On the shelves - Nov. 4

The following are available for checkout at:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

“The Library Book” by Susan Orlean reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, while at the same time delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution. From their humble beginnings as a metropolitan charitable initiative to their current status as a cornerstone of national identity, Orlean sheds light on the crucial role libraries play in our lives.

“The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide” by James M. Beidler reveals that when researched properly, no other type of record can beat historical newspapers in “taking the pulse” of their times and places, recording not just the names of specific individuals, but also the information that was important to the community. This comprehensive step-by-step guide shows how to harvest the social media of centuries past to learn facts about your ancestors as well as the flavor of the times they lived in.

“Women of the Blue & Gray” by Marianne Monson presents micro biographies of Civil War women — wives, mothers, sisters and friends whose purposes ranged from supporting husbands and sons during wartime to counseling President Lincoln on strategy, from smuggling to publishing to battlefield surgery. These experiences of black, white, Native American and immigrant women on both sides of the war are still relevant to our nation.

“Shell Game” by Sara Paretsky pits legendary sleuth V.I. Warshawski against some of today’s most powerful figures. Returning to the Windy City to save an old friend’s nephew from a murder arrest that involves a stolen artifact, V.I. soon finds herself tangling with the Russian mob, ISIS backers and a shady network of stock scams and stolen art that stretches from Chicago to the East Indies and the Middle East.

“The Patchwork Bride” by Sandra Dallas delivers a captivating tale when June, a runaway bride-to-be, unexpectedly arrives and announces to her grandmother she’s calling off the marriage. As she continues work on a wedding quilt made from scraps, Ellen tells the tender story of Nell, a Kansas-born woman who journeys to the High Plains of New Mexico Territory in 1898 in search of a husband, and learns to recognize love for what it is.

“Vicious” by V.E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism and a time when allegiances are called into question. When college roommates Victor and Eli discover that under the right conditions someone could develop extraordinary abilities, things go horribly wrong. Years later, Victor is determined to catch up to his old friend, now a foe, who is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person he can find.

— Summaries by library staff