Books

Books

Book reviews of a selection of titles curated by our critics.

Small book, big story

Small book, big story

Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan by Liz Treacher, Author If you enjoy books that plunge you into a different time and place, then look no further than Small Things Like These (Faber, 2021) by Claire Keegan. Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, the novella charts an incident in

Treat yourself to some Tartan Noir!

Treat yourself to some Tartan Noir!

Shadow Man, by Margaret Kirk by Liz Treacher, Author I always enjoy reading books by local authors and if the book is set locally, then it’s even better! Shadow Man (Orion, 2017) is set mainly in Inverness, but Helmsdale and Dornoch also feature. The novel has a great sense

Living off the Grid

Living off the Grid

Wildwood, by Elinor Florence by Liz Treacher, Author Do you ever long for a simpler life? Could you live off the grid? Canadian author, Elinor Florence, explores this in her novel Wildwood (Dundurn Press, 2018).  I met Elinor this summer when she came to Brora to do some research into

Negotiating a world of grown ups

Negotiating a world of grown ups

Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney by Liz Treacher, Author Iread Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends (Faber, 2017) during a recent trip to see an Eighties band, so maybe that is why I found it so nostalgic. The novel is set in Dublin in the present day, but it

History in the Attic

History in the Attic

Major Tom’s War, by Vee Walker By Liz Treacher Do you have a box of old letters written by your grandparents and stashed away in the attic? Yes? So does Vee Walker, a local author living in the Black Isle. Unlike the rest of us, Vee has opened the

A Jewel from the Cairngorms

A Jewel from the Cairngorms

Of Stone and Sky, by Merryn Glover By Liz Treacher, Author Highland author Merryn Glover’s second novel Of Stone and Sky, (Polygon, 2021) which won Book of the Year at the Bookmark Book Festival, is a perfect winter read. Draw the curtains, light the fire and prepare to be

A Story of Survival

A Story of Survival

The new wilderness, by Diane Cook by Liz Treacher, Author Looking for something original and captivating with a touch of the dystopian? The New Wilderness (Harper, 2020) by Diane Cook could be the next book for you.  Diane Cook is an American writer based in New York. The New Wilderness