Regular visitors to le craic will know that I’m a bit of a book lover. My ideal job would be to own a bookshop and spend my day reading and helping people choose a good book. Maybe one day…

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it might be a good idea to get in contact with Irish book publishers and ask them for 3 picks from their catalogue that you would enjoy. Books that would help to your mind off the constant flow of economic doom and gloom and, more recently, the lack of sausages.

They all came back with great suggestions and are listed below. Hopefully this will make your Christmas gift buying a little easier.

What tickles your fancy on the list?

Mercier Press – www.mercierpress.ie

Our Grannies Recipes

The secret santa hit!

We all have recipes that are dear to our hearts, passed on to us from our grannies, grandads, great aunts and uncles. This book is the culmination of an effort to collect, document and sample those recipes.

Great Irish Heroes

From ancient times to the present day, Ireland has been laced with drama, intrigue, courage, passion and a vibrant narrative of heroes and villains, kings and rebels, artists and highwaymen, bishops and scientists. Now, in Great Irish Heroes, Sean McMahon compiles the definitive collection of the most admirable Irish men and women in history.

Ireland:Then and Now

Stunning Photographic views of Ireland now and 100 years ago.

Liberties Press – www.libertiespress.com

Michael Dwyer’s Film Quiz Book

Perfect as a light-hearted Christmas present for all those lazy evenings in by the fire, this is the first book by the renowned Irish Times film critic, and promises to bring some brain-racking fun to homes across Ireland.

Whether you harbour a secret passion for the glitz of Bollywood, know every line from The Sound of Music, or desire nothing more than a good old testosterone-fuelled Hollywood shoot ‘em up; this book is sure to whittle out the anoraks in your household! With a strong, but not exclusively, Irish content, Michael Dwyer’s Film Quiz Book  is the ultimate test of our cinema-loving nation!  50 rounds of ten questions – some rounds based on certain themes or genres and a range of degrees of difficulty to suit every level.

A Ball of Fire by John Montague

For all those in your life who appreciate literature, A Ball of Fire is an ideal antidote to the doom and gloom of the present economic state. Curl up on the sofa in front of a roaring fire with a too-full stomach and enjoy this remarkable book – the first time that all of John Montague’s fiction has been collected.

While John Montague is more well-known for his poetry, his prose is similarly exact and evocative.  This collection shows the timelessness of his work and its themes of alienation, longing and hidden tensions seem to remain prevalent amongst contemporary writers such as Claire Keegan and Kevin Barry.

Redemption Song by Niall Stanage

A timely book,  Redemption Song by Niall Stanage is a unique insider’s account of Obama’s journey from fledgling politician in Chicago through his acrimonious tussle with Hillary Clinton and culminating in his momentous victory over John McCain. Stanage also examines this amazing tale from a global perspective. He enjoyed unparalleled access to Obama, including being the only Irish journalist to travel on the candidate’s plane.

Redemption Song will likely stir up its own share of controversy too, thanks to the author’s trenchantly expressed opinions about the tactics used against Obama by the Clintons and the resistance the Democrat encountered from prominent figures in the Irish-American community.

This book is highly recommended particularly to keep updated before the inauguration in January.

Oak Tree Press – www.oaktreepress.com

Grabbing the Oyster by Pearce Flannery

Read the stories of Denis Brosnan, Louis Copeland, Denis Desmond, Declan Ganley, Liam Griffin, Anne Heraty, Michael Herbert, Pat McDonagh, Padraig O’Ceidigh, Fergal Quinn, Niall Quinn and James Sheehan and learn what makes them tick. These entrepreneurs -  and many more like them – are the people who influence our employment figures, GDP, our government fiscal policy and, ultimately, the living standards of our citizens. From his experience and his own business, Pragmatica (www.pragmatica.ie), Pearce Flannery has evaluated and extrapolated what he believes to be the common denominators for success among all of the entrepreneurs. All profits from the sales of this title go to the charity CHILDLINE.

Chutzpah by Yanky Fachler

The meaning of this wonderful evocative and rich word, that has no exact translation in English, is elusive. More easily demonstrated than defined, chutzpah envisions possibilities that no one else yet believes are viable, a willingness to demand what is due, to defy tradition, to challenge authority, and to raise eyebrows. All the inspiring stories in this book feature people who went the extra mile: people who employed, harnessed, leveraged, embraced, utilized, exploited, adopted and displayed their chutzpah. You can do the same!

Achievers by Dr Ivor Kenny

Very interesting and lighthearted conversations  with the following leaders of Irish industry – Lord Ballyedmond, Denis Brosnan, Dermot Desmond, Moya Doherty, Sean Fitzpatrick, Chris Horn, Philip Lynch, Michael MacCormac,  Hugh Mackeown,  Padraig O’Ceidigh, Joyce O’Connor, Sir Anthony O’Reilly, Tom Roche, James Sheehan, Michael Smurfit, Brody Sweeney, Ed Walsh and Ken Whitaker. They are all different. The thing they have in common was their ability to focus exclusively and unremittingly on their ultimate objective.

Cork University Press – www.corkuniversitypress.org

Ivor Browne: Music and Madness

This book charts the career of a man who has always been respected for his compassion, quirky way of thinking and fearless opposition to orthodox psychiatry. More importantly, he tells of how he came to each one of his conclusions.

Cornucopia at Home

Winner of the the Listowel Food Fair Irish Food Book of the Year Award
Packed with recipes and detailed information on the ingredients and fuelled by the spirit of the restaurant it comes from Cornucopia at home will be a very useful reference for anyone wanting to create simple, tasty and healthy food at home

The Tannery Cookbook:An Irish Adventure with Food by Paul Flynn

Irish-born Flynn, a protege of Nico Ladenis (of Chez Nico in London) who now owns and runs The Tannery restaurant in County Waterford, Ireland, enlivens his first collection of recipes with appetizing stories on the culinary lifestyle.

Currach Press – www.currach.ie

What Every Working Woman Should Know… And Do! by Terry Prone

In this book, Terry Prone, communications expert and adviser to politicians and top business-people, turns her attention to women at work, the choices they make, the obstacles they face in their search for a successful and rewarding career. Perfect recession busting book!

Home Comforts by Eoin Lyons

Having a beautiful, comfortable home is not about having lots of money to spend but about knowing where to focus your attention and how to make the best out of what you have. In a time when selling your home is next to impossible, this book will help you create the environment you want with what you have.

Kenny’s Choice, 101 Irish Books you Must Read by Galwegian bookseller Des Kenny

Des makes his choice of the best, the most interesting, the most influential books published in Ireland over the last century. In keeping with the congenial and maverick personality of the author, there are many unexpected inclusions, and some unexpected exclusions, notable James Joyce’s Ulysses.  The book is full of anecdotes and personal stories about the authors of the chosen books and the Author (Kenny).
This book is the perfect introduction to all those books you wished you had time to read but never had… now that the slump has come we will have more time on our hands for reading.

Also by Columba Press – there is a new book out called the Glenstal Book of Daily Prayer by the Monks of Glenstal. It is the second volume in the Benedictine prayerbook series & a follow-up to the bestselling Glenstal Book of Prayer – The perfect antidote to the Doom & Gloom.

Onstream Book Publications – www.onstream.ie

Stop Howling at the Moon by Eamon O’Donnell.

This is a light hearted look at business lessons which also apply to life in general. We often waste a lot of energy on what we cannot change – we howl at the moon which does no-one any good – and don’t see  what great resources we have around us. In today’s economic climate, we need to use whatever free advice we can get. The cartoons by Terry Willers are fun too.

A Kingdom of Wine

A Celebration of Ireland’s Winegeese is my choice for a more extravagant Christmas gift. A coffee table book, lavishly produced with excellent photographs, it charts the history of wine makers and merchants now established names around the world whose roots are in Ireland. For those interested in wine and in history and who appreciate quality from the paper used, to the design and finish and depth of information this is a perfect gift. Written by Ted Murphy who received an honorary doctorate for this book it also received the World Gourmand Award for the best wine history book in the world.

A Sporting Beat by Jim Ryan will appeal to sports fanatics who know one when they see one. Jim has spent over a million euros on travelling around the world to support the Irish and many local soccer and other sports teams. An ex garda he also has revelations of his times in the force.

The Collins Press – www.collinspress.ie

All the titles below are listed here.

The Republic of Ireland International Football Facts by Dean Hayes

This is a great Christmas gift for the soccer fan in your life. The amount of detail and research that has gone into this book continues to amaze me. Dean has listed every player to play for the Republic of Ireland national team since Frank Brady in 1926 and includes every game they have played in as well as details of their club affiliations. There is a chapter detailing every game played by the ROI team with results and scorers. There are chapters on the managers, the top 50 players, the history of the FAI as well as a chapter on the teams’ statistics in World Cups and European Championships. Our designer did a great job on this book by selecting a different colour for each chapter so that the information is easy to access. And the reason this is an antidote to the doom and gloom of the recession, well, I remember someone saying that our soccer team does well when our economy is struggling so maybe there’s hope for the next few Championships!

Robert L. Chapman’s Ireland – Photographs from the Chapman Collection 1907-1957 compiled by Chris Corlett

This is a gorgeous collection of photographs from the early 1900s. Chapman indulged his passion for cycling and photography by combining the two, giving us a snapshot of Ireland as it was well before the Celtic Tiger started roaring (or whimpering!). But his diary entries show that it wasn’t always an easy or idyllic time – Chapman was confronted by Irish Free State troops as well as Black and Tans on his trips around Ireland. The incidents were sometimes frightening but he always seemed to find the light in the situation.

Arctic 2 Antarctic – A Celtic Spirit of Fastnet Adventure by Michael Holland and Janet King

This is a great book for the armchair traveller and let’s face it, armchair travelling will be about all most of us can afford for the next while! Michael and Janet put together a multi-national crew to sail from the Arctic to the Antarctic and were good enough to not only take photos at every opportunity but to film the voyage as well – this footage is included in the DVD of documentary material that comes with the book. Admittedly some of the photos give me chills because they’re so evocative of the harsh weather conditions. But every member of the crew loved their adventure and have allowed their diary entries to be used in the book so the story reflects the whole crew rather than just Michael and Janet. A truly multi-national effort.

Penguin Ireland – www.penguin.ie

All details for the books are found on Penguin’s homepage.

Mr S and the Secrets of Andorra’s Box By Ross O’Carroll- Kelly

In this latest instalment from Dublin’s favourite rugger bugger, Ross is up to his usual antics.  The book is laugh out loud funny and will succeed in dispelling even the gloomiest recession blues.

Ronnie

Ronnie Drew began his autobiography before his untimely death in August this year.  His children, Phelim and Cliodhna decided that it would be a fitting tribute to finish his story and the result is this wonderful book, Ronnie.   It contains contributions from some of Ronnie’s lifelong friends and colleagues together with never before seen pictures of Ronnie, his family and the Dubliners and is a wonderful gift for  Christmas.  Ronnie’s writings are warm and witty and the book is a wonderful tribute to one our icons.

Would the Real Gerry Ryan Please Stand Up

Love him or hate him, Gerry always speaks his mind and in this book, he continues in this time honoured tradition! This book is a smart, sassy and wildly entertaining read.

Gill and Macmillan – www.gillmacmillan.ie

The Little Book of Mick by Paul Kilduff

The one-stop-shop for all the best quotes from man of the moment, Michael O’Leary. Assembled by the author of the bestselling Ruinair: How to be treated like shite in 15 different countries and still quite like it!

More Overheard in Dublin by Sinead and Gerard Kelly

The 3rd in this series and still as popular as ever with 100,000 copies sold to date.

Heads by Gerry Anderson

Set in 1972, Heads recounts a day in the life of the legendary BBC Radio presenter as he reflects on the downward trajectory of his career in showbands. This is no ordinary goodtime showband memoir. Published to rave reviews in September this year.

Brandon Books – www.brandonbooks.com

An Irish Country Doctor

Published in the USA in 2007, this has been a New York Times best-selling novel, but although the author is Irish, it has only been published in Ireland and Britain in November this year. A light-hearted comic novel, it is published in a handsome hardback edition, perfect for a Christmas gift.

The Beautiful Sound of Silence - A Di Christy Kennedy Mystery

This is gripping and original crime fiction from an author who has been compared to Agatha Christie and other classic mystery authors.

The Parish

A uniquely healing and positive writer, Alice Taylor is resolutely unfashionable and perennially popular. In her latest book she celebrates the virtues of community self-activity.