The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey.
I loved this.
Thanks to @dubraybooks for my copy.
Beautifully crafted and written. Niamh skillfully brings the lives of three women from a family together to show family trauma. Couldnt fault one thing about this apart from it ended.
#rozzie
#niamhmulveyauthor
#the Amendments

Jul 8

Open
The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey. I loved this. Thanks to @dubraybooks for my copy. Beautifully crafted and written. Niamh skillfully brings the lives of three women from a family together to show family trauma. Couldnt fault one thing about this apart from it ended. #rozzie #niamhmulveyauthor #the Amendments

Dear life by Alice Munro.
#shortstories
#rozzie
#alicemunro

Jun 5

Open
Dear life by Alice Munro. #shortstories #rozzie #alicemunro

Water by John Boyne.
My first John Boyne read, shock!
This was super fast to read and get into and it turned out fine.
It reminded me of Ann Griffin but not as good.
It`s about a woman who moves to a remote island off the coast of Ireland to escape her past and her husband.
Its a familiar feel, for sure.
I knew within pages what she was escaping from and what her husband had done.
The writing is good but the landscape of the sea and the very oirish characters ie the red faced publican and the very welcoming priest with the next door neighbour gossips are over used.
The content should be dark and almost unspeakable but it`s dealt with too lightly and it doesn`t delve into things the way I would presume a master writer like John Boyne should.
This is the first book from four books released every six months. Written quickly about topical themes in Ireland so it might appeal to some.
Try Donal Ryan or Ann Griffin for better of this
#rozzie #novel #whatiamreading

May 22

Open
Water by John Boyne. My first John Boyne read, shock! This was super fast to read and get into and it turned out fine. It reminded me of Ann Griffin but not as good. It's about a woman who moves to a remote island off the coast of Ireland to escape her past and her husband. Its a familiar feel, for sure. I knew within pages what she was escaping from and what her husband had done. The writing is good but the landscape of the sea and the very oirish characters ie the red faced publican and the very welcoming priest with the next door neighbour gossips are over used. The content should be dark and almost unspeakable but it's dealt with too lightly and it doesn't delve into things the way I would presume a master writer like John Boyne should. This is the first book from four books released every six months. Written quickly about topical themes in Ireland so it might appeal to some. Try Donal Ryan or Ann Griffin for better of this #rozzie #novel #whatiamreading

The heart in winter by Kevin Barry.
Highly anticipated and i was highly honoured to get my hands on a review copy of Mr. Barry`s latest!
A gorgeous love story with at last a Kevin Barry novel that has brilliant plotting abd pacing. I adore his short fiction but only like his novel writing but this book is not only cleverly written in that very funny Kevin Barry turn of phrase but the chapter ends leave you hanging. Its very Country and Western but laced with irishness somehow!
Thank you to @doubledaybooks @penguinrandomhouse @netgalley for this review copy. Now the countdown is on as Kevin is reading at @writingandideas 2024! #kevinbarryauthor #rozzie

May 20

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The heart in winter by Kevin Barry. Highly anticipated and i was highly honoured to get my hands on a review copy of Mr. Barry's latest! A gorgeous love story with at last a Kevin Barry novel that has brilliant plotting abd pacing. I adore his short fiction but only like his novel writing but this book is not only cleverly written in that very funny Kevin Barry turn of phrase but the chapter ends leave you hanging. Its very Country and Western but laced with irishness somehow! Thank you to @doubledaybooks @penguinrandomhouse @netgalley for this review copy. Now the countdown is on as Kevin is reading at @writingandideas 2024! #kevinbarryauthor #rozzie

The postcard by Anne Berest.
😘 this, a beautiful auto -fiction from an author who ponders on the sender of a mysterious postcard to her family when she was a child. She goes on a mysterious adventure to find out who sent the postcard and who her family were, what it means to be Jewish and the idea of trauma reliving again and again in a family history of the holocaust.
So well written and paced and the ending is perfect. Top recommendation from me and @littlecassreads
#rozzie #autofiction #reading

Apr 23

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The postcard by Anne Berest. 😘 this, a beautiful auto -fiction from an author who ponders on the sender of a mysterious postcard to her family when she was a child. She goes on a mysterious adventure to find out who sent the postcard and who her family were, what it means to be Jewish and the idea of trauma reliving again and again in a family history of the holocaust. So well written and paced and the ending is perfect. Top recommendation from me and @littlecassreads #rozzie #autofiction #reading

Rough Beast by Máiría Cahill.

Mairia Cahill writes about her life growing up with Sinn Fein and the IRA: her great-uncle Joe was one of the main founders of the Provisional IRA and her grandfather was Gerry Adams’s mentor in the republican movement.
When she was 16, she was sexually abused repeatdely by a prominent IRA man from Belfast and her Aunty`s husband.
A friend recommended this to me and seeing as she is going to speaking at the Festvial of Writing and Ideas, I thought I woud give it a go!
It is a long book and it goes into minute detail of every minute, hour and day that the author suffered as she attempted to bring Sinn Fein, the IRA and her abuser to justice.
I think this book could have benefited from a ghost author to support Máiría as no doubt what happenned to her was so harrowing that it was so difficult to get it all out so I think she just decided to get every single little meeting and text, email, photo etc out. This does not help the narrative of the book and at times I felt overwhelmed by the constant meetings she had with the IRA, the police, the media or politicians. Every tweet she made is detailed! New names and characters are often thrown in without introduction and I could not keep up!
However, this is a very interesting read as it she gives a brilliant account of the IRA, sinn fein and leaves us in no doubt as to who Gerry Adams is and the connections between IRA and Sinn Fein.
#rozzie
#roughBeast
#memoir
#irishWriter

Apr 7

Open
Rough Beast by Máiría Cahill. Mairia Cahill writes about her life growing up with Sinn Fein and the IRA: her great-uncle Joe was one of the main founders of the Provisional IRA and her grandfather was Gerry Adams’s mentor in the republican movement. When she was 16, she was sexually abused repeatdely by a prominent IRA man from Belfast and her Aunty's husband. A friend recommended this to me and seeing as she is going to speaking at the Festvial of Writing and Ideas, I thought I woud give it a go! It is a long book and it goes into minute detail of every minute, hour and day that the author suffered as she attempted to bring Sinn Fein, the IRA and her abuser to justice. I think this book could have benefited from a ghost author to support Máiría as no doubt what happenned to her was so harrowing that it was so difficult to get it all out so I think she just decided to get every single little meeting and text, email, photo etc out. This does not help the narrative of the book and at times I felt overwhelmed by the constant meetings she had with the IRA, the police, the media or politicians. Every tweet she made is detailed! New names and characters are often thrown in without introduction and I could not keep up! However, this is a very interesting read as it she gives a brilliant account of the IRA, sinn fein and leaves us in no doubt as to who Gerry Adams is and the connections between IRA and Sinn Fein. #rozzie #roughBeast #memoir #irishWriter

Barcelona by Mary Costello.
Mary`s second short story collection is just so good. I read this every second i could. As good if not as brilliant as Claire Keegan`s short fiction. The choc-ice woman is a stand out story ans the longest in the collection. It ends with another stand out story, The Killing Line. We have recurring themes of women who are struggling with isolation and loneliness and cruelty towards animals rears its head frequently. I have to say that the irish short story absolutely is the best in the world! I can only recommend this collection. You`ll be rewarded! Looking forward to hearing Mary speak with Thomas Morris at @cuirtfestival in Galway in April.
#shortStory
#marycostello
#irishwriters
#rozzie

Mar 28

Open
Barcelona by Mary Costello. Mary's second short story collection is just so good. I read this every second i could. As good if not as brilliant as Claire Keegan's short fiction. The choc-ice woman is a stand out story ans the longest in the collection. It ends with another stand out story, The Killing Line. We have recurring themes of women who are struggling with isolation and loneliness and cruelty towards animals rears its head frequently. I have to say that the irish short story absolutely is the best in the world! I can only recommend this collection. You'll be rewarded! Looking forward to hearing Mary speak with Thomas Morris at @cuirtfestival in Galway in April. #shortStory #marycostello #irishwriters #rozzie

Into thin air by Jon Krakauer. This is a book written by a journalist who took part in a fateful expedition to Mount Everest in 1996. I feel like everyone I`ve spoken to has read this or knew about it! I really enjoyed this. Evocative and bursting with some great characters.
#rozzie

Mar 24

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Into thin air by Jon Krakauer. This is a book written by a journalist who took part in a fateful expedition to Mount Everest in 1996. I feel like everyone I've spoken to has read this or knew about it! I really enjoyed this. Evocative and bursting with some great characters. #rozzie

Out of it by Selma Dabbagh
A Palestinian novel set in Gaza, London and The Gulf. It follows three Palestinian siblings all trying to forge their own journey through the conflict and occupation. Very well written. Published in 2011 which interested me as it reads as current day sadly.
#rozzie #novel #selmadabbagh

Mar 16

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Out of it by Selma Dabbagh A Palestinian novel set in Gaza, London and The Gulf. It follows three Palestinian siblings all trying to forge their own journey through the conflict and occupation. Very well written. Published in 2011 which interested me as it reads as current day sadly. #rozzie #novel #selmadabbagh

There`s something I have to tell you by Michelle Mc Donagh.
The only reason i finished this book was to find out who murdered who?
I probably could have just googled the summary.
A big nope from me. The writing was 100% telling and zero showing. The whole thing was implausible. The characters unlikeable and unreal.
Onwards...
#rozzie

Mar 3

Open
There's something I have to tell you by Michelle Mc Donagh. The only reason i finished this book was to find out who murdered who? I probably could have just googled the summary. A big nope from me. The writing was 100% telling and zero showing. The whole thing was implausible. The characters unlikeable and unreal. Onwards... #rozzie