Book Ninety 2014:

Over Our Heads by Andrew Fox

Reading collections of short stories, particularly from an author you haven’t read before, can be a bit of a minefield. Not so here.

Andrew Fox’s first collection of stories spans the Irish in America, Americans in Ireland and us here at home through semi-ghost apartment blocks, moving furniture in New York hotels, arguing couples, guys on community service fixing graffiti and parents bringing their American-born kids home to try out colleges in Dublin.

Most collections have some decent stories, some dull and some brilliant if you’re very lucky. Again, not so here. There isn’t a single dud in the pack and even the ones that are just decent are few and far between.

In some of the stories he creates incredible, real, detailed excerpts from much larger lives without losing anything in the brief skim you have across these people’s worlds. These characters are all alive and all too often you find yourself reaching the last words of the story wishing there was more. Edible stuff.

Over Our Heads is gorgeous in the most and hugely worth your time. Again, this one is to be anticipated in the new year, it’s out in February.