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
October 20, 2011 By 2 Comments
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: Things We Didn’t See Coming by Steven Amsterdam
July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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: Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy
June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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: The Art of the Personal Essay
January 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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...]