Books
The grocery stores are stocked with corned beef and cabbage, the local pubs are starting to advertise a particular shade of beer, and in city streets all across America, signs about parade routes have been posted for everyone to see, so you know what that means: St. Patrick's Day weekend is finally upon us. If you're looking for a low-key way to celebrate the holiday that doesn't involve fighting the crowds for a pint of green beer at the bar, why not spend the weekend with a short novel set in Ireland instead? You might not get the chance to visit the Emerald Isle this St. Patrick's Day, but with the help of a good book, you can feel like you are.
Although it officially started in Ireland as holiday honoring the live of a Christian saint, St. Patrick's day has been celebrated in the United States since the 18th century. What began as a way for Irish immigrants to celebrate the homeland they had left behind with music, parades, and feasts, modern day St. Patrick's Day has taken on a whole new, green beer-soaked form. Nowadays, celebrating the holiday is more about bar crawls, "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" swag, and finding out how to turn everything green, if only for a day.
Don't get me wrong, American St. Patrick's Day can be incredibly fun — I grew up outside of Boston, afterall, and our city knows how to throw a party — but if you want to have a more low-key celebration that still honors its cultural roots, I the perfect solution for you: Put on your green sweats, pour yourself a pint of Guinness, and grab one of these 5 short novels set in Ireland for the perfect holiday weekend in.
'A Mad and Wonderful Thing' by Mark Mulholland
Paperback Page Count: 288
In this heartbreaking love letter to Ireland, the young and tortured Johnny Donnelly must reckon the two drastically different world he lives in: the one of books and poetry and the beautiful Cora Flannery, and the one where he shoots British soldiers for the Irish Republican Army. A gripping tale of love, loyalty, and redemption, A Mad and Wonderful Thing will sweep readers off of their couch and set them squarely in the middle of The Troubles of 1990s.
'Eggshells' by Caitriona Lally
Paperback Page Count: 288
Vivian has never felt at home in the world she lives in, not as a whimsical child whose parents made her believe she was left by fairies, and certainly now that she lives alone in Dublin, where her sister disregards her, and the neighbors assume she's crazy. Determined to make a change, Vivian spends a great deal of time searching the neighborhood around her for a portal into a different world, but it isn't until someone named Penelope answers her ad for a friend that her life takes a turn in the most unexpected direction. Sweet and utterly delightful, Eggshells is a fun, modern take on old Irish folktales, and the perfect St. Patrick's Day read.
'The Upside of Falling Down' by Rebekah Crane
Paperback Page Count: 252
In this delightful and quirky contemporary YA, Clementine Haas wakes up in an Irish hospital to discover she is the only survivor of a plane crash. Unable to remember anything before the accident, terrified of the ruthless press, and nervous about being taken back to the United States by a father she might not recognize, Clementine makes a rash decision: to create a new identity, and a new life, in the small town of Waterville, Ireland. With the help of a handsome stranger, Kieran O'Connell, Clementine begins to rebuild, but the more and more she falls for her new life — and her new love — the harder it is to ignore the past threatening to catch up with her.
'Only the Stones Survive' by Morgan Llywelyn
Paperback Page Count: 304
Best known for her sweeping Irish Century novels, author Morgan Llywelyn takes a break from straightforward historical fiction to weave a spellbinding tale of Irish mythology and Celtic lore in Only the Stones Survive. A gripping story of family, migration, love, loss, and a little bit of magic, this page-turning novel will make readers feel like they've been transported back in time, to a place where the mystical still lives on Ireland's shores.
'The Dubliners' by James Joyce
Paperback Page Count: 152
You had to see this one coming, because James Joyce's classic short story collection is a must-read for St. Patrick's Day. A fascinating portrait of the daily life in Ireland's capital city, this short story collection captures the authentic heart and soul of Dublin at the turn of the 20th century. Although there are plenty of editions that, thanks to bonus material, notes, and additional introductions, clock in well over 300 pages, but the original version of The Dubliners is roughly 150 pages.
