by Paula Dennan -

A complicated relationship with alcohol

A complicated relationship with alcohol
Photo credit: kaboompics.com

Them: Do you want a drink?

Me: I’ll have a soda water and lime, please.

Them: Are you sure you don’t want some vodka in that?

Me: No thanks, I’m not drinking.

Them: Have you been landed with the driving?

Me: Nope.

Them: Oh right, you’re on antibiotics is it?

Me: No, I’m just not drinking.

Them: *looking shocked* You’re not pregnant, are you?!

Me: No, I’m just not drinking

Them: Are you sure you won’t have that vodka, then?

Me: No, thanks.

Them: Ah right! Eh… I haven’t put my foot in it, have I? You’re not an alcoholic or anything?

Me: You kind of have, but no I’m not. I’m just not drinking. Look I’ll get my own soda water and lime, thanks.

Them: *looking confused* Um, yeah, whatever you think is best.

by Paula Dennan -

The life-changing act of Repealing the Eighth

A collage of photos of Kerry for Choice, Kerry Together for Yes and Corca Dhuibhne out canvassing during the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution in 2018.

I recently updated the Kerry for Choice website to include details on how to access abortion services and found myself close to tears, again. I keep thinking it has finally sunk in, then something happens and I realise that it will probably never feel real. But real it is. For all the faults with the legislation and there are many, people who need an abortion in Ireland can now phone a helpline run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and be given details of their nearest abortion provider.

by Paula Dennan -

Recent Reads – December 2018

Some Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) included. They are marked with an *. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Recent Reads - December 2018

I finished 2018 with a heavy dose of non-fiction, which seems appropriate considering 45 of the 70 books I read last year fell into the non-fiction category. It seems I’m all about the memoirs, essay collections and feminist non-fiction these days, which I am thoroughly enjoying.

by Paula Dennan -

12 thought-provoking articles from 2018

12 thought-provoking articles from 2018
Photo: kaboompics

Once upon a time I did weekly round-ups of articles, blog posts and stuff from the internet that caught my attention. While I grew tired of that particular blog post format, I do still enjoy sharing those things on Twitter (follow me here, if that sounds like something you’ll enjoy!). For the last couple of years I have shared the articles, from the previous year, that had the biggest impact on me. This is year no different.

Some of these articles stayed with me because I agree with them wholeheartedly. Some made me think about things differently. Many made me realise that I need to do better especially with anti-racism work. They’ve helped me understand the world a little better or challenged my views on certain issues, in the way that great writing so often does.

by Paula Dennan -

Best Books of 2018

Some Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) included. They are marked with an *. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Original Photo by Mahendra Kumar on Unsplash

A more accurate title for this post would be ‘My Favourite Books of 2018’ because not all of them were published in 2018, but I called my first yearly book round-up the ‘Best Books of’ back in 2015 and feel the need to be consistent so we’re just going to go with it.

2018 was the year I stopped rating books by stars on Goodreads. I still list the books I’ve read (you can find me here), but I realised that star ratings are not something I judge books on and, to be honest, there can be so little difference between four and five stars that they feel pointless.

It was also the year of reading to my own schedule instead of feeling that I needed to read the latest releases all the time. That said, by being more selective with the advance reader copies I accepted six of my top ten were books I was sent for review purposes (they’re marked with an * throughout the post). Turns out I quite enjoy reading new releases, even when it is at my own pace!

by Paula Dennan -

Recent Reads – November 2018

Some Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) included. They are marked with an *. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Recent Reads - November 2018
Original photo: Viktor Hanacek from picjumbo

November was the month of the chest infection from hell (the joys of a suppressed immune system!), which meant lots of time curled up on the couch spent reading in between painful coughing fits. Here are the books that saw me through it.

by Paula Dennan -

Recent Reads – October 2018

Some Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) included. They are marked with an *. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Recent Reads - October 2018
Original photo: Viktor Hanacek from picjumbo

I’ve been dealing with an arthritis flare-up for the past few months. As a result, the blog has taken a back seat because typing has been difficult. While I’ve been reading a lot, partly due to painsomnia, I’m only getting round to writing about the books I read in October now.

by Paula Dennan -

5 Feminist Non-Fiction Book Recommendations

5 Feminist Non-Fiction Recommendations
Original photo: Viktor Hanacek from picjumbo

I’ve written about how I became a feminist and reading played a significant role in that. I have a list on my phone of all the feminist non-fiction I have read over the last few years.

Books that resonated with me when I first started learning about feminism leave me frustrated now. Intersectionality is the reason for that. It wasn’t a concept I was familiar with then, but the books on this list all deal with feminism from an intersectional perspective.