WHETHER you are sunning yourself on a beach in Portugal, or chilling in camping chairs outside a mobile home in Courtown, one holiday essential that you will need to pack is a book.
There is nothing more relaxing than putting your feet up without any responsibilities and getting stuck into a good novel or factual read, especially when the weather is hot, hot, hot.
There is no shortage of top literary releases this year from authors including Marian Keyes, Laura Nowlin and even Pamela Anderson.
Many bookworms prefer true crime, others opt for romance. Some choose fiction while there are those who stick to the real world with biographies.
As a nation of storytellers, it is no surprise that the Irish are among the top authors in the world.
Here, Emma Kilcawley Hemani looks at the best books to pop in your suitcase this summer . . .
CRIME FICTION
This is Why We Lied – Karin Slaughter
THRILLERS are one of the biggest genres in reading right now — and Karin Slaughter knows how to portray the tension brilliantly, with over 40million sales to her name.
The latest from the writer sees a murder in a luxury secluded getaway, just hours after the victim, Mercy, threatens to reveal the secrets of guests.
Luckily a cop and a medical examiner are there to celebrate their honeymoon.
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HUMOUR
My Favourite Mistake – Marian Keyes
SHE is one of Ireland’s most famous authors, and Marian Keyes knows how to engage with her fans by adding her own brand of comedy to the books that she writes.
My Favourite Mistake was released in April and, as always, has had much praise.
It tells the story of Anna, who is successful in New York, but has a mid-life crisis and heads home to Ireland, where life doesn’t get any easier.
IRISH NON-FICTION
Identity – John Sweetman
TALENTED Sweetman was considering leaving the Gardai when a violent incident led him to the Garda Technical Bureau, where he worked for 25 years.
Throughout this time, he specialised in fingerprinting, handwriting and as a document expert.
He talks about some of his most famous cases, from the 2018 murder of Jastine Valdez to the horrific familicide of the Hawe family in Cavan.
TRUE CRIME
Murder At Lordship – Pat Marry and Robin Schiller
TRUE crime is one of the most read genres around, and this powerful book focuses on a devastating event close to home.
Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered as he carried out a routine cash escort at Lordship Credit Union in Co Louth in 2013.
The chief suspect fled to America to build a new life but, after a few drinks, bragged about his involvement — a conversation that began his downfall.
READ BEFORE WATCHING
It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover
THIS particular offering has been on the shelves for a few years but, in August, a film adaptation of the novel will be released.
Starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, it will bring characters from the popular novel to the big screen.
In the movie, Lively plays Lily, who meets a neurosurgeon named Ryle, and reckons he is great.
But the pair’s relationship becomes overwhelming and soon quickly spins out of control.
Make sure to read it before you see it.
BIOGRAPHY
Love, Pamela – Pamela Anderson
AFTER decades of being front page news, and following her eye-opening documentary, the Baywatch icon now tells her own story in her biography.
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She talks about being catapulted to fame after she was spotted at a football game — and she was soon modelling for Playboy.
The media loved Pam, and her antics, including her marriage to Tommy Lee, was constant news. But now she wants to close the door on that side of her life.
