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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FeaturesOrganised Crime: An Interview with Doug Johnstone
The Skinny talks with prolific author Doug Johnstone, who having just published his excellent new crime novel The Dead Beat, is already preparing for the next Read more »| 09 Jun 2014 -
Book ReviewsThe Four Marys: A Quartet of Contemporary Folk Tales by Jean Rafferty
Mary Magdalene and her namesake, the Mother of God - whores and virgins, those cruel binary stereotypes. Jean Rafferty shows all those vivid hues in between in this quartet of contemporary Scottish folk tales Read more »| 05 Jun 2014 -
Book Reviews
For Faughie's Sake by Laura Marney
Glaswegian Trixie returns in this brilliant sequel to No Wonder I Take A Drink, sick of the mud, midges and cliques of Highland village Inverfaughie. In... Read more »| 05 Jun 2014 -
Book ReviewsLetters of James Agee to Father Flye by James Agee
In one of the later letters of celebrated writer James Agee to his lifelong confidant Father Flye, Agee mentions Montaigne's essay on his near-perfect, myth-... Read more »| 03 Jun 2014 -
EventsMightier than the Sword: Scottish PEN Literary Events
The worldwide association of writers host a series of free literature events which unite an outstanding selection of Commonwealth and Scottish writers along the route of the Queens Baton Relay. Our Books Editor speaks to some of the participants Read more »| 02 Jun 2014 -
Book Reviews
The Last Tiger by Tony Black
The premise at least is intriguing: a family relocates from Lithuania to Tasmania in 1910. The father is a shepherd, but he’s adept at hunting Tasmania... Read more »| 02 Jun 2014
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Book Reviews
The Dead Beat by Doug Johnstone
Martha Fluke has just been assigned to the 'dead beat' – the obituaries desk of an Edinburgh newspaper in decline, and her dead father's former pl... Read more »| 02 Jun 2014 -
Features
Character Driven: Laura Marney on For Faughie's Sake
Laura Marney returns this month with For Faughie's Sake, a wryly-observed political comedy about the referendum, sustainability, and American imperialism. Here, she tells us why the Yes campaign need to get “wee bingo ladies” on side Read more »| 02 Jun 2014 -
News
Books News: Neu! Reekie! in NYC; CoastWord Literary Festival returns
In today's Books News, we take a trip to NYC with Neu! Reekie!; have a look at the programme for Dunbar's literature festival Coastword; and pick out some highlights from May's literary events calendar Read more »| 14 May 2014 -
Book Reviews
The Wherewithal by Philip Schultz
Henryk Wyrzykowski, 'Head Clerk of Closed Files' at a San Francisco welfare office, is translating his mother's diaries while evading the Vietnam War. An acc... Read more »| 07 May 2014 -
News
Books News: Will Self on the death of the novel; Literature at Solas Festival
Will Self announces the death of the novel, and this time it's serious; Liz Lochhead and Alasdair Gray among the writers to debate independence at Solas Festival; plus a round-up of events, news and opportunities from the world of literature Read more »| 06 May 2014 -
Book Reviews
The Quick by Laura Owen
Lauren Owen’s debut novel is an enjoyable and sometimes gripping read, set against the Gothic backdrop of Victorian England. The story begins at a... Read more »| 05 May 2014 -
Book Reviews
Caught by Lisa Moore
Lisa Moore turns the law on its head, inviting us to empathise with David Sanely, a criminal on the loose. Her novel Caught is an elaborate cat and mouse cha... Read more »| 05 May 2014 -
Book Reviews
Lexicon by Max Barry
Great sci-fi has often traded on the genre’s potential for making abstract ideas real: Philip K Dick made the question of ‘what makes us human?&r... Read more »| 02 May 2014 -
News
Scottish PEN launches literary events across Scotland
Scottish PEN have this week announced a series of readings and literary events at venues across Scotland, featuring writers, poets and publishers such as Kevin Williamson, Ken Macleod, Linton Kwesi Johnson Read more »| 01 May 2014