The blog
Essays, reading diaries, and the occasional list of bookshops worth a detour.
I am usually a creature of quiet, slow-spilled fiction, but three nights ago I found myself padding across the cold kitchen floor to check the deadbolt twice.
October 23, 2026 · 2 min
More essays
When you finish Fourth Wing and your living room feels entirely too quiet, here are three stories with sharp teeth, deadly trials, and fierce hearts to pick up next.
A customer stood in front of the YA shelves looking thoroughly panicked by twenty-odd spines. Here is how I gently talk readers through Cassandra Clare's universe.
Staring down Tahereh Mafi's sprawling, strike-through dystopian series? Here is the cozy guide to navigating every book and novella without losing your way.
Staring down sixteen interconnected fantasy novels is intimidating. Here is the gentle, sanity-preserving order I recommend for reading Sarah J. Maas in 2026.
What Colleen Hoover book should I read first? Amy matches six popular Colleen Hoover books to your mood, with honest ratings and spoiler-free guidance.
Take the what book should I read quiz right here in this post — seven questions on genre, spice, pace and tropes, matched to real books from my reviewed shelf.
Nine reading moods and the kind of book that satisfies each one — a better way to choose than genre alone.
The exact ingredients that make her thrillers so bingeable, and how to find your next one-sitting read.
What to read when the evenings close in — the moods, genres and pairings that make autumn the best reading season of the year.
Why slumps happen and the six kinds of book that reliably break them, from short thrillers to comfort rereads.
Gift ideas that readers actually want, from someone who wraps them for a living — all under €30 and posted from Wexford.
The size, the schedule, the snacks and the questions — a practical guide to running a book club that survives past month three.
Work out your real reading time from page count and reading speed, and why the number varies so much between books.
The realistic maths behind a book a week, plus the habits that make it feel like a treat instead of a target.
A five-minute method for picking your next read from an overflowing TBR, without doom-scrolling three apps first.
All five Off Campus books in order, who each one follows, and where Briar U fits in afterwards.
A no-spoiler guide to the Colleen Hoover backlist, which two books must be read in order, and which one to pick based on how much crying you are willing to do.
There's a particular hush that falls over a bookstore when someone asks for 'the CoHo section' – a collective knowing, a silent nod to the author who has truly captivated a generation of readers. Let's delve into her world.
Curled up with the grand finale of a beloved series, I found myself adrift in a world both dazzling and heartbreaking. There's a particular hush that falls when you turn the last page of such an epic journey.
My reading life, usually a meandering river, recently took a sharp turn into a bustling, emotional cityscape. I'm talking, of course, about Colleen Hoover.
Sarah J. Maas has revealed the titles, covers and release dates for ACOTAR 6 and 7. Here is everything confirmed so far, plus what to reread before October.
Cozy blankets, fluffy socks, favorite loungewear and a breathtaking read... yes, please!
The full Shatter Me reading order, where each novella slots in, and whether the second half of the series is worth it.
Every Sarah J. Maas book by name and release year - Throne of Glass, ACOTAR and Crescent City - plus how the original covers differ from the redesigned editions.
Which Sarah J. Maas series to start with, the correct order for each one, and the Assassin's Blade question everybody argues about.
Every Shadowhunter series in the right order, plus the two ways to read them and where a brand-new reader should really begin.
What dark romance actually is, how it differs from spicy romance, how to read content warnings properly, and five dark romance books to start with.
The best book gifts to send readers in Ireland — wrapped mystery parcels, personalised picks and monthly boxes — with prices, An Post delivery times and gifting tips.
The best book club books are the ones people argue about. Here are the picks that reliably start a conversation, plus ready-made discussion questions for your next meeting.
A blind date with a book is a wrapped mystery read chosen from clues, not covers. Here is how ours works, what goes in the parcel and how to pick clues you will actually love.
Why enemies to lovers books work, what separates a great one from a lazy one, and eight titles across romantasy, contemporary romance and dark romance to read next.
Finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and need the next fix? Here are seven books like ACOTAR — fae courts, slow burn romance and heroines with teeth — ranked by how close they feel.
The best thriller books for Irish readers in 2026 — psychological thrillers, domestic suspense and one-sitting page-turners, with honest notes from my own shelf.
Fated mates, only one bed, morally grey villain love interests — I have opinions. A completely subjective ranking of the tropes that keep us reading past midnight.
You've inhaled Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and now you're waiting for book three like the rest of us. Here's what to read in the meantime.
Everyone's talking about romantasy — but what actually counts, where did it come from, and which book should you start with? Here's the friendly, no-gatekeeping guide.
Finished Throne of Glass and need another sprawling fantasy series with a fierce heroine and a cast you'd die for? These eight will keep you up past your bedtime.
Finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and don't know where to go next? Here are nine romantasy reads — from Sarah J. Maas herself to the slow-burn faerie courts you haven't met yet — to soften the landing.
