Reviews
Some holistic ponderings about life in new book
On opening this book, it becomes clear that the title, A Quiet Wife, gives away nothing about the nature of our protagonist. And thank God for that. The opening sentence – ‘Sheila enjoyed her reputation as a ruthlessly efficient PA’ – is far more fitting. Sheila is 60, newly retired and dissatisfied with her self-indulgent…
Read MoreStories from the people who live in Blair Atholl
As most Scots will know, Blair Atholl is a pretty patch. This book compiles stories of Atholl from the people who inhabit it, although this is not just a book for Atholl residents – the stories have such a touching humility to them, it would be a shame for them not to receive a wider…
Read MoreBrookmyre’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 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 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 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…
Read MoreThe incredible life of Scottish icon Stanley Baxter
This authorised biography has generated headlines because in it 95-year-old Stanley Baxter comes out as gay, yet there is so much more to this account of the actor’s life than that revelation. This jauntily-written book is a veritable treasure trove of anecdotes that shine a light on one of Scotland’s most beloved, yet most enigmatic,…
Read More