Books
A sentimental journey from Italy to Orkney
The Highland Games Ambassador by Jackie Roy sees Luca travel from his home in Italy to Orkney, where his father was interned as a prisoner of war in World War II, to fulfil his father’s dying wish. Attracting media attention by financing Scotland’s first Highland Games Ambassador leads to secrets of his past being unravelled. This…
Read MoreWhy peat is so important to life on the islands
Into the Peatlands: A Journey Through the Moorland Year book demonstrates how the peatlands in the Outer Hebrides are central to island life. It explains the significance of peat in local folklore and wildlife. The seasonal processes surrounding peat reveal a significant amount about life on the islands both in the present and in the past as…
Read MoreA sense of history at Edinburgh’s Calton Hill
Kirsten Carter McKee has provided a delightfully in-depth treasure trove of information for anyone with an interest in Scottish architecture or history, more specifically in that of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh. The knowledge Carter McKee demonstrates in Calton Hill and the Plans for Edinburgh’s Third New Town, on the history of Calton Hill and all…
Read MoreLiving and cooking on the edge of the world
Father and son duo Tom and James Morton have written a fantastic book. Shetland: Cooking on the Edge of the World should be recognised as far more than a simple recipe book as it contains a great deal on the history and culture of Shetland too. The authors convey the information in a humorous and friendly…
Read MoreScots are the fastest readers in Great Britain
New research has shown that Scots are Britain’s fastest readers. Lenstore developed a test to measure the speed you read, and participants from Scotland boasted the quickest average time. The quiz gives you a passage to read, followed by questions about the passage to check your understanding. The results show how many novels you could…
Read MoreTide and time waits for no one in this thriller
The Relentless Tide, the newest instalment of the DCI Daley thrillers series is well-written and engaging from beginning to end. While searching for Viking remains, archaeologist Professor Francombe stumbles across the missing remains from the ‘Midweek Murderer’ case that occurred in the 1990s, a case from DCI Daley’s past that has been haunting him for…
Read MoreScottish book readers love a good thriller
Scottish book readers enjoy a good thriller – that’s the obvious fact from a newly-published list of the most borrowed books in the country. Book Week Scotland has just concluded, as people of all ages and walks of life came together in libraries, schools, community venues and workplaces to share and enjoy books and reading.…
Read MoreWhen Arriva buses were serving Scotland
Books about buses are, in many ways, like the vehicles themselves. You wait a while for one, and then several arrive in a short space of time. Amberley Publishing has, over the past few months, released a series of books chronicling buses in Scotland, which have been of interest, even to this casual reader with…
Read MoreThe secret locations hidden during World War 2
We all think that we know the areas where we currently live, and indeed, where we grew up. We know the local parks, the places to go for walks and the shortcuts to get home – but how much do we really know about our areas? In Secret Wartime Britain: Hidden Places That Helped Win…
Read MoreScots writer tops vote of most rebellious 21st century reads
Poverty Safari, a best-selling memoir about growing up in Glasgow has been selected in an online vote for Book Week Scotland 2018 as the most rebellious read of the 21st century. Now in its seventh year, Book Week Scotland is run by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing. In…
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