Book Review: Second Life - SJ Watson

SJ Watson, author of hit debut novel Before I Go To Sleep , returns with Second Life, another thrilling tale of dark paths, bad decisions and the seedy, rather terrifying side of online liaisons.

The difficult second novel doesn't seem to have presented a huge problem for SJ Watson. The author of best-selling debut novel Before I Sleep  plunges the reader into a pretty grisly and gripping world from a very early stage of Second Life and the whole book is a real page-turning thriller from start to finish. It would be very easy to see this being adapted to the big screen like its predecessor.

Book Review: Unravelling Oliver - Liz Nugent

Unravelling Oliver is a chilling and compelling debut by Irish author Liz Nugent

Books that you are compelled to read through in one sitting are not that common but Liz Nugent's Unravelling Oliver requires a day of no other plans as this is a novel you won't want to put down from start to finish.

Book Review: Two More Pints - Roddy Doyle

Roddy Doyle follows up his extremely original Two Pints with Two More Points where the renowned Booker Prize winning writer explores everything from Kate Middleton to Barack Obama in his very unique way...

Like its predecessor, Two More Pints revolves solely around two old chaps, clearly Dublin natives, sitting at the bar once a week discussing a very wide variety of subjects older Irish men may discuss after a couple of pints.

Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Neil Gaiman 

Master of many literary crafts Neil Gaiman has returned in top form with his highly anticipated, gripping latest novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Neil Gaiman has perfected many genres of literature during the course of his career, including the renowned Sandman series of graphic novels, his children books, and his utterly brilliant Young Adult novels Coraline and The Graveyard Book.

Book Review: The House on Willow Street by Cathy Kelly

Cathy Kelly is already a goddess among fans of women’s fiction in Ireland and further afield. For years now she has written bestseller after bestseller with a throng of fans waiting on her every release date. And, reading The House on Willow Street, you can see why. She has found just the right formula for the perfect chick lit novel with plenty of laughter and tears and characters with enough flaws for anyone to feel a familiarity with but also admire.

The story focuses on a group of women – and one man – who live or are deeply connected to Avalon, a picturesque village in Ireland, and specifically Willow Street and the big-house-gone-to-ruins Avalon House. Two of the central characters, sisters Tess and Suki, are the last descendants of a long line of De Paors who lived there and by the time they were born there was no old money left to keep it going but it remains a looming presence over the whole village.

Tales from the Crypt: An Interview with Neil Gaiman

When international best-selling author Neil Gaiman was inspired to write his acclaimed children's novel The Graveyard Book he had a very fixed idea of what he wanted it to be. It took twenty years for him to perfect this idea but it went on to become cited by some as the best book Neil Gaiman has ever written, which is no mean feat considering the portfolio of both critically acclaimed and best-selling work this English-born novelist has written over the past three decades. I spoke to the author upon the release of this highly-anticipated book.

Neil Gaiman is one of the most celebrated modern novelists of his generation. Beginning his career as a journalist, the first book he wrote was a biography of the rock band Duran Duran; mixing his two passions of music and writing. Gaiman's breakthrough came about upon the release of his now legendary series of graphic novels called The Sandman. From there, his fans have been lucky enough to follow a writer who experiments with a wide variety of genres, from children’s books, to graphic novels, movie screenplays, songs, novels and a constantly updated personal blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

The Hunger Games Trilogy: The Hunger Games; Catching Fire; Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins

Author of the Hunger Games Trilogy Suzanne Collins has said that she got the idea for the story after one night tiredly flicking through channels on her TV. On one channel was a Survivor type reality TV show, while another had scenes of war footage. The two shows melded into one and an idea was born.

The Hunger Games novels, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, are set in a dystopian not-so-distant future. In some ways reminiscent of the terror in George Orwell's 1984, mixed with the cult Japanese movie Battle Royale and Golding's Lord of the Flies; there are 12 districts of the country known as Panem (based on North America), who live in poverty and are ruled by the wealthy Capitol.

Book Review: The Forced Redundancy Film Club

The Forced Redundancy Film Club
Brian Finnegan

Brian Finnegan's debut The Forced Redundancy Film Club is very much a novel of Ireland in 2011. It opens with Katherine Casey, the novel's protagonist of sorts, waking up on her birthday and going to the job she has worked hard and ruthlessly to get, only to find that her name has been added to the list of people in her office being made redundant - a list that she was asked to compile.

Her whole world falls apart as she and three of her now former work colleagues; Jamie the only gay in the office who is a lot more concerned about keeping his affair a secret from his partner Andrew than losing his job; Lisa, who now faces the trials of being a stay at home mum to her three boys; and Martin, whose battle with the bottle is a lot more of a worry than losing the job he didn't care much for anyway - all of whom know that Katherine added their name to the list - go to the pub to drown their sorrows.

After 'the one too many', an idea is formed from the minds of this motley crew. They decide to meet once a month to watch their favourite films. The person hosting gets to choose. With much protestation from other members of the group, Katherine is invited along by the very likable Martin, who not-so-secretly holds a flame for her after a very brief dalliance at the office Christmas party. In turn, Katherine insists on inviting Alice, the unfortunate, unlikable P.A. to the boss who has just fired them... She hasn't lost her job, but she has just found out that her mother has died.

The group seems like a disaster from the off, with endless clashes between the wildly differing personalities. Finnegan gives each character subchapters to get a proper insight into their story and what's going on in their own lives; how their redundancy and relationships from within the group and outside it are affecting them. As time goes on, the movies chosen by the individuals mirror some form of internal struggle they are experiencing but also show them a truth that helps them in their various predicaments.

The Forced Redundancy Film Club is a smart novel that contains just the right amount of comedy and tragedy to make it enjoyable for anyone to read. The film theme throughout, beginning quite aptly with Casablanca - "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" - and ending even more aptly with It's A Wonderful Life, is both original and effective. His novel gives the reader a cutting insight into the lives of five very typical Irish individuals, from exhausted mother of three to the spinster orphan with no social skills, and pulls it off perfectly.

The beauty of The Forced Redundancy Film Club is that it can - like all classic movies - be enjoyed, not specifically by just women or just men, but by anyone who loves a good story.

An impressive debut.

(Originally written for entertainment.ie)