We hope that you can join us to discuss this psychological novel from acclaimed author Emma Cline. Here is the NLS annotation: The guest: a novel DB 114407 Cline, Emma. Reading time 8 hours, 39 minutes. Read by Carlotta Brentan. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Psychological Fiction Description: "Summer is coming to a close on the East End of Long Island, and Alex is no longer welcome. A misstep at a dinner party, and the older man she's been staying with dismisses her with a ride to the train station and a ticket back to the city. With few resources and a waterlogged phone, but gifted with an ability to navigate the desires of others, Alex stays on Long Island and drifts like a ghost through the hedged lanes, gated driveways, and sun-blasted dunes of a rarefied world that is, at first, closed to her. Propelled by desperation and a mutable sense of morality, she spends the week leading up to Labor Day moving from one place to the next, a cipher leaving destruction in her wake." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Your facilitator is Michelle Bernstein, (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: We are the Brennans DB 104795 Lange, Tracey. Reading time 9 hours, 41 minutes. Read by Barrie Kreinik. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: General; Psychological Fiction Description: When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. She deserted them all--and her high school sweetheart--five years before with little explanation, and they've got questions. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021. Your facilitator is Michelle Bernstein, (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

The Fiction Old and New book group is meeting on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. to discuss "Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center, D B C 1 1 9 3 9. We hope that you can join us to discuss this latest novel from one of our favorite authors. Here is the NLS annotation: Happiness for beginners DBC 11939 Center, Katherine. Reading time 9 hours, 49 minutes. Read by Leslie Rogers. A production of Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Talking Book Program. Subjects: General Description: A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It's supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother's even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can't imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen's well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming. Some strong language. Your facilitator is Michelle Bernstein, (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

The Fiction Old and New book group is honored to have guest host LeDon lead the discussion of Dennis Lehane's latest book, "Small Mercies'', DB 1 1 4 4 5 6 on Friday, November 3, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. We hope that you can join us to discuss this compelling suspense audiobook. Here is the NLS annotation: Small mercies: a novel DB 114456 Lehane, Dennis. Reading time 10 hours, 27 minutes. Read by Robin Miles. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Suspense Fiction; Historical Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories Description: "In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of "Southie," the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart. One night Mary Pat's teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn't come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched—asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don't take kindly to any threat to their business. Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city's desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

We hope that you can join us to discuss this entertaining audiobook. Here is the NLS annotation: Warrior girl unearthed DB 114761 Boulley, Angeline. Reading time 11 hours, 34 minutes. Read by Isabella Star LaBlanc. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories; Young Adult Description: "With the rising number of missing Indigenous women, her family's involvement in a murder investigation, and grave robbers profiting off her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry takes matters into her own hands to solve the mystery and reclaim her people's inheritance." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. Your facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water: a novel DB 110919 Cruz, Angie. Reading time 6 hours, 19 minutes. Read by Kimberly M. Wetherell Rossmery Almonte. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Family Description: "Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life. Over the course of twelve sessions, Cara recounts her tempestuous love affairs, her alternately biting and loving relationships with her neighbor Lulu and her sister Angela, her struggles with debt, gentrification and loss, and, eventually, what really happened between her and her estranged son, Fernando. As Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: The Lehman trilogy: a novel DB 101774 Massini, Stefano Dixon, Richard. Reading time 13 hours, 43 minutes. Read by Edoardo Ballerini. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Historical Fiction; Family Description: Henry Lehman leaves Bavaria for the United States to make a better life. He builds a textile dynasty in Alabama. Brothers Emanuel and Mayer expand the family's holdings. The generations of the Lehman family span one hundred fifty years. Translated from the original 2016 Italian edition. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020. Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: We all want impossible things: a novel DB 111246 Newman, Catherine. Reading time 6 hours, 58 minutes. Read by Jane Oppenheimer. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Friendship Fiction Description: "Edith and Ashley have been best friends for over forty-two years. They've shared the mundane and the momentous together: trick or treating and binge drinking; Gilligan's Island reruns and REM concerts; hickeys and heartbreak; surprise Scottish wakes; marriages, infertility, and children. As Ash says, "Edi's memory is like the back-up hard drive for mine." But now the unthinkable has happened. Edi is dying of ovarian cancer and spending her last days at a hospice near Ash, who stumbles into heartbreak surrounded by her daughters, ex(ish) husband, dear friends, a poorly chosen lover (or two), and a rotating cast of beautifully, fleetingly human hospice characters. As The Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack blasts all day long from the room next door, Edi and Ash reminisce, hold on, and try to let go. Meanwhile, Ash struggles with being an imperfect friend, wife, and parent--with life, in other words, distilled to its heartbreaking, joyful, and comedic essence." -- Provided by publisher. Unra Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: The displacements DB 109018 Holsinger, Bruce W. Reading time 13 hours, 38 minutes. Read by Austenne Grey. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Suspense Fiction Description: "To all appearances, the Larsen-Hall family has everything: healthy children, a stable marriage, a lucrative career for Brantley, and the means for Daphne to pursue her art full-time. Their deluxe new Miami life has just clicked into place when Luna--the world's first category 6 hurricane--upends everything they have taken for granted. When the storm makes landfall, it triggers a descent of another sort. Their home destroyed, two of its members missing, and finances abruptly cut off, the family finds everything they assumed about their lives now up for grabs. Swept into a mass rush of evacuees from across the American South, they are transported hundreds of miles to a FEMA megashelter where their new community includes an insurance-agent-turned-drug dealer, a group of vulnerable children, and a dedicated relief worker trying to keep the peace. Will "normal" ever return? A suspenseful read plotted on a vast national tapestry, The Displacements thrillingly explores what happens when priv Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: The whalebone theatre DB 110521 Quinn, Joanna. Reading time 18 hours, 25 minutes. Read by Olivia Vinall. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Historical Fiction Description: "One blustery night in 1928, a whale washes up on the shores of the English Channel. By law, it belongs to the King, but twelve-year-old orphan Cristabel Seagrave has other plans. She and the rest of the household—her sister, Flossie; her brother, Digby, long-awaited heir to Chilcombe Manor; Maudie Kitcat, kitchen maid; Taras, visiting artist—build a theatre from the beast’s skeletal rib cage. Within the Whalebone Theatre, Cristabel can escape her feckless stepparents and brisk governesses, and her imagination comes to life. As Cristabel grows into a headstrong young woman, World War II rears its head. She and Digby become British secret agents on separate missions in Nazi-occupied France—a more dangerous kind of playacting, it turns out, and one that threatens to tear the family apart." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. The Fiction Old and New book group will be discussing "The Whalebone Theater" DB 110521 by Joanna Quinn on Friday, April 7, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

The Fiction Old and New book group will be discussing the contemporary novel, "Nora Goes Off Script" by Anna Monaghan, D B 1 0 8 6 5 7 on Friday, March 3, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. Here is the NLS annotation: Nora goes off script DB 108657 Monaghan, Annabel. Reading time 6 hours, 59 minutes. Read by Hillary Huber. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Romance Description: "Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it's her job. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage's collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it's picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne'er do well husband Nora's life will never be the same. The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He'll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it's the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven days: it's the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

The Fiction Old and New book group discussed the classic novel, "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison. Two versions of this novel are available on BARD and both are posted below. Here are the two book annotations: 1. Invisible man DB 56346 Ellison, Ralph. Reading time 20 hours, 57 minutes. Read by Peter Jay Fernandez. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Subjects: Classics Description: Classic novel of a young black man's search for identity. Follows the unnamed protagonist from his youth in a Southern town through the depression years in Harlem, where he examines and rejects the values thrust on him by both whites and blacks. Some strong language. National Book Award 1953. 1947. 2. Invisible man DB 09600 Ellison, Ralph. Reading time 17 hours, 43 minutes. Read by Stanley Eisenberg. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Subjects: General Description: Classic novel of man's search for identity. Follows a young black man from his youth in a Southern town through the depression years in Harlem, where he examines and rejects the values thrust on him by both whites and blacks.. Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

The Fiction Old and New book group is privileged to welcome guest host Shelly Kane who will lead the discussion of the suspense novel, "Behind Every Lie" by Christina McDonald, D B 9 9 6 9 4 on Friday, January 6, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. Here is the NLS annotation: Behind every lie DB 99694 McDonald, Christina. Reading time 9 hours, 41 minutes. Read by Fiona Hardingham. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Suspense Fiction; Psychological Fiction Description: Eva Hansen wakes in the hospital after being struck by lightning and discovers her mother, Kat, has been murdered. Eva was found unconscious down the street. She can't remember what happened but the police are highly suspicious of her. Determined to clear her name, Eva heads from Seattle to London--Kat's former home--for answers. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

Here is the NLS annotation: Musical chairs DB 100230 Poeppel, Amy. Reading time 12 hours, 41 minutes. Read by Jackie Sanders. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: General Description: Cellist Bridget Stratton and her best friend Will are part of a chamber music trio in need of a new violinist. Bridget's plans for a relaxing summer in the Connecticut countryside crumble when her boyfriend breaks up with her and her two grown children show up with their own problems. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020. Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

The Fiction Old and New book group will be discussing "A Town Called Solace" by acclaimed Canadian author Mary Lawson, D B 1 0 8 0 1 0 on Friday, November 4, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Here is the NLS annotation: A town called Solace DB 108010 Lawson, Mary. Reading time 7 hours, 34 minutes. Read by Ian Lake. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Family Description: In 1970s Ontario, sixteen-year-old Rose is missing. Angry and rebellious, she stormed out of the house and simply disappeared. Left behind is seven-year-old Clara, Rose's adoring little sister. Clara finds comfort in caring for her hospitalized neighbor Mrs. Orchard's cat, until a strange man moves into Mrs. Orchard's house. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021. Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: The younger wife DB 107296 Hepworth, Sally. Reading time 9 hours, 20 minutes. Read by Zoe Carides. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Suspense Fiction Description: Heart surgeon Stephen Aston is looking to get married again, but he must first divorce his current wife--who can no longer speak for herself. His daughters, Tully and Rachel, believe his new fiancée, Heather, is nothing but a gold digger as she's younger than both of them. But Heather has her own secrets. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.Our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

Here is the NLS annotation: Lessons in chemistry DB 107538 Garmus, Bonnie. Reading time 11 hours, 57 minutes. Read by Bonnie Garmus. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Historical Fiction Description: In the early 1960s, chemist Elizabeth Zott has a lot of challenges as the only woman on her team at Hastings Research Institute. She falls for colleague Calvin Evans, but the double standards of the day eventually have her looking for a new chapter outside academia, hosting a television cooking show. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022. Your facilitator is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).

How to walk away DB 91087 Center, Katherine. Reading time 10 hours, 38 minutes. Read by Therese Plummer. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Subjects: Human Relations; Family Description: Margaret Jacobsen is in a plane crash with her boyfriend which leaves her paralyzed. In the aftermath, she reevaluates her relationships, reconnecting with the sister she hasn't seen in years and bonding with Ian, the tough physical therapist who won't let her give in to self-pity. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

Love & saffron: a novel of friendship, food, and love DB 106798 Fay, Kim. Reading time 3 hours, 48 minutes. Read by Kim Fay. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Friendship Fiction; Historical Fiction Description: In 1962, Joan Bergstrom, a twenty-seven-year-old just starting out as a food writer in Los Angeles, sends a fan letter and a gift of saffron to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a columnist from the Pacific Northwest. Their correspondence turns into a life-changing friendship. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

The nature of fragile things DB 102273 Meissner, Susan. Reading time 10 hours, 41 minutes. Read by Jason Culp. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Friendship Fiction; Historical Fiction; Human Relations Description: In 1905, a year before the earthquake that would devastate San Francisco, Irish immigrant Sophie Whalen is so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021. our facilitator for this group is Michelle Bernstein (hamletsweetlady@gmail.com).