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Andrea Cleary

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Andrea Cleary: Gwyneth’s disordered eating might scare people off dieting culture. But probably not

The star’s bone broth and (!) intravenous vitamins are reminders that diet culture hasn’t gone away, and never will – it just shapeshifts every few years

Book review: Moon cycles used to charts life’s up and downs in remarkable memoir

Using each month’s moon, Twelve Moons tracks Caro Giles’ attempts to find meaning, significance and routine in the chaos of single parenthood, coping with divorce, Covid and the struggle and challenges of everyday life

Andrea Cleary: A toast to the ‘sober curious’ making their own way in our drinking culture

Those who choose to drink less, or not at all, illustrate that sobriety is less about giving something up and more about what you can gain in a society where alcohol still holds a lot of social power

Book review: Declan Toohey’s complex, charming portrayal of a world of academic paranoia

Patience will be rewarded in the reading of this experimental, strangely compelling debut novel from Declan Toohey

Andrea Cleary: Same old song as women still struggle for artistic recognition

With no women nominated in the Artist of the Year category in this year’s Brit Awards, it rather tiringly signals that women are considered only as ‘pop stars’ rather than ‘artists’

The Best Days of Our Lives: Diamond’s latest family drama is weighed down by domestic minutiae

Intricate family drama story is somewhat plodding although it does deal well with the issue of family bereavement

Running Feet, Sharp Noses: personal reflections of our place among the animals

This anthology of contributions from a diverse selection of writers who contemplate their own position in the animal world deserves repeated reading

Succession, Oppenheimer, and Barbie: Looking forward to the cultural highlights of 2023

The highlights of the year to come as chosen by writers Ben Haugh, John Walshe, Andrea Cleary, Tony Clayton-Lea, Sara Keating and Jordan Mooney

‘Diaspora Irishness is a different kettle of fish to actual Ireland’ – Seán Hewitt

Writer and poet Seán Hewitt, whose autobiographical Gothic memoir All Down Darkness Wide received widespread critical acclaim and won the prestigious Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, grew up in an Irish family in Britain

Andrea Cleary: A new chapter is just around the corner

Getting back into the habit of picking up a book can be surprisingly difficult, but we have some top tips on how to rediscover the joy of reading in 2023

Well I Kind of Like It: An artful argument for finding the sublime in the everyday

Many of us think of art as something you find in a gallery, but it’s often the seemingly mundane things that surround us in our homes that can be considered art, a new collection of essays argues

Books of the year: the critics’ choice

The task of choosing from the bulging shelves of your favourite bookshop can be daunting, but our reviewers John Walshe, Andrew Lynch and Andrea Cleary are here to help – naming the books that stood out from the crowd in 2022, along with their overall favourite in each category

Andrea Cleary: Space wars – airlines are putting the squeeze on passengers

To recline or not to recline? Yes, there are those who feel entitled to stretch out at the expense of fellow travellers – but in the battle for arm and leg room, the airlines are to blame

Mad Honey: Nuanced novel about a beekeeper and a small-town murder is one of the year’s best

A collaboration between two well-known writers, this is a seamless, beautifully written tale whose characters are the real stars

The Moderator: Immersed in a world of dark, disturbing content for €13 an hour

Chris Gray recounts his time working as a content moderator for Facebook where he says there was inadequate training for policing the internet and workers suffered depression and mental illness

Crazy Dreams: Irish music’s ‘elder statesman’ looks back on a long and fulfilling career

In an extensively detailed memoir, singer Paul Brady reveals his relationship with folk music and the processes that go into his songwriting, including The Island, a song written during the Troubles

A Pocketful of Happiness: Glitzy and emotional memoir from one of showbiz’s most likeable stars

Actor Richard E Grant’s new book combines glamorous celebrity anecdotes with diary entries he made while his wife of 35 years was dying, while his enthusiasm and down-to-earth nature make it a charming, moving read

Andrea Cleary: I can’t help feeling as if I’ve done something wrong when an acne breakout occurs

Research shows adult acne is caused by a hormone imbalance, but because the beauty industry encourages us to obsess about our bodies, our faces and our skin, sufferers are made to feel like an outbreak is somehow their fault

Frantic pacing of Cat Lady enough to send you into a tailspin

Dawn O’Porter is a naturally witty writer but her third novel is a bit clunky and jarring in some of its plot devices

Thunder and Lightning: Bateman’s humorous memoir recalls a happy Bangor childhood

Author Colin Bateman’s charming and funny memoir recalls growing up in Co Down, where daily issues such as avoiding sadistic teachers and finding cash for sweets are much more important than the backdrop of the Troubles