THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

A young Sikh footballer reaches out across the generational divide to help a lonely old man in an uplifting story from acclaimed author Bali Rai.

When he spots a lonely old man watching his football games in the park, and then sees him again eating at the local gurdwara kitchen, Bobby wants to help.At first the man doesn’t seem very friendly and he doesn’t want to take part in the local walking football league for older people that Bobby tells him about.

But when Bobby eventually changes his mind, it turns out that the man is a talented former professional footballer who has recently been widowed, and Bobby’s invitation opens up a rewarding new opportunity for him to make connections in his local community.

Village newcomer Alex must vanquish a vicious feathered foe to finally feel at home in this madcap caper from comedy genius and bestselling author Jo Simmons.

Alex is not happy that his family are moving to the village of Noggings. He’s even less happy when he discovers that Noggings is under siege from Graham, a vicious jackdaw that has been terrorising the locals, dive-bombing kids in the school playground and targeting dog walkers and picnickers. As he tries to settle in to his new home, can Alex find a way to dodge the flapping fiend and learn what’s really behind these angry avian attacks?

Learn how to argue from the masters. This book is a complete course on the art of argument, taught by the greatest practitioners of it: Churchill, Lincoln, and hundreds of others from the golden age of debate in England and America.

The book’s concise chapters provide lessons in all aspects of give and take—the syllogism and the slippery slope, the argumentum ad hominem and reductio ad absurdum, the fallacy and the insult. Ward Farnsworth shows how the full range of such techniques can be used or repelled, and illustrates them with examples that are fascinating, instructive, and fun to read.

The result is a browsable reference in which every page is a pleasure. It will leave you better able to win arguments and to defend yourself under fire. It’s also an entertaining reminder that argument can be a source of beauty and delight. As Farnsworth says of the illustrations, they show talented advocates crossing analytical swords and exchanging abuse when those things were done with more talent and dignity than is common today. They made argument a spectator sport of lasting value and interest.

Farnsworth’s Classical English Argument is the fourth book in a series about the ideas and methods embedded in the best speech and writing of an earlier time. Previous titles in the series are Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric, Farnsworth’s Classical English Metaphor, and Farnsworth’s Classical English Style. Each book is a treasury of insight and an essential reference for all users of language.

In her early twenties, Esther Rutter suffered an acute mental breakdown while teaching English in Japan. Sectioned and held in a Japanese psychiatric institution until she could be flown home under escort, her recovery only began when she came to live and work in the Lake District at Dove Cottage, the home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth.

Here, amid the beauty of the mountainous landscape and close to the extraordinary legacy of the Wordsworths, Esther began to heal. Like Dorothy and William before her, whose search for Dove Cottage was borne out of the dislocation they experienced during their childhood, Esther realised that she was looking for a place to feel at home, and most like herself. In the Wordsworths’ lives and writings, she discovered an approach to understanding herself as sophisticated as the psychoanalysis of Freud that followed a century later: a desire to ‘see into the life of things’ through personal reflection, and the belief that the experiences of ordinary people are intrinsically worthwhile and important. And in the community of fellow interns, colleagues, poets and villagers, she made lifelong bonds of friendship, and finally, love.

All Before Me is a moving and absorbing account of the struggle to know oneself on the journey into adulthood, intertwined with the stories of the Wordsworth siblings at Dove Cottage. In the beautiful hamlet of Town End, where a cultural epoch was borne that would forever shape the way we experience the world, Esther found the spirit of place to sustain and anchor her, and make possible all that lay before her.

How did the evil nature of slavery become enshrined in law in Great Britain? What drove the change in public perception? What were the key victories on the journey to abolition and who were the key players? What is to prevent a similar evil gaining acceptance again today?

Just as Britain’s industrial development in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was built largely on the back of slave labour, so too was the development of new ideas and values, shaped by the moral dilemmas arising from the shameful act of denying people their liberty.

The story of the Scottish Enlightenment is entwined with that of slavery and the slave trade.

In fifteen stories set between 1720 and 1865 in Britain, Africa, the Caribbean and America, Slavery and the Scottish Enlightenment introduces a diverse cast of characters, both white and black, whose moral viewpoints and active choices between right and wrong helped shape the world in which they lived. As the legacy of slavery continues to infect our lives, we face similar choices today – choices that will determine the ever-evolving values of our society.

Playwright Naomi Westerman was an anthropology grad student studying death rituals around the world when her whole family died, turning death from the academic to the deeply personal. She struggled with grief and talking about, particularly as a young woman, realising while death is everywhere in our culture, grief is harder to find in specialist ways.

This Inkling combines academic study with memoir to discuss the popularity of murder as entertainment in true crime podcasts; women working in the death industry; Naomi’s love of horror and what it’s like writing horror movies for a living when your mum was maybe murdered; the rise of death peer support groups; and death rituals in other countries. Happy Death Club provides a frank, touching and sometimes hilarious look at death, grief, and bereavement.

One missing child.

Two murders.

A midsummer nightmare.

A woman enters a Glasgow police station to report her son missing, but no record can be found of the boy. When Detective Harry McCoy, seconded from the cop shop across town, discovers the family is part of the cultish Church of Christ’s Suffering, he suspects there is more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye.

Meanwhile reports arrive of a string of poisonings of down-and-outs across the city. The dead are men who few barely notice, let alone care about – but, as McCoy is painfully aware, among this desperate community is his own father.

Even as McCoy searches for the missing boy, he must conceal from his colleagues the real reason for his presence – to investigate corruption in the station. Some folk pray for justice. Detective Harry McCoy hasn’t got time to wait.

In twenty years on the force, he has seen his share of monsters.

When a badly mutilated body washes up on the shores of Loch Ness, DCI Jack Logan’s dream of a quiet life in the Highlands is shattered.

While the media speculates wildly about monster attacks, Jack and the Major Investigations Team must act fast to catch the killer before they can strike again.

But with Nessie-hunters descending on the area in their dozens, and an old enemy rearing his ugly head, the case could well turn out to be the most challenging of Jack’s career.

And, if he isn’t careful, the last.

A fast-paced Tartan noir crime thriller set in the Highlands of Scotland. Perfect for fans of L.J. Ross, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.

Praise for JD Kirk

‘A breath of fresh air’ L.J. Ross

‘DCI Logan is sure to become one of Scotland’s best-loved detectives’ Adam Croft

How do you catch a killer who doesn’t exist?

After twenty years on the force, Detective Chief Inspector Jack Logan thinks he has seen it all.

He is wrong.

When a nurse is murdered on her way home from nightshift, Jack and his team go on the hunt for her killer.

As more victims are uncovered, Jack finds himself tracking a murderer afflicted by a unique psychosis – one that leaves him free to maim and kill without a shred of guilt or remorse.

Facing a new type of killer in an unfamiliar city, DCI Jack Logan is about to be pushed to his limits by an enemy he cannot hope to understand.

The unputdownable third book in the DCI Jack Logan crime thriller series. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Chris Brookmyre, and L.J. Ross.

This delightful book will be enjoyed and cherished by GAA fans old and young. – Dermot Earley

Gaelic Games have a unique capacity to lift the spirits but they also have created many extraordinary moments. In the GAA world the truth is stranger than fiction and often funnier. This book celebrates the extraordinary moments in the GAA’s long and distinguished history. Representing all counties, it features Gaelic football, hurling, ladies’ football and camogie.

Read about the star player who grabbed Ger Cunningham’s balls; Seán Boylan’s experience in the maternity ward; what happened when Pat Spillane took the DART; Ger Loughnane and the night life in Amsterdam; Paidí Ó’Sé and the tractor; the Galway icon who did not wear his socks; the Meath legend’s love affair; Clare’s sex scandal; the tender affection to a top pundit; the man who silenced Joe Brolly; the Dublin star who runs like a chicken; Garret Fitzgerald’s flirtation with hurling; Jack Lynch’s inspiration; and the GAA and Lady Diana.

An uplifting must-read for all sports fans and lovers of Gaelic Games.

An enemies to lovers romance set in bonnie Scotland where one woman discovers more than the just the magic of the heartland’s lochs and landscapes – but not before clashing with the proud Scotsman she’s forced to work with.

Ready or Scot . . .

Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world – anywhere but Scotland. But when she’s sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands – and save her own job – Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm.

Rugged as the land he loves, Logan Sutherland’s greatest joy is sharing the beauty of Scotland’s hidden gems . . . even if it means a wee bit of red ink on the company’s bottom line. The last thing Logan wants is some American ‘expert’ pushing tourist traps and perpetuating myths about the Loch Ness Monster – especially when Addie never leaves her desk to experience the country for herself.

As they wage an office war, Logan discovers Addie’s secret connection to Scotland: a handful of faded Polaroids of her late mother. Hoping for a truce, he creates a private tour to the places in the pictures to help Addie find closure and appreciate the enchantment in less-traveled destinations, never expecting the off-limits attraction sparking between them. But Addie’s contract is almost up, and magic won’t pay the bills. They can’t afford distractions, but how can Addie do her job if she hasn’t explored all Scotland – and Logan – have to offer?

‘Deeply romantic and breathtaking . . . readers will be swooning and flocking to Scotland long after they’ve turned the last page.’ -Livy Hart, author of Planes, Trains, and All the Feels

‘Alexandra Kiley’s debut is an enchanting, immersive vacation in book form. Sure to cure your wanderlust, Kilt Trip boasts a rugged Scotsman to swoon over and a heroine you can’t help but root for. This one hits every beat of an enemies-to-lovers romance to utter perfection.’ -Amy Lea, international bestselling author of Exes and O’s

‘Kilt Trip is such a charming and sure-footed debut from a promising new voice in romance. I fell in love with Addie, a woman on her own personal journey, and Logan, a big-hearted tour guide who knows how to rock a kilt, set against the dreamy backdrop of Scotland. This book made me feel cozy and cared for in all the best ways.’ -Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of With Love, from Cold World

Tropes:

– rivals to lovers

– found family

‘Marvellous’ Bridget Collins, The Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding

Sometimes the greatest spectacle hides the darkest secrets . . .

In an alternate London, the city’s Theatre District is a walled area south of the river where an immersive production – the Show – has been running for centuries, growing ever bigger, more sprawling and lavish. The Show is open to anyone who can afford a ticket but the District itself is a closed world; even the police have no jurisdiction within its walls.

Juliet’s mother died when she was a baby. Brought up by her emotionally distant father and even more distant stepmother, she has never felt wanted. It’s only when her father passes away that Juliet – now nineteen – learns her birth was registered in the District. Desperate to belong somewhere at last, she travels to London where she hopes to unearth the truth about her identity, her mother’s death and her father’s years of silence – and claim her birthright.

But in the District, there is only one central truth: the Show must go on. And in a world where illusions abound, and powerful men control the narrative, Juliet has no idea of just how far some will go to ensure certain stories are never told . . .

For fans of The Miniaturist and The Doll Factory, The Theatre of Glass and Shadows is a place where nothing is as it seems.

‘Original and captivating’ Karen Coles, author of The Asylum

Scottish oats are famous the world over. In this practical and imaginative book, award-winning cookery writer Nichola Fletcher features 45 recipes which show the remarkable versatility of different kind of oats.

Arranged in themed sections – breakfasts; soups and savouries; desserts and sweets and drinks – the result is a huge variety of mouthwatering recipes, from fish haggis, wild mushroom risotto and grouse soup to oatmeal candy, spiced oatmeal cake and a detox oatmeal drink, that show how oats can be combined with a vast range of other ingredients and also take centre stage themselves.

Acclaimed cookery writer Sue Lawrence celebrates the enormous range of Scottish soups in this imaginative and practical collection of recipes, ideal for cooks of all abilities.Some soups make ideal starters, others are a complete meal in themselves. Featuring the very best of local produce, the 40 recipes range from Cullen Skink, Winkle Soup and Cock-a-Leekie to Reestit Mutton Soup, Nettle and Potato Soup, and Dulse and Oatmeal Soup.

Don’t miss the first instalment in a gripping new Scottish crime series!

A deadly gift

Imogen Clark wakes up on her 16th birthday to find her parents dead at the breakfast table, along with a message from their killer.

A twist of fate

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen join the investigation, but the more they discover, the more Jazzy suspects that the killing is a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and believes that this is more than a coincidence.

A race to catch a killer

When Jazzy discovers the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the dark past she was desperate to keep hidden. She must stop at nothing to solve the case, before she becomes the next victim.

Don’t miss the first book in the Solanki and McQueen Crime Series, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid and Marion Todd.

Praise for Liz Mistry

‘Northern Noir doesn’t get much better than this! Gripping from start to finish, this is a superb story.’ NetGalley Reviewer

‘Wow, wow, wow Liz Mistry certainly knows how to engage and entertain her readers through her writing. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in less than two days’ NetGalley Reviewer

‘Liz Mistry has done it again. This latest book in her series has it all, mystery, suspense, and thriller. Captivating from the start.’ NetGalley Reviewer

‘This was a perfect police procedural book, with everything going for it: the storyline was exciting from the start and the characterisation spot on.’ NetGalley Reviewer

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION’S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY

Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I’ve met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights – and I’ve rarely come across something I couldn’t get a laugh at. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad trip. Well, apart from in the 1970s, but that’s a whole other story . . .

When Billy set out from Glasgow as a young man he never looked back. He played his banjo on boats and trains, under trees, and on top of famous monuments. He danced naked in snow, wind and fire. He slept in bus stations, under bridges and on strangers’ floors. He travelled by foot, bike, ship, plane, sleigh – even piggy-backed – to get to his next destination.

Billy has wandered to every corner of the earth and believes that being a Rambling Man is about more than just travelling – it’s a state of mind. Rambling Men and Women are free spirits who live on their wits, are interested in people and endlessly curious about the world. They love to play music, make art or tell stories along the way but, above all, they have a longing in their heart for the open road.In his joyful new book, Billy explores this philosophy and how it has shaped him, and he shares hilarious new stories from his lifetime on the road. From riding his trike down America’s famous Route 66, building an igloo on an iceberg in the Arctic, playing elephant polo (badly) in Nepal and crashing his motorbike (more than once), to eating witchetty grubs in Australia, being serenaded by a penguin in New Zealand, and swapping secrets in a traditional Sweat Lodge ritual in Canada, Rambling Man is a truly global adventure with the greatest possible travel companion.

Paige White and Hannah ‘Zanna’ Zagalo used to be inseparable.

After a fated meeting at university, the glamorous Zanna invited aspiring journalist Paige to write for her blog and social media channels as Zanna’s rise to influencer fame beckoned. Together, they lived the #dream, moving in together and making riches from Zanna’s online persona. But when Zanna tragically died, Paige reluctantly took over the Life of Zanna page – a ghostwriter emerging from behind the scenes.

Five years on, Paige is invited to take part in a documentary about the social media star’s murder, and her piling bills and lavish lifestyle mean she can’t possibly afford to turn it down. But then she receives a strange email, a note that just reads: ‘I know what you did.’

As the cameras turn on Zanna’s family and friends, old rumours start to resurface. Is Zanna’s murder all it seems? Or does someone have something to hide?

Playwright Naomi Westerman was an anthropology grad student studying death rituals around the world when her whole family died, turning death from the academic to the deeply personal. She struggled with grief and talking about, particularly as a young woman, realising while death is everywhere in our culture, grief is harder to find in specialist ways.

This Inkling combines academic study with memoir to discuss the popularity of murder as entertainment in true crime podcasts; women working in the death industry; Naomi’s love of horror and what it’s like writing horror movies for a living when your mum was maybe murdered; the rise of death peer support groups; and death rituals in other countries. Happy Death Club provides a frank, touching and sometimes hilarious look at death, grief, and bereavement.

A missing child. A tormented detective. A ticking clock.

Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan stopped the serial child-killer dubbed ‘Mister Whisper,’ earning himself a commendation, a drinking problem, and a broken marriage in the process.

Now, he spends his days working in Glasgow’s Major Investigations Team, and his nights reliving the horrors of what he saw.

And what he did.

When another child disappears a hundred miles north in the Highlands, Jack is sent to lead the investigation and bring the boy home. But as similarities between the two cases grow, could it be that Jack caught the wrong man all those years ago?

And, if so, is the real Mister Whisper about to claim his fourth victim?

The explosive debut Scottish crime thriller from number one bestselling author, JD Kirk. Perfect for fans of L.J. Ross, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

The first story collection from Kate Atkinson in twenty years, Normal Rules Don’t Apply is a dazzling array of eleven interconnected tales from the bestselling author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life

In this first full collection since Not the End of the World, we meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a man whose luck changes when a horse speaks to him.

With clockwork intricacy, inventiveness and sharp social observation, Kate Atkinson conjures a feast for the imagination, a constantly changing multiverse in which nothing is quite as it seems.

‘What really binds these stories is their underlying theme, which has perhaps always been Atkinson’s true subject: the nature of storytelling itself’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Life in all of its surreal, tragic and comic glory is perfectly captured within these pages’ Red

‘Sublime’ Good Housekeeping

‘Dazzling’ Reader’s Digest

Praise for Kate Atkinson:

‘Inexhaustibly ingenious’ HILARY MANTEL

‘Simply one of the best writers working today, anywhere in the world’ GILLIAN FLYNN

‘A brilliant and profoundly original writer’ RACHEL CUSK

‘Atkinson is a novelist of unrivalled immediacy, authority, and skill’ FINANCIAL TIMES

‘One of the country’s most innovative, exciting and intelligent authors.’ SCOTSMAN