The Charleston Book Bag

               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...