Book recommendations from Hazel Gaynor and Dawn Behan
During last Thursday's streaming of local author Hazel Gaynor in discussion with Dawn Behan of Woodbine Books, both of them gave a set of recommendations of books to read or to give as Christmas gifts, writes Brian Byrne. For those who didn't get to see the programme, we list them here with some of their comments.
From Hazel, whose latest book The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is shortlisted in the upcoming An Post Irish Book Awards, the recommendations are An Irish Nature Year by Jane Powers, 'a beautiful book … that you can pick up at any time'; Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, 'It's stunning … I'm rarely moved so much by a book'; The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charles Mackesy, 'A gentle, beautiful thing … and not just for children at all'; My Pear-Shaped Life by Carmel Harrington, 'It's sunny, it's sad, it's got that sort of Maeve Binchy real Irish warmth in it … life affirming'; The Wintertime Paradox by Dave Rudden, 'Perfect for bringing young teenagers back to reading'; Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty, 'Would make a lovely gift … a teenage boy who just follows his own interest, and I think that's a really powerful message for teenagers now'; and The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard, 'I think it's Catherine's best yet … it's so creepy, I really had to read it during the day … more twists and turns than a roller-coaster'.
Dawn's recommendations are Ok, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea by Patrick Freyne, 'anybody who has read it has come back and said I really enjoyed that book'; The Monsters of Rookhaven, by Padraig Kenny, 'When I wasn't reading it, I kept wondering what was happening?'; A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa, 'A gorgeous book that was published during lockdown, and I'm really looking forward to reading it'; Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran, 'Something totally different'; and The Haunted Lake by PJ Lynch, 'I just love his illustrations'.
All are available from Woodbine Books for collection or posting, and can be ordered by phone or on the bookshop's website.
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