Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Before I go any further I would like to wish all of my American followers a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope you have a wonderful day!

It’s day 26 of this year’s #R3COMM3ND3D and what a gorgeous collection of books we’ve had so far. Adding to the #R3C masterpiece today, I am delighted to welcome another brilliant book blogger. It’s the lovely Sarah of Sarah’s Vignettes. If you don’t already subscribe to Sarah’s blog make sure you head on over and change that.

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2020? It’s about sharing the book love. It’s a chance for authors, book bloggers and bookstagrammers 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 2020. 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 2020 and 2) special editions and reissues do not count. I like to keep you lovely people on your toes. 😉

Here are Sarah’s three #R3COMM3ND3D2020 picks…

Below the Big Blue Sky by Anna McPartlin
Below the Big Blue Sky is the sequel to The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes – one of my all time favourite books. It follows Molly Hayes and her family as they navigate life after Rabbit dies from cancer.

The story was everything I had hoped it would be: big-hearted, amusing, compassionate, emotional, and truly Irish. You will laugh through the tears and feel the warmth, compassion and love of the Hayes family radiate from the pages.

Although it is a sequel, it could be read as a stand-alone as Anna McPartlin has carefully weaved enough back story in for each character. However, I do think that it’s worth reading The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes or listening to the audio version to understand this family and their quirks. It will make you appreciate the story even more.
Sarah’s Review of Under a Big Blue Sky

The Life We Almost Had by Amelia Henley
The Life We Almost Had is not a typical love story but it is Adam and Anna’s love story. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, poignant, and sprinkled with a bit of magic.

It is a page turner and could easily be read in one sitting. It has short chapters, which keeps up the pace of the story and some longer ones where it is necessary. There are some heart pounding moments. Just when you think you’ve worked out where it’s going, Amelia Henley pops in a plot twist and bam! You’re off in a completely different direction. The intricacies in the plot and the rich level of detail show that Amelia Henley knows her characters and their stories inside out. This makes for a brilliant read!
Sarah’s Review of The Life We Almost Had

Under a Wartime Sky by Liz Trenow
Set mainly in Felixstowe, Under a Wartime Sky starts in 1936 and tells the story of how radar was developed at Bawdsey Manor, Suffolk, in the run up to WW2. It is told through the eyes of 2 characters: Kathleen Motts, a local girl, and Vikram Mackensie, a scientist recruited to work on the radar. The story also follows their friendship and slow burning love story whilst telling Bawdsey’s story.

I love books and films set in World War II and I thought I knew a lot about it. However, before reading Under a Wartime Sky, I had never heard of Bawdsey Manor and knew nothing about the important work of the scientists, engineers and WAAF radar operators did there during WW2 and how they helped Britain to win the war.

I loved how Liz Trenow brought Bawdsey’s story, Kathleen and Vikram’s friendship, and the social history of the time together into an enjoyable and important historical read.
Sarah’s Review of Under a Wartime Sky

Some lovely choices, thank you Sarah. I’m delighted to see The Life We Almost Had on your list as, although I haven’t read it myself, I’m a huge fan of the author under another guise.

If Sarah has managed to tempt you, or if you would like to find out more about the books recommended above, please see the following links:

Below the Big Blue Sky by Anna McPartlin
The Life We Almost Had by Amelia Henley
Under a Wartime Sky by Liz Trenow

About Sarah:
Hi, I’m Sarah. I have been reading from a very early age and before I could read, I was always flicking through picture books – I’m sure I was born with a book in my hand!

I read a wide range of genres and I am willing to try most genres once, but I do keep going back to both contemporary and historical fiction more than anything else.

Books are a big part of my life and I started my blog, Sarah’s Vignettes, and my social media pages so I could share my love for them.

Sarah’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Sarah’s Vignettes | Twitter @Sarah_Swan2 | Facebook | Instagram @sarah_swan22 |

If you’re a book blogger, bookstagrammer 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/kHTQeQdiUNZTsW4d6)