an irish country cottage - Tor/Forge Blog

5 Feel Good Books to Bring You Comfort

April 17, 2020April 8, 2024admin

The world may feel a little overwhelming right know, but there’s one thing we know for certain: books will always be around to bring us comfort. As you would probably guess, the team at Forge has been reading a lot while we’ve been home, and we wanted to share some of the books we’re loving right now with you. Check out our recommendations for five feel good books below!

opens in a new windowAsk Me No Questions by Shelley Noble

opens in a new window“For many of us, there’s nothing more soothing than the opening theme to Downton Abbey. Now that the series is finished and the movie has come and gone, we need something to fill the Crawley-shaped hole in our hearts and comfort us the way the show used to. Not to worry, friends. Shelley Noble’s Lady Dunbridge Mysteries will more than suffice. When we first meet her in Ask Me No Questions, Lady Dunbridge is not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She’s ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm. From the decadence of high society balls to the underbelly of Belmont horse racing, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.”

Alison Bunis, Marketing Assistant

opens in a new windowGood Boy by Jennifer Finney Boylan

opens in a new window“Memoirs have brought me a lot of comfort while staying at home, and one in particular that I’ve loved is Good Boy by Jennifer Finney Boylan. It’s a must-read for any dog lovers out there! Jennifer has written a number of novels and memoirs, and this one is structured around the pivotal moments of her life and the seven dogs she had at each moment. Life is full of transformations and changes, and this book documents how Jennifer’s dogs accompanied her through some of her biggest changes in life as a transgender woman. This book is the perfect encapsulation of how dogs can show us unconditional love and help us learn how to better love ourselves. Engaging, full of heart, and relatable to all readers, this book is the literary embodiment of snuggling with your beloved pup.”

Sarah Pannenberg, Digital Marketing Coordinator

opens in a new windowCarousel Beach by Orly Konig

opens in a new window“A perfect beach read… or dreaming of the beach read. Nothing can evoke that feeling of walking along the boardwalk more than an old-school carousel, worn down by salty air and thousands of riders. Maya Brice is reeling from the heartbreaking loss of her grandmother and a miscarriage while restoring her hometown’s beloved carousel just in time for a grand reopening on the 4th of July. What she finds inscribed on one of the horses will lead her on an unforgettable journey to healing. The relationship she forges with Hank, an Alzheimer’s patient and former carousel artist himself will make any reader’s eyes well up. If you’re looking for a sweet read and gentle reminder to call your grandparents, you won’t miss!”

Jennifer McClelland-Smith, Marketing Manager

opens in a new windowMr. & Mrs. Darcy Mysteries series, by Carrie Bebris

opens in a new window“Whenever I need comfort, there’s one source I turn to more than any other: Jane Austen. True, she only wrote six books, but with all the sequels and rewrites we never need to stop living in Austenland. The Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries series by Carrie Bebris has the added bonus of being delightfully cozy mysteries, so they’re extra comforting. In the series, Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy want nothing more than to enjoy married life on their Pemberley estate, but one mystery after another keeps drawing them away. Each of the seven books focuses on different characters from Austen’s beloved novels, from Caroline Bingley to Frederick Wentworth to the residents of Sanditon. With Bebris’ care to maintain the style and setting of the original novels, this series is almost like reading Jane Austen…but with a touch more murder. Recommended reading pairing is a cup of tea and a proper English biscuit or scone.”

Alison Bunis, Marketing Assistant

opens in a new windowAn Irish Country Cottage by Patrick Taylor

opens in a new window“The charming, colorful village of Ballybucklebo isn’t ready for disaster to strike. Not long after Christmas passes, a fire engulfs the humble thatched cottage housing of Donal Donnally and his family. Although the family of five and their beloved pup escapes, they have nothing left but the clothes on their backs during the coldest time of the year.

Luckily, Doctors O’Reilly and Laverty gather the good people of Ballybucklebo to come to their aid. The neighbors are insistent on rebuilding the cottage, albeit a difficult task, and will help the Donnallys no matter what it takes.

The heartfelt entry in Patrick Taylor’s beloved New York Times and internationally bestselling Irish Country series is one you’re sure to love.”

Mary Halabani, Marketing Intern

Lists

Five Essential Irish Reads

October 7, 2019May 1, 2024torforge

By Jennifer McClelland-Smith

Want to know what Irish eyes are reading? Ireland and the Irish people have inspired any number of lush, lyrical stories full of intrigue, adventure, and heartbreak. Discover your next obsession of the Celtic variety in this list of some of our favorite Irish reads!

opens in a new windowAn Irish Country Family by Patrick Taylor

opens in a new windowPatrick Taylor fans know that any of the books in his bestselling Irish Country series are worth picking up, and the most recent entry is no exception. Once again, the charming village and people of Ballybucklebo are on display as in this book that effortlessly shifts between Dr. Barry Laverty’s time as a young intern and years later as a beloved member of the community.

opens in a new windowIrish Above All by Mary Pat Kelly
opens in a new windowMary Pat Kelly continues the incredible story of Chicago-born, Irish-American Nora Kelly, begun in opens in a new windowOf Irish Blood. This book is not only a great Irish read (complete with a journey to the Emerald Isle), it’s an incredible look at some of the most important figures in the 20th century from FDR to Al Capone.

opens in a new windowSong of Ireland by Juliene Osborne-McKnight
opens in a new windowA lyrical re-telling of the coming of the Celts to Eire, Song of Ireland effortlessly blends tales of the mythical Danu people with Irish history. Fans of fantasy and romance alike will be drawn in by this thrilling epic by noted folklorist Juliene Osborne-McKnight.

opens in a new windowOnly Wounded by Patrick Taylor
opens in a new windowPatrick Taylor returns to his beloved Ulster in Northern Ireland to tell the story of “The Troubles”. Heartbreaking and powerful, this collection of stories centers on the lives of everyday people enduring the realities of the sectarian violence that took so many innocent lives at the end of the last century.

opens in a new window1916 by Morgan Llywelyn
opens in a new windowMorgan Llywelyn is a well-known writer on the Irish experience. 1916 tells the story of the Irish fight for freedom through the eyes of a young man with nothing to lose. This gripping account of the doomed Easter Rebellion will keep fans of historical fiction at the edge of their seats.

New Releases

New Releases: 10/16

October 16, 2018May 1, 2024torforge

Happy New Release day! Here’s what went on sale today.

opens in a new windowAn Irish Country Cottage by Patrick Taylor opens in a new window

The New Year brings challenges and changes to the colorful Irish village of Ballybucklebo. The Christmas holidays have barely passed before a fire engulfs the humble thatched cottage housing of Donal Donnally and his family. Although the family escapes the blaze more or less unsinged, Donal, his wife, their three small children, and their beloved dog find themselves with nothing left but the clothes on their back.

Good thing Doctors O’Reilly and Laverty are on hand to rally the good people of Ballybucklebo to come to their aid. Rebuilding the cottage won’t be quick or easy, but good neighbors from all walks of life will see to it that the Donallys get back on their feet again, no matter what it takes.

Meanwhile, matters of procreation occupy the doctors and their patients. Young Barry Laverty and his wife Sue, frustrated in their efforts to start a family, turn to modern medicine for answers. O’Reilly must tread carefully as he advises a married patient on how to avoid another dangerous pregnancy.

As a new and tumultuous decade approaches, sectarian division threaten to bring unrest to Ulster, but in Ballybucklebo at least, peace still reigns and neighbors look after neighbors.

opens in a new windowAsk Me No Questions by Shelley Noble opens in a new window

A modern woman in 1907, Lady Dunbridge is not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She’s ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm.

From the decadence of high society balls to the underbelly of Belmont horse racing, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.

opens in a new windowThe Consuming Fire by John Scalzi opens in a new window

The Interdependency, humanity’s interstellar empire, is on the verge of collapse. The Flow, the extra-dimensional conduit that makes travel between the stars possible, is disappearing, leaving entire star systems stranded. When it goes, human civilization may go with it—unless desperate measures can be taken.

Emperox Grayland II, the leader of the Interdependency, is ready to take those measures to help ensure the survival of billions. But nothing is ever that easy. Arrayed before her are those who believe the collapse of the Flow is a myth—or at the very least, an opportunity that can allow them to ascend to power.

While Grayland prepares for disaster, others are preparing for a civil war, a war that will take place in the halls of power, the markets of business and the altars of worship as much as it will take place between spaceships and battlefields. The Emperox and her allies are smart and resourceful, but then so are her enemies. Nothing about this power struggle will be simple or easy… and all of humanity will be caught in its widening gyre.

NEW IN PAPERBACK

opens in a new windowAn Irish Country Practice by Patrick Taylor opens in a new window

Once, not too long ago, there was just a single Irish country doctor tending to the lively little village of Ballybucklebo: Doctor Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly. Now his thriving practice is growing by leaps and bounds.

Not only has O’Reilly taken a new trainee under his wing, Doctor Connor Nelson, he’s also added a spirited Labrador puppy to his ever-expanding household at Number One Main Street. Meanwhile, his trusted partner, young Doctor Barry Laverty, finds himself wondering if he’s truly ready to settle down and start a family with his lovely fiancée, Sue.

As the doctors cope with domestic and professional challenges, they also look after their patients and their ailments, including a mysterious cough, a housewife whose frequent “accidents” may have a disturbing cause, and a respected colleague who might be succumbing to an old vice.

All is not sickness and worry, however. There’s plenty of joy and merriment to be found as well, from a visiting circus to racing to sailing . . . and maybe even a happy ending or two.

opens in a new windowThe Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron opens in a new window

Suddenly responsible for an abandoned dog and a box full of adorable puppies, Josh Michaels is in over his head. He reaches out to the local shelter for help, where he meets Kerri, who teaches Josh how to care for the puppies and get them ready for adoption.

Josh is surprised to find himself falling for Kerri, a beautiful woman with a quick wit and a fierce love for animals—but he’s fallen even harder for his new furry family.

With Christmas and the adoption date looming, Josh hesitates to part with any of the dogs, putting him at odds with Kerri. Josh isn’t willing to lose her, but doesn’t know how to set things right. Can a surprise litter of Christmas puppies really change one man’s life?

opens in a new windowWindwitch by Susan Dennard opens in a new window

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…

NEW IN MANGA

opens in a new windowBoogiepop Omnibus Vol. 1-3 Story by Kouhei Kadono; Art by Kouji Ogata

opens in a new windowFairy Tale Battle Royale Vol. 1 Story and art by Soraho Ina

opens in a new windowHow Not to Summon a Demon Lord Vol. 2 Story by Yukiya Murasaki; Art by Naoto Fukuda

opens in a new windowMiss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life Vol. 3 Story by coolkyousinnjya; Art by Mitsuhiro Kimura

opens in a new windowThe Voynich Hotel Vol. 2 Story and art by Douman Seiman