On the shelves - May 24

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

“50 Things to See in the Sky” by Sarah Barker teaches the science behind blue skies, sun dogs, and the solar eclipse, showing how to observe nocturnal wonders such as lunar halos, Martian ice caps, and far-off galaxies. Celestial phenomena come to life with expert tips that help any explorer to become an adept observer, and more ambitious stargazers to discover more distant sights with the help of binoculars, a telescope, or a local astronomy group.

“The Power of Fastercise” by Denis Wilson, MD combines simple analogies and clear explanations of the body’s energy pathways and response to food and exercise, revealing how conventional approaches to dieting and weight management can actually lead to frustration and poor results. Dr. Wilson offers a revolutionary practice of brief, strategically timed bursts of exercise to cancel hunger pangs, allowing you to more easily stick to a healthy eating plan and shift toward becoming leaner, faster, smarter, stronger, and healthier.

“Hotels of the Old West” by Richard A. Van Orman tells the fascinating story of the hotels and hospitality houses — the grand, the deplorable, and the just plain dependable — that flourished and failed in the nineteenth century. From those roach-infested and barely standing, to remote, yet exquisite establishments, Van Orman draws on historical documents to present a compelling look at the early hotels, their food and living conditions, the people who ran and worked in them, and those who just stayed for a night.

“The Glass Hotel” by Emily St. John is rife with unexpected beauty in this captivating portrait of greed and guilt, love and delusion, ghosts and unintended consequences, crisis and survival. Two seemingly disparate events intersect — the collapse of Jonathan Alkaitis’ massive Ponzi scheme that obliterates countless fortunes, and the mysterious disappearance of a woman at sea. Woven into the intricate spider web are seemingly unrelated people, places, and things, all of which gradually connect into a single story.

“House on Fire” by Joseph Finder exposes secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. At the funeral of his friend Sean, an Army buddy who struggled with opioid addiction since returning from war, a stranger approaches Nick Heller with a job. The woman is a member of the Kimball family, whose immense fortune was built on opiates. Now she wants to expose evidence that Kimball Pharmaceutical knew its biggest moneymaker drug, Oxydone, was dangerously addictive and led directly to the overdoses and deaths of people like Sean. Nick quickly finds himself entangled in the complicated family dynamics of the Kimball dynasty.

“A Woman is No Man” by Etaf Rum begins in Palestine with 17-year-old Isra, a naïve and dreamy girl, betrothed and married within a week, and soon living in Brooklyn. Years later, Isra’s oldest daughter Deya, is pressured by her grandmother to also submit to an arranged marriage, said to be the only way to secure a worthy future. But fate soon puts Deya on an unexpected path leading to shocking truths about her parents, the past, and questions about her own future.

— Summaries provided by library staff