June 5 Is World Environment Day

Protect the planet, read sustainably. Audiobooks save paper! Explore more than 178,000 titles in the Talking Book Program’s digital collection.

From the library:

HOW TO CHANGE EVERYTHING: THE YOUNG HUMAN’S GUIDE TO PROTECTING THE PLANET AND EACH OTHER (DB 102634) (BR 23709)

OPTIMISTIC ENVIRONMENTALIST: PROGRESSING TOWARDS A GREENER FUTURE (DB 88626)

THIS BOOK IS NOT GARBAGE: 50 WAYS TO DITCH PLASTIC, REDUCE TRASH, AND SAVE THE WORLD! (DB 103573) (BR 23771)

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Laurie E. Jasinski

Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Thursday, July 16, at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with author and research editor, Laurie E. Jasinski.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Ms. Jasinski’s career and book, DINOSAUR HIGHWAY: A HISTORY OF DINOSAUR VALLEY STATE PARK (DBC 18560). Following the talk, there will be a Q&A session.

Our Author Talks are held via Zoom, but you can join using just a telephone!

Participating is easy:

  • Use your landline to dial in via phone.
  • Use the “one-tap” number on your smartphone.
  • Alternatively, join via computer using the Zoom invitation we’ll send a week prior to the event.

To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.

We invite you to ask Laurie E. Jasinski questions about her book. Please submit your questions by July 9. We will select questions based on the responses to this form, and they may be asked during the event! Fill out the form here: Author Questions.

To RSVP, you can fill out our online registration form: Register Here.

Or if you prefer, reply to this email, or call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605.

Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge with her book or if you prefer to download it from BARD. Her book is also available to be mailed in a large print format. And, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).

DINOSAUR HIGHWAY: A HISTORY OF DINOSAUR VALLEY STATE PARK by Laurie E. Jasinski (DBC 18560)

NLS Annotation: “Where the Paluxy River now winds through the North Texas Hill Country, the great lizards of prehistory once roamed, leaving their impressive footprints deep in the limy sludge of what would become the earth’s Cretaceous layer. It wouldn’t be until a summer day in 1909, however, when young George Adams went splashing along the creek bed, that chance and shifting sediments would reveal these stony traces of an ancient past. Young Adams’s first discovery of dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River Valley, near the small community of Glen Rose, Texas, came more than one hundred million years after the reign of the dinosaurs. Indeed, nearly a century after their first discovery, the “stony oddities” of Somervell County continue to draw Saturday-afternoon tourists, renowned scholars, and dinosaur enthusiasts from across the nation and around the globe. In her careful, and colorful, history of Dinosaur Valley State Park, Jasinski deftly interweaves millennia of geological time with local legend, old photographs, and quirky anecdotes of the people who have called the valley home. Beginning with the valley’s “first visitors”—the dinosaurs—Jasinski traces the area’s history through to the decades of the twentieth century, when new track sites continued to be discovered, and visitors and locals continued to leave their own material imprint upon the changing landscape. The book reaches its culmination in the account of the hard-won battle fought by Somervell residents and officials during the latter decades of the century to secure Dinosaur Valley’s preservation as a state park.”—publisher marketing. 2008.

We look forward to having you join us on Thursday, July 16!

Dagger Awards Longlist 2026

Since 1955, the Dagger Awards, were established by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA). The longlists were announced on April 16th, the shortlists on May 28th, and the winners will be announced on July 2nd.

For more information check the Awards’ Website.

Here are the longlisted titles for 2026 that are in the TBP collection.

Gold Dagger

DON’T FORGET ME, LITTLE BESSIE by James Lee Burke (DB 130682, LB 05620)
KING OF ASHES by S. A. Cosby (DB 130044)
DEATH OF US by Abigail Dean (DB 128718)
NOT QUITE DEAD YET by Holly Jackson (DB 131109, LB 0005721)
FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon (DB 117781, LB 0000144)
RUSH by Beth Lewis (DB 0013135)
HOTEL UKRAINE by Martin Cruz Smith (DB 131188)
ART OF A LIE by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (DB 131965)

Whodunnit Dagger

ETIQUETTE FOR LOVERS AND KILLERS by Fitzgerald Healy (DB 130574)
MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE by Mel Pennant (DB 129922)

Twisted Dagger

DEATH OF US by Abigail Dean (DB 128718)
BEAUTIFUL UGLY by Alice Feeney (DB 126338, LB 0002874)
DON’T LET HIM IN by Lisa Jewell (DB 131308, LB 0005870)
WE LIVE HERE NOW by Sarah Pinborough (DB 130293)

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger

GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark (DB 133889)
KING OF ASHES by S. A. Cosby (DB 130044)
BIG EMPTY by Robert Crais (DB 126841, LB 0002605)
DEATH OF US by Abigail Dean (DB 128718)
SUCH QUIET GIRLS by Noelle Ihli (DB 129733)
WE ARE GUILTY HERE by Karin Slaughter (DB 131980, LB 0005717)

ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger

ETIQUETTE FOR LOVERS AND KILLERS by Fitzgerald Healy (DB 130574)
RETIREMENT PLAN by Sue Hincenbergs (DB 131326, LB 0005340)
WOLF TREE by Laura McCluskey (DB 127119)
VANISHING PLACE by Zoë Rankin (DB 132594)
HOLY CITY by Henry Wise (DB 132167)

Historical Dagger

FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon (DB 117781, LB 0000144)
RUSH by Beth Lewis (DB 0013135)
ART OF A LIE by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (DB 131965)

ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction

SHADOW OF THE BRIDGE: THE DELPHI MURDERS AND THE DARK SIDE OF THE AMERICAN HEARTLAND by Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee (DB 132637)
SPY IN THE ARCHIVE: HOW ONE MAN TRIED TO KILL THE KGB by Gordon Corera (DB 134875)
CIA BOOK CLUB: THE SECRET MISSION TO WIN THE COLD WAR WITH FORBIDDEN LITERATURE by Charlie English (DB 131492)
MURDERLAND: CRIME AND BLOODLUST IN THE TIME OF THE SERIAL KILLERS by Caroline Fraser (DB 129808)
ILLEGALS: RUSSIA’S MOST AUDACIOUS SPIES AND THEIR CENTURY-LONG MISSION TO INFILTRATE THE WEST by Shaun Walker (DB 129523)

Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation

SEESAW MONSTER written by Kotaro Isaka and translated from the Japanese by Sam Malissa (IN PROCESS)
BIG BAD WOOL written by Leonie Swann and translation from the German by Amy Bojang (DB 130226)

Hugo Award Finalists 2026

The Hugo Awards, Science Fiction’s most prestigious awards, were established by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) in 1953. The Hugo Awards are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”), which is also responsible for administering them. The finalists were announced on April 21 and the awards will be presented on August 30.

For more information check the Awards’ Website.

Here are the finalists for 2026 that are in the TBP collection.

Best Novel

DROP OF CORRUPTION: AN ANA AND DIN MYSTERY by Robert Jackson Bennett (DB 130146)
DEATH OF THE AUTHOR by Nnedi Okorafor (DB 127592, BR 26389 IN PROCESS)
SHROUD by Adrian Tchaikovsky (DB 133509)
EVERLASTING by Alix E. Harrow (DB 133195, BR 26638 IN PROCESS, LB 0008872)
INCANDESCENT by Emily Tesh (DB 130051)
RAVEN SCHOLAR by Antonia Hodgson (DB 129533)

Best Novella

AUTOMATIC NOODLE by Annalee Newitz (DB 131818)
CINDER HOUSE by Freya Marske (DB 133193)
MURDER BY MEMORY by Olivia Waite (DB 128766, LB 0005762)
RIVER HAS ROOTS by Amal El-Mohtar (DB 128099)
SUMMER WAR by Naomi Novik (DB 132598)
WHAT STALKS THE DEEP by T. Kingfisher (DB 133159)

Lodestar Award for Best YA Book

AMONG GHOSTS by Rachel Harman (DB 130616)
COFFEESHOP IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE by C.B. Lee (DB 131014)
HOLY TERRORS by Margaret Owen (DB 129512)
OATHBOUND by Tracy Deonn (DB 128108, BR 26216 IN PROCESS)
SUNRISE ON THE REAPING by Suzanne Collins (DB 127954, BR 26205, en español DB 128635)
THEY BLOOM AT NIGHT by Trang Thanh Tran (DB 128117)

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Tim Hemlin

Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m. (Central) with author and educator, Tim Hemlin.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Mr. Hemlin’s career and his Neil Marshall Series, starting with the first book, IF WISHES WERE HORSES (DBC 18230). Following the talk, there will be a Q&A session.

Our Author Talks are held via Zoom, but you can join using just a telephone!

Participating is easy:

  • Use your landline to dial in via phone.
  • Use the “one-tap” number on your smartphone.
  • Alternatively, join via computer using the Zoom invitation we’ll send a week prior to the event.

To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.

We invite you to ask Tim Hemlin questions about his book. Please submit your questions by June 9. We will select questions based on the responses to this form, and they may be asked during the event! Fill out the form here: Author Questions

To RSVP, you can fill out our online registration form: Register Here.

Or if you prefer, reply to this email, or call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605.

Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge with his book or if you prefer to download it from BARD. Also, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).

IF WISHES WERE HORSES: NEIL MARSHALL SERIES, BOOK 1 by Tim Hemlin (DBC 18230)

NLS Annotation: Neil Marshall is a creative writing graduate student at the University of Houston, a struggling poet, and a soon-to-be-divorced man. To make ends meet, he moonlights as a chef for a high society caterer. When his oldest friend, racehorse breeder Jason Keys is murdered, Neil finds himself also moonlighting as a private eye just to stay out of jail. The police view him as their prime-suspect but Neil has an even bigger worry–can he find Jason’s killer before becoming the next victim? Violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex. 1996.

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, June 16!

2026 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Longlist

Founded in 2009, The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction celebrates quality, innovation, and ambition of writing for books published in the last year in the previous year in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth. In order to qualify, the majority of the storyline must have taken place at least 60 years ago. The winner will be announced at the Borders Book Festival on Friday June 12.

For more information check out the Prize’s website.

Longlisted titles in the NLS Collection are:

VENETIAN VESPERS by John Banville (DB 133275)
HELM by Sarah Hall (DB 134025)
PRETENDER by Jo Harkin (DB 129104)
ARTIST AND THE FEAST by Lucy Steeds (DB 134519)
SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood (DB 134024)

April 30 is Children’s Day/Book Day (El Día de los Niños/Libros)

Two images one with a child's hand reading along with their finger on a book. The other is a child reading a picture book.

Every child deserves a story. The Talking Book Program offers books for kids in multiple formats.

From the library:

KIKIRIKÍ, STORIES AND POEMS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH FOR CHILDREN (DBC 26967)

ONCE UPON A TIME: CELEBRATING THE MAGIC OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS IN HONOR OF THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF READING IS FUNDAMENTAL (DB 30836)

WILD THINGS: THE JOY OF READING CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AS AN ADULT (DB 86992)

2026 Disaster Resilience Survey of Texans with Disabilities

Disability Rights Texas is conducting the 2026 Disaster Resilience Survey of Texans with Disabilities.

The survey will collect data on how prepared you are for disasters, what you are concerned about, and what you need to be more prepared.

The survey is for people with disabilities and people connected to the disability community. Your feedback could help emergency managers and policy makers create new resources, develop community trainings, and provide education about the disability community’s needs.

The deadline to complete the survey is May 31, 2026. If you need help completing the survey, or need it in a different format, email disaster@drtx.org, or call 1-800-948-1824.

Here are the links to the survey:

English: www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026Ready

Spanish: www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026Listo

American Sign Language (ASL) users can complete the survey by calling:

Video Phone: 1-866-362-2851

Purple 2 Video Phone: 512-271-9391

2026 Indies Choice Book Award

Originally established in 1991 as the American Bookseller Book of the Year, the Indies Choice Book Award celebrates the best Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children’s Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Debut Adult and Debut Children’s voted by indie booksellers. After a brief hiatus the awards are back for 2026! The shortlist was announced on March 11 and the winners were announced April 8.

For more information check out the Award’s website.

Adult Fiction

CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans (DB 129105, en español DB 132482)

Adult Nonfiction

ONE DAY, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS by Omar El Akkad (DB 127850, LB 0001346)

Children’s Picture Books

DON’T TRUST FISH by Neil Sharpson (DB 130282)

Middle Grade

TROUBLE WITH HEROES by Kate Messner (DB 130798, LB 0005921)

Young Adult

THEY BLOOM AT NIGHT by Trang Thanh Tran (DB 128117)

Debut Adult

BLACK-OWNED: THE REVOLUTIONARY LIFE OF THE BLACK BOOKSTORE by Char Adams (DB 133707)

Debut Children’s

WHALE EYES: A MEMOIR ABOUT SEEING AND BEING SEEN by James Robinson (DB 134716)