It’s that time of year when the days grow shorter and the queues in the shops grow longer. And if you have yet to join the throngs to look for something for the book worm in your life we have all you need right here.
From young to old, Newstalk Breakfast, has advice as to what books should be stuffing our stockings this Christmas. To help us we were joined by Sarah Webb, children’s writer and book commentator and Vanessa O’Loughlin, publishing consultant and founder of writing.ie. You can listen to the interview below or look through an extended list of their top recommendations here.
Vanessa’s book choices:
Fiction
Donal Ryan - The Thing About December
Privilege to know a literary genius, especially one who is so humble and always surprised when he gets praise! This book is the one that opened the door to The Spinning Heart, it's one year in Johnsey Cunliffe's life, and it's a 'heart-twisting tale of a lonely man struggling to make sense of a world moving faster than he is'. I couldn't put it better. Donal Ryan is a national treasure & we should all buy his books - these first editions will be something you can pass onto your children!
Jane Casey - The Stranger You Know
Shortlisted for Irish Book Awards and this weekend in the London Times top 10 crime books. By far the best book she's written so far - will keep you on the edge of your seat & has a massive twist that literally comes out of nowhere. Brilliant characterisation - great to have a protagonist who isn't a chief super of DI (Maeve Kerrigan is a DC), lots of emotional tension too!
Niamh O'Connor - Blink
Fast paced pared back pure crime that blends the experience of a top crime reporter with a hard hitting story line that explores teenage suicide, couldn't put it down.
Cecila Ahern - How to Fall in Love
Got to have a bit of romance at Christmas - can see this making a brilliant romantic movie. Christine meets Adam as he's literally about to jump off a bridge - the Ha'penny Bridge. His 35th birthday is looming and she's got 2 weeks to prove to him that life's worth living.
Caroline Finnerty ed - If I Was a Child Again
Selection of short stories about childhood by all sorts of different people - charity book for Barnardos One of those lovely dip into books that literally has something for everyone - can't go wrong with it for someone who is tricky to buy for! Niamh O'Conor's story was shortlisted for the new Writing.ie Short Story of the Year Award at the Irish Book Awards.
Non Fiction
Not Lost Sarah Maria Griffin
Ireland is a nation of emigrants and this is one girl's story of her first year in San Fransisco and how she survived. Brilliance of this book is the style, humourous & quirky and really truthful - each ch is written in a different style.. Great read for anyone effected by emigration, will make you laugh out loud and cry.
Parnell: A Novel Brian Cregan
10 years being researched this book came out in Sept to rave reviews from the likes of Diarmuid Ferriter. It reads like a thriller, brings the period to life and I hope one day it'll be on the curriculum as it makes history really accessible. For anyone who enjoys history or just a damn good story.
ICA Book of Home and Family
Crammed full of brilliant tips from how to maintain a good relationship to a cure for a cold!! It's the type of book everyone needs on their kitchen shelf, and beautifully presented, also shortlisted for the IBA
Donal Skehan - Home cooked
I can't cook! It's the one book that arrived and my daughter started sticking post it note into!
Book she wants under the tree:
And the one I'm dying to read is the Lance Armstrong story Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh - was hooked when I heard him speaking at the book awards.
Sarah’s book choices for kids:
Picture Books (Age 2 to 5)
My picture book of the year is The Day the Crayons Quit, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by the unstoppable Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins, £12.99). When Duncan goes to take out his crayons he finds a bundle of letters instead – letters to him from each colour. They are not happy – Orange complains that he is the real colour of the sun, not Yellow; Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. A clever, inventive story illustrated with charm and wit by Jeffers, with the help of some of his young friends, using all the crayons in the pack. A brilliant book for sharing. Age 3+
Journey by Aaron Becker (Walker, £12.99) is a stunning picture book with no words - the story of a lonely young girl who draws a red door into a world of her own imagination, where she finds a very special friend. A very special book for sharing with age 4+.
I also loved Aunt Amelia by Rebecca Cobb (Macmillan, £10.99), a charming tale about a very special aunt, with wonderfully expressive mixed media illustrations; and That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems (Walker, £11.99) which pits a dastardly fox against a wide-eyed goose and is illustrated in show-stopping cartoon style, with a nod to silent movies. I must also mention the reissue of the much-loved The Sleeping Giant by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick (Wolfhound, e9.99); and Oscar Wilde’s Stories for Children (O’Brien Press, e14.99) a new edition featuring Charles Robinson’s stunning watercolour and line drawings and beautifully designed by Emma Byrne.)
Younger Readers – Age 6+
This year has seen the resurgence of illustrated books such as my favourite for younger readers of six plus, Fortunately, the Milk . . . by the amazing Neil Gaiman (Bloomsbury, £10.99). Mum’s away, Dad’s in charge and there’s no milk – so off he goes to find some, stumbling into all kinds of trouble along the way. There are pirates, aliens, volcano gods and all manner of crazy escapades in this hilarious book. The pen and ink illustrations by Chris Riddell are genius, and watch out for Gaiman himself in a cameo role as ‘Dad’.
Chris Riddell’s own book, Goth Girl (Macmillan, £9.99) is also brilliant for sharing. Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her father, Lord Goth. With lots of clever literary references for parents, this makes a perfect read aloud; and Oliver and the Seawigs (Oxford, £8.99) by the magnificent Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre, is an eccentric adventure story with equally whacky illustrations. (Both age 6+)
Irish - Kevin Stevens’ The Powers (Little Island, e7.99) are not-so-super superheroes who go on holiday to Baltimore. Great cartoon-style illustrations by Sheena Dempsey. (Both age 7+)
There’s also a new Wimpy Kid adventure, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck (Puffin, £12.99). Age 7/8+
Confident Readers – Age 9+
My favourite novel of the year for readers of 11+ has to be Geek Girl by Holly Smale (HarperCollins, £6.99), shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Harriet Manners is a super smart girl who loves literature and science. When she’s accidentally talent-spotted by a model agency, can she transform herself from geek to chic? A wonderful book about discovering who you are and overcoming bullying, based on the author’s own experiences.
I also adored Darcy Burdock by the irrepressible English performance poet, Laura Dockrill (Red Fox, £5.99), which I found even funnier than David Walliams’ latest, Demon Dentist (HaperCollins, £9.99). Darcy is a girl who sees the ‘extraordinary in the everyday and the wonder in the world.’ She’s a true original and this book is hilarious, anarchic and also brilliant for reading out loud. (Age 9+)
Readers of nine plus will adore Judi Curtin’s new book, Eva and the Hidden Diary (O’Brien, e7.99), a charming story about Eva Gordon, who is good at solving problems. When she finds an old diary, written by a girl her own age, she and her friend, Kate are determined to fix old wrongs.
John Boyne’s new novel for children, Stay Where You Are and Then Leave (Doubleday, £12.99) is set in London during World War I and is a moving and uplifting read; and Rebecca Stead won the Guardian Award for Liar and Spy (Andersen Press, £6.99), a clever mystery cum family drama. Georges has to move into a new apartment block where he meets an unusual boy called Safer. But how far should he go for his new friend? Also brilliant – her previous book, When You Reach Me, multi award winning time slip novel set in the 1970s. (Both age 11+)
And finally Derek Landy has two new Skulduggery Pleasant books out this year – Tanith Low in The Maleficent Seven (HarperCollins, £10.99) and Last Stand of Dead Men (HarperCollins, £14.99) (Age 9+).
YA (young adult) novels
My favourite YA novel of the year is a tie between The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Penguin, £7.99) which has already been widely reviewed, and Patrick Ness’ More Than This (Walker, £12.99), one of the most original books I’ve read in years, part science fiction, part exploration of love and family, and so much more. In the opening chapter, Seth drowns and wakes up in the suburban English town where he grew up. As he begins to explore his surroundings, slowly things start to make sense. Wickedly clever, utterly convincing, this book is outstanding, don’t miss it.
And look out for John Green’s story in the seasonal collection, Let It Snow (Puffin, 7.99). John Green fans will also love David Levithan’s Every Day (Egmont, e7.99) and Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider (Simon and Schuster, £6.99), both well written, involving novels for readers who like stories about real, contemporary teenagers. And Hunger Games fans will enjoy Allegiant by Veronica Roth (HarperCollins, £10.99), the final instalment of her dystopian trilogy.
Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald (Orion, £9.99) is a compelling time shift drama about love and loss featuring Cosmo and his grandad, Kevin who has Alzheimer’s. Published in January, it’s a book that has stayed with me all year.
Inspired by Anna Carey’s time as a singer in the band El Diablo, her new book, Rebecca Rocks (O’Brien Press e7.99) is a charming, uplifting story for young teenagers dealing with bullying, friendship and teen sexuality.
