I have a book of his short stories / articles. Great read.
1 Like
Just finished this. Grand read. Be an ideal holiday thriller read. Not in the same parish as a book as Star of the Sea in my view.
1 Like
Agree on this. Shadowplay very good too, and stays with you a long time, but Star of the Sea is levels above.
For any sci-fi or James S.A. Corey fans (The Expanse writers), they have a new book out called “The Mercy of the Gods”.
Finished the new Kevin Barry and it’s a tough one to rate
I think the two characters will prove memorable if not the story.
I came into it feeling that Barry’s talents are best suited to short stories and I haven’t changed my mind, he’s the best short story writer out there, a middling novelist.
1 Like
I’m similar to you, I felt the story line was really light. Still it wasn’t a bad read, and some of the writing is excellent.
Donal Ryan: ‘Stop apologising for yourself,’ is one of the last things my mother said to me
Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryan is published by Doubleday. He will be in conversation with Alex Clark at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on Thursday, August 15th
I have it but I’m going to reread Spinning heart for the third time first
Really looking forward to it
1 Like
I thought it was brilliant.
1 Like
That seems to be the consensus here, I can’t argue.
I don’t think it was brilliant but I’m glad I read it, Tom and Polly are great characters.
My wife absolutely loved it, we’re all different 
2 Likes
Finished this on Audible today. A tremendous book. A sort of state of the nation book on modern Britain. Id be interested in what @flattythehurdler makes of it.
O Hagan manages to cover People trafficking, the dark net, russian oligarchs, corrupt politicians, crypto currency, dodgy royals and London street gangs. He pulls it altogether beautifully. It reminded me of Tom Woulfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities.
6 Likes
Read it a few weeks ago
Thought it a very entertaining read.id say a great book to read on a lazy holiday where you could get stuck into it and fly through it.
1 Like
I’ll certainly have a listen or read and revert back. Demon Copperhead and killing thatcher are the two best books I’ve read in ages.
1 Like
Eoin McNamee - from Kilkeel and now living in Sligo - is a writer I don’t recall being mentioned here. I’ve also spent the majority of my reading efforts on non-fiction but I found his work to be superb and he has a terse style that moves events along.
His ‘Blue’ trilogy are superb literary works based on real-life circumstances involving miscarriages of justice. The first in the series - The Blue Tango - deals with the 1952 murder of the 19 year old daughter of high profile judge and Unionist politician, Sir Lancelot Curran in Whiteabbey in Antrim. It is a good jumping off point into his work.
3 Likes
Did anybody ever read a book called ‘The time travellers wife’?
I’m nearly finished it on Audible (it’s free) but I can’t wait to be done with it.
Normally I love time travel books but this one never got me going,
Just finished “Say Nothing” by Patrick Radden Keeffe about the McConville case but really more broadly about the Troubles.
A stunningly good read (or listen in my case). A lot of the various stories etc I’d heard before but he pulls it together into a compelling story over 40 years. Well worth checking out.
While it’s a complex tale it’s hard not to come away thinking Adams is an absolute snake.
Patrick Radden Keeffe also wrote Empire of Pain about the OxyContin scandal - also a superb read - and a collection of short pieces called Rogues which is well worth a look too.
2 Likes
I read the book and found it ok. Some books don’t work on audio, and the occasional one (mudlarking) is far far better that way.
It’s excellent. Fairly points the finger at the end. Posting it to @Fagan_ODowd is on my to do list when I get back. No point posting it from tanland as it may take months.
3 Likes
Yeah - he lays it out pretty clearly and convincingly. Boston College made some bollox of it too.
2 Likes