Sunday 10 July 2011

Sheds, Swords and Sex

Tomorrow I have decided to treat myself to a day out...errrrr... spend a hard day researching the route from Glasgow to the Isle of Skye. This involves sitting on a train for 5 hours and taking in the beautiful scenery on the West Highland Line, which includes the Glenfinnan Viaduct (better known as the one from Harry Potter) and the beautiful Arisaig, before spending two hours in Mallaig for a wander round and some fish and chips, followed by a 5 hour trip home again. It's a hard life.

If you really need any more persuasion to buy Allan Guthrie's brilliant TWO-WAY SPLIT, here's the lovely Declan Burke to give you that extra push.

A review of Helen Fitzgerald's FURCHTBAR LIEB (aka DEAD LOVELY ) It's in German, and, if I concentrate, I can understand a lot of it. However, it's much much more fun to go to Babelfish and get an...ahem... 'English' translation, which has gems such as "Thus a harmonious Sexualleben of a marriage transforms into a Reproduktionsmarathon" and "Krissie of One Night conditions becomes just now more pregnant".

A review of Philip Kerr's FIELD GREY.

Alexander McCall Smith's wish for Darfur.

Grant McKenzie talks about true crime inspiration.

GOVERNMENT OF THE LIVING DEAD - a wee treat from Douglas Lindsay, starting on Monday and lasting forever (or at least a week).

If you read it in a book, would you believe a story about a woman who lived in a shed in her married lover's back garden?

And a serious one to finish with for a change: Reducing gang violence in Glasgow.

2 comments:

  1. After which I suggest you get back on the train and go to Inverness and then over to Kyle of Lochalsh, which is even lovelier. You can even come back if you like.

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  2. Poor you! I am so impressed by conscientious authors who are not satisfied with googling their research but struggle out in the real world for the sake of their readers.

    May you have a safe journey (and bring back home pictures?)

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