Her Story: 2022’s best books by female writers
Darcy Taylor
The decision of what to read next can be a difficult one, with so many choices vying for the attention of book lovers. But to make life a little easier, here’s your go-to list of 2022 book releases by female writers - including those from Northern Ireland. From horror to historical fiction to thrillers, there’s something below for all tastes.
The Raptures - Jan Carson
Release Date: 6th January 2022
Jan Carson is considered a master of portraying contemporary Northern Ireland. She has received much critical acclaim in recent years, notably winning the EU Prize in Literature for her last novel, The Fire Starters. The Raptures, which follows schoolgirl Hannah Adger in a small Northern Irish town, is also creating a buzz in the book world. In the novel, children are falling ill and dying from a mysterious illness, from which no child is safe. The town soon becomes engulfed in suspicion and fear, creating a thriller which cuts close to the bone and proves impossible to put down.
“An Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit, a dark supernatural mystery and an account of mass trauma… meticulously observed.” (The Guardian)
These days - Lucy Caldwell
Release Date: 3rd March 2022
Lucy Caldwell is another Northern Irish writer who is making waves in the literary world, with a wealth of experience as a short story writer, playwright and radio playwright. Her new novel These Days, follows sisters Emma - who is engaged - and Audrey - who is in a secret relationship with another woman - as they try to survive the fraught four-night blitz of Belfast during WWII. The highly anticipated release, which was placed on The Guardian and The Observer’s ‘2022 in books: highlights for the year ahead’ list, is set to tug at heartstrings with its exploration of love, family and how to stay true to oneself in the most traumatic of circumstances.
“A gem of a novel, I adored it.” (Marian Keyes, author)
Truth Be Told - Sue Divin
Release Date: 14th April 2022
If you’ve ever been searching for a Northern Irish equivalent to The Parent Trap, then you’re in luck. Sue Divin’s new release follows the story of Tara, a Catholic daughter of a two- generational single-parent family, and Faith, the daughter of a strict Evangelical Protestant. The two girls come face-to-face on a residential trip and realise they are almost identical in appearance, thus beginning their respective journeys of discovery as to who they really are. With its exploration of themes of belonging, sexuality and betrayal, this would be a great choice for Pride Month or for any YA LGBTQIA+ book clubs.
“A compelling, original story that will make you laugh, cry, and laugh till you cry.” (Michelle Gallen, author of Big Girl, Small Town)
On Bloody Sunday - Julieann Campbell
Release Date: 6th January 2022
On 30th January 1972, troops from Britain’s 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment opened fire on peaceful protestors in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland. PhD researcher, historian and campaigner, Julieann Campbell, has kept records of interviews and collected rare and unpublished accounts of the day. 50 years on, survivors, witnesses and politicians shine a light on the events of Bloody Sunday in this book.
“It's a wonderful book. The technique used - multiple voices speaking directly to us - is very simple but it has a profound effect. It puts us into the middle of the chaos of Bloody Sunday and keeps us there throughout the grief and anger that follow. A wonderful, wonderful book.” (Jimmy McGovern, writer of Sunday)
To Paradise - Hanya Yanagihara
Release Date: 11th January 2022
Some will be familiar with Yangihara’s A Little Life, which caused an outpouring of emotion across social media for its tragic contents. An author with a flair for making the suffering of her characters palpable to her readers, Yangihara’s new release is just as heart-breaking. To Paradise is a three-part epic spanning across three centuries, and set in a utopian New York where people are free to love who they please. However, not all is as it seems as Yanagihara’s characters experience love, pain and loss in this elusive notion of utopia.
“A masterpiece for our times.” (The Guardian)
The Children on the Hill - Jennifer McMahon
Release Date: 22nd April 2022
For all the Stephen King, H.P Lovecraft and Shirley Jackson fans out there, this could be the book for you. Inspired by Frankenstein, The Children on the Hill follows two time periods, almost 40 years apart. In 1978, renowned psychiatrist Dr Helen Hildreth is simply known as Gran to Vi and Eric. One day, when Gran brings home Iris, the children are delighted to have a new playmate, but they soon discover that Iris is not like other children. Meanwhile in 2019, Lizzy Shelley, a popular podcaster, travels to Vermont where a young girl has been kidnapped and a monster sighting has taken place in town. Lizzy is convinced of the existence of monsters and thus is determined to hunt it down. This genre-defying novel is set to be a new horror hit for anyone who’s partial to a fright in the night.
“A haunting, vividly suspenseful page-turner from the literary descendant of Shirley Jackson.” (Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant)
Darcy Taylor is a Culture reporter at The Scoop and a Media and Broadcast Production student at Queen’s University Belfast