2026 is already off to a promising start with some absolute crackers to look forward to.

This month, The Book Centre, Waterford is bulging with recommended reads and new and favourite titles.

Each month, a selection of the biggest reads are won by one lucky listener to The Big Breakfast Blaa.

This year has kicked strong with some huge titles from Irish authors.

Nothing Good Happens After 2am by  Niamh Hargan

Sexy, sharp and soaked in cocktails, this novel dives headfirst into the high-octane world of elite bartending.

Tipped by many to be the Irish answer to Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Following Robbie and El across years of rivalry, obsession and unresolved tension, Hargan captures ambition at its most intoxicating.

Think late nights, bruised egos and feelings you can’t quite drown out stylish, immersive, and quietly devastating.

The Elements  by John Boyne

Four stories. Four elements. One emotional gut-punch.

Boyne links Water, Earth, Fire and Air into a powerful exploration of damage, guilt and the long road to redemption.

It’s intense, often uncomfortable, but beautifully controlled .

This is a return to vintage John Boyne at his strongest.

At its core, this is a reminder of how lives collide, fracture and sometimes heal in unexpected ways.

Midwinter by Michael Harding

This is winter writing at its most haunting and humane.

Harding blends personal reflection with Irish landscapes, darkness, and  with small, stubborn hope.

Midwinter lingers, not loud or dramatic, but quietly profound.

In his own words, he describes this as his last exploration of memoir as a form of writing.

It is a stunning coffee-table book, focusing on decay, challenge, and rebirth, through the medium of a long winter.

Young Readers Book of the Month

Conn of the Dead by Dave Rudden

Irish mythology meets madcap adventure.

When trouble-magnet Conn stumbles into ancient magic, things spiral fast ,and hilariously.

Having being sent home from school at the age of 11 for messing, he is at his wits end.

While waiting for his aunt to finish her work, he opens a case which was definitely not intended to be opened.

Inside lies a skull, which incorporates the spirit of a sorcerer.

Packed with humour, heart and folklore, this is a cracking read for younger readers (and adults who still love a bit of mythic chaos).

Fun, fast and full of bite.

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