On the shelves - Feb. 10

The following are available for checkout at:

Clovis-Carver Public Library

“The Sunflower Girl” by Rosanna Chiofalo tells the story of Signora Maria Ferraro, who carries bitter memories from World War II, when the Germans overran Florence. In the aftermath of loss and grief she finds salvation through cultivating roses on her farm, nurturing them with as much care as she guards her past. Yet to Maria’s daughter, who longs for more, the rose farm has become little more than a pretty prison.

“NightZone” by Steven F. Havill asks the question, “What do you do when you inherit $330 million after taxes?” If you’re New Mexico rancher Miles Waddell, you build NightZone, an astronomy-based theme park. As two eco-terrorists sabotage the development, a bucking power pole kills one and the other guns down a cop and gets away. Then a retired sheriff who failed to stop the assailant becomes the focus of a second investigation.

“The Other Side of Everything” by Lauren Doyle Owens explores the connections between strangers, the past and the present, and the power of a tragic murder to spark renewal. A curmudgeonly widower emerges from his solitude to reconnect with his fellow octogenarians; an artist’s paintings prove to be too realistic, landing her in the cross hairs of the police; while a teenage waitress is drawn to a man the police say is the killer.

“The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” by Margareta Magnusson introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task, making the process to minimize uplifting rather than overwhelming. With her Scandinavian humor and wisdom, the author suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of and which you might want to keep, helping you become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.

“Pearls Before Poppies: The Story of the Red Cross Pearls” by Rachel Trethewey weaves the touching story of raising funds for the Red Cross by having women donate a pearl in tribute to the dead and wounded in the Great War, to create a necklace for auction. As the idea captured the public’s imagination, priceless heirlooms to imperfect yet treasured trinkets poured in from across the world, far exceeding everyone's greatest expectations.

“Can You Hear Me?” by Nick Morgan opens our eyes to the challenges of communicating in a virtual world, raising the barriers faced when we communicate via digital means rather than in-person. The suggested tips are practical and relatively easy to use, such as the recommendation to start using emojis in formal written communication, including emails, to stand in for all of the body language we don't see when we’re virtual.

— Summaries by library staff