Posts Tagged ‘The Good Books’
The 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 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…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Alistair Moffat: ‘I recently bought three new novels and after a few pages of each, hurled them across the room’
Alistair Moffat on the books of his childhood, his despair at badly written novels, and his ancient alcove for reading. The first book I remember reading: When I was five or six, my mum took me down to the Carnegie Library in Kelso. Mr Bird, the librarian, looked over the counter at me for…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Chris Brookmyre: ‘Reading Iain Banks changed my perception of what Scottish fiction could be’
Chris Brookmyre on colourful comics, the essence of Glasgow, and the importance of reading somewhere sunny when your writing spot isn’t. The first book I remember reading: Asterix in Britain. It was on our class bookshelf in Primary Three, but I had to wait because whenever we had reading time, there was always a rush…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Liz Mistry: ‘Life is too short for struggling on with a book that doesn’t grip me by the throat pretty quickly’
Crime writer Liz Mistry on the joys of Agatha Christie, the best books she has read this year, and why reading in bed is the epitome of relaxation. The first book I remember reading: I think I was born reading. No seriously though, although I’m not sure it’s the first book I read, I…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Callum McSorley: ‘Louise Welsh is a great inspiration to me’
Callum McSorley on the books of his childhood, why he always recommends Neuromancer and being inspired by Louise Welsh. The first book I remember reading: I remember reading Keith Brumpton’s two Rudley Cabot books over and over – a pair of short graphic novels about an explorer rabbit. And The Headless Ghost, one of…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Denzil Meyrick: ‘They say the purpose of fiction is to remove the reader to another place’
Denzil Meyrick on his memories of being read Treasure Island by his grandmother, his favourite three books of the year so far, and being inspired by the the late Angus MacVicar. The first book I remember reading: The first book I remember was Treasure Island, read to me by my grandmother, Margaret McMillan. I…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Caroline Eden: ‘My favourite place to read is on a quiet train, going anywhere’
Caroline Eden finds comfort away from the road in her basement Edinburgh kitchen. In her latest book she cooks recipes from her travels, reflects on past adventures and contemplates the kitchen’s ability to tell human stories. The first book I remember reading: As soon as I was old enough to read on my own…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Marion Todd: ‘Wuthering Heights is entirely miserable, I just didn’t care what happened to the characters’
Marion Todd on being inspired to write crime fiction by Kate Atkinson, why she always recommends Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and her best three books of the year. The first book I remember reading: The Little Red Hen – a Ladybird book. I still have my dog-eared copy and it’s like an old friend.…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Jenni Daiches: ‘Books have been my companions from earliest memory’
Jenni Daiches on books being her eariest companions, listening to audio books during a period of near blindness, and why she loves Elizabeth Strout and Hilary Mantell. The first book I remember reading: Books have been my companions from earliest memory. I’m not sure how old I was when I read The Little Reindeer…
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