Libraries NI

Black Tag by Simon Tag

Black Tag opens with a dramatic fire at the prestigious West End Gallery in London’s Coal Drops Yard. As firefighters rush to save priceless artworks using a pre-submitted “grab list,” it’s discovered that the list has been tampered with, leading to the wrong pieces being rescued. Amid the ashes, an unidentified body is found, sparking a deeper mystery. Enter Famie Madden, a tenacious investigative journalist and founder of the website Howl, which supports journalists under threat. Famie is drawn into…

The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

The Glassmaker is a sweeping historical novel infused with magical realism. It follows Orsola Rosso, a young woman born into a family of glassmakers on the island of Murano, near Venice, in 1486. Despite societal restrictions on women in the craft, Orsola secretly learns to make glass beads, finding both creative fulfilment and financial independence.

As the story unfolds, time flows in an unusual way. Orsola and her loved ones age very slowly, allowing them to live through centuries of…