Read Scotland discussion
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Katrina's Books
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My Name is Monster by Katie Hale 4 Stars
Best of the bunch so far. Thought I was past being impressed by books s..."
Interesting about Margaret Tudor, history tends to forget about her. I know very little about her really, had no idea she was Queen Regent of Scotland at all.
Ellen wrote: "Interesting about Margaret Tudor, history tends to forget about her. I know very little about her really, had no idea she was Queen Regent of Scotland at all. "
Yeah, all the Queen consorts tend to get sidelined, which is a shame since they're such interesting characters. I was vaguely aware of Margaret until reading a Mary of Guise biography which shone a little more light on her. She was Queen Regent for the blink of an eye after Flodden. Next to no talent for ruling and just grossly out of her depth.
Clegg cast a much more sympathetic light on her here, though.
Bit behind on the updates:Deadinburgh
3
Was perfectly fine, but think I would have enjoyed it far more in my younger years.
The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark
3.25
Read it before in a collected anthology, but found I enjoyed it a lot more as a standalone. Felt it got a lot more room to breathe and the characters shone a little more.
Their Dead Sons by John Macdougall Hay
4.5
Had to go the National Library reading rooms to get a look at this. Well worth the time. The man was a wordsmith and it's a crying shame this poem has slipped through the cracks of time.
The Agony and The After by John Macdougall Hay
3
Printed speech Macdougall Hay gave during a commemoration service after the First World War. Apparently the man was just as good giving sermons as he was at writing novels and poetry. Can't whole heartedly recommend it, but found it to be an interesting companion piece to Their Dead Sons. Lot of shared ideas between the two.
A Garland of Scottish Prose by Agnes Mure Mackenzie
3.5
Another NLS reading room title. Apparently Mackenzie started this collection because she was concerned Scottish culture was in stated of decay, she died a year before the treasury was published sadly enough. Curated Scottish Prose and articles over a number of centuries. Found the earlier works and Mackenzie's insights to be of some interest but made for a dry read.
Ballads and Poems by John Davidson
3.5 - or even a 3
Last of the reading room titles from today and difficult to rate as I was feeling rather burnt out by the time I came upon it. Never previously heard of the man until today. In short, I felt he had all of James Thomson's anger but only half of his talent. There was some standouts, but I'd like to see if I can source his works to read at home before I properly judge him.
Fastern's E'en by Peter Landerth Another NLS reading room work. Full title is - Fastern's E'en in Scotland forty years ago. A half day's glimpse of old and odd characters, customs and adventures in a village. Lovely quirky title and completely indescribable. Dedication in particular was touching.
Stories Short and Tall by John Herdman Small short story collection published in the 70's and it's aged rather badly, if I do say so myself.
What Do You Think Yourself?: Scottish Short Stories by Naomi Mitchison
Excellent collection of stories by Mitchison here, covering a variety of subjects with a slither of darkness in each tale. Bit mystified how it feels like the author has fallen out of public consciousness over the years. Very talented writer.
Doubting Thomas by Heather Richardson
Really liked this one. Very well researched and compelling. Think Vagabond Voices outdid themselves with this title. Highly recommended.
Katrina wrote: "Fastern's E'en by Peter Landerth Another NLS reading room work. Full title is - Fastern's E'en in Scotland forty years ago. A half day's glimpse of old and odd characters, customs and adventures ..."
Oh thanks for the tip, I do like that publisher, shall go and get it from their website.
Melanie wrote: Oh thanks for the tip, I do like that publisher, shall go and get it from their website. "Oh do if you get the chance. Was really caught off guard by Doubting Thomas. Find Vagabond really punch above their weight given how small they are - Same with 404 Ink.
Three Kinds of Kissing by Helen Lamb3.5
Compelling coming of age tale set in a small town during in the late 60's/early 70's. Was very impressed with Lamb's style and her ability to bring a fresh approach to arguably well trodden ground. Tragically, Three Kinds of Kissing is her only novel published posthumously.
Robert Fergusson: Selected Poems
Another 3.5,
Can see how much influence Fergusson's work had over Burns. The collection holds up very well, lot of humour throughout. Shame he's mostly fallen from public consciousness.
The Afterlife of King James IV: Otherworld Legends of the Scottish King Keith John ColemanGenerous 3.5. Shaky start but gets better as it goes on. Would only recommended it as further reading for anyone interested in the post Flodden era.
Linmill by Robert McLellan
Another 3.5. Excellent snap shot of life around that area in the mid twentieth century. Enjoyable, but forgettable.
My Father as an Ant by Diana Hendry3.5
Wasn't aware that Diana Hendry had also written adult fiction in her long career, so it was a pleasant surprise to come across this collection. The tales are mostly a slice of quiet suburban life, disarming in their approach right up until the last few paragraphs where the knife goes finally goes in - and not a twist to be seen.
Was really impressed by this collection. Reminded me of Agnes Owens a little.
Couple more to add. Just about to start Laidlaw and I'm really looking forward to it. The Goldblum Variations by Helen McClory
4 Stars.
Utterly bonkers little read. As if the author got roaring drunk and decided to do a social media post/writing exercise on the wonder that is Jeff Goldblum. Pretty funny little book that doesn't overstay its welcome,
House However by Kathrine Sowerby
3 Stars.
She writes wonderfully well, and I'm looking forward to eventually getting to The Spit, The Sound and The Nest on the back of this collection. I found the theme of the collection interesting enough but it did fall a little flat for me. Might have liked it better as a spoken word performance.
Laidlaw by William McIlvanney4 Stars.
Wish I'd gotten around to it a lot sooner, was highly impressed with the quality of the writing and Mcllvanney's use of language. Perfect snapshot of the times.
Andrina and Other Stories. by George Mackay Brown
Easy 5 stars.
He's one of my favourite authors so revisiting his books is always a pleasure.
Mayhem and Death by Helen McClory
4 stars.
Not what I was expecting having come away from her comical Goldblum collection. Lot more meat on the bones within the text, which in turns was quietly haunting and darkly humorous. Sometimes it felt the stories were over a little too quickly for my liking.
Would recommend it though.
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4 Stars.
Wish I'd gotten around to it a lot sooner, was highly impressed with the quality of the writing and Mcllvanney's use of language. Perfect snapshot of the t..."
I've heard good things about Mayhem and Death, glad you liked it too, I might bump it up my Books To Treat Myself pile... (It's a very big virtual pile of books already, so I need any excuse to actually buy!) Haven't read the Andrina collection yet, good to know you gave it 5 stars :)
I've heard good things about Mayhem and Death, glad you liked it too, I might bump it up my Books To Treat Myself pile... (It's a very big virtual pile of books already, so I need any excuse to actually buy!) Haven't read the Andrina collection yet, good to know you gave it 5 stars :) Takes a couple of shorts to get used to her style of writing but once you get into the swing of things it's an incredibly quick and enjoyable read. McClory is currently co-authoring a book with Camilla Grudova which sounds like it's going to be fascinating especially since their styles are so different.
Andrina was a wonderful read, not sure if I was going through some kind of folk/fairy tale withdrawal at the time but it really hit the spot. Probably one of my favourites by him.
Few more:Mother Country by Helen Moore
Half qualifying, I suppose. 4 Stars. Hard hitting book of verse that takes a downright brutal and unflinching look at colonialism throughout the last couple of centuries. Scotland featured quite predominately throughout. A rather haunting collection and I'd pick up more of Moore's works on the back of it in a heartbeat.
The Scottish Parliament at Twenty by Jim Johnston
3.5 Stars. Refreshingly neutral in tone, the book measures the parliament's successes and failures over the past two decades. Was quite heavy heavy going in places, particularly when it went into taxation legislation.
"The Scottish Parliament in its Own Words: An Oral History by A.W Stewart
3 Stars. Found the first half much stronger than the second. The accounts of the first years of the parliament made for a genuinely fascinating read. Problem with oral histories is that they are full of biases, and as a reader I really had a sense of gloves coming off from some commentators when documenting the later sessions of the parliament. Even with editorial muzzling it was rather disappointing.
The Scottish Poems of Violet Jacob by Violet Jacob
5 Stars. Had only previously hard of Jacob in passing and am sort of kicking myself that I've only now looked up any of her works just now. Perfect snapshot of Angus and the Mearns in the during the early twentieth century, and the collection covers a variety of themes. Found the poems covering the aftermath of the First World War, where she lost one of her sons, poignant and I have to admit, they left a bit of a lump in my throat.
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I find it interesting how writers co-author, do they fight for the good plot bits ;)
I’ve borrowed Andrina from the library so will be reading it soon...
Ellen wrote: "I’ve borrowed Andrina from the library so will be reading it soon... "Be interested to see what you think. :)
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Be interested to see what you think. :)"
Just finished the book, his stories are so weird and ordinary at the same time! I can see why Andrina was the namesake, I really loved that one, though it's hard to choose a favourite. Reading about Magnus getting martyred was interesting, we hear so much about it living here, have you read his Magnus novel? Is it a little like the short story? I found the fairytale a bit odd to begin with, partly because I was expecting it from him, but it grew on me near the end. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention, Katrina :)
Ellen wrote: ".Just finished the book, his stories are so weird and ordinary at the same time! I can see why Andrina was the namesake, I really loved that one, though it's hard to choose a favourite. Reading about Magnus getting martyred was interesting, we hear so much about it living here, have you read his Magnus novel? Is it a little like the short story.."Glad you liked it, Ellen.:) It's an incredibly strong collection, and Andrina stood out to me as well. I read Magnus more years ago than I care to remember. Vaguely recall thinking it brilliant, but that's about it. If there is a connection between the short story and the novel, I completely blanked it.
Probably deserves a revisit, if I ever reduce my terrifying to read list. Magnus was never really well known in these parts - certainly not when I was growing up at least. We did get Greyfriar's Bobby galore though:)
Couple more:Short Cuts: A collection of eight short stories by Sam McColl
3.5 Nice little selection of short selection of stories which feel a bit mundane to begin with but then delivers a sucker punch as they gone on. Some of them have quite a dark, serrated edge to them. Currently reading McColl's other work, Call Billy at glacier's pace which has has a very similar style. Will be interesting to see how he develops as a writer.
The Singin' Lass: Selected Works of Marion Angus
4 Stars. Knew next to nothing about the writer before starting this and came away rather annoyed, like Jacob, that her name isn't mentioned far more often. Both her prose and poetry were delightful to read, but I think the jewel in the crown of this collection was the biography itself. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to write about an incredibly elusive figure - and make it fascinating. Credit where it's due, couldn't put it down.
Another one:And Then Emily Was Gone
by John Lees
3 stars. Graphic novels tend to be hit or miss with me, but I picked it up as was the first fiction piece I'd ever come across that featured Bonnie Shaw. Felt the story was okay in itself if not particularly memorable. What really didn't work for me was the Lovecraftian take on Shaw which didn't resonate with what little I know from the folklore. Artwork also had a bit of body horror in it which put me off a bit.
Few more:Ye Cannae Win by Janet Paisley 3.5 Stars
Never heard of Paisley before coming across this collection in the library. Chiefly written in Scots, there were a number of poems that have aged rather nicely and standout, as for the rest, well, they were solid if not memorable.
Zero Hours by Rab Wilson
4 Stars
Incredibly powerful and hard-hitting poetry collection that captures the spirit of era perfectly. It's only a couple of years old and I'd love to see an follow up. Unique and overlooked voice.
The Appin Murder: The Killing of the Red Fox by Seamus Carney
3 Stars
Overall was glad to have read it, but a cast of characters and large amount of informational dumps made it a rather dry and sometimes confusing read at times. I found the court case itself interesting enough. Solid enough read.
My Name is Monster by Katie Hale 4 Stars
Best of the bunch so far. Thought I was past being impressed by books set in a post apocalyptic setting, but apparently not. Nicely atmospheric despite the slow pace, and a lovely character piece. Wasn't without its flaws but they were easy to overlook.
Scotland or No by Peter Burnett 2.5
Some decent ideas in the book, but ultimately pretty forgettable.
Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII's Sister by Melanie Clegg 3.75 to be awkward
She was Queen Regent of Scotland for a short while so it counts:P Informative and interesting. Clegg does her well at highlight Margaret's numerous flaws in a sympathetic manner. Lots of parallels with her granddaughter.