Marty Morrissey’s passion for his job, untameable zest and drive to succeed are evident throughout his book

He may be scathing about some of his peers, but Brian Cox’s honest account of his life and career is a real story with real heart

Harry Freedman’s diligent and lucid book examines the Jewish and Christian sources Cohen mined for his songwriting

Books are the gifts that keep on giving. Here are some suggestions for your littler loved ones this year

Indulge yourself with these dishes from Gaz Smith of Michael’s and award-winning butcher Rick Higgins – they're ideal for cold winter days

Rob Doyle’s new collection of short essays sees him ponder the impact that his favourite books have had on him down the years

As the centenary of the Anglo-Irish Treaty approaches, two new books tackle the personal issues and the political and wider effects the agreement had on Irish society

Emily Hourican’s second novel about the interior lives of heiresses Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh Guinness is a glamorous delight

The Virgin Media News correspondent’s analysis of the coronavirus crisis in Ireland is comprehensive but disquieting

Jonathan Franzen creates a world populated with vivid and intriguing characters in the first book of a trilogy covering the lives of the seemingly ordinary Hildebrandt family

RTÉ correspondent Brian O’Donovan’s account of the Trump years is perhaps slightly too measured and neutral, but it offers an intelligent perspective on a uniquely bizarre episode of American politics

Irish actress and author Evanna Lynch, who was thrown into the limelight at a young age as a star of the Harry Potter films, is candid about the challenges she faced growing up and the anorexia that nearly took over her life

One of the most famous astronauts ever, Chris Hadfield has published his first novel and delivers a breathtaking plot full of twists and turns

During lockdown, singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke found himself writing stories rather than lyrics. And the story he had to tell on the Great Famine has turned into a fascinating historical novel, The Pawnbroker’s Reward

Poet James Harpur’s imagining of Ireland in the lead up to 1916, is lyrical, funny and insightful

Laura Thompson’s account of the eventful, often tragic lives of notable heiresses is a fascinating and uproarious read

Legal academic Larry Donnelly writes an earnest, intelligent political memoir that often feels like his personal manifesto

Artist Ai Weiwei is famous for his steadfast criticism of injustice in his native country. In this memoir, conceived in prison, he tells not only his own story, but also that of his father, the poet Ai Qing

Ireland declared its first case of Covid-19 on February 29, 2020. Richard Chambers’s new book, A State of Emergency, is an account of an extraordinary period in Irish life, as politicians, healthcare experts and the public struggled to cope in the face of the gravest public health emergency of the past century. In this extract, Chambers tells of the experiences of staff at Dublin’s Mater Hospital during 2020, as they fought around the clock to save lives

The veteran writer’s latest effort is initially confusing – a Benjamin Black crime novel under his own name – but ultimately rewarding