown
Reader Advisor
Great Lakes Talking Books and Outreach Center
1516 Presque Isle Ave.
Marquette, MI 49855
1-800-562-8985 or (906) 228-7697