HOT OR NOT

Marian Broderick’s Wild Irish Women: Extraordinary Lives from History (2001)This should be a staple read for every Irish man, woman, and child. A summary of women from pirates to pretenders, this is undoubtedly a fascinating read that will make you say, ‘why weren’t we taught this?!’. As each woman’s life is summarised in under a few pages it’s the perfect bedtime book since you can put it down after each section without feeling unsatisfied. However, it’s unlikely you’ll be so quick to put it down; it’s that brilliant! 9.5/10Diana Gabaldon’s Drums of Autumn (1996)Harry Potter aside, I am not usually one for fantasy fiction. While accidentally stumbling upon, and becoming disturbingly emotionally attached to, the Outlander show I was pleasantly surprised by the books. However, this fourth book in the series reads like a badly plotted fan fiction. The scenes fans surely anticipated most are rushed and unsatisfactory, while the characters are a woeful shadow of their former selves. I am going to do something I never thought I would and quote Simon Cowell: “it’s a no from me”. 3/10