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Books/book club

Help with book on Scottish theme

(46 Posts)
eebeew Fri 19-Oct-18 22:57:42

My book group have decided on the theme of Scotland for our next book. I’m stumped. Can anyone suggest a good book please? It can be anything but I’d prefer a non-historical novel.

gillybob Fri 19-Oct-18 23:10:26

Murder mysteries set in Scotland ?

www.mysterytribune.com/10-hot-new-crime-thrillers-set-scotland/

paddyann Fri 19-Oct-18 23:22:12

What about a classic from A J Cronin ,the 39 Steps

Grammaretto Fri 19-Oct-18 23:37:55

39 steps was a John Buchan thriller. His sister, O. Douglas is much less well known but wrote some novels set in her beloved Scottish Borders. Worth a read.

MiniMoon Fri 19-Oct-18 23:42:43

What about Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street. It's the first of a series set in Scotland.
If you'd like something historical, what about The Flight of the Heron by D K Broader about the Jacobite uprising.
Both good books but very different from each other.

Nannarose Fri 19-Oct-18 23:43:57

Am just re-reading my dad's copy of Whisky Galore!

MiniMoon Fri 19-Oct-18 23:44:14

D K Broster. Blooming autocorrect.

Parsley3 Fri 19-Oct-18 23:56:14

Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre is a good read.

Jalima1108 Fri 19-Oct-18 23:56:52

Presumably you want something with depth, if not the Hamish MacBeth books by M C Beaton are enjoyable.

paddyann Sat 20-Oct-18 00:24:11

I do know that cant think why I wrote Cronin,I was talking about how he lived in a house near me which had a palque on the wall so I wrote the wrong name ,sorry

SueDonim Sat 20-Oct-18 00:50:42

Novels.

Sealskin by Sue Bristow. It is historical, prob late 18C but it's on the theme of the enduring myth of the selkie.

This Is Where I Am by Karen Campbell. Contemporary.

The Crow Road by Iain Banks. contemporary.

In Another Light by Andrew Greig.

Witchlight by Susan Fletcher (historical)

You could also investigate novels by Janice Galloway, AL Kennedy and Ali Smith.

Non-fiction
At the Loch of the Green Corrie by Andrew Greig.

The Outrun by Amy Liptrott.

eebeew Sat 20-Oct-18 02:17:22

Thank you so much everyone. I’ll be sure to find something amongst those. Might try samples on Kindle to help me decide on a couple..

Marelli Sat 20-Oct-18 05:08:37

Lilian Beckwith? Set in or around the 40's /50's, these are semi-autobiographical stories of a middle-aged Englishwoman who settles on a fictitious Hebriddean island.
I think The Hills is Lonely was her first book.

Pittcity Sat 20-Oct-18 07:16:36

Jane Tulloch's tales of an Edinburgh department store could bring back memories.

Grannyknot Sat 20-Oct-18 07:36:24

Peter May - The Black House (first book in a trilogy) - police thriller.

Marydoll Sat 20-Oct-18 07:40:11

"Marelli", I had forgotten about Lillian Beckwith, I read "The Hills are lonely" when I was only a slip of a girl. You have tempted me to re-read. Thanks.

mcem Sat 20-Oct-18 07:50:54

Anne Cleves Shetland novels

mcem Sat 20-Oct-18 07:52:35

Posted too soon
Kate Atkinson or Ian Rankin

Greenfinch Sat 20-Oct-18 07:58:35

Mary Stewart. Stormy Petrel set on an imaginary island off Mull.

Auntieflo Sat 20-Oct-18 08:26:42

The Lilian Beckwith books are lovely. I also had forgotten about them, and read them as a young ‘housewife’. I used to have the whole series and enjoyed them very much. Thanks Marelli for the reminder.

Jalima1108 Sat 20-Oct-18 10:39:10

I too enjoyed the Lilian Beckwith books years ago

GeminiJen Sat 20-Oct-18 11:31:22

Marelli...You've taken me on a trip down memory lane smile I'm another one who loved the Lilian Beckwith books...so many years ago...Must re-visit.

GeminiJen Sat 20-Oct-18 11:44:03

eebeew...I agree with all of the above. I'd also recommend a modern Scottish novel I've just finished reading: A Unicorn on the Meadows by Linda Menzies. It tells the story of Mary McGregor, born in 1950, who remembers her previous lives in the 18th and 19th centuries, where there have been tragedies and injustices which have blighted lives and which need to be resolved. Although set in Edinburgh, the novel deals with universal themes of injustice, divisions in society, family issues and retribution... I loved it!

SueDonim Sat 20-Oct-18 12:21:31

There's also Christine Marion Fraser, although I'm not sure her books are still in print. They're not challenging to read, though. More just lovely beach/rainy Sunday family sagas.

www.amazon.co.uk/s/?hvlocphy=20342&hvptwo&hvnetw=g&keywords=christine+marion+fraser+books&hvadid=259138294974&index=stripbooks&hvpone&ref=pd_sl_822kmpecau_e&hvlocint&hvpos=1t1&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt=e&tag=gransnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&hvtargid=aud-488526006131:kwd-316360120763&adgrpid=52124104494&hvrand=15545657800309783621

Sweetie222 Sat 20-Oct-18 12:28:37

Outlander/Cross Stich by Diana Gabaldon. Ok, it's about time travel and now a TV series but a really interesting page turner!