Book review: Private Matters

Scottish journalist Mairi Fraser spent nearly 15 years on the front line of Fleet Street’s urban jungle. But her new book Private Matters is her first attempt at writing without a news editor bearing down. The novel follows the complexities of a British boarding school, revealing an intricate web of relationships, challenging the usual traditions.…

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Voxblock plays audiobooks without a screen

AN EDINBURGH couple has today launched Voxblock, a device for playing audiobooks without a screen. Rebecca Lundgren and Tom Williams were inspired to create the machine after watching their daughter play Lundgren’s childhood audiobooks on an old cassette player. ‘‘Watching our own daughter listen to and love my old storybook cassettes was a revelation and…

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A handy guide to walking Fife’s Pilgrim Way

Officially opened in July 2019, the Fife Pilgrim Way has two starting points, the first in Culross and the second in North Queensferry. From these towns the path snakes its way across Fife to the ancient city of St Andrews, following in the footsteps of our medieval predecessors. In this essential companion, Ian Bradley brings…

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A handy guide to wine is bound to impress

Tasting Notes is a lovely little guide to buying wine from the general manager of the Horseshoe Inn near Peebles, a man with 30 years in the trade. If you are on the lookout for a fabulous bottle to impress your friends or just to enjoy on a Saturday evening then this is for you.…

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An interesting guide to Scotland and the Scots

This entry in Winn’s ‘I never knew that’ series sees the author take a tour around Scotland detailing the people that have made this great land what it is. Various luminaries are detailed alongside their achievements and legacies. He also focuses on various well-known families and we learn of notable members of these clans and…

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Dead Girl Walking presents a new thrilling mystery

Dead Girl Walking sees the long-awaited return of Jack Parlabane. Christopher Brookmyre’s ex-journalist protagonist has fallen from grace and has an investigative job looking for the missing lead singer of a pop group. Brookmyre writes convincingly from both the perspective of Parlabane and Monica (the violinist in the group). The plot is thrilling, tense and…

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The Tobermory Cat is a fun story for children

The Tobermory Cat is the enduring tale of one feline’s quest to fill his empty stomach. Illustration is vivid, with a charming rusticity and acres of pastel illustrations. Besides its educational value, which will help younger readers to become more familiar with counting from one to ten, Gliori’s story is faithful to her setting: full…

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From the slums of Glasgow to ruling the music world

The Youngs is an unconventional profile of the highly idiosyncratic Young brothers, who were the heart of the band AC/DC. Author Jesse Fink attempts to explain how Malcolm and Angus Young, two brothers who grew up in the Gorbals in Glasgow came to sell 200 million albums and become one of the best-selling bands of…

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A cookbook interspersed with classic comics

The Sunday Post’s favourite matriarch, Maw Broon, brings us a pleasing compilation of family-orientated bakes to suit any occasion. Interspersed with favourite comic scenes from 10 Glebe Street, these recipes are perfect for those wanting to master the basics and reacquaint themselves with enduring Scottish classics like the delicious Selkirk Bannock or Empire Biscuit. Bake With Maw Broon, published by DC Thomson, £14.99. [review rating=”3″ align…

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An analysis of the 2014 independence referendum

This is a close commentary on the Scottish Independence referendum from widely acclaimed journalist and Alex Salmond biographer David Torrance. The diary provides an inside perspective on the fraught 100 days leading up to 18 September 2014. As Torrance bikes around Edinburgh on his beloved bike he interviews politicians and ordinary voters. It’s all in…

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