Books
Brookmyre’s latest thriller is a Cut above the rest
Dark humour and jittering suspense underlines the twisting narrative of Chris Brookmyre’s latest thriller. Expertly crafted, our unconventional characters Millicent and Jerry narrate us through their turbulent lives. Scarred by and scared of the world around her, we are introduced to Millicent, who has spent 25 years in jail for murder, but who is now…
Read MoreThe latest Highland Book Prize winner is revealed
The 2020 Highland Book Prize has been named as The Changing Outer Hebrides: Galson and the Meaning of Place by Frank Rennie. This is an intimate account of the inter-relationship between one small island village in the Hebrides and the wider world. From the formation of the bedrock three billion years ago, to the predictable…
Read MoreA celebration of our beautiful trees and outdoors
For The Love of Trees: A Celebration of People and Trees is not just for 21st-century hippies or ‘forest bathers’, it is a beautiful reminder of the benefits of the outdoors. A host of household names including Judi Dench, Aldo Kane, Miranda Hart and Chris Packham contributed to this book, heralding the benefits of being…
Read MoreThe lost letters of two literary legends are assembled
Until recently, JM Barrie’s letters to Robert Louis Stevenson were presumed lost. In this fascinating book, Shaw compiles these lost letters into a chronological record of the pair’s written correspondence. He sheds light on their friendship, careers and shared love for Scotland. Their friendship would not have been so remarkable nor the book so readable…
Read MoreWe’ve an exclusive preview of new whisky book
A full colour guide to Scotland’s whisky distilleries across all regions, aimed at whisky fans and the many tourists visiting the country each year, is being released next month. Whisky, a major industry in Scotland which ties in both with the country’s history and present-day attraction, has been boosted thanks to a modern-day surge in…
Read MoreFascinating places and facts from the Kingdom of Fife
Have you heard the tale of Elie’s Janet Fall, who demanded a village be flattened to improve her own views? Or seen Gateside’s The Bunnet Stane, an Aeolian sculpture from aeons past? How about visiting the resident ghost at St Rule’s Tower in St Andrews? This book is crammed with short, sharp snippets on Fife’s…
Read MoreAnother success for Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith, the most prolific British author since Barbara Cartland (who penned 720 novels), returns to his hugely popular 44 Scotland Street series. This is the fourteenth novel set in Edinburgh’s most famous fictional location. With its vividly surreal cast of outlandish characters – including ‘aphorism-coining socialite nun’ Sister Maria, and ‘chino-wearing narcissist’ Bruce…
Read MoreMacCloud falls is an absorbing and pleasant read
Scottish antiquarian Gilbert travels to British Columbia to research an early settler he believes may have been his runaway grandfather. Here, he strikes up an unexpected connection with a woman he meets on the plane. Beautifully descriptive and almost lyrical in parts, I was transfixed by the vibrant scenery. If you like short, punchy chapters…
Read MoreShedding new light on Bonnie Prince Charlie
Reminiscences of a Jacobite: The Untold Story of the Rising of 1745 is based around a Bonnie Prince Charlie letter purchased in 2002. Author Michael Nevin believes it shows Stuart to be a more charismatic and courageous figure than usually portrayed. Although the author’s position as Chair of the 1745 Association suggests his sympathy to…
Read MoreA handy guide on teaching yourself new life skills
When this breezeblock-sized hardback book – subtitled ‘214 Things You Can Actually Learn How to Do’ – slammed onto my desk I must admit that I almost laughed. This is like one of those pre-internet general interest books we used to have in the seventies. Unlike tongue-in-cheek retro tomes such as The Dangerous Book For…
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