Hello and welcome to damppebbles. I hope your week is going well so far and that it’s full to the brim of books. It’s time for another fantastic #R3COMM3ND3D2019 post and today my guest is brilliant book blogger, Jackie Sharp of Jackie’s Reading Corner. If you’re looking for a new blog to follow then I heartily recommend Jackie’s blog. She is fairly new to blogging so make sure you give her a follow.

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2019? It’s about sharing the book love. It’s a chance for authors and book bloggers to shout about three (yes, *only* three) books they love. They can be written by any author, in any genre and published in any way (traditionally, indie press or self-published). But there is a catch. All three books must have been published in 2019. To make things interesting I have added a couple of teeny, tiny rules this year which are; 1) the book must have first been published in 2019 and 2) special editions and reissues do not count. I like to keep you lovely people on your toes. 😉

Here are the three books Jackie recommends…

Black Summer by M.W. Craven
I had read The Puppet Show which I had seen mentioned over and over in a Facebook group I was in and thought I needed to read it to see what everyone was talking about. What I hadn’t realised was I had it on my bookshelf, couldn’t even remember buying it. I read that one and by chance saw there was a new book coming out with the same characters and I loved Washington Poe and Matilda (Tilly) Bradshaw so much I knew I had to read the second book. By chance, this is when I had first found out about Netgalley and thought about blogging. I set up a rough blog page and requested quite a lot of books! Not expecting to get any, but I got a lot and one of them was Black Summer. I was so excited I had to read the next adventure with these two amazing characters and I am anxiously awaiting book three next year.
Jackie’s Review of Black Summer

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah
This book really hit me with its story. A brilliantly written debut novel about a 16 year old girl, Jodie, who has severe facial disfigurements and has been ridiculed and bullied for most of her life, even her own mother an alcoholic was awful to her. You really felt for this young girl. She goes to a rape counselling centre where she meets Zara Kaleel a high flying barrister who had given up that role to become a rape counsellor. When Jodie comes in, she accuses 4 Muslim boys of raping her. Zara herself is a Muslim. The story is so fast paced, Zara gets a lot of stick from her family and press for representing a white girl against 4 boys who are Muslims. Jodie comes under fire even more than she did before her best friend calls her a liar. Zara has already disappointed her family who practically shun her before she even takes this job. The first half of the book focuses on Jodie and her story to Zara. The second half is the trial and you really feel like you are in that courtroom. This is one of my top reads of this year.
Jackie’s Review of Take It Back

Degrees of Guilt by HS Chandler
I have read other books by this author under the name Helen Fields, so it was interesting to read something different by her. This was another one of those books that just blew you away. Maria Bloxham has been married to her husband Edward for 18 years. One day she picks up the telephone, dials 999, and when asked what service she wants she tells them she isn’t sure as she has just killed her husband. The police arrive first and she is standing outside with the leg of a chair in her hand, blood and what looks like brain matter is on one end and she has blood on her hands. She is told to drop the leg which she does. Paramedics arrive shortly after. But Edward isn’t dead. He will never speak again or do anything much and he will need 24-hour care. But why did Maria Bloxham do this? The rest of the book is through two points of view; Maria on how she met her husband and their married life. The other viewpoint is one of the jurors on Maria’s trial, Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Hiraj. There is a reason the two storylines are picked but to say why would give some plot away. The trial is so tense and gripping, meeting the jurors, their views and an explosive ending. This is another book that at times I struggled a little with the content, having been in a similar situation. No, I haven’t killed anyone, lol…yet! It’s just one of those books that resonates with you. I hadn’t expected to pick two books with trials in them but again this is another top read for me this year.
Jackie’s Review of Degrees of Guilt

Excellent choices, thank you Jackie. I loved Black Summer and your other two choices are on the wishlist. This is the second time Take It Back has been chosen as a #R3COMM3ND3D2019 pick!

If Jackie has managed to tempt you, or if you would like to find out more about the books she recommends, please see the following links:

Black Summer by M.W. Craven
Take It Back by Kia Abdullah
Degrees of Guilt by HS Chandler

About Jackie:
I have been blogging since June of this year 2019, I am enjoying getting to know new people, and love reading books.

Jackie’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Jackie’s Reading Corner | Twitter @jacquel17298155 |

If you’re a book blogger or an author and you have three books published this year which you want to shout about then please complete the following form (or click this link: https://forms.gle/PE483qCyrKEgV5Uq6)