Scottish Book Recommendations

Underhyped Book Recommendations: • Underhyped Book Recomm...
My Latest Podcast Episode: / ask-a-classicist-with-...
The Books:
Sunset Song: www.bookdepository.com/Sunset...
The Complete Poems of Robert Burns: www.bookdepository.com/The-Co...
A Portable Shelter: www.bookdepository.com/A-Port...
The Gracekeepers: amzn.to/2mNQm5C
Girl Meets Boy: www.bookdepository.com/Girl-M...
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: www.bookdepository.com/Eleano...
Poor Things: www.bookdepository.com/Poor-T...
The Dumb House: amzn.to/2LSxAoe
The World's Wife: www.bookdepository.com/The-Wo...
Katie Morag: amzn.to/2mKflGC
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On twitter: / thatsancient
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On iTunes/Apple Podcast App: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
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[@lucimmv]

To the person who suggested this theme : Thank you

[@JeansThoughts]

Glad so many ended up enjoying it!

[@fallenangelz291]

Muriel Spark! Especially The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

[@InfiniteText]

What a lovely idea. I want more and more Scottish books! I remember subscribing to you about three years ago because of the accent (I stayed for the smarts). I read the Dumb House and then forced two of my friends to read it because it was SO good. Though I have my favourite Scotsman's first line of my favourite children's book tattooed on my back (Peter Pan). Though Stevenson is so awesome too...AH I love Scotland!

[@kbal1451]

So much Australian Fiction to recommend- Perhaps The Secret River by Kate Grenville is one of my favourites Sorry by Gail Jones, another favourite Foals Bread by Gillian Mears is heartrendingly beautiful too. And soooo many others. Reading Bluebottle by Belinda Castles at the moment. Scots on both sides of my family. Dad came to Australia with his family as a Ten Pound Pom from Glasgow when he was 8. On Mum's side there were many generations of Scots that immigrated. In the 1850s a huge part of the family immigrated from The Hebrides clearances, they had no English only spoke Gaelic. Mum grew up with her Grandfather in the Pipe Band and dancing The Sword Dance. A friend is over at the moment and he plays The Pipes in the local military band. Scottish Books I grew up with included R.M. Ballantyne's The Coral Island and Robert Louis Stevensons works. Also listened to many a Burn's poem on my Granddads knee. Thanks so much for the video, I've added some to Mount Toobie and been reminded to pick up Poor Things again and my exact same copy of Burns poetry.

[@ritajlwang]

I'm literally currently on vacation in Scotland for the first time ever and was looking to buy some Scottish books while I was here! Such a happy coincidence that you've uploaded this!! ^__^

[@melanie1384]

I think you would enjoy Witch Light by Susan Fletcher. It's an historical novel set 17th Century Scotland during the time of the Glen Coe massacre. The main protagonist is a woman accused of witch craft who actually existed in that time! I haven't gotten round to reading it yet, but it has all the elements I love in a book so can't wait to start.

[@stormeyedselkie]

Oh I absolutely LOVED this book!

[@teaspoones]

Aww thank you for this video!

[@Schmunzlrapunzl]

I'm so in awe of your eloquence, it's so nice to listen to you :)

[@PullDownTheMoon]

What a great video! I'm moving to Scotland so seems fitting that I should pick some of this up, if only to just add to my neverending love of books. Sunset Song sounds really intriguing. I had no idea that auld lang syne was written by Burns or that it is Scottish. What an informative video!

[@themermaidandtheowl6573]

Where the world ends is absolutely amazing, it blew me away. It’s set on the stacks off st Kilda where boys and men go to hunt the birds every year to feed their community. But then something goes wrong.

[@Autumn1988]

As an ex-pat Scot who grew up in Yorkshire I do feel as though my Scottish literature education is lacking. Many Scots say I’m not “really Scottish” but my parents tried to in still a sense of Scottish identity within me and my brother. Will check some of these out.

[@Amzers13]

Ahhh Katie Morag! I loved these books as a child ❤️❤️ I am so excited to read them to my niece as she gets older! This is such a good video! I’m Scottish and there’s so much I haven’t reach and I need to rectify this ASAP! Xxx

[@IngaLangfeldt]

This was a great video, thanks for all the recommendations. I'm from Norway and I'd suggest Tarjei Vesaas with the Ice Palace. It's really strange, and it's fairy tale like and very Norwegian.

[@colorswordsandlearning]

I liked Sunset song a lot too .Also loved the poems by Robert Burns.

[@naogoweczytaczki]

I'm going to Scotland on holiday this year and this list is perfect! I was actually thinking of taking some Ali Smith with me, now it's a must. I also love the sound of the Sunset Song. Thank you for the recommendations! [Dagmara]

[@gliterindoenut]

We studied Carol Anne Duffy in England too! I've been meaning to get into more poetry and am off on holiday to Scotland tomorrow so this seems like a perfect opportunity :)

[@ingibjorgagustsdottir601]

I'd recommend Robin Jenkins, a prolific Scottish novelist, but sadly overlooked by too many. E.g. his Fergus Lamont, or The Changeling. Both brilliant!

[@Martu_CAS]

Such an interesting recommendation video! I'm from Argentina and my favorite book is Ficciones, a collection of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges.

[@colorswordsandlearning]

Love Borges..

[@rebeccalouisejohnson3772]

Thank you for sharing 💛

[@JeansThoughts]

No problem :)

[@DaeronK]

I got Sunset Song, after seeing Leanne (Literary Diversions) reading page 112 and talking about it on Sean The Book Maniac's channel. It sounded fantastic! I'm yet to pick it up. It's one I'm looking forward to reading.

[@JeansThoughts]

I'm so pleased you picked it up, it deserves more attention and I hope you love reading it ^_^

[@Jessticulates]

Great recommendations! I need to make more of an effort to read more Scottish, Irish and Welsh authors - especially as I lived and worked in Wales for a few years! I love Muriel Spark's The Driver's Seat, such a fantastic little novella.

[@sophiemjstratmann.soprano]

Have you read Sir Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor or seen the corresponding opera Lucia di Lammermoor? I'd be very interested in your opinion on those from a very different perspective (I'm studying opera singing). great video, thank you!

[@phillipedwin2833]

..Earlier this year, I'd read '..Trumpet!' by Kay, and look forward branching-out amid other Scot writers and poets (..p.s. last year, visited '..Edinburgh!', and can't wait to revisit!)!

[@amymarvel5309]

Thanku for the recommendations! I'm American but I love reading about different countries and their cultures. And one day I will visit Scotland! I want to so bad.

[@JeansThoughts]

Ah well in the meantime thank goodness for books so you can travel from the comfort of your home ;)

[@reesesurace6904]

Fantastic list! I’ve added a few and now My TBR has just had a major blowout 🤷‍♀️ thanks for the rec’s! Also you look lovely today ☺️😉

[@JeansThoughts]

Woohoo! Glad to be of service ☺️

[@adrianac3258]

Thank you for expanding my knowledge on Scottish literature and recommending a wide array of Scottish writers I will definitely look for works of Robert Burns ,Ali Smith and Kristy Logan they sound right up my alley. I have read scottish authors which I do love and they are Arthur Conan Doyle ,Robert Louis Stevenson,Ian Rankin and Grant Morrison acclaimed graphic novelist and magician.

[@royaevereadsbooks]

Oh I had no idea Ali Smith was Scottish! Love hearing your recommendations 😊

[@SparklesBooks]

I’ve got Eleanor Oliphant waiting to be read on my shelf, looking forward to getting round to it. I’d also love to know if you come across any books set in the borders ☺️ x

[@kyvelli1489]

I didn't know I needed this video until now and now I want more!

[@JeansThoughts]

Aha surprise ;)

[@kyvelli1489]

And concerning my favorite book from my country that'd be Nada by Carmen Laforet which was published in the 40s and it's set in post Spanish Civil War Barcelona and it's a great book :)

[@acajudi100]

My grandfather was from Labrishire, Scotland. The McVan Clan. Thank you for sharing.

[@emmanovella]

I LOVE Kirsty Logan! I've only read The Gracekeepers but I have A Portable Shelter and The Gloaming on my tbr!!

[@HNGuthrie]

For a view of what West Texas was like in the 1800s, I highly recommend The Wind by Dorothy Scarborough. The landscape and the weather play such a major role in the story that it reveals a lot about life in modern West Texas, as well. I read it for an environmental literature class for a grad school minor.

[@sopheyrac1204]

I've been listening Trumpet by Jackie Kay and I'm really enjoying the impact of having it read in a Scottish accent, as you mentioned with Eleanor Oliphant. It really makes a difference to voice and tone of characters

[@JeansThoughts]

Yeah, I mean it's odd to listen to something narrated by an American actor set in England and vice versa, it's just more immersive when you get the accents ^_^

[@stevef.2549]

My family is Scottish, and on my visit back to Edinburgh this past Spring I bought Hame by Annalena McAfee at the Edinburgh Bookshop in Morningside. Anyone who's into Scottish language and history would love this lovely, learny story about a journalist investigating a Scottish poet and his radical political and personal obsessions.

[@meganh2399]

I absolutely loved this video. My mom emigrated from Scotland, and she instilled in me a deep love of her home country. I have been to a few Burns suppers in my day and absolutely loved it 😍 I love this list of books and I am adding them all to my tbr- thank you for all the recommendations !! I feel I would be a bad Canadian if I didn’t recommend the Anne of Green Gables books by LM Montgomery - they’re set on PEI ❤️ also I very much enjoy Margaret Atwood’s work 😍

[@colorswordsandlearning]

Love Anne!

[@ktweeden]

I've just finished reading Poor Things and really loved it! One of my favourite Scottish books is Intrusion by Ken McLeod which is speculative fiction with some fantasy elements. I'd definitely recommend! I moved to Edinburgh a couple of years ago and since then have been reading a lot more Scottish fiction as there are so many enticing Scottish lit sections in most of the bookshops I go to!

[@tinealily]

Katie Morag!!!

[@JeansThoughts]

Aha I did love Maisie as well

[@dogearedreads1288]

I adore The Cone Gatherers by Robin Jenkins, one of my favourite pieces of Scottish fiction and a beautiful look at conscientious objection

[@Fe1AlR]

Have you read any Walter Scott? (I've only read Ivanhoe, one of the few books of his set in England) The Dumb House has been on my TBR since I first heard you mention it ages ago, so I really need to read that... and yep, I studied The World's Wife in sixth form, haha. I'm from the Isle of Man, and am quite ashamed to say I haven't read any Manx literature, though there actually isn't much. There is quite a bit of poetry and lots of folk/fairy tales, but not many novels (When I was in primary school every child on the island was given a copy of Fynoderee by Alexander Duncan. I didn't read it at the time and regret that now - I need to find my copy and read it!)

[@magpiexwings]

Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry is mostly set in my hometown of Houston, Texas.

[@FloraNB]

I'm interested in reading Sunset Song, but having no real knowledge of the Scots language, I'm wondering how well you think I'd understand the dialogue and how much I'd have to look up? I love what I've read by Ali Smith so far, and most of her books are already on my wishlist/TBR :D I've read "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and I loved it, I'd highly recommend it! (It's also really short: about 80 pages) The only Dutch authors I love that come to mind right now are Tonke Dragt and Toon Tellegen. Tonke Dragt wrote some exceptional children's science fiction: "Torenhoog en mijlen breed" (~"Towering and miles wide") as well as its sequel and prequel; but I don't know if it's ever been translated. I do know that her more famous "De Brief voor de Koning" (set in a fictional medieval world) has been translated into English. Toon Tellegen is mainly known for his children's short stories about different animals, I have a huge collected edition of them, they're a little weird and absurd and philosophical at times, which makes them great for adults as well. I also have one of his (adult) poetry collections, "Stof dat als een meisje" ("Dust which like a girl"), which is really beautiful (but I don't think it's been translated). I believe many of his collections of animal stories HAVE been translated into English though. By the way, I noticed that your Scottish accent became a bit thicker at a couple points in this video :P

[@karlydolle7809]

Thank you for this! If you haven't read Kirsty Logan's 'The Rental Heart' then you need to get it asap. It's incredible, and I would say it's my favourite of all her books so far.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

My love of Scottish crime fic means that I love Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, Val MacDermid, Ann Cleeves. I'm from Omagh, Co Tyrone. The birth place of Brian Friel. I'd recommend his plays .

[@JeansThoughts]

Scotland does seem to be a favourite location to set gruesome crime stories aha.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Jean Bookishthoughts I've never been to Scotland but I'd love to go to Edinburgh and do a walk around all the places mentioned in the Rebus series

[@brunabento4866]

I'd love to know what you think about the Outlander book series even though isn't written by a scottish author (but the setting is)

[@macklinloosley-millman9215]

When I was a kid I loved Kit Pearson books. She's from BC so wrote a lot of stories set on the west coast of Canada. As an Ontarian I found these wonderful. At the moment I haven't read much Canadian literature. I really enjoyed Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, and I would like to read more indigenous-in-what-is-currently-Canada literature.

[@andrikkiwaslike5170]

I recently picked up Lanark as I've heard it regarded as an epic Scottish novel and a staple when it comes to Scottish literature. I'm curious if you've ever read it and would be interested to hear your opinion on the novel!

[@Anndelilah9]

As a Saudi reader I could recommend Cities of Salt by Abdulrahman Munif As an arabic I would recommend Garnada by Radwa Ashour

[@emilyhenderson3932]

A recommendation from Australia is Looking For Alibrandi by Marlina Marchetta - a beautiful coming-of-age story about three generations of Italian-Australian women

[@kbal1451]

That is such a good book :-)

[@lindaleehall]

I absolutely loved Sunset Song, so I picked up the entire Scots Quare by Gibbon.

[@GreenGretel]

In terms of Scottish literature, I thought James Hogg's _The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner_ was fascinating!

[@LanguageImaginations]

I am from Austria and I am really interested in Scottish litterature! I HAVE to read some of your recommended books!

[@kristinclark8843]

Recommending US Literature seems moot at this point since so many US authors are widely published, but if I were to be more specific and recommend Pacific Northwest Literature, I would definitely have to recommend What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver.

[@elnrjn]

my sister’s named after Katie Morag (we’re not scottish though haha)! great video, definitely need to check out Kirsty Logan and Poor Things sometime soon :)

[@confessionofabookdragon]

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is one of my favorite!!!

[@sophiethomson7871]

My favourite Scottish book is the desperate January

[@gchie]

Italy here :) there are so many books that I could recommend! For prose, basically anything by Italo Calvino, I love him! For poetry, Leopardi or Montale, and then of course there are the good old Dante, Petrarch etc. :)

[@JeansThoughts]

I love Calvino but am otherwise under read when it comes to Italian literature so thanks so much for the recommendations!

[@BobBob-uv9fq]

Can I recommend some English literature,Charles Dickens written by a yet unheard of writer David copperfield

[@gatcha_nito7179]

I’m really enjoying a book called ‘grass’ it is Scottish (like me) :3

[@minhvo8645]

You should check out the translated version of "The Tale of Kieu" by Nguyen Du (the original author). It's an iconic poetry in Vietnam.

[@JeansThoughts]

Ooh thanks so much for the recommendation ☺️

[@mariealexander1848]

I’ve just read His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet. Absolutely loved it - a triple murder in rural Scotland, a trial and early forensics. 5 stars.

[@JeansThoughts]

Ah yeah I’ve heard great things since it was shortlisted for the man booker prize ☺️ should check it out!

[@newmannoggs]

George MacDonald, like Lewis Grassic Gibbon, was from Aberdeenshire, but he's scandalously overlooked here in Scotland. He has a bit more of a following in America, especially amongst Christians, as he was a huge influence on C S Lewis (and to a lesser extent on JRR Tolkien.) If you enjoy fantasy literature, there's a new documentary tying him in with Lewis and Tolkien, which you can see the trailer for here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4DKkHWdeNCap7c and if you enjoy rural, pastoral novels like those of Grassic Gibbon, you can find out about one of his best known ones here (this is Lewis's stepson talking about my translations which were written mostly with the American/international market in mind): kzbin.info/www/bejne/moq9YmyifdVpoJo

[@MsRebC1]

Katie Morag was my all time favourite as a kid! Also Maisie Goes to Morngingside, and all her other adventures! Iain Banks is another great Scottish author, especially his novel 'The Wasp Factory'.

[@JeansThoughts]

I loved Maisie! And Banks is definitely on my Scottish lit TBR ^_^

[@inessamaria2428]

Very good

[@Paul_the_Bookworm]

When I think of Scottish literature I think of dark and gritty crime novels. So Stuart Macbride, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin as well as Irvine Welsh although I must admit I struggled immensely with Trainspotting as I couldn't get to grips with the lingo.

[@nokiddingbrainless]

You talking about Ali Smith made me think, I would absolutely LOVE to see a video (or even a podcast episode) on LGBTQ+-themes/gender and sexuality in Greek Myth. I had never heard of the myth that Girl Meets Boy was based on, but it sounds like pretty much the earliest trans rep out there (Of course they didn't have the vocabulary for that back then, but still) and I would love to hear about myths with similar themes!

[@kbal1451]

Australian Fiction- My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin it is an Australian Classic. It was written an hour from where I live. Australia's top literary prize is named after the author and there is also a more recent but highly regarded Australian Women's Writers Prize called The Stella (also named after her Stella Miles Franklin!).

[@JeansThoughts]

Ah thanks for the recommendations! I've read very little Australian lit but I recently fell in love with Juliet Marillier who is Australian although her books aren't set there. I should try more.

[@kbal1451]

Did I mention that Miles Franklin was an early feminist in the 1890s. Well worth a read.

[@WomanVsBooks]

Great recommendation... Will check some of these out... Need to support fellow Scots xx

[@mrsjaynesarah1923]

We say bairn in the north of England 💖

[@bookingforewordtoit]

Poor Things is absolutely brilliant!! I really loved it!!! I really must read the Dumb House, it sounds creepy and dark and super intriguing!!

[@thearchive1132]

This was excellent. To my shame I have yet to read any Ali Smith, and she's everywhere! :D Great list. :D

[@AilsaVlogs]

I love that you have Katie Morag on this list!

[@JeansThoughts]

You get me ;)

[@davidsigler9690]

Robert Burn's is my favodite poet, have you ever read the biography, "Robert Burns: The Tinder Heart." By. Hugh Douglas....excellent biography.

[@alistairrichard]

Great recommendations. Have you heard Karine Polwart’s interpretations of Robert Burns songs? I love this one: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/jamrh3SYeKagg8k

[@dimitramexis-kerr3718]

Buddha Da by Anna Donovan 🧡 x

[@deepmalachauhan8171]

Jean ... i adore you channel and youre one of my fav. book tuber ... do you have any P.O. BOX where i can send you a book ... its a trilogy .... please revert back ... lots of love from deep from INDIA

[@Paul_the_Bookworm]

deepmala chauhan that goes two of us. Got something I think you'd enjoy

[@SunriseFireberry]

Scottish Book = HP encyclopedia. Why have u got it instead of JKR? Or do you have some sort of HP ARC or something? Edinburgh connections. :-D :-D

[@AycaMYlmaz]

Irvine Welsh??

[@JeansThoughts]

Haven't read him, it's purely personal recommendations.

[@jilll1287]

Well I’m from California so I would say classics California/USA literature would be John Steinbeck.

[@JeansThoughts]

Love Steinbeck!

[@colorswordsandlearning]

Love Steinbeck!

[@daysleeper1989]

Unpopular opinion, I don't enjoy so much Burns, It is quite fine sometimes but some others are quite......boring? I guess that is not the word, but many of his poems leave me quite indifferent

[@JeansThoughts]

I mean with someone so prolific it’s not surprising. I don’t love all of the poems of most of my favourite poets ^_^ even all the novels of some of my favourite novelists. But I feel like when Burns gets it right he absolutely nails it, for me anyway aha.

[@daysleeper1989]

You might be right, I am reading one of his collections at the moment and I have fingers crossed because I really want to like it. But yeah, out of 50 poems so far, about 10 have resonated with me. Maybe I am just not his type of reader

[@LaurenAndTheBooks]

HURRAH FOR ELEANOR OLIPHANT!

[@LaurenAndTheBooks]

Also, only read Christmas Carol Ann Duffy stuff which I obviously LOVE. So I've gone and got myself a copy of The World's Wife, thanks! xx

[@JeansThoughts]

It's such a cool concept!

[@JeansThoughts]

YAS!