When I started damppebbles in January 2016 the one thing I didn’t expect was to make some incredibly good friends.  I wasn’t aware of the community of like-minded individuals whose love of books holds friendships strong like glue.  From blogging, I have made some very dear friends but there are two ladies I can always count on to make me smile when I’m in a grump or to help me out with a tricky blog based question or advice.  Two stupendously good blogger friends and I am thrilled to have them both feature on the damppebbles, one today and one tomorrow.

First up is the gorgeous Kate Noble of The Quiet Knitter who has absolutely no idea exactly how good she is at this blogging lark and how much we all appreciate her.  Kate’s blog (obviously) is one of my favourites so if you haven’t discovered The Quiet Knitter yet then you must!

Kate joins me today with her #R3COMM3ND3D2017 choices.  #R3COMM3ND3D2017 is where I ask book blogger and authors to name three must-read titles published this year (that’s 2017).

Here are Kate’s choices…

The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie
A very special book that has taken up a place in my heart, I fell in love with the stories of each of the characters and became so invested in them that it felt like they came alive. The wonderful writing drew me in and captured my attention completely. The exploration of the characters is so wonderfully done, the research that has gone into this book shines through and it’s almost magical to read.

Angels in the Moonlight by Caimh McDonnell (A Prequel to the Dublin Trilogy)
Two words – Bunny McGarry! This is a character that I took a huge liking to in previous books and when I heard he was the star of this book I was ecstatic! But that aside, this is also a very well written crime novel with some incredibly important themes. Relationships are so vital in this book and the clever way they are written is awesome to see. I also really loved the way that Caimh McDonnell writes, it’s like he’s sitting sharing the story with you over a coffee (or pint), easy flowing, humorous & utterly brilliant!

Block 46 by Johana Gustawsson (translated by Maxim Jakubowski)
One of my most heart stopping, shock inducing, tear jerking reads. There’s something so “wow” about this book that I’m beginning to regret picking it, how do I sum this up? Utterly despicable killer, so cold and ruthless who leaves me feeling so cold and creeped out, heart wrenching tales of concentration camps under Nazi rule, a complex murder investigation – what’s not to love?! Such a powerful book and a bloody brilliant read!

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Thank you so much for joining me today, Kate and for your terrific recommendations.  I’ve read the first book in ‘The Dublin Trilogy’ and it was a hair’s breadth from featuring on my top reads of 2016 list.  And I can completely understand what you mean about ‘Block 46’.

If Kate has managed to tempt you or if you would like to find out more about the books she has recommended, please see the following amazon.co.uk links:

The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie | Angels in the Moonlight by Caimh McDonnell | Block 46 by Johana Gustawsson |

About Kate:
My name is Kate, I’m mum to 1 human child of the toddling variety and 2 canines (a border collie and a border collie x). I’ve had a fascination with books for as long as I can remember and most of my spare time is spent either reading or knitting. I live in a wee village in the countryside which is a huge change for a city girl!

Kate’s Blog and Social Media Links:
The Quiet Knitter | Twitter |

Join me tomorrow when I will be welcoming my #blogbestie, Jo Robertson of My Chestnut Reading Tree to damppebbles with her three #R3COMM3ND3D2017 picks.