Spring reads: 10 books we just can’t put down
There’s nothing we love more than heading outside in the fresh spring weather and enjoying a good book. Gone are the days of being huddled by the fire and now we can finally enjoy the lighter evenings by getting lost in some newly released reads.
From fictional worlds in new novels to non-fiction self-help books, there have been some fabulous books released over the past new months and before we get to enjoy some beach reads this summer, we’re sharing some of our favourite books we’ve been enjoying this season, as well as some that we cannot wait to be released!
Check them out below for some inspiration on passing the time this spring.
Fiction
Don’t Believe The Hype by Natalie Lewis
Published by Hodder & Stoughton, Out now
Fans of The Devil Wears Prada and Call My Agent will love this one! Frankie Marks is the world's least likely fashion PR. She got the job by fluke, she doesn't know the first thing about designers. When Frankie crash-lands in the prestigious GGC agency, her friends and family can't believe it – least of all her long-term (and long-suffering) boyfriend, James. Frankie quickly realises she needs to use everything she's got to survive life behind the scenes of this glamorous and chaotic industry. But first, she needs to learn the difference between velour and velvet! As the pressure builds and Frankie's personal life begins to take a hit, she starts to wonder if she'll ever manage to escape the strange world of fashion unscathed. And, for that matter, does she even want to?
There’s Something I Have to Tell You by Michelle McDonagh
Published by Hachette Books Ireland, Out now
When the bodies of wealthy matriarch Ursula Kennedy and her farmer husband Jimmy are pulled from the slurry pit on Glenbeg Farm, shock ricochets throughout the family and community. Their son Rob, once destined for a high-flying legal career, is now involved in the family business. He seems distraught about his parents’ deaths, but rumours soon spread about tensions on the home front. Rob’s wife Kate had a difficult relationship with Ursula. Life will certainly be easier now, without her every move being controlled by her mother-in-law. Meanwhile, Christina, the victims’ daughter, is carrying a private pain she’s never been able to speak about. Vivid memories rush back of another tragic death on the farm some years ago, and a toxic secret is set to come to the surface, one that has been simmering for decades.
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett
Published by Hodder & Stoughton, Out now
Emma Starling once had big plans for her life. But now she is back in her small town to care for her father, Clive, who’s dying from a mysterious disease in which he hallucinates small animals and has visions of a friendly ghost. Arriving home, Emma knows she must face her dad’s illness, but she’s unprepared to find that her former best friend is missing. Clive is the only one convinced the young woman might still be alive, and Emma is hopeful he could be right. Can she and her father bring about just the kind of miracle the town needs?
Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor
Published by Headline, Out now
After his son is convicted of murder, Vietnam War veteran Jeremiah Fitzjurls takes over the care of his granddaughter, Joanna, raising her with as much warmth as can be found in an Ozark junkyard outfitted to be an armoury. He teaches her how to shoot and fight, but there is not enough training in the world to protect her when the dreaded Ledfords, notorious meth dealers and fanatical white supremacists, come to collect on Joanna as payment for a long-overdue blood debt. Headed by patriarch Bunn and smooth-talking Evail, the Ledfords have never forgotten what the Fitzjurls family did to them, and they will not be satisfied until they have taken an eye for an eye.
Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton
Published by Hodder & Stoughton, Out now
In 1966, Sook-Yin is exiled from Kowloon to London with orders to restore honour to her family, and she strives to fit in to a world that does not understand her. Decades later, in 1997, Sook-Yin’s daughter Lily barely remembers her late mother. But when she is unexpectedly named in the will of a powerful Chinese stranger, she embarks on a secret pilgrimage to Hong Kong to discover the lost side of her identity and claim the reward. But she soon learns that the secrecy around her heritage has deep roots, and good fortune comes at a price
Don’t Look Back by Jo Spain
Published by Quercus on May 11
For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in a Caribbean paradise. But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And, in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment, and only one person he can think of to turn to. Mickey Sheils never expected to hear from Luke again, not after he disappeared the first time.
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on June 6
On paper, Sam's life is on track. She has the perfect fiancé, a stable job, and has returned home to pick out a wedding venue near her family's Long Island beach house. The last person she expects to see is Wyatt: her first love, and the man who broke her heart. As their spark comes rushing back, so do the memories of long nights spent in the treehouse – and of the summer that changed everything. As Sam starts to remember the girl she used to be, she must decide: is the life she's created the one she wants?
Non-fiction
Wild Waters by Richard Nairn
Published by Gill Books, Out now
In this third volume of Irish nature memoirs, ecologist Richard Nairn sets out on a year-long adventure exploring every stretch and tributary of the Avonmore River in his home place of Co.Wicklow. From source to sea, submerged in the wildlife, history, and people connected to the river, he finds himself awe-struck by the sense of a lost wilderness it conveys. He details encounters with dragonflies, dippers, otters and great flocks of migratory birds.
No Apologies by Niamh Orbinski
Published by Harper Collins Ireland, Out now
No Apologies is a guilt-free guide to help you learn to eat intuitively and leave diet culture in the dust. Live a life free from food and body-image obsession by listening to your internal cues, honouring your hunger, and challenging the status quo. So say goodbye to dieting and hello to a healthier and happier you.
Grow the F*ck Up by Sarah Knight
Published by Quercus, Out now
Packed with hard-hitting advice for the modern adult who doesn’t quite know how they got there. Whether you’re searching for your ideal adult form, or just beginning to bridge the gulf between being fully dependent and gloriously independent, Knight has the hard-earned wisdom to get you from total helplessness to reliable resourcefulness. Packed with key life hacks that will equip you to tackle the hardest, most annoying sh*t adulting has to offer both at home and at work, this book puts all the advice your parents try to give you in one handy package that will help you get your life firing on all cylinders.
