Secret Book Swap | No. 14 - North Berwick September 2026
Books we swapped:
Echoes on a Fractal Line – Lee-Anne McAulay
Moving between the present day and the 1715 Jacobite uprising, the lives of four women become connected across time. Set against the landscape of central Scotland, this historical mystery explores survival, memory and the enduring echoes of the past. Atmospheric and emotional, it is a story of strong women, secrets and history refusing to stay buried.
When Saffyre Maddox disappears, suspicion falls on Owen Pick, an isolated man already struggling to find his place in the world. As several lives become increasingly entangled, assumptions and secrets begin to unravel. Dark, tense and sharply observed, this psychological thriller asks whether we always recognise danger when it is right in front of us.
When Glaswegian painter and decorator Jimmy McKenna unexpectedly embraces Buddhism, his wife and daughter struggle to understand the changes transforming their family. Told with warmth, humour and humanity, this Scottish novel explores faith, family and one man's search for a more meaningful life and what happens when personal change affects everyone around you.
Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect world where everything is carefully controlled and painful memories have been erased. But when he is chosen for a unique role within his community, he begins to discover the unsettling truths hidden beneath its orderly surface. This powerful dystopian classic explores memory, freedom, choice and what it means to be truly human.
Victorian Psycho – Virginia Feito
Winifred Notty arrives at a remote Victorian manor to become governess to the children of the wealthy Pounds family. But behind her determination to appear respectable lie increasingly disturbing thoughts and violent compulsions. Darkly funny, gruesome and gothic, this unsettling novel follows a woman whose carefully controlled exterior hides something far more dangerous.
Tall Tales & Wee Stories – Billy Connolly
This collection brings together some of Billy Connolly's best-loved stories and most memorable comedy routines. Full of the humour, energy and unmistakable storytelling that made him one of Britain's most beloved comedians, it celebrates a remarkable career built on finding the funny, absurd and unforgettable moments in everyday life.
Micro-Habits – Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes
Drawing on conversations with hundreds of high performers, this practical guide explores how small, repeatable changes can lead to significant results. Packed with accessible tools and ideas, it challenges the belief that success depends solely on talent and instead focuses on the everyday habits that can help us perform at our best.
This remarkable true story follows Mary Eleanor Bowes, one of eighteenth-century Britain's richest heiresses, and her disastrous marriage to the fortune-hunting Andrew Robinson Stoney. Subjected to deception, cruelty and control, Mary eventually fought to reclaim her freedom. A gripping work of history, it reveals a shocking story of survival, scandal and resistance.
Ryland Grace wakes alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he has been sent millions of miles from Earth. As his memories slowly return, he discovers that humanity's survival depends on solving an extraordinary scientific mystery. Clever, funny and fast-paced, this is an exhilarating story of science, survival and unexpected friendship.
Notes from a Physicist Lost in Time and Space – Erica Manwaring
Physicist Alison Howden has devoted her life to understanding the fundamental rules of the universe. Then Jack arrives and reveals that her theories about multiple universes are true — and that he needs her help to save his own world. Blending science fiction, adventure and romance, this is a story about promises, possibilities and taking a leap into the unknown.
Guest writer, Lyndsey Croal
Lyndsey is a Scottish author of strange and speculative fiction published in 100+ magazines and anthologies, including Best of British Science Fiction, and Mslexia’s Best Women’s Short Fiction.
She’s a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awardee, Shirley Jackson Award and four-times British Fantasy Award Finalist, and former Hawthornden Fellow. Her longer works include Limelight and Other Stories, Dark Crescent and In This City, Where it Rains.
Her writing is influenced by her professional background in climate and nature policy as well as her experience growing up in remote places. Lyndsey offers a distinctly Scottish voice and an unpredictable take on modern gangland fiction while building a tense and atmospheric world across the series.
Dark Crescent
Dark Crescent is a collection of seasonal tales inspired by Scottish folklore, landscapes, superstitions, and omens. In this book, readers will find reinterpretations of common folklore creatures and phenomenon, like the Kelpie, Selkie, and Will-o'-the-Wisps, as well as lesser known, such as the Sea Mither, Ceasg, Marool, Sluagh, Ghillie Dhu, Nuckelavee, Baobhan Sith, and The Frittening, all with dark and strange lore around them.
Moving through the seasons, from a darker Autumn and Winter to a more optimistic Summer, the often-interconnected stories cover a wide range of genres, including gothic, weird horror, speculative, dark fantasy, and solarpunk. Many of the tales are also inspired by nature, climate, and the environment, with feminist and eco themes throughout.
Banned Book Reading
Both our game and talk this month were inspired by the woman behind the Imagination Library, Dolly Parton.
We took a look at the incredible legacy of Dolly’s Imagination Library, which began in 1995 in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, with one simple idea: give children books.
Today, the programme sends a free, age-appropriate book to registered children every month, from birth until their fifth birthday, helping to put millions of books into the hands of children in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland and Australia.
We talked about why the Imagination Library is about more than simply teaching children to read. Dolly’s aim was to inspire a love of reading, creating those exciting moments when a book arrives wrapped up and addressed for that individual child.
And to paraphrase Dolly herself :
“The seeds of dreams are often found in books.”
We also explored how the programme works, from the carefully selected books and local community partners who make it possible, to the resources available to help parents and carers make reading together part of everyday life.
And, because at this point in the evening we usually talk about banned and restricted books, we also highlighted some of the titles that have been included in their lists which have faced challenges and bans elsewhere.
Finally we reminded ourselves, that every time we pass on a book we love, we too are giving someone else the chance to discover a new story, a new idea, or perhaps even a book that stays with them forever and that felt pretty magical.
Join us at future secret book swaps: