#8thRef – the importance of conversations

#8thRef - the importance of conversations

We talk a lot about having conversations with regards to the upcoming referendum to remove the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution. We talk a lot about having conversations because we understand how important those conversations are. Speaking to people, be they family, friends or colleagues, listening to their concerns and discussing the wide-ranging impact the Eighth Amendment has on the lives of pregnant people in Ireland is crucial in the run up to May 25th. A few years ago, conversations like these changed my thinking and helped me fully understand the implications of the Eighth Amendment and why we must repeal it.

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5 questions with Jen Williams

The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams. Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher, Headline, included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here. 

Today’s 5 questions with… interview is a little different because my husband, Paul, asked the questions. Publication of Jen Williams’ books has either coincided with our wedding anniversary or Paul’s birthday, so they have always made up a part of my gifts to him. So when the opportunity arose to interview Jen as part of the blog tour for her latest novel The Bitter Twins, it seemed appropriate to hand the reins over to Paul.

The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams

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Recent Reads – February 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 -February 2018
Original photo: Viktor Hanacek from picjumbo

February unintentionally became a month where I only read non-fiction, which isn’t something I’m complaining about even though the books I read were pretty hit and miss.

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Recent Reads – December edition

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 edition
Original photo: Viktor Hanacek from picjumbo

I rounded out 2017 nicely; with some new favourites among the one(s) that didn’t capture my attention as much as I thought they would.

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12 thought-provoking articles from 2017

12 thought-provoking articles from 2017
Photo: kaboompics

I love discovering new writers and re-visiting old favourites. I’m grateful to authors, bloggers, columnists, journalists, and writers for putting pen to paper, so to speak, and sharing their work.

To mark the New Year, here are 12 thought-provoking articles from 2017. These articles all resonated with me, in some way, and I find myself returning to them frequently. They’ve helped me understand the world a little better. They’ve challenged my views on certain issues. They’ve helped me come to terms with things in my own life. They’ve reminded me of the importance of words and the power of telling our stories.

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Best Books of 2017

Some Advance Reader Copies (ARCs), via Bookbridgr, Netgalley, authors and publishers, included. They will be marked with an *. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Best Books of 2017

Now that we’re in 2018, it’s safe to talk about my best books of 2017. I made the mistake of sharing my favourite reads of 2016 before Christmas and then read All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan, so lesson learned; do not write end of year favourites when there is still time in the year.

In keeping with my previous yearly round-ups, most of the books I read were written by women. What started as a conscious effort has become second nature. I rated more books five stars on Goodreads (you can find me here) this year, than the previous two combined. I’ve been more selective with my choices, especially when it comes to advance reader copies, which explains it. I read less crime fiction than I have in a long time, which is something I’ll be writing about soon.

Some of these books made me laugh. Some made me cry. Some managed to do both. They all made me think. They all made me want to seek out people who had read them, so we could discuss the stories at length.

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2017 – A Year in Review

2017 - a year in review

2017 was a strange old year. The world continued to come apart at the seams, my health, both mental and physical, wasn’t great (again) which affected my writing and I spent a not insignificant amount of time trying to figure out how, y’know, to do life. It wasn’t all bad, mind; I wrote some stuff I am proud of, dedicated even more time to activism and met some brilliant people.

Here is a whistle-stop tour of my year, totally inspired by Grace Latter’s 2017: a year on the blog.

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5 questions with Olive Collins

The Tide Between Us by Olive Collins. Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, Poolbeg, included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Well crafted and well researched, The Tide Between Us* doesn’t shy away from the harshness of indentured servitude while, also, highlighting the preferential treatment they received compared to chattel slavery. It is an absorbing story about family connections, in all their complicated glory.

Thank you to Olive Collins for taking the time to allow me pick her brain about all things writing and research.

5 questions with Olive Collins

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