Book description
WINNER OF THE ROONEY PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2023
WINNER OF THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2023
WINNER OF THE JOHN MCGAHERN PRIZE 2024
WATERSTONES IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
Sean is back. Back in Belfast and back into old habits. Back on the mad all-nighters, the borrowed…
Why read it?
1 author picked Close to Home as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Michael Magee’s novel is a cracking exploration of life in contemporary Belfast. The examination of a young man’s quest to find some direction and economic stability whilst working in precarious employment had me hooked from the outset. His attempts to deal with the fall-out from a casual act of violence and his romantic/friendship dilemmas seemed to sum up well the struggles many faced in their early 20s, between university and their ‘future’ (alas, a distant memory for me now).
So far, so rite of passage-y. But what I think makes the book an informative read on Northern Ireland and its…
From Eamonn's list on Northern Ireland and the conflict it endured.
If you love Close to Home...
Aggressor
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
Want books like Close to Home?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Close to Home.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,395
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Close to Home, you might also like...
Ramón Ramirez's Dog
Ramon Ramirez’s Dog is a collection of essays written over the years about the adventures and misadventures, mostly outside but occasionally inside the diplomatic career of a U.S. ambassador. Common threads weaving the stories together are a desire for a life well-lived, balancing career with family and friends, keeping physically…
I, Robot Alien
“Intelligent, unique, and tremendously entertaining.” - Readers' Favorite 2025
BOOKLIFE EDITOR’S PICK!
EARTH… CENTURIES AFTER THE FALL!
I was created by beings who couldn’t touch this world... only watch it crumble. Every twenty years, a new tribe... a new hope... a new failure.
I was told, “Do not interfere.” But…
