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Ask a Bookseller: Brid from Tertulia Bookshop
Bookshops are the very best places to go for book recommendations – and booksellers are the friendliest, most knowledgeable of readers!
Brid from Tertulia Bookshop in County Mayo, Ireland has joined us to answer your questions and share her favourite picks.
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What makes Tertulia Bookshop a great place to visit?
"Tertulia, a bookshop like no other, is a magical place located in Westport, County Mayo on the edge of Clew Bay, with views of Clare Island and the famous mountain Croagh Patrick. For book lovers, film lovers, Harry Potter fans, Tertulia is a place to relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, meet old friends and new, chat about books, and so much more. The mission of Tertulia is to contribute to a positive change in the way the world thinks. The vision of Tertulia is to live in a world where every story matters, to live in a world that understands that (our) stories are interconnected." Brid
As a busy mum, I would like an easy reading, feel-good book that would be easy to pick up. What would you recommend? – Michelle
A favourite in the bookshop is by bestselling Italian author Bianca Pitzorno, translated by Brigid Maher, titled The Seamtress of Sardinia. It is set in Sardinia at the turn of the 19th Century when la sartoria was hired by rich families to tailor their clothes. This is a story about love, Italy, and fashion, and is a tribute to seamstresses the world over from history and the world we live in today. It's the perfect, easy-to-read, beautiful story.
My 70-year-old mum has sadly just been diagnosed with bowel cancer. What inspiring books do you recommend for her to read during her treatment? – Rachel
The Cancer Guide by Anne-Marie O'Dwyer, published by Bedford Square Publishing, is an empowering and informative book for all whose lives have been affected by cancer. This is a definitive guide to help patients, partners, family and work colleagues navigate the trials and difficulties associated with cancer and its treatment. O'Dwyer writes with compassion and clarity about the myths and realities surrounding the disease.
Can you recommend a book about motherhood from the perspective of a woman who has decided not to have children? – Lisa
Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children by Nicole Louie, published by Dialogue Books in 2024, is a story of fourteen women around the world, from differing walks of like who do not have children. It is part-memoir for Nicole Louie but also about conversations she had with these women, and what she learnt from their experiences.
Can you recommend a great new crime author for people who are fans of Val McDermid and Patricia Cornwell? – Louise
Michelle McDonagh is a wonderful crime and mystery author. Somebody Knows is McDonagh's most recent novel. It tells a gripping story about the lengths people go to keep secrets. Cara Joyce is the main character who happens upon a shocking piece of information about her family and a connection to the death of a young woman 30 years ago. And what will Cara risk in the present to solve the mysteries of the past? It's got it all: crime, who dunnit, family relationships, and all of her books are total page-turners.
My daughter has recently developed an interest in murder mysteries! She has been rather put out that she can't read her grandmother's collection. Can you recommend some murder mysteries that would be appropriate for an 11-year-old, please? – Sarah
The Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens, published by Penguin Books, is a series of 10 books for ages 9+, which have been very popular at the bookshop. They tell the story of Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong who set up their very own deadly secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls. They struggle to find anything to investigate that excites them… until they discover the body of the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, dead in the gym. Was it just an accident or will they have to solve the case. Another series is by Alan Nolan, published by O'Brien Press; The Riddle of the Disappearing Dickens, which stars Molly Molone (famous Irish personality) and Bram Stoker (author of Dracula). They are on a mission; Charles Dickens has disappeared in London. Both series are fun and page-turning. As they get older, the Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie is great too.
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