The God of The Woods by Liz Moore
A brother and sister disappear from a summer camp in the Adirondack mountains, 15 years apart. Are the cases connected? Find out in this fine literary thriller that will keep you guessing right to the end.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Twenty years on from ‘Brooklyn’ and we find Eilis Lacey in Long Island, settled in her life. But a knock on the door changes everything, in the long awaited follow up to ‘Brooklyn’. Is the past a foreign country, and what of Jim and Eilis?
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
With ‘The Heart in Winter’, Kevin Barry creates a sort of Irish Western set in Montana in 1881, about two lovers fleeing across country, pursued by bounty hunters, in an engrossing and vivid novel that crackles with life.
Earth by John Boyne
‘Earth’ is the story of a young professional footballer who is on trial in a sexual assault case, in another concise and engaging story from master storyteller John Boyne.
North Woods by Daniel Mason
North Woods is the story of a plot of land in rural masachussets, told over 400 years and via 12 interconnected stories, ranging from painters to panthers.
Book Review - The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The Booker prize nominated ‘The Bee Sting’ by Paul Murray is a tragicomedy that fizzes with energy, as we follow the rich inner lives of the Barnes family, as their world starts to fall apart.
Book Review - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Like opera, this book that could be described as a mixture of farce, drama and romantic comedy. But does it hit the high notes?
Be Mine - Richard Ford (Frank Bascombe #5)
The fifth outing for Frank Bascombe, as he goes on a road trip with his son Paul. Funny. poignant, and wise, Fords prose is as beautiful and resonant as ever.
The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright
Anne Enright’s latest is about how trauma passes down through the generations, as well as love and hope. Beautifully written.
Kala by Colin Walsh
Strong literary thriller about a group of friends who reunite 15 years after a traumatic summer, when dark secrets begin to resurface.
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
Pacy literary thriller about the theft of an unpublished manuscript, that explores cultural appropriation, greed and white privilege in the world of publishing.
Book Review - Winter People by Gráinne Murphy
Winter People by Gráinne Murphy is a reflective and emotional book about three strangers on the Atlantic Coast of Ireland, dealing with grief and isolation.
Book Review - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
‘A little life’ by Hanya Yanagihara is 700 page epic that follows the lives of four friends in New York. Immersive, depressing and heartbreaking, this is a book that continues to polarise opinion.
Ordinary Human Failings - Megan Nolan
A child is murdered on an estate in London, and attention falls on a Irish family who had previously kept to themselves. Megan Nolan’s superbly written second book is about ‘ordinary families’ who find themselves having to face their secrets.
Book Review - Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
Notes on an execution is a superb literary thriller about a serial killer on death row, his story largely told by the women in his life.
Book Review - Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
‘Birnam Wood’ by Eleanor Catton is a page turning literary thriller driven by complex characters for whom the balance of power is constantly shifting.
Book Review - My Father’s House - Joseph O’Connor
Strong and atmospheric work of historical fiction that is loosely based on the true story of Hugh O’Flaherty, at the centre of a clandestine operation to smuggle Jews and escaped allied prisoners out of Nazi occupied Rome.
Book Review - The Glass hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
‘The glass hotel’ is a lyrical and haunting novel, with overlapping stories and a multi textured narrative. It’s about surviving grief and loneliness and searching for meaning.
Book Review - Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Touching and tender story of family dynamics, set over five decades. It’s a book with a warm heart, told by a master storyteller.
Book Review - Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart
‘Shuggie Bain’ was an immersive reading experience, set in the Glasgow in the 80’s. ‘Young mungo’ takes place in the 90’s, but in the same setting. How does it compare?
