Hi there fellow bibliophiles, my name is Kerrie Hutton, and I am very excited to be interning with The Irish Literary Times! Please look out for my posts signed with K.H so that I can share my literary discoveries with you all!

Looking at some of the new releases for 2026. Plenty of nice cover art among them. This one caught my eye.

Came across this Groucho Marx quote in an interview – not sure where it's from, but good all the same: "May I join you ladies ... into one big lady?"

Had a terrible night's sleep last night, after a beautiful night's sleep the night before. Strangely, in my tossing, turning half-sleep, the thought that kept repeating was that I wanted to watch, Werckmeister Harmonies (which I haven't seen).

Off he goes into the rainy muddy afterlife. RIP

I'll be chatting about books I love in Kevin St Library (10 min walk from St Stephens Green) next Tuesday at 6.30pm if you're looking for great book recommendations to get you through the winter. @dublincitylibs.bsky.social dublincity.spydus.ie/cgi-bin/spyd...

It's official. www.thebookseller.com/rights/bluem...

Am enjoying this so far. About 150 pages in and it has decided to change what type of book it is about four times. Good to see.

People who hold things under their chins: Violinists Shot putters People carrying too many books

2020 #63 Amongst the disruption of 2020 I found myself looking at many small publishers for new reading matter and @ofmooseandmen.bsky.social was one of the very best I came across. This excellent novel set in the early 1980s West Midlands was an early find. See alt text for more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🖋️📚 #booksky

Me to my wife: did you see that Ireland's oldest man and Ireland's strongest man died in the past week. Her: is it the same man? I'm a year older than her and I'm guessing this was her way of warning me not to drop my standards as I age.

Book post! Division Street America by Studs Turkel, bought on the recommendation of @davidcollard.bsky.social First published in 1967, it's a series of interviews with everyday Chicagoans about the issues of the day and whatever else came up.

Passed an old primary school classmate on the street and looked them up. They're now a respected professor at a university. Another primary schoolmate is a professor and consultant surgeon at a hospital. One the child of a security guard, the other the child of a bus driver. Good on them.

Last night I went to bed/sleep at 8.30pm and slept, with movie-like dreams until 7am. Whenever I think about lifestyle improvements, more sleep is nearly always something I need to prioritise.

La semaine prochaine!

Hegelly Blonde

The first BBC Radio 4 Bookclub of the year was a great chat with Leonard and Hungry Paul author Ronan Hession - listen again here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... @ronanhession.bsky.social

Delighted that my next novel Richard Heart Julianne will be coming out on the mighty @ofmooseandmen.bsky.social next year. Hope you enjoy it. I loved writing it.

Here you go. @ronanhession.bsky.social on BBC Radio 4 Book Club. Leonard and Hungry Paul. www.bbc.com/audio/play/m... @nybooks.com @waterstones.bsky.social @gardnersbooks.bsky.social

I Love the generosity of our authors. Whilst chatting to James Naughtie on BBC Book Club on Radio 4 @ronanhession.bsky.social said he was introduced to Bluemoose and our list after reading The Man With A Seagull On His Head by Harriet Paige. @theguardian.com 'A Bone Fide Gem.'

Bad sign when Arne Slot is doing the performative tut-tutting and "would you Adam and Eve it." Manager should own it, not act like he's the victim.

Hoping to do a Home Exchange in Europe next summer (we did one 2 years ago in the Basque Country and it was great) but am slightly afraid of being stuck somewhere in a heatwave. 40 degrees plus in lots of Spain and Italy last August, which is no good. #SpeirGorm hivemind, any ideas?

Did a 5k run with my wife. Trying to start the year as I mean to go on, i.e. knackered.

Did not know this about Dag Solstad. I wonder are these World Cup books available in translation?

Reading Hello magazine. An article on Switzerland begins: Why Switzerland? It could be a photo, a TikTok or a song that inspires your travels. For us, it was a moment. We wanted to take a glass-domed train through the mountains.

My despair at exploring end of year lists is very real, but this album is something special. A lo-fi grower with stretched unusual melodies. joannerobertson.bandcamp.com/album/blurrr

Now reading T Singer by Dag Solstad, translated from Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally. My third attempt at this, and going better this time. Mood wasn't right for me before.

Please do Join @ronanhession.bsky.social at 4pm on BBC Radio 4 as he chats with James Naughtie about his debut novel _Leonard and Hungry Paul_ @theguardian.com @thetimes.com @bbcworldbookclub.bsky.social @thebookseller.com www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Excellent 👌

My final fiction in translation column for @irishtimes.com is now online for subscribers. www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Finished Dandelions by Yasunari Kawabata, tr Michael Emmerich. It was published posthumously and is unfinished, though his novels often have seemingly unfinished endings. A novel mostly in dialogue about a young woman just committed to a mental hospital with refs to the Japanese surrender in WWII.

Going to spend the evening not getting sucked into the news. Instead I'll be radically reading my book, preserving an armchair's worth of calm.

I agree. Full of gems like this: "A complicated childhood full of privation and catastrophe isn’t an inheritance that sets up a writer for life."

Just finished my New Year read. I really enjoyed this. First i have read by @colettesnowden.bsky.social . Interesting format and characters, lots sub stories. Highly recommend 👍 @ofmooseandmen.bsky.social

Some people may be considering writing a novel this year. Good idea! I thought I'd share some practicalities that have worked for me as a very busy person who also writes. This is me sharing what I have tested and used. This is not advice. Reread the previous two sentences.

After five years of reviewing translated fiction for @irishtimes.com this is my last column. It has been a real privilege and I have loved doing it, but I need to focus on my writing and lighten my workload. Thanks sincerely to @martindoyle.bsky.social for the opportunity and to all the readers 🙏

In the Desert is available for e-book pre-order now from @cowboyjamboree.bsky.social. Any boosts are much appreciated! US: www.amazon.com/Desert-Barba... UK/Ireland: www.amazon.co.uk/Desert-Barba...

@ronanhession.bsky.social Early knock on my door. ‘You don’t look fifty’, my neighbour says as he hands me an envelope. Confused, look at the envelope. I’m in creases 🤣🤣 Thanks so much Rónán, you’re very good. I’ll treasure this one. Keeping it in there as a bookmark :) Thank you :) 💚💚💚

What an absolutely brilliant book. Fun, pacy, intricately plotted, and too silly for words. Genuinely amazing stuff.

Cold War was one of my favourite films of the past few years, so I watched Ida, also directed by Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski, which is just as sad, beautiful and poignant. homecinema.curzon.com/film/ida/

I loved the Oslo trilogy so am going to try to see Sentimental Value over the weekend even though the smell of wee at the Swords cinema can only have got worse since the last time I was there.

Having chicken pizza with mustardy cabbage on the side as a mix em gathher end to the week, driven by going-off dates.

I'm having a Book Of The Month Club in 2026. See below for the list of books we'll be reading. If you'd like to read along, I'll knock off 10% in 2026 if you order any of these 12 from me. Email [email protected] with any queries. The 1st is Leonard & Hungry Paul by @ronanhession.bsky.social ♥️✨️

Book post! Find Him! by Elaine Kraf, bought under the influence of @rolandbates.bsky.social

Good morning And what a lovely start to the year. Please Join @ronanhession.bsky.social talking to James Naughtie This Sunday 4th January on BBC Radio4 at 4pm. @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

FYI – Not a book to read if you're sensitive about the terminology and tropes around mental illness.

Really should be a bonus green bin at Christmas.

A good time of the year to remember all the pots we have lost over the years and for which we still have the lids.

Good gag on Gogglebox. TV show where a piano falls from a tall tower and crushes an obnoxious kid. Guy says "A Flat Minor."

So strange having Sunday on a Thursday this week.