Well, we’ve made it to the last month of this terrible year. Congratulations, everyone! Thank you for listening to the podcast, reading the blog, and supporting me this year. The publishing industry slows down massively in December, so there aren’t too many new books out. But there are some, and we shouldn’t overlook them! And if you want more inspiration for shopping for yourself or someone else, check out my lists on Bookshop UK and Bookshop US, including my list of 2020 favourites (UK / US). Below, you’ll also find some clickable pictures that will take you to lists for December reading suggestions.

The Forgotten Orphan, by Glynis Peters (UK, 1st December, US, 4th May 2021)

Buy in the UK / Buy in the US / Buy worldwide Southampton 1940.  Abandoned when she was tiny, Maisie Reynolds was separated from her twin brother and forced to grow up in Holly Bush orphanage - a place where she has never known love or kindness. But with the world at war and Hitler’s devastating bombs coming ever closer, fate has other plans for Maisie, and a secret from her past changes everything. When she meets handsome Canadian paratrooper Cam, Maisie learns that love might not be lost to her after all - but not before her past life and D Day bring a tragic twist to her happiness.

Christmas in Little Penhaven, by Angela Brithaven (UK, 7th December, fiction)

Buy in UK / Buy in US / Buy worldwide Wannabe author Jane Solomon is expecting an uneventful Christmas in her Cornish village of Little Penhaven. But then super fit American gym owner Hal Muir comes to town, and suddenly the holiday season looks set to be far more interesting. Hal is keen on embracing every British tradition on offer, from mince pies to Christmas pub quizzes - and perhaps some festive romance too… 

Ten Things About Writing, by Joanne Harris (UK, 10th December, US, 6th April 2021, non-fiction)

Buy in UK / Buy in US / Buy worldwide One-time teacher and bestselling novelist Joanne Harris has been advising and corresponding with aspirational writers for over six years. This collection of pithy and funny lists of advice provides both hard-won wisdom and insider industry help. All aspects of the writing process and story development are covered - as is the thorny issue of how and where to find readers. From Workspaces and Habits to Plot and Dialogue, these are motivating, problem-solving lists from an experienced and widely respected writer.  Uniquely, Ten Things About Writing also takes the reader beyond the stage of finished manuscripts and editorial changes - into the territories of rights, publicity and marketing. Whether you have the urge to write crime fiction or a fantasy novel, literary short stories or blockbuster thrillers Joanne’s lists will speak to you.

Before The Crown, by Flora Harding (UK, 10th December, US, 18th May 2021, historical fiction)

Buy in UK / Buy in US / Buy worldwide As war rages across the world, Princess Elizabeth comes face to face with the dashing naval officer she first met in London nine years before. One of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy, Philip represents everything she has always been taught to avoid. Instability. Audacity. Adventure. But when the king learns of their relationship, the suitability of the foreign prince is questioned by all at court. He is the risk she has never been allowed to take. The risk not even the shadow of the crown will stop her from taking… Step through the palace gates and discover a captivating historical novel of royal secrets and forbidden love exploring the tempestuous courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the wake of WWII.