THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

When Loch Morlich freezes over, we cut a hole in the ice and jump in.Tom ‘The Highland Oak’ and Luke ‘The Albatross’ Stoltman are the world’s strongest brothers. Between them, they’ve won everything there is to win in the mighty world of Strongman.

Tom can deadlift a 430kg bar to hip height, equivalent to about seven washing machines. Luke isn’t far behind. Yet for the Stoltmans, being strong is about more than pure muscle. It’s about overcoming adversity. And it’s about honouring their biggest fan: their mother, who died in 2016 leaving the family devastated.

They’ve also transcended the sport, not least through launching the hugely successful online Stoltman Strength Academy. Through it all, they’ve stayed true to their roots in the Highlands of Scotland, giving back to their community, their family, and each other.

But it wasn’t always like this. Back in 2010, Luke worked full time on oil rigs in the North Sea, and Tom was a teenager contending with the challenges posed by his autism. So, how did two lads from Invergordon conquer the world? Simple. They started lifting.

In their autobiography, Tom and Luke Stoltman show you how to lift: how to lift the lid on life with autism. How to lift yourself out of the darkness of bereavement. How to lift the trophy at the World’s Strongest Man.

When Loch Morlich freezes over, we cut a hole in the ice and jump in.Tom ‘The Highland Oak’ and Luke ‘The Albatross’ Stoltman are the world’s strongest brothers. Between them, they’ve won everything there is to win in the mighty world of Strongman.Tom can deadlift a 430kg bar to hip height, equivalent to about seven washing machines. Luke isn’t far behind. Yet for the Stoltmans, being strong is about more than pure muscle. It’s about overcoming adversity. And it’s about honouring their biggest fan: their mother, who died in 2016 leaving the family devastated.They’ve also transcended the sport, not least through launching the hugely successful online Stoltman Strength Academy. Through it all, they’ve stayed true to their roots in the Highlands of Scotland, giving back to their community, their family, and each other.But it wasn’t always like this. Back in 2010, Luke worked full time on oil rigs in the North Sea, and Tom was a teenager contending with the challenges posed by his autism. So, how did two lads from Invergordon conquer the world? Simple. They started lifting.In their autobiography, Tom and Luke Stoltman show you how to lift: how to lift the lid on life with autism. How to lift yourself out of the darkness of bereavement. How to lift the trophy at the World’s Strongest Man.

A beautifully illustrated story with a gentle and encouraging message to help children deal with their worries ? from the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner.Victor the wolf has lots of worries. He worries that he isn’t brave enough, that he isn’t big enough and that he isn’t fierce enough. In fact, Victor feels anxious about almost everything. But when Victor shares his concerns with his best friend Pablo, he starts to feel a bit better. And with Pablo’s help, Victor learns even more ways to deal with those pesky worrying thoughts. And as the worries grow smaller, Victor feels a bit bigger, a bit braver, and bit fiercer inside!Victor, The Wolf With Worries is a comforting and reassuring tale that is especially helpful for little ones who have trouble talking about their feelings.

In Three Fires, award-winning author Denise Mina re-imagines the ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’, a series of fires lit throughout Florence at the end of the fifteenth century – inspired by the fanatical Girolamo Savonarola.

Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar living in Florence at the tail end of the fifteenth century. An anti-corruption campaigner his hellfire preaching increasingly spilled over into tirades against all luxuries that tempted people towards sin. These sermons led to the infamous ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ – a series of fires lit throughout Florence for the incineration of everything from books, extravagant clothing, playing cards, musical instruments, make-up and mirrors, to paintings, tapestries and sculptures.

Railing against the vice and avarice of the ruling Medici family, he was instrumental in their removal from power, and for a time became the puritanical leader of the city. After turning his attention to corruption in the entire Catholic Church, he was first excommunicated and then executed by a combination of hanging and being burnt at the stake.

Denise Mina brings a modern take to this fascinating historical story – drawing parallels between the febrile atmosphere of medieval Florence and the culture wars of the present day. In dramatising the life and last days of Savonarola she explores the downfall of the original architect of cancel culture and in the process explores the neverending tensions between wealth, inequality, and freedom of speech that so dominate our modern world.

This book by Rodge Glass, the award-winning novelist, short story writer and biographer, is the first ever detailed assessment of Michel Faber’s life and work across genre and form. It draws on intimate, wide-ranging interviews with the author over a two-year period and investigates previously unexplored archival material, from the Canongate Books records to Faber’s own personal archive, to bring fresh perspectives to light. Glass presents detailed interrogations of unpublished texts, including a novel, A Photograph of Jesus, as well as providing deep dives into Faber’s most celebrated works such as Under the Skin and The Crimson Petal and the White.

Known for his hybrid creative-critical approach, Glass uses Faber’s interest in generosity and compassion in writing as a focus for this study. Grouping his works by ‘World’, the book ranges across poetry, short stories, novels and novellas to make an argument for Faber as a writer who has consistently sought to explore narrow emotional territory, that of the human instinct to seek connection with others, even if genuine connection seems unlikely or impossible. Glass draws on individual case studies across Faber’s hugely diverse body of work in a way that will be both – interesting for fans and informative for students of Faber’s writing.

I’m relieved to find such things are there,
in spite of hunger and carnage
under the same moon, and my place
in their terrible chain;
glad that my mother’s hands,
after long years of sustaining us all,
will place on her table, once again,
her annual offerings at tomorrow’s feast.

From Late Night Christmas Shopping

Tomorrow’s Feast is Stevenson’s third poetry collection and reflects the challenges of today’s world. At the forefront of the poet’s consciousness here is the legacy faced by the next generation.

In many ways, as the title implies, the book is a tribute to youth. Its scope is wide and deep, profoundly personal as well as political, employing a range of poetic forms, including a virtuosic libretto in verse, a contemporary retelling of Coleridge’s epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner set during the refugee crisis.

In the year 1900, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was at the height of his success as a qualified doctor, keen sportsman, writer of historical novels, champion of the oppressed and, most notably, the creator of that honourable, fearless, and eminently sensible master-detective Sherlock Holmes.

Every new Holmes story was greeted with great anticipation and confidence in the knowledge that, however complex the crime, the supremely intelligent and logical detective would solve it. But in 1916 Conan Doyle surprised his readers by declaring that he believed in spiritualism. And when, in 1922, Doyle published a book in which he professed to believe in fairies, his devotees were nonplussed. How could the creator of the inexorably logical Sherlock Holmes claim to believe in something as vague, esoteric, and unproven as the paranormal?

In this fascinating study of the life of the creator of one of the greatest detectives of all time, Dr Andrew Norman traces the origin of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s strange beliefs. Can it be that Doyle’s alcoholic father holds the key to the unanswered questions about his son? What was Doyle’s involvement in the notorious ‘Cottingley Fairies’ affair?

By delving into medical records and the writings of Doyle himself, Dr Norman unravels a mystery as exciting as any of the cases embarked upon by the great Sherlock Holmes!

This practical travel guide to the North Coast 500 features detailed factual travel tips and points-of-interest structured lists of all iconic must-see sights as well as some off-the-beaten-track treasures. Our itinerary suggestions and expert author picks of things to see and do will make it a perfect companion both, ahead of your trip and on the ground. This North Coast 500 guide book is packed full of details on how to get there and around, pre-departure information and top time-saving tips, including a visual list of things not to miss. Our colour-coded maps make the North Coast 500 easier to navigate while you’re there. This guide book to the North Coast 500 has been fully updated post-COVID-19 and it comes with a free eBook.The Rough Guide to the North Coast 500 covers: Inverness to the Black Isle and beyond, the road to John O’Groats, along the North Coast, exploring the Northwest and Wester Ross to Inverness.Inside this North Coast 500 travel guide you’ll find:RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLERExperiences selected for every kind of trip to the North Coast 500, from off-the-beaten-track adventures in the Black Isle, to family activities in child-friendly places, like Dunrobin Castle, or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like Inverness.PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPSEssential pre-departure information including the North Coast 500 entry requirements, getting around, health information, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, food and drink, festivals, culture and etiquette, shopping, tips for travellers with disabilities and more.TIME-SAVING ITINERARIESIncludes carefully planned routes covering the best of the North Coast 500, which give a taste of the richness and diversity of the destination, and have been created for different time frames or types of trip.DETAILED REGIONAL COVERAGEClear structure within each sightseeing chapter of this the North Coast 500 travel guide includes regional highlights, brief history, detailed sights and places ordered geographically, recommended restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs and major shops or entertainment options.INSIGHTS INTO GETTING AROUND LIKE A LOCALTips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money and find the best local spots for going whale watching off the west coast or hiking.HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS NOT TO MISSRough Guides’ rundown of the Caledonian Canal, Inverness, Ness Islands, and Thurso’s best sights and top experiences helps to make the most of each trip to the North Coast 500, even in a short time.HONEST AND INDEPENDENT REVIEWSWritten by Rough Guides’ expert authors with a trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, this North Coast 500 guide book will help you find the best places, matching different needs.BACKGROUND INFORMATIONComprehensive ‘Contexts’ chapter of this travel guide to the North Coast 500 features fascinating insights into the North Coast 500, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary.FABULOUS FULL COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHYFeatures inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Assynt and the spectacular Duncansby Head sea stacks.COLOUR-CODED MAPPINGPractical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys for quick orientation in the North Coast, the Black Isle, and many more locations around the North Coast 500, reduce the need to go online.USER-FRIENDLY LAYOUTWith helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time.FREE EBOOKFree eBook download with every purchase of this guide book to the North Coast 500 allows you to access all of the content from your phone or tablet, for on-the-road exploration.

Introducing Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope.The Crow Trap is the first book in Ann Cleeves? Vera Stanhope series ? which is now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn, Vera.Everyone has something to hide . . .Three very different women come together at an isolated cottage on the North Pennines to complete an environmental survey. Three women who each know the meaning of betrayal . . .Rachael, the team leader, is still reeling after a double betrayal by her lover and boss. Anne, a botanist, sees the survey as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace, a strange, uncommunicative young woman, hiding plenty of her own secrets.Rachael is the first to arrive at the cottage, but when she gets there she is shocked to discover an apparent suicide. But then another death occurs, and a fourth woman enters the picture ? the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, who must piece together the truth from these women?s tangled lives . . .Enjoy more of Vera Stanhope?s investigations with Telling Tales, Hidden Depths, and Silent Voices.

Ghostalker Ropa Moyo and her rag-tag team of magicians are back in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book in the spellbinding Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu.

She came for magic. She stayed to solve a murder. . .

Ropa Moyo is no stranger to magic or mysteries. But she’s still stuck in an irksomely unpaid internship. So she’s thrilled to attend a magical convention at Dunvegan Castle, on the Isle of Skye, where she’ll rub elbows with eminent magicians.

For Ropa, it’s the perfect opportunity to finally prove her worth. Then a librarian is murdered and a precious scroll stolen. Suddenly, every magician is a suspect, and Ropa and her allies investigate. Trapped in a castle, with suspicions mounting, Ropa must contend with corruption, skulduggery and power plays. Time to ask for a raise?

‘An artful combination of magic, history and imagination wrapped up in an engaging story’ Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London, on Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments

‘The Library of the Dead’s alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in’ Olivie Blake

Ghostalker Ropa Moyo and her rag-tag team of magicians are back in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book in the spellbinding Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu.She came for magic. She stayed to solve a murder. . .Ropa Moyo is no stranger to magic or mysteries. But she?s still stuck in an irksomely unpaid internship. So she?s thrilled to attend a magical convention at Dunvegan Castle, on the Isle of Skye, where she?ll rub elbows with eminent magicians.For Ropa, it?s the perfect opportunity to finally prove her worth. Then a librarian is murdered and a precious scroll stolen. Suddenly, every magician is a suspect, and Ropa and her allies investigate. Trapped in a castle, with suspicions mounting, Ropa must contend with corruption, skulduggery and power plays. Time to ask for a raise?’An artful combination of magic, history and imagination wrapped up in an engaging story’ Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London, on Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments’The Library of the Dead?s alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in’ Olivie Blake

Ghostalker Ropa Moyo and her rag-tag team of magicians are back in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book in the spellbinding Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu.She came for magic. She stayed to solve a murder. . .Ropa Moyo is no stranger to magic or mysteries. But she?s still stuck in an irksomely unpaid internship. So she?s thrilled to attend a magical convention at Dunvegan Castle, on the Isle of Skye, where she?ll rub elbows with eminent magicians.For Ropa, it?s the perfect opportunity to finally prove her worth. Then a librarian is murdered and a precious scroll stolen. Suddenly, every magician is a suspect, and Ropa and her allies investigate. Trapped in a castle, with suspicions mounting, Ropa must contend with corruption, skulduggery and power plays. Time to ask for a raise?’An artful combination of magic, history and imagination wrapped up in an engaging story’ Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London, on Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments’The Library of the Dead?s alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in’ Olivie Blake

Grayson Perry is one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary artists and cultural figures. This book, which includes first sight of new and previously unpublished works, is published to accompany the largest-ever retrospective of Perry’s art. It offers a vibrant insight into his life and work, from his youth in rural Essex to sell-out stage shows at the Royal Albert Hall.

Grayson Perry vividly reflects on his art, life and career, remembering the sources of inspiration and influences along the way. Victoria Coren Mitchell’s thought-provoking contribution considers the role of humour in Perry’s art, highlighting the often-underestimated effort involved in being at once a serious artist and a lovable character. Patrick Elliott provides an illuminating biographical essay of the artist. The reader is also given a fascinating glimpse into the technique and process behind Perry’s prints, pots and tapestries.

Showcasing 76 exhibited works, the book covers the full range and breadth of his astonishing career.

William Bell Scott’s screen, The King’s Quair, was commissioned by James Leathart, an important collector of Pre-Raphaelite art. The beautifully decorated folding screen took as its inspiration The Kingis Quair, a 15th-century Scots poem attributed to James I of Scotland. Depicting key scenes from the king’s 18-year imprisonment in Windsor Castle, it is adorned by exquisite botanical details and gold leaf.

Split into three parts, this book reveals the history of the screen’s commission, details the remarkable imagery of the screen itself, and finally situates the screen in its historical context by explaining the fascinating personal relationships that were the backdrop to its creation, including Scott’s relationship with the artist and heiress Alice Boyd.

Drawing together the chivalric medieval tale of an imprisoned, love-struck king with the vibrancy of the Pre-Raphaelite social circles in which Scott moved, the reader is given a vivid picture of how this captivating artwork was created. Illustrated with new photography of the screen, this book is a vital new part of the story of British, as well as Scottish art.

A beautifully illustrated story with a gentle and encouraging message to help children deal with their worries – from the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner.Victor the wolf has lots of worries. He worries that he isn’t brave enough, that he isn’t big enough and that he isn’t fierce enough. In fact, Victor feels anxious about almost everything. But when Victor shares his concerns with his best friend Pablo, he starts to feel a bit better. And with Pablo’s help, Victor learns even more ways to deal with those pesky worrying thoughts. And as the worries grow smaller, Victor feels a bit bigger, a bit braver, and bit fiercer inside!Victor, The Wolf With Worries is a comforting and reassuring tale that is especially helpful for little ones who have trouble talking about their feelings.

A gorgeously illustrated book about friendship and looking past differences from the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner.

Bear is walking through the forest, minding his own business when he comes across another bear. The Other bear is different. The two bears wander along, thinking different thoughts, and looking in different directions. Soon the two bears come across another bear and then another bear and eventually find a bear stuck in a tree. The bears realize that perhaps they aren’t that different after all and perhaps they could be friends?

Five Bears is a tale of friendship and acceptance perfect for little ones.

In 2017, holed up in a hotel room, feverish, despondent and aimless, Iain Maloney chances upon an article about Richard Henry Brunton, a Victorian civil engineer unknown in his Scottish homeland but considered ‘The Father of Japanese Lighthouses’ in Japan. With more than twenty of his lighthouses still in use today, Maloney sets out with newfound purpose to visit them all. Part travel memoir, part history, The Japan Lights visits isolated regions of rural Japan, discovering compelling stories from its past. Maloney witnesses the lingering trauma of the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, and comes to a new understanding of the precariousness of life on a planet that is 71 per cent water. On the way he explores the paradox of Brunton, a flawed human being whose work saved hundreds of thousands of lives and made the seas around Japan safer for all.

As he works his way through his medical training, Ike Anya’s grandmother reassures him,

Everything worthwhile is achieved small by small.

Ike’s story charts the triumphs and failures of his student days through to his first demanding year as a house officer. A medical memoir unlike any from the West, this is filled with the colour and vibrancy of tempestuous 1990s Nigeria, where political unrest, social change and a worsening economy make a doctor’s life particularly challenging.

It would be impossible to invent Don Roberto today – a fantastic combination of Don Quixote and Sir Gawain, Indiana Jones and the Lone Ranger. He was so multi-faceted, so complex, that every chapter in his story reveals some new and contradictory aspect of his personality. He is best known as the co-founder, with Keir Hardie, of the Scottish Labour Party, and later as the founding president of the Scottish National Party. But in a long and extraordinary life he was many other things besides.

“My dog Sam has a superpower. He doesn’t wear a costume. He can’t fly. And he definitely can’t make himself invisible. Sam’s superpower is happiness.”

Sam can find happiness in the most unexpected places: a smelly old boot, a deflated ball, even in a muddy puddle! When Dad leaves for work, Sam’s young owner needs a little help to be happy again. Can Sam show his best friend how to be a bit less sad and a bit more dog?

This is a funny and heart-warming picture book about finding joy in the simplest things. With uplifting text from Caroline Crowe and engaging, lively illustrations from Carlos Velez, this feel-good story celebrates the connection between children and pets and encourages us all to be more dog!