Favorite books that take place in Ireland and Scotland? I enjoyed Angela’s Ashes and just finished The Bookshop on the Corner and The Cafe by the Sea
Favorite books that take place in Ireland and Scotland?? I enjoyed Angela’s Ashes and just finished The Bookshop on the Corner and The Cafe by the Sea. Can’t wait to visit there someday!
“A falcon for a queen” by Catherine Gaskin takes place in the Highlands in Scotland.
Ann Cleeves, Shetland series
MC Beaton’s Hamish McBeth Series.
I really enjoyed that show, I had no idea it was a book series. Thanks!
@Crysta it’s not her only series made into a tv show. Also Agatha raisin. I hear the tv shows are very different
Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series
Roddy Doyle’s “The Commitments” and “The Van.” They’re part of the Barrytown Trilogy but I only have read those.
The Snapper is the third book in the trilogy and is very good too.
I love The Snapper. I learned to say “jaysus” from that. 😉
I’ll have to revisit Barrytown soon and complete the trilogy.
oh The Commitments, as in the movie about a Blues Band??
“At the Water’s Edge” by Sara Gruen
On my tbr list
Its a good one!
I like that author. Add this one to my TBR list.
Brooklyn by Colm Tobín
The secret scripture by Sebastian Barry
Actually any of their books.
I found my tribe by Ruth Fitzmaurice is supposed to be excellent but I haven’t read it yet but it’s on my list.
SCOTLAND: LOVE Ann Cleeves, also Ian Rankin, Catriona McPherson, some of Mary Stewart’s suspense books were set in Scotland, Aline Templeton, K.C. Dyer’s “Finding Jamie” is delightful, Dick Francis “To the Hilt,” Susanna Kearsley “The Winter Sea.” And must I even mention the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon?
IRELAND: Alexia Gordon
Thank you!!
Oh, I have been a Dick Francis fan forever!! Maeve Binchy has books set in Ireland.
Colm Tóibín writes about Ireland. Nora Webster is the last book of his that I read.
Oh yes, I enjoyed Nora Webster too. Thank you.
Maggie O’Farrell is an Irish writer, but not all her books take place there.
Outlander!!!
Exactly!! ❤
❤️❤️
I’ve been watching the TV series!
YESSSSSSSS
I vote this series also!
https://www.amazon.com/Carnival-Bray-Jessie-Ann-Foley/dp/0989515591
I just love anything by Maeve Binchy.
I loved Angela’s ashes too.
Tea Rose. , Brooklyn, A land remembered is about an Irish family
J.P. Donleavy’s books are all set in Ireland. His most famous is The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B. Probably the best description is “rollicking”.
I loved At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen; also the Slains series by Susanna Kearsley.
Audible has Ken Follet’s “A Place Called Freedom on sale for $4.95 today.
His books are rhe best.
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Definitely Ian Rankin’s series with detective John Rebus set in Edinburgh.
Peter May has a detective trilogy set on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.
Lorna Doone
Transatlantic and Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, set partly in Ireland. Plus, Shannon by Frank Delaney.
Pretty sure Marian Keyes books take place in Ireland, very good author.
For Ireland, I would say Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown Trilogy.
Anything by Rosamunde Pilcher i.e. The Shell Seekers
Oh, thank you! I remember reading The Shell Seekers a long time ago!
I just reread Shell Seekers a few months ago. It was a very good story. You can’t go wrong reading Pilcher. I also recommend Maeve Binchey.
Maeve Binchey captured the Irish culture in her many books. Maeve’s Time captured some of her memorable articles for the Irish Times
Maeve Binchy for sure! And Ken Bruen if you like noir detective stories. Do visit Ireland; I went a few years ago, having wanted to go there since I can remember. It was more glorious than I could have hoped. ??
Just read Secret Place, by Tana French, which takes place in Ireland. I believe all of her books do.
Ireland: A Novel
By Frank Delaney
I visited Ireland a couple of years ago and this book was a great way to relive some of the experience with intriguing twists.
Tana French, especially Broken Harbour.
I really like ALL of her novels.
It is a beautiful country…but 2nd to Italy..
Check out Erin Hart’s archaeological crime novels: Haunted Ground, Lake of Sorrows, False Mermaid, The Book of Killeen.
Correction: Book of Killowen
Definitely Maeve Binchey.
Look at Alexander McCall Smith,he has MANY books, cozy mysteries.
Oh, yes, I forgot about him!!
gill.tasker@publishingscotland.org
You can be added to an email list of Books from Scotland.
Thank you!
The Family on Paradise Pier by Dermot Bolger
Oh! You’re from Ireland!! I’m so excited to visit there next summer. My maternal relatives are O’Leary. <3
@Karen
Dermot writes of the beauty of Ireland, its language and words entangled with tragedy and heartbreak. If you get a chance to read him, do x
Adding this to my list @Ann! You always give me the best book suggestions! ❤
Could only find Finbar’s Hotel and the Journey Home in our library system. But might order a few from Amazon.
Try out those 2 and see what you think of him
You were so right about Anita Shreve’s last book, not up to her usual standard at all, Ber
I’m glad wasn’t only me that thought that!
Hope to take up residence there…in a couple of years. I would also like some ideas on books.
Christy, if you mean books based in Ireland, try Dermot Healy, Dermot Bolger, John McGahern, Colm Toibin. There tend toward gritty realism but are also of their time, enjoy
@Ann thank you, so much! Do you have recommendations on books re Celtic culture…also small hamlet life? We are interested in living in the countryside and want to get to know culture…what is meaningful. Where do you live?
Any of the above writers base their stories in and around small town country living, ‘warts and all’. I don’t read very contemporary Irish fiction which may be what you need and there is lots out there, happy searching!
“Outlander” series. So good!!
Ann Cleeves mysteries are set in the Shetland Islands. They are on NEtflix as a series called Shetland.
I’m reading the cozy Mysteries of Hamish Macbeth. Scottish Highlands.
Loved the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, which is set nearby in the Channel Islands.
Loved The Guernsey….best on audiobook. IMHO =)
Irish Country series by Patrick Taylor. They’re so much fun.
Also, I don’t know if you’re a beer person or not. I’m not, but I love Guinness with black (black currant syrup). Learned about that twist on my Ireland visit.
My husband LOVES Guinness. I can’t stand beer either…but will have to try it. Thanks for recs.
If you can’t find black currant, blackberry works well too.
All of Maeve Binchy’s books,, except one set in Greece with Irish characters.
Yes “Nights of Rain and Stars” and if you liked that try “Orange Blossom Days” by Patricia Scanlan https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30826169-orange-blossom-days
Dubliners and Portrait of the artist as a young man, James Joyce (for Ireland); Trainspotting and the sequel, Porno by Irvine Welsh
Have wanted to read Joyce for quite some time.
Christy Beckham those were written before Ulysses. Dubliners gives us a deep sense of life in Ireland and Portrait presents Stephen Dedalus and the main struggles of being a catholic in Ireland
@Celina ?
@Christy ?
The Lewis Trilogy by Peter May…wonderful mysteries set in the Outer Hebrides. The Blackhouse is the first one.
Any of Maeve Binchy’s books and Trinity by Leon Uris
I’m currently reading The Liar’s Girl. Mostly set in Dublin
Marian Keyes for contemporaty Irish chick-lit
Oh yes and she’s back on top form with her latest book …. https://www.mariankeyes.com/books/the-break/
Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown Trilogy …
I’ll second that! And Doyle’s standalone ‘Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha’
Any of the “Quirke” crime novels by Benjamin Black (aka John Banville) such as … http://www.benjaminblackbooks.com/christinefalls.htm
A couple other Irish authors who I enjoy are; William Trevor and Anne Enright
Rutherford’s two books are a novelized history of Ireland. Maeve Binchey also. Morgan Llewelyn’s series that begins with 1916 and also her books set in earlier periods. Andrew Greeley also has a mystery series set in Ireland and and Chicago.
Thank you everyone!! I’m writing all of these down! ☘️
Thank you…from me…as well…very kind of you!