Secret Book Swap | No. 10 - Currie November 2025
Books We Swapped:
Jack in the Box – Angela C. Nurse
When a woman discovers a gruesome secret in her new home, she’s pulled into a small-town mystery laced with danger and long-buried truths. A gripping British psychological thriller full of dark secrets, twisted motives and suspense that keeps you guessing.The Island of Missing Trees – Elif Shafak
A tender, lyrical story of love and belonging set across generations and geographies. At its heart is a forbidden romance in war-torn Cyprus and the fig tree that silently witnesses it all. Shafak weaves magic, memory and migration into a powerful tale of roots, grief and the longing to connect.Scorched – Jennifer L. Armentrout
A steamy, emotional romance about second chances, forgiveness, and healing. Andrea and Tanner have a complicated past, but as they find themselves thrown back together, old wounds and fiery chemistry surface. This is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful read about facing your demons and finding love on the other side.Orbital – Samantha Harvey
Six astronauts on a space station orbiting Earth reflect on their lives, planet and purpose in this contemplative, poetic novel. Set over the course of a single day, it’s a moving meditation on time, fragility, and what it means to be human.Magpie – Elizabeth Day
A sharp, unsettling psychological thriller about obsession, envy and the desire to belong. When Marisa moves in with her partner, their life seems perfect—until Kate, his ex, moves in too. Secrets unravel as perspectives shift. Stylish, tense, and deeply disquieting.Graffiti Girls – Elissa Soave
Teenage girls on a Scottish housing estate form an unlikely friendship in this raw, compassionate debut. As their lives spiral through grief, neglect and unexpected hope, the novel explores youth, class, and finding your voice in a world that wants you quiet.One Day in December – Josie Silver
A festive, feel-good love story that begins with a chance encounter from a bus window and spans years of missed chances, tangled feelings and enduring friendship. Full of warmth, heartache and holiday spirit, this is a romantic tale with a sliding doors twist.Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng
In Shaker Heights, appearances are everything—but when artist Mia and her daughter Pearl arrive, they ignite tensions beneath the town’s polished surface. A powerful, character-driven novel exploring race, privilege, motherhood and what it means to truly belong.If Only You Knew – Lulu
A candid and heartfelt memoir by British icon Lulu, reflecting on fame, family, and the strength behind her music career. With honesty and humour, she shares the highs, lows and life lessons of a woman who has reinvented herself more than once.The Bees – Laline Paull
In this imaginative dystopia, the hive is the world and Flora 717 is a lowly sanitation bee who dares to question her fate. A gripping, high-stakes drama set entirely inside a beehive, it’s a tale of rebellion, sacrifice and the power of individuality.The Lesser Bohemians – Eimear McBride
A raw, sensual coming-of-age story told in McBride’s distinctively fractured style. An Irish drama student falls for an older actor in 1990s London. Their intense relationship explores trauma, desire and healing in prose that crackles with urgency.Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm – Jeremy Clarkson
The motormouth takes on farming—with predictably chaotic results. Hilarious, self-deprecating and surprisingly informative, this collection of columns from Clarkson’s farming year offers insight into rural life and the struggles of turning a profit from the land.
Our Guest , Rupa Mahadevan
Rupa Mahadevan is an acclaimed author of psychological thrillers. Her debut novel won the Joffe Books Prize in 2024 and is was published in September 2025.
She grew up on the south-eastern coast of India and has lived on the south-eastern coast of Scotland for over 15 years.
She now resides in Edinburgh with her husband and two children. When she isn’t working on Excel in her day job, she enjoys reading and imagining her own stories.
NINE DOLLS is an award-winning Psychological thriller set in the Scottish highlands. If you like Lucy Foley or Lisa Jewel, you'd love this.
When a group of friends reunite to celebrate the Hindu Dolls festival in a Scottish manor in Oban, they're hit by more than just the storm. The dolls move, and secrets are revealed. But which secret is worthy of killing to keep? The countdown begins, and in this game, no one is safe.
Banned Book Reading
It’s Christmas, David, David Shannon
This month we talked about what happens when disagreement shifts into intimidation.
Earlier this autumn, The Bookseller reported a rise in hostile behaviour towards UK bookshops, with a Booksellers Association survey showing that more than half had experienced it this year. Nearly half of those said it was triggered by the titles they stocked, and others said it stemmed from perceived political views or even their window displays.
The story felt particularly close to home because The Bookseller spoke with Marie Moser, owner of The Edinburgh Bookshop. Marie said she tries to stock widely, even when a book isn’t for her personally:
“Sometimes I can look at a book and think I personally would not be reading that, but I know I’ve got up to 20 customers who are going to want that. And that is the catch for me about being in a community that has broad tastes.”
She also shared that the pressure now comes from both sides. One book shown in the window had led to accusations of being anti-trans, even though the window had featured books by trans authors just the week before.
One of the books caught up in this is The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht, a collection of 30 essays with the subtitle “Voices from the Frontline of Scotland's Battle for Women's Rights” but described by it’s critics as a book of “ privileged white women's anti-trans hate”
We talked about how Marie’s experience raises difficult questions. No one should face intimidation at work, but it is still possible for a book to cause real harm. It led us to reflect on the fact that at the root of all book bans is almost always someone saying: “This shouldn’t be out there because I disagree with it.” But what happens when the book is one you disagree with? Or one that feels discriminatory? Or one that contributes to real harm? How do we protect people without silencing ideas. These aren’t simple questions, but they matter.
After that discussion, we closed the evening with something gentler for our banned book reading: It’s Christmas, David! This silly, warm picture book has been challenged in the U.S. and banned in three counties in Tennessee for reasons like “encouraging disobedience,” “nudity,” and “inappropriate behaviour.”
You can preview the book online using the link below and watch out for that bare bum running up the road on page 13!
Join us at future secret book swaps: