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Kate Davies' Book Selection for November 2024

Wow! What a festival. A feast of powerful stories – personal and fictional: inspiring, gravity-defying, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, fun. Truly something for everyone. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Festival on 4th and 5th October. That’s a very unsubtle hint to put the date in your diary!

Of course, the BOOKMARK team has more treats for us before then, starting with an opportunity to meet Philip Paris at 2pm on 16th November at St Catharine’s Centre, Blairgowrie. Philip will be talking about his book, The Last Witch of Scotland

If you’re looking for a touch of Gothic to accompany November’s darkening nights The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen could be the one for you. Or, stepping out of a winter-dark Scotland, There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. Shafak is a skilful storyteller: her previous novel, The Island of Missing Trees, is moving and ingenious, and I expect nothing less with this latest story. Another favourite writer is Elizabeth Strout with her latest novel, Tell Me Everything 

This next one is a bit of a punt in that I haven’t yet read it, but it comes highly recommended, has sold lots of copies, and has a good title: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Room for another punt? Of course! This time in the guise of a comic crime novel: The Burning Stones by Antti Tuomainen.

A non-fiction treat to finish comes from Kathleen Jamie and her new collection of personal recollections, observations and experiences, Cairn.

More next month. Let me know if you have any recommendations you would like to share.

Kate
BOOKMARK member

PS: The Adventure into Books Book Blether group meets at 7pm on the first Wednesday of each month. On 6th November we will be blethering about Finding Hildasay by Christian Lewis.  All are welcome to the Book Blether group.
PPS: Adventure into Books is also hosting author Mark Bridgeman on 20th November at 7pm. Mark has a new book, The Scottish Murder Book, and a new trial to present: hugely entertaining, and I confess that I have not yet correctly guessed the verdict on either of Mark’s two previous visits.



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