Good Readers of Scotland discussion

Howdy,

How are you ALL?

My name is Paula and I am from Glasgow.

I have always been an avid reader but I always read the same genre, which was horror, however, now that I am online I have discovered some great book forums and now I am finding myself reviewing, etc, something I never thought I would be good enough to do, but I find myself enjoying it more and more.

Over the last year or so I have discovered so many authors but my favourties so far are Margaret Atwood and Haruki Murakami.

I will read anything (well not anything) but I am not a book snob, heck yeah! you like what you like.

My other interests are music, I love music, tattoos (last count I had 9) and I love cats.

Welcome to the Good readers of Scotland! x

Hi, I'm Allan from Glasgow. I'm pretty much a chain reader, ploughing myself through mostly science-fiction and fantasy with the odd horror or best-seller dropped in now and then.

I've been sticking book reviews up on my blog for a few years now - http://thejumbledbox.blogspot.com

Other interest include hill-walking, photography, movies, technology...I could go on and on.

Hi Allan

How are you?

Welcome! I will be checking our your blog too x

Hello everyone

I'm Alan and I'm from Dumfries.

I've nearly always got my head in a book of some description. My long time favourite genres being fantasy or sci-fi. Recently I've been trying out works from outside my 'comfort zone' and I'm finding that quite rewarding.

Other interests: Well, I write a bit as a hobby, but I've not felt it good enough to show to anyone except family and friends. I also enjoy watching the odd DVD or two.

Look forward to seeing what other people in the group are reading, and hopefully picking up one or two recommendations on what I should read next...

Stewart. Glasgow. Book snob. blog.

Ida, Fife, likes to buy books, not reading enough, want to explore my book appetite beyond chicklit...

Often seen in Edinburgh Waterstone's (the multi-storey one near the West End of Princes Street) on Sunday.

Hello, I'm Andrea, and I'm writing as Canongate Books, based in Edinburgh.

I like to think we publish interesting and challenging books!

Hey, I don't live in Scotland but I have a Scottish origin. Am I okay here?

I'm Catamorandi. I don't live in Scotland but have always been in love with it. I am not sure why. I have a pile of library books sky-high. I am slowly working it down. I borrow books from the library first before I decide whether or not I wish to buy it. I, too, like to get the recommendations, Lisa.

I'm Heather. I live in the States, and have one branch of the family that is of Scottish origin -- LEASK clan, with my great great greats coming mainly from the Shetland Islands and settling in Milwaukee in the 1850s - 1880s.

Too bad we can't post photos for the group, as I'd upload a picture of my dad playing the bagpipes for the recessional music at my wedding a few years ago. And of course decked out in the Leask Clan kilt / formal wear.

Heather, as you probably know Leask is a very Shetland name. I lived there for three years and can testify to this.

:)

Hi Everyone,
I was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland. Hubby and me left Scotland 6 years ago for a new life in New Zealand.
I buy alot of second hand books here, new ones cost so much. Sometimes I can't resist the need to buy new, so I am the first person to read it.
This is a great site.

Kind regards

Ailsa

Hello: I just joined goodreads last week and saw this group. My paternal grandfather was from Scotland; he immigrated to the US in the early 1900s with his parents and 6 siblings. The family name was Muir. I actually have a kilt (wish it still fit!) made from what I am told is the Muir tartan.
I have been to Scotland once for about 2 weeks (next time I will hire a car to see more of the countryside) and went to Thurso where my grandfather's family was from. My last stop on the trip was in Edinburgh, where I spent a late afternoon in a local tea shop. I was seated with two ladies from Perth who were in the city for the day. We started talking and I found out one of them had lived in Thurso as a child. We discovered that she was the daughter of my great-grandfather's brother - put another way, she was my grandfather's cousin. I just about fell off my chair. She remembered one of my great-uncles visiting her family in Thurso during WWI.
So, I am joining this group just to get some insight from my "grandfather land." I hope no one minds.

Hello all. My first foray into the world of groups on Goodreads! I'm from south of the border but have now been living in Aberdeen for almost a year. I love Scotland, particularly getting into the mountains and over to the west coast. I also love books but find that work is increasingly getting in the way of some serious reading, therefore I'm reading a lot slower than I used to. Still I hope to pick up some recs from you fine folk. I can always just add to the big pile next to my bed right?

Well met folks.
Just joined the group.
Grew up in Paisley, now live in West Ireland.
So far enjoying goodreads.
Will try not to rant too much.

Hello! I'm Heidi, an American, with some Scottish ancestry (Gordon) but mostly Irish and German. I love reading historical books and some lighter novles. I'm a huge history/geography geek so if there are any Scottish histories or historical fiction recomendations I'd love to hear 'em!

Heidi,
A good read is Mary Queen of Scots: the Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy. It's a long read but covers a lot of the royal history of scotland, its relationship with England, and the private life of its greatest monarch. I recommend it!
I also love historical fiction - any recommendations for me? I've enjoyed stories on WWII and the settlement of Australia.

Tara

Heidi try John Prebble's "Lion In The North" for a good general Hx of Scotland. Hx Fiction wise, Nigel Tranter's stuff would be a good place to start.

You could try Dorothy Dunnett's 'King Hereafter' . It is about the historical Macbeth (actually she conflates a couple of historical figures for her character) but it is quite epic and full of detail and I think the characters are quite well drawn.

Is there a particular time period you are interested in? There is also James Robertson's 'Fanatic' about the assasination of Archbishop Sharp. It moves back and forth through time, and the city of Edinburgh is a character in itself.

Of course, there is always Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott.

Lazy: I read "Fanatic" a wee while ago, pretty good. Must add it to my "read" list.
On that note, James Hogg's "Justified Sinner" was good.
Thanks for the pointer on the MacBeth book. Historicaly accurate? Can't get enough of that Dark Ages stuff...or is it early medieval?

Here I am posting on the 'Hello and Welcome' thread without actually introducing myself. How rude of me.

I'm not from Scotland originally, but I have lived here for the past 7 years or so and intend to stay. I have no idea if I have Scottish ancestry. I've never checked and I don't really care either way.

I work for a museum, so I am knee deep in Scottish history (prehistory, technically) every day.

Work, life and coursework prevent me from doing as much reading as I would like.

Lazy: You involved in the Orkney dig that's ongoing at the minute???

Do you mean the dig at the Ring of Brodgar? No, but I'd love to dig in Orkney! Are you involved? I am eagerly awaiting some publication from that dig.

I don't dig anymore except if I want to volunteer, which gets less appealing the older I get and the worse the summers seem to be. (they don't call me Lazy for nothing!). I get to look after and interpret the things other people have dug up, which has its own sense of satisfaction (so I keep telling myself).

I'd like to have a look at the goings on at Fortveiot before the summer is out, though.

Aye, stay in and keep warm. The summer's over.
No not on the dig, just been following it. Been in the Torvoag a few times though. Good juke box.
As I am a nosey sod I've been looking at everyone's profiles...Lazy, you may be one of the few folk here that has read Y Gododdin...I know another 1/2 dozen in actual (as opposed to virtual) reality (shifty Picts). Did you ever hear the Test Dept/Brith Goff music to it? Early '90s production. I liked it.
"...in might a man,
a youth in years,
of boisterous valour..."

I do like 'Justified Sinner' as well.

The Macbeth book is 11th century. It is supposed to be quite historicaly accurate.I have a couple of quibbles, mostly with her main thesis of combining Thorfinn and Macbeath, but the story is good enough that it has not bothered me too much. I'm not a historian,though, so I might be missing some howlers!

I've been thinking about looking for the Nigel Tranter book 'Macbeth the King' have you read it?

I think I'll start a thread instead of hijacking the 'Meet and Greet' section!

I tok a year of Welsh but didn't come out of it very well. I find it fascinating that 'The Gododdin' one of the greatest pieces of Scottish literature is in Welsh. I mostly have to rely on a side by side translation even though I love the sound of the original language.

I've never heard the music you mention. I must look it out.

Hello!
I'm Meg and I live in the US but I have some great-grandparents that were immigrants from Scotland. The clan names were McMaster and Forester. I have a picture of Grandpa Forrester in his Highland outfit with bagpipes and kilt and everything right before he set sail for America.
I like quite a few periods in Scotland's history: the Celts, Viking invasion, Wallace and Bruce, Bonnie Prince Charlie, the English kings's persecution of the Presbyterians, and the border skirmishes. (Sorry, I don't think that my list is in chronological order!)
I am open to book recommendations! I am starting to run out of good books to read. (I can't promise that I'll read all the books you'll tell me about... sometimes I run out of time and money! :D)

Hello, y'all. I moved to Glasgow a couple a months ago from Oxford via Devon via Liverpool via Hertfordshire after finally deciding that I just don't like England.

I've only been here a short time but I already love it especially all those secondhand bookshops hidden away in the West End.

And I can afford to live somewhere bigger than a cupboard up here. Wonderful!

Not from Scotland - just have this little habit of people having married Scottish in my family which left me with a Scottish last name and a strange early childhood affinity for shortbread and bagpipes ! =) In fact I believe the first 8-track tape of my very own was a tape of the Black Watch - a gift from my mother!

I guess my mom is Scottish too and she makes the best scones on planet earth

Hello, my name is Elizabeth and although I am not Scottish I did marry a wonderful Scotsman and I have been to Scotland twice, and well I absolutely LOVE everything to do with Scotland. I am on the look out for good Scottish books to read so I can lap up as much of the culture as I can! I'm hoping I came to the right group!!

Hi Elizabeth

Hello Stuart

Hello. I'm a Canadian currently living in the US but I spent four years in Scotland at the University of Aberdeen studying history. I love Scotland, still have good friends there, and go back as often as I can do.

Hello..Im Sandi from Ontario Canada. Scottish on my mother's side,Irish on my fathers..I took a 3-week tour of all of Scotland 3 years ago by myself..it was the best thing I have ever done..I felt like I had come home when I landed..saw so many castles,saw so much history..walked across the battle fields..and felt such sorrow..the people,country,the most beautiful place and I do it again in a heartbeat ( and money saved again! )

Hi, Sandi. Which battlefields did you go to? I went to Bannockburn. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stop at Culloden, even though we drove almost right past it. I loved the castles. I made it to 13 during my time there.

Hi Laura I went to both..but walking across Culloden I got very emotional..cant explain it..I could feel the "history" lying there. Gosh I saw so many castles..Eilean Donan & Kilchurn were my favorites.
And I loved the Isle of Skye..stayed there for 3 days..mountain outside the hotel window..so beautiful!

Hello all! Just joined. I'm not from Scotland, but I love reading books set in Scotland, and non-fiction about Scotland, so this looked like the place for me =)

Hi