44 Scotland Street
Registered by minx2012 on 2/7/2006
8 journalers for this copy...
"Alexander McCall Smith's Scotland Street occupies a busy, bohemian corner of Edinburgh's New Town, where the old haute bourgeoisie finds itself having to rub shoulders with students, poets and portraitists. And number 44 has more than its fair share of the street's eccentrics and failures."
*sigh*
I knew a Bruce once. He too was a rugby nut and pretty sure of his physical allure, but thankfully a little less convinced of his perfection elsewhere. So I really felt for Pat as she struggled with her physical lust for her infuriating flatmate, in the face of her rational dislike for him.
I'm a huge fan of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, so I was interested to see how Alistair McCall Smith would handle his Edinburgh-based version. He doesn't do badly! He even has his own Anna Madrigal watching over everyone, in the form of the wonderful Domenica MacDonald.
So now to find a copy of Espresso Tales...
*sigh*
I knew a Bruce once. He too was a rugby nut and pretty sure of his physical allure, but thankfully a little less convinced of his perfection elsewhere. So I really felt for Pat as she struggled with her physical lust for her infuriating flatmate, in the face of her rational dislike for him.
I'm a huge fan of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, so I was interested to see how Alistair McCall Smith would handle his Edinburgh-based version. He doesn't do badly! He even has his own Anna Madrigal watching over everyone, in the form of the wonderful Domenica MacDonald.
So now to find a copy of Espresso Tales...
Time to give those not fortunate enough to live in 44 Scotland Street a tour of the place, methinks.
I'm limiting this ring to the UK and Ireland.
Please mark your interest on this forum if you're interested, as my PMs are somewhat hit-and-miss at the moment.
I'll add names here as and when people sign up.
Thank you!
1) Weebly
2) KitKat8
3) arturogrande
4) cwoods
5) Inver
6) wubbaducky
7) ...
When you receive the book:
Please make a journal entry to say it's arrived safely, and PM the next member on the list for their postal details.
Please try to read, review and release the book within a month of receiving it, to help keep things moving nicely.
Thank you!
I'm limiting this ring to the UK and Ireland.
Please mark your interest on this forum if you're interested, as my PMs are somewhat hit-and-miss at the moment.
I'll add names here as and when people sign up.
Thank you!
1) Weebly
2) KitKat8
3) arturogrande
4) cwoods
5) Inver
6) wubbaducky
7) ...
When you receive the book:
Please make a journal entry to say it's arrived safely, and PM the next member on the list for their postal details.
Please try to read, review and release the book within a month of receiving it, to help keep things moving nicely.
Thank you!
Arrived today - many thanks - and the envelope is already on the way to France containing Terry Pratchett books before I even made the journal!
Thanks Minxy - this book is next TBR.
Thanks Minxy - this book is next TBR.
This book took much longer to read than I expected it to. I am normally a book a week girl - but I think as it has such short chapters I kept putting it down sooner than I would normally have done. Also I had thought that some of the turns of phrase AMS used in the No1 Detective agency were because the book and characters were in Botswana - but I almost felt Mme Ramotswe was alive and well in 44 Scotland Street with some of the dialogue going on.
The book had interesting characters - a few too many for me to follow all the time - and a few bits I skipped a bit - like the Conservative Ball - I know the whole point was the guy is boring - but I got bored too! I am glad I read it though and thanks to Minxy for sharing. It should be posted to KitKat8 soon who can enjoy the break of reading it (groan).
Release #10 in the Keep Them Moving challenge.
The book had interesting characters - a few too many for me to follow all the time - and a few bits I skipped a bit - like the Conservative Ball - I know the whole point was the guy is boring - but I got bored too! I am glad I read it though and thanks to Minxy for sharing. It should be posted to KitKat8 soon who can enjoy the break of reading it (groan).
Release #10 in the Keep Them Moving challenge.
Journal Entry 5 by riverwillow from Beckenham, Greater London United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 5, 2006
This arrived in the post this morning, thank you. I have two other rings ahead of this one (and an essay due in the next week), but am really looking forward to reading this so it may sneak in early at some point.
Journal Entry 6 by riverwillow from Beckenham, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, April 14, 2006
I am a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith and this book did not disappoint. I will be honest and say that I approached reading this with some trepidation as I wasn't sure how the episodic nature of the writing would affect my reading, and it didn't. I particularly liked the epsiode around the portrait of the the Moderator of the Wee Free Reformed Presbyterian Church (Discontinued). I will be looking out for the next installment in the series. Thank you minx2012 for allowing me the opportunity to read this.
Have PM'd for the address for arturogrande, so will be passing this on soon.
Have PM'd for the address for arturogrande, so will be passing this on soon.
Journal Entry 7 by riverwillow from Beckenham, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, April 24, 2006
Put in the post to arturogrande today, with apologies for the delay, life just got in the way.
Journal Entry 8 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, April 27, 2006
Arrived safe and sound - thanks very much.
I've got a couple of ring books ahead of it, but I'm really looking forward to this one, so it shouldn't take me too long to get to it.
I've got a couple of ring books ahead of it, but I'm really looking forward to this one, so it shouldn't take me too long to get to it.
Journal Entry 9 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, June 10, 2006
I'm really out of step with everyone else who has read this ahead of me, but I really didn't like it at all.
The writing was very simple, the characters were sketched rather than developed and the situations they found themselves in were a tad unbelievable.
I too am a huge fan of Maupin's work, but I thought that this didn't even come close to be worth mentioning in the same breath as his work.
Domenica McDonald was supposed to be an Anna Madrigal character, but I found her terribly pretentious and censorious.
And as for some of the old-fashioned attitudes on display in the book, it was only references to mobile phones and the Scottish Executive that made me realise I was reading something set in the present day rather than 50 years ago.
I'm now sending it on to cwoods - I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
That said, thanks very much, minx2012 for starting the ring.
The writing was very simple, the characters were sketched rather than developed and the situations they found themselves in were a tad unbelievable.
I too am a huge fan of Maupin's work, but I thought that this didn't even come close to be worth mentioning in the same breath as his work.
Domenica McDonald was supposed to be an Anna Madrigal character, but I found her terribly pretentious and censorious.
And as for some of the old-fashioned attitudes on display in the book, it was only references to mobile phones and the Scottish Executive that made me realise I was reading something set in the present day rather than 50 years ago.
I'm now sending it on to cwoods - I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
That said, thanks very much, minx2012 for starting the ring.
Received in the mail this morning - will get to it very soon.
Thanks to arturogrande for passing it on and also to minx2012 for making it available as a ring.
Thanks to arturogrande for passing it on and also to minx2012 for making it available as a ring.
I really enjoyed this book, much more than his "2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom" and "The Sunday Philosophy Club". Part of this enjoyment, I think, came from admiration at the skill required to write in such a way that would be accessible as a newspaper serialisation and yet still have a good narrative flow.
Have PM'ed Inver for their details and will get it on its way soon.
Have PM'ed Inver for their details and will get it on its way soon.
Journal Entry 12 by rem_ZET-734626 at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, June 22, 2006
Released 17 yrs ago (6/23/2006 UTC) at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Sending to Inver - enjoy!
Sending to Inver - enjoy!
It arrived safe and sound today. I haven't actually read any of his books and the fact that I sort of know Edinburgh will make it quite interesting I think. Am reading another bookring at the moment so may be a week or two before I get to this one. Will try to get it moving ASAP though.
Oops...sorry didn't realise that I wasn't signed it...that is me above this post....lol. Started reading 1/7/06. Will try to pass it on ASAP but am reading two bookrings at the moment!!
Nearly half way through it (10/7/06). Sorry to say I have gotten bored with this book, only thing that was of interest was the referal to 'Braid Hills Hotel' I worked there years ago as a receptionist!!!! I did like the description of the 'Morningside ladies' though in the charity shop.
Kept on with the book, but was skimming it a bit. Wasn't holding my interest. I have finished it today 14/7/06.
Waiting for addy from Wubbaducky to send it on its way.
Nearly half way through it (10/7/06). Sorry to say I have gotten bored with this book, only thing that was of interest was the referal to 'Braid Hills Hotel' I worked there years ago as a receptionist!!!! I did like the description of the 'Morningside ladies' though in the charity shop.
Kept on with the book, but was skimming it a bit. Wasn't holding my interest. I have finished it today 14/7/06.
Waiting for addy from Wubbaducky to send it on its way.
Journal Entry 15 by Inver at Controlled Release in -- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Monday, July 17, 2006
Released 17 yrs ago (7/17/2006 UTC) at Controlled Release in -- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Eventually posted to Wubbaducky...sorry for the delay due to not receiving addy via PM.
Eventually posted to Wubbaducky...sorry for the delay due to not receiving addy via PM.
Journal Entry 16 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Got back from my graduation today to find not one but two bookring books lying on my doorstep - what a nice surprise! I shall get cracking as soon as possible! Thank you!
Journal Entry 17 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Saturday, July 22, 2006
I was tickled by the idea of a novel being serialised in a newspaper again, having done The 19th Century Novel as one of my degree modules and learned about the importance of the serialised novel. I was amazed at how well Alexander McCall Smith managed to handle the challenge of breaking the novel up into so many small chunks along with the necessity of having something happen every few pages in line with the serialisiation. Although the characters were roughly drawn, it was difficult not to get an immediate picture in your head about them and you automatically fleshed them out. I was utterly captured by the adventures of the Peploe? and was surprised and pleased about how that little affair ended. I've not read anything by this author before but I enjoyed his engaging style and would happily read more from him in the future. Thanks minx2012 for sharing this lovely book. I'm just waiting for your address to post it back to you...
Journal Entry 18 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Right, this book will continue its travels in another ray:
Yinny - Netherlands (EU)
Elina - Finland (EU)
Niksu - Finland (EU)
Quizgirl - UK (Intl)
CarolineCajun - US (?)
Tiatia - US (US)
Aunt-sophie - Canada (Intl)
Bookworm-BNE - Australia (Oz)
Kalasue - Australia (Oz)
Froggirlwendy - Australia (Oz/Intl)
Please journal the book when you receive it, try and read it in a month if you can, two at a push but if things are really crazy (and we all know that life gets crazy!) just pm me and the next person in the ray to let us know there's going to be a bit of a delay).
As you near the end of the book, please pm the next person for their address. I hope you all enjoy the book and thanks to minx2012 for sharing it in the first place.
Yinny - Netherlands (EU)
Elina - Finland (EU)
Niksu - Finland (EU)
Quizgirl - UK (Intl)
CarolineCajun - US (?)
Tiatia - US (US)
Aunt-sophie - Canada (Intl)
Bookworm-BNE - Australia (Oz)
Kalasue - Australia (Oz)
Froggirlwendy - Australia (Oz/Intl)
Please journal the book when you receive it, try and read it in a month if you can, two at a push but if things are really crazy (and we all know that life gets crazy!) just pm me and the next person in the ray to let us know there's going to be a bit of a delay).
As you near the end of the book, please pm the next person for their address. I hope you all enjoy the book and thanks to minx2012 for sharing it in the first place.
Journal Entry 19 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Tuesday, August 8, 2006
Posting out to Yinny on 9th August - enjoy!
Journal Entry 20 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Friday, September 8, 2006
Yinny never received the book so I have got hold of another copy and have registered it so that the bookray can continue anyway. Its journal entries can be found at http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4403377
