Books
The Skinny book guide – bringing you book reviews, features, events, reviews and author interviews. Find previews and on the ground reporting from festivals of literature and poetry in Scotland and beyond.
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Book ReviewsA Summer of Drowning by John Burnside
John Burnside's eighth novel is both an evolution of his previous work and an entirely self-contained fable. It is set in the Norwegian Arctic Circle... Read more »| 27 Jul 2011 -
Book ReviewsAaron and Ahmed by Jay Cantor (writer) and James Romberger (artist)
Aaron and Ahmed is subtitled ‘A Love Story’, but it’s not that simple. It’s the story of Aaron, who becomes a soldier in Guantanamo B... Read more »| 07 Jul 2011 -
Festivals
The Ways of Richard Wiseman
Richard Wiseman is Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at University of Hertfordshire. But before that, he was a professional magician. He describes this transition as “pretty straightforward” Read more »| 01 Jul 2011 -
Festivals
Des Dillon Goes Eclectic
Novels, Poetry, Theatre, Television, Screenplays... what else can Des Dillon do? Stand-up comedy, that's what! Read more »| 30 Jun 2011 -
Festivals
The Paris Review, Interviewed
The Paris Review is perhaps the best of all literary journals, and almost certainly the most reader-friendly (yes Granta, even including you) due to its emph... Read more »| 30 Jun 2011 -
Festivals
Love's Rebellious Joy – A Tribute to Paul Reekie
Irvine Welsh and the Subway Sect's Vic Godard pay tribute to the memory of Paul Reekie, while Gordon Legge shares a new piece of writing in honour of Scotland's most maverick man of letters Read more »| 30 Jun 2011
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Book Reviews
Top Gear Drivers' Handbook by Richard Porter
Following on from Haynes, the Car Manual publisher who branched out into novelty books – The Star Trek based U.S.S Enterprise Manual, Dad Manua... Read more »| 28 Jun 2011 -
Book ReviewsThis is Not the End of the Book, by Umberto Eco and Jean-Claude Carriere
There have been too many hand-wringing discussions on the future of the book. This is not one of them. Author and academic Umberto Eco and his friend... Read more »| 27 Jun 2011 -
Book Reviews
Beauty and The Inferno by Roberto Saviano
Gomorrah, journalist Roberto Saviano’s exposé of the Neapolitan Camorra crime organisation, quickly became an international bestsel... Read more »| 24 Jun 2011 -
Features
Starter for 11: Frank Quitely
All-Star Superman artist Frank Quitely tests his own comic book geek credentials in the never-ending quest for our prized haggis supper Read more »| 02 Jun 2011 -
Features
Sheridan Simove: The Value of Nothing
“Nothing will come of nothing” said King Lear, although Shakespeare shows that plenty did. Plenty came of nothing for author Sheridan Simove too when he wrote a book with nothing in it… Read more »| 01 Jun 2011 -
Book Reviews
Where The Bodies Are Buried by Chris Brookmyre
Christopher Brookmyre’s latest novel is something of a departure from his previous work – the ‘satirical crime’ genre –... Read more »| 31 May 2011 -
Book Reviews
The Great Night by Chris Adrian
Chris Adrian has reworked A Midsummer Night's Dream into a novel that is beautifully written and acutely observed. He says this story, only his third... Read more »| 30 May 2011 -
Book Reviews
The Boys: Highland Laddie by Garth Ennis, John McCrea and Derrick Robertson
After the events in the last collected edition of The Boys comic, our sort-of hero, Simon Pegg lookalike Hughie, retreats to his home town for a bre... Read more »| 26 May 2011 -
Book Reviews
Coconut Badger
There’s a long tradition of put-upon underdogs being guided towards success and self-enlightenment by an older, more experienced mentor, but Mark MacNi... Read more »| 25 May 2011