Fiction reviews Non-Fiction reviews Books for Younger Readers Author Interviews Books News and Features Books Home Page
Book review: Murder and mystery in a small town
Book review: Murder and mystery in a small town
Final instalment of Tana French's trilogy is an absorbing and believable read

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019
Book review: Lanchester is a master of writing topical tales that entertain
'Look What You Made Me Do' deals with some weighty topics but also reads as if it was fun to write

Fri, 01 May, 2026

10 books for May: New titles from Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Douglas Stuart, Sarah A Parker...
10 books for May: New titles from Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Douglas Stuart, Sarah A Parker...
The Aisling authors also have a new book on the way 

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

File Pics The journalist and writer, Maeve Binchy, has died following a short illness. She was 72.
Gordon Snell, children’s author and husband of Maeve Binchy, dies aged 93
Prolific writer of more than 70 children’s books also worked in broadcasting and shared a creative partnership with Maeve Binchy

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026

Rows of books in shelves
Barry Andrews: Big publishers are ripping off our public libraries
Libraries are for everyone. In a noisy and hectic world, they are one of the few quiet places we have left, but the public library model is in danger, writes Barry Andrews

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

Book review: Finding common ground in shared grief
Book review: Finding common ground in shared grief
If you want to open your heart up and let three incredibly brave and independent women tell you their story, 'Secrets Between Friends' could be the perfect read for you

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026

My Life in Books: I bring a book everywhere, in case there is a minute or two of downtime
My Life in Books: I bring a book everywhere, in case there is a minute or two of downtime
Boston born RP O’Donnell, who now lives in West Cork, has just published his debut novel 'All the Old Clocks'

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026

Book review: Memoir dives into an eccentric Belfast childhood
Book review: Memoir dives into an eccentric Belfast childhood
Born in Belfast in 1972, Sinéad Morrisey was raised in the shadow of the Troubles, but somehow apart from them, thanks to her parents’ passionate belief in communism

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026

Children's book reviews: Young Lana’s fate sealed when she turns in to a sea creature?
Children's book reviews: Young Lana’s fate sealed when she turns in to a sea creature?
Pet O’Connell rounds up a selection of the latest children’s books, including tales of a teen girl who can shape shift when wearing her nana’s coat, a history book in verse, and a boy superhero

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026

The Keanification of Ireland: Author Dave Hannigan on Roy Keane’s enduring influence
The Keanification of Ireland: Author Dave Hannigan on Roy Keane’s enduring influence
Author Dave Hannigan discusses Roy Keane’s roots, influence, and complex legacy in shaping modern Irish identity

 Listen | Fri, 24 Apr, 2026

 Listen |
Trinity graduate among authors shortlisted for Women’s Prize for Fiction
Trinity graduate among authors shortlisted for Women’s Prize for Fiction
The 2026 winner will be revealed in June

Wed, 22 Apr, 2026

Book review: Classic mixed with current
Book review: Classic mixed with current
A prolific novelist, poet and essayist, Mary O’Donnell writes with all the assurance you would expect from an author of her experience

Sat, 18 Apr, 2026

Book review: United through shared oppression
Book review: United through shared oppression
Set in the early 1970s, 'Our Better Natures' interweaves the real lives of radical feminist Andrea Dworkin, poet Muriel Rukeyser with that of fictional housewife, Phyllis Patterson

Sat, 18 Apr, 2026

My life in books: ‘Ireland has so many wonderful bookshops’
My life in books: ‘Ireland has so many wonderful bookshops’
Longford-based farmer, and author of 'The Cow Book', John Connell is currently researching a book on the environment

Sat, 18 Apr, 2026

The New Yorker Festival 2015 - Andrew Jarecki Talks With Patrick Radden Keefe
Book review: Family’s quest for truth behind Zac Brettler’s mysterious death
'London Falling' goes beyond a meticulous investigation into death of the 19-year-old and looks at a city which has a porous boundary with the criminal underworld

Fri, 17 Apr, 2026

'I am just relieved for now': Iranian author on the war and her book at the Cork World Book Fest
'I am just relieved for now': Iranian author on the war and her book at the Cork World Book Fest
Ahead of a visit to Cork, author Roxana Manouchehri talks about the comfort of food inspiring her book, and shares her fears for her parents in Iran, writes Colette Sheridan

Mon, 13 Apr, 2026

The 85th Annual Peabody Awards - Arrivals / Cocktails
Patrick Radden Keefe on human stories, tracing Irish family, and Russian espionage
Say Nothing author Patrick Radden Keefe has penned another gripping non-fiction classic. He tells Richard Fitzpatrick what drew him to the story of Zac Brettler

Mon, 13 Apr, 2026

My Life in books:  ‘I read exactly 345 pages, stopped... slammed it shut’
My Life in books:  ‘I read exactly 345 pages, stopped... slammed it shut’
Award-winning writer Mary O’Donnell says a book everyone should read is the European realist novel, 'Buddenbrooks', by Thomas Mann

Sat, 11 Apr, 2026

Book review: Never easy, but always engaging
Book review: Never easy, but always engaging
Liz Nugent’s new novel is not a comfortable read, but it is compelling and takes readers through a multitude of emotions and moral questions

Sat, 11 Apr, 2026

Book review: Gritty debut garnering acclaim
Book review: Gritty debut garnering acclaim
Electricity pulsates through 'All Them Dogs' with an intensity and a sense of urgency that propels the reader forward to the very fitting ending

Sat, 11 Apr, 2026

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands # 2 XXXL
Karl Whitney: Looking for the right ending? Try taking two steps back
Finding the right ending is not always obvious but the best part of being a writer is not to get distracted by conclusions, rather to get lost in the joy of the work

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026

Revealed: Six novels shortlisted for €100k Dublin Literary Award
Revealed: Six novels shortlisted for €100k Dublin Literary Award
It is the world's most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English

Tue, 07 Apr, 2026

Culture That Made Me: Katriona O’Sullivan, author of Poor, picks her touchstones
Culture That Made Me: Katriona O’Sullivan, author of Poor, picks her touchstones
Harper Lee, the Housewives of Beverly Hills, and the Two Norries feature among O'Sullivan's selections 

Mon, 06 Apr, 2026

My life in books: ‘You can learn a lot outside your usual reading lane’
My life in books: ‘You can learn a lot outside your usual reading lane’
Cork City Libraries senior executive librarian Patricia Looney says, when it comes to books, pick what makes you happy, not what you feel you should read

Sat, 04 Apr, 2026

Melissa Auf Der Maur Discusses Her New Book "Even The Good Girls Will Cry"
Book review: Lifestyle distorted by addiction
This deceptively compelling memoir isn’t simply another dutiful reflection on a life spent in and around music: this is one woman’s quest for certainty

Sat, 04 Apr, 2026

Cork City v Wexford - SSE Airtricity Men's First Division
Book review: Roy Keane’s influence on modern Ireland
Did Roy Keane influence the change in Ireland, or did the changes in Ireland enable Roy Keane to be the man he has become?

Sat, 04 Apr, 2026

Book review: A gay man at war with himself who fought to free his country
Book review: A gay man at war with himself who fought to free his country
Dying at the end of a rope in an English jail, rebel Roger Casement displayed the courage that defined him

Fri, 03 Apr, 2026

Six For Your Radar: Triskel jazz, The Drama, Dónal Dineen
Six For Your Radar: Triskel jazz, The Drama, Dónal Dineen
The follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale also hits our screens 

Thu, 02 Apr, 2026

10 books for April: Katriona O'Sullivan, Patrick Radden Keefe, Louise O'Neill
10 books for April: Katriona O'Sullivan, Patrick Radden Keefe, Louise O'Neill
Ardal O'Hanlon is also publishing the first of his new series of mystery thrillers 

Wed, 01 Apr, 2026

My life in books: 'One simple line by Maeve Binchy was enough'
My life in books: 'One simple line by Maeve Binchy was enough'
'I think Maeve and people like Patricia Scanlan have sent the very essence of Irishness out into the world'

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Book review: Exploring the nature of meaning
Book review: Exploring the nature of meaning
Mary Costello’s latest novel offers a thoughtful portrait of the drift of life, the perils of the unconscious, and the mysteries of the self

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Irish writer Mary Lavin
Book review: A behemoth of the Irish canon
Spanning Mary Lavin’s long career, this book gathers 16 stories that show her at different stages of life, yet always alert to the same quiet tensions

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Author interview: For Tóibín, it’s all about keeping the show on the road
Author interview: For Tóibín, it’s all about keeping the show on the road
Currently trying out the opening for a new novel, Colm Tóibín is looking forwards to seeing his latest opera show at the 75th anniversary Wexford Opera Festival in October

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Award-winning West Cork bookshop with links to Maeve Binchy goes on the market
Award-winning West Cork bookshop with links to Maeve Binchy goes on the market
Kerr's Book Shop, in business for 34 years, is being sold as a going concern

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Book review: Thematic scope to why Mesopotamia matters
Book review: Thematic scope to why Mesopotamia matters
Anyone wishing to dip their toes in the wonders of Mesopotamia for the first time would do well to start with 'Between Two Rivers'

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

Book review: Uncovering the roots of slavery
Book review: Uncovering the roots of slavery
'Searching for My Slave Roots' is dedicated to Malik Al Nasir’s ancestors. Some were forcibly transported from West Africa to sugar plantations in the Caribbean

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

My Life in Books: 'Book on 1920s America still resonates now'
My Life in Books: 'Book on 1920s America still resonates now'
Dave Hannigan's latest book, 'We Need to Talk About Roy: The Keanification of Modern Ireland', has just been published

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

Author interview: Debut novel grew out of fascination with JFK’s visit
Author interview: Debut novel grew out of fascination with JFK’s visit
Neil Tully works as a dentist in a practice on Shandon St in Cork City; in the evening, he retires to an old garage in his home in Bishopstown to indulge his creative passion

Fri, 20 Mar, 2026

Saturday with Cathy Kelly: 'I've been doing arty things — and there's always the laundry!'
Saturday with Cathy Kelly: 'I've been doing arty things — and there's always the laundry!'
Bray is a fabulous place to live — it's great for the dogs and has at least eight charity shops

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

My Life in Books: 'I read most books hoping that they will change me'
My Life in Books: 'I read most books hoping that they will change me'
Garry Bannister has written several books including the reference book 'Teasáras Gaeilge-Béarla', which was nominated for an Irish Book Award in 2023

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

TFF 2009 Portrait Studio At The DIRECTV Tribeca Press Center - Day 3
Book review: White House’s layers of deceit
No US president or politician emerges from this book with any credit. According to the author, it is impossible to get elected to power in the US without becoming totally compromised

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

Gisele Pelicot petition
Book review: ‘All I wanted was a quiet life’
'A Hymn to Life' zigzags between two narratives: from Gisele Pelicot's difficult childhood to meeting Dominique Pelicot and their 50 years of marriage and her discovery of his crimes

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

Troy Parrott celebrates after scoring the winning goal 16/11/2025
Children's book reviews: Dreams of sporting greatness, messy hair, and suspicious fish
With Seachtain na Gaeilge upon us, Pet O’Connell reviews a selection of Irish language books for children and teenagers

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Book review: Firm hold on skillful storytelling
Book review: Firm hold on skillful storytelling
Readers will readily empathise with, and root for, Dan and Tamma as they try to overcome every obstacle that lands in their path in this coming-of-age story

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Book review: Revelling in brilliant absurdity
Book review: Revelling in brilliant absurdity
Anyone who enjoys quirky stories with flawed but lovable characters and a good deal of heart will lap up this debut novel

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

My Life in Books: 'Nothing nicer than a wander in a bookshop'
My Life in Books: 'Nothing nicer than a wander in a bookshop'
Retired garda Dearbhla Mescal, mother of famous actor Paul, has just released her new collection of poems and reflections

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Book review: The Irish pub: Evolving and reinvented itself through time
Book review: The Irish pub: Evolving and reinvented itself through time
Consisting of 20 scholarly but accessible essays, the book explores its subject through the prism of history, design, sociology, literature, and psychology

Fri, 06 Mar, 2026

Leo Callanan: Reading can be fun, I promise
Leo Callanan: Reading can be fun, I promise
Reading for pleasure is something young men tend to lose as they move into adulthood

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

Two Irish authors among those longlisted for Women's Prize Fiction award
Two Irish authors among those longlisted for Women's Prize Fiction award
The Women’s Prize Trust, the charity building a better future by championing women’s writing, announced the longlist ahead of International Women’s Day, which includes Irish authors Wendy Erskine and Kit de Waal

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

10 new books for March: Liz Nugent, Asako Yuzuki, and an Irish romantasy
10 new books for March: Liz Nugent, Asako Yuzuki, and an Irish romantasy
Plus a deeply candid memoir from Liza Minnelli

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Latest

Scene & Heard

Newsletter

From music and film to books and visual art, explore the best of culture in Munster and beyond. Selected by our Arts Editor and delivered weekly.

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited