Author Alice Ryan is the granddaughter of the celebrated Irish writer Mary Lavin. Orna Mulcahy investigates what she’s reading right now…
“I have two piles of books beside my bed, one for normal times and one for emergencies. The day-to-day pile is largely made up of new books. I’m drawn to books that tackle difficult subjects but also make me laugh. I’ve just finished Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry. It’s hard not to love Garmus’s heroine Elizabeth Zott who battles non-stop sexism to pursue a career in chemistry, eventually ending up as a beloved TV chef in 1960s America…”
“…I’ve just begun Rebecca Wait’s I’m Sorry You Feel That Way. It starts with a comic scene at a funeral, so it seems right up my street.”
“In the emergency pile are books that were published a long time ago but never lose their spark. Top of this pile is Heartburn by Nora Ephron which follows a woman who is seven months pregnant when she discovers that her husband is in love with another woman – it is the funniest book I’ve ever read.”
“Also in my safety pile are Dervla Murphy’s books about her travels. I never failed to be amazed by all that Murphy accomplished and her wonderfully nonchalant attitude to life – a constant reminder of the incredible things we can achieve if we just go for it.”
Alice Ryan is the granddaughter of the celebrated Irish writer Mary Lavin. Her debut novel, There’s Been a Little Incident, was published this month by Head Of Zeus.
