Rave Reads of the Year - 1
Rave Reads of the Year - 1
How’s your reading been in 2025? Mine’s been a blast with plenty of books to rave about. This month I invite author friends to share one of their Rave Reads of the Year. Today’s choices come from Linda Huber, Georgia Hill and Maggie Christensen. #RaveReads2025
Linda Huber’s Rave Read:
Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis
Reading this book made me wonder how my own life could have developed, if I’d made a different career choice. Social worker Mallory works with at-risk youngsters in Boston, and although she is devoted to her clients, she is forced to take time out when a teenager is found dead. Subsequently, although they have never been close, Mallory goes to stay with her mother by the sea. The strained mother-daughter relationship is realistically portrayed, and over the following weeks, Mallory finds herself increasingly in touch both with her younger self and the plans and wishes she had before leaving home – and also with her mother. At the end, she has to make a decision: back to real life in Boston, or stay by the sea…
Linda Huber writes suspense novels and feel-good fiction, including the Lakeside Hotel series set in N.E. Switzerland. Book 1 is Saving the Lakeside Hotel.
Georgia Hill’s Rave Read:
When a week on a sunbed in Corfu beckoned, I cast around for a gripping beach read. The Women had been on my radar for most of this year, but I rarely fall for the hype behind bestsellers. The cover and blurb really appealed, however, so I popped it into my suitcase. The book focusses on Frankie, a young woman from a privileged ‘country club’ background who, when her brother enlists to fight in the Vietnam war, feels compelled to sign up for nursing service. Unflinchingly grim, with no detail spared of the realities of nursing in a field hospital in a war zone, the novel also covers how difficult it is to fit into normal life once you’re shipped home. It’s the story of strong female friendships and refutes the commonly held argument that, ‘that no women served in Vietnam.’ High literature? No. Great story telling? Oh yes.
Georgia Hill writes up-lifting contemporary and historical romance about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. Her latest title is Magpie.
Maggie Christensen’s Rave Read:
A Year in the Life of Zara Holt by Kimberley Freeman
As the blurb says, this is 'a vibrant and compelling story inspired by the fascinating life of fashion designer and businesswoman Dame Zara Bate.' She was married to Australian prime minister, Harold Holt who disappeared on a beach in 1967. It depicts the life of this woman who fell in love with a man who was to cause her heartbreak. It's a brilliant, powerful, poignant and compelling read.
Maggie Christensen writes heartwarming stories of second chances and love in later life, set in small Australian towns. Her latest book is A Family for Christmas in Pelican Crossing.