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.

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

“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

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

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

We hope you’ll join us to discuss this great book.