Hello and welcome to Sunday on damppebbles! I hope you have a good book on the go this weekend. It’s day FIFTY of #R3COMM3ND3D2020 and today I am absolutely delighted to welcome a bookish gem to share their three #R3COMM3ND3D picks with us. It’s the fabulous, award-winning Anne of Being Anne. Anne is one of the loveliest people you could meet and an absolute superstar. If you don’t already subscribe to Anne’s posts, then make sure that changes!

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 the three books Anne has chosen…

Wild Spinning Girls by Carol Lovekin
A book filled with magic, and not only because of the sublime writing – and the characters are stunning. I loved this book – there’s a delicious darkness about it, but also a lightness that makes your heart sing, with a final note of hope that will long remain. Stunning.
Anne’s Review of Wild Spinning Girls

The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford
A quite remarkable dual timeline story, beautifully written: one of its threads, perhaps the most dominant one, focuses on the community eking out a living on the island of St Kilda. The descriptions of the natural world and the impact of the seasons are exceptional – and it’s also a stunning and moving love story. Quite unforgettable.
Anne’s Review of The Lost Lights of St Kilda

The Memory by Judith Barrow
This could have been a really difficult read with its focus on that emotional maelstrom that dementia brings – further complicated by the way the characters’ lives have unfolded, with a single significant memory driving an ever-present hatred that underpins the story. The way it’s structured is absolute perfection, one timeline focused on a slow-moving 24 hours, the other following all the memories. Powerful and compelling, a story superbly told, and an entirely unforgettable emotional experience.
Anne’s Review of The Memory

Three absolutely stunning books, thank you Anne. All three of your choices would make beautiful Christmas gifts.

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

Wild Spinning Girls by Carol Lovekin
The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford
The Memory by Judith Barrow

About Anne:
Anne Williams is a book blogger and reviewer, at Being Anne: the blog is now approaching eight years old. She lives in Wetherby in Yorkshire, and took early retirement six years ago to do everything she enjoys, including reading and reviewing as many books as she possibly can, and indulging herself with exotic holidays. Life changed a little few years ago, when she became carer for her mother: the travel had to stop for a while, but nothing can come between Anne and the reading. Her blog won the Best Pal award at the Annual Bloggers’ Bash for three years running, and she was delighted to win the RNA’s Media Star of the Year award in 2019.

Anne’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Being Anne | Twitter @Williams13Anne | Facebook |

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)