Niamh O'Doherty and Padraig Kenny have compiled a summer reading hitlist of great reads for the beach, the boat or the back garden, perfect if you're looking to escape the Harry Potter hype.

Fiction Q & A By Vikas Swarup Black Swan, 20.99.

A favourite with the Ryan Tubridy Book Club members, this tells the story of an 18-year-old who ends up in prison after winning one billion rupees on a TV game show. Each chapter describes a part of his life and how he came to answer the show's questions. "It's clever and it's easy to read, " says Tubridy.

"The listeners responded very well to it. . . It's a perfect holiday read."

The Gathering By Anne Enright Jonathan Cape, 15.99 The story of three generations of one Dublin family, leading up to their meeting at the wake of their brother, Liam. Enright's sharp, lyrical writing is unmissable.

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's Guide to South Dublin (as told to Paul Howard) Penguin, 20.99 Written like a travel guide and interspersed with words of advice from Ross and his friends, the book will probably appeal more to the very people it lampoons than anyone else. The genre is getting a little tired but that said it does have a few moments that should have you sniggering on the Dort.

Redemption Falls By Joseph O' Connor Harvill Secker, 29.99 A Thousand Splendid Suns By Khaled Hosseini Bloomsbury, 19.99 Half a Yellow Sun By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie HarperPerennial, 16.99 This is swiftly becoming the book of the summer. Set in 1960s Nigeria, the lives of the three main characters unfold against the changing political backdrop. A wonderful book and a must for anyone with an interest in Africa.

The sequel to Star of The Sea, this is the story of the American Civil War with a focus on Irish migrants.

Just as varied and characterdriven as its predecessor.

After the success of The Kite Runner, Hosseini returns to his beloved home country and tells the story of two very different women living in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Like his previous work, it paints a memorable picture of a wounded Kabul.

N O'D Memoir The Diving Bell and the Butterfly By Jean D Bauby HarperPerennial, 10.99 Another Tubridy Show Book Club favourite. Bauby wrote this after a massive stroke left the former magazine editor paralysed from the neck down. "People love that story because it is so interesting and real . . .

he dictated the whole story by blinking, " says Tubridy. "It isn't preachy.

It simply makes you appreciate what you have, like being able to shave in the morning. The mundane things you do every day."

Diamonds and Holes in My Shoes By Deirdre Purcell Hodder Headline, 10.99 In plain, vivid language, Purcell describes her years in the Abbey and in the RTE newsroom. A fascinating look at the life of one of Ireland's best-known personalities, and great for nostalgic types.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid By Bill Bryson Black Swan, 10.95 Bryson looks back at his childhood in Des Moines, Iowa, with his familiar wit and eye for detail in this new paperback version of his memoir. Like his travel writing, the book is filled with historical and political titbits to break up the reminiscence.

North Face of Soho By Clive James Picador, 9.99 This fourth instalment of Clive James's memoirs recounts his years as a television critic on the Observer and his early forays into television. Told with wit and intelligence, and buoyed by James's often ignored craftsmanship, this is a fascinating and witty account of one man, often stumbling, occasionally striding through the cauldron of the London media world.

N O'D PK Factual A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton By Carl Bernstein Hutchinson, 49.99 This biography is a fascinating look at the new presidential candidate. The Watergate reporter examines Clinton's life from her childhood in the midwest to her marriage and political career. A detailed and candid biography.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance By Atul Gawande Profile, 24.99 A collection of essays by surgeon Atul Gawande, Better explores the world of medicine from Iraq to India. Gawande is an accomplished author and doesn't shy away from hot topics like malpractice, while his writing is clear and refreshingly free from off-putting medical jargon.

Ryanland By Philip Nolan Hodder Headline, 10.99 Sacred Causes Michael Burleigh Harper Press, 38.50 Historian Michael Burleigh's timely examination of the intersection of religion and politics throughout the 20th century is frequently disdainful, but always entertaining.

Touching on topics such as Hitler's appropriation of religious symbolism for the glorification of his own image, and moving onto a post 9/11 world, Burleigh is almost old fashioned and has no patience for indicators of "cultural decline." But it's this sense of exasperation married with his formidable learning and intellect which makes this book so invigorating. His chapter on Ireland is typically caustic but it's hard not to warm to a man who bemoans the "cultural" scourge of Riverdance.

12 Books that changed the World By Melvyn Bragg Hodder and Stoughton, 19.75 A list book is always a good bet, and even better still is a list book that provokes debate. Melvyn Bragg picks 12 books which he believes have had an incalculable effect on all our lives. But rather than giving in to the subjectivity of personal choice, he argues convincingly for each tome's catalytic effect for change . . . from the seemingly quirky The Rule Book of Association Football right A great book to read before booking one of those last-minute deals, this is Philip Nolan's personal and often poignant account of his tour of Europe using only Ryanair destinations. A funny, easy-toread travelogue that will inspire you to drop everything and hop on another plane. N O'D down to Newton's world changing Principia Mathematica. A welcome and timely work about the power of books.

The Devil's Guide to Hollywood By Joe Eszterhas Duckworth, 17.99 Reading Basic Instinct screenwriter Joe Eszterhas's book is like being locked in a room with a hairy cigar-chomping lunatic, with psychotic delusions about his own genius. There are 'essential tips' for breaking into Hollywood and chapters on the art of scriptwriting with heartwarming titles like "Slit a vein and Drip it on the Page." A vulgar quote-crammed onslaught, which entertains in a strangely masochistic sort of way.

PK Beach Books The Secret of my Face By Karen Ardiff New Island, 12.95 Probably the most underrated Irish novel of the year. Set in the 1930s, first-time author Karen Ardiff 's book is a gem with a hint of darkness at its core. It tells the story of young Veronica Broderick and the various people who wish to see her cured of her cleft lip and palate. With subtle description and finely cadenced monologues, Ardiff sucks the reader in, only to deliver a brutal and shocking turn of events which reveals the novel's true nature as a dark critique of human vanity. In a country ravaged by the blight of chick-lit, this is a welcome novel, enriched by the old-fashioned values of good storytelling and infused with great skill and intelligence.

Walk the Blue Fields Claire Keegan Faber, 13.99 Claire Keegan writes prose that is both subtle and unflinching.

And while her work can be a sometimes uneasy and uncomfortable read, there is a weight to her words and images which leaves such an imprint that it compels you to re-read almost straight away. The writing is luminous and full of yearning and has a deceptive simplicity and resonance that will take your breath away. A collection packed with quiet yet powerful emotions. PK Under My Skin By Alison Jameson Penguin, 14.99 Irish author Alison Jameson follows her bestselling debut This Man and Me with this novel about internet friendship, love, loss and mystery. Funny and sweet . . . a great book to take on holiday.

A Place Called Here By Cecelia Ahern HarperCollins, 14.99 Music Just released in paperback, Ahern's latest novel tells the story of Sandy Shortt, a girl who opens a missing persons agency after her classmate vanishes. A good pageturner in Ahern's trademark bright style. N O'D Bit of a Blur By Alex James Little Brown, 14.99 The floppy-haired Blur bassist had to post an advance copy of this, his autobiography, to Blur drummer Dave Rowntree who was worried that James's tales of debauchery would ruin his burgeoning career as a politician.

He didn't have to worry because although this is a jaunty read it is fairly light on scurrilous detail.

Pity.

Revolution in the Head By Ian MacDonald Pimlico, 13.50 With Sgt Pepper celebrating its 40th birthday this year isn't it time you brushed up on your pop history? Among the hundreds of Beatles books out there this is the one that all others are judged by. And will probably remain so. The late MacDonald dissects every song in the Fab Four's canon with historical and contextual notes.

Essential.

Love is a Mixtape By Rob Sheffield Random House, 15 Rolling Stonemusic journo Sheffield wrote this as an extended love letter to his young wife who died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism. With similarities to Nick Hornby in its nostalgic style, this is a must read for any fan of 1990s music, as well as anyone who has ever made a mix tape for someone they liked.

Chronicles: Volume One By Bob Dylan Simon & Schuster, 12 Bob Zimmerman's first instalment of his life story (the second may still be years away) is much like one of his best songs: rambling, open-ended and rich in symbolism. The dense prose is worth reading in itself, as are the passages on the young bard's sex life, the reinvention of his guitar style and his near miss with Woody Guthrie.

Neil Dunphy

The top 10 books
(compiled by Hughes and Hughes Booksellers)

1 Overheard in Dublin by Gerard Kelly & Sinead Kelly. (Gill & Macmillan �4.99 Paperback)
2 Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's Guide to South Dublin by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly. (Penguin Ireland �12.99 Paperback)
3 The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. (Bantam Press �12.99 Paperback)
4 Back from the Brink: The Autobiography by Paul McGrath. (Arrow �7.99 Paperback)
5 The Outsiders: Exposing the Secretive World of Ireland's Travellers by Eamon Dillon. (Merlin �8.99 Paperback)
6 Ryanland: A No-frills Odyssey Across the New Europe by Philip Nolan. (Hodder & Stoughton �7.99 Paperback)
7 The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. (Simon & Schuster �12 Hardback)
8 The Untouchables by Paul Williams.(Merlin �8.99 Paperback)
9 The Torso in the Canal by John Mooney. (Maverick House �7.99 Paperback)
10 The Life Plan by Robert Ashton.(Pearson Education �8.99 Paperback)

I know what you read this summer. . .

KATY FRENCH, MODEL

"IF ONLY I had a holiday to bring a book on! I bought a new book recently called 'The God of Small Things' . . . I saw someone reading it on the Tube in London and I just liked the title. And I'm halfway through 'The God Delusion'. That's a very good book. I'd love a good story book; at the moment they seem kind of life books rather than a good fiction.

"I'm not into the chicklit novels and such, I need something that's a little bit interesting. I think the last good story book that I read that I really enjoyed was 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. Actually, one of my favourite books of all time is 'Perfume'. I must have read it five or six years ago and they've made a movie of it now . . . I can't wait to see it. But you know yourself, the movies are always a let down. When you hear a movie is coming out you always try and read the book first . . . well I do anyway."

JOE DUFFY, RADIO PRESENTER

"THAT I used to live with Deirdre Purcell's wonderful parents, Bill and Maureen, means that I will re-read her recently published memoir 'Diamonds and Holes in My Shoes'. It is a beautiful, moving and at times painful jewellery box of gold, stardust and heavier trinkets . . . well worth a read. As is Mick McCaffrey's 'Scissor Sisters . . . The Body in the Canal'. While many will be familiar with the background to the horrific killing of Farah Noor, this is a unique insight into the underbelly of a 'new' Ireland. Riveting.

"As we approach the centenary of the 1913 lockout, Donal Nevin's powerful and definitive biography of the great James Larkin is timely and fascinating. At 400 pages it looks daunting, but don't let that lock you out . . . it is a truly rewarding read."

VICTORIA MARY CLARKE, AUTHOR

"SUMMER, especially if I am lucky enough to be lying on a beach, is a time when I especially love to read biographies. My favourite biographies are ones about really rich people and, because I am not rich myself, I prefer rich people who have suffered horribly, which is why I will be reading 'Painfully Rich', the biography of J Paul Getty, and 'Poor Little Rich Girl', the biography of Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress. I have already read 'Once Upon A Time' by Gloria Vanderbilt but I think I will read it again. I particularly like my rich people to be witty and glamorous, as well as miserable, and I like to read about 1920s and 1930s socialites like the Mitford sisters, so I will get stuck into Jonathon Guinness's book about them.

"I've also bought 'The Viceroy's Daughters', by Anne De Courcy, which is about the lives of the Curzon sisters. There appears to be a theme to my summer reading, which also includes some biographies of famous posh hotels like the Ritz and the Connaught and Claridges, but it's all leading somewhere because my own novel (of which I have already written five pages) is about an ageing aristocratic socialite who lives in Claridges and who is terribly, terribly witty and wicked. So it all serves as research."

RYAN TUBRIDY, PRESENTER

"I JUST had a week off and I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Engelby' by Sebastian Faulks. I just love that sinister undertone. I love the idea of a working class boy going to Cambridge . . . him telling us his side of the story and us having to guess the other side. It was intriguing. I'm looking forward to a few books . . . I'm going to have a look at 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' by Kim Edwards. That's getting a lot of press in the States, which worries me because I don't like books that are over-hyped. I'm going to have a look at 'Restless' by William Boyd over the summer. They are the two I have my eye on.

"Currently on the show we're reading Ian McEwan's 'On Chesil Beach', which is easily one of my books of the year. We've twinned it with a lesser-known Ian McEwan book, 'In the Comfort of Strangers'. It's a 100-pager, again very dark and sinister. A terrific little read."

PAUL JOHNSTON, WRITER

"I'VE long been a fan of Cormac McCarthy and rate 'Blood Meridian' as one of the best novels I've ever read. His latest book, 'The Road', recently won the Pulitzer Prize.

McCarthy describes the journey of an unnamed father and son through a burned out America. He's like a responsible Peckinpah, with an inspiring devotion to the human spirit and its place in the natural world.

"John Connolly's 'Gothic' crime novels are original and outstanding. The latest, 'The Unquiet', looks set to maintain the high standard he's set himself.

Sensitive PI Charlie Parker uncovers a paedophile ring . . . a subject that takes bravery to write about . . . but is also threatened by a shadow from his past.

Even an atheist can be scared by John's web of poetic horror.

"As a crime novelist, I couldn't resist 'How To Kill' by Kris Hollington. It's a history of the assassin rather than a selfhelp book, though it does include details of methods, targets and secret case files.

Right up my street.

"And finally, the great Neil Gaiman, jack of all trades and, depressingly for other authors, master of them all too. 'Fragile Things' is a short-story collection that also includes poems. The writing is genius, but so are the titles . . . the longest has 20 words but my favourite is 'Diseasemaker's Croup'. What?"

Paul Johnston's latest novel, 'The Death List', is published this month by Mira Books.

Niamh O'Doherty 'Angel in Disguise?' by Victoria Mary Clarke is published by The Collins Press