Don't let anyone tell you that the end of July means the end of summer... we are not here for that kind of negativity!
And this month, thanks to the stunning Book Centre, Waterford, we have the right books for you for those summer days at the beach, in the garden, or just in bed.
If you need a little book-spiration for that trip, read on!
THE BEACH READ:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in her 30s must be in want of a new friend.... or so they say. And the prospect of making new friends in your 30s is exceptionally challenging.
And so, oftentimes, we keep the same circle of friends as we have maintained since our youth.
Now, there is nothing wrong with that, but what happens when that friendship is strained, when you have less in common, when your lives moved down different paths?
Therein lies the crux of this heartwarming, deeply relatable book. Sophie White forces us to reflect on our own friendships, acknowledging the billowing red flags that we recognise in a romantic relationship, but often fail to see in a friendship.
The paths of three women cross, each coming with their own story of loss, change, success, and failure.
While the book did take a long, long time to get going, it was worth it, and the Letter to the Reader at the end of the book is very special, a reminder of the importance of good friends who will scaffold us when we need support.
The must-read beach read of the summer!
THE MEMOIR:
David Baddiel isn't a man I have ever spent much time thinking about, for better or worse. I have no strong opinions on him and so perhaps I was best placed to approach his memoir a completely open book.
His family history is a difficult one, which begins in Germany for his mother in the early 1930s.
Her German Jewish parents, Ernst and Otti, had been extremely wealthy; according to a cousin, they owned a painting by Rubens.
Their lives fell apart when the Nazis took their home, their livelihood and murdered their relatives, so they fled with their baby to England.
Twenty-five years later, their daughter was living in a modest house in London’s Dollis Hill with three sons and her husband, Colin, an emotionally detached, working-class research scientist who, after being made redundant, sold Dinky Toys on a market stall.
It was this world which shaped David Baddiel, and by his own admission, his family and his life ensured that there could never have been another path for him, only a comedic one.
For the trauma and the unhappiness which could have taken centre stage here, he transforms the story into a light-hearted, enjoyable account of his life.
He includes deeply personal moments such as his mother's 30-year-affair and the public way she wore her libido.
Baddiel deals with family, with love, with relationships, with sadness, and with the responsibility of telling the stories of others.
Hugely enjoyable, surprisingly so even, and well worth a read.
YOUNG READ (8-12years)
Get ready for a hilarious and achingly real love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother, and growing up.
A special mention must also be given for the extraordinary artwork on the front cover.
It’s the summer before fifth grade, and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium...
Her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw.
Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and, to Ferris’s mother’s chagrin, is holed up in the Wilkey basement to paint a history of the world.
And Charisse, Ferris’s grandmother, has started seeing a ghost at the threshold of her room, which seems like an alarming omen given that she is also feeling unwell.
But the ghost is not there to usher Charisse to the Great Beyond. Rather, she has other plans — wild, impractical, illuminating plans.
How can Ferris satisfy a specter with Pinky terrorizing the town, Uncle Ted sending Ferris to spy on her aunt, and her father battling an invasion of raccoons?
This is zany, unexpected, tremendous fun, and every single page is soaked in the joy of pure love.
When a children's book is special, it will never be forgotten, and this is one of those magical books.
TIMELESS READ:
The Last Day at Bowen's Court by Eibhear Walsh
This remarkable novel explores the life of the Irish novelist, Elizabeth Bowen, her time in London during the Second World War and her ‘reporting’ on Irish neutrality for the Ministry of Information.
At the centre of the novel is her Blitz love affair with the Canadian diplomat, Charles Ritchie, a wartime romance that inspired her most famous novel, The Heat of the Day, a gripping story about espionage and loyalty that became a best-seller.
The story is told from the point of view of Bowen herself, and also from that of her lover Charles Ritchie, her husband Alan Cameron and Ritchie’s wife Sylvia.
It is set in wartime London, Dublin and North Cork, and deals with the private and public conflicts of love and of national identity in a time of upheaval and liberation.
At the centre of the novel is a portrait of Elizabeth Bowen, one of Ireland’s most influential writers.
This book was published in 2020, and was the work of extraordinary Waterford author, Eibhear Walsh.
His works are deeply thought-provoking, gentle yet determined in their exploration of their subject matter, and always a rewarding read.
His legacy will be felt for many years, carving such a valuable pocket into the landscape of Irish literature.
All books are available in The Book Centre, Waterford.
