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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

This sign sums up my difficulties with this account - too often I just sits and does nothing... In other words, too much thinking, not enough action. I've read lots of #books but haven't posted about any of them. #BookSky #reading #literature #IrishWriting #IrishLiterature #IrishAuthors

Looking over a hedge to a sign which says, "Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits."
Beyond the sign, the ground slopes upwards and is covered with plants in autumn colours.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

This is where we stayed last weekend - then I came home to a very busy week. So, not much reading for me.. but what have you been reading for #WeekendBooks, or have you a review for #WeekendBookReviews? #NorthernIreland #Ireland #IrishLiterature #IrishWriting #IrishAuthors #IrishFiction

A holiday cottage surrounded by flowers.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

#Sunflowers Nothing for #WeekendBooks or #WeekendBookReviews this weekend, as we're having 3 nights away with our granddaughters. No time for reading 😂 #flowers #bloomscrolling #NorthernIreland #Ireland

A close-up image of a sunflower, with other out of focus sunflowers in the background.
There are clouds and blue sky above the flowers.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I'm busy this weekend, so I'm a bit late posting for #WeekendBooks. Got this in a second-hand bookshop last week...Graham Swift's first novel - "The Sweet Shop Owner" - which I'll be reading soon, even though it isn't #IrishWriting. What are you reading this weekend? #BookSky #Ireland

The cover of a Graham Swift novel called The Sweet Shop Owner.
The cover is blue, with the writer's name and the title in yellow. In the centre of the cover there's a striped candy cane.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Almost the #weekend again, so what have you been reading for #WeekendBooks? Or, do you have a review for #WeekendBookReviews? Photo of a wild orchid taken a couple of months ago. #flower #BloomScrolling #Ireland #books #BookSky

A single purple wild orchid, with an out of focus background of green leaves.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Another look at Dunboe Old Graveyard, where many of the headstones have fallen over and are covered in moss. In many cases, it's impossible to read the inscriptions. #graveyard #headstones #NorthernIreland #Ireland #causewaycoastalroute #causewaycoastandglens

Moss covered headstones, which have fallen over in an old graveyard.
The headstones are surrounded by long grass (very green because there's always plenty of rain along Northern Ireland's North Coast).
Lots of trees can be seen in the distance.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Old graveyards and cemeteries fascinate me. I love to read the headstones and imagine the stories behind the simple engraving of a name. This graveyard is overgrown, with #blackberries ripening in front of the headstone, which dates back to 1879. #graveyard #Ireland

Blackberries, some ripe, some still red, are growing in front of an out of focus headstone in a graveyard. The headstone is grey with a curved top, and it's surrounded by bushes which are also out of focus in the photo.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Last read - Number 5 for #WeekendBookReviews Current read - When The Cranes Fly South #WeekendBooks What are you reading this weekend?? And, post a review of your last read!! Thanks 😊 See my review of Number 5 in AltText. #IrishWriting #IrishFiction #IrishAuthors

An image of 2 books:
Number 5 - read
Cranes - currently reading

Number 5 is by the Northern Irish author Glenn Patterson.
Patterson has written a number of novels, of which Number 5, published in 2003, is the fifth.
Number 5 is a three-bedroom terrace house in a development on the outskirts of Belfast.
The story covers five decades, beginning in the late 1950's when Stella & Harry buy their first house. Each time the house is sold, a new family move in, but certain residents are there throughout the story.
Northern Irish politics and the Troubles drift along in the background, occasionally making an impact on the people of the novel.
The book has recently been reissued by No Alibis Press in Belfast and can also be found second-hand.
I enjoyed this story and recommend it 👌

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

For my birthday, back in June, I got a Waterstones voucher - now I've finally bought some books. Two of them are #IrishFiction, one is Swedish. So, for a change, I'm going to read the Swedish one next - "When The Cranes Fly South" by Lisa Ridzen. What are you reading for #WeekendBooks?

The covers of three books -
"When The Cranes Fly South" - on an off-white background, the title is printed in blue beside the orange outline of a dog.
"Reading In The Dark" - a drawing of fields and houses, green for the fields, orange for the houses.
"Fair Play" - a green background, with the title in dark blue. An image of a playing card is above and below the title.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Looking forward to the weekend...time for #WeekendBooks and #WeekendBookReviews The photo is looking down to the lake in the Black Glen at Downhill Demesne, just outside Castlerock in Co Derry onthe North Coast of #NorthernIreland #BookSky #IrishFiction #Ireland

Looking across brambles, flowers and bushes towards a small lake.
The brambles are already showing autumn colours, while the flowers are a bright orange.
The trees on the far side of the lake are reflected in the lake water. In the distance the sea is visible under a cloudy sky.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I'm self-employed as an independent celebrant - part of my work is elopement ceremonies, which are booked months in advance. The other part is funerals, where I often have only 2 days' notice. So, I'm not always here - but I aim to keep weekends free for #WeekendBooks and #WeekendBookReviews.

Looking across some dark rocks and a sandy beach towards the sea, which is white where the waves break but otherwise dark.
There are dark grey clouds in the sky, edged by a narrow white line. A headland is visible in the distance.
This is the beach at Castlerock in Co Derry. The headland is the Inishowen peninsula in Co Donegal.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

For #WeekendBooks this is what I'm currently reading. What are you reading for #WeekendBooks? If you've finished a book you could tell a little about it and your opinion of the book for #WeekendBookReviews. #BookSky #IrishFiction #IrishWriters #Ireland #NorthernIreland

The cover of "Number 5" by Glenn Patterson, a Northern Irish author.
The cover shows a torn piece of wallpaper which has a pink rose pattern.
The title is also pink and below has the subtitle "Five families, five decades - one house..."
At the bottom the author's name is above a blurb from the Observer newspaper.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Holidays over, now June and July have both gone, and it's 1st August and we're moving towards autumn. So time to bring this account back to life. What are you reading this weekend? Tag #WeekendBooks The photo is of a yacht moored on the River Lennon at Ramelton in Co Donegal. #booksky #Ireland.

A small white yacht moored to a yellow buoy on a river. There are green leaves in the foreground, with shallow water, then the main river reflecting the blue sky above. Trees are growing on the far bank of the river.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

May was a busy month and now I'm on holiday in Spain. Being on holiday means time to read - 2 books completed so far 🙂 When I get home, at the beginning of June, I need to get serious about this account. The photo shows the #sunset behind #Cambrils in #Catalunya #Espana #Spain #holiday

Looking across the sea to the sunset beyond distant hills.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Went to #Derry earlier this week but didn't buy any books. Last time I got a couple in this shop selling second-hand books. Foyle Books is a wonderful little shop tucked in behind the city's walls. #books #bookshop #literature #IrishLiterature #IrishAuthors #NorthernIreland #Ireland

A shop on a hill.
The shop windows are painted red and the door - set back behind two steps - is white. Above is a sign with the shop name - Foyle Books, named after the River Foyle which runs through the city.
The shop is just behind the city walls which were built between 1613 and 1619.
The wall is about a mile long and surrounds the original city. You can walk the full length of the wall.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Although I have read several books over the last few weeks, I haven't posted here. A couple of weeks ago, on a trip to Derry, I bought these books - 2 from a second-hand bookshop and 1 from a charity shop. Although none are #IrishLiterature they are all books I have been intending to read. #books

3 books on a rather dilapidated bench.
"The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
"Marry Me" by John Updike
"In a Free State" by V S Naipaul

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Just an #Irish #sunset with a #windturbine Taken at 8.24pm this evening after a cool but dry, #April day. #clouds #sky #Ireland

Sunset with a wind turbine silhouetted against the sky. Above is a band of cloud glowing orange from the sun, darkening higher up, with a patch of blue sky.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Whin (gorse) #blossom. #Easter memories of picking these #flowers, going home & putting the flowers in a saucepan with some white #eggs. The hard-boiled eggs, now yellow, got faces painted on them & then rolled down a #hill in a nearby #field. Simple times, long gone. #bloomscrolling #Ireland

Yellow whin - or gorse - blossom against the prickly background of the bush.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Whether you celebrate or not enjoy your #Easter break. While #StormDave hasn't brought much wind for us, it's given us heavy rain, sleet and hail showers with occasional sunshine - just typical Easter weather. Plenty of time for #reading!! #flowers #bloomscrolling #NorthernIreland #Ireland

Two flowers with white petals and a yellow centre.
Behind is out of focus grass with daisies. Further back, there's a tree, and behind it, the outline of a church is visible.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

#StormDave is forecast for this weekend. This is Seamus Heaney's poem "Storm on the Island" from "Death of a Naturalist" published in 1969. #IrishWriting #IrishLiterature #IrishAuthors #Ireland

An image of the words of "Storm on the Island" written by Seamus Heaney.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

As the hailstones batter against my kitchen window, I'm optimistically thinking of spring. After all, the clock goes forward tonight, so the weather must improve soon... #spring #flowers #bloomscrolling #Ireland

Two narcissi against a backdrop of trees. The flowers are white with orange centres.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

@jancarsonwrites.bsky.social is a writer from Northern Ireland who has published several collections of short stories and 3 novels before "The Raptures", which was published in 2022. Her next novel, "Few And Far Between" will be published shortly. Review of "The Raptures" is in Alt text.

"The Raptures" is set in rural Northern Ireland, in a village called Ballylack. Set in 1993, against the background of what we in Northern Ireland called the Troubles, the story revolves around 11 year old Hannah Adger. Her classmates begin to die, one by one, so the hunt begins for the source of the mysterious illness which is killing them.
Ballylack is a village populated only by Protestants - apart from the family who run the Chinese takeaway - which means this could be any one of many such villages in Northern Ireland.
As I was brought up near a village like this, I feel that I know these people - so perhaps I can't be as objective as I should in my assessment of the novel.
My youth may have been 30 years earlier, but little changed in the Northern Irish countryside between 1963 and 1993 - apart from the Troubles beginning in 1969. Even now, over 30 years after the setting of the book, many ingrained attitudes haven't changed, as change comes slowly to stubborn Ulster Protestants.
It's my familiarity with the setting of the story which makes me biased in assessing the novel, so I'd love to hear from a reader who isn't from Northern Ireland. As I want someone else to read the book I deliberately haven't mentioned much about how the story progresses.
From my perspective I enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend it...so, if you haven't read "The Raptures", please read it and let me have your opinion!

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Warmest day of the year so far - and such a relief to see blue sky and feel the heat of the sun after the seemingly never-ending rain and dull grey skies. So a day off from everything and a walk round Lough Fea, a natural lough in the mountains which is also a reservoir. #Ireland #walk

Looking past a tree to a view of an Irish lough, which is reflecting the blue sky above. Trees can be seen on the banks of the lough, and hills are visible in the distance.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

My irregular work keeps me away from Bluesky 😀 It also means I'm often to be found in graveyards and cemeteries. The graveyard in the photo is old and no longer used for burials. #Ireland #flowers #daffodils #bloomscrolling #spring

Daffodils in a graveyard. On the grassy slope behind the daffodils, several old headstones can be seen. Above is a cloudy sky with a few patches of blue.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

I really should be writing reviews of the last three books I've read. But it was a beautiful morning so I went for a walk before a busy, working afternoon. #BlueSkyMonday #walk #river #sky #trees #Ireland #IrishLiterature #IrishWriting #IrishAuthors

Looking through some trees to a river.
The river is reflecting the brilliant blue sky above. On the far side of the river more trees are visible.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

My reviews for #BlueBrewBooks are a bit delayed - and I've already moved on to reading "Milkman" by Anna Burns. Anyway, here are some #daffodils for #StDavidsDay. #books #IrishLiterature #IrishAuthors #IrishWriting #Ireland

A cluster of daffodils, with grass, bushes and grey sky in the background.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

#Spring #blossom A hint of spring to keep things ticking over while I think about books. #BloomScrolling #books #IrishLiterature #Ireland

Delicate white blossom - the flowers close to the camera are in focus, while the rest of the tree is out of focus.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

"Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" by Roddy Doyle is a story told by a ten year old boy living in Barry Town, North Dublin, in 1968. It's a wonderful read - and I highly recommend it! See Alt text for more. #books #booksky #IrishAuthors #IrishWriting #IrishLiterature

The cover of Roddy Doyle's book "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" shows a young boy about to let himself drop down from a wall, which he's still holding with one hand.

Born in Dublin in 1958, Roddy Doyle has written a number of novels, books for children, plays and screenplays, and lots of short stories.
"Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" was the winner of the Booker Prize in 1993.

The story, told by a ten year old boy, doesn't follow the usual rules of a novel as there are no chapters, just a series of Paddy's thoughts which don't follow in chronological order.
In spite of this, you do sense the passage of time as the book progresses.
Like any ten year old, Paddy's thoughts jump quickly from one subject to another, with the subjects seemingly unrelated.

The book describes a lost world where children roam freely around the area where they live, constantly getting into mischief.
The early part of the book focuses on this fun and mischief before real life begins to intrude.

I won't give any more detail as I don't want to spoil the story for any potential reader.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

A story which follows young Larry through his mother's death, his father's remarriage, and, later, his stepmother's death. A story of loss, which is full of life and love. Highly recommended. More at Alt text or https:/beyond-my-fence.blogspot.com #booksky #IrishAuthors #IrishWriting #books

An image of the cover of a book called "Let's Twist Again" by Leo Cullen.
It shows a young boy in jeans and t-shirt, wearing a cape, a Wild West style hat and an eye mask...a child playing cowboys.

Leo Cullen is better known as a short story writer, having published "Clocking 90 on the Road to Cloughfern" back in 1994. Unfortunately, this book is out of print, although it can be bought second-hand online.

"Let's Twist Again" was published by Blackstaff Press in Belfast in 2001 and is Cullen's only novel. It is also out of print but available second-hand online.
The story is largely based on the author's own childhood and youth and follows young Larry Connaughton through his mother's death, his father's remarriage and, subsequently, his stepmother's death.

This is a story of loss which is full of life and love.

Highly recommended - if you're lucky enough to find a copy.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

It's taken me a while to get this account going - I set it up without thinking my ideas through properly. I had planned books in general, but I've decided my main focus will be Irish literature - in particular, the many fantastic Irish authors publishing their work at the moment. #booksky #books

Waves crashing over rocks, with a rocky outcrop behind.
Headlands jutting out into the sea are visible in the distance. The sky is blue, with a few clouds. The blue sky is reflecting on the sea.
This is the Atlantic Ocean at Portrush in Northern Ireland.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Procrastination (n) "The action of delaying or postponing something" I set up a new account...and then I procrastinate. So here's a photo of some #trees

Trees in a forest. There's a fallen tree in the foreground, with more scattered amongst the trees that are still standing.
These are evergreens with tall bare trunks and foliage close to the tops if the trees.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

A walk yesterday afternoon. I try to have a walk most days because I need to keep active - although I don't read while I'm walking. More in Alt text and at beyond-my-fence.blogspot.com #walk #trees #path #forest #books #NorthernIreland #Ireland

A path through woods.
There are trees on either side of the path - many of which have ivy growing up their trunks. The ground below the trees is covered in the remains of last autumn's leaves.

I enjoy walking - I like to be out, surrounded by the natural world.

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Simply Books @simplybooks1791.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

New beginnings...and a new account. My photography account is still in place but will just be used for photographs. This account will mainly be about books and writing, so I hope I'll have some conversations with like-minded people 🙂 Longer posts on my blog: beyond-my-fence.blogspot.com #books

A close-up photo of snowdrops, with the flowers closest to the camera in focus while those in the background are blurred.

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