Hello bookish friends and welcome to Saturday on damppebbles. I hope you have a whole host of bookish treats lined up for the weekend. Better to curl up with a good book than face the bracing chill of December and the Christmas shopping crowds I think! It’s day 38 of #R3COMM3ND3D2021 and we’re racing to this year’s finish line with only another eleven posts to come. At the moment The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward and The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean are neck and neck. But that could all change today…

I am delighted to welcome a brilliant blogger and all round awesome person to damppebbles today to share the #R3COMM3ND3D book love, it’s Kate of Portable Magic. I’m a huge fan of Kate’s blog and I heartily recommend that you give it a follow if you don’t already. You’re bound to find a new favourite read!

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 Kate recommends…

This is How We Are Human by Louise Beech
It’s amazing! Louise Beech tackles a controversial subject with wonderful sensivity. These characters have stayed with me long after I finished the book and, as always, Mrs Beech made me cry!
Kate’s Review of This is How We Are Human

Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham
It’s so different to anything Mark Billingham has done before but it’s brilliantly written with a compelling storyline. The author captures Alice’s voice really well and handles sensitive subjects with care.
Kate’s Review of Rabbit Hole

The Impossible Truths of Love by Hannah Beckerman
It’s different to the books I would normally read but it’s beautifully written and hit me right in the feels! It’s rare that a book has such a strong emotional impact on me.
Kate’s Review of The Impossible Truths of Love

Three cracking choices, thanks Kate. This is the third time we’ve seen This is How We Are Human by Louise Beech which puts it in joint second place with No Honour by Awais Khan. Who will be crowned the winner of #R3COMM3ND3D2021? I think it’s impossible to say at this point!

About Kate:
I’m Kate and I’m a book blogger who lives in Leeds. When I’m not reading, I enjoy going to the theatre and I’m one of the unfortunate souls with a Bradford City season ticket.

Kate’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Portable Magic | Twitter @bantambookworm | Facebook | Instagram @bantambookworm |

Sadly submissions for #R3COMM3D3D2021 are now closed (posts will be running until just before Christmas 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 ❤