Books

Sinéad Moriarty and Rick O’Shea pick their summer reads

Red Line Book Festival ITT Short Story Competition

Thu Jul 5 2018 - 10:49

Bestselling author Sinéad Moriarty and broadcaster and book enthusiast Rick O’Shea have just announced the second instalment of their Eason Must Reads series, bringing customers their personal take on unmissable titles for the summer.

They have selected four titles each, from Irish and international writers, covering a wide range of genres from chilling thrillers and nail-biting whodunnits to moving tales of parenthood and family. Providing authentic personal reviews of the books, Sinéad and Rick will give their opinions on why they love these particular stories.

I Still Dream by James Smythe
A rattling thriller and a story of love, family and loss which is also full of questions about what tech knows about us, where it's going, and the terrible consequences that it all might have one day in the near future.

The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen
A wonderfully assured debut novel about falling in love, thinking that person is 'the one' and then starting to doubt the relationship you were once so sure of.

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The Orchid and the Wasp by Caoilinn Hughes
A beautifully written story of two very different siblings from a rich family whose lives head in different directions after the economic crash of 2008. Nothing short of brilliant!

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
A brave, uncompromising and deeply affecting novel that questions what it's like to be a Muslim in today's modern world, and which also is a moving meditation on the tensions between religion and secularism.

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
A beautifully crafted, bitter-sweet story about regret, empty nest syndrome, loneliness within a relationship and seeking purpose and fulfilment in life. Kick back and lose yourself in this gem of a novel.

Cornflakes for Dinner by Aidan Comerford
A funny, moving and ultimately, life-affirming book about the challenges of parenting two daughters with autism. Full of life, laughter, warmth and love, this wonderful book will pull at your heart strings and make you laugh and cry.

Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce
London, 1940. Emmy Lake mistakenly thinks she's been hired as a War Correspondent, but the job turns out to be working as a typist for the intimidating advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Funny, charming and warm, reading this book feels like you are being covered in a cosy blanket.

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
A brilliant 'whodunnit' set in the lavish background of Nantucket in the summer. With a beautiful setting, a wealthy family, a huge wedding, secrets, lies, covert affairs, and a dead body, this book is the perfect summer read.

Red Line Book Festival ITT Short Story Competition

The Institute of Technology, Tallaght and Red Line Book Festival are inviting writers to submit their work to the 2018 Red Line Book Festival ITT Short Story Competition. The competition, now in its third year, has a top prize of €500 and attracts entries from all over the world.

This year’s competition will be judged by award-winning writer Deirdre Sullivan, whose latest book Tanglewood & Brine was recently voted winner of the 2018 Children’s Books Ireland prize.

Writers can submit a short story, free of charge, until August 13th. A shortlist of 10 writers will be published in September, with the winning story announced at a special ceremony during the 2018 Red Line Book Festival in October. The winner will receive €00, with two runners up receiving €250 and €150 respectively. Shortlisted entries will be published in an anthology, Stand Fast!

The 2017 Red Line Book Festival ITT Short Story Competition winner was Tony Devlin for his story Coronary Care. The inaugural winner in 2016 was David Butler for his story Aphasia. Entry details and rules for the 2018 competition can be found at redlinebookfestival.com