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Judge Stone: a novel DB136049 Authors: Davis, Viola, Patterson, James Reading Time: 11 hours, 22 minutes Read by: Viola Davis Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Legal Fiction, Women   “In Judge Mary Stone’s courtroom, a person has to take a stand. In Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), Judge Mary Stone is a local celebrity. Born a farmer’s daughter in a town where dogwoods bloom every spring and churches rise on every street corner, Judge Mary Stone holds her courtroom to the highest standard in the land. Do the right thing, or don’t do it at all. Then she draws the biggest case Alabama has ever seen. Criminally, it’s open-and-shut. Ethically, there is no middle ground. Essentially, it’s a choice between life and death. As she fights to determine the wisest course, Judge Stone will make history-or die trying.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.   New York, NY : Hachette Book Group, 2026.   Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the below link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/7024183?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUp1ZGdlJTJCU3RvbmU

BARD annotation The Ursulina DBC27483 Author: Freeman, Brian Reading Time: 10 hours, 52 minutes Production: Minnesota State Services for the Blind, Communication Center Read by: Karen Ray Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction   Deputy Rebecca Colder’s dark journey to reveal the truth about the Ursulina ultimately leads to an excruciating choice that will change her life forever. Adult. Strong language.   Ashland, OR : Blackstone Publishing, 2022. ©2022 Bookshare This book is not available on Bookshare.

BARD annotation The forget-me-not library DB133321 Author: Webber, Heather S. Reading Time: 11 hours, 48 minutes Read by: Hallie Ricardo, Stephanie Willis Subjects: Human Relations, Fantasy Fiction   “A detour. A chance encounter. Two women who alter the pages of each other’s story. Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for. Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books — and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way. When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.” — From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.   New York : Macmillan, 2025. Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the below link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6897949?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVRoZSUyQmZvcmdldC1tZS1ub3QlMkJsaWJyYXJ5JTJC

BARD annotation The deep, deep snow DB103386 Author: Freeman, Brian Reading Time: 10 hours, 8 minutes Read by: Laura Hatch Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction   When ten-year-old Jeremiah Sloan disappears, leaving behind his bicycle on a lonely road, Deputy Shelby Lake is assigned to the case. She discovers everyone around Jeremiah–including herself–is keeping secrets. Shelby worries as the case goes cold. But when a clue appears, the darkest lies come to light. Strong language and some violence. 2020.   Ashland : Blackstone Publishing, 2020. Bookshare This book is not available on Bookshare.

BARD annotation Hidden nature DB129760 Author: Roberts, Nora Reading Time: 14 hours, 57 minutes Read by: January LaVoy Subjects: Romantic Suspense, Mystery and Detective Stories   “Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store–and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world. After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance. She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young – the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening. Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case–and she’s willing to risk her life again if that’s what it takes to stop the horror.”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.   New York : Macmillan, 2025. Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the below link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6572947?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUhpZGRlbiUyQm5hdHVyZQ

This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6904003?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPXdoZW4lMkJ0aGUlMkJzdGFycyUyQmdvJTJCZGFyaw   The annotation from BARD is below:   When the stars go dark DB102900 Author: McLain, Paula Reading Time: 11 hours, 31 minutes Read by: Marin Ireland Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction   When tragedy strikes seasoned missing persons detective Anna Hart’s personal life, she flees to the northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. But when she arrives, it’s to find out a local teenager is missing and the circumstances are reminiscent of a murder in Anna’s childhood. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.   New York : Random House Audio, 2021.   Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]

This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5068256?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUxldCUyQml0JTJCc25vdw   The annotation from BARD is below:   Let it snow: a novel DB121508 Author: Thayer, Nancy Reading Time: 6 hours, 3 minutes Read by: Allison, Kristin Subjects: Family, Holidays, Romance   “Christina Antonioni is preparing for the holidays at her Nantucket toy shop, unpacking last-minute shipments and decorating for her loyal Christmas shoppers. But when her Scrooge of a landlord, Oscar Bittlesman, raises her rent, it seems nearly impossible for Christina to continue business on the wharf. Even so, Christina hopes there is a warm heart underneath Oscar’s steely exterior. When she bonds with Wink, his sweet, young granddaughter who frequents the shop, it becomes clear that perhaps he isn’t so cold after all. And with the help of Wink’s uncle, who happens to be a charming and very handsome bachelor, this may be the best Christmas any of them could have ever imagined. Nancy Thayer’s enchanting Nantucket setting provides the perfect backdrop for this holiday love story.”– OCLC. Some strong language.   New York : Ballantine Books, [2019]   Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]

This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6414224?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUxhc3QlMkJUd2lsaWdodCUyQmluJTJCUGFyaXMlMkI   The annotation from BARD is below:   Last twilight in Paris DB127477 Author: Jenoff, Pam Reading Time: 10 hours, 35 minutes Read by: Maarleveld, Saskia, Plummer, Thérèse Subjects: Historical Fiction, General Fiction   “London, 1953. Louise is still adjusting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace in a box at a secondhand shop. The box is marked with the name of a department store in Paris, and she is certain she has seen the necklace before, when she worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe–and that it holds the key to the mysterious death of her friend Franny during the war. Following the trail of clues to Paris, Louise seeks help from her former boss Ian, with whom she shares a romantic history. The necklace leads them to discover the dark history of Lévitan–a once-glamorous department store that served as a Nazi prison, and Helaine, a woman who was imprisoned there, torn apart from her husband when the Germans invaded France. Louise races to find the connection between the necklace, the department store and Franny’s death. But nothing is as it seems, and there are forces determined to keep the truth buried forever. Inspired by the true story of Lévitan, Last Twilight in Paris is both a gripping mystery and an unforgettable story about sacrifice, resistance and the power of love to transcend in even the darkest hours.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.   New York : Harlequin Audio, 2025.   Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]

This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6569392?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPXdoZXJlJTJCdGhlJTJCcmVkJTJCZmVybiUyQmdyb3dz   The annotation from BARD is below:   Where the red fern grows: the story of two dogs and a boy DB32449 Author: Rawls, Wilson Reading Time: 7 hours, 11 minutes Read by: David Palmer Subject: Animals and Wildlife   Ten-year-old Billy, a country boy in the Ozarks, wants a pair of coonhounds so badly that he works hard for two years to pay for them. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1961.   Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 1987, c1961.   Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]

This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6577346?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPW91ciUyQmxpdHRsZSUyQnNlY3JldA   The annotation from BARD is below:   Our little secret DB126128 Author: Jackson, Lisa Reading Time: 15 hours, 4 minutes Read by: Cavallero, Gabriella Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction   “Brooke Harmon is ready to end her brief affair. Gideon Ross is charming and sexy, but he’s not worth throwing away everything she holds dear. So she breaks it off, hoping Gideon will understand. He doesn’t. Gideon insists that he and Brooke are meant to be together. Finally, he backs off, but not before issuing a promise: he’ll never let her go. Little more than a year later, Brooke wants to believe it’s all behind her. Her family has survived intact. Gideon has vanished. But the fear hasn’t disappeared. Brooke can’t tell how much of it is paranoia, and how much is justified, but she’s worried. And maybe she’s right to be. Because Gideon is a man who keeps his promises…” — Amazon.com Violence, strong language and some descriptions of sex.   New York, NY : Kensington Books, 2024.   Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]

This book is not available on Bookshare.   The annotation from BARD is below:   When the day comes DB125107 Series: Timeless Order in Series: 01 Author: Meyer, Gabrielle Reading Time: 12 hours, 29 minutes Read by: Rachel Botchan Subjects: Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Romance, Human Relations   “Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other without any time passing. She has one conscious mind but two very different lives and bodies. In colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives – and any hope of love – are put in jeopardy. Libby’s life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about – women’s suffrage – is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an undesirable English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe further complicates matters and forces her to make sacrifices she never imagined. On her twenty-first birthday, Libby must choose one path and forfeit the other forever – but how can she possibly choose when she has so much to lose in each life?”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.   [United States] : Recorded Books, Inc., 2022.   Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]   We hope you’ll join us to discuss this great book.

Novel Ideas with Hostess Randi Shelton. The Last Year of the War by Susan Meisner DB94293.

This book is available on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6186195?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPWNvdW50aW5nJTJCbWlyYWNsZXM The synopsis from BARD is below: Counting miracles: a novel DB124452 Author: Sparks, Nicholas Reading Time: 10 hours, 49 minutes Read by: Holter Graham, Nicholas Sparks Subjects: Human Relations, Romance “From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change-or even make our peace with–the path we’ve taken. Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone: happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down. But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew-and where to find him. Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. To Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting–and possibly leaving in just a few weeks. Meanwhile, nearby, eighty-three-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog, Arlo, for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest-a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather-he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers. As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle … but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. New York : Penguin Random House, 2024. Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected] We hope you’ll join us to discuss this great book.

Novel Ideas meets 3/21/25 at 8pm Eastern and will be discussing the book The Kennedy Debutante DB108271by Kerri Maher. Due to confusion locating this book by title on the BARD website, we incorrectly identified the March book to be discussed as Kathleen Kennedy, her life and times DB20590 at the 2/21/25 meeting. We will be discussing The Kennedy Debutante instead which is Randi’s first choice. This book is available on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/2745687?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVRoZSUyQktlbm5lZHklMkJEZWJ1dGFudGU The synopsis from BARD is below: The Kennedy debutante DB108271 Author: Maher, Kerri Reading Time: 12 hours, 24 minutes Read by: Julia Whelan Subject: Historical Fiction London, 1938. Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy is the effervescent It girl of London society since her father was named the ambassador. Eager to escape the watchful eye of her family, Kick is ready to strike out on her own and is soon swept off her feet by Billy Hartington, the future Duke of Devonshire. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018. [New York, NY] : Penguin Audio, 2018. Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]   We hope you’ll join us to discuss this great book.

This book is available on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/619162?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUJlZm9yZSUyQnRoZSUyQnN0b3Jt The synopsis from BARD is below: Before the storm DB120402 Author: Chamberlain, Diane Reading Time: 11 hours, 37 minutes Read by: Kris Koscheski, Abby Craden Subjects: Women, Human Relations, Family “Laural Lockwood’s 15-year-old son Andy is “special”. She lost him once through neglect, but is determined to make up for her mistakes. When she allows Andy to attend a local church social she is terrified when the church is consumed by fire. Andy survives and saves other children as well. Initially Andy basks in the role of unlikely hero but when the suspicion of arson is cast upon Andy, Laurel must ask herself how well she really knows her son, and how far she’ll go to keep her promise to protect him forever.”– OCLC. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Don Mills, Ont. : Tantor Media, Inc., 2014. Host: Randi Shelton E-Mail: [email protected]