THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

She thought his death was the worst thing that could happen . . . then he came backNancy and Calder are moving from London to an isolated slate island, off the west coast of Scotland. Nancy is focussed on their new beginning, but is increasingly unsettled by the stark island, the mysterious inhabitants and Calder’s dark past, which he’s kept hidden from her.Then one of Nancy’s nightmares plays out in real life: she finds Calder’s boat upturned in the bay, his body adrift in the icy water. He’s clinically dead with no heartbeat. But miraculously the doctors manage to bring him back to life. Everyone think he has made a full recovery, but Nancy doesn’t recognise the man who has come back from the dead. She is now living with a stranger. As secrets, lies and bodies begin to wash up on the island, Nancy must come to terms with the fact that despite the fresh start, sometimes the slate cannot be wiped clean.

Poppy is gazing out of the window at the snow when suddenly she sees that the snowflakes are really snow children, dancing and whirling in the garden. Excitedly Poppy joins them for an adventure in the Snow Queen’s wintry kingdom where she visits a shimmering ice castle and dances at the Princess’s birthday celebrations until it is time for her to go home.Sibylle von Olfers’ vintage stories of nature children have been loved by generations. The whimsical tales are accompanied by beautiful art nouveau illustrations of characterful creatures, cheerful plants and flowers and magical little folk.This wonderful new edition of The Story of the Snow Children faithfully reproduces Olfers’ classic illustrations in a collectable picture book featuring a hand-crafted design, premium-quality paper and a luxurious cloth spine. The Sibylle von Olfers library also includes mini gift editions and board books for very young children.

Never underestimate a librarian.Fifty-something Edinburgh librarian Shona is a proud former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, but has a deep loathing for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which she thinks gives her alma mater a bad name. Impeccably educated and an accomplished linguist, mathematician, martial artist, and musician, Shona is selected by Marcia Blaine herself to travel back in time for a crucial mission in Venice.Finding the city afflicted by what appears to be a new outbreak of the plague, Shona soon encounters the Cornetto family of gondoliers. Lately, a number of their passengers have met a watery fate. Coincidence? Unlikely. She dons a mask, goes undercover and seeks inspiration in the library.But the mystery only deepens. Why do the Cornettos seem so flaky and their explanations wafer-thin, even as they proclaim their innocence? What is going on at the printworks? Shona?s powers of deduction, dissection and prowess as a swimmer are put to the test as she realises that a bitter feud is at play.Can Shona unravel the tapestry of lies and get to the truth? It?s a race against time, but it would be a mistake to underestimate a librarian.

She thought his death was the worst thing that could happen . . . then he came backNancy and Calder are moving from London to an isolated slate island, off the west coast of Scotland. Nancy is focussed on their new beginning, but is increasingly unsettled by the stark island, the mysterious inhabitants and Calder’s dark past, which he’s kept hidden from her.Then one of Nancy’s nightmares plays out in real life: she finds Calder’s boat upturned in the bay, his body adrift in the icy water. He’s clinically dead with no heartbeat. But miraculously the doctors manage to bring him back to life. Everyone think he has made a full recovery, but Nancy doesn’t recognise the man who has come back from the dead. She is now living with a stranger. As secrets, lies and bodies begin to wash up on the island, Nancy must come to terms with the fact that despite the fresh start, sometimes the slate cannot be wiped clean.

I’m gonna tell you the whole story. I’m going to tell you everything.Sometimes all it takes is a single message. Maybe it’s bad, like a rival top boy’s been switched off. Or maybe it’s good, like an opportunity you never thought you’d get. But opportunities mean risks, and debts, and you never want to owe anyone anything.Jaq’s worked hard on the road since she was fourteen, bringing in money to keep her broken family afloat. Now she’s built a good life near the top of the Summerhouse crew, with a beautiful home she shares with her girlfriend Becks and her heavily pregnant older sister Lauryn.But messages are coming in – good and bad – and Jaq has to make a choice: step back from the road and start a life she’s never even considered. Or seize her opportunities and risk everything for life-changing money. Either way, Jaq will make enemies. And those enemies aren’t going to let her go easily . . .

The Underground Sea is a succinct, urgent collection of writing from John Berger’s archive. It brings together for the first time his work on mineworkers and the miners’ strikes and has been edited as a set of actions for today. Publication of The Underground Sea marks the 40th Anniversary of the 1984-5 Strike, at a time when people are rediscovering the necessity, power and possibilities of collective action.Including transcripts and image-essay of his rarely-seen BBC programme, Germinal; interviews and his essay ‘Miners’, it places itself in the heart of a Derbyshire mining village, with reflections on the everyday life of a typical pit community. Berger grapples with the politics of witness as he studies the miners’ labour and the wider community shaped in service to this work. Reflecting on their precarity, he goes back to Zola’s novel for hope that ‘a new world is germinating underneath the ground. And when it arrives, it will crack open the earth.’

A stunning collection of Elsa Beskow’s classic vintage illustrations to decorate any home.The picture books of Swedish author-illustrator Elsa Beskow (1874-1953) have been beloved by adults and children alike for more than 100 years. Her nostalgic artwork transports readers to an idyllic Sweden at the turn of the 20th century.This beautiful collection of twenty pull-out frameable prints includes iconic illustrations from some of Elsa Beskow’s best-loved books – Around the Year, Children of the Forest, The Flowers’ Festival, Peter in Blueberry Land, Woody, Hazel and Little Pip and many more. From flower folk to curious elves, loving families to adventurous children, the prints showcase Elsa Beskow’s classic whimsical style and celebration of nature.Printed on sturdy, high-quality card, using plant-based inks, each picture can be pulled out and framed to make a charming addition to any space in the home: add vintage artwork to a nursery, living room or bedroom. The full-colour prints are designed to fit in an A4 frame without a mount, or a 11×15 inch frame with a mount.This gorgeous gift book is sprinkled with quotes and line drawings as well as interesting information about Beskow’s life and work and will appeal to collectors and new fans alike.The Elsa Beskow collection, available in English from Floris Books, includes beautiful picture books, mini classics, box sets, an annual calendar and more.

A beautiful gift edition of four classic stories from Elsa Beskow’s cherished Peter and Lotta series, also starring Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, Aunt Lavender and Uncle Blue.The picture books of Swedish author-illustrator Elsa Beskow (1874-1953) have been beloved by adults and children alike for more than 100 years. Her nostalgic picture books are full of gentle humour and charm. The Elsa Beskow Peter and Lotta Collection combines four picture books – Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender; Aunt Brown’s Birthday; Peter and Lotta’s Adventure; and Uncle Blue’s New Boat in a collectable edition.Through the delightful tales, readers will meet orphans Peter and Lotta and their new family Aunts Green, Brown and Lavender and Uncle Blue, enjoy their adventures and discover an idyllic Sweden of long ago.Full of whimsy and nostalgia, Beskow’s classic stories are brought together for the first time in a gift edition. Adult collectors will love the faithfully reproduced vintage artwork, unique hand-crafted design, premium-quality paper, gold foil signature and a luxurious cloth spine.

When Flash, a very curious little fish, finds himself stuck in a jar in a little boy’s bedroom, his aunts and uncles are determined to save him. But how can three fish rescue him from dry land?This is a whimsical and funny story from the world-renowned Swedish author-illustrator Elsa Beskow. Young children will delight in the fish-eye perspective, quirky characters, and their extraordinary adventure.This wonderful mini gift edition of The Curious Fish reproduces Elsa Beskow’s classic illustrations and beloved story in an adorable small format — ideal for little hands.

?I can see the disgust on the face of one neighbor when Jack, the farmer, asked to lend a man, produced a land girl.?Mona Macleod worked in Kirkubrightshire during the second World War, providing the skilled labour needed on farms before mechanization. The girls were given heavy agricultural work in fields, with animals, carrying hundred weight sacks, sawing wood, felling trees, filling up rat holes. It was a tough way to grow up, but this illustrated memoir provides a record of a time when women faced the rigorous physical challenges involved in winning the war at home.

For a period in time that gave us Sappho, and the love affair of Achilles and Patroclus, the Ancient Greek relationship with queer folk is a lot more complicated than at first glance. Yet, as ancient historian and author Jean Menzies highlights in this book, ancient Greek myths are being told anew by LGBTQ+ writers and readers to explore modern day queer joy and queer struggles. They are queering the Greek myths.LGBTQ+ writers and readers have reclaimed an ancient and timeless form of storytelling featuring reimaginings of recognisable characters to give voice to a community that has always existed but has not always been able to speak out! All the Violet Tiaras is both an act of rebellion and an act that honours the legacy of these remarkable stories. Together our community has carved out a safe space in the transformed versions of these myths and we are here to stay.

I’m gonna tell you the whole story. I’m going to tell you everything.Sometimes all it takes is a single message. Maybe it’s bad, like a rival top boy’s been switched off. Or maybe it’s good, like an opportunity you never thought you’d get. But opportunities mean risks, and debts, and you never want to owe anyone anything.Jaq’s worked hard on the road since she was fourteen, bringing in money to keep her broken family afloat. Now she’s built a good life near the top of the Summerhouse crew, with a beautiful home she shares with her girlfriend Becks and her heavily pregnant older sister Lauryn.But messages are coming in – good and bad – and Jaq has to make a choice: step back from the road and start a life she’s never even considered. Or seize her opportunities and risk everything for life-changing money. Either way, Jaq will make enemies. And those enemies aren’t going to let her go easily . . .

For a period in time that gave us Sappho, and the love affair of Achilles and Patroclus, the Ancient Greek relationship with queer folk is a lot more complicated than at first glance. Yet, as ancient historian and author Jean Menzies highlights in this book, ancient Greek myths are being told anew by LGBTQ+ writers and readers to explore modern day queer joy and queer struggles. They are queering the Greek myths.LGBTQ+ writers and readers have reclaimed an ancient and timeless form of storytelling featuring reimaginings of recognisable characters to give voice to a community that has always existed but has not always been able to speak out! All the Violet Tiaras is both an act of rebellion and an act that honours the legacy of these remarkable stories. Together our community has carved out a safe space in the transformed versions of these myths and we are here to stay.

Juan Ramirez, Jr.?s collection of poetry and monologues, Juan by Juan, is an exploration of life, identity, and love featuring 15 poems from the popular writer, actor, and theater maker. The playful verse hits home with reflections on what it means to be a man called Juan in a place called The Bronx. Coupled with his poetry, this volume contains 14 monologues by Juan Ramirez Jr., for actors of all ages, genders, and identities.Juan Ramirez, Jr., is an internationally produced and award-winning multi-hyphenated artist. Puerto Rican and Guatemalteco, Bronx born and raised, Juan champions the voiceless in his work. This collection breaks open a new window on his city and its people, capturing the energy and impact in verse and spoken word.”Juan Ramirez, Jr.’s Juan by Juan, is what we poetry lovers desperately need; surprise. Being a theater discipline, Juan understands the value of surprise. Staying ahead of your audience is the quintessential tool a playwright must possess. Juan by Juan is a fun yet revealing read.” – reg e gaines

There is more to Scotland than the intensifying debate on independence. This is a rich land, with a rich culture and past that defy commonly held stereotypes of the Scottish people. But their nation also played a central role in the British Empire and has links to slavery. There are Muslims in far-flung places, and their influence on Scottish identity and culture is increasing.In this issue, we explore the history and diversity of Scotland, relate the chronicles of Scotland?s Muslims, get high on Scottish poetry, trace the influence of Scots on Muslim novelists, and unpack the politics of Scotland?s minority language?speakers.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

These helpful guides in the Cover to Cover series are ideal for group and individual study. Experience the reality of Bible events like never before and live through the inspiring lives of key characters in Scripture. Learn how to apply God’s Word to your life as you explore seven compelling sessions and gain a new depth in your Bible knowledge.Living a life of wisdom.As Christians we constantly face questions about how we can live God’s way in a world which, though created by Him, has chosen a different path. Proverbs contain a wealth of practical advice about many of the issues faced at the time of writing and which we still face today. The reader is challenged with the truth that to choose not to follow God leads to disaster. However, God is not portrayed as a ‘Victorian schoolmaster’, stick in hand, waiting to punish us, but as a loving God who seeks to draw us into a deeper relationship with Him.Ice breakers, Bible readings, eye openers, discussion starters, personal application and ‘Seeing Jesus’ sections make this a rich resource for group or individual study.

These helpful guides in the Cover to Cover series are ideal for group and individual study. Experience the reality of Bible events like never before and live through the inspiring lives of key characters in Scripture. Learn how to apply God’s Word to your life as you explore seven compelling sessions and gain a new depth in your Bible knowledge.Responding to God’s call to righteousness todayWhat is a Christian response to issues of poverty, justice, the environment…? Should we be concerned about them? If so, what can we do? Through looking at the biblical teaching on justice and then focusing on some contemporary issues (the environment, trade and debt, money and consumerism), this Bible study aims to help us answer these questions.Icebreakers, Bible readings, eye openers, discussion starters, personal application make this a rich resource for group or individual study.

A charming, lively and often amusing tour of 36 forgotten episodes and overlooked people and places of Scottish history.Scotland?s history is full of famous kings, queens, saints and warriors. But what about its lesser-known places, people and events? In this collection of half-forgotten tales, Alistair Moffat brings their stories out of the shadows, from the clashes of proud Picts and ?pirate kings? in the early medieval period to the invention of tartan, whisky, Aberdeen Angus and Peter Pan. Each surprising or scandalous twist sheds a new light on the history of Scotland.

Robert the Bruce is a man of both history and legend. In his lifetime he secured Scottish independence in the face of English imperial aggression under the successive leadership of Edward I and Edward II. He was the victor of Bannockburn, a self-made king against all odds, and is celebrated as a champion of the Scottish nation. Yet Robert?s colourful life is far from straightforward. Stephen Spinks seeks to examine this most enigmatic of kings beyond the myths to reveal him in the context of his time, his people and in his actions.Stephen shows that Robert was a complex man, confronted by hardships and difficult and often dangerous decisions. He was not born to rule. As the murderer of John Comyn, a rival for the Scottish crown, Bruce sent shockwaves across Europe and was condemned by kings and popes. In war he suffered terrible personal loss, including the deaths of all four of his brothers and the imprisonment of his wife, daughter and two sisters, all at the hands of the English. He was at times a desperate yet focussed and highly determined man. Robert was also astute, breaking the rules of chivalry to even the odds, systematically fighting a guerrilla war against the English which he ultimately won. Yet he also cultivated the symbols of kingship, was pious, careful with his patronage and fought to uphold his fiercely held beliefs.King Robert unified his deeply divided kingdom and secured its independence from England. His dramatic life as the victorious underdog forged a significant legacy that has survived for 700 years.

In this revealing book, Roman historian and archaeologist Andrew Tibbs uncovers the earliest Roman fortifications in Scotland and examines the landscape and context in which they were built. Although the most visible high-water marks of the Roman Empire in Britain are Hadrian?s Wall and the Antonine Wall, less is known about the fortifications which marked the early Roman forays into Scotland before the Romans decided that the land was ungovernable. Using maps, diagrams, reconstructions and archaeological evidence, Andrew Tibbs unveils these important military bastions and explores the strategic and tactical context in which they were built. The book reveals fascinating information about how Roman commanders and their engineers used the landscape to best effect to locate the forts in the prime defensive positions, using not only the rugged contours of the land but also making optimum use of roads and rivers. The author argues convincingly that the location of Roman fortifications in the Scottish landscape was an essential tool used by the Roman military to secure and control the local population during the first Roman invasion of Scotland.Illustrated with maps and diagrams as well as photographs of surviving archaeological sites, this book is an essential companion for amateur archaeologists, historians and walkers who want to discover more about the Roman military landscape of Scotland.