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, England and beyond.
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Book ReviewsEveryone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
Funny, dark and harrowing – Emily Austin's debut novel is a profoundly honest portrayal of mental health in a chaotic modern world Read more »| 05 Jul 2021 -
Book ReviewsThe Giant Dark by Sarvat Hasin
Sarvat Hasin's new book, a loose retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, is heavy with the bloodied consequences of romantic collapse Read more »| 05 Jul 2021 -
Book ReviewsThe First Collection... by Jessica Hopper
This expanded edition of Jessica Hopper's collection of music journalism remains an essential read Read more »| 01 Jul 2021 -
Book ReviewsSmithers & Wing by Heather Palmer, Kirsty Hunter
Heather Palmer and Kirsty Hunter blend exquisite artwork with action-packed writing in their first Smithers and Wing graphic novel Read more »| 28 Jun 2021 -
FeaturesSara Jafari on The Mismatch
We meet Sara Jafari to discuss The Mismatch, her new novel exploring second-generation Iranian identity and its relationship to romantic and sexual desire Read more »| 24 Jun 2021 -
Book ReviewsHeaven by Mieko Kawakami
The new novel from Breasts and Eggs author Mieko Kawakami is relentless in reminding us of the claustrophobia of adolescence Read more »| 10 Jun 2021
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FeaturesThe New Normal of Scottish Spoken Word
As we venture ever more carefully out into the world with the easing of restrictions, it feels the perfect time to check in with Scotland's spoken word scene: what has changed, how do we return to normal – and should we? Read more »| 07 Jun 2021 -
Book ReviewsAbsorbed by Kylie Whitehead
Through its eerie, genre-bending premise, Kylie Whitehead's visceral new novel touches on female insecurity and modern relationship issues Read more »| 31 May 2021 -
Book ReviewsInsignificance by James Clammer
James Clammer's novel is a careful exploration of how seismic personal events interact with the minutiae of everyday life Read more »| 28 May 2021 -
Book ReviewsResistance by Val McDermid and Kathryn Briggs
Val McDermid and Kathryn Briggs' new graphic novel is a realistic and unsettling look at a fast-spreading pandemic Read more »| 28 May 2021 -
Book ReviewsMalibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The new book from Taylor Jenkins Reid (Daisy Jones and the Six) is a gorgeous, sun-soaked novel that delves into the glamour and desperate hope of 1980s Malibu Read more »| 28 May 2021 -
FeaturesMeet Extra Teeth: Words With Bite
We meet Jules Danskin and Heather Parry, the duo behind Scotland's most exciting new literary magazine, Extra Teeth Read more »| 24 May 2021 -
Book ReviewsBefore the Ruins by Victoria Gosling
Victoria Gosling's accomplished prose and well-rounded characters allow Before the Ruins to hold the attention until its final pages Read more »| 07 May 2021 -
Book ReviewsMilk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz
In Dantiel W Moniz's new short story collection, the emotional and existential don't transcend the primal; instead they are found deep within it Read more »| 05 May 2021 -
Book ReviewsTeeth in the Back of My Neck by Monika Radojevic
An assertive and enthralling debut collection of poems by the winner of Merky Books' New Writers Prize, combining arresting imagery with gut-punching honesty Read more »| 05 May 2021