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 ReviewsAyesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Compassionate, warm, and wholly satisfying, Ayesha At Last is a welcome take on Pride and Prejudice, set in a Muslim community in Toronto Read more »| 02 Apr 2019 -
NewsScottish Poetry News: April 2019
April brings with it a slew of new poetry collections alongside live highlights including multimedia show Drone and Hollie McNish back on tour Read more »| 29 Mar 2019 -
FeaturesDamian Barr: "Fiction shows us other lives"
As his much-anticipated debut novel You Will Be Safe Here is published, Damian Barr discusses the empathy of reading, modern day masculinity and the history of colonial brutality Read more »| 29 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsSummer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Vastly and powerfully complicated, Summer Bird Blue is an immensely detailed portrayal of grief Read more »| 27 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsThe Red Word by Sarah Henstra
Sarah Henstra's The Red Word wants to be part of a mythos for women, and in this, it triumphs Read more »| 26 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsWelcome to the Heady Heights by David F. Ross
Welcome to the Heady Heights is a whirlwind of 70s Glasgow, whose witty, dark humour cuts through what can at times be an uncomfortably real narrative Read more »| 26 Mar 2019
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Book ReviewsMinor Monuments by Ian Maleney
Ian Maleney's debut collection of essays is far from straightforward, but offers plenty of yarn-spinning joy Read more »| 17 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsThe Altruists by Andrew Ridker
Andrew Ridker does a great job of establishing that his central characters are bastards but seems unsure of what to do with them after that Read more »| 06 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsPermission by Saskia Vogel
Despite Saskia Vogel’s clear gift for honest and eloquent storytelling, Permission feels too short to have dealt fully with its core themes Read more »| 06 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsBerg by Ann Quin
Ann Quin's experimental debut novel has a runaway, off-kilter style all of its own Read more »| 06 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsThe Plotters by Un-Su Kim
The new rising star of Korean literature pairs a unique wit with unconvincing pacing and characterisation in The Plotters Read more »| 05 Mar 2019 -
FeaturesScottish Poetry News: March 2019
March's poetry highlights include a clutch of new collections launching alongside the usual stellar array of live events Read more »| 01 Mar 2019 -
FeaturesChimene Suleyman on The Good Immigrant USA
Co-editor of The Good Immigrant USA, Chimene Suleyman discusses this new anthology offering a platform to often marginalised voices Read more »| 01 Mar 2019 -
Book ReviewsThe Five by Hallie Rubenhold
Hallie Rubenhold challenges the pitfalls of the true crime genre in her much-needed and devastatingly brilliant new book Read more »| 28 Feb 2019 -
Book ReviewsBirthday by César Aira
César Aira's unconventional memoir is filled with timeless reflections on the struggle of learning to live well Read more »| 28 Feb 2019