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 ReviewsVengeance Is Mine by Marie NDiaye
In Marie NDiaye's quiet psychological thriller, a lawyer represents a woman on trial for murder, in whose past she is inescapably entangled Read more »| 25 Oct 2023 -
Book ReviewsDeath Valley by Melissa Broder
Melissa Broder's third novel is a blackly comic exploration of grief via cavernous cacti and talking rocks Read more »| 24 Oct 2023 -
Book ReviewsFamily Meal by Bryan Washington
In Bryan Washington's Family Meal, a cast of friends, family and lovers come together to consider ideas of intimacy and interdependence Read more »| 11 Oct 2023 -
FeaturesMarjorie Lotfi on debut poetry collection The Wrong Person to Ask
We chat with American-born, Iranian-raised and Scotland-based author Marjorie Lotfi about her debut poetry collection The Wrong Person to Ask and what it means to belong to a place Read more »| 11 Oct 2023 -
FeaturesIranian storyteller Zahra Afsah on The Voice Shall Always Remain
Ahead of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, we chat with Iranian storyteller Zahra Afsah, whose collaboration with Syrian storyteller Khloud Ereksousi explores the possibility of female revolution Read more »| 06 Oct 2023 -
Book ReviewsThe Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang
In a near-future world where industrial agriculture has ground to a halt, a chef finds work at the illicitly stocked house of a wealthy mogul Read more »| 03 Oct 2023
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Book ReviewsLovebug by Daisy Lafarge
Daisy Lafarge's lyrical non-fiction book uses metaphors of love and disease to explore ideas of intimacy and contagion Read more »| 03 Oct 2023 -
EventsScottish Books Events: October 2023
Edinburgh International Book Festival closes out the year's programme with two October events, while indie press Thi Wurd holds a literary evening at Glasgow University Union Read more »| 02 Oct 2023 -
Book ReviewsBrainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt
Alison Rumfitt's deliciously nauseating sophomore novel is an eviscerating exploration of queer dating and shame Read more »| 02 Oct 2023 -
Book ReviewsSeeing for Ourselves by Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan
Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan's cross-disciplinary book is a beautiful consideration of devotion to faith, family and politics Read more »| 26 Sep 2023 -
Book ReviewsDaddy Boy by Emerson Whitney
Half-memoir, half-queer theory, Emerson Whitney's Daddy Boy follows the author as they set out on an atmospheric journey of introspection Read more »| 19 Sep 2023 -
FeaturesThe Skinny on... Iona Lee
As she launches her debut poetry collection, Anamnesis, with a big event in Summerhall, Iona Lee takes on our Q&A Read more »| 19 Sep 2023 -
Book ReviewsThe Old Haunts by Allan Radcliffe
Allan Radcliffe's debut novel is a beautiful exploration of individual and collective grief Read more »| 12 Sep 2023 -
Book ReviewsThe Magic Border by Arlo Parks
Singer-songwriter Arlo Parks' first book interweaves lyrics with original poetry in a gorgeous exploration of Black queerness Read more »| 12 Sep 2023 -
FeaturesEleanor Thom on new novel Connective Tissue
We chat with Eleanor Thom, author of Connective Tissue, about tracing back her Jewish heritage, intergenerational memory, and the ability of literature to uncover untold stories Read more »| 01 Sep 2023