Happy Tuesday bookish pals and welcome to day two of #R3COMM3ND3D2021. Today I am delighted to welcome one of my favourite people in the book world to damppebbles to talk all things #R3C2021. It’s the fabulous Lisa from ReadandRated. I am a huge fan of Lisa’s blog and her reviews. She is in fact responsible for several book purchases of late so if you don’t already follow her, make sure you change that ASAP! She can help add to your terrifying TBR as well as mine 🤭

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2021? 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 2021. To make things interesting there are a couple of teeny, tiny rules; 1) the book must have FIRST been published in 2021 and 2) special editions and reissues do not count. I like to keep you lovely people on your toes 😉

As this is the fifth year of #R3C, things are going to be a smidge different this year. There’s a scary deadline involved *shudder*. The #R3COMM3ND3D application form will only be open until midday (GMT) on Wednesday 1st December. If you would like to take part in #R3C this year (and I would LOVE you to!) then please get your three choices in sooner rather than later. Any posts scheduled for later in December will be brought forward and I will close the series early if I’m not able to fill all of the available dates. The form is at the bottom of this post if you fancy taking part.

Let’s find out which three books Lisa recommends…

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean
I feel like this book will stay with me forever! I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but wow it is gripping, I have recommended it to so many people with a mixed response after they’ve read it of either ‘oh my god I can’t put it down’ or ‘oh my god how could you read that!’. So not one for the delicate flowers of the world and not one you’ll forget in a hurry.
Lisa’s Review of Last Thing to Burn

I am the Sea by Matt Stanley
I was captivated by this book. It is so beautifully crafted and there are many literary nods throughout which I loved. I swear I could practically taste salt while I was reading and it was easy to imagine the creepy madness that each man attempted to keep at bay. Set entirely on a lighthouse, this story was fascinating, beautiful and horrid in equal measure.
Lisa’s Review of I am the Sea

Time is Running Out (DCI Matilda Darke #7) by Michael Wood
I am a huge fan of the Matilda Darke series by Michael Wood and this book in particular is such a perfect example of how talented a writer he is. Matilda’s character is flawed and perfectly captured and she and her team now feel like familiar friends. I am certain this will become a televised series at some point – it is so good. This instalment in the series is the most high octane and exciting one yet – it’s dramatic and hugely entertaining. (But, please do go back and start with the first one in the series!)
Lisa’s Review of Time is Running Out

Three great choices. Thanks so much, Lisa. I’m also a huge fan of the Matilda Darke series and highly recommend all eight books including the jaw-dropping Time is Running Out!

About Lisa from ReadandRated:
I’m ‘that‘ girl, you know the one who always has her nose in a book. The one who always has a book on the go. The one who is reading a different book every time you ask her ‘what ya reading?’; I am her, she is me. I am also the girl who collects authors on twitter – you can find me there as @ReadandRated (where I mainly focus on books….) and also as @CoffeeCurls (where other stuff filters in too). So I am a fan of books. I am also a fan of excellent customer service; nothing irks me more than people who just can’t be bothered to do their job properly. I have a great work ethic and I thrive on exceeding expectations, focusing on customer service, meeting customer needs and producing outstanding work. Here at ReadandRated.com you can find honest reviews and ratings for books. I also post reviews onto Good Reads, you can access my account there via the widget on the right had side of this blog, and I post reviews onto Amazon. If I review a book for you and you want a review posted onto a particular site just let me know. I live very near Cambridge with my wonderful family which consists of one great bloke, two great boys and two purrrfect cats and a beautiful black Labrador. The rest of the time I am slightly fixated with cats, coffee and books.

Lisa’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| ReadandRated | Twitter @ReadandRated | Twitter @CoffeeCurls | Facebook | Instagram @readandratedbookreviews |

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/pHinvKCHGP89wumn9)