On the shelves — July 25

The following books are available at the:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

“Awakening Joy: 10 Steps That Will Put You on the Road to Real Happiness” by James Baraz offers a step-by-step program that will reorient your mind away from dissatisfaction and distraction and toward the contentment and delight that are abundantly available in our everyday lives.

“Shattered” by Karen Robards opens as research assistant Lisa Grant uncovers a cold case file pertaining to an entire family that disappeared without a trace more than twenty-eight years earlier, but Lisa is shocked to discover a photo of the mother in the file that could be her own twin.

“Wheel Throwing” by Emily Reason introduces beginning pottery makers to the basics of one of the most popular types of ceramic work from selection of materials to the final glazing and firing of functional and lovely hand-crafted objects for your home.

“The Sheen of Silk” by Anne Perry is an epic historical novel set in thirteenth-century Constantinople where Anna Zaride employs her skills as a physician as a cover for her mission to prove the innocence of her brother who is accused of murder.

“Prime-Time Health: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Feeling Young and Living Longer” by William Sears uncovers the secrets to aging well and offers an 8-step program that will help you to prevent disease, sharpen thinking, boost energy, and take charge of your health.

“Caught by Harlan Coben tells the story of a missing girl, the community stunned” by her loss, the predator who may have taken her, and the reporter who suddenly realizes she can’t trust her own instincts about this story or the motives of the people around her.

“The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn” by Alison Weir examines the gripping, dark, and chilling story of the final days of the second wife to Henry VIII, a woman who remains five hundred years after her death one of the world’s most fascinating, controversial, and tragic heroines.

Portales Public Library

“The Whisperers” by John Connolly

It is there in the vast and porous Great North Woods on the border between Maine and Canada that a dangerous smuggling operation is taking place. Drugs, cash, weapons and even people are changing hands in an operation that is run by a group of disenchanted former soldiers. Something powerful, evil and ancient has also changed hands.

The authorities suspect something is amiss, but can’t know that it is stranger and more terrifying than anyone can imagine, except for private detective Charlie Parker, who has his own intimate knowledge of the darkness in men’s hearts. As the smugglers begin to die one after another in apparent suicides, Parker is called in to put an end to the bloodletting.

The soldiers’ actions and the objects they have taken have drawn the attention of the reclusive Herod, and where Herod goes, so too does the shadowy figure that he calls the Captain. Parker must form an uneasy alliance with a man he fears more than any other, the killer known as the Collector in order to defeat them all.

“Raptors of New Mexico” edited by Jean-Luc E. Cartron

Derived from the Latin word “raptor,” one who seizes by force, the order of Raptatores, or Raptores, was first used to classify birds of prey in the early 19th century. A great deal of new information has been collected on these mighty hunters’ distribution, ecology and conservation.

This text includes the writings of 41 contributing authors who relate their observations on these regal species. Jean-Luc Cartron, originally from France, has lived and worked on several continents, finding his passion in the wide-open spaces of New Mexico.

“Raptors of New Mexico” will provide readers with a comprehensive treatment of all eagles, kites, vultures, hawks, falcons and owls breeding or wintering in New Mexico, or simply migrating through the state. With more than 700 photos, this landmark study is beautifully illustrated, including the work of more than 100 photographers, and nearly 50 species-distribution maps.

“Texas Ranger Biographies: Those Who Served 1910-1921” by Charles H. Harris III, Frances E. Harris and Louis R. Sadler

Playing a unique role in American history, the Texas Rangers were of course a state constabulary, but they also helped to defend the United States border. The Mexican Revolution was a turning point in the history of the Texas State Ranger Force, basically saving the organization.

As of 1910, there was growing support to abolish the Rangers. Their traditional role of fighting Mexicans, Indians and outlaws had pretty much ended. Most people felt that because they were under the direct control of the governor, they were the governor’s personal police force and used for political purposes. With the advent of the Mexican Revolution and ensuing border turmoil, the Rangers were once again looked to for protection.

The authors have compiled a reference book that presents the biographies of all 1,782 Rangers who served along the Texas-Mexico border during the Mexican Revolution using material collected over three decades of archival research. They reveal the diversity and scale of the organization and the importance of each man’s role in helping shape one of the enduring legacies of the U.S.-Mexican border.