Bob Johnston

This evening, as a treat, I'm going to do a few posts about some of the groovy books that have been published this month, that you can (if you feel the urge) buy from me. There might be other stuff too, but I'll do my best not to get distracted.

The mobilization itself was already not something I ever expected to see, but to actually win? Hell, to double the winning margin from the 2022 runoff? Genuinely surreal. Maybe child raping billionaires *don't* have to run the world with a shit-eating grin. Maybe that can stop.

"Ooh" I said "a film set.." 24 hours later - Mr Flippin' Bradley Cooper filming the Ocean's 11 Prequel...

The truest thing JD Vance has said in a long, long time.

Go see Wildwood. Seriously, don’t wait—go see Wildwood. What a piece of art. The love for the manual craft, for story that doesn’t hold back, for filmmaking that is not here to answer to stockholders, it weaves all through it. Incredible stuff.

💙💛💙💛💙💛

I’ve been waiting 20 years for the pear trees I planted to fruit and this year they finally did.So made a pear tatin which is possibly the poshest but easiest thing I’ve ever cooked and I’m proper chuffed it turned out awesomeo. 4 ingredients. Far from this we were raised on in Limerick… #speirgorm

In Irish, aspen is 'crann creathach' – trembling tree – because of how its leaves quiver and rustle in the wind. One of the most palatable tree species to deer, sheep, etc, its very distinctive, evocative sound is sadly now uncommon in Ireland.

Spent a lovely afternoon in @chaptersbookstore.bsky.social yesterday - innovative event format: Afternoon tea with author @fhayesmccoy.bsky.social . The conversation was wide-ranging and included pressing issues for authors such as genAI & copyright law + reflections on the history of technology.

It's Nice out. (Well, in fairness it's Villefranche-sur-mer out...)

If you go to the cinema in Clonmel you can see part of the historic town wall that defied Oliver Cromwell's army.

I live about 500 ft from a memorial to the mothers and children failed by this state, in a county where every sitting TD is from a party that came out against a video that teaches children about how consent matters in physical interactions with adults #Spéirgorm

Wouldn't be France without a bit of penis-nose comedy art. #FrenchArt

Time to head back to apartment when they bring out the water cannon... Lots of French out to witness the spectacle & impressed by the book market browsers ignoring the riot police... Feels a bit like running the bookshop on St Patrick's Day... #Nice

Non-alcoholic beer tastes significantly better now.

When you're out for coffee & come back to discover that someone has put your balcony chairs on the roof... Husband & host freaking out, I'm just giggling... I think we have been PARKOURED in France! #Parkour

If I was to write a haunted house story it would be about a techbro billionaire who buys an old castle, installs all the latest AI tech to make it a SmartCastle™, invites all his techbro billionaire cronies to a celebration party and the castle, in its ancient wisdom, destroys them all without mercy

When the dogsitter sends you a photo & your dog looks smug as f**k with his life...

South Terrace, Cork city centre: polypody, heart's tongue and maidenhair spleenwort ferns spring from a damp old brick wall. If your eyes are open to it, we're surrounded by the relics of our lost natural rainforest heritage.

This is a *fascinating* book

I'll tell you what, it is a bold move to be coming out swinging against bodily autonomy for children in this the year of our lord 2026.

Empower kids. Support adults who support them.

First film you saw at the cinema. The real first one, not the pretend one you tell people! Mine: The Empire Strikes Back, 1980, Wigan. We were near the front and I can still remember how massive the AT-ATs looked, looming over us out of the snow :) Film, year, where, and whatever stuck with you.

Bonjour from Nice. #Vacances

All Hail King Puddy.

As if I didn't like him enough, now he's cuddling a Molly cat! (Molly was our beloved tuxedo with a 'tache cat...)

Here in Nice soaking up the Atmosp'hair...

Bonjour Nice! Home for the next 5 days... There's a lot of stairs but it's worth it for the balcony view... Let the sleeping & eating begin...

Off to Nice for a petit vacances... 'Bring me Sunshine' etc etc... Dogsitters tell me the dogs are doing fine...

Regeneration shouldn’t mean hiding poor people.

Name a film or TV character dressed in black: Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. One of my all time faves (not least because she's a bookseller...)

What's so amazing about these old Irish Halloween turnip carvings is how accurately they also represent what it feels like to live in the 21st century

The #IrishBookADay prompt for today is: share an Irish debut book. Though it hardly needs more promotion having been longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize, All Them Dogs by Djamel White has been receiving high praise from our customers for its exceptional writing. #IrishBookWeek

The photo in this post is of Rami Malek, from Ira Sachs's new movie The Man I Love, one of two films (the other is Elsinore, with Andrew Scott) about with an actor with AIDS fighting to work as his time runs low. Elsinore opens next month; The Man I Love is, absurdly, still w/o a US distributor.

When it's time for their afternoon walk but they're finally chilling... #doglife

The perfect metaphor for Apple design these days

Doing our bit

Congressman Ted Lieu Is Right.....