The Charleston Book Bag

  Today, we're doing something a little different! I'm ranking my top five favorite reads of 2020 so far. Up to today (August 17th), Goodreads is showing that I've completed 37 books (my goal is 50!). I've had a great time exploring new genres and authors this year.  Number one! I loved this book so, so much. I've shipped Jo and Laurie since I first read Little Women  and I think Stohl and de la Cruz did a great job getting into Jo's head. I'm never opposed to good fan fiction - but this is great . I've re-read it once and I'll probably re-read it again before the end of the year.  Number two! I understand that this one is only new to me. BUT, I went through the whole trilogy and the first season of the show. Harkness has a gift for weaving history and fantasy seamlessly together. I absolutely loved following Diana Bishop (and I imagine I'll re-read these in the years to come!). I'm pretty sure there's a new one out about Galloway (um, ye...

Claire is escaping her abusive husband and public life. Eva is escaping her past mistakes. A chance encounter at the airport causes Claire and Eva to switch boarding passes and assume the other’s identity. But when a plane crash narrows Claire’s options, does she have the courage to evade Eva’s past demons and assume her identity completely? In The Last Flight , Julie Clark explores a multitude of current issues through mystery and suspense. However, it is Clark’s characters that ground the story and keep you turning the pages. Alternating between Claire and Eva’s perspectives, The Last Flight jumps between narrating the past and the present in the story. Each narrator is fully grounded and Clark will keep you turning pages long into the night.  Julie Clark’s follow up to The Ones We Choose is a great choice for anyone who enjoys a thriller, a mystery, or strong female characters in a book. The Last Flight is available at the Charleston Public Library in print and as an eboo...

     Someone is lying. Anna Andrews is a news anchor, living her dream life - until suddenly everything she’s worked so hard for is gone. Detective Chief Inspector Jack Harper is waiting for an exciting crime to show up - until it turns out he’s a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone is dead in Blackdown, and somehow Anna and Jack are connected to the murder. Are they telling the truth to each other? Are they telling the truth to their readers? Combining unreliable narrators, a mysterious introduction, and alternating perspectives, His & Hers combines the best elements of a thriller and a mystery. I felt a little confused trying to catch up to the breakneck pace of the book at times, but the twists were worth any confusion they might’ve caused. His & Hers is a delightfully fast-paced thriller and you don’t want to miss it! His & Hers is Alice Feeney’s third novel, following Sometimes I Lie and I Know Who You Are . His & Hers is available...

     Not to be overly dramatic, but I’m fairly certain that every parent’s worst nightmare is their child being taken away from them forever. Playing Nice shows two families and something is horribly wrong. At the beginning of the book, Pete Riley is approached by a couple and informed that their babies were switched at birth. Theo, born prematurely and experiencing some difficulties, does not share any of his DNA. At first, the two families attempt to blend and pioneer a modern family blend that would keep either child from being uprooted. However, the domestic scene quickly turns dark. After all, it turns out that perhaps the children were switched on purpose - and a possible murder becomes involved.  Playing Nice is Delaney’s fourth novel, following The Girl Before , Believe Me , and The Perfect Wife . Delaney takes domestic drama and spins it into an exciting thriller expertly, using alternating perspectives, police documents, and other documents in the text....

     Everyone I know has spent time feeling like they don’t fit in, or like they don’t know who they are. While I’m not a wealthy heiress (and I don’t know any, either!), I saw a lot of myself in Jill Santapolo’s latest novel. more than words explores the coming of age story of Nina Gregory. Nina Gregory is an incredibly wealthy hotel heiress, currently writing speeches for a political campaign in New York City. Nina’s world is upended as she discovers secrets about the people in her life and tries to discover what she really wants out of life. Nina clearly desires to find belonging and true identity follow her through difficult family events and shocking revelations. more than words explores how our wants and needs change as we mature and how finding what’s most important can lead us to a life that’s full of meaning. Jill Santapolo’s follow up to The Light We Lost , more than words , is beautifully written and incredibly emotional. I had a hard time putting this one ...

      Family keeps secrets - from each other and from everyone else. The Morgan family is about to reveal one of their long-held confidences. It started with a road trip. It’s ending with a road trip. The Morgan siblings’ grandpa has died and left them an inheritance - to get it, they have to recreate their road trip from 20 years before. Eddie, Portia, and Beth set off (with Beth’s husband and Eddie’s wife) to complete their grandpa’s final wishes. But, it quickly becomes apparent that the siblings are hiding things - from their new spouses, from each other, and from everyone else. He Started It is narrated by Beth, who admits early in the book that she’s a cheater, and includes diary entries from the old road trip, writer unknown. Twisting and turning, Downing takes the reader on a thrilling trip with the Morgan family through the past and the present to find the truth. Samantha Downing’s follow up to My Lovely Wife (available in print, as an ebook, and an online au...

          Sometimes, the weight of parental expectations can keep you from going after your dreams to the fullest extent. Summer at Lake Haven tells the story of Samantha Fremont. Samantha is finally free of her mother’s expectations and is setting out to start her own fashion design business. A perfect opportunity drops into her lap when she gets the opportunity to design her friend’s wedding dress. Samantha meets Ian, the bride’s charming, English (emphasis mine!) older brother and a friendship slowly grows into more. However, Samantha and Ian both have obstacles to face before they can take their friendship to the next level.  If you enjoy reading Susan Mallery , Debbie Macomber , or Elin Hilderbrand , check out Summer at Lake Haven at the Charleston Public Library. It’s available in regular print and as an ebook on Libby (check out arvrls.com !). The Charleston Public Library is open with limited hours Monday through Friday - from 10 am to 12...

               For me, the scariest books are the ones that it is difficult to ascertain whether it’s fiction or nonfiction - Devolution fits the bill perfectly . Devolution tackles realistic horror, Bigfoot, and suspense in one fell swoop. Max Brooks, who also wrote World War Z , blurs the lines between fiction and reality so completely that by the time you finish the book, you wonder what really happened in Greenloop after Mount Rainier erupted. Using the journals of resident Kate Holland, investigations by “present-day” characters, and narrative from various perspectives, Brooks tells the story of a missing community - and those who were told to forget about them. Devolution is not a Bigfoot tale for the faint of heart, or for those who enjoy peace and quiet. If you enjoyed World War Z , Burn-In , You Will Be Mine , It , R.L. Stine novels, or horror of any kind, check out Devolution . It’s available in regular print and large print at...

Everyone dreams of the perfect wedding day - but no one’s dream includes a murder (at least, none of mine have!). It’s the perfect destination wedding - a remote island off the coast of Ireland, a young couple with money and ambition, and all the perfect details for a picture-perfect wedding. However, each of these guests have a motive for murder. And someone is going to end up dead. Told from the flashback perspectives of the wedding planner, the “plus-one,” the bride, the best man, the bridesmaid, the story switches between flashback and the “present” the night of the wedding. Foley’s writing will keep you turning pages late into the night and the details in this mystery will keep your mind spinning. If you’ve enjoyed Agatha Christie’s novels (I’m thinking particularly of The Mysterious Affair at Styles and And Then There Were None ), check out The Guest List today. Foley’s earlier book, The Hunting Party , received similar comparisons to Christie and combined elements of a myste...

What if we didn’t tell the truth to ourselves? In The Girl From Widow Hills , Megan Miranda explores the far reaching effects of childhood trauma on Arden Olivia Maynor. Arden, at the age of six, was washed away during a rainstorm while sleepwalking. Arden never could escape her childhood trauma - or the fame that came afterward. Years later, she’s built a life for herself and left Arden Maynor behind her. But, when she wakes up one night in her yard and finds a corpse, her past comes calling.  Unreliable narrators are fascinating to read, although they can be difficult to follow. Miranda does an admirable job following Arden (later known as Olivia) through her journey from a sleepwalking miracle to a murder suspect. I think The Girl From Widow Hills is a thought provoking take on what can happen when we aren’t honest - even with ourselves. The Girl From Widow Hills kept me intrigued until the final page and I think my jaw might’ve dropped.  If you enjoyed Miranda’s Al...

24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid by Willie Mays and John Shea Review by Hannah Hobbs Growing up, I can remember my grandpa reeling off baseball stats like it was his second language. One of his favorite players to discuss was Willie Mays. Mays was an iconic baseball player, as he redefined the game for the decades and players to come. However, he also redefined what it meant to be a black man playing a sport that was popularly perceived as white at the time and only newly desegregated. Each chapter of 24 is set up as a different life story, or lesson, that Mays learned throughout his life and career. There are 24 chapters, or lessons, in the book. The book is set up to clearly differentiate between Willie's voice and commentary from Shea, which I appreciated as a reader. My favorite chapter was "Embrace the Mental Game: The Story of the Sixth Tool." Detailed in the chapter, Mays was said to have an incredible ability to coach the players around him and wa...

Crash by David Hagberg and Lawrence Light Review by Hannah Hobbs What would happen if every financial system we counted on was suddenly gone? In Crash, enemies of the U.S. plot to take down its entire financial system as well as the electrical system on the Eastern Coast. By planting a virus called Abicus in the New York Stock Exchange, mercenaries believe they can topple the Western financial system and emerge wealthy. However, Cassy Levin spots anomalies in the computers and attempts to sound a warning. Just after she warns her boyfriend, former Navy Seal Ben Whalen, Cassy is kidnapped and financial chaos starts to ensue.  Crash combines intricate knowledge of macroeconomics and suspense to keep readers invested in an unlikely thriller. Personally, I found the explanations of debt in the afterword (titled “The Debt Bomb”, written by Lawrence Light) fascinating and horrifying. While Crash may be a thriller, parts of the plot are uncomfortably close to American reality. However...

Jo and Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz Review by Hannah Hobbs Little Women has captivated readers for over 150 years - and it is still a popular choice for anyone trying to find a drama that explores family dynamics, coming-of-age stories, and the fluctuations of love throughout life and death. Louisa May Alcott created the dynamic Jo March and her memorable family and neighbor - Theodore Laurence, or Laurie for short. However, Alcott refused to cave to fan demands that Jo and Laurie fall in love in the second volume of her book.  Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz have saved the day. Jo and Laurie is a sweet look at what it might have been like if Jo March and Theodore Laurence had romantically pursued each other. As a lifelong lover of Little Women , I loved the way Jo and Laurie was written - it felt as if I was watching a behind the scenes video and discovering what really happened. Stohl and de la Cruz have created a believable story and they have expand...

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix Review by Hannah Hobbs What would you do to protect your children? Would you go to the same lengths to protect someone else’s children? There’s a problem in Charleston, South Carolina during the 1990’s. Children are dying. People have been attacked. There’s a mysterious stranger in town, changing family’s lives and fortunes. A middle-aged women’s book club is left to take care of the problem - before it’s too late. Patricia, wife to Carter and mom to two kids, just wants to read an interesting book for once. But after she is attacked after her book club one evening, her life quickly begins to change. As Patricia investigates, terrible secrets are revealed and it seems that there must be a monster in their small, Southern town.  At times both full of suspense and hilarious, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires combines horror with humor and thrills with tenderness. If you enjoyed My Best Friend’s Exc...

the imperfects by Amy Meyerson Review by Hannah Hobbs Who has a perfect family? If you’re like me, your family is far from perfect. Amy Meyerson’s newest novel, the imperfects , displays the Miller family in all of their dysfunctional glory. Deborah and her three children - Beck, Jake, and Ashley -  try to find their own sense of family in the midst of theft, stalking, ex-boyfriends, conflict with the Austrian and Italian governments, and gems held in mostly secure vaults. As the Millers struggle for deeper connections with others and each other, they are working to uncover a mystery that has crossed the Atlantic Ocean almost a century ago. If you enjoyed Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead, Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin, or The Paris Hours by Alex George, find the imperfects at your local library today. Amy Meyerson’s followup novel explores the broken dynamics of a grieving family discovering a lost treasure - the 137 carat F...