Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Read Scotland 2017 Challenge

I have these five books about Scotland


on my shelves, and some of them have been there for a long time. Year after year goes by, and I don't read them. So I thought I'd sign up for Peggy Ann's Read Scotland 2017 Challenge.


All the books are set on the Hebrides, and all but the Ann Cleeves are nonfiction. I own one other book set in Scotland, written by the late Iain Banks,


and I just may read this one as well, even though I've read it twice already. I wrote a little bit about it in a book journal before I had a blog.

The book is subtitled In Search Of The Perfect Dram.This book will appeal to - the whisky fan, the fan of author Banks' fiction work, and then me, who is neither one. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was like sitting in the living room (or at a bar!) with him. The writing is rambling, his thoughts seem to be written as he thinks them. What I like especially is his passion- for life, for Scotland, for whisky, for cars, for music, for fun.

It is time I read these books, and this is the perfect way to get myself to do so. I am reading at the 1-5 level called Totie Wee. You may join here at her blog, or on her Goodreads page here

24 comments:

  1. Good way to get those books read in my opinion. I have a similar bunch of Scottish books so I'm doing the same thing. Good luck to us both!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We will probably read the exact same amount. ;<)

      Delete
  2. So glad your Reading Scotland with us Nan! Nice pile of books.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very good! This is going to be my year to at least start reading Ann Cleeves' books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you seen Shetland or Vera? Almost hard for me to believe a book could be better!

      Delete
  4. All these - especially the non-fiction ones - appeal to me very much, especially seen as there is Graham, blogging friend who lives right there on the Hebrides.
    Scotland is a region of the UK I would really love to see for myself; maybe one day! So far, I'm always on Yorkshire (which isn't all that far away, if you look at it on the map), but time is always limited when we're there, with so much to do and so many people to meet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've meant to read his blog and his brother's (?). Thanks for the reminder.

      Delete
  5. I love the idea of having a reading challenge based around a particular area or country. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on these books! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Are you doing more than one challenge? I read your post on the Birth Year challenge the other day. Wish I had more time to read, but most of my reading is done aloud to the students I tutor... then I keep one going at home by myself (though it takes me a while these days to finish one.) Love hearing about what you are reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, two, but they are both ones I want to do and that aren't complicated. Those Scottish books have been waiting for me a long while! I'm a very slow reader these days of being a grandmother!

      Delete
  7. I would love to read the bottom of the pile book. 'A year in' books are fascinating to me. I buy them where ever we travel. You find out the most interesting things about a place reading them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a delightful undertaking! May I suggest you add a novel or two by O Douglas (John Buchan's sister) and D E Stevenson? Oh, and some Highland Park to sip while reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I adore both those writers, but for this challenge I really did want to challenge myself to read the books in the pile. Years, I've owned them and it is about time that I read them! I'll tell Tom about HP. He's the whisky guy. I'm a cosmo girl. ;<)

      Delete
  9. I joined this challenge too because I have a lot of books by Scottish authors that have been sitting unread too long. I have already read one by Ian Rankin. I hope to read at least 10 books by Scottish authors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to know what books you are going to read!

      Delete
    2. These for sure: Laidlaw by William McIlvanney, Field of Blood by Denise Mina, The Winter Ground by Catriona McPherson, The Blackhouse by Peter May, Red Bones by Ann Cleeves. Several others I hope to get too also.

      Delete
    3. I was thinking of the Lewis series by May. I have the first book in the Lewis series in my amazon queue. I'll buy it! Other than Ann C. I haven't heard of the other books/authors you mentioned. Must go look them up. Thanks!!

      Delete
  10. I'm always issuing personal challenges to myself that involve books I already own. At the end of last year, it was to read the books I already owned on the Middle East. I read several but have quite a few to go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to know those titles, the ones you read and the others yet to read. Fiction or nonfiction.

      Delete
  11. John McPhee is quite a good storyteller, so I know you'll like that one (at least)! Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, he is. I've read some of his work, but not all.

      Delete

I'll answer your comments as soon as I possibly can. Please do come back if you've asked a question.
Also, you may comment on any post, no matter how old, and I will see it.