If you don’t have these three novels on your reading list then you’re seriously missing out

These three new novels are actually worth the hype

Entering a bookshop and being met with hundreds of new novels can often feel overwhelming, but I've found three Irish novels that are truly worth all of the hype they're getting.

There's something so special about Irish writers. We're a nation of natural storytellers, so it comes as no surprise to see so many Irish authors thriving at the moment. Irish authors are taking over the book charts; their work is being purchased across the globe, and they are more in demand than ever before.

If you're looking to support three Irish writers, then keep reading, I've got three books by Irish mná that you're bound to adore.

Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise

Saoirse has everything she ever dreamed of: a beautiful home, two precious daughters, and Daithì - the man who loves her with a quiet, loyal fierceness that still catches her off guard. To everyone who knows her, she's living a charmed life. But Saoirse has built her life on a lie. When her latest art exhibition unexpectedly wins a major award, the attention is instant and overwhelming - interviews, national headlines. With every spotlight pointed her way, Saoirse's carefully constructed world begins to unravel. The woman that everyone is celebrating doesn't actually exist. She's an invention, and every moment in the limelight brings her closer to exposure. With the past closing in on her and the life she has created about to fall like a house of cards, Saoirse must decide how far she'll go to protect the man she loves and the family she never believed she deserved. Secrets don't stay buried, and this one could cost her everything.

Buy here.

Buy the Kindle version here.

Everything That is Beautiful by Louise Nealon

For Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate - all the while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player. Now, following a distressing series of events, the family ties are strained. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and messages from Peter, who can't understand what derailed their burgeoning relationship three years ago. Meanwhile, Helen Foley is trying her best to escape her life by checking into guesthouses under the names of women she went to school with. In her life in Belfast, Kate is attempting to hold down a job and a relationship while carrying the weight of the family's secrets and feeling like she is the one to blame. As a family wedding looms, and the women find themselves face to face, the knotty love that still binds Niamh, Helen, and Kate might just bring them back together again. 

Buy here.

Buy the Kindle version here.

Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? by Louise O'Neill

2002.

Twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone are joint stars of the AtomicKids sitcom Double Trouble, but everyone knows it's Maddie who shines most brightly. Until Chelsea beats her sister out for the role of a lifetime and is catapulted into the spotlight. And just as Chelsea's star reaches impossible new heights, Maddie disappears.

2025.

Chelsea Stone retired from acting after her sister's disappearance - but living life under the radar is easier said than done when you're the most famous woman of your generation. When a storage locker is found containing heart-breaking truths about the year Maddie went missing, Chelsea feels a flicker of hope for the first time in twenty years. This is her chance to discover what really happened to her twin, but to follow the trail she'll have to face the past and step back into the spotlight.

Buy here.

Buy the Kindle version here.