I was convinced I hadn’t been reading very much this year. Not in a dramatic, book slump kind of way - just in that low-key distracted, “I’ll get back to it soon” mindset. You know how it goes: you dip in and out of a few pages between emails or catch a chapter while your tea goes cold again. You start three books at once and forget which one is living in which handbag. Life happens. Scrolling happens.

But then - I tidied my desk.

More specifically, I tackled the stack. You know the one. The unruly, tilting pile of books next to my desk, the ones I’ve read but haven’t put back on the shelves yet. It’s half to-be-filed, half to-be-processed-emotionally. But as I started sorting it, something quietly lovely occurred to me: I’ve actually been reading a lot more than I thought.

Not in a "smashed my Goodreads challenge by June" sort of way. More like... steady tipping away. A chapter here. Three pages there. A few books devoured in joyful binges, others read slowly, like a long walk I wasn’t in a hurry to finish. Some I let go of and returned to later. But this quiet little stack is proof: I’ve been reading, living, thinking. Sometimes in big gulps. Sometimes in small, satisfied sips.

And where did these books come from? Ah, well, here’s the magic part: this teetering tower is a glorious mix of new releases and secondhand finds from one of my favourite places in the world - Chapters Bookstore Dublin. Some were plucked fresh off the new arrivals table at the front of the store, still smelling like ink and possibility. Others were unearthed from the treasure troves at the back — the best secondhand bookshop section in Dublin, bar none. It’s the kind of place where you go in for one thing and emerge two hours later with a bag full of literary serendipity and a renewed sense of self.

And let me be honest - this is just the pile I’ve kept. There’s another invisible pile: the books I’ve already passed on. I’m a big believer in book matchmaking. Sometimes you read something and just know who it belongs to next. That friend who needs comfort, or a cousin going through something quietly shattering, or even a stranger you met once at a reading who mentioned they love Sally Rooney. You don’t always keep the good ones. Sometimes you let them go with love.

And that’s the beauty of reading, isn’t it? Especially when you're shopping secondhand. Books find their way to you when you need them. And sometimes, they tell you when it’s time to move on.

I’ve stopped caring about numbers or setting reading goals. I’m not trying to win at books. (Though if there were an award for Finishing a 500-Page Novel While Avoiding the Dishes, I’d be shortlisted.) These days, I’m just grateful for the moments I spend with a book. Whether it's something brand-new or a slightly foxed copy rescued from a shelf in Chapters’ secondhand section, it’s still a small, private joy. Still reading.

So here’s to the humble desk pile. The secret reading log. The sideways stack that reminds you: you’re still a reader, even when it doesn’t feel like much. You’re still showing up. And there’s a book out there waiting for you - maybe in a shiny new edition, maybe tucked into the back row of your favourite secondhand bookshop in Dublin.

Here are some of the titles from my “tidy-up revelation”, along with who I think might enjoy them and what you might want to read next… because if I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that reading doesn’t have to be epic. It just has to be yours.

Intimacy by Ita O’Brien
A sharp, thoughtful dive into how we negotiate closeness, boundaries, and consent, written with honesty and clarity.
For fans of: nuanced cultural commentary and books that make you go “ohhhh” aloud.
If you liked this, try: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo or Consent by Vanessa Springora.

Reality Check by Vicki Notaro
Fun, fast, and fizzing with humour - glamorous and fun yet grounded in emotional truth, combines humour with genuine exploration of family bonds and self‑reliance.
For fans of: Marian Keyes and anyone needing a bookish palate cleanser.
If you liked this, try: Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes or indeed Long Story by Vicki Notaro.

thirst trap by Gráinne O’Hare
Slick, sly, and painfully relatable - it’s modern dating with razor edges and laugh-out-loud lines.
For fans of: Sally Rooney’s messier characters and those who love dissecting a good bad Tinder date.
If you liked this, try: Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan or Ghosts by Dolly Alderton.

A Family Matter by Claire Lynch
Intense and elegant, this examines family ties, chosen relationships, and what we owe each other.
For fans of: Layered domestic dramas with moral complexity.
If you liked this, try: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan or Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder.

Births, Deaths and Marriages by Laura Barnett
A heartfelt, beautifully written ensemble drama following six university friends as they navigate births, marriages, losses, and the mess in‑between.
Perfect for: Anyone who loves character‑driven stories about friendship, mid‑life reckoning, and the unpredictable twists of everyday living.
If you liked this, try: One Day by David Nicholls or Cold Feet (TV vibes) - for more emotionally rich, time‑spanning friendship sagas.

Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard
A masterclass in clever plotting and dark humour, Catherine Ryan Howard gives us a thriller that’s as self-aware as it is gripping.
Perfect for: True crime podcast junkies and anyone who loves a thriller that winks at the genre.
If you liked this, try: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite or Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough.

The Night I Killed Him by Gill Perdue
Chilling and compulsive, this is a psychological thriller with a truly unsettling edge.
Perfect for: Fans of Gillian Flynn and Tana French.
If you liked this, try: Sharp Objects.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
Fierce, feminist and utterly unflinching - this modern Korean classic examines gender roles and societal pressures with scalpel-like precision.
Perfect for: Readers of Feminist City or anyone who loved Convenience Store Woman.
If you liked this, try: Feminism, Interrupted by Lola Olufemi.

The Second Chance Convenience Store by Kim Ho-Yeon
Wistful, warm and delightfully quirky - this is cosy, contemplative fiction with a gentle undercurrent of existential dread.
Perfect for: Fans of slow-burn, heartwarming stories.
If you liked this, try: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
A love letter to bookshops and the people who find solace in them. Quietly healing and perfect for rainy-day reading.
Perfect for: Fans of The Cat Who Saved Books and A Psalm for the Wild-Built.
If you liked this, try: More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
A warm, magical realist tale infused with longing, coffee and conversations that change lives.
Perfect for: Readers who adored The Travelling Cat Chronicles.
If you liked this, try: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara
Pacy, twisty, and utterly addictive - Andrea Mara knows how to keep you guessing (and second‑guessing).
Perfect for: Readers who love domestic thrillers with emotional depth.
If you liked this, try: The Couple at No. 9 by Claire Douglas or The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager.

From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata
A slow-burn romance that feels like being wrapped in a giant cosy scarf. Ice skating, enemies-to-lovers, and emotional payoff galore.
Perfect for: Romance readers who love a drawn-out build.
If you liked this, try: The Deal by Elle Kennedy or Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood.

Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe
A darkly comic, heart-wrenching Irish novel that’s as poetic as it is gritty. Brimming with McCabe’s signature wit and edge.
Perfect for: Fans of unconventional narrators and literary mischief.
If you liked this, try: Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe or Milkman by Anna Burns.

Constellations by Sinéad Gleeson
Gleeson’s essays explore illness, womanhood, and art with piercing beauty. A book to savour in quiet moments.
Perfect for: Lovers of lyrical nonfiction and introspective writing.
If you liked this, try: On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming or Notes to Self by Emilie Pine.

Moving On by Roisin Meaney
Charming, heartfelt and uplifting - perfect for when life feels a little heavy.
Perfect for: Readers who adore Maeve Binchy’s warmth.
If you liked this, try: The Bookseller’s Gift by Felicity Hayes-McCoy.

 

Our Song by Anna Carey
Tender, witty, and full of nostalgic beats - Carey captures the messy magic of young love.
Perfect for: Fans of Sally Rooney’s sweeter moments.
If you liked this, try: The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan or Normal People by Sally Rooney.

The Burned Sinner and the Harmonious Angels by Clarice Lispector
Short, strange, and searing - Lispector’s prose reads like a fever dream you don’t want to wake from. Big ideas packed into tiny pages.
Perfect for: Readers of experimental fiction and those who want their brains gently melted.
If you liked this, try: The Hour of the Star by Lispector.

Frogs for Watchdogs by Seán Farrell
A beautifully raw and atmospheric debut set in 1980s rural Meath, told through the mind of a seven‑year‑old boy navigating family upheaval and a mysterious outsider.
Perfect for: Lovers of literary coming‑of‑age stories with emotional depth and a rural Irish setting.
If you liked this, try: The Butchers by Ruth Gilligan for rural settings with tension.