Best-selling Irish writer Maeve Binchy died on Monday, July 30, following a short illness. She was 72-years-old.

Binchy crossed over to U.S. market with her humorous take on small-town life in Ireland, her descriptive characters, her interest in human nature and her often clever surprise endings.

Recognized for her kindness and generosity to other writers, she has been featured on The New York Times bestseller list and in Oprah's Book Club.

Throughout her career, the renowned Irish novelist has sold more than 40 million books around the world, had a best-seller in her first novel, 1982's "Light a Penny Candle," and eventually became one of the most-adored Irish writers of her generation.

Having studied at University College Dublin, she started her career as a teacher and eventually became a journalist at "The Irish Times." She would later go on to be a prolific writer of novels and short stories.

Maeve Binchy published a total of 16 novels, including "The Lilac Bus and Echoes," "Circle of Friends," How About You" and "Tara Road" -- all of which were made into feature motion pictures or TV movies. She also wrote four short-story collections, a play and a novella. Most of her writings have been translated into 30 languages, according to the Guardian.

On July 3, 2010, Maeve Binchy spoke with the Irish Times about her life:

"I don't have any regrets about any roads I didn't take. Everything went well, and I think that's been a help because I can look back, and I do get great pleasure out of looking back. ... I've been very lucky and I have a happy old age with good family and friends still around."

She passed away in a hospital in Dublin with her husband, writer Gordon Snell, by her side, according to the Irish Times.

Check below for a full list of Maeve Binchy's books

Maeve Binchy's books

  • Light a Penny Candle (1982)
  • Echoes (1985)
  • Firefly Summer (1987)
  • Silver Wedding (1988)
  • Circle of Friends (1990)
  • The Copper Beech (1992)
  • The Glass Lake (1994)
  • Evening Class (1996)
  • Tara Road (1998)
  • Scarlet Feather (2000)
  • Quentins (2002)
  • Nights of Rain and Stars (2004)
  • Whitethorn Woods (2006)
  • Heart and Soul (2008)
  • Minding Frankie (2010)