Book 3 - Chapter 1- The Mountain Between Us

Welcome to January! We just spent a few days in the mountains of South Carolina, a little town called Westminster. Dave fished and I, um, read and wrote and ruminated as I always do this time of year. I am all about making lists - lists of things I want to do this year, lists of things I have to do, lists of books I want to read and places I want to visit. In fact the only time I am not making lists either in my head or on paper is when I am reading or working in the store. Both are places of respite for me.

I am also starting to plan out my reads for the Savannah Book Festival in February. So my lists include books I want to read for that. I am part of two book clubs, one online and one here at the beach so I need to read or reread those books. I am thinking about starting a book club at Bookends based on the Great American read list so I am reviewing that list as well.

So here are the books I read while away to shut down my brain or help me be more creative.

Force of Nature by Jane Harper - This is a book I read for an online book club I belong to. Harper's books take place in Australia and feature a young federal agent named Aaron Falk. In this second book of the series Falk is investigating money laundering when his whistleblower contact goes missing on a corporate outdoor retreat.

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes - You may know Rhimes from her fame as creator, writer, and producer of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Private Practice and How to Get Away With Murder. You probably don't know that she is painfully shy and until recently stayed away from public encounters. Rhimes got a wake-up call one Thanksgiving from her sister who told her, "You never say yes to anything." From that Rhimes decided to make a "year of yes" and to say yes to anything that scared her. No only is this a wonderful and funny book but it is also inspiring.

The English Wife by Lauren Willig - This has been on my TBR pile since last January if you can believe that! The story takes place in 1899 in New York. Annabelle Lacey, an English woman, marries Bayard Van Duykil, a wealthy American. His mother is not amused. At the opening of their new home, Bay is murdered and Annabelle goes missing. Lots of twists and turns as well as family secrets. Who done it? Read it and find out.

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks - Sometimes I am lucky enough to get Advanced Reader Copies of books and this is one of them. This book will be published in January. What if a friend from university called you with a problem? What if you hadn't seen her in 20 years? Would you invite her in? That is the dilemma Mel has and so she invites Abi, who is going through a rough time, into her life. The result is ...well you'll just have to read the book.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - This is a re-read for me as it is one of my January book club books. In this tale, Atwood, who is the mother of dystopian fiction, introduces Offred, a handmaid who lives and serves in the household of the Commander. While Offred remembers her life before, her sole job now is to get pregnant. This is a chilling tale which will be followed up in 2019 by a sequel.

Any good books on your list? Just let me know.

You can order these and other books at www.bookendsonline.com.