This Castleknock home has been given a warm, laid back update that works for the whole family
This Castleknock home has been given a warm, laid back update that works for the...

Megan Burns

This Kerry cottage has been brought back to life, and given a jaw-dropping new addition
This Kerry cottage has been brought back to life, and given a jaw-dropping new addition

Lizzie Gore-Grimes

Interior designer Geri O’Toole’s Limerick cottage incorporated old outbuildings for a gorgeous combination of old and new
Interior designer Geri O’Toole’s Limerick cottage incorporated old outbuildings for a gorgeous combination of old...

Megan Burns

Supper Club: Australian food stylist and author Donna Hay shares three tasty dinner recipes
Supper Club: Australian food stylist and author Donna Hay shares three tasty dinner recipes

Sarah Finnan

‘Deconstructing stereotypes’: The cult witch movie you need to watch on Halloween
‘Deconstructing stereotypes’: The cult witch movie you need to watch on Halloween

Jennifer McShane

This Wicklow home is full of rich colours and luxurious finishes
This Wicklow home is full of rich colours and luxurious finishes

Megan Burns

This gorgeous three-bedroom home is currently on the market for €565,000
This gorgeous three-bedroom home is currently on the market for €565,000

Sarah Finnan

The IMAGE staffers share their favourite perfumes on the market right now
The IMAGE staffers share their favourite perfumes on the market right now

Sarah Gill

8 great podcasts and audiobooks to listen to while you’re on the road this autumn
8 great podcasts and audiobooks to listen to while you’re on the road this autumn

IMAGE

What to bake this weekend: Pecan praline brownies
What to bake this weekend: Pecan praline brownies

Meg Walker

Image / Editorial

#IMAGEReads: 5 literary stocking fillers you’ll love this December


By Jennifer McShane
02nd Dec 2019
#IMAGEReads: 5 literary stocking fillers you’ll love this December

To give a book at Christmas is something personal; thought and care goes into the tome hidden at the end of the stocking. Jennifer McShane recommends five worth giving this festive season.  


The Christmas Party by Karen Swan (Pan, approx €9.99)

When Declan Lorne, the last Knight in Ireland dies, his two eldest daughters are dismayed to find that he has left the castle to youngest daughter Willow, who decides to sell it. Connor Shaye, the prospective new owner, throws a party to celebrate, but it’s no ordinary gathering. A sparkling read.

Dark Enchantment by Dorothy Macardle (Tramp Press, approx €16)

When Juliet Firth finds herself in a small hotel in the French Alps, she quickly becomes immersed in local village life. But stories of superstition and sorcery become apparent as the townsfolk begin to focus on Terka – a woman who lives alone in the forest. Charming and immersive.  

On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl (Fourth Estate, approx €14.99, out now)

This is a striking book, about the 1950’s American West, gambling and two intertwining love stories. We follow newlyweds Murial, Lee and Lee’s brother Julius whose lover is Henry. Murial, a waitress, secretly gambles and longs, as Lee does, for a life of freedom. A riveting debut.

Joan Smokes by Angela Meyer (Contraband, approx €8.99)

Set in the ’60s, an unnamed woman has arrived in a new city, calling herself Joan. She used to be someone else. She decides to be a smoker, this young woman who attempts to escape her demons by travelling to Las Vegas. An imaginative short story at 68 pages, this is a delight.

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum (HQ, approx €10.99, out December 12)  

In 1990 Birzeit, 17-year-old Isra prepares for an arranged marriage. She longs for romance and adventure despite her mother’s warning that there is no place for a woman but her house and home. Her family wants her outside occupied Palestinian territories but Isra sees only a life of servitude before her. Enthralling.