READING LIST

 

PLAYAWAY AND BOOK COMBINATIONS

 

A Playaway device is a self playing digital audio book.  It comes with the book already on it and a battery to make it play.  Simply plug in your own earphones and enjoy.  No CDs or downloads.  You can adjust the speed of the narrator’s voice.

 

A Briefer History of Time – Stephen Hawking                               Book and Playaway

QB 981 .H3773 2005

The author addresses the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, the history and future of the universe.

 

 

Winning – Jack Welch                                                                      Book and Playaway

HF 5386 .W384 2005

Winning is a great read and a great business book.  It offers deep insights, original thinking, and nuts-and-bolts advice that are bound to change the way people think about work.

 

A Crack in the Edge of the World – Simon Winchester  Book and Playaway

F 869 .S357 W56 2005

In the early morning hours of April 18, 1906, San Francisco and a string of other towns were overcome by an earthquake registering 8.25 on the Richter scale.  It lasted little more than a minute and destroyed San Francisco.

 

Eldest – Christopher Paolini                                                            Book and Playaway

PZ 7 .P19535 El 2005

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatroix, cruel ruler of the Empire.

 

The 5th Horseman – James Patterson                                           Book and Playaway

PS 3566 .A822 A6154 2006

Somebody dies.  A young mother is recuperating in a San Francisco hospital when she is suddenly gasping for breath.  The call button fails to bring help. How did this happen?

 

The Truth With Jokes – Al Franken                                     Book and Playaway

JK 526 2004 .F73 2006

The master of political humor strikes again with a powerful and provocative message for Americans.

 

Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done – Larry Bossiday

HD 31 .B626 2002                                                                           Book and Playaway

A valuable and practical management guide that is must-reading for anyone who cares about business.

 

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim – David Sedaris

PS 3569 .E314 D68 2005                                                               Book and Playaway

An unforgettable collection from one of the wittiest and most original writers at work today.

 

The da Vinci Code – Dan Brown                                                    Book and Playaway

PS 3552 .R685434 D3 2006

A code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci.  A desperate race through cathedrals and castles of Europe, a truth concealed for centuries is revealed.

 

The Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren                                        Book and Playaway

BV 4501.3 .W37 2005

This book will help you understand why you are alive and God’s amazing plan for you.  It will guide you through a personal 40 day spiritual journey.

 

The Lion, the Witch , and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis                  Book and Playaway

PR 6023 .E926 L5

Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

 

Anansi Boys – Neil Gaiman                                                 Book and Playaway

PR6057 .A319 A85

“Fat Charlie” finds out how difficult and funny being the son of a “trickster” can be in this tale of fathers and sons.

 

 

BOOKS  AND  CDs

 

Alchemist – Coelho (5COPIES)                          Book and CD

PQ9698.13 .O3548

An enchanting novel tells the tale of the shepherd Santiago’s life-fulfilling quest.

 

Back Story – Parker                                              Book and CD

PS3566 .A686 B3

During a 1974 holdup of a Boston bank Emily Gordon is shot, nobody saw who shot her and the killers have remained at large.  Spenser must put together missing clues and the FBI report to find out the truth

 

Black and Blue - Quindlen                                   Book and CD

PS3567 .U336

Fran Benedetto leaves a dangerous marriage to make a fresh start with her son.  Living under a new name, she begins to build a more stable life for the two of them.  As she gains confidence and hope, Fran unravels the complex threads of family, identity, and desire that shape a woman’s life.

 

Black Box: The All-New Cockpit Voice Recorder Accounts of In-Flight Accidents                                                                 Book and CD

TL553.5 .B523

The recordings provide the only explanation of a crash.  This includes the 1996 Valujet crash in the Everglades and the ill-fated launch of the space shuttle Challenger.

 

Bleachers – Grisham                                             Book and CD

PS3557 .R5355 B58 2003

High school All-American Neely Crenshaw as probably the best quarterback ever to play for the Spartans.  Fifteen years later Neely has returned and the players sit in the bleachers replaying old games and reliving old glories.

  

Body of Evidence – Cornwell                             Book and CD

PS3553 .O692 B6

Someone is after Beryl Madison – spying on her, making threatening phone calls.  Terrified, she flees to Key West.  When she comes back home it’s not harassment that’s waiting…its murder

 

Cosmopolis – DeLillo                                            Book and CD

PS3554 .E4425 C67 2003

Billionaire financial genius Eric Packer boards his limousine to make his way across New York City for a haircut.  As the day passes, Eric’s progress is mired by a barrage of obstructions – from a Presidential visit to anarchists protesting the World Bank.

 

Death by Hollywood – Bocho                             Book and CD

PS3602 .O325 D43

When Bobby Newman spies on his neighbors through his $4,000 telescope, he sees a beautiful woman making love to a handsome actor named Ramon.  But when their pillow talk turns sour, Bobby watches as she bludgeons her love to death with his own acting trophy.  Instead of reporting it to the police he decides

 

Every Second Counts – Armstrong (5 COPIES)                    Book and CD

GV1051 .A77 A3

Lance Armstrong addresses the daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of testicular cancer to write about it. 

 

Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury                                   Book and CD

PS3503 .R167

The system was simple.  Everyone understood it.  Books were for burning…along with the houses in which they were hidden.  Guy Montag enjoyed his job.  He never questioned the burning…until now.

 

The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum… -Poe

PS3558 .O63684 F35                                             Book and CD

The nine short stories here are given a highly dramatic reading.  Poe’s suspense tales are some of the best ever written.  The book has additional writings not included on the CD.

 

The First Part Last – Johnson                            Book and CD

PZ7 .J629 Fi

Bobby’s a classic teenager.  He’s restless.  He’s impulsive.  But the thing that makes him different is this:  He’s going to be a father.  His girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant, and their lives are about to change forever.  Instead of spending time with friends, they’ll be spending time with doctors, and next, diapers.  They have options: keeping the baby, adoption…

 

The Flamboyant – Carlson                                  Book and CD

PS3553 .A73254 F57 2002

Lenora Demarest moves beyond expectations to become the first aviatrix in her adopted Puerto Rico.

 

For Love of the Game - Shaara                           Book and CD

PS3569 .H2 F67

Billy Chapel is a baseball legend, a sure Hall of Famer.  His love of the game has remained paramount; neither money nor fame has been his motivation.  But on the single day this story takes place, he finds himself in crisis.  It’s the final game of the season, and Billy’s got one last chance to prove who he is and what he can do.

  

Frankenstein – Shelley                                         Book and CD

PR5397 .F7

Victor Frankenstein stitches together a monster out of parts and brings him to life, exposing him to a world that hates and fears him.

 

Granny Dan – Steele                                             Book and CD

PS3569 .T33828 G73 1999

A simple box filled with mementos from a grandmother, offers the greatest legacy of all:  an unexpected gift of a life transformed, a long-forgotten history of youth and beauty, love and charm.

 

Holly – Deveraux                                                    Book and CD

PS3554 .E9273 H65 2003

A Christmas time tale of Hollander Latham and the love she rediscovers with a young man from her past.

 

Hot Ice – Roberts                                                   Book and CD

PS3568 .O243

Whitney MacAllister has all the wealth, power and beauty anyone could ever wish for, and is therefore profoundly bored.  Enter Douglas Lord, a good looking street-smart thief.  They come to a business agreement: they will search for the lost treasure of a long dead Madagascar queen.

 

Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper – Chessman    Book and CD

PS3553 .H4225 L93 2002

Lydia, succumbing to Bright’s disease, contemplates her life in the face of her own death, while Mary memorializes Lydia in her paintings.

 

The Maltese Falcon – Hammett                          Book and CD

PS3515 .A4347 M3

Sam Spade’s partner is murdered while working on a case, and it is Spade’s responsibility to find the killer.  In his search, Spade runs mortal risks as he comes closer to the answer.

 

Midnight Club – Patterson                                   Book and CD

PS3566 .A822

John Stefanovitch, a tough New York cop, has one mission in life-to nab Alexandre St. Germain, the most treacherous and powerful member of the Midnight Club – a secret international society whose membership is limited to an elite group of ruthless crime czars.

 

Old Man and the Sea – Hemingway                  Book and CD

PS3515 .E37

An old Cuban fisherman named Santiago finally catches a magnificent fish after weeks of not catching anything.  After three days of playing the fish, he finally manages to reel it in and lash it to the boat, only to have the sharks eat it as he returns to the harbor.

 

Pelican Brief – Grisham (5 COPIES)                  Book and CD

PS3557 .R5355 P4

Late one night, Justice Abe Rosenberg, is gunned down in his home.  Two hours later Myron Jensen the court’s youngest justice is strangled.  The country is stunned.  The FBI has no clues but Darby Shaw thinks she has the answer.

 

The Pleasure of My Company – Martin            Book and CD

PS3563 .A7293 P57 2003

Daniel is a young man whose life is rich and full, provided he never leaves his Santa Monica apartment.  So, except for the occasional trip to the Rite Aide he stays home a lot.  It is a good thing too, or he would never have been falsely implicated in a murder, never almost seduced Philipa, never done the impossible.

 

Report from Ground Zero – Smith                     Book and CD

HV6432 .S64

For fireman and writer Dennis Smith, the reality of 9/11 was brought home to him when he volunteered for duty at Ground Zero, the site of the destroyed World Trade Center.

 

Shark Trouble: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea –Benchley

QL638.9 .B46                                                           Book and CD

In this book of real-life stories and practical advice the author draws on more than three decades of experience with the ocean to help the reader understand the ocean and its creatures.

  

Shooter – Myers                                                     Book and CD

PZ7 .M992 SH 2004

Statement of Fact: 17-year old white male found dead in the aftermath of a shooting incident at Madison High School in Harrison County.  Conclusion: Death by self-inflicted wound.  “Deep inside you know that whoever gets up in your face gets there because he knows you’re nothing, and he knows that you know it too.”

 

Shopgirl – Martin                                                    Book and CD

PS3563 .A7293 S56 2000

A novella from a wild and crazy guy that is full of hilarious moments.

 

Skipping Christmas – Grisham                          Book and CD

PS3557 .R5355 S58 2001

The Kranks will be alone for Christmas.  They decide to go on a ten day Caribbean cruise instead of staying home to decorate for the “best-decorated street” award and make their neighbors angry.

 

Song Flung Up to Heaven – Angelou               Book and CD

PS3551 .N464

Maya Angelou survives two shattering assassinations of civil rights leaders and come to write her most famous novel.

 

Star Wars, Episode I, Phantom Menace – Brooks     Book and CD

PS3552 .R6596

In barren desert lands and seedy spaceports unfolds a tale of good and evil, myth and magic, of innocence and power. Introducing Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi Knights to the Empire.

 

Star Wars, Episode II, Attack of the Clones – Salvatore      Book and CD

PS3569 .A462345

Its ten years since the Phantom Menace and Anakin Skywalker is torn between his personal dreams and his Jedi duties.  Introducing the evil Dark Side of the Force.

 

Street Lawyer – Grisham (5 COPIES)                            Book and CD

PS3557 .R5355 S7

Michael was a rising star with no time for a conscience.  Then a violent encounter with a homeless man stopped him cold.  Michael did some digging and learned a dirty secret that would land him in the streets, an advocate for the homeless, a street lawyer and a thief.

 

Sula – Morrison                                                                  Book and CD

PS3563 .O8749

Sula and Nel are both black, both smart, and both poor.  Through their girlhood years they share everything.  All that changes when Sula gets out of the neighborhood and Nel stays, marries, and has children.

 

Time Machine – Wells (5 COPIES)                                 Book and CD

PR5774 .T5

An inventor invents a machine that allows him to travel to different moments in time and see how society had developed and what the people were like.

 

A Time to Kill – Grisham (5 COPIES)                             Book and CD

PS3557 .R5355 T56

In Clanton, two men rape a 10 year old girl.  The father takes justice into his own hands.  Jake Brigance struggles to save his client’s life and then his own.

 

Train Now Departing – Grimes                                       Book and CD

PS3557 .R48998 T73

Two short stores about women, one middle aged, one young.  They are alike in their expectations of life.  Both stories talk about the cruelty of being alone.

 

Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Smith                                    Book and CD

PS3537 .M2895

A coming of age story of a young girl set in the slums of Brooklyn at the turn of the century.

 

Widow’s Walk – Parker                                                     Book and CD

PS 3566 .A686 W53 2002

A seemingly dim blonde with a supermodel body is accused of murdering her banker husband.  He alibi: she was watching “Survivor” in another room.  Spenser has to make a connection to discover the truth.

MA 1/08