Forethoughts: This Isn’t The Sort Of Thing That Happens To Someone Like You by Jon McGregor

Such is the quality of his short fiction writing, that every short story fan's heart fluttered when Jon McGregor's short story collection, This Isn't The Sort Of Thing That Happens To Someone Like You (Bloomsbury) was announced. It's time for mine to … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: Accabadora by Michela Murgia

Hand's up, who knows what an accabadora is? I'd be impressed if you did know. I didn't, but I soon found out when I picked up my lasted read which uses this word as its title. The meaning of accabadora is revealed in the cover blurb (see below). … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Vol. 4

There are certain titles that need little introduction on RobAroundBooks, and the Bristol Short Story Prize anthology is one of them. If you're a regular then you'll know that I rate this anthology very highly, and so with the arrival of BSSP Volume … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: All the Lights by Clemens Meyer

If you were at the Clemens Meyer and Stuart Evers event at EdBookFest this year, then you couldn't help but fall in love both with the short story form, and with the two authors who were in the spotlight (You can read my full report on the event … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: Things We Didn’t See Coming by Steven Amsterdam

Now here's a work of fiction that I know absolutely nothing about; and I know even less about its author, Steven Amsterdam. However, I have it on very good authority that Things We Didn't See Coming (Harvill Secker) is an unmissable debut, and I … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: Ten Stories About Smoking by Stuart Evers

I'm not going to lie to you here folks, I'm really excited about reading Ten Stories About Smoking (Picador). Ever since the book was 'star of the show' in my first ever Booknatomy feature, I've fallen in love with it, and since then I've heard so … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

As many of you will know already, lit reviewing is a never-ending cycle of read and review, read and review, read and review, and while there are no complaints about that from me (because at the end of the day it's both a thrilling job and a … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: Various Authors Vol. 1

It's not often that a short story anthology comes in to my hands and I have a warm and endearing attraction to it even before I begin reading it, but with this one - Various Authors Vol.1 (The Fiction Desk) - I most certainly do. And the reason for … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: The White Road and Other Stories by Tania Hershman

Isn't it funny how things work out in the world of reading sometimes? There I was working my way through my Flash Clash reading challenge - a challenge first inspired by the publication of Nik Perring's debut flash collection, Not So Perfect - and up … [Read more...]

Forethoughts: The Art of the Personal Essay

Aside from the fact that essays get little attention in the reviewing world, there are two reasons why I choose to focus on this literary form at RobAroundBooks. The first came about because of my adoration for the 'father of the essay', Michel de … [Read more...]