Louise O'Neill: the best-selling author's essential Christmas book guide
Photo: Cathal Noonan
As a child, books were one of my favourite things to receive as a Christmas present.
After we ate our turkey and ham in Clonakilty, my family would drive Over Home, to my grandparents’ farm house in Aherla.
The fire would be blazing in the parlour, my granddad sucking on Lemons' sweets as he watched whatever film RTÉ had chosen as their festive offering, and I would lie on the rug, turning the pages of my new book with clementine-sticky fingers.
I am still grateful to my mother for the time and care she put into choosing those novels; there is no better gift you can give a child.
Scratch that — there’s no better present you can give anyone than a book that will capture their imagination.
Which is why, once again, I am offering you a book-buying guide.
(The usual disclaimer applies — I’m only recommending books I’ve read this year, so if you’re looking for memoirs by your favourite sports star, I’m probably not your woman!)
by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston is a triumph — beautiful, true, immersive.
If your child is at the older end of this age category, anything by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald is a winner. Her latest book, , is laced with her trademark compassion and kindness.
by Lex Croucher is like Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl by way of Jane Austen. It’s a total blast.
The excellent by Caroline O’Donoghue is the perfect choice for any teen with an interest in the occult.
If you have a romantic in the house, by Laura Wood will hit the spot — think Cinderella with a twist.
by Jessie Burton would make a gorgeous gift. The writing is beautiful, the story heartbreakingly relevant, and the illustrations are sublime.
For older teenagers, I would recommend by Louise Nealon. The plotline of a young woman moving to Dublin to study English at Trinity might bring Sally Rooney to mind, but Nealon is very much her own writer.
Another novel set at college is by Vera Kurian. It’s about a group of psychopaths granted free tuition if they take part in a psychology study; it’s impossible to put down.
I’m biased, I know, but by Richard Chambers is a must-read. Gossipy and moving in equal measures, it reads like a thriller.
is a superb collection of essays by Sophie White, dealing with addiction, motherhood, and grief. I adored it.
by Shon Faye is a compelling analysis of the ‘debate’ around trans people’s rights, and by Emma Dabiri is an invigorating, clear-sighted guide on how to dismantle racism.
I also thoroughly enjoyed by Kristen Richardson, which traces the history of debutante balls on both sides of the Atlantic.
by Erin Kelly is a twisty psychological thriller set at a ballet company; shades of Black Swan.
by Catherine Ryan Howard has been a smash hit this year and with good reason — it is exceptionally good.
by Elizabeth Day was one of my favourite novels of 2021; I gasped out loud at the twist.
by Abigail Dean is about ‘the girl who got away’ from her parents’ House of Horrors. It’s a gripping, nuanced look at trauma and what we do to survive.
These books will satisfy even the pickiest of readers.
For fans of commercial fiction, the books by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen are always a crowd-pleaser.
The latest instalment in the series, , is wonderful.
If buying for fans of literary fiction, by Meg Mason is a knock-out. An unnamed mental health illness and a struggling marriage are both rendered by Mason with devastating honesty and laugh-out-loud wit.
Yes, this deserves its own category.
by Lisa McInerney was a fittingly brilliant end to a brilliant trilogy.
Deirdre Sullivan’s first collection of short stories, , brought to mind Angela Carter and Roald Dahl at his most macabre.
It was hard to believe was Fíona Scarlett’s debut. I can’t remember the last time a book made me cry as hard. Pack tissues with this!
by Sarra Manning — one man, one woman, a rescue dog they’ve agreed to share. Such a delight.
by Robinne Lee is about an older woman dating a Harry Styles-esque pop star. It’s very sexy and very enjoyable.
by Tia Williams — about a second chance in love for high school sweethearts — was irresistible, as was Mhairi McFarlane’s latest, Last Night.
by Raven Leilani is about a Black woman in her early 20s who gets involved with a middle-aged white man in an open marriage. It’s a searing look at race, capitalism, and sex.
by Natasha Brown has been described as a modern-day Mrs Dalloway. It’s a slight book but one that lingers afterwards.
I loved by Torrey Peters, about the unlikely relationship between three women — transgender and cisgender — and what it takes to become a family.
