Everyone in Amy's life seems to be getting married, having children and settling down (or so Instagram tells her), and she feels like she's falling behind.

So, when her long-term boyfriend surprises her with a dream holiday, she thinks he's going to finally pop the Big Question. But the dream turns into a nightmare when, instead, she finds herself on the set of a Big Brother-style reality television show, The Shelf.

“I picked this e-book from the Borrow box app. A thought provoking novel set on a reality television show. Funny one liners and the characters are likeable. This is popular fiction which will appeal to readers of Beth O’ Leary, Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes. A story to lose yourself in and realise that this lockdown is not that bad!” – recommended by a Library staff member

Set in 1930s Britain, the story centres on Violet Speedwell who has moved to Winchester to pursue an independent life. Her fiancé was killed in World War One and Violet has rebelled against a projected future as her mother’s companion and one of society’s ‘surplus women’. She finds a job as a typist, moves to a lodging house and starts to find her feet as an independent woman. One of her discoveries is a woman’s group associated with Winchester Cathedral where volunteers embroider kneelers and cushions for the mass goers. As her circle grows, we see the realities of contemporary female life – the obstacles faced and overcome and the strength and resilience of women.

“An enjoyable, gentle read from the author of Girl with a Pearl Earring. A quiet gem.” - recommended by a Clare County Library staff member

This debut novel is set on the island of Barbados, a destination that markets itself as paradise, but beyond the white sand beaches and the wealthy tourists, lies poverty, menacing violence and the story of the sacrifices some women make to survive.

The book opens with a murder and follows a cluster of characters connected to it: a beach gigolo; a rich tourist’s widow; the man who murdered him; the detective on the case. The centre of gravity, however, is Lala, a young woman trapped in a violent marriage – as her mother had been before her. Over the course of the narrative, things go from bad to worse for Lala.

“A debut novel featuring murder, rape, domestic violence and patriarchal control, this book still manages to move you so that Lala’s voice remains with you long after the final page” – recommended by a Clare County Library staff member

Cecilia Wilborg is living a dream life in the small, exclusive, and privileged town of Sandefjord Norway. With a kind and loving husband, two daughters, and a beautiful home, her life is one many would envy….
The Boy at the Door is a mind blowing, twisty tale of a woman who will stop at absolutely nothing to hang on to the things she holds most dear.

“I started this book on a Friday evening after work and tore through it until the early hours of Saturday morning. I was hooked. The story line dragged me in and made me want to read quickly to find out what was happening on the next page. There are lots of twists and turns and it’s a really excellent Nordic Thriller. “ - recommended by a Kilmihil Library staff member.

Her cat has just died and she’s been fired from her dead end job at a music shop, full of misery and regret, Nora Seed attempts to take her own life. Between life and death, she finds herself in the Midnight Library, a sort of parallel universe, where the impressive librarian Mrs Elm shows her the books detailing the millions of different versions that her life might have been had she made a different decision. She is given the chance to try and find ‘a good life’ that will make her happy and she tries on many lives: an Olympic swimmer, a rock star, an artic researcher, a philosophy lecturer, a mother, a volunteer in an animal shelter to name but a few. Slowly the realisation comes that no life is perfect and just to be alive is a miracle but will she get the chance to reshape her old life with the new insights she has gained?

“Nora is such a compelling character, warm, funny and philosophical. A cleverly constructed, uplifting story that will stick with you.” – recommended by a Shannon Library staff member.

“I was the girl who survived the Nothing Man. Now I am the woman who is going to catch him…”
These are the opening lines from the true crime memoir Eve Black has written about her obsessive search for the man who killed her family nearly two decades ago. Supermarket security guard Jim Doyle is reading it too, and with each turn of the page his rage grows. Because Jim was - is – the Nothing Man.

“By far the best thriller I have read all year. The detail of each attack made you feel that you were right there beside them. Was a chilling, creepy read, that made me check and double check that each window and door was locked in my own house when reading this book! If thrillers and suspense are your thing, then this book is just for you!” – recommended by a Kilrush Library staff member.

Lizzie Benson’s busy life just got a whole lot busier. On top of the usual family ups and downs, she has taken a job from her old college professor, who’s become famous for her podcast Hell and High Water. Lizzie answers the mail she receives dealing with ecological disaster and the decline of civilization, all of which serves to re-inforce her own fears and sense of helplessness and she starts planning her own ‘Doomstead’. The novel is played out against the turbulent backdrop of the 2016 US election casting more uncertainty over Lizzie’s life.

“Written throughout in short paragraphs, full of quirky observation and dark humour, unsettling and intriguing. A climate change novel to set you thinking.” – recommended by a Shannon Library staff member

When a car carrying five teenagers home from a party crashes onto a brick wall, the consequences are devastating. No one escapes unscathed, but some are more deeply scarred than others, and one of the group will not survive. In their grief and confusion, those left behind question who was to blame for the accident, and what price they will pay.

“A very thought provoking read, every parent’s worst nightmare, told through the eyes of the families involved. How in one split second so many people’s lives can change forever. A story that will stay with me for a long while…” - recommended by a Kilrush Library staff member.

“A psychological thriller that shows the depths that some people will go to to exact revenge. Set against a background of shady local politics and influence, it will keep you gripped until the end.”

Beautiful, popular Ayoola has just committed her third murder, the one that confers the label of serial killer, and ever-loyal sister Korede is once again waiting in the wings to clean up the mess. But when Ayoola sets her sights on Tade, a doctor in the hospital where Korede works and for whom she nurses a secret passion, something shifts. Has the worm finally turned? Add to the mix, Korede’s only confidant, the coma patient in Room 313 who was never expected to recover and to whom she has confided all, suddenly wakes up.

‘A darkly comic novel set in a sweltering Lagos which had me rooting for an accomplice to multiple murder and one which considers the age-old question of sibling rivalry and family loyalty in a page-turning thriller’. - recommended by a Shannon Library staff member

A man and his wife are out for the night when he is confronted and struck by another man. One punch and he’s dead, leaving his wife to raise their son alone and his whole family and circle of friends devastated. He is left in ‘the middle place’ where he hears all the thoughts of his loved ones and more importantly, his murderer’s thoughts.

‘A thought provoking and very interesting read. At times funny and very moving.’ - recommended by a Kilkee Library staff member

It’s been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a vineyard and wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it’s left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . .

"Addressing issues such as aging, family dynamics, self-harm and relationships between men and women, this is classic Joanna Trollop territory featuring normal people, neither good nor evil, often making mistakes, faced with decisions they are uncertain about and sometimes breaking out of the mould. An enjoyable read" – recommended by a Clare County Library staff member.

This is the story of Zoltan Beck a Hungarian Jewish refugee who is coming to end of his life in present day Canada surrounded by a loving but long-suffering family. Zoltan is a survivor of a Nazi prison camp and later Soviet invasion.

Zoltan is an irascible, funny character who does not believe in looking back but his son Ben and his wife want to uncover the secret’s Zoltan has buried deep inside. Zoltan only wants to be an ordinary man living an ordinary life but everything about him from his terrible driving to his terrible eating habits make him stand out. Intertwined is the story of young Zoltan and his beloved brother whose privileged life in Hungary could not protect them from the evils of Nazi persecution.

" I found myself compelled to keep listening and the actor’s voice and ability to tell a story made it all the more enjoyable." – recommended by a Kildysart Library staff member.

Hilary Mantel does not fail to deliver in the final book in the Wolf Hall trilogy; the story of Thomas Cromwell who rose from humble beginnings to great power and notoriety as Henry VIII’s chancellor. This book focuses on Cromwell’s downfall brought about by his scheme to marry Henry to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleeves a good German Protestant, but not to Henry’s liking.
Mantel tells the story from inside Thomas Cromwell’s head and she channels him almost as a psychic would. Her writing gives incredible detail of Cromwell’s domestic household and the poisonous politics of the Tudor Court which brings the reader to the centre of the action.

"A must for anyone who has read her Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies." - recommended by a Kildysart Library staff member.

American Dirt follows a middle-class Mexican woman and her son, who find themselves on the migrant trail to the US border, after surviving the massacre of 16 members of their family by a local drug cartel. They join the thousands of others risking all to escape the violence and horror of their home place. They witness great acts of kindness and of appalling cruelty in the desperate hope of a new start in the United States.

Cummins has been accused of racial stereotyping and misappropriation in this book. Nevertheless American Dirt is a gripping read which brings into sharp focus the harrowing experience of thousands of migrants who cross the US-Mexico border each year. - Recommended by a Clare County Library Staff Member

This book tells the story of Tequila Leila, an Istanbul prostitute who lies murdered in a rubbish bin on the city’s outskirts. During the 10 minutes and 38 seconds that her mind takes to fully shut down, Leila goes back in time to trace the story of the little girl from the provinces who ended up in a brothel in Istanbul. Each memory, too, recalls the friends she made at each key moment in her life. This is the story of a woman who retains her humanity despite a world bent on crushing her at every turn.

‘I loved this moving, atmospheric book that gives a voice to those on the edges of society.’ -
Recommended by a Clare County Library staff member.

Anatomy of a Scandal centres on a high-profile marriage that begins to unravel when the husband is accused of a terrible crime. The wife is sure that her husband is innocent and desperately tries to protect her precious family from the lies which might ruin them. Meanwhile the barrister who will prosecute the case is equally certain that James is guilty and determined he will pay for his crimes.

“This is a fast-paced contemporary read. I really enjoyed it.”

Recommended by a deValera Library staff member

Recommended by Sixmilebridge Library Bookclub

This trilogy contains the novels The Country Girls, The Lonely Girls and Girls in Their Married Bliss, all originally published in the 1960s. In them we meet Caithleen (Kate) Brady and Baba Brennan, two country girls growing up in County Clare, mid-west rural Ireland. We join them on their journey of friendship, love, loss and their efforts to escape the ties of not just their rural lifestyle but also the ties that bind them as young women in a male-dominated world.

In The Country Girls Kate and Baba are dealing with the many issues of maturing from young girls to young women and moving from their countryside homes to bigger, not necessarily better, surroundings. It is a coming of age novel with a story that was all too common at the time it was written.

In The Lonely Girl the two country girls have entered their twenties and are living in a boarding house in Dublin. Kate is still on her romantic quest to find true love while Baba continues her search for adventure and fun. Their differences cause inevitable conflict and push them further apart.

The last book of the trilogy, Girls in Their Married Bliss, sees a change in the narrative style with two narrators alternating throughout. The girls move further afield to London and, despite the book’s title, continue to struggle to find the bliss they desire in life.

These novels were written in a time when being open about sexuality and the hardship women endured was not considered acceptable. They were, in fact, banned and some accounts claim that the priest in Edna O’Brien’s home parish burned the books on the church grounds. They were revolutionary and set O’Brien aside as being way ahead of her time. These novels, along with her subsequent works, are testament to her determination, both as a writer and a woman, to portray the female experience with honesty, realism and wit.

Recommended by a Clare County Library staff member.

“Death stalked the Vale. In every corner. Every whisper. They just didn’t know it yet. Six neighbours, six secrets, six reasons to want Olive Collins dead.
In the gated community of Withered Vale, people’s lives appear as perfect as their beautifully manicured lawns. But there’s just one problem. Olive Collins dead body has been rotting inside number four for the past three months. Her neighbours say they’re shocked but nobody thought to check on her when she vanished. The police start to ask questions and the seemingly flawless façade begins to crack”.

This book was a great read. Behind each front door is a web of lies and deceit. Each family member had their own flaws and secrets and differing opinions of their dead neighbour. Everyone had their own reasons to want Olive Collins dead but I had to read it to the last page to find out how Olive died! Really enjoyed it.

Recommended by a Kilrush Library staff member

This is the first in the Matthew Shardlake series of books by Sansom. It’s set in 16th century and begins with the lawyer Matthew Shardlake being summoned to Westminster by his boss Thomas Cromwell. An investigator who had gone to a monastery to begin the dissolution of same has been brutally murdered. Matthew and his apprentice Mark Poer have to go to Scarnsea monastery to find out what happened and just who is responsible for the murder. Unfortunately, the murders don’t end there…

This was a really good read, a very nicely woven story and it was enjoyed by most of our bookclub. It gave a really good picture of society at that time – people were ruled by fear and there was so much uncertainty with all the changes that came with the dissolution of the Catholic Church in England. Shardlake was a likeable character who was fundamentally good, but naïve to a lot of evils done for advancement and status. This book sees him question things that he believes to be true, and has him change some of his views on the people he admired.

Recommended by Kilkee Library Bookclub

This book is a memoir telling the story of the author’s thirty-year relationship with her late husband, folklorist Bo Almqvist. In it she eloquently deals with the topics of love, loss and grief and makes candid observations on Irish life and culture and the shortfalls of the Irish health system. She tells the familiar story of the one who is left behind after a partner leaves this world and the plethora of emotions and responsibilities tied in with that. She also gives a deep insight into the relationship she shared with her husband, going right back to when she met him in college, allowing the reader to see parts of their relationship that one might expect to remain private. In fact, the author emerges as a very private person but it makes the information she shares all the more honest and real. Dermot Bolger described this book, in The Irish Times, as being “a memoir nobody would wish to ever have to write but the journey of loss it charts that will chime with readers who know the double-edged price of love”.

Recommended by a Clare County Library staff member.

How could two hardworking people do everything right in life, a woman asks, and end up destitute? Willa Knox and her husband followed all the rules as responsible parents and professionals, and have nothing to show for it but debts and an inherited brick house that is falling apart. The magazine where Willa worked has folded; the college where her husband had tenure has closed. Their dubious shelter is also the only option for a disabled father-in-law and an exasperating, free-spirited daughter. When the family’s one success story, an Ivy-educated son, is uprooted by tragedy he seems likely to join them, with dark complications of his own.

In another time, a troubled husband and public servant asks, How can a man tell the truth, and be reviled for it? A science teacher with a passion for honest investigation, Thatcher Greenwood finds himself under siege: his employer forbids him to speak of the exciting work just published by Charles Darwin. His young bride and social-climbing mother-in-law bristle at the risk of scandal, and dismiss his worries that their elegant house is unsound. In a village ostensibly founded as a benevolent Utopia, Thatcher wants only to honor his duties, but his friendships with a woman scientist and a renegade newspaper editor threaten to draw him into a vendetta with the town’s powerful men.

Unsheltered is the compulsively readable story of two families, in two centuries, who live at the corner of Sixth and Plum in Vineland, New Jersey, navigating what seems to be the end of the world as they know it. With history as their tantalizing canvas, these characters paint a startlingly relevant portrait of life in precarious times when the foundations of the past have failed to prepare us for the future.

“As usual Picoult tackles controversial subject coaxing us out of our prejudices and preconceptions and invites us to things through the eyes of those with different opinions to our own. A very timely book in light of the change in abortion legislation in Ireland.” - a Clare County Library staff member

“This novel is a tense family drama with a few twists along the way. A story of two families looking into their past to get answers for the present. The Family Tree is a compelling read and makes it hard to put the book down until you get to the last page.”

Emmeline Lake works in a couple of part time jobs in 1940s London. One of these jobs is to answer phonecalls after German bombs are dropped on the city. She applies for another job in a newspaper to fulfil her dream of becoming a war correspondent but is disappointed to be assigned to assist the paper’s agony aunt. But Emmeline finds a way to expand her role!

"This funny book provides a great insight into the everyday lives of women in London during World War 2". - a Sixmilebridge Library member

I read this books on Borrowbox – the library’s eBook service. This was my first read from Holly Seddon and I loved it - a thriller with a twist - unlikeable adult characters that ruin their children’s futures with their selfishness. I found it hard to put down and was grabbing a quick read whenever I got the chance. I have another of Holly Seddon’s books on reserve on Borrowbox! - a Kilmihil Library staff member

The opening chapter sets the scene for this novel. A woman on a train journey overhears two males strike up a conversation with two teenage girls. She debates warning these girls to be careful of their new found friends, decides to say nothing and concentrates instead on her own journey ahead. She awakes to terrible news the following morning and the fallout of her decision begins.
The story is told from a different character’s perspective in each chapter and slowly the truth comes out.

"This book is a real page turner, and I read it in two sittings. I really enjoyed it and have ordered more books by this author who I had never heard of before". - a Kilrush Library staff member

Based on her dissertation this book has received a lot of hype from publishers. But it is completely merited – as it is a very well researched book – the story developed from a ‘real mermaid’ found in the British Museum. The author began writing fiction about unusual objects that she found in museums where she worked. But her research is evident throughout the book even down to the typeset that she chose.

The story begins with Jonah Hancock, a merchant, being given a mermaid in 1785 London. He decides to put it on display and meets up with Mrs Chappell who runs a brothel who wants to get it for her clients. She entreats Angelica Neal, one of her former girls, the heroine, to try to entice the mermaid away from Jonah.
The parallels between the women in the novel and the mermaid are obvious. They are trapped in their worlds but do their best to improve their situation by using their wiles. These are well rounded characters – earthy, bawdy and likeable and the story goes at a great pace.

Home Fire is told through the viewpoints of its 5 main characters. Isma Pasha, a young woman who is finally free from the responsibility of raising her younger siblings after their mother's death; her twin siblings Aneeka and Parvaiz; Karamat Lone, a powerful British Muslim politician and his son Eamonn. The lives of the two families become inextricably, devastatingly entwined when Parvaiz decides to join ISIS after discovering that his absent father died en route to Guantánamo.

Home Fire is a novel about love, family loyalty and sacrifice. It offers an insight into the lives of Muslims in a world that often regards them with suspicion, and into how young men can so easily become radicalised.

“It took a while to get into this book but overall we found it an absorbing read.” - Kilkee Library Bookclub

This modern story is centred on the character of Frances, a young Trinity College student and those that orbit around her. She is an aspiring writer and now performs Spoken Word Poetry with her close friend Bobbi. Bobbi is an anarchic character who prides herself on her non-conformity yet lives on inherited wealth. Ex-lovers, Frances and Bobbi continue to be entwined in each other’s lives. They meet photographer/writer Melissa who offers to do a profile of them. They become increasingly involved in Melissa’s adult world, meeting her actor husband Nick and becoming embroiled in their complicated marriage. Set in Dublin with a sojourn in France, the characters inhabit the Arts world and scene settings include plays, book launches and poetry performances.

"The book gives an insight into the world of young Irish people – sexually liberated, educated, articulate yet pressured to “act unfazed”. Conversations often centre on culture, art, friendship and politics and take place through emails and instant messaging as well as conventional interactions. An emotionally-intelligent read, Frances belongs to the world of Dublin literati but still faces battles with low self-esteem, parental concerns and physical illness". - a Clare County Library staff member

Jodi Picoult tackles the issue of race and prejudice in this absorbing read. Ruth Jefferson is a maternity nurse in a Connecticut hospital. She is asked to do a routine checkup on a newborn baby but the parents ask for her to be reassigned because they do not want her to touch their child. Why? Because they are white supremacists and Ruth is African-American. When the baby dies, Ruth is blamed and charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public attorney, takes her case and the story encompasses the trial and how it affects Ruth, her family and Turk, the baby's father.

'The story is a topical one with current race relations in the US and provides an interesting glimpse of how ingrained racism can be and how the beliefs of white supremacy continue to prevail. Jodi Picoult has often tackled modern issues in her books but this tale of racism is a thought-provoking read.' - a Shannon Library bookclub member

It’s been fifteen years since Stella last met George, an old flame from her schooldays. Despite the relationship ending badly, something makes Stella click ‘yes’ to the class reunion invite, knowing that George will possibly be there. There is still a spark between them and despite the fact that George is now happily married to Ness, they have an affair. Thus begins a roller-coaster of ups and down for all involved with unforeseen and tragic consequences.

‘A gripping read from start to finish with twists and turns throughout. Once you start reading this book you will not want to put it down.’ - a Miltown Malbay Library staff member

A beautifully written novel about a six year old blind girl called Marie Laure and a boy called Werner. The story revolves around how their paths converge during World War II. Marie Laure and her father take refuge in the Brittany coast when the Nazis invade Paris. Werner on the other hand is an orphan and is gifted at repairing and fixing radios which enables him to track the Resistance. After travelling through Hitler Youth and into Russia, it is in Saint-Malo that Marie Laure and Werner eventually meet.

‘A truly inspiring book from cover to cover. It captures the complexities of World War II and the love that survives hardship’ – a Miltown Malbay bookclub member

This beautifully written book tells the story of religious intolerance in modern day Pakistan. Pakistan is deeply divided along religious lines of Muslin and Christian, but is also divided from its nearby neighbour of India. Suspicion and extreme brutality are constant features of life here. Yet, Aslam, writes exquisite, deeply moving stories of love and loyalty despite the visceral violence present in all segments of society.

The story opens with Nargis and her husband, Massud attending the opening of a new library. Shots ring out and Massud is killed. Under pressure from Pakistani secret intelligence, Nargis fears her deepest secret will be revealed. She, her surrogate daughter Helen and Imran, a mysterious stranger seek refuge on an island. Here love, hope and resilience blossom despite all.

‘I found this book to be an enlightening read as I knew so little about Pakistan and its divided society. It is also beautifully written filled with visual images such as the paper buildings hanging in the architect’s library.’ – a DeValera Library staff member

Cyril Avery is not a real Avery or at least that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he?

‘This is a very emotive book, gives a greater understanding of social pressures. You will laugh and cry and you won’t want to put it down!!!!’ - a Lisdoonvarna Library staff member

On 21 June 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. However, instead of being taken to his usual suite as a guest, he is instead led to an attic room and is sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. Thus begins the story of his life inside the small confines of this room.

‘A wonderfully written book, to be read slowly and savoured and most enjoyable for anyone interested in Russian history.’ - Miltown Malbay Bookclub

This was an amazing story covering the past and the present of two orphans. Molly is living with foster parents, Dina and Ralph. She is caught 'stealing' a book from the library and has to serve 20 hours on a service project. Her project is to help 90 year old Vivian clean out her attic. Vivian and Molly talk about Vivian's life in America, her journey starting out travelling across the Atlantic Ocean on a ship to Ellis Island. Her family dies in a fire and so she is put on an 'Orphan Train', a train full of orphans looking for foster families. While cleaning out the attic, Molly takes a visit into Vivian's past, learning about her journey on the Orphan Train.

‘A really good book based on a true story – an eye opener.’ – Sixmilebridge Library Bookclub

This is a story of friendship and love and the power of art to make a difference in a life. The opening narration is by 46-year-old Ellis. His mother had a great appreciation of art which she passed on to Ellis. However, following her death when Ellis was still a teenager, his father refused to entertain his plan of becoming an artist. Ellis now works night shifts in an Oxford car plant and is a widower living a lonely life.
The second narrator is Michael, best friend of Ellis since childhood. He tells of his life in London and his memories of their special times together, including a trip to the south of France where, for a brief period, they were lovers.

‘The writing is powerful, the story is poignant and the language is beautiful. You’ll want to read it in one sitting but it’ll stay with you for far longer.’ - a Clare County Library staff member

Nora struggles to care for her grandson following the death of her daughter and her husband. Mary arrives in the valley to help Nóra just as the whispers are spreading: the stories of unexplained misfortunes, of illnesses, and the rumours that Micheál is a changeling child who is bringing bad luck to the valley. Set in 1820s Kerry and based on a true story, this book shows the depths to which people in desperate circumstances are driven.

‘A compelling, though disturbing, book. Very atmospheric. People who enjoyed Burial Rites will not be disappointed.’ - a reader in DeValera Library, Ennis.

A man is washed up on a deserted beach on the Hebridean Isle of Harris, barely alive and borderline hypothermic. He has no idea who he is or how he got there. The only clue to his identity is a map tracing a track called the Coffin Road.

‘Great read – gripping from start to finish.’ - a reader in Sixmilebridge Library.