Category: Book reviews

• Of Dublin and Other Fictions by Nuala Ni Chonchuir Review and Interview

  Being a flash fiction aficionado it was my pleasure to be able to review Nuala Ní Chonchúir’s chapbook of tiny fictions Of Dublin and other fictions. Published by Tower Press in the USA it consists of eleven flash fiction gems. What I particularly love about Ní Chonchúir’s writing in general and this collection in particular…

  alisonwells

  November 7, 2013

  Book reviews, Books and Authors, Flash fiction

  flash fiction, nuala ni chonchuir, of dublin and other fictions

• Niamh Boyce’s Debut Novel The Herbalist

  Niamh Boyce is from Athy, Co Kildare. She won Hennessy XO Writer of the Year 2012 for her poem Kitty. She’s currently editing her short story collection Wild Cat’s Buffet and writing her next novel. I met Niamh first at the Hennessy Awards 2009, where we were both finalists and again at a book launch…

  alisonwells

  June 13, 2013

  Book reviews, Books and Authors

  Niamh Boyce, The Herbalist

• Review of Bloodmining by Laura Wilkinson

  With the emotional resonance of a Maggie O’ Farrell and hints of Ishiguro’s Never let me go, Bloodmining is a vivid and believable rendering of a familiar but crucially altered near future.  A compelling debut novel from Laura Wilkinson that I read in one sitting, this is well worth the read. Over the course of…

  alisonwells

  June 3, 2013

  Book reviews, Books and Authors

  Bloodmining, Laura Wilkinson, review

• Diary of a Penguin-napper by Sally Harris

  Sally Harris from Melbourne recently launched this bright, engaging fun book for children called Diary of a Penguin-napper. The book is for children in the 8 to 12 age range so we were pleased to receive a copy of Sally’s book in the post. What was striking about Sally’s book is that it’s so attractive…

  alisonwells

  November 13, 2012

  Book reviews, Books and Authors, Uncategorized

  Diary of a Penguin Napper, Sally Harris

• Interview with Eoin Colfer on The Last Guardian & what comes after Artemis Fowl

  Eoin Colfer from Wexford has been a worldwide hit with the Artemis Fowl series. (He also wrote a follow up And Another Thing in the Douglas Adam’s  Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy  series) The Artemis series, for young teens, follows the adventures of teenage technical mastermind Artemis Fowl and his adventures in saving his family…

  alisonwells

  August 30, 2012

  Book reviews, Books and Authors

  Eoin Colfer, hitchikders guide to the galaxy. Artemis Fowl., The last guardian

• Which books have you thrown at the end of the bed?

  I’ve just been having an interesting conversation on Twitter about books we’ve thrown at the end of the bed either during or at the end of the reading process. Of course there are many reasons why we might be frustrated with a book. Much of the time it just didn’t live up to the expectation…

  alisonwells

  February 18, 2012

  Book reviews, Books and Authors

  Books, One Day, The Unconsoled, thrown at the end of the bed

• Write a Great Synopsis: Nicola Morgan knows how!

  The Background When I got the chance to review Nicola Morgan’s Write a Great Synopsis I was delighted. Nicola is the author of more than 90 books – covering both fiction and non-fiction. Her novel Wasted (which I absolutely loved) was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and her guide for writers Write to be Published…

  alisonwells

  January 21, 2012

  Book reviews

  Nicola Morgan, Write a Great Synopsis

• The Tuesday Interview: With Catherine Ryan Howard (author of Self-Printed)

  Catherine Ryan Howard lives in Cork, Ireland. She has very successfully published a memoir about working in Disney, called Mousetrapped. She has documented the story of her self-printing experience and success in her blog Catherine, Caffinated and just lately released Self-Printed in which she shares the knowledge and expertise she gained from her self-printing experience. …

  alisonwells

  September 13, 2011

  Book reviews, Books and Authors, Uncategorized

  Backpacked, Catherine Ryan Howard, ebooks, Mousetrapped, Results Not Typical, Self-Printed, self-publishing

• Ray Bradbury’s ‘Metal Book’

  I fell in love with Ray Bradbury’s beautiful poetic prose and his sharp psychological and socialogical insight when I picked up Faranheit 451.  Although known as a science fiction writer, it seems to me that the alternate worlds he creates in order to render his discourse and express his love and fear for humanity are…

  alisonwells

  July 20, 2011

  Book reviews, Uncategorized

  Imagination, Kindle, metal book, psychology, Ray Bradbury, short stories, sociology, technology

• Mousetrapped by Catherine Ryan Howard

  Review of Mousetrapped (beware, spoiler alert!) I’ve just finished reading ‘Mousetrapped’ by Catherine Ryan Howard. It’s a captivating account of a year and a half spent working in a hotel at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, from the stark reality of settling in, to the magic and the mayhem of a girl from Cork,…

  alisonwells

  December 13, 2010

  Book reviews, Uncategorized

  Book review, Catherine Ryan Howard, Mousetrapped