Reading

Talking Books - New Books May 2008

Summary: Your regular update of new titles available for loan and sale from RNIB

• Adult fiction
• Adult non-fiction
• Children and young adult fiction
• Children and young adult non-fiction
• Books narrated by volunteers
• Welsh language titles

---

The following titles are only available for loan in the UK through a subscription to the Talking Book Service.

Adult fiction

Ahern, Cecelia

A place called here. 2007. Read by Caroline Lennon, 11 hrs 34 mins. TB 15498. Romance.

Ever since the day her classmate Jenny-May Butler vanished, Sandy Shortt has been haunted by what happens when something - or someone - disappears. Finding her has become her goal. Jack Ruttle is desperate to find his younger brother Donal who vanished into thin air a year ago. Sandy sets out on the trail but then she too disappears.

Baldacci, David

The collectors. 2007. Read by John Chancer, 13 hrs 22 mins. TB 15472. Thriller.

Camel Club series. Annabelle, a beautiful con artist, is planning the heist of the century. Jonathan DeHaven, the shy head of the Rare Books Division at the Library of Congress, is planning nothing more than an uneventful day amongst his cherished collection. But something fatal is waiting for him. When fellow librarian Caleb Shaw stumbles upon his colleague's body, his friends in the Camel Club are determined to investigate this inexplicable death.

Cornwell, Bernard

The last kingdom. 2005. Read by Tom Sellwood, 12 hrs 57 mins. TB 15464. Historical Fiction.

The Saxon Chronicles, book 1. This book is set in England during the reign of King Alfred. Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of ninth-century Northumbria. Orphaned at ten, he is captured and adopted by a Dane and taught the Viking ways. Yet Uhtred's fate is bound up with Alfred, King of Wessex, who rules over the only English kingdom to survive the Danish assault. The struggle between the English and the Danes and the strife between Christianity and paganism is the background to Uhtred's growing up. Contains passages of violence which may be offensive.

Cornwell, Bernard

The pale horseman. 2006. Read by Tom Sellwood, 14 hrs 33 mins. TB 15499. Historical Fiction.

The Saxon Chronicles, book 2. Uhtred, Northumbrian born, raised a Viking and married to a Saxon, is a formidable warrior, and he, together with the thoughtful and pious Alfred, Alfred's family and a few of Uhtred's companions, are apparently all that remain of the Wessex leadership after a disastrous truce. Defeated comprehensively by the Vikings, Alfred and his Saxon followers seek refuge in Athelney, a tidal swamp and all that is left of Alfred's kingdom.

Cornwell, Patricia

Isle of Dogs. 2002. Read by Lorelei King, 13 hrs 17 mins. TB 14406. Crime Fiction.

Andy Brazil series. New Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, Judy Hammer is at her wits' end trying to protect the public from the politicians and vice versa. Amid the mayhem, an island off the coast declares UDI - claiming its independence lies with its first settlers - from London's Isle of Dogs. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

Cox, Josephine

Take this woman. 2000. Read by Maggie Ollerenshaw, 18 hrs 31 mins. TB 15114. Family Stories.

Laura works hard to support her family, but fate deals her a cruel blow when she is brutally raped. Bearing the child of her attacker in secret, she vows to make the world pay for its injustice. Laura becomes hardened, but she must learn to put her past behind her and give as well as take.

Delderfield, R.F.

Post of honour. 1968. Read by Christopher Oxford, 27 hrs 5 mins. TB 15131. Family Stories.

A horseman riding by series book 2. On village greens throughout Britain, stone memorials stand witness to the Great War and its terrible cost in human life. The remote Devon village of Shallowford is no exception. Many of its men fail to return, and many of those who do are forced to adapt painfully to the changing conditions of country life. As the aftermath of one war gives way to the gathering storm of the next, it is Paul Craddock's faith and firmness that help Shallowford to overcome slump and misery, and to face new dangers with confidence and courage.

Doyle, Roddy

Paula Spencer. 2007. Read by Alison McKenna, 8 hrs 20 mins. TB 15428. General Fiction.

When we first met Paula Spencer in "The woman who walked into doors" she was thirty-nine, recently widowed, an alcoholic struggling to hold her family together. This story begins on the eve of Paula's forty-eighth birthday. She hasn't had a drink for four months and five days. Contains language which may be considered offensive.

Gabaldon, Diana

Cross stitch. 1994. Read by Sally Armstrong, 33 hrs 14 mins. TB 15354. Historical Fiction.

Outlander series. In 1945, Claire Randall is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland. Innocently she walks through a stone circle in the Highlands, and finds herself in a violent skirmish taking place in 1743. Suddenly she is a Sassenach, an outlander, in a country torn by war and by clan feuds. Some passages of a sexual nature may be considered offensive.

Goudge, Elizabeth

The rosemary tree. 1967. Read by Nicolette McKenzie, 13 hrs 38 mins. TB 15163. Family Stories.

A novel of modern Devonshire, centering round the lives of the Wentworths at the vicarage, their old nannie and the village schoolmistress.

Grisham, John

The broker. 2005. Read by Vincent Marzello, 12 hrs 44 mins. TB 15474. Thriller.

With 14 years left on a 20 year sentence, notorious Washington powerbroker Joel Blackman receives a surprise pardon from a lame duck President. Smuggled out of the country, he's given a new identity in Italy. But he has enemies from his past. Contains passages of violence which may be considered offensive.

James, Erica

Love and devotion. 2005. Read by Penelope Freeman, 18 hrs 5 mins. TB 15168. Family Stories.

Harriet Swift thinks she has the perfect life but when her only sister is killed in a car crash, Harriet is forced to give up her well ordered life to help look after her orphaned niece and nephew. Will Hart also thinks he has the perfect life he believes in living for the moment and is entirely happy with his lot. Then from nowhere tragedy strikes and he faces the biggest challenge of his life. Some passages of a sexual nature may be considered offensive.

Jonker, Joan

I'll be your sweetheart. 2005. Read by Penelope Freeman, 12 hrs 22 mins. TB 15165. Family Stories.

Molly Bennett and Nellie McDonough series. With their happy and healthy children and grandchildren growing up around them, Molly and Nellie know they're two lucky ladies. And now it's time to watch Ruthie Bennett's friendship with Gordon Corkhill blossom into romance. But Molly and Nellie never forget those less fortunate than themselves - and when they hear that one of their neighbours has been robbed they do everything they can to help.

Kennedy, A.L.

Day. 2007. Read by Nick Underwood, 10 hrs 55 mins. TB 15099. War Stories.

Before Hitler and the bombs, Aldred Day was a boy in Staffordshire, helpless to defend his mother to resist his abusive father. The RAF taught him many things but it didn't prepare him for capture, for the prison camp and the chaos as the war wound down. Now it's 1949 and Alfred has taken the role of an extra in a PoW film. Shipped out to Germany and an ersatz camp, and begins to do what he's never dared - to remember.

King, Stephen

Song of Susannah. 2004. Read by Jeff Harding, 15 hrs 11 mins. TB 15122. Fantasy.

The Dark Tower series, book 6. Roland Deschain, gunslinger, hero, continues his perilous adventures in search of the key to the quest that will define his life. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

La Plante, Lynda

Above suspicion. 2006. Read by Kim Hicks, 13 hrs 3 mins. TB 15503. Crime Fiction.

Anna Travis series, book 1. Young Anna Travis has been assigned to her first murder case. It started eight years ago. The girls are all drug users and prostitutes and killed in the same way. Then a seventh body is found but this one does not fall into the usual remit. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

Lee, Maureen

The leaving of Liverpool. 2007. Read by Nerys Hughes, 13 hrs 24 mins. TB 15502. Family Stories.

It is a cold February night in 1925 when two teenage sisters - Mollie and Annemarie Kenny - escape from their home in an Irish village. Their beloved mother has died and the girls have suffered shocking abuse at the hands of their doctor father. Annemarie has been so traumatised she can barely remember her name and Mollie decides they should leave Liverpool and board a ship to New York. There she thinks they will be safe.

Lennox, Marion

His miracle bride. 2007. Read by Sarah Kants, 6 hrs 18 mins. TB 15397. Mills and Boon Romance.

Shanni Jefferson, temporarily homeless and jobless, she jumps at the offer of a live-in nannying position. How hard can it be to look after a baby? But Pierce MacLachlan has been economical with the truth - instead of one child there are five. Shanni wonders if family life with gorgeous Pierce might not suit her after all.

McNab, Andy

Dark winter. 2004. Read by Clive Mantle, 11 hrs 14 mins. TB 15507. Thriller.

Nick Stone series. When Stone is despatched to Malaysia by the CIA to assassinate a biochemist, he expects his mission to be a straightforward part of the fight against Bin Laden. But there are complications, not least because he is working alongside an attractive woman whose motives he doesn't fully understand. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

Min, Anchee

Empress Orchid. 2005. Read by Di Langford, 15 hrs 36 mins. TB 15339. Historical Fiction.

To rescue her family from poverty and avoid marrying her slope-shouldered cousin, seventeen-year-old Orchid competes to be one of the Emperor's wives. When she is chosen as a lower-ranking concubine she enters the erotically charged and ritualised Forbidden City. Orchid trains herself in the art of pleasuring a man, bribes her way into the royal bed, and seduces the monarch, drawing the attention of dangerous foes. Little does she know that China will collapse around her, and that she will be the last Empress. Unsuitable for family reading.

Némirovsky, Irène

David Golder. 2007. Read by Bill Wallis, 5 hrs 29 mins. TB 15497. Thriller.

Golder was born into poverty on the Black Sea, and has clawed his way to fabulous wealth by speculating on gold and oil. For years he has defended his business interests from cut-throat competitors. Now his health is beginning to show the strain. But, as his body betrays him, so do his wife and child.

Read, Miss

A country Christmas. 2007. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 5 hrs 38 mins. TB 15395. General fiction.

This is a festive collection of Christmas stories all based in and around the fictional rural village of Fairacre.

Read, Miss

The year at Thrush Green. 2007. Read by Sian Phillips, 7 hrs 35 mins. TB 15500. General Fiction.

Thrush Green series, book 12. As the spring months unfold in the peaceful Cotswold village of Thrush Green, so do the dramas of village life. The arrival of a stranger from America excites much interest and consternation; the serious illness of Mrs Peters, proprietor of the Fuschia Bush restaurant, makes the future uncertain for its employees; and for architect Edward Young, the problem of the old people's home will not go away.

Spark, Muriel

The prime of Miss Jean Brodie. 2000 (originally published 1961). Read by Kirstin Murray, 4 hrs 11 mins. TB 14998. General Fiction.

Miss Jean Brodie was a schoolmistress with a difference. Proud, cultured, romantic, her ideas were progressive, even shocking. And when she decided to transform a group of young girls under her tutelage into the "creme de la creme" of Marcia Blaine school, no one could have predicted the outcome.

Swift, Graham

Tomorrow. 2007. Read by Lindsay Duncan, 7 hrs 34 mins. TB 15476. Family Stories.

On a midsummer's night Paula lies awake. Mike, her husband of twenty-five years lies asleep beside her. Her two teenage children, Nick and Kate sleep in nearby rooms. The next day, Paula knows, will define all their lives. A revelation lies in store. Her children's future lies before them. The house holds a family's history and fate.

Trigiani, Adriana

Milk glass moon. 2003. Read by Regina Reagan, 8 hrs 2 mins. TB 15095. Romance.

Big Stone Gap series, book 3. This book continues the life story of Ave Maria as she faces the joys and demands of motherhood with her trademark humour and honesty. Reaching into the past to find answers to the present, Ave Maria is led to places she never dreamed she would go, and to people who enter her life and rock its foundation.

Vickers, Salley

The other side of you. 2006. Read by Alistair Petrie, 7 hrs 48 mins. TB 15353. General Fiction.

One day, a failed suicide, Elizabeth Cruikshank, is admitted to the care of psychiatrist Dr David McBride. As her account unfolds, David finds himself unusually touched by his patient's story of her tragic dereliction of love and trust, and by a haunting sense that his elusive patient's life has a special resonance for the hidden 'other side' of his own. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

Adult non-fiction

Autobiography and biography

Galloway, George

Fidel Castro handbook. 2006. Read by Robbie MacNab, 6 hrs 41 mins. TB 15117.

A look at Fidel Castro's life from childhood, through his dramatic conquest of power, and his extraordinary, charismatic leadership of Cuba over forty-seven years. The author has researched archives from Havana, London, Washington, and Madrid and concluded original interviews with Fidel Castro's contemporaries, in Cuba and throughout the world, that provide insights into his personality and achievements. Contains passages of violence which may be offensive.

Gissing, Vera

Pearls of childhood. 2007. Read by Vera Gissing, 7 hrs 50 mins. TB 15462.

In June 1939, shortly before her eleventh birthday, Vera Gissing escaped from occupied Czechoslovakia, leaving behind her parents, family and friends, to spend six years in Britain. Throughout the war years she kept a diary, recording her day-to-day experiences, her longing for her parents, her hopes and prayers for the freedom of her country.

Phinn, Gervase

Up and down in the Dales. 2005. Read by Gervase Phinn, 12 hrs 9 mins. TB 15505.

Dale series. Gervase Phinn, now in his fourth year as a schools inspector, continues to visit schools within his area of Yorkshire, from the little primary schools in the Yorkshire Dales to the inner-city schools with their often mulish adolescent pupils. At least he can leave school affairs behind him as he goes to home to his wife Christine, who is expecting their first child. That is until their own village school is threatened with closure and Gervase finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from Christine.

Thompson, Brian

Keeping mum. 2001. Read by Brian Thompson, 6 hrs 18 mins. TB 15504.

What's it like to be the man of the house when you're still only a boy? In 'Keeping mum', Thompson describes such a story. Whilst other children were evacuated out of the cities, Brian spent much of the war with an eccentric crowd of ribald relations. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

Science

Bodanis, David

Electric universe: how electricity switched on the modern world. 2006. Read by William Roberts, 6 hrs 43 mins. TB 15412.

For centuries, electricity was viewed as little more than a curious property of certain substances that sparked when rubbed. Then, in the 1790s, Alessandro Volta began the scientific investigation that ignited an explosion of knowledge and invention, transforming our world. The force that once seemed inconsequential was revealed to be responsible for everything from the structure of the atom to the functioning of our brains. Bodanis weaves tales of romance, divine inspiration and fraud through lucid accounts of scientific breakthrough to show us the history of electricity.

Travel

Grieve, Guy

Call of the wild: my escape to Alaska. 2007. Read by Glen McCready, 14 hrs 32 mins. TB 15506.

Guy Grieve's life was going nowhere - trapped in a job he hated, commuting 2,000 miles a month and up to his neck in debt. But he dreamed of escaping it all to live alone in one of the wildest, most remote places on earth - Alaska. And just when he'd given up hope, the dream came true. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

Mayle, Peter

Provence A-Z. 2007. Read by Andrew Sachs, 8 hrs 50 mins. TB 15508.

Provence series, book 4. A selection of aspects of Provence that Peter Mayle has found, in his twenty years there, to be the most interesting, delicious, or downright fun. He writes about subjects as diverse as architecture, expatriates, lavender, linguistic oddities and the museum of the corkscrew.

War

Dickison, Arthur

Crash dive: in action with HMS Safari, 1942-43. 2003. Read by Robbie MacNab, 12 hrs 1 min. TB 15414.

This record of life on board the submarine HMS Safari is based on original first-hand accounts. As the boat's leading telegraphist, Arthur Dickison had a privileged position in the crew, with access to all signals traffic and the navigation officer as his boss who gave him an insight into why they were doing what they did. Over 18 months of war patrols he kept a personal diary of life aboard Safari. In it he records daily events ranging from the tedium of long sea passages to stalking enemy convoys, crash dives and fighting it out on the surface.

Children and young adult fiction

Age ranges are given as a guide only

Age range 5-7

Geras, Adele

The cats of Cuckoo square. 2007. Read by Susannah Harker, 3 hrs. TB 15481. Animal Stories.

The cats of Cuckoo Square series, book 1-4. Four tales about a group of special cats.

Strong, Jeremy

Fanny Witch and the thunder lizard. 2007. Read by Susan Sheridan, 28 mins. TB 15509. Magic and Fairy Stories.

Everybody loves Fanny Witch, the village schoolteacher, but she's not so popular when she magics up a brontosaurus to show the children! Then the thunder lizard steals her Spell Book and she has no idea how to magic it away. When another monster, the boosnatch, takes all the children, Fanny has to rescue them!

Age range 8-11

Colfer, Eoin

Artemis Fowl and the lost colony. 2006. Read by Nathaniel Parker, 8 hrs 25 mins. TB 15465. Fantasy.

Artemis Fowl series, book 5. Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl finally meets his match. A second juvenile genius has discovered that fairies do exist and she's determined to capture one for scientific study - a demon. But there are more than two players in this deadly game.

Horowitz, Anthony

South by south east. 2007. Read by Nickolas Grace, 3 hrs 14 mins. TB 15468. Crime Fiction.

Diamond Brothers series, book 3. Tim Diamond, the world's worst private detective, is broke - as his much smarter younger brother Nick is quick to remind him. So when a mysterious stranger offers Tim a wad of money for his overcoat, it seems like a stroke of good luck.

Horowitz, Anthony

The French confection. 2005. Read by Nickolas Grace, 1 hr 35 mins. TB 15514. Crime Fiction.

Diamond Brothers series, book 4. When the hard-up Diamond brothers, Tim and Nick, win a weekend for two in Paris, it looks at as if their luck is taking a turn for the better. But no sooner have they arrived in the French capital than the brothers are up to their necks in danger. If Nick and Tim aren't careful, their dream holiday could end up being a nightmare from which they'll never wake.

Impey, Rose

My scary fairy godmother. 2007. Read by Gillian Walton, 4 hrs 22 mins. TB 15511. General Fiction.

When Isabella's mum becomes ill, she has to go and live with her scary but glamorous cousin, Maxine. Maxine takes one look at mousy little Isabella and knows exactly what she needs - a complete makeover. But not even Maxine's prepared for the monstrous results.

Strong, Jeremy

Beware! Killer tomatoes. 2007. Read by Paul Chequer, 2 hrs 7 mins. TB 15417. Humorous Fiction.

Jack's in trouble, big trouble. Not only is he in hospital but he knows the police are coming for him. Because of an accident - a tomato-related accident.

Strong, Jeremy

The karate princess. 2007. Read by Lesley Sharp, 1 hr 28 mins. TB 15480. Magic and Fairy Stories.

Karate princess series, book 1. The youngest of sixteen princesses, Belinda is not very beautiful or clever - but she is very good at one thing, karate, which she learns from her Japanese tutor. For seven years Belinda has been ignored while the king and queen worried about marrying off her elder, prettier sisters. But now it's Belinda's turn to find a husband. Can she use her karate skills to bring back the Bogle from the Marsh at the End of the World and claim her handsome prince?

Wilson, Jacqueline

Midnight. 2004. Read by Helen Lederer, 4 hrs. TB 15470. General Fiction.

Violet has always been in the shadow of her mesmerizing, controlling brother Will - by turns delightful and terrifying. But now Will has learned a shocking secret about his own past, and things seem to be getting worse. Violet retreats into fantasies based on the fairy characters created by her absolute favourite author, Casper Dream. The arrival of Jasmine, a new girl at school who immediately befriends Violet, seems like it might change Violet's life for the better.

Wilson, Jacqueline

Sleep-overs. 2007. Read by Susannah Harker, 1 hr 58 mins. TB 15469. General Fiction.

Daisy is the new girl at school. She is finding her feet with a new group of friends and has become part of the 'alphabet' club. As each one celebrates her birthday they have a sleepover party to which they invite the rest of the gang. With her own turn fast approaching Daisy is desperate to have a sleepover. But she is faced with a dilemma - if she does, she'll have to let her new friends meet her sister.

Age range 12–14

Higgins, Chris

Pride and penalties. 2007. Read by India Fisher, 6 hrs 10 mins. TB 15510. General Fiction.

Charlotte doesn't want a lot - just to play rugby and for her Dad to be proud of her. But her brother Will's the rugby star of the family, only he's got very different stars in his eyes. Soon they're both keeping secrets and so is their mum! Plus Gran is acting stranger and stranger. It also doesn't help that her sworn enemy is the one boy she can't stop thinking about. Good thing she's known as Spider, she'll need all the help she can get to untangle this web!

Jacques, Brian

Martin the warrior. 2006. Read by Jonathan Oliver, 13 hrs 13 mins. TB 15172. Fantasy.

Redwall series, book 6. Badrang the Stoat dreams of becoming the Lord of all the Eastern Coast. After two long seasons killing and conquering with his ferocious army of weasels, ferrets, foxes and rats, it seems as if nothing will stop him. But Badrang hasn't bargained for the bravery and fighting spirit of a young mouse called Martin - a mouse who refuses to bow down to the deadly tyrant and who will stand up for his right to freedom at any cost.

Nix, Garth

Lirael: daughter of the Clayr. 2004. Read by Hollie Garrett, 16 hrs 59 mins. TB 14478. Fantasy.

The Old Kingdom series, book 2. Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother and ignorant of her father's identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large, extended family living in the Clayr's Glacier. She doesn't even have the Sight - the ability to See into the present and possible futures - that is the very birthright of the Clayr. Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies. She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil - one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself.

Nix, Garth

Abhorsen. 2005. Read by Hollie Garrett, 12 hrs 37 mins. TB 14561. Fantasy.

The Old Kingdom series, book 3. An ancient evil has arisen - freed from its subterranean prison and seeking to escape the binding silver hemispheres which prevent it from finally unleashing its terrible powers. Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, knows that the fate of the world is in her hands. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the uncertain help of her companions - Sam, the Disreputable Dog and Mogget - Lirael sets out on her perilous mission. The answer must be found somewhere in Life or Death - but can a former Second Assistant Librarian possibly discover the means to defeat the Destroyer...before it is too late?

Rai, Bali

Dream on. 2002. Read by David Thorpe, 1 hr 8 mins. TB 15457. General Fiction.

Baljit's mates knew what was what. If you were good at football, really good, you could go places. But all his old man ever talked about was duty to the family and paying bills. Baljit couldn't just go on working in his old man's chippie. He wanted out!

Shearer, Alex

The great blue yonder. 2007. Read by Richard Mitchley, 4 hrs 25 mins. TB 15513. General Fiction.

'You'll be sorry when I'm dead'. That's what Harry said to his sister,

before the incident with the lorry. Now he is just that - dead. He wishes more than anything he could say sorry and goodbye to everyone he left behind, his mum, his dad, his best friend Pete, even Jelly Donkins, the class bully. Now he's on the Other Side, waiting to move on to the Great Blue Yonder. He meets Arthur, a small boy who's been dead for years, who helps him say goodbye.

Wilson, Jacqueline

Kiss. 2007. Read by Jacqueline Wilson, 7 hrs 15 mins. TB 15517. General Fiction.

Sylvie and Carl have been friends since they were tiny children. They've always played together, eaten with each other's families, called each other boyfriend and girlfriend and deep down, Sylvie has always believed that they'd end up married to each other. But as they become teenagers, things are starting to change. They each have different friends. Sylvie would still rather spend all her time with Carl. But Carl has a new friend, Paul, who is taking all his attention. Sylvie can tell his feelings have changed and that her plans for the future may be affected. But can she guess at the true reasons behind it all?

Wilson, Jacqueline

Love lessons. 2005. Read by Finty Williams, 6 hrs 10 mins. TB 15467. Romance.

Prue and her sister have been educated at home by their ultra-strict father all their lives. When Dad is suddenly rushed to hospital, Prue at last discovers what it's like to have a little freedom. Sent to school for the first time, Prue finds it difficult to settle in. The only person she can talk to is her kindly young art teacher, Rax. When she starts babysitting for Rax's children, she finds herself longing for the ten minutes she has alone with him on the way home.

Young adult

Kennen, Ally

Beast. 2006. Read by Danny Bage, 5 hrs 54 mins. TB 15127. General Fiction.

In the depths of a reservoir lives a monstrous creature. Its existence is unknown to anyone except the teenage boy, Stephen, who feeds it. Now the creature has grown huge and escaped the rusting cage. Stephen goes to his homeless Dad for help. Contains language which might be considered offensive.

Newbery, Linda

Set in stone. 2006. Read by Charlie Norfolk and Christopher Oxford, 9 hrs 25 mins. TB 15121. Thriller.

When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at their majestic home, little does he expect to come across such a web of secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as chalk and cheese - the beautiful younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, oddly sensible and controlled. Assisted by their elusive governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly why Marianne is so emotionally fragile. But his discoveries lead to revenge and betrayal - and lives all around are turned upside down as life and death combat each other for supremacy. Winner of the 2006 Costa Prize for children’s fiction.

Rennison, Louise

Startled by his furry shorts: fab new confessions of Georgia Nicolson. 2007. Read by Louise Rennison, 4 hrs 50 mins. TB 15471. Humorous Fiction.

Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, book 7. "Why did I admit I wanted Masimo to be my proper boyfriend? Why? One minute he was snogging me, and the next he was snogging wet Lindsay, stick insect and drip".

Swindells, Robert

Ruby Tanya. 2007. Read by Mina Anwar, 5 hrs 49 mins. TB 15512. General Fiction.

When the bomb goes off at the school, killing the student teacher, it looks as if the friendship between Ruby Tanya and Asra could be over. Asra and her fellow asylum seekers are blamed - and Ruby Tanya's father is the one leading the campaign against them. There is soon a threat to send them back to their country and Ruby Tanya and Asra run away and hide but they find themselves stumbling upon something even more terrifying.

Children and young adult non-fiction

Age range 5-7

Alexander, Pat

The Lion first Bible. 2007. Read by Bernard Cribbins, 3 hrs 19 mins. TB 15477.

Here are more than sixty stories, specially chosen for young children, a foundation on which to build a growing knowledge of the Bible. Beginning with the creation of our world by a God who loves and cares for people, then moves through the nation of Israel and its leaders to the life of Jesus and what follows.

Books narrated by volunteers

Please note that the following titles are narrated by volunteers and that the quality of recording may be of a lesser quality.

Adult fiction

Melville, Herman

Great short works of Herman Melville.1969. 3 hrs. Order No: 400992. Short Stories.

Contains: Bartleby, the scrivener: a story of Wall-Street, The paradise of bachelors and The tartarus of maids.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft

Frankenstein or The modern Prometheus: the 1818 text; edited with introduction and notes by Marilyn Butler. 1994. 15 hrs 45 mins. Order No: 407612. Classic Fiction/Horror.

The editor examines the novel in the context of the radical sciences, and shows how Frankenstein's experiment relates to a contemporary debate between materialist science and received religion.

Adult non-fiction

Anatomy

Jones, Kim

Human movement explained; Kim Jones and Karen Barker. 1996. 21 hrs 31 mins. Order No: 401017.

Useful to students and practitioners of physiotherapy.

Anthropology

Grimble, Arthur

A pattern of islands. 1952. 12 hrs 4 mins. Order No: 407898.

Arthur Grimble tells of his work among the Gilbertese in 1913 which included a study of their social etiquette, mythology, fishing, mid-wifery, burial rites, and cooking among other things.

Aphrodisiacs

Allende, Isabel

Aphrodite: a memoir of the senses: the love of food and the food of love. 1998. 11 hrs 37 mins. Order No: 407584.

Personal narrative and erotic lore combine to offer recipes, poems, stories, paintings, and anecdotes focusing on the sensuality of food.

Arabic language

Linguaphone Institute

Linguaphone Arabic course. 1987. 34 hrs 42 mins. Order No: 409469.

Contents: Handbook: explanatory notes, vocabularies - Alphabet -

Translation and transliteration - Arabic lessons: [textbook] – Written exercises. Excludes: Spoken exercises (available on commercial cassette).

Surty, Muhammad Ibrahim Hafiz Ismail

Towards understanding Qur'anic Arabic: a manual teaching Arabic through the Qur'an (elementary). 1993. 19 hrs 18 mins. Order No: 409468.

An elementary course structured to facilitate careful graded progression. It contains examples from the Qur'an.

Art

Murray, Peter

The Penguin dictionary of art and artists; Peter and Linda Murray. 1983. 36 hrs 17 mins. Order No: 409335.

Autobiography and biography

Hewitt, James

Love and war. 1999. 12 hrs 30 mins. Order No: 407916.

An account of the love affair between James Hewitt and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Jenkins, Gary

Harrison Ford: imperfect hero. 1997. 11 hrs 53 mins. Order No: 401014.

An in-depth study of the actor.

Mahmoody, Betty

Not without my daughter; Betty Mahmoody with William Hoffer. 1989. 16 hrs 34 mins. Order No: 407917.

Betty Mahmoody visited her husband's native Iran with their young daughter and found herself held there against her will. This is the story of her struggle to escape.

Wax, Ruby

How do you want me? 2003. 5 hrs 18 mins. Order No: 400979.

A ruthlessly funny, self-deprecating and shockingly open account of a woman whose life began surrounded by anger.

Child care

Deveraux, Jane

Working with children in the early years; edited by Jane Devereux and Linda Miller. 2003. 13 hrs 2 mins. Order No: 407552.

A comprehensive study which pays particular attention to the range of provision available and to the diversity of good practice.

Cookery

Brown, Sarah

Cooking with a microwave: 101 essential tips. 1995. 2 hrs 9 mins. Order No: 401013.

Cousins, Barbara

Cooking without: a detoxification guide and recipe book for gaining and maintaining good health and weight control. 1995. 6 hrs 2 mins. Order No: 401012.

The recipes in this book obtain their flavour from ingredients which are health promoting and encourage the body to produce extra energy used for elimination, healing and weight control.

Counselling

Feltham, Colin

Handbook of counselling and psychotherapy; edited by Colin Feltham and Ian Horton. 2000. 46 hrs 44 mins. Order No: 400985.

An introduction to all essential aspects of theory and practice for students on professional training courses.

Drama

Shaw, Bernard

Pygmalion: a romance in five acts. 2003. 4 hrs 36 mins, Order No: 407608.

The phoneticist Henry Higgins is the Pygmalion figure who believes he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower-girl, into a duchess at ease in polite society. The one thing he overlooks is that his 'creation' has a mind of her own.

English language

Bryant, Pat

Creative writing. 1991. 9 hrs 12 mins. Order No: 400989.

Covering all aspects of creative writing, the course aims to help people gain complete confidence in writing.

Lakoff, George

Metaphors we live by; George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. c1980. 10 hrs 6 mins. Order No: 407901.

A guide to common metaphors from the perspectives of both linguistics and philosophy.

English literature

Waugh, Patricia

The harvest of the sixties: English literature and its background, 1960-1990. 1995. 13 hrs 11 mins. Order No: 400986.

From Lady Chatterley's Lover to The Satanic Verses, the author looks at the effects of changes in culture and society throughout the period.

Gardening

Harkness, Jack

How to grow roses: a handbook of the Royal National Rose Society. 1992. 3 hrs 10 mins. Order No: 401008.

Titchmarsh, Alan

Growing and using herbs. 1986. 1 hr 9 mins. Order No: 400995.

A compact guide to growing healthy herbs with an A to Z of culinary and ornamental herbs.

Health and wellbeing

Carr, Allen

Allen Carr's easy way to stop smoking. 2006. 6 hrs 1 min. Order No: 407909.

Recorded using synthetic speech. Allen Carr's unique method removes psychological dependence on cigarettes and has helped millions of people to become happy non-smokers.

Coleman, Vernon

How to conquer arthritis. 1996. 5 hrs 19 mins. Order No: 401009.

This book tells you the facts about arthritis, what doctors can do, how you can help yourself, and gives tips on pain control, diet and exercise.

Painell, Chrissie

Cosmopolitan short cuts to looking good and feeling great; by Chrissie Painell and Eve Cameron. 1990. 5 hrs 41 mins. Order No: 400997.

A guide to all aspects of beauty, health and wellbeing with quick tips and simple guidelines for healthy eating, body toning and clothes for classic style.

History

Austin, M.M.

The Hellenistic world from Alexander to the Roman conquest: a selection of ancient sources in translation; edited by M.M. Austin. 1981. 39 hrs 13 mins. Order No: 407572.

Brunton, Deborah

Health, disease and society in Europe, 1800-1930: a sourcebook; edited by Deborah Brunton. 2004. 17 hrs 34 mins. Order No: 401022.

Comprehensive coverage of the major themes and issues in nineteenth and early twentieth-century medicine.

Fraser, Antonia

Love and Louis XIV: the women in the life of the Sun King. 2006. 22 hrs 22 mins. Order No: 407906.

Kershaw, Ian

Hitler. 1991. 11 hrs 52 mins. Order No: 400988.

An examination of the nature and mechanics of Hitler's power and how he used it.

Rex, Richard

Henry VIII and the English Reformation. 1993. 11 hrs 5 mins. Order No: 400981.

An analytical account which aims to reflect the logic of the conditions, events, and policies of Henry's brief Reformation.

Human resources

Martin, Malcolm

Personnel practice; Malcolm Martin and Tricia Jackson. 2005. 15 hrs 24 mins. Order No: 407908.

An introduction to key concepts with up to date coverage of legislation.

Law

Thompson, Mark P

Modern land law. 2003. 38 hrs 47 mins. Order No: 409481.

Updated to include coverage of electronic conveyancing, the Land Registration Act 2002, developments in the law of mortgages and consideration of the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Meditation

Dass, Ram

Journey of awakening: a meditator's guidebook; edited by Daniel Goleman with Dwarkanath Bonner and Ram Dev (Dale Borglum); 1990. 13 hrs 2 mins. Order No: 400987.

The many paths of meditation from mantra, prayer, singing, visualisation and "just sitting", to movement meditations such as t'ai-chi are explored.

Military life

Beevor, Antony

Inside the British Army. 1991. 25 hrs 4 mins. Order No: 401015.

A comprehensive account of life in the British Army.

Music

Aston, Colin

Creative piano and keyboard playing, improvising and composing. 1995. 5 hrs 23 mins. Order No: 401010.

How to play any tune by ear, play hundreds of chords, how to fit chords to a melody and much more.

Conway, Pat

Instant guitar! 1993. 1 hr 32 mins. Order No: 400990.

This comprehensive study of the guitar for the beginner assumes no previous knowledge of the technicalities of music.

Levin, Bernard

Conducted tour. 1988. 8 hrs 29 mins. Order No: 400984.

A journey through twelve music festivals in Europe and Australia.

Natural history

Morgan, Elaine

The aquatic ape. 1982. 5 hrs 27 mins. Order No: 407600.

This book is the first full discussion of a theory originally propounded by Sir Alister Hardy, namely that man's evolutionary history includes a period of aquatic development.

Personal improvement

Cooper, Diana

Light up your life: discover your true purpose and potential. 1995. 5 hrs 22 mins. Order No: 400416.

Philosophy

Cunningham, Suzanne

What is a mind? an integrative introduction to the philosophy of mind. 2000. 14 hrs 50 mins. Order No: 409485.

The major foundational questions in contemporary philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and cognitive neuroscience are examined.

Morton, Adam

A guide through the theory of knowledge. 1997. 10 hrs 25 mins. Order No: 409486.

An introduction to epistemology. Topics include: beliefs and perception, induction and probability, and knowledge of minds.

Poetry

The penguin book of Renaissance verse 1509-1659; selected with an introduction by David Norbrook, edited by H.R. Woudhuysen. 1993. 38 hrs 45 mins. Order No: 400468.

The verse is arranged thematically and investigates the relationship between the poetry and politics of the age.

Haynes, John

Letter to Patience. 2006. 2 hrs 20 mins. Order No: 407904.

"Letter to Patience" is a book-length poem in iambic pentameter, set in 'Patience's Parlour' a small, mud-walled bar in northern Nigeria in 1993.

Psychology

Bowlby, John

Attachment and loss. Vol. 2, Separation: anxiety and anger. 1985. 21 hrs 11 mins. Order No: 400930.

The effect of separation on the development of the child and the psychopathology that often follows separation.

Eysenck, Michael W

Psychology for AS level; Michael W Eysenck and Cara Flanagan. 2000. 24 hrs 51 mins. Order No: 409474.

An accessible introductory text covering the most popular areas of psychology.

Gregory, R.L.

Eye and brain: the psychology of seeing. 1998. 5th ed. 13 hrs 17 mins. Order No: 407586.

Contains new sections on what babies see, motion perception, and on the impact of new brain imaging techniques.

Reflexology

Norman, Laura

The reflexology handbook: a complete guide; Laura Norman with Thomas Cowan. 1989. 11 hrs 12 mins. Order No: 400915.

How to use reflexology to relieve a wide range of physical problems.

Science

Davies, P.C.W.

God and the new physics. 1984. 11 hrs 56 mins. Order No: 401006.

How did the world begin and how will it end? Paul Davies argues that science may now be on the verge of answering these questions.

Gregory, R.L.

Mirrors in mind. 1997. 12 hrs 58 mins. Order No: 407587.

An introduction to mirrors and their place in history, mythology and scientific inquiry.

Hancock, Graham

Underworld: flooded kingdoms of the Ice Age. 2002. 35 hrs 46 mins. Order No: 400982.

It appears highly probable that large populations of early humans were obliterated from historical record by the effects of the last Ice Age. This is an investigation into the nature of these populations.

Weightman, Gavin

Signor Marconi's magic box: how an amateur inventor defied scientists and began the radio revolution. 2003. 10 hrs 37 mins. Order No: 407905.

London, 1896, a young Italian gave the first public demonstration of a device he had created consisting of two wooden boxes, one of which could apparently transmit messages to the other. It was one of the most remarkable inventions of the nineteenth century.

Spiritual life

Levine, Stephen

Guided meditations, explorations and healings. 1993. 9 hrs 46 mins. Order No: 401004.

The essence of their investigations into the unseen reaches of human consciousness, shared with all who seek spiritual renewal and a merciful awareness of life.

Mountain Dreamer, Oriah

The invitation. 1999. 4 hrs 31 mins. Order No: 400484.

Cult bestseller 'The invitation' is more than just a poem. The author expands on the ideas behind the poem to create a guidebook for living a life full of integrity, commitment and passion.

Sport

McCord, Gary

Golf for dummies; by Gary McCord and Alicia Harney; foreword by Alice Cooper. 2006. 11 hrs 37 mins. Order No: 407910.

Recorded using synthetic speech.

Winner, David

Brilliant orange: the neurotic genius of Dutch football. 2001. 9 hrs 57mins. Order No: 400792.

Study skills

Northedge, Andy

The good study guide. Milton Keynes: Open University, 1990. 12 hrs 9 mins. Order No: 407609.

Designed to refine the study techniques and meet the needs of social science and humanities students including anyone returning to study after a break.

Redman, Peter

Good essay writing: a social sciences guide. 2001. 2nd ed. 5 hrs 27 mins. Order No: 409480.

Approaches and techniques that can help everyone to write good essays. Covers referencing, avoiding plagiarism, what tutors are looking for etc.

Welsh language titles

Welsh fiction

Jones, Meinir Pierce

Y gongol felys. 2005. Read by Bethan Gwilym, 2 hrs 35 mins. TB 14865. Welsh General Fiction.

Mae gan Edith Morwenna Williams lawer iawn i'w adrodd am yr hyn ddigwyddodd iddi hi a'i theulu ar fferm y Gongol Felys adeg y Pasg, 1912. Mae mystery yn beth mawr gan Edith, oherwydd does dim llawer ohono yn y bywyd digynnwrf y mae hi a'i chwaer a'i brawd a'i modryb yn ei fyw yn eu cartref gwledig yng ngogledd Cymru. Mae hi'n gwybod am y byd, fel plentyn pob capten llong, ond wyr hi ddim cymaint am fyw. Ac mae Edith yn crefu am gyffro, am ryw antur i ddod a thorri'n donnau dros wastadrwydd ei bywyd, bywyd sydd fel y llyn ar ddiwrnod rhewllyd. Ond pan ddaw'r dirgelwch, daw a llawer gormod yn ei sgil.

Autobiography and biography

Arch, Charles

O'r tir i'r twr. 2007. Read by Jenkin Griffiths, 5 hrs 57 mins. TB 15360.

Cawn yma ail hanner hunangofiant Charles Arch, dilyniant i'w gyfrol gyntaf boblogaidd, Byw dan y bwa. Y tro hwn, dilynwn ei hynt a'i helynt o'r cyfnod y gwnaeth y penderfyniad digon anodd i adael ffermio ym mro uniath Gymraeg Ystrad Fflur, i gydio yn swydd Trefnydd Ffermwyr ifanc Maldwyn a setlo yn y Drenewydd.

James, E Wyn

Glyndwr: a gobaith y genedl. 2001. Read by J O Roberts, 2 hrs 43 mins. TB 15142.

'Cenedl heb gof, cenedl heb galon.' Ac yn y cof hwnnw, y mae gan Owain Glyndwr le allweddol, heddiw fel erioed. Wrth edrych yn ol dros y canrifoedd, gwelwn y portread o Glyndwr yn newid yn syfrdanol o gyfnod i gyfnod.

Rhys, Maureen

Prifio. 2006. Read by Maureen Rhys, 4 hrs 36 mins. TB 14899.

Yn y gyfrol arbennig hon cawn olwg y tu ôl i'r llenni ar fywyd un o

actoresau gorau a mwyaf adnabyddus Cymru. Roedd awgrym ysgafn Stewart Jones yn rhyfeddol o ddadlennol, oherwydd mae gwreiddiau Maureen Rhys yn ddwfn iawn yng Nghwm-y-Glo yn Eryri. Oddi yno y tyfodd y ferch hardd bryd dywyll yn actores lwyddiannus ar lwyfannau'r wlad ac ar y sgrin fach. A hithau'n fam i dri o hogiau ac yn wraig i un oactorion mwyaf adnabyddus

Cymru, cawn weld sut y cyfunodd yrfa heriol â gofalu am deulu.

Treharne, John

Geiriau ffydd: 100 o fyfyrdodau yn seiliedig ar rai o eiriau mwyaf cyfarwydd Iesu. 2007. Read by John Treharne, 9 hrs 59 mins. TB 14888.

Casgliad o fyfyrdodau gwreiddiol ar 100 o adnodau a dywediadau mwyaf cyfarwydd Iesu. Fe'u tynnir o'r Efengyl, yr Actau ac o Lyfr y Datguddiad. Rhoddir ychydig o gefndir i bob adnod ac esboniad o'r cyd-destun. Dyfynnir o'r Beibl Cymraeg Diwygiedig Newydd oni nodir yn wahanol.

• Giant Print books - New Books May 2008
• Back to New Books May 2008 homepage

Content author: cservices@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 16/05/2008 11:54