On the Shelves — May 1

The following books are available for checkout at:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

Resurrection Science by M.R. O'Connor, donated by the Encanto Garden Club, explores the extreme measures scientists are taking to try to save endangered species, from captive breeding, preserving genetically rare individuals, to frozen zoos, to de-extinction. And for what are we saving endangered species? So our children can see one or two? But is a tiger in a zoo really a tiger?

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, donated in memory of Charlene Malloy, is a beautiful 365-day devotional written as if Jesus Himself is directly sharing His words of encouragement, comfort, and reassurance of His unending love. Missionary Sarah Young listened to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever she believed He was saying to her, helping her grow closer to God. Others were blessed as she shared her writings, until people all over the world were using her messages.

Coconut: The Complete Guide to the World's Most Versatile Superfood by Stephanie Pedersen reveals health benefits of coconut that range from preventing dehydration to stabilizing blood sugar to increasing immunity. Find out how to choose, use, and store every bit of the coconut - the meat, the water, the oil - along with more than 75 recipes, both savory and sweet.

Top 10 of Everything by Paul Terry takes a fresh look at the u

niverse to reveal new, wondrous, and jaw-dropping facts about machines, animals, sports, music, space, epic structures, and more. Engaging and fun and easy to browse, this title is packed full of colorful graphics, along with amazing lists, facts, and stats to amaze and inform those curious about almost anything.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald introduces Sara, traveling from Sweden to Broken Wheel, Iowa to meet Amy, her book-loving pen pal, but arrives just in time to find Amy's funeral guests leaving. Deciding to stay on and open a small bookstore, Sara develops friendships based on a mutual love of books that ultimately lead to a sweet and soulful discovery of America.

Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham reveals the untold story of the other side of the assassin's gun. Those in Mary Surratt's boardinghouse think nothing of her hearing their whispers of secession, or lodging in her house spies like John Wilkes Booth. But when President Lincoln is killed, questions arise about how much Mary knew and her involvement in the conspiracy.

Two if By Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard travels from the shores of Brisbane to the middle of America to a quaint English village as Frank and Claudia fight to keep Ian, rescued from the Christmas Eve tsunami, but now in danger again because of the extraordinary gift he possesses.

Portales Public Library

The Story of Kullervo by J.R.R. Tolkien: Edited by Verlyn Fleiger, The Story of Kullervo is the unfinished first attempt of legendary Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien at fantasy, and perhaps his most tragic. Kullervo is an orphan boy with magical powers whose father was killed by the dark magician Untamo, who also kidnapped his mother and tried to kill Kullervo himself three separate times as a child. Unable to murder the boy, Untamo takes Kullervo to live with him, raising him in captivity, before ultimately selling him into slavery. Throughout his cursed life, Kullervo has only the love of his twin sister, Wanona, and the protection of the supernatural black dog Musti to keep him going, and Kullervo vows that he will not fail to exact revenge on Untamo. In addition to this sad tale of Kullervo's inevitable destiny, Fleiger includes Tolkien's drafts, notes and essays on the story that inspired Tolkien's Kullervo, Kalevala.

The Obsession by Nora Roberts: Naomi Bowes has spent her life trying to forget the sins of her father, the infamous Thomas David Bowes, who destroyed Naomi's innocence and ruined any hope at a normal future when she discovered a girl trapped in a cellar out in the woods and learned that her father was a serial rapist and murderer. Years later, Naomi lives under the name Naomi Carson and has a prolific career as a photographer, and for the first time in her life she finds a place of her own, an old house far away from where she grew up that needs a lot of love and repair. Ready for peace, quiet, and being alone, Naomi eagerly moves to Sunrise Cove to start her new life, but finds it hard to avoid the friendly townspeople, including a nice man named Xander Keaton, who seems genuinely interested in her. But as Naomi starts to feel like she can finally be herself and let other people in, she worries that her past and her father's reputation will come back to haunt her.

The House of Daniel by Harry Turtledove: In an alternate history of America, magic was once part of daily life, making wizards, zombies, vampires and werewolves complete normal, but ever since the “Big Bubble” popped back in 1929, most of the magic has dried up and life during the Great Depression has become much more difficult. Jobs are hard to come by-especially because zombies will work for no pay at all-and so Jack Spivey makes what money he can by playing center field for the Eagles, the minor league baseball team in Enid, Oklahoma, and occasionally working for the underground mob boss Big Stu. When Big Stu commissions Jack to beat up the younger brother of a client who couldn't pay his loans back, Jack takes on the job while traveling out of town with the Eagles-but doesn't go through with it when he discovers that the “brother” is really a cute younger sister. Now needing to get away from Big Stu, Jack joins the House of Daniel, a barnstorming semi-pro team that travels all over America, changing his life forever as he gets farther from danger and closer to the game he loves.

— Summaries by library staff