Book gift ideas from John Banville, Clelia Murphy & Leo Varadkar

The Nadine O’Regan, Irish Times Arts journalist and Brian Lloyd, Freelance Entertainment journalist, cast a discerning eye over the TV shows and movies that are worth a watch this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining Brendan to discuss today’s newspapers are Dr Muireann Lynch, Senior Research Officer with the ESRI; Former Irish Ambassador to the United States, Dan Mulhall; Sunday Times Columnist Alison O’Connor, and Prof Luke O’Neill, Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irish Times columnist Brianna Parkins joined Brendan on the line from the scene at Sydney’s Bondi Beach where 12 people so far have been confirmed to have lost their lives in a terrorist shooting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof Katriona O’Sullivan from the Dept of Psychology in Maynooth University talks about having her own sexual empowerment epiphany in her early twenties and explains how women should think about their own sexual pleasure, how to communicate, how to instigate and how to spice things up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor, screenwriter and gifting expert Stefanie Preissner gives her top tips for the women in your life – whether they're your friends, partners, mothers or nieces. She chooses Tymos and bags to journals and scented LED candles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aoife Carrigy, Food and Drink writer and columnist with The Irish Independent, talks us through the cocktails that will heat us this winter including tips for the ultimate hot whiskey, Irish coffee and mulled wine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Joseph O’Connor won the An Post Irish Book of the Year this week for ‘Ghosts of Rome’. He joined Brendan to talk about his delight and gratitude, moving home to Ireland on Christmas week 25 years ago and he also read a Christmas-themed poem, ‘Solstice at Newgrange’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian and broadcaster Tommy Tiernan told Brendan about his mixed feelings around Christmas, his Christmas rituals, learning to sing for an upcoming musical and the 10th series of The Tommy Tiernan Show returning in the new year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Adele King, AKA Twink, told Brendan about the devastation she is feeling over the death of her parrot and panto co-star, ‘Timby’, after 26 years together. She also talked about her love for the rest of her pets, including a magpie who lives in her house.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Booker Prize-winning writer, John Banville, screen and stage actor, Clelia Murphy and former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar joined Brendan with books, old and new, that they would gift someone this Christmas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.