On the shelves — July 24

The following are available for checkout at:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

In conjunction with the City of Clovis floodplain management program, the library maintains a collection of materials on National Flood Insurance programs including manuals for designing or retrofitting structures, handbooks on residential repair, guidelines for erosion control, and similar topics. Librarians will be happy to assist users in locating these materials.

Darkness by Karen Robards follows ornithologist Dr. Gina Sullivan studying wildlife on an Attu island in Alaska, where she finds herself caught in a storm, and witnessing a plane crash with only one survivor. Gina soon discovers that the seemingly innocent trip she had planned, is not going to happen, and it has now turned into a trip of survival!

Girl at War by Sara Novic revolves around Ana Juriç, a Croatian girl who lived in Yugoslavia during the early 90s in their Civil War, and is then adopted by Americans. Years later, as an adult in New York City in. she tries to forget her violent, tragic past, but finds that's exactly what she must do and discovers just how resilient the human spirit can be.

The Secrets We Left Behind by Susan Elliot Wright 5/20/16 tells of Eve, who has built a good life, has a husband who adores her, a daughter she is fiercely proud of, and a home with warmth and love at its heart. But things were not always so good, and the truth is that she has done things she can never admit. Then one evening a phone call comes out of the blue. It is a voice from long ago, a man from a past that she has tried so hard to hide.

The Roughest Riders by Jerome Tuccille is the inspiring story of the first African American soldiers to serve during the post-slavery era, when full equality, legally at least, was still a distant dream. They fought heroically and courageously, making Teddy Roosevelt's campaign a great success, but mostly, they demonstrated their own military prowess, often in the face of incredible discrimination from their fellow soldiers and commanders, and rightfully deserve their own place in American history.

Rescue Road by Peter Zheutlin is the extraordinary story of one man who has driven more than 1 million miles to rescue thousands of dogs from hunger, abuse and neglect and give them a second chance at life and love, bringing hard-luck dogs from the deep South to loving "forever families" up north looking to adopt a pet, with the help of many selfless volunteers along the way.

Portales Public Library

Defender by Diana Palmer

Three years ago, Isabel Grayling, the young, sheltered daughter of a successful Texas millionaire, fell in love with Paul Fiore, one of her father's employees. Isabel had never known the world outside of her father's mansion in Comanche Falls, as she, her younger sister Merrie, and their housekeeper Mandy had been kept prisoner by Mr. Grayling for years after his wife died, and when Paul fell in love with Isabel as well, he decided that the best thing to do was to leave, so as not to anger her father. Now Paul works for the FBI and Isabel has become an assistant district attorney, and their paths cross both personally and professionally when Paul is assigned to investigate Mr. Grayling on a laundering case. Isabel refuses to speak to Paul at first, unable to forgive him for breaking her heart, but when she becomes the target of a stalker, she realizes that Paul may be her only hope for survival.

The Black Widow by Daniel Silva

Renowned art restorer, assassin and Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is about to become the new chief of Israel's secret intelligent service, but right before his promotion, ISIS detonates a massive bomb in in Paris's Marais district, devastating the area. The French government turns to Gabriel for his help before those responsible for the bomb can plan another attack, not knowing that the man behind it is a terrorist so elusive that his own identity and nationality are a mystery, known to his allies simply as Saladin. Saladin is hidden deep within ISIS, protected by encryption software and leaving his enemies clueless as to how to track him down. With no other options, Gabriel sends Dr. Natalie Mizrahi, a Jewish doctor fluent in both French and Arabic, undercover as a member of ISIS who would willingly sacrifice her life for Saladin's cause, a “black widow” seeking revenge, in order to bring down the organization.

Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery

Maggie has been a widow for twenty-four years and is finally about to remarry, bringing her three daughters together to help her prepare for the wedding. Rachel, the oldest, resents her ex-husband, Greg, who cheated on her and led to their divorce; Sienna, the middle child, has two broken engagements under her belt and can't seem to warm up to her current boyfriend, David; and Courtney, the youngest, struggled with a learning disability through school but is now only two semesters away from earning her bachelor's degree while working as a maid at a hotel. However, when Greg starts acting like a husband and father again and wants to reconcile with Rachel, David proposes marriage to Sienna in front of her family, and Courtney's relationship with her boss's son, Quinn, and her plans for the future are exposed, each of the three daughters find that they have some difficult decisions to make before their mother's wedding.

— Summaries by library staff