In a Nutshell: I find it difficult to comprehend that this is a debut anthology from a new publisher; a publisher who not so long ago was nothing more than a 'simple' book blogger. Rod Redman has put together a short story anthology here that's … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz
March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
*Please note, I've now posted my afterthoughts for Scenes from Village Life. And so I take a first tentative step into this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize as a 'shadow judge', by reading one of the shortest books on the longlist, … [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...]