Windswept by Annabel Abbs (Part Historical Fiction / Part Memoir)
A beautifully written meditation on connecting with the outdoors through the simple act of walking.  Abbs follows in the footsteps of women who boldly reclaimed wild landscapes for themselves.  The stories of these writers and artists are laced together by moments in Abbs’ own life, beginning with her poet father who raised her in the Welsh countryside as an “experiment” according to the principals of Rousseau.

Author Presentation: Warren “Chuck” Johnson’s book: Exit Strategy
“While sailing to and exploring some of Earth’s most beautiful and remote places, my most important discoveries are the elements of inner peace and a plan for the time I have left.” My exit strategy.

MARCH
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge (Historical Fiction)
It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni (Fiction)
Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” by his classmates.  40 years later, Sam is a small-town eye doctor.  The story of his life, friendships and his mother’s promised he’d live an extraordinary life.