THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

‘It was Christmas Eve. Noah and Lucy had been waiting all day for snowflakes to fall’

Lucy and Noah open a present on Christmas Eve. It’s a beautiful snow globe, with a house inside that even looks like theirs, except they don’t have any snow. Lucy lies awake looking at the snow globe, disappointed that it won’t be a white Christmas. Suddenly, she feels something soft and cold land on her cheek.

It can’t really be snowing inside the house, can it?

Cosy and comforting, this charming picture book about festive excitement imagines a very special Christmas Eve where Lucy and Noah build a snowman in their bedroom, sledge down the stairs and fling snowballs over the sofa. The Christmas Snow Globe is a celebration of the power and magic of children’s imaginations, lovingly illustrated in a distinctive style with warm colours.

The red flag: There is no symbol, perhaps other than the crucifix and the crescent moon, for which so many people have lived and died. A standard of hope and resistance to millions and of terror and tyranny to many. But why is the flag red? How did it come to represent the workers against the bourgeoisie? And how did it travel the world?

Henry Bell takes us around the globe and back in time, tracing the lineage of the red flag. From its beginnings as a sign of battle and piracy to the raising of a blood-stained flag at the Merthyr Rising and the arrival of the red flag at the Paris Commune, from the jungles of north-eastern India to the factories of Cuba, Red Threads explores how this symbol of working-class power first came to be held aloft in the hands of revolutionaries; who raises it today; and its meaning for the future.

You wouldn’t suspect it, but scandalous secrets are being kept on Blythswood Square…

1846. Glasgow is a city on the cusp of great social change, but behind the curtains, neighbours are watching, and rumours of improper behaviour spread like wildfire on the respectable Blythswood Square.

When Charlotte Nicholl discovers that the fortune she has been bequeathed by her father is tied up in a secret collection of erotic art, she is faced with a terrible dilemma: sell it and risk shaming her family’s good name or lose her home.

An encounter with Ellory Mann, a talented working-class photographer newly arrived in Glasgow, leads Charlotte to hope she has found not only someone who might help her, but also a friend. Yet Ellory is hiding secrets of her own – secrets that become harder to conceal as she finds herself drawn into Charlotte’s world.

As the truth begins to catch up with both women, will it destroy everything they’ve fought to build – or set them both free?

‘You’re not in a hurry today.
Stop for a moment, and look up.
The sky is so big and so blue.
It’s a beautiful, blue sky morning.’

Eunny wakes up slowly. She gets out of bed, goes to the window to look out at the busy street, and then heads downstairs. Soon it’s time for school. Eunny and Mama step out into the crisp day, but they don’t rush. They notice the pretty pink petals of new flowers, the changing red-gold leaves and the big blue sky above. It’s easy to be happy on a blue sky morning.

This uplifting, mindful picture book from the creator of The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky depicts an ordinary morning with beautiful subtlety. The gently unhurried narrative encourages readers to take their time, while the rich illustrations are full of details to notice. From drawings on bedroom walls to dancing dragonflies and playful ginger cats, each new scene encourages the reader to pause on the page as they follow Eunny on her journey.

A balm for the hectic pace of modern living, Blue Sky Morning is stunning in its simplicity and mindfulness, reminding us to stop and appreciate the beauty all around us in our daily routine.

Search your way around Scotland in this dazzlingly detailed search-and-find book!

Join Ali, Maisie, Great Granny Isla and Brodie the dog on their grand Scottish adventure from Glenfinnan to Glasgow, the Kelpies to the Cairngorms and from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Up Helly Aa on Shetland.

Spot the intrepid travellers hidden on twelve action-packed spreads, including eating ice cream in Tobermory, chasing Nessie in Inverness, exploring Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, competing at the Braemar Gathering and much more.

The Great Scotland Search is bursting with bustling, zany Scottish scenes to pore over. This fantastic activity book will make a perfect gift, giving children hours of search-and-find fun.

Poisoning Pigeons in the Park brings Tom Lehrer into 2023 with this fantastic new collection of the best, funniest and darkest songs from his career – alongside complimentary illustrations by the talented Bob Dewar.

From ‘Ivy League alma maters’ to ‘It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier’, these hilariously dark songs will keep you on your toes as you make your way through his ever-familiar and present work. Using familiar favourite tunes as their backing, with an index from the author, this book will be the best way for anyone to enjoy Lehrer’s songs.

With building political tension around the world, Lehrer’s satiric songs will provide comfort to those who need it. It will not only be a hit with fans of Lehrer’s work but newer fans of black humour in general. Additionally, those who follow Bob Dewar’s work will also be keen to see how he illustrates Lehrer’s songs.

I am deeply respectful of the mind that has produced this book. LEONARD COHEN, Email to the author

Leonard Cohen has aimed high: to be all Jewish heroes at once. Like Jacob, he struggled with angels. Like David, he sang psalms and seduced women. Like Abraham, he moved from place to place and remained a stranger everywhere. But he never ceased doing what he did best: stepping into avalanches and reviving our hearts. From Montreal and New York to the Greek island of Hydra, Leonard Cohen: The Man Who Saw the Angels Fall follows the singer’s cosmopolitan life and examines his perpetual dialogues with God, with himself, and with hotel rooms.

We see how six decades of writing songs and looking into the abyss transformed a young Jewish poet who longed to be a saint into an existentialist troubadour, then into a gravelly voiced crooner, determined to teach us a thousand ways of dissolving into love.

After twenty years of research, Christophe Lebold, who spent time with the poet in Los Angeles, delivers a stimulating analysis of Cohen’s life and art. Gracefully blending biography and essay, he interrogates the mission the singer had set out for himself: to show us that darkness is just the flip side of light.

Cassie has settled into life in Hedgely when, out of the blue, her troubled cousin, Sebastian, comes to stay for Hallowe’en. Sneering and scornful, Sebastian trails after Cassie and her friends, interfering with their coven projects and belittling the dangers of the faery world.

But Cassie, Rue and Tabitha have bigger problems – as the nights grow longer, a dark shadow creeps out of the Hedge and villagers start behaving strangely, possessed with the desire to find a mysterious object.

When the Hedgewitch is called away, the girls decide to investigate and discover that whoever is controlling the villagers is seeking a faery relic: an ancient and dangerous weapon, hidden somewhere in the village. Their magical training will be put to the test as they venture deeper into the Hedge and race to find the faery treasure before it falls into the hands of the Erl King.

Witches aren’t born, they’re made …

Cassie Morgan has run away. After seven years spent waiting for her mother to return, she flees her dreary boarding school and sets out to find her. But the world outside her school is full of hidden magic and children have been going missing.

With the help of a talking cat and a flying broom, Cassie escapes to the enchanted village of Hedgely. There she will begin her training in the practical skills of witchcraft with the Hedgewitch, who watches over the Hedge, the vast forest that marks the border between England and Faerie.

Will Cassie discover the truth about her mother? Can she find the lost faery treasures before the wicked Erl King gets his hands on them? And what will it take to save her new home – and Britain itself – from the shadowing magic of Faerie?

Cassie Morgan needs to earn her Sapling pin to get one step closer to passing her Witch’s Licence. To do this, she’s set the challenge of training a beginner witch by the Hedgewitch – but the newest member of her coven is not what she expected…

Meanwhile, the wicked Erl King is luring witches up and down the country to his side, with promises of unimaginable power. While those who stand against him are running a deadly risk.

When a letter arrives from Cassie’s cousin, Sebastian, desperate for help to solve an intriguing mystery, she travels to his home of Porthmorven with her friends, both old and new, to help work out what’s going on. But Porthmorven is no ordinary place – it’s a Faerie border town, like Hedgely, and it has its own protector: the elusive Seawitch. But she is nowhere to be found and Cassie is determined to help the people of Porthmorven however she can.

Can Cassie use all of her training – along with help from her friends – to solve the secrets of the sea and foil the Erl King’s plans once and for all?…

1770. Delphine lives in the shadows of London: a secret, vibrant world of smugglers, courtesans and small rebellions. Four years ago, she escaped enslavement at great personal cost. Now, she must help her brother Vincent do the same.

While Britain’s highest court fails to administer justice for Vincent, little rebellions are no longer enough. What’s needed is a big, explosive plot – one that will strike at the heart of the transatlantic slave trade. But can one woman, one fuse and one match bring down an Empire?

An incendiary alternative history, Remember, Remember is a gripping story of conscience, conspiracy, queer identity and courage in the face of injustice.

In June 2022, former miners secured through the Scottish Parliament a collective pardon for convictions acquired during the 1984-85 miners’ strike. The Miners’ Strike (Pardons) (Scotland) Act recognised the distinct injustices facing Scottish strikers: twice as likely to be arrested as those in England and Wales and three times as likely to be sacked.

This book analyses the injustices of the strike, and shows how the pardons were won, using thirty oral history testimonies from former strikers and family members. They remembered the injustices of arrest, conviction and employment dismissal. They emphasised how the National Coal Board, police and courts operated as confederates of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government, silencing union voice and closing pits deemed unprofitable, to maximise returns from intended privatisation.

These testimonies were used in the successful campaign which pushed the Scottish government to provide the broad-based collective and posthumous pardon that was won in Parliament in 2022.

Collated from various sources including Helen Beatons 1925 At the Back o Benachie and Professor Alexander Fentons academic collection of the sayings of Aberdeenshire parishes in the 1950s, Doric Sayings is a cornucopia of Doric wit an wisdom, some of it in the form of rhyme and riddle. Couthie comments about everyday life; caustic remarks about the neighbours; philosophical reflections on work or the weather. Who could fail to be re-assured to know that aathing his an eyn but a mealie pudden his twa?

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WILD HOPE

‘Powerful and comforting … Donna’s words could change your life.’ DAWN FRENCH

‘Absolutely beautiful … whenever I’m feeling lost, I reach for Donna Ashworth’s words and feel found.’ BRYONY GORDON

‘Some people have the Bible by their bed. Others a self-help manual. I have Donna Ashworth.’ SUSANNAH CONSTANTINE

In this powerful new collection of wisdom and poetry, Donna Ashworth helps us to find strength and courage on the days we feel lost, to pick ourselves up when times are hard, to soothe fear and self-doubt when we are in their grip, and to let in more life and love as we brave our challenges.

Every day we are bombarded by thoughts, feelings and information that make us feel anxious and afraid. We worry we don’t measure up, we are scared of failure and we find it hard to be ourselves. We also feel powerless watching the world getting messier. Fear is a limiting factor for many of us and if we don’t challenge it we can find ourselves keeping out more of the good stuff in life than the bad.

With poems such as ‘One Day You’ll See’, ‘Growing in Moonlight’, ‘The Comparing’ and ‘Always There’, bestselling author Donna Ashworth helps us to see that whatever we are facing, no matter how small or afraid we feel, we make the biggest difference in this world and to our own happiness when we are brave enough to show up as ourselves.

Unemployed, depressed and grieving, all Mask wants is to be left alone to enjoy their misery. But they are haunted: in the day by a tea-obsessed elderly neighbour and in their nightmares by a spectral shapeshifter.

Then there’s V, a secretive busker who regales Mask with stories about The Nothing, a soul-sucking monster who bears an uncanny resemblance to the spectre in Mask’s dreams.

When The Nothing makes its spectacular debut in the real world, Mask must race to destroy it before it destroys them. But after years of isolation, who can Mask truly trust?

To survive, Mask needs to do the impossible: find a reason to live.

Benothinged is an ambitious horror-comedy that confronts grief, isolation, mental illness and poverty. Told with cleaver-sharp wit and insight, Benothinged will consume whoever opens its pages.

‘Jamie’s poetry offers a new way of seeing the world and a new form of intelligence about ourselves and other species’ – Kit Fan, Guardian

The Keelie Hawk is a landmark poetry collection from Kathleen Jamie, the current Makar (National Poet) of Scotland. For the first time, Kathleen Jamie has brought her astonishing lyric talent to the language of her homeland, with outstanding results. The Keelie Hawk is a deeply resonant collection written in Scots, with each poem accompanied by a translation into English.

Its publication is a significant event in Scottish literature, not only a reclaiming by one of our finest poets of the mouth-music of literary Scots, but a furthering of that language: ‘by making poems, a language develops’, Jamie observes in a fascinating afterword.

Inside the grand walls of Edinburgh’s nineteenth-century scientific institutions, anatomists began to map the secrets of the human body in order to discover new medical innovations.

But to the horror of the local population, a shortage of bodies soon led to the gruesome act of graveyard bodysnatching, a heartless crime that would soon spread like a disease throughout the city. And when stealing cadavers turns to murder, Burke & Hare became two of the most notorious serial killers of their time.

This is the story of those grim events, told for the first time through the eyes of Susan and Helen (Nelly), two women caught up in those horrific matters.

Developed in collaboration with the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, this book, by the esteemed Donald Smith invites you to discover the captivating tapestry of Edinburgh: Our Storied Town a spellbinding exploration of Edinburgh’s history, intricately illustrated by Cath Outram.

This commemorative edition, part of Edinburgh’s 900th anniversary celebration unveils the city’s storytelling evolution through the centuries, with each chapter delving into a different century. As Edinburgh gears up for its grand 900th anniversary festivities in August, immerse yourself in this literary gem that intertwines seamlessly with the celebrations. Join Donald Smith in honouring Edinburgh’s legacy, and witness the city hosting a major international literary conference, cementing its status as a global literary beacon. Edinburgh: Our Storied Town is an enchanting journey through time, connecting you to the heart of this storied city.

This is the autobiography of Dougie Donnelly, one of Scotland’s most successful and best loved broadcasters, who has spent over 32 years with the BBC as a presenter on Grandstand and Sportscene.

As well as commentating on Great Britain winning the gold medal at curling at the Winter Olympics Donnelly has also presented football World Cups and European Championships, Europe winning Ryder and Solheim Cups and many golf championships. He was there broadcasting when Scotland won two rugby Grand Slams and medals in Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and when Stephen Hendry was the greatest snooker player in the world. Oh, and he interviewed an American President on stage at the Royal Albert Hall!

Donnelly’s additional skills as a chat show host were recognised when he fronted a series Friday Night with Dougie Donnelly and a television special with Billy Connolly, Connolly with Donnelly both for the BBC. Dougie is still travelling the world doing what he does best – commentating on sport! His latest travels include commentating on international golf, a sport he loves to play – although admits he’s a better commentator than player!

The perfect gift for animal fans!

Go on a wild adventure into the animal kingdom with naturalist, wildlife cameraman and winner of Strictly Come Dancing, Hamza Yassin.

Did you know that kestrels can see mouse wee tracks on the ground, that dolphin mums sing lullabies or that wombats have cube-shaped poo?

Do you want to imagine what it’s like to meet a cheetah, get close to a polar bear or go to sleep with an otter?

Then this book is for you!

Hamza Yassin brings you everything you will ever need to know about the animal kingdom in this fun, fascinating guide packed with hundreds of funny, smelly, awesome, scary, revolting, weird, cute, clever and amazing facts, and illustrations, photos and infographics.

A dyslexic-friendly layout, made in consultation with Dyslexia Scotland, make this perfect for every child.