Hello and welcome to damppebbles. It’s Monday which means we have a fabulous full week ahead of us of brilliant book recommendations all thanks to #R3COMM3ND3D2019. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – one of the things I love the most about #R3COMM3ND3D, apart from the glorious outpouring of book love, is that I get to discover new authors and book bloggers. Today I am delighted to welcome a new-to-me book blogger to tell us about three of their favourite reads from this year – Kriti Khare of Armed with a Book. If you don’ t already, pop over and give Kriti’s blog 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 Kriti recommends…

resilience road: exploring your authentic life path by Beth Koritz
This is an amazing book about learning from the obstacles that one faces and continuing to try to create an authentic life. Throughout her life, Beth faced medical issues as well as relationship problems while she struggled to figure out whether she truly wanted to do those things or she was just trying to follow the check list society had created. A thoughtful book, exploring real struggle and resiliency with a toolkit to give the reader the ways to make it happen, Resilience Road is an amazing memoir and self-help book, all in one! Beth is brutally honest about her perception of herself and the world, her mistakes and her takeaways. I loved this book and will go back to it again!

When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew: A Memoir by Hendrika de Vries
I love reading stories about war times because I don’t think we do justice to what the common people went through when we learn about them in school. It is harder to understand what people went through without actually hearing someone’s actual experiences. This is why I loved this book! Henny is five when war takes her father from the family as a Prisoner of War, as the Netherlands are occupied by Nazi Germany. Coming to terms with the social situation as a child, watching her mother be strong for their family of two, with unwavering faith the he will be back, Henny faces situations where she not only rethinks the role that religion plays in their lives, but also the position of women and the bounds created in times of war. I gained new knowledge about living in and after war times, about the Silent Generation, the necessity to move countries when the war was over, and much more. In the midst of all this, was the heroism of the women who helped their families and whoever they could aid, survive. Henny’s mother is a woman to be admired. If you are interested in history, particularly World War II, you should read this book. I am sure you it will be a cherished story.
Kriti’s Review of When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew: A Memoir

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas
I love reading about time travel and this seemed like a great pick! Since I read after I started bookblogging, I think I was able to reflect on the concept of time-travel more than I had ever before. Rather than focusing on how the time machines work and the technology behind them, this book explores the effects that a time travelling profession would have on the traveller as well as the world itself. This book led me to think deeply about the concept of time travel – the shiny and the ugly parts of it are revealed beautifully by Kate through her characters. I appreciated the theme of understanding death from the human and time-traveller perspective, providing a commentary of developing resilience as one jumps through times. Odette’s role as the person who witnessed the woman’s death and her drive to understand what happened form an important inside link into the workings of the Conclave – the group that manages time travelling. There is also the theme of how power can corrupt people and the ways in which we justify the actions that we take. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all time traveling enthusiasts.
Kriti’s Review of The Psychology of Time Travel

Three very intriguing sound books, Kriti. Thank you so much for sharing them with us.

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

resilience road: exploring your authentic life path by Beth Koritz
When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew: A Memoir by Hendrika de Vries
The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

About Kriti:
Kriti is an avid reader and learner. She expresses her love for lifelong learning by writing regularly on her blog about a variety of topics, posting book reviews, author interviews, how-to articles on bullet journalling, teaching, learning better and organisation. When not reading or working away on her blog, she applies the skills she has learned in as a Data Analyst, to her personal life, such a goal setting, building roadmaps and more.

Kriti’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Armed with a Book | Twitter @_armedwithabook | Facebook | Goodreads |

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)