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 ReviewsFreakslaw by Jane Flett
Vivid characters and irreverent references abound in Jane Flett's irresistible queer literary horror, Freakslaw Read more »| 04 Dec 2024 -
NewsScottish Books Events: December 2024
It may be quiet this month, but there's still some poetry events to dip in and out of, as well as some late night bookshop openings Read more »| 02 Dec 2024 -
Book ReviewsFeast While You Can by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta
Queer horror lies at the heart of Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta’s second novel, a sexy and smart inquiry into what it means to belong Read more »| 29 Nov 2024 -
Book ReviewsGliff by Ali Smith
Ali Smith's latest novel Gliff is a natural dystopian progression from her Seasonal Quartet, following two siblings in a near-future world Read more »| 29 Nov 2024 -
Book ReviewsSavage Theories by Pola Oloixarac
Argentinian writer Pola Oloixarac’s controversial and acclaimed debut novel, published in the UK for the first time, is a wild treatise on historic violence Read more »| 12 Nov 2024 -
Book ReviewsSet My Heart on Fire by Izumi Suzuki
The thrill of the Tokyo music scene of the 1970s meets the ennui of a protagonist getting through their 20s in this existentialist exploration of the modern condition Read more »| 11 Nov 2024
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FeaturesNat Raha and Mijke van der Drift on Trans Femme Futures
We chat with Nat Raha and Mijke van der Drift about their upcoming book Trans Femme Futures and the politics of trans abolitionism Read more »| 06 Nov 2024 -
Book ReviewsShe's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
Eliza Clark's debut short story collection She's Always Hungry explores destructive appetites and hungers for self-annihilation in every form Read more »| 05 Nov 2024 -
FeaturesPush the Boat Out 2024: Our programme picks
After a lot of venue stress, poetry festival Push the Boat Out returns with a packed programme across The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Pleasance, Dovecot Studios and Dance Base Read more »| 05 Nov 2024 -
EventsScottish Books Events: November 2024
There's two big literary festivals arriving in Edinburgh this month: Push the Boat Out and the Radical Book Fair. Elsewhere, the likes of Eliza Clark and Hannah Lavery launch new books Read more »| 29 Oct 2024 -
Book ReviewsThe Novices of Lerna by Ángel Bonomini
First published in 1972, Ángel Bonomini’s short story The Novices of Lerna is a masterpiece of surrealist fiction finally translated into English Read more »| 28 Oct 2024 -
FeaturesThe White Pube's Gabrielle de la Puente on new book Poor Artists
We chat with Gabrielle de la Puente, one half of infamous critical duo The White Pube, about their first book Poor Artists ahead of her appearance at Edinburgh's Radical Book Fair Read more »| 25 Oct 2024 -
Book ReviewsThat Beautiful Atlantic Waltz by Malachy Tallack
Malachy Tallack's two-stranded novel is a tender-hearted and graceful exploration of the extraordinariness of everyday life Read more »| 21 Oct 2024 -
Book ReviewsJourneys and Flowers by Mercè Rodoreda
Brought to life in English for the first time, this translated collection of stories by Catalan writer Mercè Rodoreda is beautifully rendered Read more »| 08 Oct 2024 -
Book ReviewsMarigold Mind Laundry by Jungeun Yun
In Jungeun Yun's Marigold Mind Laundry, a magical realist laundry becomes a place where hearts can be washed free of the troubled memories that stain them Read more »| 01 Oct 2024