Reading Journal: Friday 10th September 2010

You know, even though I’ve dived back into full-time lit blogging (and I’ve never been happier having done so) I thought about leaving out this online reading journal feature until I could come up with the ultimate format for it; a format which would be introduced in RobAroundBooks v2.0. Fact is I’ve been trying [...]

‘Snow Falls and Then Disappears’ by Simon Van Booy

Title: ”Snow Falls and Then Disappears” by Simon Van Booy
Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books)
Date Read: 09 September 2010
Briefly: A man ruminates on past relationships as he prepares to leave his deaf wife for good, while she pays a visit to the local bakery on the corner.
Afterthoughts: What I [...]

Forethoughts: Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne

I come to the next novel on my reading list – Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne (Duckworth Publishers (US – Harper Perennial)) – knowing very little about it, or its author. Given that this is a debut novel, that’s probably not surprising, but if you know anything about Rob and RobAroundBooks then you’ll know [...]

Rob Reports: Simon Van Booy and Kevin Barry at EdBookFest 2010

And so after weeks of bombarding you with uncontainable excitement, the day finally dawned when I would get to see one of my contemporary literary heroes ‘in the flesh’, along with another short story writer who has fast gained my respect. That’s right dear friends, Monday was the night that Simon Van Booy and Kevin [...]

‘No Greater Gift’ by Simon Van Booy

Title: ‘No Greater Gift’ by Simon Van Booy
Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books)
Date Read: 29 August 2010
Briefly: Having just picked up a mysterious package, Gabriel considers the passengers with whom he shares his subway journey home with. In turn the passengers are considering Gabriel, and many of them do [...]

‘Distant Ships’ by Simon Van Booy

Title: ‘Distant Ships’ by Simon Van Booy
Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books)
Date Read: 28 August 2010
Briefly: The narrator speaks of his life in a small coastal town in Wales. His nights are filled with purpose as he carries out his duties in a Royal Mail sorting office. His days [...]

‘Some Bloom in Darkness’ by Simon Van Booy

Title: ‘Some Bloom in Darkness’ by Simon Van Booy
Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books)
Date Read: 27 August 2010
Briefly: After witnessing a violent incident at the railway station where he works as a ticket clerk, perpetual dreamer and sketcher, Saboné, begins to have a fixation with a particularly woman he [...]

‘The World Laughs in Flowers’ by Simon Van Booy

Title: ‘The World Laughs in Flowers’ by Simon Van Booy
Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books)
Date Read: 26 August 2010
Briefly: Heading out on a plane to attend the wedding of ex partner, the narrator reminisces on the time when he regretfully turned away from the relationship, with his reasoning [...]

‘Where They Hide Is a Mystery’ by Simon Van Booy

Title: ‘Where They Hide Is a Mystery’ by Simon Van Booy
Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books)
Date Read: 25 August 2010
Briefly: Grieving the loss of his mother and escaping an intolerable atmosphere at home, a young son takes secret trips across 5th Avenue to a bench at the end of [...]

‘Not the Same Shoes’ by Simon Van Booy

Title: ‘Not the Same Shoes’ by Simon Van Booy
Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books)
Date Read: 25 August 2010
Briefly: Alone and wandering the Kentucky countryside, a man reminiscences on a love lost; on a time when he returned unexpectedly to his former lover, following a lengthy absence of six years.
Afterthoughts: [...]

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