On the shelves - Jan. 7

The books listed below are now available for checkout at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. The library is open to the public, but patrons can still visit the online catalog at cloviscarverpl.booksys.net/opac/ccpl or call 575-769-7840 to request a specific item for curbside pickup.

“California Golden” by Melanie Benjamin. In an era when women are expected to be housewives, Carol Donnelly breaks the mold as a legendary female surfer struggling to compete in a male-dominated sport—and her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, bear the weight of Carol’s unconventional lifestyle. As they grow up and their lives diverge, Mindy and Ginger’s relationship ebbs and flows. Mindy finds herself swept up in celebrity, complete with beachside love affairs, and a USO tour in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ginger is tugged into the dangerous counterculture of drugs and cults. But through it all, their sense of duty to each other survives, as the girls are forever connected by the emotional damage they carry from their unorthodox childhood.

“Small Mercies” by Dennis Lehane. Mary Pat Fennessy has lived her entire life in the housing projects of “Southie,” the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition. One night Mary Pat’s teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn’t come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched—asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don’t take kindly to any threat to their business.

“Never Lie” by Freida McFadden. Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they’ve found it when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace years ago. But when a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal. Stuck inside and growing restless, Tricia stumbles on a collection of audio transcripts from Dr. Hale’s sessions with patients. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to the doctor’s mysterious disappearance. By the time Tricia reaches the final cassette, the one that reveals the entire horrifying story, it will be too late.

“Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers” by Tiffani Thiessen. Leftovers can be so much more than the sum of their parts. Here We Go Again is dedicated to the recipes your leftovers deserve, whether they’re the classics in your rotation, the dishes that maybe didn’t hit the spot the first time around, or those last-ditch meal efforts you throw at your kids, only to have half the macaroni still left in the pot. They’re also perfect for ingredients that would otherwise be trash-bound.

“The Beginner’s Guide to Cosplay Armor & Props” by Joyce Van den Goor. Become the character you were destined to be! Joyce van den Goor, founder of Pretzl Cosplay, is here to guide you on your epic cosplay journey. Learn all the best tools, materials and trade techniques to craft standout armor and lightweight props out of EVA foam. Both cheap and easy-to-handle, this material is perfect for total newbies!

“Stitched Mixed Media” by Jessica Grady. This practical guide shows you the range of possibilities that you can explore and enjoy when making and sampling with hand stitch and mixed media. Packed with color, ideas and enthusiasm, it looks at the potential of recycled products and explains how to turn them into beautiful embellishments to hand stitch onto samples. Projects and step-by-step sequences show how the exciting process of playing with textiles and mixed media can create new and unique work.

— Summaries provided by library staff