On the shelves - March 1

These books are available at the Clovis-Carver Public Library:

“Above the Bay of Angels” by Rhys Bowen: Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella's hand. It's an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace. Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for cooking. Best of all, she's been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. The threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera and a member of the queen's retinue dies. Having prepared the royal guest's last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over.

“House of Trelawney” by Hannah Rothschild: For more than 700 years, the Trelawney Castle in Cornwall was the magnificent and grand "three dimensional calling card" of the earls of Trelawney. By 2008, due to a multitude of reasons, it is in a complete state of ruin. Still, the heir to all of it, Kitto, manages to live there and keep it going. Four women dominate the story: Jane, Kitto's sister, Blaze, who left Trelawney, the long-ago banished Anastasia and her daughter, Ayesha. When Anastasia sends a letter announcing that her 19-year-old daughter will be coming to stay, Blaze and Jane must band together to take charge of their new visitor and save the house of Trelawney.

“Cleaning the Gold” by Karin Slaughter and Lee Child: Will Trent is undercover at Fort Knox. His assignment: to investigate a 22-year-old murder. His suspect's name: Jack Reacher. Jack Reacher is in Fort Knox on his own mission: to bring down a dangerous criminal ring operating at the heart of America's military. Except now Trent is on the scene and there's a bigger conspiracy at play, one that neither the special agent nor the ex-military cop could have anticipated. The only option is for Reacher and Trent to team up and play nicely.

“50 Simple Indoor Miniature Gardens” by Catherine Delvaux: Learn how the smallest window sill, the tiniest balcony, or a sliver of space on a bookcase can be adorned by thriving greenery! Delvaux provides the inspiration you need to make your small living space greener, with 50 inventive micro-garden ideas specifically selected for their simplicity and easy upkeep. Create and maintain a variety of charming and low-maintenance mini indoor gardens, whether you prefer succulents, cacti, greenery, flowering plants, vegetables, or orchids!

“How to Not Wear Black” by Anna Murphy: Immerse yourself in this inspiring, realistic, and practical style book and you, too, will be able to throw together chic outfits effortlessly, have something you want to wear for every occasion, and create a wardrobe that, with occasional shopping forays, can last forever. Make fashion your friend!

“How to Raise a Reader” by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo: Do you remember your first visit to Where the Wild Things Are? How about curling up for hours on end to discover the secret of the Sorcerer's Stone? How to Raise a Reader shows you how to instill the joy and time-stopping pleasure of reading. Divided into four sections, from baby through teen, something useful is offered on every page, whether it's how to develop rituals around reading, or build a family library, or ways to engage a reluctant reader.

These books are available at the Portales Public Library:

“Postscript” by Cecilia Ahern: In the long-awaited sequel to Cecelia Ahern's beloved novel P.S. I Love You, it's been seven years since the death of Holly's husband Gerry, and six years since she received the final letter he wrote to her before a terminal brain tumor separated them. Holly, after all this time, has finally moved on, but when her sister asks her to tell her story on her podcast and talk about both Gerry and his letters, Holly is reluctant to revisit-and reopen-the wounds that took so long to heal. She agrees, however, and after the first episode airs she is surprised at the responses she receives, with people reaching out and telling her that they understand and appreciate her story, because many of them, like Gerry, are terminally ill and would like to leave their own letters for their loved ones. Before Holly knows it, this group of listeners form what they call the “P.S. I Love You Club” and ask her to help them with their own missives. Although Holly still misses Gerry and hates having to relive the pain she endured after losing him, she finds that helping others go through what she and Gerry underwent gives her new meaning and sends her on yet another powerful emotional journey.

“Crooked River” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: In the quite resort town of Sanibel Island, Florida, the townspeople are horrified when the tide brings in dozens of identical green shoes onto the beach, all ordinary-looking shoes that just so happen to have a severed human foot inside of each. When there aren't any other body parts found — just feet — the police wonder who the victims are, where they came from, and whether or not they are even still alive. Called back from vacation, Agent Pendergast arrives at the crime scene to investigate, and finds himself drawn into a baffling case that crosses the ocean and involves a confusing mystery related to medical science, with evidence that spans multiple continents and may be tied to illegal immigration, and a sadistic enemy at the head of it all. As Pendergast delves deeper into the crime that may or may not be murder but at the very least torture and dismemberment, he does not realize that the powerful person behind the feet that washed up in the Gulf of Mexico sees Pendergast himself as a worthy subject for his or her nefarious, and deadly, research.

“Maybe This Time” by Kasie West: Sophie Evans can't wait to graduate high school and leave the small town of Rockside, Alabama, behind her and finally pursue her dream of going to fashion school in New York, far from her self-absorbed single mother, her 10-year-old brother whom she always has to look after, and the flower shop at which she grudgingly works. Although she'd rather be working on her own designs in order to apply to schools, Sophie does enjoy arranging the flowers at each of Rockside's major events and getting to work with her best friend Micah, whose father always caters the same events. However, Sophie is shocked to discover that famous-and surly-chef Jett Hart, once the star of his own television cook show, is mentoring Micah's father in order to help further his catering business, and Sophie is unfortunately saddled with the company of Jett's arrogant son Andrew. Over the course of a year, from Valentine's Day to New Year’s Eve, Sophie has to endure the insufferable and ever-present Andrew at event after event, during which they slowly turn from sworn enemies to friends, and perhaps something more.

— Summaries provided by library staff