A lovely way to end the year by making it onto Simon Savidge’s Best of Year list; in some  mighty fine company too. Here’s what Simon had to say…

“If I told you that you should really read a book set during the Troubles in Ireland which throws in poverty, religion, sexuality and violence, both domestic and political, you would probably look at me in horror, which is why The Good Son is such a brilliant book. It has all of those elements in their unflinching rawness and yet with Mickey’s voice and cheeky sense of humour McVeigh gives us an image of an incredibly difficult and fractured time in some sort of rainbow technicolor whilst with a very black and white viewpoint. It is something I have not experienced before and I thought it was marvellous. It also gives us hope.”

Simon writes the influential Savidge Reads blog and is also the founder of The Green Carnation Prize. Head over here to read his other favourite books of the year.

“Paul McVeigh’s The Good Son gave us one of the most engaging protagonists of the year in 10-year-old Mickey Donnelly, who occupies a space between whimsy and horror in Troubles-era Ardoyne.”

The sensational Irish writer Lisa McInerney (The Glorious Heresies) choses ‘The Good Son’ as one of her picks of the year in the Irish Independent. Have a look at the top picks from the cream of Irish authors including Colm Tobin and John Boyne.

Hope you’ve had a great Christmas.