Emer McLysaght is one half of the duo (with Sarah Breen) behind the phenomenally successful Aisling books - the second installment, The Importance of Being Aisling, is in bookshops now, and the duo are currently adapting their first book, Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling, for the screen.
We asked Emer for her choice cultural picks...
Film
I’m on my third watch of Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and I have at least eight more viewings in me before the year is out. It’s the perfect teen rom-com, but truly anyone of any age with a heart will fall for it. Based on the first of Jenny Han’s trilogy of books featuring the shy Lara-Jean Covey, it’s taken the internet by storm since its release a few weeks back. TATBILB is this generation’s answer to 10 Things I Hate About You, and that’s high praise indeed seeing as 10 Things is about as perfect as they come. I’m also chomping at the bit to see Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born next month, as well as Roddy Doyle’s take on the housing crisis in Rosie.
Music
I have Rozzi Crane’s new song Joshua Tree on repeat, while my album of the year so far has to be Twin Shadow’s Caer. If Sympathy isn’t my most played track of 2018 on Spotify I’ll be very surprised. I’ve also been listening to lots of early-mid 2000s Irish music as me and my co-author Sarah Breen are working on an Aisling screenplay and dreaming of all the Irish music we’d love to have on the soundtrack. The whole of Bell X1’s Music in Mouth, ideally.
Book
Well I don’t know if you’ve heard of this hot new title, The Importance of Being Aisling *winks*. Otherwise I’m getting stuck into Sally Rooney’s Normal People and it’s every bit as good as everyone says it is. Also dying to read Graham Norton’s new one. I loved Holding when it came out two years ago.
Play
I’ve been trying to beef up my cúpla focail lately so am intrigued by Biddy Jenkinson’s Beannaithe at Smock Alley (running 25-29 September). It’s performed in Irish with English subtitles and sees a "group of nuns become the catalyst for institutional change".
TV
Schitt’s Creek is without a doubt my television discovery of the year. It’s already in its fourth season, so I spent a couple of glorious weeks bingeing on it recently (it’s all on Netflix). In a nutshell, it’s the story of a rich family who lose everything and have to go and live in a rural backwater. It’s hilarious, touching and features Catherine O’Hara as the matriarch in the performance of her career. I can’t recommend it enough. There’s a Christmas special coming in December, and I might take a few days off to prepare.
Gig
I saw Paul Simon’s 'farewell tour' at the RDS over the summer and he was sublime as per usual. Hopefully he’s only codding us about retiring from the live scene, and he’ll be back asap. Meanwhile, Bloc Party are bringing their Silent Alarm tour to the 3Arena on my birthday and honestly, it’s like they knew it was one of my favourite albums of the naughties.
Art
The Roderic O’Conor and the Moderns exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland is a joy. Room after room of colour and wonder and many of the pieces on display have never before been exhibited to the public. Don’t forget if you book after 4pm you get a late-entry price of €10, which is quite the bargain.
Podcast
My favourite podcast at the moment by a country mile is Mother of Pod, the hilarious parenting chat hosted by Irish journalist Sophie White and her friend Jen O’Dwyer. I don’t even have kids and find it absolutely addictive. Not for the faint of heart though – there are some hardcore birthing stories on offer. It never ever fails to make me laugh (and occasionally cry) though.
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Tech
My love affair with Instagram Stories shows no signs of abating. Favourite follows are Busy Phillips, Heather McMahan, Katie Jane Hughes and Louise McSharry.
The Next Big Thing...
Dreamgun Filmreads just took the Edinburgh Fringe by storm and I am just dying to see a performance in person. It’s a group of Irish comedians who take a well-known film and act it out live and unrehearsed, with their own unique twists. Some of the previous performances (Jurassic Park, Die Hard and Silence of the Lambs, to name a few) are available as podcasts.
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The Importance of Being Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen is published by Gill Books, priced €14.99.
