On the shelves - Dec. 23

The following are available for checkout at:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

“The Noel Stranger” by Richard Paul Evans opens with Maggie Walther feeling like her world is imploding. Divorced and isolated, a friend insists she embrace Christmas. As she reluctantly searches for a tree, Maggie finds herself drawn to the owner of the tree lot, soon learning he is single and new to her city. Over time, their friendship develops and Maggie slowly begins to trust again, but discovers a dark secret from Andrew's past.

“Mistletoe Miracles” by Jodi Thomas shows just what Crossroads, Texas can offer — romance, belonging and plenty of Christmas spirit. Griffin realizes a wealthy bride might prevent him having to sell his ranch. When a car accident brings the unexpected to his door, Jaxon sees just how much one person can need another. And Jamie, well she gets a surprising present, a stranger asleep on her sofa, and everyone thinks he’s her husband.

“The Friend” by Sigrid Nunez is both a meditation on loss and a celebration of human-canine devotion, when a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, then is burdened with the dog he has left behind. Facing possible eviction, she isolates herself, becoming obsessed with the dog’s care and dangerously close to unraveling.

“The Darling Dahlias and the Poinsettia Puzzle” by Susan Wittig Albert takes place in a lovely little town where the depression is still present, but hope is in the future _ a place where everyone agrees, “nothing ever happens.” Except, of course, when all sorts of things happen, from new beaus to tricky murders involving the local prison, from a new bakery to a game of “hide the Cupcake”, and freezing weather for the Darling Dahlias’ gardens.

“The Old Farmer's Almanac 2019” shares timeless, useful and entertaining matter on a multitude of topics. Weather forecasts, astronomical calculations and the farmer’s calendar for every month in the year may be the most familiar, but certainly not all the Almanac covers. Animal husbandry, food tips such as making sausage at home, folklore and more all add to the enduring appeal of this long-running annual tome.

“American Entrepreneur: How 400 Years of Risk-Takers, Innovators, and Business Visionaries Built the U.S.A.” by Willie Robertson tells the captivating true tale of America’s entrepreneurs, those daring movers and shakers who dreamed big and risked everything to build better lives for themselves and their fellow Americans. From the first entrepreneurs, the Native Americans, up through today’s small-scale operators and mega visionaries, Robertson paints America as the ultimate start-up venture.

“Slave Stealers” by Timothy Ballard alternates two riveting stories, 150 years apart, weaving them together to expose the persistent evil of human trafficking and sexual exploitation that has existed for centuries and inspiring us to find a way to end it.

Portales Public Library

“Alaskan Holiday” by Debbie Macomber

In Debbie Macomber’s latest Christmas novel, Josie Avery dreams of finally beginning her career as a sous chef in one of Seattle’s most popular new restaurants, but she takes a summer job cooking at a lodge in Ponder, a remote town in Alaska, before her position in Seattle starts. Despite planning to stay in Ponder only until the fall, Josie quickly comes to love the beautiful small town and finds herself drawn to many of the community’s members, including Palmer Saxon, a famed local swordsmith, and as the summer flies by, Josie and Palmer become closer and closer. Palmer quickly falls in love with Josie and intends to convince her to stay in Ponder and marry him, but Josie fears giving too much of herself to Palmer because she still intends to leave for Seattle come fall, unwilling to give up either her dream job or her mother, who lives in Seattle. When Josie misses the last boat out of town at the end of summer, however, she is stuck in Ponder for the entirety of fall and winter, and as Christmas draws near, Josie and Palmer must confront their feelings for each other and what the future will bring.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald The Original Screenplay” by J.K. Rowling

In the second installment of the J.K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” series, the novelized screenplay of “The Crimes of Grindelwald” picks up right after the events of the first film and novel, when the powerful dark wizard Gellert Gindelwald was successfully captured in New York with the help of magizoologist Newt Scamander and his friends. A year later, Grindelwald escapes while being transported back to Europe and flees to Paris, where he starts amassing a huge army of followers in order to continue his quest to rule over all the non-magical beings in the world. Albus Dumbledore, in an effort to derail these plans, sends Newt to Paris to track down the obscurial Credence Barebone before Grindelwald finds him, as Grindelwald believes that Credence is the only person or thing powerful enough to destroy Dumbledore, his one-time friend and present archrival. Reluctantly, Newt agrees and travels to Paris, where he meets his friends Jacob, Queenie, and Tina, and it is up to Newt and his allies to prevent Grindelwald from starting an all-out wizard-versus-Muggle war.

“Catching Christmas” by Terri Blackstock

Sydney is a first-year law associate, and depending on whether or not she loses her current case, she knows that she may soon be out of a job and looking for a new career by January. Worried and swamped with work, Sydney isn’t expecting to hear from her grandmother Callie, who has suddenly become ill and can’t get around by herself anymore, so Sydney calls for a cab to retrieve Callie and bring her to the clinic. Finn Parrish, on the other hand, has no desire to be driving around an old lady and her wheelchair in his cab, but because Miss Callie reminds him of his own mother whom he didn’t support in her old age, he feels obligated to show up when she continues to call him for rides after the first ride that Callie’s granddaughter, Sydney, sets up. Although Finn used to be a gourmet chef, he is now a cab driver struggling to pay the rent, and although Callie usually doesn’t remember to pay him, he finds it impossible to say no to her. When Callie decides that he must help her find Sylvia a date for Christmas, Finn reluctantly obliges. When he meets Sylvia in person, however, he can’t understand why she would need help finding a date, and finds himself committed to making Callie’s Christmas wish come true in making Sylvia happy.

— Summaries by library staff