A fascinating read that will keep you smiling

Despite what you might think, Your Inner Hedgehog is not a story about hedgehogs. Instead, it follows the story of the hilarious German professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld as he navigates life at his workplace, the University of Regensburg. Written by the best-selling author of The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith, this is…

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The fascinating secrets we all carry in our bones

Think medical chat is dry? Never want to be seated next to a doctor at a dinner party? Swap those name places back and think again. From the renowned forensic anthropologist Sue Black comes a remarkable culmination of stories told by our bones. Skeletons may mark the absence of life, but Black turns this on…

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Discover life in the Granite City in wartime

A comprehensive historical treasure chest is what awaits in Craig Armstrong’s Aberdeen at War 1939-45. Black and white photographs are interspersed with detailed explanations of life in Aberdeen during World War Two. This is an interesting read for anyone from the north east. Armstrong successfully transports readers back in time in this poignant ode to…

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A strange tale which will have you gripped

From an author whose favourite TV shows include Twin Peaks, it is no surprise that Happiness is Wasted on Me is a strange book. But, it is an undoubted page turner at same time. Spanning a decade of 11-year-old Walter Wedgeworth’s life around Cumbernauld in the 1990s, the setting harks back to a time long…

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Another 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…

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MacCloud 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…

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Hearts that vie for the hearts and soul of Scotland

In the last instalment of a weighty trilogy that attempts to give John Knox a Hilary Mantel-style makeover, we see the Protestant firebrand return to a Scotland that in 1559 was on the brink of civil war. Back in Edinburgh, Knox immediately does battle with Mary, Queen of Scots, who is seeking to claim the…

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The story of the woman behind Peter Rabbit

The story of the creator of Peter Rabbit is an interesting one that says much about the unquenchable creative spirit of a sad little girl who, in the absence of anyone else to educate her, did it herself. Cohen’s book examines Potter’s summers, which were spent on the Dalguise Estate near Dunkeld, where she developed…

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Weaving fact and fiction to create a thrilling read

Delving more into historical fiction, The King’s Beast: A Mystery of the American Revolution weaves facts and fiction seamlessly. We journey across the Atlantic with Duncan McCallum as he is tasked with retrieving and protecting ancient bones unearthed in America, while mystery and murder ensue all round him. Beautifully immersive, Eliot Pattison has a way…

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Celebrating love and friendship in poetic verse

Alexander McCall devoted a recent column in Scottish Field to to the joys of poetry (especially Auden, who he reveres). This collection, which examines the themes of friendship and love, is a joyous affirmation of his infatuation with the form. Delivered in his trademark genial, conversational style, this accessible and highly enjoyable collection is divided…

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