Episode Transcript
[00:00:17] Speaker A: Greetings, readers.
Welcome to the first November edition of Library News.
This month we discussed the 2026 Braille Challenge, Bar Top 10 Fiction, Makerspace, Monday, and much more.
November is a great month for expressing gratitude, so we would like to take a minute to thank all of our wonderful patrons in Iowa for your continued support. Thank you for being a part of our library community.
Save the date for the 2026 Braille Challenge the Iowa Regional Braille Challenge will be held Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at the Iowa Department for the Blind. Braille readers in grades one through 12 from Iowa will gather to test their braille skills in five reading comprehension, Braille spelling charts and graphs, reading, proofreading, and Braille speed and accuracy.
Winners of the Iowa Regional Braille Challenge may go on to compete in the national finals in California. Mark this day on your calendar and plan to join us now for the.
[00:01:18] Speaker B: Top 10 fiction books downloaded from Bard. The Argument A gripping psychological thriller with an incredible twist.
DB12 8800 by Victoria Jenkins it happens to every Mother One day, the daughter whose whole world you once were becomes someone you barely know. And you don't know the secret she's hiding.
One hot summer night, 15 year old Olivia comes home late from a party she was strictly forbidden from going to, and she and her mother, Hannah, start arguing. Soon, Olivia speaks the words that every parent has heard from their teenage child. I hate you, you've ruined my life and I'm never speaking to you again. Olivia has never been an easy child, a sharp contrast to her easygoing, happy go lucky little sister. But Hannah thinks Olivia's outburst is the end of a normal family argument. In fact, it's only the beginning of a nightmare. After one day of silence, Hannah thinks Olivia is taking a teenage sulk too far. After two days, she starts to feel anxious that something more serious could be going on.
After a week when her daughter still hasn't spoken, Hannah knows that Olivia is hiding a bigger darkness, something that could threaten to tear their precious family apart. Nightshade DB130298 by Michael Conley Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detective Stilwell has been exiled to a low key post policing rustic Catalina island after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland.
But while following up on the usual drunk and disorderlies and petty thefts that come with this new territory, Detective Stillwell gets a report of a body found way down at the bottom of the harbor, a Jane Doe, identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction. Stilwell doggedly works both cases, though hampered by an old beef with an ex colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as Nightshade.
Soon his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city. Husband missing DB129830 by Lisa Reagan Detective Josie Quinn's world shatters when she returns home to find her house ransacked and her husband Noah, missing when she kissed him goodbye hours earlier. Called to the discovery of a woman's body at a protest, they were putting the finishing touches to a nursery for their first adopted child.
But now the house is empty, Noah's bloodied handprints trailing the walls. Every fiber of Josie's being screams to investigate, but her team warns her to keep her distance as they follow a connection to a recent robbery in Denton. But Josie can't quiet the voice telling her the handprints Noah left are leading her somewhere, and the trail ends at an upturned box of her long dead, abusive mother's faded photos, jewelry, a lock of hair, and a few old newspaper clippings.
Savage Justice A Novel DBC 32221 by Ron Hanburg Alex Collier, a Twin Cities news anchor, is thrust into a dangerous investigation when he receives disturbing information about about Judge Emmett Steele, a powerful judge poised for confirmation to the state's highest court.
As he digs deeper, he uncovers a dark web of abuse and corruption that threatens to destroy lives and his own.
[00:04:49] Speaker C: Don't let him in. DB131308 by Lisa Jewell Nina Swan is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband who is looking to connect after her husband's unexpected death.
Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina's adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true.
Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick's past.
What she finds is more than unsettling.
Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time, when Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation. But Martha can't shake the feeling that something isn't right.
Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning.
Don't let him in. But the past won't stay buried forever.
The First Gentleman A thriller DB130125 by Bill Clinton and James Patterson America has a powerful new president, and her husband's on trial for murder. Clinton and Patterson are back, and they're better than ever. The President of the United States is up for reelection. Her husband is on trial for murder. Is the First Gentleman a killer? A pair of brilliant investigative journalists set out to answer the burning question about the NFL star turned political spouse.
The Wife Upstairs DB 130129 by Freda McFadden Victoria Barnett has it all. A great career as a nurse practitioner, a handsome and loving husband, a beautiful home in the suburbs, and a plan to fill it with children.
Life is perfect. Or so it seems.
Then she's in a terrible accident and everything falls apart.
Now Victoria is unable to walk. She can't feed or dress herself. She can't even speak. She is confined to the top floor of her house with 24 hour care.
Sylvia Robinson is hired by Victoria's husband to help care for her. But it turns out Victoria isn't as impaired as Sylvia was led to believe. There's a story Victoria desperately wants to tell. If only she could get the words out. Then Sylvia discovers Victoria's diary hidden away in a drawer and and what's inside is shocking.
[00:07:43] Speaker A: The Tenant DB 129492 by Freda McFadden there's no place like home. Blake Porter is riding high until he's not fired abruptly from his job as VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiance, he's desperate to make ends meet.
Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down to earth and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she? Because something isn't quite right, the neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home. No matter how hard he scrubs, strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon, Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets.
Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it'll be far too late.
Hidden Nature DB 129760 by Nora Roberts, Natural Resources Police officer Sloane 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 and herons 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 will it 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.
Never A Novel DB 30236 by Stephen King when the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to kill 13 innocents and one guilty in an active atonement for the needless death of an innocent man, Detective Izzy Janes has no idea what to think. Are 14 citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution?
As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help. Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women's rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors.
Someone who vehemently opposes Kate's message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder and Holly is hired to be Kate's bodyguard, a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his righteousness.
Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder. These twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion, a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.
[00:11:28] Speaker B: Join us for MAKERSPACE Monday on Monday, November 10th from 6 to 7:15pm you can join us in person or via Zoom. This month, gather with family and friends for a cozy hour of creativity and connection.
Create your own cozy light Keepsake A glowing jar or gratitude glow filled with a twinkling light, colorful leaves, candy and heartfelt notes of thanks.
Fragrant and deliciously sweet. Refreshments will be served and you can paint and design your own heart. Wooden keychain all ages are welcome. You can find the link to register on our blog at IowaLibrary blog or call the library and we can help get you registered. For any questions about Makerspace Mondays, contact Denise Bean at Denise Beanline or 515-452-1338.
[00:12:19] Speaker C: Save the date On Friday, November 21, 2025, the Friends of the Iowa Library for the Blind will hold their annual holiday concert. It is from 6:30pm to 9pm at the Cozy Cafe, 8683 Birchwood Court in Johnston, Iowa. Come enjoy a meal and a night of music.
Sing along with the Antique Harmony Barbershop Quartet and Dave and Cindy Free Will Offering and all proceeds from the concert will go to the Friends of the Library.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: Due to the federal government shutdown, the NLS programs may not be offered this month if the shutdown ends before November is over. Here are the dates for their various programs.
Bard Office Hours Every Tuesday night from 7 to 8pm Many faces are barred. Thursday, November 13 at 6pm Smart Speaking to the smart speaker Thursday, November 20 at 6pm that all may eread Tuesday, November 25 at 6pmAll programs are held via Zoom. Contact the library to get more information or go to www.loc.govnlS.
[00:13:34] Speaker B: The library will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day. We will also be closed on Wednesday, November 26th through Friday, November 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Please don't hesitate to contact the library with any questions or comments at 515-281-1323 or by email at librarylined state IA US the library is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm Happy reading. It.
