On the shelves - Nov. 17

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.

“Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor” by Roseanna M. White. As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn’t seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs. Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family’s misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl. Will the magic of the holiday season help lead to the discovery of true love, or will duty to country leave all longing for what could have been?

“Rockin’ Around the Chickadee” by Donna Andrews. Meg’s sister-in-law, Delaney, is pregnant. Since her due date is on or around Christmas Day, this is putting a bit of a damper on the usual holiday festivities. Meg and Michael are NOT hosting the usual house full of relatives and parties. Instead, Meg, along with her mother, her grandmother, her cousin Rose Noire, and her good friend Caroline, are militantly doing everything they can think of to keep Delaney quiet and healthy. While Delaney is bored and mutinous, she’s doing well, and they’re managing to maintain a serene, peaceful environment for her, until a body is found in Meg and Michael’s yard. The body turns out to be an attendee at Presumed Innocent, a nearby conference. Some of the attendees want to learn how to exonerate a friend or family members who has been unjustly convicted, while the rest are true crime aficionados. And since the dead guy has been very vocal about his belief that most actual and would-be exonerees are guilty, nearly everyone at the conference dislikes him. But would any of them hate him enough to kill him?

“Where the Dead Brides Gather” by Nuzo Onoh. Bata, a young girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin’s door. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom. A supernatural possession helps Bata battle and vanquish the vengeful ghost bride, and following a botched exorcism, she is transported to Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides. There, she receives secret powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

“The Art of Cosplay and Creative Makeup” by Rainbowskinz A.K.A Chris Peck. Whether you attend comic, anime, sci-fi, or other conventions, want to elevate your Halloween look, or even want to showcase your own transformations on social media, The Art of Cosplay and Creative Makeup will show you everything you need to know.

“Road Trips in the USA” by DK Travel. Whether you’ve always dreamed of skirting the US on a motorcycle, are looking to go coast-to-coast in an RV or simply want to roll down your car windows and plug into a classic playlist, Road Trips in the USA will give you all the inspiration you need for a road trip to remember.

“The Arches Reader Edited” by Jeffrey D. Nichols. There’s something thrilling and slightly unsettling about a massive rock with a hole in its middle or a ribbon of stone flung like a spider’s thread from one rock face to another. Part of the National Park Readers series, The Arches Reader is an anthology of writing about Arches National Park and the surrounding area.

— Summaries provided by library staff