book-reviews | Marita Conlon-McKenna

Stuart Hamiliton of Ireland Reads LGMA.

Irelands Read’s is a brilliant initiative by the Government and Healthy Ireland supported by our public libraries to encourage us all to read during the month of February.

The Irish Library Borrowing figures for 2024 have just come out and I am so delighted to be top of the list of Irish authors on it.

The ever popular comic series of ‘Dog Man’, and ‘Bunny and Monkey’ take the top slots but it is great to see that ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ is still the most borrowed book by an Irish author. It is no surprise to see that Children’s books dominate the list as we have the best young readers and bookworms in the world. The top 37 titles are children’s and young peoples. The list is compiled by 330 Irish libraries and 23 mobile libraries, which have more than 13 million books to borrow. They also have eBooks and audio books to borrow with ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ topping the overall eBook list

There will be a big call out on Saturday 22^nd of February for everyone, whatever your age or interests to Get Lost in a Good Book. It doesn’t matter where you read, or what you read as long as you read.

Reading is good or us and relaxes us and reduces stress by believe it or not 698%.

So let’s get reading!

Marita with Shane Hegarty and Sarah Webb in Dalkey Library

All the crowds came out for this years Dalkey Book Festival which had a brilliant line up of speakers and ran over four days. Politics and world affairs were to the fore front along
with the best of Irish and International writing including Paul Lynch, Colm
Toibin, Anne Enright, Paul Murray, John Boyne and Claire Keegan.

I was talking in Dalkey Library on Thursday evening with authors Sarah Webb and Shane
Hegarty about our favourite thing… books … Irish books we remember and loved
from growing up and the best of the brilliant crop of new Irish books that we have read and recommend. There was a lovely crowd of young and some older readers and it was part of the Discover Irish Children’s Books campaign to get readers choosing a book by an Irish author.

I was back again on Saturday to attend a thought provoking panel discussion of experts about the upcoming US election and the possible outcome of another Trump presidency or a defeat. But the highlight for me was getting to hear my favourite writer Claire Keegan discuss her work in an honest ones and direct interview with Rick O’Shea.Her precision with words and way of forming story were illustrated by a perfect reading form her new book So Late in the Day

Thanks to everyone involved in running the Dalkey Book Festival. I do love festivals and will be down in Skibbereen at the end July for their Arts Festival and will also be taking part in the Fingal Festival in late September.