Sinéad O’Shea: ‘Edna O’Brien is one of the great lives of the 20th century’
Sinéad O’Shea: ‘Edna O’Brien is one of the great lives of the 20th century’

Meg Walker

An ode to my McWilliams Holdall
An ode to my McWilliams Holdall

Sarah Finnan

Business Club Member competition: Win a €400 voucher for fashion brand Kelly O’Rourke
Business Club Member competition: Win a €400 voucher for fashion brand Kelly O’Rourke

IMAGE

Brigid: The original female trailblazer
Brigid: The original female trailblazer

Amanda Cassidy

3 pioneering sustainable businesses to visit and support this month
3 pioneering sustainable businesses to visit and support this month

Jo Linehan

Jimmy Choo’s latest bridal edit has arrived
Jimmy Choo’s latest bridal edit has arrived

Shayna Sappington

An ode to one of life’s great joys: the humble little treat
An ode to one of life’s great joys: the humble little treat

Alex O Neill

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

Megan Burns

Page Turners: ‘Confessions’ author Catherine Airey
Page Turners: ‘Confessions’ author Catherine Airey

Sarah Gill

Sarah Macken: A week in my wardrobe
Sarah Macken: A week in my wardrobe

Sarah Finnan

Image / Editorial

Five brilliant reads recommended for May


By Jennifer McShane
27th Apr 2019
Five brilliant reads recommended for May

Reads to race through during the month of May, as chosen by Jennifer McShane. 


What Red Was by Rosie Price (Harvill Secker, approx €14.99), out May 9

Kate leaves her modest upbringing in rural Gloucestershire for university. There she meets charismatic Max Rippon, who’s from a privileged background.

Slowly, she’s drawn into the Rippon family’s world, becoming close to Max’s mother, Zara, a successful film director. Her world changes when she is sexually assaulted by someone close to home and finds herself trapped, trying to deal with the trauma. A powerful look at the ripple effects of assault.

The Den by Abi Maxwell (Tinder Press, approx €16.99), out May 16

This follows two differing timelines: 12-year-old Jane and her teenage sister Henrietta, whose father tells them the legend of the disappearance of the Ross family, who lived in a cottage in their woods in the 19th century. After a secret relationship with a local boy, Klaus, Henrietta disappears amid claims that Klaus caused a fire which burned down their family barn. Her disappearance interweaves with that of Elspeth, the mother in the Ross family legend.

Rules of the Road by Ciara Geraghty (HarperCollins, approx €12.99), out May 2

When Iris goes missing, her best friend Terry – a chronic worrier – is convinced something bad has happened. She’s right, but it isn’t what she expects. Things have changed, and now Iris is setting out on a once-in-a-lifetime journey – one she plans to make her last. Terry wants to stop her and does the only thing she can: goes with her. Together, Iris, Terry and Terry’s confused father Eugene start on a ferry across the Irish Sea and into an adventure that will change everything.

A Boy and his Dog at the End the World by CA Fletcher (Orbit, approx €13.99), out April 25

Griz lives with his family on an isolated island. There didn’t always used to be so few, but then the Gelding happened and the world – the human part of it – had turned barren and people stopped having kids. Dogs are the most precious – at least to Griz. Then a stranger steals their beloved dog, Jess. Griz sets off with the second family dog, Jip, determined to catch the thief.

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (Serpent’s Tail, approx €14.99), out May 2

In their first term at a competitive performing arts high school, two students, Sarah and David, fall deeply in love. Their experience is heightened, thanks to Mr Kingsley, their magnetic and manipulative drama instructor. But, decades on, it turns out it wasn’t as idyllic as they’d been led to believe. As adults, they must come to terms with the reality that was darker than they might have ever imagined.

For more books to read this May, check out the May issue of IMAGE Magazine, on sale now.