DONOR REVIEWS
Book reviews written by our wonderful community who donated to support our new shop.
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FICTION
MATTHEW AYLETT
Medusa's Web by Tim Powers
Tim Powers loves to mix the supernatural with the real. He creates well-developed characters in the spirit of Clive Barker rather than in the tradition of fantasy novels, and produces a gripping narrative where floored individuals wrestle with good and evil.
Among his books set in the present day, this one is my favourite. It is gripping, startling, original and set in a decaying Hollywood harking back to the world of silent film stars.
His ability to make the incredible seem mundane and to convey the creeping corruption of the supernatural without resorting to a horror trope is second to none.
What is there not to love?
MATTHEW AYLETT
A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil by Christopher Brookmyre
Ever since Quite Ugly One Morning, Christopher Brookmyre has been a regular presence on Scottish and Crime bookshelves. But what makes him so unique is not so much his well-crafted plots, his macabre sense of humour, nor his ability to move seamlessly from realistic to pastiche – but rather his characterisation of Scottish people.
If you haven’t read this one, you should. The masterful portrayal of children from primary to adulthood uses the same soundtrack that played while I was growing up. But maybe the reason I like this novel of his best of all, is that at the end I’m left wondering whether he has done a magician’s trick with the plot.
It’s the only time I’ve wanted to grab the novelist himself to see if I had read it right.
CLO CAREY
The Almost Truth by Anne Hamilton
It’s a rare thing to get your hands on a jewel of a novel so rich in description it transports you into an unputdownable story which leaves you bereft and longing for more when you finish the last page. This is such a book.
Set against a backdrop of two disparate cultures – the lowering skies and chill of Edinburgh versus the searing sun and clamour of rural Bangladesh –, Anne has woven an intricate tale of complex, colourful characters, living lives full of unexpected twists. With the deft hand of a master storyteller, she moves each thread seamlessly from past to present and back again, keeping the reader riveted to the page.
In a life full of books and not enough time to read them, I never read a novel twice. This one I will.
LINA LANGLEE
Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock by Maud Woolf
Sharp and fun, this thought-provoking novel manages to be both cool and incredibly tender in equal measure.
A satire of fame, we follow what is essentially the thirteenth clone of a movie star, Lulabelle Rock, who has been created for the sole purpose of assassinating her twelve predecessors. They all carry out the specific roles required of a celebrity: one stirs up intrigue for the paparazzi, one seems to only exist for some sort of tax avoidance, while another was created when Lulabelle just couldn’t face going to brunch.
We follow number Thirteen, our assassin, as she sets off to kill her-selves, but soon finds that there might be more to life than following the whim of her creator...
I was hooked by page five and remained so through the twists and turns throughout the novel. Written by a young Scottish author – Maud Woolf is one to watch!
ANN LAURE
Her Side of the Story by Alba de Céspedes
I couldn't stop reading this book, yet I didn't want it to finish. It tells the story of Alessandra, a young girl growing up in a Rome apartment block in the 1930s at the time of fascism. Her strong will, desire for freedom and love reminded me of Elena Ferrante's famous characters, yet the writing, feminism and historic background of this novel made it even more compelling to me. I couldn't believe this was first published in 1949 as it felt so modern.
Alba de Céspedes, who was Italian-Cuban, must have been an incredible woman as her character was partly inspired by her life. She was imprisoned several times for her anti-fascism activism and her books were censored... I was surprised to learn she was almost forgotten but recently reached new audiences thanks to Elena Ferrante – and I am keen to do my wee bit too to get her (re)discovered.
One of very few books I know I want to revisit again later.
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NON-FICTION
JON BARTON
Wild Swimming in Scotland by Alice Goodridge
This book has something for experienced swimmers and those new to open water swimming. The book features tidal pools, lochs, river pools and even flooded quarries. Each location, over a hundred of them, features a map, refreshment ideas, and safety information. There is also loads of information on equipment (wetsuits versus swimsuits), wildlife (and yes, jellyfish) and access rights to the waters of Scotland. There is also a useful top fives section, covering all sorts of best places to swim, like top five rivers, top five swim spots near a campsite, but probably most alarmingly top five swim spots for winter ice. One of the best books on wild swimming.​
OLLY HEADEY
The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson
This is a modern-day rags-to-riches story. Dick Whittington meets The Firm.
Gary Stevenson is a sharp-witted jack-the-lad from Ilford, an East London town on hard times, where becoming a tradesman is far more likely than becoming a trader. But Gary has big dreams of working in the skyscrapers that loom on the horizon. Using his talent for maths, relentless determination and canny street smarts, he lands himself a job on the trading floor of the world’s biggest bank.
What follows is a wild ride through the high-stakes world of foreign exchange trading – big bets, backstabbing and a cast of characters from the heroic to the hapless. Told in his raw East London voice, this book is both a gripping personal story and a sharp-eyed critique of the industry's (lack of) ethics.
JONATHAN SILVERTOWN
Selfish Genes to Social Beings by Jonathan Silvertown
In these times, we really need cooperation. History is on the side of cooperation, though it’s often hard to see it. Stroll the short distance from the Edinburgh Bookshop downhill to Fountainbridge, and the recipe for cooperation is inscribed in stone high up on the wall of No. 94B. It reads "Co-Operation seeks to promote the welfare of all" and "He that would reap must sow".
This is the former HQ of the St Cuthbert's Cooperative Society, the forerunner of Scotmid. St Cuthbert's was founded in 1859, which happens to be the year of publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. These two events are both significant, though Darwin's natural selection is often expressed as the 'survival of the fittest' – which sounds like the very antithesis of cooperation. In fact, this is not so.
The history of life shows that when the prescription of St Cuthbert's Coop is followed, and the benefits and costs are both shared among cooperators, cooperation beats competition. This has been happening between genes since the origin of life, it happened between enemy soldiers in the trenches of the First World War, and it is why plants are green, and animals exist. If this sounds far-fetched, hopefully this book will convince you (written by myself, a local author).
CHILDREN'S
MARGIE IMLAH
Wild Flower by A.J. Anderson
When her father gets a new job in Scotland and moves the family to the Scottish countryside, Lorelei is uprooted from the London home, friends and the familiar way of life she loves dearly. Initially, her new life really doesn’t cut it – so little to do and so very boring. Then she meets Tulip. Lori’s life changes for the better and the adventures begin.
Lori and Tulip are from different worlds and so have much to explore and discover together. I wish I’d been either one of them when I was growing up. Theirs is a childhood I would have loved.
This book will draw you in and keep you reading from cover to cover. It will have you on the edge of your seat one moment and laughing out loud the next. Expect to be intrigued and enthralled.
Written for children but with a plot and characters that will appeal equally to adult readers, this book will lift your spirits. It will leave you thinking that whatever happens, the world can be a good place and it’s within our power to make it so.
This is the first volume in a series following the adventures of the two friends and their increasingly extended families as they grow up.​
JAMIE STEWART
Mega Robo Bros 8: Final Form by Neill Cameron
As the final book in the Mega Robo Bros series, I really think this is a great way to end it off. I am very upset to see that one of my favourite book series is coming to a stop, but I liked how the author brought back some of the old villains.
I would highly recommend it for children my age who like graphic novels and heartfelt stories. I love all of the characters’ personalities (especially Freddy), and it’s fun to see Alex and Freddy bickering. The series also has an amazing storyline.
The Edinburgh Bookshop is where I found out about Mega Robo Bros.