On the shelves - Jan. 20

The following are available for checkout at:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

“What Blooms From Dust” by James Markert focuses on Jeremiah Goodbye, an escaped convict who survives a botched execution. On his journey home to Oklahoma to settle the score with his brother, he accidentally rescues a young boy and the pair arrive at their destination, greeted by darkened skies and fearful townspeople. Unlikely heroes, they try to protect the residents of Nowhere from themselves and Jeremiah must face his nightmares to be free from the guilt of his past and secrets that destroyed his family.

“Don't Believe It” by Charlie Donlea asks, did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend Julian, or is she a victim of circumstance and poor police work? Ten years into Grace’s prison sentence, Sidney Ryan is filming a documentary on the case and uncovers evidence overlooked in the original investigation. As the show surges towards the end, Sidney receives a letter saying that she got it terribly wrong, and may be freeing a ruthless killer.

“The Essex Serpent” by Sarah Perry steps back to 1893 where Cora Seaborne, recently widowed, begins her new life, leaving London for coastal Essex. When rumors that the mythical Essex Serpent — a fearsome creature that once roamed the marshes — has returned, Cora is enthralled and ventures to discover the truth alongside pious vicar William Ransome. The two seemingly opposites agree on nothing and find themselves challenged with questions about science and religion, skepticism and faith, independence and love.

“18 Miles” by Christopher Dewdney travels on a kaleidoscopic and fact-filled journey to reveal earth’s atmosphere — a thin layer at the bottom of an enormous ocean of air — filled with invisible rivers that affect how our weather works. From the roaring winds of Katrina to the frozen oceans of Snowball Earth, Dewdney examines the structure of clouds, storms and seasons, giving a long overdue look at the very air we breathe.

“J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide 2019” puts America’s most trusted tax advice to work to help you with your 2018 tax return, answering your most pressing questions to maximize your tax savings. Learn how the latest tax law and IRS changes apply to your specific situation and find expert advice on sheltering income, planning, claiming deductions and more. New tax laws, IRS rulings, court decisions, filing pointers and planning strategies are highlighted throughout for quick reference.

“Cozy Minimalist Home” by Myquillyn Smith guides you step by step on making purposeful design decisions for your home. Explanations on how to transform your home starting with what you already have and using just enough of the right furniture and décor will help you create a home you’re proud of in a way that honors your personal priorities, budget and style. No more fretting when it comes to decorating your house!

Portales Public Library

“Moondust Lake” by David Bunn

Kimberly Sturgiss is a professional psychotherapist whose painful past has given her the empathy to help her patients release themselves from their own tragic experiences that have imprisoned them. Because of her therapy sessions, she is all too familiar with the Helms family and all of the baggage that each of them carry, including Buddy Helms, the top executive in the family business. Buddy’s problems consist of never being able to please his powerful father Jack, the patriarch of the family, who has nearly run the company into the ground and caused Buddy to bail them out over and over. When Jack dismisses Buddy yet again after six years of loyal service and hard work, Buddy decides he is done with the family business once and for all. His church counselor suggests that he spend some time at Moondust Lake — the retreat outside of Miramar Bay — to work through his anger. His mother Beth also encourages Buddy to go to therapy, as well as his sister Carey, and also Jack, whom she is threatening to leave if he doesn’t fix the problems he has with everyone in the family. When Kimberley meets Buddy through the family’s counseling sessions, she sees the same fragile barriers in him that she has inside herself, and the two are drawn to each other in ways neither of them had expected.

“Five Feet Apart” by Rachel Lippincott

Soon to be a major motion picture, “Five Feet Apart” is the story of two teenagers suffering from cystic fibrosis in the hospital. Stella Grant hates being out of control in any part of her life, which is why she hates that she can’t control the fact that her lungs won't work properly, causing her to stay in hospitals for much of her life. All she has to do is wait for the possibility of a lung transplant, which is easier said than done when she does her utmost to stay away from anyone or anything that might possibly give her an infection, therefore making her too ill to be eligible for a transplant. Stella must keep six feet between herself and anything or anyone else at all times, confined to her hospital room. But when she meets Will Newman in the hospital, she finds her rule even harder to maintain. Will, on the other hand, wants only to finally turn 18 so that he can release himself from the hospital and move on with his life, despite his own lung problems that have forced him to stay plugged into machines and undergo drug trial after drug trial. When he meets Stella, however, both teens are tempted to inch just a little closer than six feet in order to spend time together, knowing full well that either of them could die if they get too close to stay safe.

“Her One Mistake” by Heidi Perks

Although Charlotte Reynolds was supposed to be looking after her best friend Harriet’s daughter Alice as well as her own three children at the school fair, she takes her eyes off of them for just one moment and then they are gone. Panicked, Charlotte looks everywhere for them before finding her children safe and sound … but Alice is nowhere to be seen, gone without a trace in broad daylight. Having to admit the incident to Harriet, Charlotte is blamed by not only Harriet but the school as well for losing Alice, Harriet’s only child, whereas Harriet’s husband Brian blames Harriet for leaving Alice with another adult in the first place, something she had never done before. Now completely estranged, the two mothers tell their own version of the story throughout the rest of the book, while Charlotte struggles with guilt and the burden of suspicion and Harriet sinks into despair at home and refuses to trust anyone else while the police search for Alice. Told in alternating viewpoints and timelines, the truth of what happened is slowly revealed as secrets between the former friends come to light and Harriet discovers that she must trust Charlotte again in order to be reunited with Alice.

— Summaries by library staff