I am delighted to welcome fellow book blogger, Nicola Smith of the fantastic Short Book and Scribes to damppebbles today to reveal three of her recommended reads published in 2017.  If you haven’t had the pleasure of a visit to Nicola’s blog then you must!  A brilliant blog, written by a very lovely lady.

#R3COMM3ND3D2017 is a new feature on damppebbles where I ask book bloggers and authors to share three of their MUST READ books.  The only rule is that the book must have been published in 2017.  And despite damppebbles being a crime fiction blog, there is no need for participants to pick from the crime fiction genre.  All genres are up for grabs.

Enough of my wittering.  Let’s find out what Nicola has chosen as three must-reads for 2017:

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
It’s inspired writing from an incredibly versatile author. It reads a bit like a memoir of Cyril Avery’s life from just before his birth to the age of 70. As a gay man in Ireland you can imagine how repressed Cyril was. It’s an epic tale of a life with all its ups and downs which really made me laugh at times.

The Way Back to Us by Kay Langdale
Kay Langdale’s writing is astute and observant. This book is told from the point of view of four family members as they deal with youngest son, Teddy, and his Spinal Muscular Atrophy and shows how much of an effect it has on each of them and the family as a whole. It’s a stunning and moving read.

The Honey Farm on the Hill by Jo Thomas
Jo Thomas sets her books in different countries and by the end you wish you were there. This time it’s Crete and our heroine, Nell, has volunteered to help get a honey farm up and running again. It’s rural and rustic and steeped in atmosphere. I shed a little tear at the end of this lovely story.

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Thank you so much for joining me today and for these cracking recommendations, Nicola.  If you’re tempted by Nicola’s suggestions or would just like to find out more about the books, here are the amazon.co.uk purchase links:

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne | The Way Back To Us by Kay Langdale | The Honey Farm on the Hill by Jo Thomas |

About Nicola:
I’m 42 and a church administrator with a three-year-old son. I set up my blog a year ago and am enjoying it immensely.

Nicola’s Blog and Social Media Links:
Short Book and Scribes | Twitter | Facebook | 

I’m planning on running this feature for the rest of the year so if you’re a book blogger or an author and you haven’t submitted your three recommended reads, then here’s the form to do so: