Aisling (book series)
Aisling is a book series by Irish writers Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen. It started in 2018 with Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling. The novels follow Aisling (often called Ais) and are written in a fun, warm style.
There are five books in the series, published by Gill Books and Penguin Books. The first book grew from an Aisling character seen in a popular Facebook group. Fans used other familiar characters, like Mad Tom Deddeh, Memmeh, Niamh, and Fionn, to describe Aisling’s life.
Readers and critics connect with Aisling’s humor and honesty. Sarra Manning of Red Online says readers laugh with her and admire her for traits many of us share. Tara Flynn, writing for The Irish Times, says the first novel gives Aisling real life and a fast pace, and she even imagines Memmeh in a movie. Síle Ní Choincheannain of Mary I College notes that the series captures a unique Irish archetype and a modern heroine.
The series has won awards at the Irish Book Awards. The Importance of Being Aisling won the 2018 Popular Irish Fiction award, Once, Twice, Three Times an Aisling won in 2019, and Aisling in the City won in 2021. The books are also being developed for screen adaptations, with options for film and a TV series.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:07 (CET).