Reading Ireland Week Two Round up!
There may be a few sore heads in Ireland this morning, following yesterday’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations, but why not sit back, relax and read about some of the great posts for Reading Ireland Month in the last week.
This week, I wrote about the wonderful The Maiden Dinosaur by Janet McNeill and also hosted a giveaway for a copy of the book. The winner of the giveaway is Liz Dexter! Congratulations to Liz, I’ll be sending a copy your way in the next week.
In other Reading Ireland Month news, I was introduced to an entirely new Irish author by Kim at Reading Matters with her great review of The Sinners Bell by Kevin Casey.
Fictionophile reviewed The Secrets of Roscarbery Hall exploring family secrets in County Wicklow, while Brona at Brona’s Books reviewed Midwinter Break – a book I am half way through myself!
Two of the greatest female novelists to come out of Ireland featured this week as Laila at Big Reading Life wrote about Jennifer Johnston’s classic How Many Miles to Babylon? and Heaven Ali looked at Mad Puppetstown, a less well known work by the brilliant Molly Keane.
Madame Bibliophile read Tender by Belinda McKeon, one of my favourite Irish novels and Nancy Elin explored the work of Patrick Kavanagh and Seamus Heaney
Thom who blogs about music at the brilliant The Immortal Jukebox covered Sinead O’Connor, Mary Black and Luke Kelly this week.
And finally, BIG congratulations are due to Niall McArdle, aka Raging Fluff my cohort and co-host for Reading Ireland Month who has been shortlisted for the Hennessey Literary Awards 2018 for his story The Light on the Water which was published in the Irish Times last year.
Described as the Booker Prize for a new generation of writers starting out, the Awards celebrate emerging literary talent from across Ireland.
We couldn’t be more delighted for Niall and have all fingers and toes crossed for a win!
Ireland Month Irish Literature #begorrathon18 #readireland18 janet mcneill jennifer johnston kevin casey luke kelly mary black molly keane patrick kavanagh seamus heaney sinead o'connor
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
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Oh, I love this post. My favorite Irish writers are definitly James Joyce and Tana French.
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Thanks for this round-up – I loved Tender and How Many Miles To Babylon? I didn’t intend to Read Ireland this week, but have inadvertently done so as am currently reading Bernard MacLaverty’s Midwinter Break and a good debut crime novel by Dervla McTiernan called Ruin.
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I’m reading Midwinter Break at the minute too!
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I’ll be settling in with Edna O’Brien’s famous trilogy this morning, with a cup of Jasmine tea (not very Irish, but it will become so, in the company of Ms. O’Brien). I have been listening to a CBC interview with her, too: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/writersandcompany/edna-o-brien-interview-1.3581546?autoplay=true Wonderful stuff!
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She’s amazing alright!
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Thanks for the link…. and so pleased to have introduced you to a new writer. Kevin Casey is amazing.
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I’m really looking forward to reading him Kim, thanks!
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Nice to catch up with you and your books – you always have great recommendations! 🙂
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Thanks Barbara!
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Thanks for the shoutout Cathy! Looking forward to the Hennessy Awards and especially looking forward to seeing Bernard MacLaverty, who is being inducted into the Hennessy Literary Award Hall of Fame
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Oh fantastic. He’s a dote. When is it?
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Wednesday
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Eek!!
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Lovely! I’ve just started my Cathy Kelly, I didn’t link to the Month with my Iris Murdoch in the end as there was only one sentence about Ireland in it which was not that complementary, so it felt wrong!
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No worries Liz, do send me your address and I’ll get the book posted to you x
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I’m posting my review of The Forgotten Waltz tomorrow. I was a little disappointed.
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Thanks for the shout out Cathy. I’ve just finished The Green Road over the weekend & just have to find time to write a worthy review.
Hope to fit in a couple of William Trevor short stories before the end of the month as well – I love him so much.
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I’ve read Midwinter Break (review to follow sometime – ideally before next year’s Irish month). Just started Doyle’s Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. It needs a kick up the proverbial ……
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I’ve just reviewed In the Woods by Tana French, (http://annabookbel.net/elle-thinks-right-tana-french-fab) and have the new Donal Ryan coming up before the end of the month. Loving all the reviews.
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Love Tana French too!
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Thank you for linking to my blog post, Cathy. I was gone on vacation last week and avoiding social media/my own blog or I would have responded sooner. I had hoped to read The Secret Scripture by Barry for Reading Ireland month but the month has gotten away from me. I’ll still read it though and write up my thoughts, just a little later than I’d hoped! 🙂
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No worries Laila! An awful stomach bug meant that my Reading Ireland Month dwindled away too!
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