Arizona Talking Book Library

07/25/2025

For today's Book Focus Friday, we are highlighting the life and career of Ozzy Osbourne, one of the pioneers of the heavy metal music genre.

To learn more about the man behind the music, check out I Am Ozzy (DB 70851). This is the autobiography of British heavy metal rock star born John Osbourne in 1948, who was the lead singer for Black Sabbath before beginning a solo career. Describes the music scene and provides details about his marriages, scandals, drug use, and reality show. Strong language and some descriptions of s*x.

For more information about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks

07/23/2025

We have recently upgraded our website! All of the great information about us is now available in a simpler and more modern format so it will be even easier to see how our services could work for you!

Visit us at azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks to explore our new website and all of the amazing services we offer!

07/21/2025

Are you ready for a blockbuster-filled summer? Several hit books are getting movie adaptations this summer, so find these titles on BARD or request them from your librarian before they hit the big screen!

Animal Farm by George Orwell (DB 38959 or BR 20910) - An allegorical political satire of communism in which the animals on a farm overthrow their master and live a utopian life until the intelligent pigs take over and one establishes himself as dictator.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (DB100981 or DB104861 en español) - In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly to discuss unsolved crimes. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. And the bodies begin to pile up. Unrated.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (DB 114201) - Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor. I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late. But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am. They don’t know what I’m capable of… Violence, strong language and some descriptions of s*x.

For more information about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks

07/18/2025

Are you interested in this great book recommendation from our friends at the State of Arizona Research Library? We have it in our catalog! Find Burton Barr : Political Leadership and the Transformation of Arizona (DBC12881) on BARD or request it from your librarian today!

For more information about our services, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks

And to learn more about all of the amazing resources available through the State of Arizona Research Library, visit https://azlibrary.gov/starl

Burton Barr isn’t just the name of a Phoenix Public Library branch: it’s the name of one of the most influential politicians in Arizona! If you’re curious about current politics, this book will explain how we’ve arrived at this moment 🏛

Read Here: https://ow.ly/7pcy50VQc4y

07/15/2025

Have you gotten your free currency reader yet? Through a partnership with the Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Arizona Talking Book Library is now providing free currency readers to our patrons!

The device is small, compact, and runs on a triple-A battery, which is included. To use the currency reader, simply insert a U.S. bill into the reader and press the button. The device will tell the note’s denomination.

To request your currency reader, call us at 602-255-5578.

For more information about us or the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit our website at azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks to learn more about how our services could work for you!

07/10/2025

We are halfway through our Summer Reading program, but the fun is far from over!

You still have until August 1st to track your reading on your bingo card for adult patrons, or game board or through the Beanstack app for youth patrons, to be entered into our prize drawing. All current patrons of the Arizona Talking Book Library are eligible to participate in the program.

To learn more about the Summer Reading Program or to sign up, call us at 602-255-5578.

And if you've already started your summer reading, we'd love to hear about your favorite book you've read this summer in the comments below!

07/09/2025

Dean Koontz, who turns 80 , began his writing career in earnest after winning an Atlantic Monthly fiction contest in 1967 as a senior in college. Since then, he has sold half a billion copies of his 100 books, placing him among the best selling authors of all time. Known for his thrillers of all genres (fantasy, horror, psychological, science fiction), Koontz is well-represented in the NLS collection. To begin your wild ride, here are some of his more popular books: “Watchers (DB25982)” pairs a world-weary Travis Cornell with a super-intelligent golden retriever, Einstein, with uncanny powers, created by US scientists in a secret experiment. “Odd Thomas (DB56919)" launches the Odd Thomas series, featuring a short-order cook with the ability to see the dead. “Intensity (DB41250)" focuses on a woman who survives a brutal attack and then becomes obsessed with stopping a serial killer. "Lightning (BR18884, DB26960)" explores the idea of destiny as a mysterious stranger appears in a flash of lightning to repeatedly rescue Laura Shane from injury or death, until he one day requests her help. "Phantoms (BR19071, DB20048)" is a horror novel set in a small Colorado town plagued by a mysterious entity that feeds on fear. “Life Expectancy (BR15828, DB59394)” tells the story of a man whose life is shaped by a prophecy made at his birth. And "The Bad Place (DB30648)" spins the yarn of a man who experiences strange and terrifying events after a near-death experience. To learn more about Koontz himself, check out "Dean Koontz: A Writer's Biography (DB48324)" by Katherine M. Ramsland, which describes Koontz’s troubled childhood, marriage to his high school sweetheart and his career as a teacher and launch as a writer.

[Image: Publicity photo of Dean Koontz, by Douglas Sonders.]

07/03/2025

We will be closed on Friday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day. We will resume normal business hours on Monday, July 7th, at 8 AM.

And if you're looking for a good book to celebrate the holiday, check out The Fourth of July and the Founding of America by Peter De Bolla (DB 67730) - British professor traces the history of this American day of celebration from its origin in July 1776. Analyzes the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson's role in the document's creation; and the symbols, meanings, and activities associated with the federal holiday.

Find this title on BARD or request it from your librarian today!

For more information about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks

06/27/2025

For today's Book Focus Friday, we are celebrating the life and legacy of Hellen Keller! Born 145 years ago on June 27, 1880, Keller was a prolific author and activist that lost her sight and hearing following childhood illness.

To learn more about Helen Keller's life in her own words, check out The Story of My Life (DB 55883) - Helen Keller's own account of her transformation followed by her teacher Anne Sullivan's record of their early years together.

And for younger readers, check out Who Was Helen Keller? by Gare Thompson (DB 116557) - "At age two, Helen Keller became deaf and blind. She lived in a world of silence and darkness and she spent the rest of her life struggling to break through it. But with the help of teacher Annie Sullivan, Helen learned to read, write, and do many amazing things. For Grades 3-6.

Find these titles on BARD or request them from your librarian today!

For more information about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks

06/26/2025

It's time for our last round of book recommendations for Pride Month! Although Pride Month may be ending, we have books celebrating LGBTQ+ voices in our catalog year round! So if you're looking for a new read, you can find these titles on BARD or request them from your librarian today:

Coming Up for Air by Tom Daley (DB 123286) - In this deeply personal memoir, the celebrated Olympic Gold Medal diver and LGBTQ+ advocate discusses his struggles, triumphs and how he developed the mindset to compete at an elite level.

Lives of Le***an Elders: Looking Back, Looking Forward by D. Merilee Clunis and others (DB 125606) - Lives of Le***an Elders chronicles the life choices they made and their reasons for making them, set against the contexts of culture, politics, and the social mores during the eras in which they lived. Their stories of courage, resilience, resourcefulness, pride, and independence help restore le***an history that has been forgotten, distorted, or disregarded and provide the information necessary to meet the future needs of aging le***ans.

Gay and Le***an Elders: History, Law, and Identity Politics in the United States by Nancy J. Knauer (DB 126141) - At a time when gay men and le***ans enjoy an unprecedented degree of social acceptance and legal protection, many elders face the daily challenges of aging isolated from family, detached from the larger gay and le***an community, and ignored by mainstream aging initiatives. Drawing on materials from law, history, and social theory, this book integrates practical proposals for reform with larger issues of s*xuality and identity. The author examines issues such as ageism among g**s and le***ans, homophobia among seniors, and the impact of legal concerns such as estate planning, housing, discrimination, and financial insecurity on the elder gay community.

For more information about us or the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks

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06/24/2025

Summer is in full swing here in Arizona, so what better way to escape the heat than visiting a museum? Through our Culture Pass Program in partnership with One, library patrons can check out culture passes for institutions across the state!

One pass gives FREE admission for two people at participating institutions. A limited number of passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis. They cannot be renewed; they cannot be placed on hold. The passes can only be checked out by current patrons of the Arizona Talking Book Library.

For more information about our Culture Pass Program, call us at 602-255-5578.

06/20/2025

Today is the first day of summer! Our hot, sunny summer weather is the perfect excuse to stay inside with a good book! But did you know that many plants and animals are perfectly adapted to withstand summer weather?

Sonoran Desert Summer by John Alcock (DB 32572) is a university professor's description of his research, and that of other scientists, into the plants and animals that survive in the hostile environment of the southern Arizona desert. Divided into five sections, May through September, chapters discuss empress butterflies, ground squirrels, carpenter bees, the culinary preferences and s*xual practices of big-jawed beetles, and the lifestyles of various other denizens of the desert.

Find this title on BARD or request it from your librarian today!

For more information about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks