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Staff Picks 2021
Best Books of 2021 as recommended by Clare County Library staff

Please see below a selection of recommended reads in a variety of categories, chosen, read and reviewed by Clare Library staff.
Looking for gift ideas? Or something to read yourself over the Christmas holidays, well look no further. Library staff have read, reviewed and recommended books published in 2021 including adult fiction, non-fiction, children’s fiction & non-fiction & Irish published fiction & non-fiction.

Don’t forget you can now order your library books online and we also have a range of ebooks and eaudio to choose from. There is something here for everyone and we hope you enjoy your holiday read.

Adult Fiction
Small things like these by Claire Keegan  The promise by Damon Galgut   Beautiful World, Where Are you By Sally Rooney   Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr   Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout      
 

Irish Fiction
The Magician by Colm Toibin   Nora by Nuala O’Connor   Aisling and the City by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen   56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard  The end of the world is a cul de sac by Louise Kennedy      
 

Irish Non-Fiction
Belonging Catherine Corless with Niamh Linehan   Comrades by Rosita Boland   Open Hearted by Ann Ingle   Shared Notes by Martin Hayes   Did Ye Hear Mammy died? By Séamas O’Reilly    
 

Clare Non-Fiction
Clare and the Civil War by Joe Power   In Kiltumper by Christine Breen and Niall Williams   Long Ago in Dromoland by Colm Liddy   The Scariff Martyrs by Tomás Mac Conmara   Old Mill Street by Gerry Woods    
 

Picture Books
Don’t Hug Doug by Carrie Finison    We’re going to find the monster by Malorie Blackman     Imagine by Patricia Forde    I am Dog by Peter Bently       
 

Beginner Readers
Bumble and Snug and the Angry Pirates by Mark Bradley    Rabbit and Bear – A Bad King is a Sad Thing, by Julian Gough   Mr Spicebag by Freddie Alexander     A Town Called Ennis by Chris Judge and the students of CBS Ennis       
 

Independent Readers
Lily’s Dream: A Lissadel Story by Judi Curtin     Great Irish Sports Stars: Shay Given by Natasha Mac a’Bháird     When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle    Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave     
 

Young Adult
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forma     Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth     All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue     The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley      
 

Great Gifts
    Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Irish Words for Nature by Manchán Magan     Guinness World Records 2022     Great Irish Farm Book by Darragh McCullough    How Winston Came Home for Christmas by Alex T. Smith      
 

Leabhair Ghaeilge
Dialann Emily Porter – Thíos seal, Thuas seal le Richie Conroy   Bithiúnaigh le Peadar Ó Cualáin   Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí le Bridget Bhreathnach agus Shona Shirley MacDonald   Dialann Dúradáin le Jeff Kinney   Madame Lazare le Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin