Popular fiction
1. ‘The Madonna of Bolton’ by Matt Cain (Unbound, €18.99) On his ninth birthday, Charlie Matthews falls in love – with Madonna. His Bolton classmates are all obsessed with the King of Pop Michael Jackson but for Charlie, it’s all about Madge. Shades of Billy Elliot colour this sequined, unrepentantly Eighties tale of coming-of-age and finding your own voice.
2. ‘The Librarian’ by Salley Vickers (Viking, €18.20) It’s 1959 and newly qualified children’s librarian Sylvia Blackwell sweeps into prim East Mole full of plans. But her idealistic interventions soon cause havoc – and that’s before she catches the eye of a handsome, married GP. A contemporary coda gives this irresistible, nostalgiadrenched story a campaigning kick.
3. ‘Promising Young Women’ by Caroline O’Donoghue (Virago, €16.99) Depending on your age, you’ll either relate intensely to heroine Jane Peters or you’ll be really, really relieved to have waved your 20s goodbye. Either way, there’s drama aplenty in this plugged-in tale of workplace affairs, agony-aunt blogs and female friendship.
4. ‘Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling’ by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen (Michael Joseph, €9.99) Country bumpkin Aisling carries this perky, big-hearted romcom. After seven years of waiting for her boyfriend to pop the question, she ups sticks and takes control of her own story. Watch out Dublin! Powered by cracking one-liners, it’ll have you chortling through any amount of airport delays. And there’s a sequel – The Importance Of Being Aisling – coming in September.
5. ‘Never Greener’ by Ruth Jones (Bantam Press, €18.20) Is the grass ever truly greener? That’s what Kate and Callum have the chance to find out when they run into each other 17 years after their youthful affair ended in heartbreak. Callum is married and now Kate is too. And yet… A gripping, grown-up romance.
6. ‘Days Of Wonder’ by Keith Stuart (Sphere, €17.99) Enchantment and heartbreak mingle in the lives of single dad Tom and his funny, wise, 15-year-old daughter, Hannah. Each year, he puts on a show just for her at the tiny local theatre he manages. But now that she’s older, she must come to terms with the reason for this fantastical annual production.
7. ‘Tomorrow’ by Damian Dibben (Michael Joseph, €18.19) Tomorrow is the name of this novel’s star, and he’s a dog. A 217-year-old dog who’s been granted immortality and now must roam centuries and continents in search of his lost master. Golden Age Amsterdam, Versailles, the court of Charles I – it’s armchair travel with a unique companion.
8. ‘Letters To Iris’ by Elizabeth Noble (Michael Joseph, €18.20) Prepare to be ensnared in a complex web of deeply satisfying secrets. Tess’s is going to turn her life upside down in nine months, but her grandmother and confidante, Iris, has kept hers hidden for decades – until Tess stumbles upon a suitcase of letters.
9. ‘The Burning Chambers’ by Kate Mosse (Mantle, €28) Can’t decide whether to pack a romance, a mystery, or a helping of historical derring-do? This novel combines all three, transporting readers to 16th-century Languedoc where, against a backdrop of simmering sectarian tensions, 19-year-old Minou receives a mysterious message at her father’s bookshop. Gripping, complex and intensely atmospheric.
10. ‘Lancelot’ by Giles Kristian (Bantam Press, €18.19) Lancelot, friend and rival to King Arthur, is the most compelling and complicated of the Round Table’s knights. He began life as a refugee with just a hawk for company before being taken under the wing of Merlin and the Lady Nimue. The rest is – well, legend, and it springs lustily to life here.