On the shelves - Nov. 4

The following books are available at:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

"Mud, Sweat, and Tears" by Bear Gryllis tells the story of a former UK Special Forces paratrooper turned star of the prime-time TV adventure series "Man Vs. Wild," who has braved the world's harshest environments, faced challenges that pushed him to the very limits of physical and mental endurance, and survived where few would dare to go.

"The Age of Miracles" by Karen Walker is a futuristic novel about an ordinary family struggling to cope with the normal disasters of everyday life in a world where the earth has slowed in its orbit, the days grow longer, gravity is affected, and the environment is thrown into disarray.

"DNA USA: a Genetic Portrait of America" by Bryan Sykes turns a spotlight on one of the most genetically variegated countries in the world, from the blue-blooded pockets of old-WASP New England to the vast tribal lands of the Navajo, challenging the very notion of how we perceive race and what it ultimately means to be an American.

"Alif the Unseen" by G. Willow Wilson is set in an unnamed Middle Eastern security state where a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients – dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups – from surveillance; but when his computer is breached by the state's security force, his life is put on the line.

"Dream New Dreams: Reimagining My Life After Loss' by Jai Pausch shares the author's emotional journey from wife and mother to full-time caregiver, then to widow and single parent, fighting to preserve a sense of stability for her family while coping with her own grief, healing, and newfound independence.

"The Sea Witch" by Stephen Coonts weaves three unforgettable tales of men and women at war, ranging from British aviators in World War I to undercover technology against terrorism in which combatants walk a fine line between valor and a death wish.

"The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons From the World's Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo delves into the long, extraordinary life of the renowned French fashion designer and explores her philosophy on a range of universal themes: Style, passion, money, success, and femininity.

Portales

Public Library

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth. As war surges in the dystopian society around her, 16-year-old Divergent Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves — and herself — while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

"Full of Heart" by J.R. Martinez. A former U.S. Army soldier who suffered severe burns while serving in Iraq relates how he triumphed over many obstacles to become a hero, motivational speaker, and media sensation via his appearance on "Dancing with the Stars."

"Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver. Set in the present day in the rural community of Feathertown, Tennessee, Flight Behavior tells the story of Dellarobia Turnbow, a petite, razor-sharp 29-year-old who nurtured worldly ambitions before becoming pregnant and marrying at seventeen. Now, after more than a decade of tending to small children on a failing farm, oppressed by poverty, isolation and her husband's antagonistic family, she has mitigated her boredom by surrendering to an obsessive flirtation with a handsome younger man. In the opening scene, Dellarobia is headed for a secluded mountain cabin to meet this man and initiate what she expects will be a self-destructive affair. But the tryst never happens. Instead, she walks into something on the mountainside she cannot explain or understand: a forested valley filled with silent red fire that appears to her a miracle. After years lived entirely in the confines of one small house, Dellarobia finds her path suddenly opening out, chapter by chapter, into blunt and confrontational engagement with her family, her church, her town, her continent, and finally the world at large.