Books Of The Year 2020

Posted Rick O'Shea1 Comment

  Look, this used to be a blog back in the day and even a place where I posted regular book reviews, but 2020 has put paid to all that I’m afraid. However, it’s very handy to still have a place to post a longform piece about my favourite books released in 2020. Yes, there are a *lot*, but you’re on to a winner with them all. A few lines on each so as to not bore you to death by the end. So, in alphabetical order of a kind… Anne Enright – Actress A luscious, beautifully written, fantastic story […]

My Books Of The Year 2019

Posted Rick O'Shea

  As is the fashion (and because I’m juggling 10 different balls at the moment!) I have a list of books you absolutely, definitely should read. Sorry for the fact that there are 28 of them but sure you can never have too much choice, can you? I’m sure I’ve missed some. Sorry… They are my best of 2019. Ece Temelkuran – How To Lose A Country – The Seven Steps From Democracy To Dictatorship Vital reading. She starts with her own experience in her native Turkey, quickly moving through other parts of Europe and on to Trump And Brexit, […]

Book Reviews – May 2019

Posted Rick O'Shea

  It has been way too long but at least I have ten new joys to throw your way…   Beth O’Leary – The Flatshare This one definitely belongs in the “to be brought on holiday” pile. It starts with a simple idea – Leon has a one-bedroom flat in London, works nights, needs money. Tilly needs a cheap place to stay, has little money and sees an advert offering a bedroom for 12 hours a day. The two need never meet. Well, that’s like putting a loaded gun on the table at the beginning of a play. What might […]

Book Reviews – February 2019

Posted Rick O'Shea

EDIT – It was only when I was at home at the weekend that I realised I had completely forgotten to include two of my favourite books coming up in this period! I’m blaming old age. Sorry Sinead and Hannah, they’re now added. ******************************************************************************************************** If you ever read stuff on this site you’ll probably have recognised a few things: (1) I’m an incredibly infrequent poster (2) I prefer the short to the long-winded when it comes to recommending books. (3) I am a terrible reviewer, but I am quite passionate about things when I like them. Thus… A few things […]

Books Of The Year 2018

Posted Rick O'Shea

  I know it’s been a while, I know. Pretty much 6 months since I blogged last (a list of books for the summer). To be honest I’ve just been rattling on about what I’ve been up to so much on social and the likes I had completely forgotten to put things together all on one page somewhere like here so they don’t get lost. And so, my list of best books from 2018 that I’ve read and I think you should too, all with very brief reasons why (no-one has the time in the week before Xmas for long […]

The Rick O’Shea Book Club Summer Reads 2018

Posted Rick O'Shea2 Comments

    The hardest part of figuring out what to recommend in a “Summer Reads” list is usually not what to actually include (although this list could have been double the size), but what actually is one? Thankfully I’m in no way qualified to try and define that so I’m taking my usual easy way out and simply giving you ten books that I think you might enjoy whether you’re going away or staying at home…   David Graeber – Bullshit Jobs – A Theory Ever felt as if your job has no meaning, brings no value in to the […]