Hello bookish friends and welcome to damppebbles. The weekend has arrived, hoorah. I plan to put my feet up, drink copious amounts of tea, gorge myself on copious amounts of biscuits and lose myself in a good book. Heaven! It’s day 32 of #R3COMM3ND3D2021 and what a stonking book year it’s turned out to be. #R3C21 has so far given us 86 individual recommendations, four books have been selected more than once and our current leader is The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. But that could all change in the next couple of weeks…

I am delighted to welcome a brilliant book blogger to share the 2021 book love with us today, it’s Cathy from What Cathy Read Next. Cathy’s blog is a must read for any serious book lover. Personally, I’m a huge fan and I strongly recommend that you subscribe if you don’t already. What are you waiting for?

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 😉

Here are the three books Cathy recommends…

When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler
Inspired by her own father’s escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, When The World Was Ours is the story of three childhood friends – Leo, Max and Elsa – two of whom are Jewish and whose lives are destined to follow very different paths. In war, there are rarely happy endings. As Elsa says, “How rapidly something unthinkable can become commonplace. How easily we let the inconceivable become a new normal. How quickly we learn to stop questioning these things.” Although an emotional read at times, the book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the kindness of strangers.
Cathy’s Review of When The World Was Ours

The Hidden Child by Louise Fein
Inspired by the author’s personal experience of bringing up a child with epilepsy, the book takes the reader back to 1929, a time when the condition was viewed by those in the eugenics movement as something shameful, something to be hidden. Told from the perspective of Eleanor and Edward whose daughter develops epilepsy, their very different views about her future create rifts that threaten their marriage. As a person with epilepsy, The Hidden Child made me appreciate how far we have come as a society and how fortunate I am to be living in a more enlightened age.
Cathy’s Review of The Hidden Child

End of Summer by Anders de la Motte
End of Summer concerns a sister’s search for the truth about the disappearance of her four year old brother Billy many years before. It’s a compelling mystery but also an absorbing and insightful picture of a family coping with the disappearance of a child: the unanswered questions, the dashed hopes, and the sense of absence. I found it absolutely gripping from start to finish.
Cathy’s Review of End of Summer

Thanks so much, Cathy. Three terrific choices which all sound very intriguing. Some definite additions to the TBR there.

About Cathy Johnson:
Happily retired and now with more time to read and review books, I especially enjoy historical, literary and crime fiction (although nothing too gory). However, whatever the genre, I crave good writing. When I’m not reading or blogging, you’ll find me pottering in the garden or vegetable patch.

Cathy’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| What Cathy Read Next | Twitter @Cathy_A_J | Facebook | Instagram @whatcathyreadnextbookblog |

Sadly submissions for #R3COMM3D3D2021 are now closed (posts will be running until mid-December so we’re not quite done yet). Shortly after the last post I will be inviting you all to attend the virtual after-show party, which should be a giggle, where we can cast our eyes over the marvellous and majestic beauty of 2021’s books. We will also crown 2021’s winner (or joint winners, if that’s the case ). So I expect it to be a jolly good ol’ knees up! Until then stay tuned as we have lots more bookish loveliness heading your way ❤