Of all the whimsical words of wisdom circulating on social media at the beginning of the Covid-19 restrictions, this one struck me as funny and starkly relevant: At the end of this lockdown you will emerge as either a hunk, a chunk or a drunk. The heavy truth of this pushed me to make a positive decision. At that point, I was already joining my grandchildren in their online Joe Wicks family workouts at 9am each weekday (no breaking Covid …
Author: Aileen Smyth
→With more than thirty years’ experience in the book trade, books continue to absorb and fascinate me. Recommending books to Dubray customers is the highlight of my day; that thrill you feel when someone asks your opinion is very powerful. Aside from being a book nerd, I’m scribbler, a walker and a huge music fan.
Along with books, music has always been one of my greatest joys. Putting these two great loves together was a no-brainer. My collection of music-related books has been growing, and …
With the world held hostage to the deadly virus, getting to travel anywhere now would be a mere dream. But I was lucky enough to visit Vietnam just before the …
The incomparable Patti Smith celebrates the passing of another decade in her life with The Year of the Monkey. In her seventieth year, this prolific punk-rock poet sets out on …
Over the years, I have read many of Iris Murdoch’s twenty-six novels. But I still remember the one that drew me in, that led me down the path of excitedly …
At the end of my last post, I was gearing up for my Camino journey, boots and guidebooks organised, and mind set firmly on putting one foot in front of …
If I had to name just one book that best captured the spirit of the age in which it was written, it would have to be The Great Gatsby, published …
My decision to walk the Camino de Santiago this year is more an accident than a life ambition — Italy was my first choice, a trek in Trentino in northern …
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