Clues to its existence abound, from the works of Bowen to Behan

Set in Northern Ireland, Dickey manages to skilfully include the brutalising legacy of the Troubles while simultaneously keeping it in the background of this novel

Carson’s forays into the strange borderlands of Lough Neagh’s waters give the novel a weird brilliance, like Kevin Barry without the swearing

Function of this genre is to sublimate what Nietzsche called ressentiment, the rage that arises from a feeling of powerlessness

A timely contemplation, in a series of academic essays, of the strategies of war, international relations and nuclear deterrence

Love Magic Power Danger Bliss: Yoko Ono and the Avant-Garde Diaspora; A Hard Day’s Night; The Evolution of American Film Music, 1960s-1990s

YA fiction reads for April from Caryl Lewis, Méabh Collins, Derek Landy, Susie Nadler and a debut from Stephen Daly

Country she depicts is not romanticised but simply lived in: a world of small houses, strained marriages and worried parents

Authorial relish and exuberance are apparent on every page of this short story collection, with contributions from Naoise Dolan, Sarah Maria Griffin and more

Despite their defeat in two historic strikes, the British miners’ struggle raised huge questions for society

The third novel in French’s Cal Hooper series is an immersive read that demands to be savoured

An accomplished playwright, performer and essayist, McDonagh brings to her debut novel the authority of lived experience

Mrie is remarkably brave in her documentation of Syria, its people and what she did after she realised she was unable to keep living in the way that was expected of her

Ronan McGreevy’s new book edits 22 hours of private recordings to reveal the inner workings of the former taoiseach’s mind

Novel taps into a passion that has set generations alight - a sport that binds communities and creates heroes

Reviews of Crowd Voltage; Uncertain Passage; The Posthumous Book of Shahrazad; and the Collected Poems of Wendy Cope

Retired cardiologist’s dedication is evident but the tone of this book is at times problematic

Equal parts Flann O’Brien and Dan Brown, EL is a novel of impressively epic sweep

Novel has a meandering quality and a subtlety in terms of what’s actually happening that proves a bit too subtle

So engaging it will be read in one sitting