AiB Book Blether – first Wednesday of each month, 7pm, in the bookshop

An informal gathering at the bookshop, where all are welcome to chat about our experiences of a particular book and swap recommendations for others. Promise, no exam questions, just friendly blether over a cup of tea.

We’ll be reading and blethering about the following books over the next few months:

• 7th August: Astronomer in Lover by Antoine Laurain
• 4th September: Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

We have copies of these books in the bookshop or click on the titles to order from our Bookshop.org page.

Some of our previous books have included: A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson; O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker, A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery, The Five:the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold, The Bookseller of Inverness by SG Maclean, Paper Cup by Karen Campbell and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

Our most recent blethers have been about Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes, Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn and the Wager by David Grann. Fascinating reads for very different reasons. Needless to say, not everyone liked all of them, but they all lent themselves to lively discussion.

We also source books for other bookclubs and have hosted bookclub gatherings. If you would like to meet in the bookshop, just get in touch.

BOOKMARK 2024 Festival Ticket Launch, 3rd August –

St Catharine’s Community Centre, Blairgowrie

On 3rd August 2024, author Olga Wojas will be telling us about her newest book: Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Gondola of Doom. It is a fabulous fun read: we can be sure Shona (aka Miss Blaine’s Prefect) will once again save the day, but which day will she save and to what ends is something of a mystery, not least to Shona herself!

Gail Wylie, chair of BOOKMARK, will also be giving details of the festival line up, and tickets will be going on sale for individual events, day passes and weekend passes.

Keep an eye on BOOKMARK’s website for details of other author events happening through the year.

Nature Journeys of Discovery with Keith Broomfield –

28th August at 7pm, in Adventure into Books

We’re delighted to welcome Keith Broomfield to the bookshop.

Keith’s books describe his journeys through nature, expanding out from the River Devon in If Rivers Could Sing, to A Scottish Wildlife Odyssey and Wild Quest Britain

Through his books we get to explore the wonderful diversity of nature’s remarkable flora and fauna – including surprises on our own doorstep.

Tickets (£5) are available from the bookshop and can be redeemed against the cost of a book bought on the night.

We Are Migrant: an evening with poet Jim Mackintosh – 13th September, 7pm

Join us for an evening with local favourite Jim Mackintosh as he guides us through his new volume of poetry, We Are Migrant, which is published in May.

The series of poems examines the constant shift of humanity across the generations – some forced by the need to find work, some by the clearance of land, some fleeing unrelenting persecution .

In a change from our usual venue, the evening will be held in St. Catharine’s Hall, Blairgowrie.

Tickets (£5) are available from the bookshop.

BOOKMARK Festival: 5-6 October 2024

We had a tremendous first day at the BOOKMARK festival in October 2023; and fell victim to the floods on the second day! Good news is, many of the fabulous line up of authors who had been due to appear that day, will be with us in October 2024. The full line up will be announced in August.

Some of our recent favourite AiB events

A big thank you to everyone who helped us to put them on and came to join in the fun.

In June this year, we welcomed Pauline Tait for an entertaining evening exploring her romantic suspense novels: A Life of Their Own, Abigail Returns and Anna’s Promise. Pauline’s reading of Anna’s scare at Brother’s Point in North-East Skye had us all leaning forward on our seats. Just get in touch if you would like to order one of Pauline’s books – we’re eagerly waiting for the next Skye adventure!

Author Mark Bridgeman returned in September last year with a new trial for the jury to consider. Did we guess theverdict and get it right this time? Hum. Some of us did but all of my watching of CSI clearly hasn’t improved my forensic abilities! To read more of Mark’s fascinating tales, take a look at Perthshire’s Pound of Flesh.

In August we welcomed Iain Maloney, who acted as our guide to the Victorian-built lighthouses of Japan and his own quest to visit as many of them as he could. Part travel memoir, part history, Iain’s book, The Japan Lights, took us to isolated regions of rural Japan, uncovering and exploring tales from the past and present day.

As well as greatly enjoying Iain’s new book, I loved his first book, the critically acclaimed memoir The Only Gaijin in the Village.

In April 2023, we welcomed Merryn Glover to talk about her new non-fiction book: The Hidden Fires. The book brings together the author’s fine writing and fresh perspective, and the inspiration of Nan Shepherd’s classic The Living Mountain, which became a companion for Merryn’s exploration of this ancient and astonishing mountain range. Fortunately for me, both books prove you don’t have to be a climber, mountaineer or even much of a walker to enjoy a day out in the hills.

Over the past year, we’ve also loved hosting some of our local, award-winning children’s authors: David MacPhail (of Thorfinn and Velda fame), Pauline Tait (Fairy in the Kettle) and Molly Arbuthnott (tales of Oscar the Cat and other animals). We’ve also welcomed the Newhill Primary School Reading Club: they loved browsing the books (particularly the joke books); and we loved getting their recommendations. Win, win!