10 new books for May: Rachel Gillig, Vogue Williams, and more...
A young woman steps into her deceased twin's influencer life, only to discover dark secrets in this debut novel. Zhang, a second-generation Chinese Canadian spent time as a skincare content creator before graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology.
The Names, by Florence Knapp (May 6)
What's in a name? Florence Knapp takes an ordinary question and turns it into a meditation on identity, fate, and family. This 'sliding doors' novel set between Ireland and the UK tackles the ripple effects of domestic abuse and the messy ties of family, and has been tipped as one of the biggest novels of the year.
The Tenant, by Frieda McFadden (May 6)
Bestselling author Freida McFadden returns with a gripping story of revenge, privilege, and secrets turned sour. In her latest chilling thriller, Blake's new tenant seems perfect—until everything starts to go horribly wrong.
It Should Have Been You, by Andrea Mara (May 8)
We all know the fear of sending a message about someone to that person by mistake. That's what happens in crime writer Andrea Mara's new book, but when a text about the neighbours goes to the community WhatsApp, its sender receives death threats – and a person living in the same address in a different part of town is murdered.
The Knight and the Moth, by Rachel Gillig (May 20)
A BookTok sensation, Rachel Gillig's duology The Shepherd King went viral on TikTok. Her latest book, the first in a new romantasy series, has a different atmosphere. It follows a prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with a handsome knight whose future she cannot see.
The Aftertaste, by Daria Lavelle (May 22)
This is a ghost story worth devouring. When spirits are near, Kostya can taste their favourite food. He opens a restaurant so he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones — at least for the length of their favourite meal. It has already received rave reviews from the likes of chef Nigella Lawson and author Louise Kennedy.
Ripeness, by Sarah Moss (May 22)
Sarah Moss, the Scottish-born bestselling author of Summerwater and assistant professor of creative writing at UCD, explores love and belonging in her latest novel, which moves from Italy in the 1960s to Ireland in the 2020s and touches upon migration and new beginnings.
Big Mouth, by Vogue Williams (May 22)
TV presenter and podcaster Vogue Williams's memoir promises to share what you don't see on social media: a deep dive into her stories of divorce, anxiety, family, immortality and showbiz.
Let Me Go Mad In My Own Way, by Elaine Feeney (May 29)
Booker Prize-longlisted Galway author and poet Elaine Feeney publishes her third fiction book in May. Claire, back living in her childhood home, is thrown back into a love she thought she'd left behind. It is a story of love and resilience, rich with the legacies of violence and redemption.
Long Story, by Vicki Notaro (May 29)
Reality Check author Vicki Notaro writes about two best friends torn apart by a celebrity memoir in her sophomore novel. Movie star Tara and podcast host Alex find their friendship tested when rockstar Sean Sweeney's memoir is published, revealing his past relationships with them both.
Read More
John Patrick McHugh: 10 of the books that have influenced me through the years
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
22-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
My Wedding Day with Andrea Mara: We did the Dirty Dancing lift — it could have gone so wrong
We got married on October 14, 2004 in Foxrock in Dublin, close to where I grew up. Then, we went on to Cabra Castle, in Cavan, for the reception. We wanted somewhere that made us go 'wow' when we saw it and Cabra Castle did that — and it was close enough to Dublin if people wanted to go home after the celebrations. We knew, when we booked the date, that it was, you know, it was October, so we weren't gambling on the weather. I remember waking up that morning — I had stayed in my dad's house the night before — and looking out the window and seeing rain and thinking, 'OK, well, actually, that's good, because now I know', and it was genuinely a feeling of contentment. There was no more wondering about what the weather was going to be like — it was raining and I could just get on with my day. Andrea Mara: "We knew when we booked the date that it was, you know, it was October, so we weren't gambling on the weather." So, my dad went off rounding up golf umbrellas from everywhere he could. And it was funny, because there was an option at the church that you could rent a red carpet for the aisle. At the time we booked, though, we wanted to put money in to things like the food, the wine, and the band... things that made it a great party, and not spending on things we didn't need, like hiring a red carpet for €50. Then, when we saw the rain, we thought, 'Actually, the red carpet is starting to look like a good idea'. Who wants to see a bride slipping as she walks up the aisle? This is going to sound funny, but there's a dress that Madonna wore in a movie she did years ago, called Who's That Girl? It's a bandage-style dress and I always really liked it. So, obviously, this was just something in my head and it didn't exist in a shop, so I had to find someone to make it for me. I found this wedding-dress maker, who was brilliant. She totally got what I wanted. Look, I did not look like Madonna, and didn't try to look like Madonna, but I loved it so much. There's a photo of me taking Rescue Remedy on the morning of the wedding, and, looking back, I don't know if I took it just for the photo or if I really had a need for Rescue Remedy. I just remember it being fun. I didn't want to arrive in the church too early and have the church half empty, and, also, I didn't want to leave everybody sitting there for ages, waiting for me, so I said to Damien that I'd text him and he could let me know if there were a reasonable number of people in the church and I would head on up. So, that's what I did — I messaged my husband just after 1pm. There was no reply, no reply, no reply. And I was fit to kill him, because I didn't know whether or not to go up to the church. But being the good groom he was, he had turned off his phone. In the end, I think after about 20 minutes, we just went up to the church. So, I ended up being a late bride for, really, a very silly reason. The whole day went very smoothly. My dad gave a gorgeous, gorgeous speech. You see, my mom had died eight years before, and I'm the eldest, so this was the first wedding of our family. So, it was emotional, in that sense, as it was the first big family event without her. But my dad gave a really gorgeous speech and talked about my mom, as well, and it was a really nice way to include her. After the formalities, we had the band and they were absolutely brilliant. The whole dance floor was full. And then, we were just telling the kids this the other day, because the song came on a Spotify playlist that we were listening to, but the band played the Dirty Dancing song Time of My Life. And the bit where Patrick Swayze lifts Jennifer Gray — we did the lift! We didn't plan it or anything. I think I got carried away on the emotion of the day and I had had a glass of wine. I just ran up to Damien and he picked me up, and he didn't drop me. It could have gone really wrong, but it didn't. Andrea Mara with her latest novel, It Should Have Been You. Picture: Gareth Chaney After the band and the DJ, we all went back to the residents' bar. Some of Damien's friends, they'd all been in bands over the years, and so they had brought guitars with them. There was a really good sing-song in the bar until about five in the morning. The day ended up being everything we'd hoped for: Good food, good wine, and good music, and getting people out on the dance floor. So often you plan and plan things and they don't work out the way you thought they would, but this was exactly what we wanted and we were so lucky. Andrea Mara's latest novel, 'It Should Have Been You ', is available now in bookstores nationwide.
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘I'm a nerd', says Rosanna Davison as she takes on impressive new project and admits she ‘could have been a doctor'
ROSANNA Davison is the glam queen we've all followed for years – but now the Irish model is proving she's got brains to spare. The former Miss World recently added to her ever-growing CV as she knuckled down to secure a bachelor's degree in a science course. Advertisement 2 Rosanna Davison is studying to complete a science course 2 Rosanna posted snaps of herself studying for the degree on Instagram Taking to family got up. The mum-of-three posted a snap of her laptop screen showing she was doing a deep dive into a research article. The essay on the screen was titled 'Effect of erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus supplementation on cognition: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study'. The 41-year-old captioned the snap: "Anyone else get up before their family to savour the peace and quiet? Bliss. Advertisement READ MORE IN ROSANNA DAVISON "It's also the only time I have at weekends to get any study done for my BSc degree - working on a Mycotherapy case study at the moment, which has been very interesting." The star previously admitted that her career could have gone in a whole other direction. She told "I did a degree in UCD in sociology and history of art, and following that, I was offered a PhD scholarship in sociological research from UCD. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity "If I had accepted it, I would be Dr Davison by now! I was flattered to have been offered it, but it wasn't the career direction I wanted to take." Rosanna also graduated from Middlesex University in Rosanna Davison shares 'beautiful' snaps from sun-soaked family holiday At the time, the model shared smiling snaps of herself proudly posing outside the university. The beauty queen donned a navy cap and gown and held her printed degree with pride. Advertisement She wrote: "Science & Technology Class of 2019! Very proud day graduating from my Master of Science degree in Personalised Nutrition." Hopefully fans will get to see the star in another cap and gown soon as she takes on her latest project - there's no stopping her!
Irish Independent
17-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Michael D Higgins set to release album of poetry recorded in the Áras
Ireland's outgoing President has recorded an album of spoken word tracks, Against All Certainty, and it will be put out by Claddagh Records later this year. The words of President Higgins will be accompanied by songs from musician and filmmaker Myles O'Reilly. O'Reilly was among the performers on stage when the President and his wife Sabina welcomed guests to the Áras last month for an annual garden party. Recordings for the album, which includes readings of 10 of the President's poems, were completed in the confines of the Áras in late 2023. Listeners have been told to expect to be 'fully transposed into the incredibly interesting life and times of the poet before he became Ireland's President, from childhood to adulthood'. In 2018, when President Higgins was campaigning for re-election, the hashtag #keepthepoet went viral on social media, a nod to his talent with a pen and paper. Ireland kept the poet, and the poet kept up the poetry. This is far from the President's first foray into poetry. His first collection of poems, The Betrayal, was released in 1990, followed by The Season of Fire (1993), An Arid Season (2004) and New and Selected Poems (2011). Against All Certainty is not his first release during his time in office, either. In 2015, his first written work since he was elected President was released when the text of The Prophets are Weeping was shared publicly. The President has also done readings of his work in the past. As part of a series released by UCD, he read a number of his works in videos released on YouTube in 2021. In a previous collaboration with Claddagh Records, he joined a star-studded cast that also included the likes of Bono, Liam Neeson, Aidan Gillen and Hozier. ADVERTISEMENT In 2022, a rerecording of Patrick Kavanagh's Almost Everything was released by the label. Bono read On Raglan Road, Neeson read Memory of My Father, and President Higgins read Stony Grey Soil. Through that reading of Kavanagh's poetry, the President has already racked up nearly 15,000 streams on Spotify, though he has some catching up to do in the monthly listeners category, where he stands at just 140. Those streaming numbers could get a boost in the coming days, with the title track from Against All Certainty available now on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you get your presidential spoken word. Garech Browne, who co-founded Claddagh Records in 1960, was a longtime friend of President Higgins, who spoke at Mr Browne's funeral in 2018. Against All Certainty is available to preorder now ahead of its release on Friday, September 5, when it will be made available in full on streaming platforms. For the physical media enthusiasts among us, it will also be released on CD and vinyl. Through a deal struck by Claddagh Records with Universal Music, the words of the Irish President will be introduced to a global audience.
