Hello book friends and welcome to Saturday on damppebbles. I hope you have some brilliant books lined up this weekend, and the opportunity to read them of course! It’s day 44 of #R3COMM3ND3D2021 and so far 115 individual 2021 publications have been selected by a whole host of brilliant authors, bookstagrammers and book bloggers. We currently have two books in joint first place, two books in joint second place and four books in joint third place. Will that change today…?

Let’s find out! Joining me to share the 2021 book love today is a fabulous, award-winning blogger – it’s Julie Morris of A Little Book Problem. I love Julie’s blog and I heartily recommend you get over there and subscribe, if you don’t already. Julie is sure to help you find a new favourite read or author with her beautifully written reviews and features.

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 Julie recommends…

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
It is probably surprising to describe a book dealing with terminal illness as uplifting, but that is a true description of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot. The book describes the friendship between a teenage girl and an elderly woman who meet at an art class for long-term patients in a Scottish hospital and it is warm, uplifting, powerful, joyous and deeply affecting. I absolutely loved it and want everyone to read it.
Julie’s Review of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
This book is an extraordinary piece of writing. Set in the infamous brothels of Pompeii, Elodie Harper has written a book that is both a gripping thriller and a fascinating exploration of the tenacity of the human spirit, richly woven with historical detail. I found the book mesmerising and cannot wait for the second part of the projected trilogy to be published next year.
Julie’s Review of The Wolf Den

This Much Huxley Knows by Gail Aldwin
This is book that will have slipped under many people’s radar as it isn’t published by a mainstream publisher and I think that is a great shame because I don’t think I have ever read a book that so clearly describes life from the point of view of a child or captures so brilliantly the joy and pain of being a seven-year-old that doesn’t quite fit in. This is such an individual book, both saddening and uplifting to read and it deserves a really wide audience. I hop including it encourages more people to pick it up.
Julie’s Review of This Much Huxley Knows

Three gorgeous choices, thanks so much Julie. This is the second time we’ve seen The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper which puts it in joint third place along with The Wild Court by E.G. Radcliff, You Need Me by Sharon Bairden, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain and When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler!

About Julie Morris:
Book blogger of five years standing. Particularly loves reading and writing romance novels. Host of the popular Friday Night Drinks feature. RNA Media Star 2021.

Julie’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| A Little Book Problem | Twitter @book_problem | Facebook | Instagram @alittlebookproblem |

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 ❤