My Read Scotland 2017 Book List

Below is a list of the first ten books that I intend to read for the Read Scotland 2017 Challenge. I intend to read at least 35 books for this challenge, and as you can see I’m going to be having something of a J.I.M. Stewart binge. I loved reading three of those books way back in the 1970s when they came out, but I never did get around to finishing the series, so I’m starting from the beginning again, hoping that I’ll enjoy them as much. He is of course better known as the crime writer Michael Innes.

I think a read-a-long of R.L.S’s The Black Arrow is on the cards at some time during the year.

I want to get back to Ian Rankin’s Rebus series, I’m way behind with it and I believe that it’s Dead Souls that is next on the reading list for me.

Helen at She Reads Novels recently enjoyed reading Scott’s Redgauntlet, and as I have a copy of it I decided to bump it up my Sir Walter Scott reading queue.

Joan at Planet Joan recently loved reading Mary Stewart’s Airs Above the Ground and it’s one of the few that I still have to read, so I’m really looking forward to that.

I’ve been avoiding Val McDermid’s books as I’ve been told they are quite gory but I’ve decided to pluck up courage and start with her first book Report for Murder.

1. Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart
2. The Gaudy by J.I.M. Stewart
3. Young Patullo by J.I.M. Stewart
4. Memorial Service by J.I.M. Stewart
5. The Madonna of the Astrolabe by J.I.M. Stewart
6. Full Term by J.I.M. Stewart
7. Report for Murder by Val McDermid
8. Dead Souls by Ian Rankin
9. The Black Arrow by R.L. Stevenson
10. Redgauntlet by Sir Walter Scott

Have you read any of these books and are there any Scottish books that you would recommend reading?

6 thoughts on “My Read Scotland 2017 Book List

  1. I loved Airs Above the Ground when I read it last year. I hope you enjoy it! I’ll be interested to hear what you think of Redgauntlet too.

  2. Have been meaning to tell you about a Fontana paperback my father was given for Christmas in, probably, 1958: “String Lug The Fox” by David Stephen; first published by Lutterworth in 1950.
    I first read it when I was around ten years old, probably wept buckets at the sad bits, but it’s stayed in my memory and I adored the descriptions of the landscapes and wildlife. I’m glad that I still have the book.
    From the blurb: “This is a fascinating book that has all the ingredients of a first-class novel – suspense, action, drama – as well as being an animal story of the highest calibre.”
    Another book I have is a 2nd edition of the “Wax Fruit” trilogy by Guy McCrone – I loved being able to trace my way around the Glasgow streets mentioned using today’s “Google Maps Streetview”, the descriptions of Arran, and historical details of Vienna that provided many fruitful bunny-trails of research for me!

    • Valerie,
      That’s very interesting, I’ve never heard of David Stephen, although the surname is a Scottish one, quite common up in the north-east. I’ll look out for the book. Thanks for reminding me of Guy McCrone, I bought a paperback of Wax Fruit several years ago and have never got around to reading it – it sounds fascinating.

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