Decades. Every Friday I invite a new guest to join me here at Grab This Book and I ask them to tell me which five unmissable, memorable, remarkable or favourite books I should add to my Decades Library.

The reason we are highlighting five books is to allow me to assemble the Ultimate Library of wonderful books. I started this challenge back in January 2021 and I had no books on the library shelves. I only wanted the very best books to be represented and I knew one person could never possibly hope to remember all the greatest books from down the years so I ask each of my guests to pick their five favourites.

But why Decades? Well just picking five books is far too easy so I ask that each guest only pick one book per decade from five consecutive decades – a fifty year publication span to choose from. This brings double joy – seeing which five books my guests choose and spotting the clever ways they flex the rules.

This week it is my absolute pleasure to welcome Jane Isaac to Grab This Book. Jane has been wonderfully supportive of my blogging down the years and I was utterly thrilled when she agreed to make her Decades choices. I’ve been looking forward to this week so I shall pass over to Jane and stop waffling on…

Jane Isaac is the author of standalone crime novels and three critically acclaimed detective series. Her books have topped the Amazon best-seller charts, been nominated as best mystery in the ‘eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards’, selected as ‘Thriller of the Month’ by E-thriller.com, and have been translated into several languages including Italian, German, Swedish and Chinese.

One Fatal Secret, her next domestic thriller and twelfth novel, is scheduled for publication in June 2022.

Jane lives in rural Northamptonshire, UK with her husband, a real-life working detective, and her two Labradors, Bollo and Digity. When she is not writing she can be found reading, trudging over the fields with her dogs, travelling, or spending time with her family.

www.janeisaac.co.uk

DECADES

It’s such an honour to be asked to contribute to Decades on the brilliant Grab This Book blog, not least because I’ve been following it for some time! The utter joy in building a library from scratch feels a bit like being a child in a sweet shop. In reality, the process of narrowing down my favourite reads was quite a daunting prospect because there were so many to choose from! So, I haven’t necessarily picked my absolute favourite reads, but all the books I selected have left a lasting impression on me.

Papillon by Henri Charriere – First published in English in 1970

This auto-biographical tale from bank robber, Henri Charriere, nicknamed Papillon, is prison-escape thriller, and an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. Sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit, he reflects on the decisions he made that shaped his life, and the penal colony where he is kept is a marked reminder of the best and the worst of humanity.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill – 1983

This gothic ghost story gave me all the creeps when I first read it in the 1990s, so much so that I couldn’t have it in the bedroom when I slept! When young solicitor, Arthur Kipps, is sent to settle the estate of the late Mrs. Alice Drablow, a reclusive widow who lived alone in the desolate Eel Marsh House, he faces the horror of nightmares. Tense, atmospheric and dark, I wouldn’t recommend reading it last thing at night.

Wild Swans by Jung Chang – 1991

I’ve always been fascinated by the Far East and this incredible book is a window into Chinese twentieth century history told through the eyes of three generations of women from the same family. Powerful, moving, and at times harrowing, ultimately the bravery of the women and their endurance shines through.

Tokyo by Mo Hayder (later re-titled The Devil of Nanking) – 2004

The late Mo Hayder possessed the most amazing ability to create evocative characters that pulled you in from the first page, and her stories tackled sometimes difficult issues that stayed with you long after you closed the book. For me, Tokyo was one of her best examples of this. Alone in Tokyo, Grey Hutchins finds herself searching for a piece of film taken during the infamous Nanking massacre of 1937. What follows is a tense, high-octane story where Hutchins faces resistance in her search and struggles to come to terms with the horrors of past events.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – 2018

This story of Kya, abandoned at a young age and forced to raise herself in the Carolina Marshes, took me through all the emotions! Her ability to focus, connect with nature and keep faith in herself, despite what was thrown at her, showed real strength of character; particularly when the police charged her with murder and she was placed on trial, fighting for her life. A beautiful, and ultimately uplifting book in so many ways.

I have fond memories of Wild Swans releasing back in 1991 when I was working in a bookshop. It’s a real doorstep of a book, absolutely huge, and I remember lugging dozens and dozens of copies of it filling the gaps in the shelves as it flew out the door. Good times! It brings back so many happy memories seeing it again and I am delighted to add it to the Decades Library. The Woman in Black creeped the hell out of me but I’ll make room for that too!!!

Huge thanks to Jane for finding time to make these terrific selections and take on the Decades Challenge.

DECADES WILL RETURN