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Edinburgh Reporter
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Reading recommendations for National Library's 100th birthday
Well known Scots have shared the books that shaped them as part of a project to celebrate the National Library of Scotland's 100th birthday. Writers Sir Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, actor Alan Cumming, musician Lauren Mayberry and former footballer, Pat Nevin, are among those whose recommendations will be included in a special centenary exhibition opening on 20 June at the library on George IV Bridge. The 'Dear Library' event will be a 'love letter to libraries', curated in partnership with people across Scotland. The building's exhibition spaces will be transformed into an open reading room, featuring bookshelves filled with recommendations from over 200 members of the public as well as famous figures. Rankin, 65, named The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, the gothic novel written by James Hogg and published in 1824, among his recommendations. Crime queen Val McDermid said The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame had played a part in her childhood love of books. 2021 Edinburgh International Book Festival at Edinburgh University's Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place. Val McDermid author and PHOTO ©2021 Mayberry, singer with synth-pop act Chvrches, nominated The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood, and Cumming recommended The Foghorn Echoes by Syrian-Canadian novelist Danny Ramadan. Ian Rankin, explaining his choice, said: 'This is another complex Scottish novel about good and evil. It's also one of the earliest novels to feature what would become known as a serial killer… 'Its central themes of good and evil and morality can still be found in contemporary Scottish Literature — and are always at the back of my mind when I start work on a new book.' Val McDermid revealed how she was enthralled by The Wind in the Willows when it was read to her as a child. She said: 'When I was five, I had the measles and was forced to lie in a darkened room to prevent damage to my eyesight. 'My mother sat in the hallway outside my bedroom and read me The Wind in the Willows. I was completely captivated by the all too human characteristics given to the animals, and charmed by the excitement and the unexpected turns the story takes.' Val also highlighted The whole story and Other Stories by Ali Smith, adding: 'Ali Smith never fails to dazzle me. Her novels are miracles of invention and the way she uses language is revelatory and imaginative… 'She moves me to tears and to laughter, she provokes rage and pity and she makes me think.' 'The Mother We Share' singer Mayberry, 37, said she had discovered The Edible Woman in a charity book shop when she was a student. She said: 'I found a copy in Oxfam Books on Byres Road in Glasgow when I was at university and read it cover to cover in a couple of days. 'It's a book I have thought about a lot since, in terms of the way women are commodified or consumed. It feels as relevant now as it did when Atwood wrote it in the 1960s.' Alan Cumming, 60, said Ramadan's award-winning The Foghorn Echoes was a 'sweeping, mesmerising story that spans time and mortal space so expertly and elegantly'. He added: 'There's a quote that I just love in it. A ghost says this, 'Treat your thoughts like hurt children, they haven't yet learned how to handle pain'. I think that's beautiful, and I think it's very wise.' Other famous faces who have recommended a book for the exhibition include novelist and broadcaster Damian Barr and former Chelsea and Scotland footballer turned pundit and writer, Pat Nevin. Damian Barr said the Tales of the City series by Armistead Maupin had 'helped liberate teenage gay me'. And Pat Nevin said Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin 'could be the perfect novel'. Amina Shah, the National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library of Scotland, said the 'book that shaped her' was Midnight's Children, the second novel by Salman Rushdie, published in 1981. She said: 'I read this as a teenager. It was the first book I read that used magical realism and also the first to cover Partition which impacted my family but I knew little about. 'I also read it right before the fatwa on Rushdie and it brought home to me the power of literature and the value of freedom of expression.' Opened in 1925, the National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland. It holds over 24 million items including books, annotated manuscripts and first-drafts, postcards, photographs and newspapers. The library is also home to Scotland's Moving Image Archive, including over 46,000 videos and films. The National Library of Scotland announced plans to mark its 100th birthday. Pic caption: National Librarian Amina Shah (centre) was joined by authors and Centenary Champions Damian Barr and Val McDermid at the unveiling of the National Library Centenary Programme. PHOTO Neil Hanna Like this: Like Related
Boston Globe
27-02-2025
- Boston Globe
Olivia Goosman on Chex Mix, sleeping on planes, and moving-in-day chaos for Boston college students
Advertisement That would be a tour of Asia. Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea seem like highlights, but my dream trip would be to see it all. I haven't been to Asia, but I have heard nothing but good things. My brother just went backpacking all over Southeast Asia and he said it had the most gorgeous views he had ever seen, and, in general, the food is some of the best ever, so I know I'd love that. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own? Advertisement I prefer to do it myself. I feel like you save money that way, and also you can plan more to what you know you want to do and not get stuck into too many touristy things. Thoughts on an 'unplugged' vacation? I love the idea of an unplugged vacation, but I've never tried it. It seems a bit unrealistic nowadays, but when I am on vacation, since I am distracted, I naturally use my phone a lot less, which feels nice. What has been your worst vacation experience? I haven't had any horrible vacation experiences that stand out. But a travel one I have is when I moved to Boston. In Boston, it is law that your lease begins on Sept. 1 and ends on Aug. 31. So, this means that for the entire student population, there are about 12 hours when everyone is homeless with all their belongings in a U-Haul. This also means that on those two days, all of the streets are filled with kids and their parents — who usually are not Boston natives — trying to drive around the city with couches hanging out of their trunks and dressers out the windows. Many people get stuck under bridges or get into accidents, and even more people get parking tickets. It is quite literally the most chaos I've ever seen. What is your favorite childhood travel memory? Advertisement My mom had to travel a lot for her job when I was a kid, so I got to go to a lot of very cool places at a very young age. She worked in Australia for a while and that was such a fun vacation. We went all over, but spent a lot of time in the Gold Coast area. I loved going to the Australia Zoo, I did a ropes and zip lining course over some of the animal enclosures, which was super fun. Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all? I think it depends on the vacation. I try to do a bit of all three everywhere I go. While on tour, it's been really fun to explore the cities. I haven't been to many of the cities we are going to and it has been very fun so far trying the best food spots, going to the museums, and just this week a group of us went to an NBA game in Cleveland. What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation? I am currently reading 'The Edible Woman' by Margaret Atwood. I'm only on the third chapter, so I can't tell you how great it is yet; but so far, it's been entertaining. I also love reading plays. I have a few in my trunk packed for this trip and am excited to read those. If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be? The first person who came to mind was Kim Kardashian, mainly because she has a private plane and seems to travel in luxury. I'd love to know what that is like as the best seat I've ever had is Delta Comfort Plus. Advertisement What is the best gift to give a traveler? Just before the tour started my parents got me the Béis Weekend Travel Bag and it is awesome. It fits everything and more, and it's a perfect carry-on that holds all you would need for a weekend trip, or, like me, you can use it for all the things that don't quite fit into the suitcase. It also has a compartment where you can put all your shoes, which is super convenient for keeping things clean and organized. I also think every traveler needs a good jewelry case. It's something you don't always think about, but having a place for your jewelry so it doesn't get tangled or lost is an absolute necessity. What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip? Recently my go-to snack has been Chex Mix. And for something sweet, Sour Punch Bites. I also love to go to Dunkin' and get the everything bagel minis. What is the coolest souvenir you've picked up on a vacation? I can't think of souvenirs that stand out at the moment, but I'm doing something cool for this tour: I got a new water bottle at the start of the process, and in every city, I'm adding a new sticker so by the end I'll have a little piece of every city to look back on. It's looking super cute with the few I have so far. What is your favorite app/website for travel? I don't use too many apps when traveling, but I have been using Beli, which is an app to rate restaurants. Advertisement What has travel taught you? I don't quite know how, but travel has taught me the art of sleeping anywhere at any time. On most flights, I will fall asleep before the plane takes off and wake up to the landing. It's pretty awesome. What is your best travel tip? Go with the flow. Don't stress yourself out too much — and enjoy the airport. Try not to get too caught up in sticking to a plan for the week and take it day by day to do whatever you're in the mood for that day. If something really cool comes up, take that opportunity. You never know when you'll be back in the same place. Juliet Pennington can be reached at
