BOOKS OF 2015 - MISS EMILY ETC.

It's end-of-year book listy time and I'm delighted that Miss Emily has featured on a few: Amazon Canada names it in their Best Books of 2015, writer Nina Stibbe wants it for Christmas :), Toronto's Globe and Mail has it as one of The Globe 100, 100 Best Books of 2015 and Charles Lambert has it in his Top 5.

Charles's stunning novel The Children's Home is forthcoming (Feb. 2016). I read it in proof copy and it's stunning: gothic, creepy and compelling. Think Edward Gorey, Roald Dahl, Lemony Snickett. Fabulous.

My own picks were for the Bristol Prize people - short story collections by Elizabeth Baines and Eliza Robertson. I've also picked one book for the Wales Arts Review but you'll have to wait and see what that is.

IRISH TIMES BOOK CLUB - QUESTIONS

Happy new year, my blogland friends! I hope 2015 brings you creativity and prosperity.

2014 was a good one for me with Miss Emily being accepted for publication, and the film and audio deals being struck. July and August this year are the pub months (N. America and the UK, respectively) and I look forward to all the work and PR that will go with getting it into readers' hands. It's exciting and a little daunting.

In the meantime, Sarah Gilmartin at the Irish Times has compiled a list of book club questions for The Closet of Savage Mementos, which is the IT's book club book this month. Sarah writes: 'Ní Chonchúir doesn’t flinch when tackling the dark truths of human behaviour, the savage mementos at the heart of family relationships and growing up. Earlier work has drawn comparisons to Edna O’Brien. With her ability to get inside a story, and a writing style that is both lyrical and exact, it is easy to see why.'

Sarah poses five questions. This one I love: '“Quality women’s fiction” is a term that gets bandied around a lot. What does it mean to you as a reader? Is it insulting (where is the ‘quality men’s fiction’ shelf in the bookshop?) or is it a necessary distinguish from commercial women’s fiction? What other authors does Nuala’s writing remind you of?'

I'd like to hear the discussions around that...The article and the other questions are here.