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Galway Bay FM Book Club - Kennys picks for July!
July's book reviewed was the wonderful 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' by Christy Lefteri about a family forced to flee Syria during the war. During the discussion (which you can listen to here!), the book was described as beautfiully written, a wonderful read, and a book that everyone should read a copy of.
We here at Kennys Bookshop are delighted to be partnering up Galway Bay FM for their first Book Club which launched recently! We are recommending a few books a month for members to read, and one of these - the Listeners Choice - will be reviewed each month on the Alan Murphy Show.
Below are our five book recommendations for July!
Listener's Choice:
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo - until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is sustained by the knowledge that waiting for them is Mustafa, his cousin and business partner, who has started an apiary and is teaching fellow refugees in Yorkshire to keep bees.
Moving, powerful, compassionate and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Told with deceptive simplicity, it is the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling.
Other recommended reads for July:
From her first life-changing solo trip to Australia as a young graduate, Rosita Boland was enthralled by travel. In the last thirty years she has visited some of the most remote parts of the globe carrying little more than a battered rucksack and a diary. Documenting nine journeys from nine different moments in her life, Elsewhere reveals how exploring the world - and those we meet along the way - can dramatically shape the course of a person's life.
From death-defying bus journeys through Pakistan to witnessing the majestic icescapes of Antarctica to putting herself back together in Bali, Rosita experiences moments of profound joy and endures deep personal loss. In a series of jaw-dropping, illuminating and sometimes heart-breaking essays, Elsewhere is a book that celebrates the life well-travelled in all its messy and wondrous glory.
A Shared Home Place by Seámus Mallon
A new timely memoir by one of the most prominent Catholic nationalist politicians in Northern Ireland & a primary source for the social and political history of the province, from the onset of the Troubles in the 1960s to the 1990s peace process and beyond.
In this book, Mallon describes his happy upbringing in South Armagh as a Catholic in a 90% Protestant village; his turbulent years as a constitutional politician in the violent maelstrom of near-civil war, when he was the target of both loyalist violence and republican vilification; and his central role in the peace process as the man who complemented John Hume, doing the ‘spade-work’ to reach a hard-won deal with the Ulster Unionists.
Now in his eighty-third year, he calls for a new beginning in Northern Ireland, based on the ideal that it is a shared home place for all its people, and that Irish unity can only come about through unionist consent. His surprising and innovative proposal, based on a little-known clause in the Good Friday Agreement, shows how this might be implemented.
One of our favourite books of late, ‘Notes to Self’ is one that will be on bookshelves for decades to come.
In this collection of essays, Emilie Pine boldly confronts the past to better understand herself, her relationships and her role in society. Tackling subjects like addiction, fertility, feminism and sexual violence, and where these subjects intersect with lefislation, these beautifully-written essays are at once fascinating and funny, intimate and searingly honest.
The new novel by Galway author, Writer and Television Director Ann McCabe.
When Aoife takes refuge at a monastery retreat to escape yet another abusive boyfriend, she meets Michael, a cloistered monk. Her world descends into turmoil as their attraction draws them magnetically closer. But will he choose his vocation, or a life with her? The consequences of his choice lead him to the streets of Paris, to search for Aoife...but what has religious zeal done to her?
Interested in joining the Galway Bay FM Book Club?
To join the Galway Bay FM Bookclub, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will send you a membership note along with a list of questions to consider when you read our listeners choice of book each month. And, if you would be interested in taking part in the monthly Book Club discussions live on air, be sure to let them know!
Member Discounts
All members who sign up to the Galway Bay FM Book Club will receive exclusive in-store and online discounts on all books at Kennys!
If you have any queries, please feel free to get in touch with us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..