GRANDMA GETS READING No 2

Here are more books that Ishie has passed my way.  She is 12 years old and has an astonishing reading appetite!

[Source is https://www.goodreads.com]

[Source is http://www.betterreading.com.au

* * * * *  AND THESE ONES I CHOSE MYSELF * * * * * 

I heard this lady speak when were in Orkney.  This is the story of her life; she was brought up in a closed Christian sect in the UK.

As the cover says it is a "powerful exploration of the fault-lines between faith and doubt, duty and love."

I found it so refreshing to read a story which was well written.; it reminded me of Jeanette Winterston.

Lastly for that feel-good factor I never tire of Alexander McCall Smith. His characters are always dealing with topics to do with 'virtue' ... to be exact:

"...[ being a] trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards. Doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong." [Wikipedia]

I feel this is certainly a Lost Art!  This book is more about the comings and goings of the Edinburgh characters with not too much development on this Lost Art of Gratitude... but an enjoyable, easy read for all that.

And lastly: His book 44 Scotland Street is a Classic in our household.  Auntie Iseabail (who died nearly 2 years ago) lived in Scotland Street in Edinburgh's New Town (i.e. Georgian, being 200 years old).  

The stories in this book started as a serial in The Scotsman, starting 26 January 2004, every weekday, for six months. The book retains the 109 short chapters of the original and is the first book in the series. The series has 12 books, as of Dec 2017.

The stories revolve around the comings and goings at No. 44 Scotland Street, a fictitious building in the street.

McCall Smith approached Iseabail some years ago asking if he could include her in his writing. She said that she was Ok with that.   I have tried to find the page but I could not; must be in one of the others in the series.  We have the newspaper page mounted in a frame with the date on it.  Watch this space.