The First ROSBC Movie Screening

Posted Rick O'Shea

You know, it just seemed to make sense when the IFI (avid members of the Rick O’Shea Book Club themselves) got in contact and asked if we were interested in partnering for a screening of A Man Called Ove, given that the book itself had been read my so many members. Still, I wasn’t sure how many people would show up given that we were crossing media borders. Who would have guessed that you could attract more people to a book event with a movie than any of the book events we’d had with authors? Thanks to everyone for coming, […]

New Short Book Reviews – June 2017

Posted Rick O'Shea

  Late as usual, life (and festivals, events, work etc.) getting in the way, but here are my latest very short reviews of stuff I’ve read recently.   David Sedaris – Theft By Finding As someone who has read and loved him for years this is just brilliant. His actual diaries from 1977 right the way through 2002. Fascinating and funny in and of themselves, I do wonder though if you’d find them as interesting if you’d never read any of his collections. I loved it though.   Sally Rooney – Conversations With Friends This highly anticipated debut novel was […]

ROSBC – Books Of The Month June 2017

Posted Rick O'Shea

Seriously, how are the months sliding past so quickly?? Anyway. For June, the 2 books we’ll be recommending here on the ROSBC are: Sally Rooney – Conversations With Friends The much anticipated (it was part of a seven way bidding war between publishers, although not in the Wrestlemania kind of way I had imagined as she corrected me last night!) debut novel from this 26 year old Irish author doesn’t disappoint. It’s an entertaining, human, real story of 2 quite different couples(?) whose lives collide in a very 21st century way. And: Edouard Louis – The End Of Eddy A […]

Craft Beer In Budapest

Posted Rick O'Shea

Part of a long running series here (see Edinburgh, Tokyo & Kyoto, Hiroshima, Seoul and Copenhagen) this time my travels took me to beautiful Budapest on the banks of the Danube. Wasn’t sure what to expect there to be honest. All I knew is that it was cheap to travel to and apparently cheap to eat and drink there as well. So, a few ideas as to where you might like to check out if you like craft beer… Matroz Koscma On the Pest side of the river (but right next to the hotel we were staying in) was a […]

My Plans To Clone Myself…

Posted Rick O'Shea

So, as tends to happen around this time of year, things start to get busy and bookings come in 🙂 Just so you know, here’s where you can find me over the next little while in terms of book events, awards ceremonies and the like:   May 3rd: Presenting National Student Enterprise Awards – Croke Park, Dublin   May 9th: Rick O’Shea Book Club event – Tracy Chevalier – Dubray Books, Grafton Street.   May 23rd: Hosting CBI Book Of The Year Awards 2017.   May 25th: Hosting Spunout.ie Social Media Awards – Sockies 2017 – RDS, Dublin   May […]

New Short Book Reviews – April 2017

Posted Rick O'Shea

Bless me gods of all literature, it has been 2 months since my last post  of reviews and in that time I have read… Lisa McInerney – The Blood Miracles If you remember how much I liked her debut The Glorious Heresies then it may not come as an enormous surprise to find that the continuing story of Ryan and those that surround him in Cork is just as compelling. Fast, elegantly written in a world of drugs, amorality and dance music but an expansion on the first book that’s far more than a sequel – you end up so […]