Posts Tagged ‘review’
A satirical look at what we value in modern culture
The Brilliant & Forever is an unusual novel draws the reader through its satirical looking glass into a recognisable but not-quite-familiar world. On a small island populated entirely by writers, the annual Brilliant and Forever Festival is a focal point in the calendar. Its stakes are glory or ignominy. Who will be chosen by the…
Read MoreFrom a lover of royalty to a French Revolution prisoner
One-time mistress of the Prince of Wales, who later became George IV, career courtesan Grace Dalrymple Elliott led a fascinating life. This major new biography, written by two Dalrymple Elliot enthusiasts who met online through their love of history, explores the life, loves and family of the celebrated personality who ended up as a prisoner…
Read MoreA mystery as a dead man returns full of life
The first in a new series from The Legend of Barney Thomson writer Douglas Lindsay, this chilling crime novel follows ex-spy turned detective Ben Westphall, who has retreated to the north of Scotland to live a quiet life. But the reawakening of a cold case quickly draws him into the sinister world of international organ…
Read MoreA complete guide to discovering the true Scotland
Scotland the Best is described as the ‘true insider’s guide to Scotland’. Author Peter Irvine has composed everything that a Scots traveller ought to know, from the best artisan cafes and restaurants to hidden gems, secret waterfalls and country walks. This is the perfect guide to Scotland for tourists planning a trip to the country…
Read MoreDiscovering the secret of Thunder Bay
Reporter Rebecca Connolly – who lives on the fictional Scottish island of Stoirm – senses a story coming on when Roddie Drummond returns to the island. Fifteen years, previously, he he was charged with the murder of his lover, Mhairi. Returning for his mother’s funeral, Roddie’s whereabouts have remained a mystery since he was last…
Read MoreYour chance to add some colour to Scottish icons
Exploding onto the hobby and leisure scene recently, the popularity of adult colouring shows no sign of abating. Here, illustrator Laura Henderson, a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, takes us on a colouring journey across Scotland. Covering the country’s most iconic subjects, from castles and stately homes to feats of engineering, myths and…
Read MoreLook to the skies in a striking art collection
Scott Naismith believes that the primary purpose of an artist is to encourage others to look at the world differently. This is something he certainly achieves with Scottish Skies, a striking collection of work which depicts the colourful, atmospheric and ever-changing skies over Scotland’s coastlines, lowlands, highlands and islands. With notes divulging the thought process…
Read MoreAn entertaining read to put spring in your step
The Nature of Spring, by Jim Crumley, one of Scotland’s foremost wildlife writers, sees him continue his seasonal writing series with the addition of spring. This thought-inducing paean to nature brings the issues of the natural world to the forefront, reminding us of global warming and the threat it brings to Scottish species such as…
Read MorePutting the fun back into foraging for food
The Forager’s Calendar is a marvelous tome, as John Wright wears his learning lightly as his detailed account of foraging reveals not only his vast knowledge of wild food. There’s also a wry humour and huge array of endearing anecdotes which combine to make this a compelling read. Month by month, the former forager at…
Read MoreScots history is reimagined to celebrate women
Where are the Women? by Sara Sheridan reimagines a Scottish history as one in which men are no longer disproportionately commemorated and women’s triumphs are lauded. In Sheridan’s world, Arthur’s Seat is renamed in honour of early Christian St Triduana, while the cave at Staff a references Malvina, not Fingal. The author asks readers to imagine…
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