Posts Tagged ‘books’
The Good Books, Helen Graham: I’ve read and loved all of Maggie O’Farrell novels, sometimes being moved to tears’
Helen Graham on being inspired by Maggie O’Farrell, her favourite books of the year, and her fascination with the world of plants and their healing properties. The first book I remember reading: I can still feel the heft of a hardback copy of Alice in Wonderland I was given when I was about six.…
Read MoreGlasgow comedian Billy Connolly to release new book this year
A new book by Billy Connolly featuring a collection of his artwork and stories will be released later this year. The Accidental Artist, published by John Murray Press, will be released on 24 October and will feature 200 of Connolly’s artworks alongside accompanying stories from the beloved comedian. Connolly’s three previous books with John Murray Press…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Allan Gaw: ‘I was forced to read Shane by Jack Schaeferto at school, to this day I still can’t abide westerns’
Allan Gaw has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize with his crime fiction novel, The Silent House of Sleep. The first book I remember reading: I remember it was hard backed and easy to hold, and it had come from the magical folding bookcase in our infant school classroom. There were words…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Martin Stewart: ‘Being a pre-screen child meant devouring words and language’
The former English teacher and lecturer on the comfort of reading non-fiction and his childhood love of Roald Dahl. The first book I remember reading: Spot the Dog, that feeling of Spot being famous, a recognised thing to which I was being given access. After that, reading independently came very naturally. Being a pre-screen child…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Suzy Aspley: ‘I curl up in the dark with a great book and read until I can’t keep my eyes open
Suzy Aspley has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize with her crime fiction novel, Crow Moon. The first book I remember reading: Three Ponies and Shannan, by Diana Pullein-Thompson. As a pony mad kid who pined for a horse of my own (which was totally out of reach growing up in a…
Read MoreBloody Scotland: Richard Armitage, Ann Cleeves, Peter May and Ruth Ware to headline crime writing festival
Bloody Scotland, the Stirling crime writers festival has revealed it’s full line for the event this September – including headliners Richard Armitage, Ann Cleeves, Peter May, Louise Minchin and Ruth Ware. Armitage will headline the opening night on 13 September at The Albert Halls in Stirling to talk about his debut thriller, Geneva. The actor’s…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Jane Flett: ‘Marcy Dermansky writes my favourite female characters ever’
Jane Flett on reading in the bath, being inspired by The Hungry Caterpillar and her favourite books of the year. The first book I remember reading: The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A brilliant meditation on what it is to want too much and the transformative power of desire, which has inspired me ever since. How I…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Hugo Rifkind: ‘Good Omens is the funniest book ever written, and it gets no worse as I get older’
Journalist and author Hugo Rifkind on the best books he’s read in the last year, being inspired by Stephen King and reading on the tube. The first book I remember reading: Aside from picturebooks it must have been Stig Of The Dump, by Clive King. The story of a cave-boy living alone in an…
Read MoreRare first edition Harry Potter book up for auction could fetch £60,000
Rare first editions of J.K. Rowling’s first three Harry Potter books, a signed first edition of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, and a complete set of signed A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the Pooh books are going up for auction. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first in Rowling’s boy wizard series, valued at between £40,000 and £60,000,…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Donald Murray: ‘I always return to Alice Munro, she often shines a light on rural communities’
A son of the Hebrides, Donald’s acclaimed non-fiction books bring to life the culture and nature of the Scottish islands. He talks to us about his love of short stories, reading the classics and growing up on Lewis. The first book I remember reading: A version of Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by…
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