What I am reading

The hunt for the his lost brother sets the narrator on another quest to find out what happened to a woman who disappeared in the snow years earlier. As the snow begins to thaw, so too does the mystery surrounding the woman's disappearance.

An encounter between a Jewish and Muslim teenager from very different parts of Brussels leads to a friendship which shows us how recent events in the Middle East reverberate in Europe.

An examination of Irish society's attempts or unfortunately at times lack of effort to examine its complicated relationship with the Catholic Church and the abuse that took place in Church run schools and institutions.

A missing person's ad in 1941 is the starting point for Modiano's search for information on Dora Bruder who was deported to Auschwitz with her father in 1942.

A gripping, frightening, powerful portrayal of migration. The characters resonate

with the reader. It helps us see the individual behind all the statistics and reports.

An excellent portrayal of a lesser known yet intriguing city on the fringes of Europe.

While it is very much a personal account of recent events in the Middle East, its themes of alienation, exile and uprootedness have never been more relevant.

The Border by Diarmaid Ferriter
An invaluable insight into the complexity of the reality of the Irish border and ultimately Brexit.

Disgrace by Jussi Adler Olsen

A well-written, but at times, very violent whodunit. Definitely not for the faint hearted.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Out of Egypt by Andre Aciman

A moving tale of the last days of a world that has now, sadly, disappeared forever, Jewish Alexandria.

The Lady from Tel Aviv by Rabai Al-Madhoun

A nuanced portrayal of the reality of life in Gaza. A story about the search for belonging and for a lost home.

The Cap by Roman Frister

The Long Song by Andrea Levy
A moving insight into the Jamaican slavery.

Call me by your Name by Andre Aciman

Aristole and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn

La statue de sel par Albert Memmi

The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnado

En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule par Edouard Louis

Oh My God What A Complete Aishling by Emery's McLysaght & Sarah Breen
Light and funny. Any Irish person will recognise many of their friends' and family's idiocentricities in the characters.

Apricots on the Nile by Collette Rossant

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
An extremely informative, detailed and at times horrific portrayal of Belgium's colonial past. Very accessible despite the level of detail.