Welcome back to the Decades Library. My ongoing quest to assemble the ultimate collection of unmissable reads returns once again (this is Decades number ninety five) and this one is an absolute cracker \u2013 five brand new titles will be added to the shelves of the Decades Library by the time you have reached the end of this post.<\/p>\n
As pen the ninety-fifth variation of what my Decades Library is (and why we are making these choices) I rue my lack of foresight at not drafting an all-purpose introduction which I could have copied and pasted each week. However, if this is your first visit to my Library I am extremely happy to welcome you, let me explain what is about to unfold.<\/p>\n
Back in January 2021 I was pondering the impossible dilemma a librarian may face if they were presented with a brand new library, dozens of empty shelves but ZERO books (the trauma of it still haunts me). I wondered where you would start if you were tasked with filling those shelves with nothing but the very best books which had ever been published\u2026an Ultimate Library.<\/p>\n
As I knew I could not answer that question alone I invited some friends to help me choose. Ninety Five friends\u2026and counting.\u00a0 Each guest curator to my Decades Library nominates their favourite books or books they feel everyone should have the opportunity to read \u2013 I put their selections into my library. Why is it a Decades Library?\u00a0 That\u2019s down to the two rules I ask each of my curators to follow:<\/p>\n
1 \u2013 You May Choose ANY Five Books
2 \u2013 You May Only Choose One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades<\/p>\n
Apparently following the rules causes cussing. It usually also involves Googling publication dates, revisiting favourite books from your childhood or school days and a bit more cussing as you frantically try to work out how to flex the rules to your advantage. But we have to have rules or there would be chaos.<\/p>\n
This week I am thrilled to welcome J.M. Simpson to my Decades Library.\u00a0 I\u2019ve just finished the first book in Jo\u2019s Castleby series (Sea State) and I am rolling straight into book two as I loved the characters and I need to find out what happens next.<\/p>\n
But time to pass control over to Jo, she has five cracking books to share with us\u2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Staying in the Welsh town of Tenby some years ago and watching the local lifeboat launch one stormy night, gave Jo the beginnings of an idea for a book. Jo\u2019s novels are the Castleby series; Sea State, Sea Change, Sea Shaken, Sea Haven and Sea Rift \u2013 they are crime suspense thrillers set against the backdrop of a lifeboat crew in a coastal town. Jo also has a Castleby Christmas special planned for this coming November. \u00a0In the new year (2025), Jo will release the first novel in a new Scottish series set in the Highlands. The Ophelia Murders \u2013 First in the Whistlers Peak series.<\/p>\n Jo lives in Kent, with her two (occasionally stroppy) teenage daughters, her extremely long-suffering husband and her rescue Border Collie, Merlin. \u00a0She also runs a successful research consultancy and sits on the board of a local housing association, but dreams of becoming a full-time writer.<\/p>\n In what little spare time Jo has, she spends writing, seeking out live music (except difficult jazz), walking the dog, being an armchair movie critic, dreaming of Scotland or the Pembrokeshire coast; drinking endless coffee\u2019s in various local caf\u00e9\u2019s (on the pretence of writing) or drinking copious amounts of wine in her most favourite pub with friends, (where no writing occurs whatsoever).<\/p>\n Her Amazon page is:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/stores\/J.M.-Simpson\/author\/B09L6Y97RZ?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1725359827&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true<\/a><\/p>\n Books can also be purchased from Jo\u2019s website.<\/p>\n https:\/\/jmsimpsonauthor.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n Jo is on Twitter\/X, Instagram and threads<\/p>\n @jmsimpsonauthor<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Huge thanks for Gordon for asking me to do this. I have so enjoyed scrolling back through my memory to try and find a book choice! Some were a very tough call and at one point I think I had a list of about three each for two decades \u2013 hard to whittle down \u2013 but here we are! Thanks for the opportunity to share!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n John Grisham \u2013 A Time to Kill<\/strong><\/p>\n I found this book in a cafe. Someone had left it on the table, and I sat and devoured it for much longer than I should have, hoping that the owner didn\u2019t come back for it. \u00a0It was my first foray into John Grisham. After that I read loads of them, but this was the one that stayed me and really affected me in a way that no book had ever before. The horror, sadness and outrage at the injustice. I still remember the feeling of being so outraged at some of the events that occurred in the book and Grisham is the absolute master of holding your emotions hostage. To this day, I think that the screen adaptation of it, with Samuel L Jackson as the father is one of the best book to film adaptations ever made.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1990 \u2013 1999 <\/strong><\/p>\n Joe Simpson \u2013 Touching the Void<\/strong><\/p>\n In my younger days, in a particularly difficult period when I was trying to finish my PhD (which was nothing related to writing), my PhD supervisor at the time, gave me a copy of a book. He attached a note that said. \u2018Jo, same name, different struggle. Keep going<\/em>.\u2019 This book was by the wonderful Joe Simpson, famous climber and mountaineer. The book was \u2018Touching the Void. This book is all about life changing decisions and hard, endless struggles. It showcases how we draw on the reserves and resilience we never knew we had, carrying on until the end is in sight. Joe\u2019s story has always stayed with me, and I have often thought of it in really difficult times. If you\u2019ve not read Touching the Void, then do. You\u2019ll never hear a certain Boney M song in the same way ever again.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Linda Castillo \u2013 Sworn to Silence<\/strong><\/p>\n I absolutely LOVE this series of books. Ever since I first saw the movie \u2018Witness\u2019 with the delectable Harrison Ford, years ago, the Amish community has really intrigued me. I discovered these books and have (it\u2019s safe to say) consumed them all. Castillo has a wonderful way of writing, and you genuinely feel the main characters struggles, both emotionally, and in her trying to balance the past and present, together with her previous ties to the Amish community.\u00a0 Brilliantly written and pacey, the whole series is an absolute must.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Big Magic \u2013 Elizabeth Gilbert<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t normally read books like this at all, but I heard the author talk on the radio, and she was discussing the book, with the wonderful, hugely missed, Steve Wright. Intrigued, I bought a copy, and it was this book that got me started in writing \u2013 reading it and her narrative about living more creatively, almost gave me \u2018permission\u2019 to think, \u2018Yes, I don\u2019t write fiction for a living, but could I have a go?\u2019 And this is what I did. So, for me, this book was pivotal in my author journey. It is genuinely inspiring for people who want to live more creatively. \u00a0I highly recommend it!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/grabthisbook.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Jo-Simpson.jpg\")
<\/a>J.M. Simpson was born in Essex, but was raised primarily in the West Country, never far from a rugged coastline, a sandy beach, or harbour.\u00a0With a degree and PhD, much of Jo\u2019s working career has been spent undertaking research; primarily in development and housing where her expertise lies.<\/p>\n<\/a>1980 \u2013 1989 <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>2000 \u2013 2009<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a>2010- 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n