Tag Archives: Irish

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

Posted by Kate W in Fiction and tagged with , , , , ,

Six Degrees lets me find links between the various books I read – sometimes a theme, sometimes an odd detail, sometimes it’s something totally random. But there’s also book serendipity (as described by Bookish Beck) – I don’t keep track of it, but I notice it. When I began A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne, I was aware of the serendipitous links to other books I was reading or had just finished. Indulge me a moment – Continue reading →

Antarctica by Claire Keegan

Posted by Kate W in Fiction and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

I was completely seduced by Claire Keegan’s novellas last year, so obviously I didn’t need much convincing to read her debut collection of short stories, Antarctica.

The titular story, Antarctica, is startling, and sets the tone for the rest of the collection. And I’d describe that tone as violent. The stories explore violence in what are predominantly domestic settings, and the focus is on women, and themes of fidelity and retribution. But before Antarctica takes its frightening turn, it begins with a brilliant first line –

Every time the happily married woman went away she wondered how it would feel to sleep with another man. Continue reading →

Quick (very quick) reviews

Posted by Kate W in Fiction, Non-fiction and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yep, running out of time to draw a line under the reviews for the year. Some of these I’ve been meaning to write for eleven months. Lucky it doesn’t actually matter… Continue reading →

Rememberings by Sinéad O’Connor

Posted by Kate W in Non-fiction and tagged with , , , , , , ,

I clearly remember the first time I saw the film clip for Sinéad O’Connor’s 1990 breakout hit, Nothing Compares To You. With her shaved head, those eyes, and the tears, it was as if she’d landed from another world, totally different to the one dominated by the bubblegum pop, layered synths and fluoro fashion that we’d inhabited for years. And her voice… pure, rich, no tricks.

Rememberings by Sinéad O’Connor was my first five-star read for 2022. Actually, since I read it back in February, I’ve read it once more, and I’ve also listened to the audio (Sinéad reads it herself, so if you are considering this book and can access the audio, choose that). So, why does a book warrant three readings in six months? Continue reading →

None of This is Serious by Catherine Prasifka

Posted by Kate W in Fiction and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Are we riding a tsunami of twenty-something-angst-filled-relationship-stories-a-la-Sally-Rooney? I reckon we are. It’s the new version of Irish misery porn, and I’m okay with it. It’s ‘comfort reading’ – not overly challenging and largely predictable. None of This is Serious by Catherine Prasifka fits the mould.

The story follows Sophie and her friends. Their time as students in Dublin is coming to an end, and while many of them have figured out their next move, Sophie is at a loss.

I don’t want them to leave me behind for their shiny new adult lives. Nearly everyone is emigrating somewhere: London, New York, Sydney. Part of me wants to go with them; it would be nice to abandon my past life for a state of constant present. Continue reading →