Independent Scottish Bookshop

  Every book chosen by a bookseller.





Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

  Independent Scottish Bookshop





Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
  Free Delivery on orders of £25+

Paper Thistle Book Reviews

At Paper Thistle, we write a review for every book we sell, specialising in Scottish fiction. Each review considers character, writing style, tone, and overall reading experience, offering a thoughtful introduction to what awaits on the page.

Book Review: The Outrun

Wind-bright and clear-eyed, The Outrun traces Amy Liptrot’s recovery on Orkney’s raw edge—addiction, attention, and[...]

Book Review: The Malt Whisky Murders

Peat-smoked, pacey, and satisfyingly twisty, The Malt Whisky Murders uncorks a Highland mystery steeped in[...]

Book Review: Luckenbooth

Fierce, eerie, and gloriously alive, Luckenbooth binds a century of Edinburgh lives to one haunted[...]

Book Review: The Lost Lights of St Kilda

Lyrical and deeply atmospheric, The Lost Lights of St Kilda marries understated romance with a[...]

Book Review: The Loch

Brooding and beautifully atmospheric, The Loch by Fran Dorricott blends small-town secrets with a whisper[...]

Book Review: The King’s Witches

Dark, elegant, and fiercely humane, The King’s Witches follows women navigating paranoia and power as[...]

Book Review: The Instant

Luminous and searching, The Instant by Amy Liptrot explores love, loss, and connection in a[...]

Book Review: I Am An Island

Fierce, poetic, and unflinchingly honest, I Am An Island by Tamsin Calidas is a memoir[...]

Book Review: The Ghost Cat

Quiet, tender, and beautifully observed, The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard drifts between the real[...]

Book Review: The Fair Botanists

Richly atmospheric and beautifully told, The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan blossoms with intrigue, science,[...]