Rick O'Shea

  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 […]

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 […]

  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 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 […]

    Liz Nugent – Skin Deep If you’ve read the awesome Liz Nugent’s first two novels (and if not, why not?) then you know what to expect here. A killer first line to drag you in and a morally compromised central sociopath (or two), except this time a fair chunk of the lifelong slow motion car crash that is Cordelia’s life, and the constantly shifting ground of her story in which many things are never what they seem, takes place on the Côte d’Azur. I have to say little about it as it’s not out until March but keep your […]

     It’s been a while, sorry all. I’ve been cheating on this blog with social media, and reading, and a new job… Glad to finally put together the books from 2017 that I think you should read, and a short review of each. Ready? Barry McKinley – A Ton Of Malice What a surprise this was. Set in late 70s grimy London with an Irish expat narrator winding his way through drink, drugs, friends, loneliness and all that come with it. Gorgeously, really beautifully written in places, deserves to have a much bigger audience that it’s already had. Roddy Doyle […]