Northern Spy

At least once a week I find myself dreaming of heading back to Ireland. We didn’t get to visit Northern Ireland when we went, but it’s on the list for the next trip. Until that opportunity comes, I’m going to need some novels to hold me over. Northern Spy by Flynn Berry was the latest read to help. Tessa works as a producer at the BBC and covers a lot of stories about the IRA. Another incident occurs and Tessa sees her sister on the security footage. The police identify her sister as an IRA member, but Tessa cannot believe that could be possible. The book follows as Tessa sorts out what is going on with her sister. I would have liked a little more history of the IRA, but even without it I liked the mystery and the twists and turns that came through the story. It was an exciting read.

Normal People

So, sometimes when a book is EVERYWHERE, I just can’t pick it up. There are many times when I feel like I’m the last person to read a book. With Normal People by Sally Rooney, I saw it everywhere, but had no idea what it was even about. Then I saw that it was on one of the million streaming sites I subscribe to (Hulu? I really don’t know), and thought, oh, why not. Special shout out to my book-swapping pal Holly for letting me borrow her copy!

I went to Ireland this spring (take me back?), and I had no idea this book was set there. I actually spent some time in Sligo, so I was excited to see that on the page. This book is about two high school students who have a connection they just can’t shake, even as they move on to college and other experiences. I don’t know what else to add. This book was a quick read that only took me two sittings to finish. It just felt…normal. I give it three stars.

The Gust List

On Saturday I started and finished The Guest List by Lucy Foley which was one of my recent Book of the Month choices.

This novel is set on an island off the coast of Ireland. I was in Ireland last year, so that was a big draw for me. An actor and a lifestyle magazine owner are getting married on the Island and throw quite a party. Someone ends up dead. The book jumps between points of view and in time (just through the weekend, so it isn’t too confusing). It’s a good mystery and kept me guessing until the end. Lots of secrets are revealed, and the moody island adds to the feel of the book.

I recommend this one as a fun, quick mystery for a weekend read.

Roundup

I’m back.

I was in a reading slump for most of the fall. Then, when I started reading again, maintaining this site and my Instagram felt overwhelming. So, I just didn’t. But, I am going to try to get back into this. Since working from home and social distancing, I have been reading a lot more. So, I’m jumping back in, but trying to be kind to myself. My posts have never been long, but I think they will become a bit more list-y instead.

Here is a list of the books I have read, since August:

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: OBSESSED. Read it immediately.

The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan: This was an Audible original set in Dublin. It was okay.

A Good Neighborhood by Therese Ann Fowler: Good! Well-written, struggled with the ending.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy: Did not finish – I couldn’t get into it. It just wasn’t for me.

Stronger by Amit Sood: I read this for work – a book about resilience. It was helpful for some things I do at work.

The Holdout by Graham Moore: A mix of courtroom drama and gossipy who’s-sleeping-with-who commentary. I liked it.

Twisted River

A few weeks ago we took a road trip to Minneapolis to see a live show for the podcast, My Favorite Murder. I downloaded Twisted River by Siobhán MacDonald on audio for the trip. This book jumps between four character’s points of view. The book opens with a dead woman being put into the trunk of a car by her husband.

The book is about two families who decide to do a home exchange. A New York family and an Irish family trade houses for a week. Both couples have their secrets and are hoping this trip will help their family get back on track.

This mystery had some twists and turns that kept you listening, but not so much happening that we couldn’t talk about when we wanted to stop, or point something out to each other. It was a good road-trip listen!