Lorna's More Realistic Scottish Reading Goal

[Lorna]

I set the bar too high last year at 21-25 and missed it by a mile. I'm sure I can find at least 11 good Scottish titles for 2020 on my Kindle already. I spent a week over New Year's in Edinburgh (they put on a great Hogmanay party) which inspired me look into the more ancient Scottish roots in my family tree. There are a few big names in there and this year I'd like to learn more about Scottish history through historical fiction, and maybe some non-fiction as well.

[Lorna]

Book 1 - Whisky Galore by Compton McKenzie. It took me until the middle of February to read my first book, but it was good one! There was no way I wasn't going to love this book. The film is a classic, and I've visited Eriskay and the sites there that commemorate the real historical event that it was based on. The audio book was excellent - the narrator had a unique voice for each of the many characters. I think I probably enjoyed the audio book even more than I would have the print book. Some readers have said the way the author transliterates dialect into writing is distracting, but of course that was no problem with the audio book.

[Lorna]

Book 2 - The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers. I read all these books when I was a teen, but that's so long ago now that I'm not counting it as a reread. All I remember about this one is that it had a complicated plot that involved train schedules. An intricately plotted mystery - not so much the actual crime, but the interweaving of all the lies lies and alibis of the six possible suspects. You need to keep notes in order to fully appreciate this one. Not my absolute favorite of the series but I did enjoy the Scottish characters and setting.