On the shelves - April 28

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.

“How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss” by Jenny Proctor. When one of THE Hawthorne brothers hires me to be his virtual assistant, I do everything I can to keep him firmly in the work zone. But even if I do have a crush, I can’t catch real feelings for a million different reasons. Besides the whole business part of our relationship, I’m a single mom. I have to think about what’s best for my son, Jack. And my grumpy, divorced, humorless boss isn’t exactly giving me “ready to be a stepdad” vibes. When Perry Hawthorne upgrades me from virtual to in-person assistant, I wonder if I’ve gotten him all wrong. He’s actually pretty great with Jack. Trouble is, after his messy divorce, I’m not sure Perry’s ready to bet on a new relationship. But it isn’t just my heart that’s on the line. It’s Jack’s, too. And after everything we went through before my husband died, I’m not sure that’s a gamble I’m ready to take.

“The Family Chao” by Lan Samantha Chang. The residents of Haven, Wisconsin, have dined on the Fine Chao restaurant’s delicious Americanized Chinese food for thirty-five years, content to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. But when the brothers reunite in Haven, the Chao family’s secrets erupt at last. Before long, brash, charismatic, and tyrannical patriarch Leo is found dead and his sons find they’ve drawn the exacting gaze of the entire town. The ensuing trial brings to light potential motives for all three brothers: Dagou, the restaurant’s reckless head chef; Ming, financially successful but personally tortured; and James, gentle but a lost college student. As the spotlight on the brothers tightens, Dagou, Ming, and James must reckon with the legacy of their father’s outsized appetites and their own future survival.

“Scary Book of Christmas Lore” by Tim Rayborn. He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake. This lighthearted song is a bit more ominous in the context of other Christmas traditions. From beasts that threaten to cook children into stew to sinister crones who snatch little ones from their beds, you won’t find any dancing sugar plums here. Outside of the heartwarming Christmas tales we all know, there are an abundance of frightening stories to chill all who hear them to the bone.

“Green: Plants for Small Spaces, Indoors and Out” by Jason Chongue. In Green, Jason Chongue explains and simplifies how to curate and look after plants in small urban spaces. He provides a practical and personal guide to creating urban gardens and styling with plants, perfect for a range of environments and climates, inside or out.

“Anything’s Pastable” by Dan Pashman. When Sporkful podcast host Dan Pashman launched cascatelli, a new pasta shape he invented that he designed to hold tons of sauce and be incredibly satisfying to bite into, it went viral. But as Dan was flooded with pictures of what people were making with his pasta, he was disappointed to see how limited the dishes were. So Dan set out to revolutionize people’s conceptions of pasta sauces, just as he did with pasta shapes. He traveled across Italy and worked with an all-star team of recipe developers in the US to create a new kind of pasta sauce cookbook for people bored with the old standbys.

“A Handheld History” by Lost in Cult. Forty years ago, businessmen fiddling with calculators inspired Gunpei Yokoi to create the Game & Watch. Ever since then, handheld gaming has been hugely influential, spawning communities who trade Pokémon in the playground and share Miis on the subway. This introspective adventure will delve into decades of gaming memories. Featuring words from many incredible voices, this is an unmissable ode to the gaming device that you keep close to your heart.

— Summaries provided by library staff