The back blurb:
"Bruce, the intolerably vain and perpetually deluded ex-surveyor, is about to embark on a career as a wine merchant, while his long-suffering flatmate Pat McGregor, set up by matchmaking Domenica Macdonald, finds herself invited to a nudist picnic in Moray Place in the pursuit of true love. Prodigious six-year-old Bertie Pollock wants a boy's life of fishing and rugby, not yoga and pink dungarees, and he plots rebellion against his bossy, crusading mother Irene and his psychotherapist Dr Fairbairn."

Elsewhere, Pat's boss Matthew is bothered about the gold-digger dating his father, and a friendly but eccentric dog finally gets to satisfy one of his deepest desires.

In the introduction to this chapter, McCall Smith explains how he thought there would be no more tales from Scotland Street after he'd finished this set, and indeed the conclusion suggests he was preparing to say goodbye to a good number of the inhabitants for some time. But it also sets up what, for me, is the highlight of the series: Pat's triumph over Bruce. His arrogance and narcissism have scaled new heights - and while he might not know about it yet, he will hopefully take something of a tumble, thanks to a final stroke of mischievous genius on the part of his frustrated flatmate!
As it turns out, there's another volume of tales to come - Love Over Scotland - so it'll be interesting to see how the various remaining characters cope with the change in their fortunes...

What better way to spend an afternoon than with a book and a good drink?
So why not combine the two by signing up to the internation bookring for this novel?

Please mark your interest on this forum if you're interested, as my PMs are still a bit random.

I'll add names here as and when people sign up.
Thank you!

1) Wubbaducky (UK)
2) kitkat8 (UK)
3) Clairemagnolia (UK)
4) wickedlazy (UK)
5) Cross-patch (UK)
6) Zepplin (UK)
7) ...
8) rootmartin (USA, int'l shipping)
9) vainilla79 (Spain, European shipping)
10) ...


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 safe and sound today - many thanks! Can't wait to read this as I really enjoyed 44 Scotland Street.

I took this to Budapest with me and finished it there - so it's already a well-travelled book! :) I enjoyed it but didn't like the memoir bits but I loved the bits with Bertie and Bruce and the nudist picnic was quite amusing too! :) If it wasn't for all the memoir bits, I'd have given it a higher rating but I just didn't get into those bits for some reason. Anyway, I've pmed Kitkat8 for their address and will post it on asap :)

Many thanks for sharing!

Right, Kitkat8 asked to be skipped so this book is now on its way to Clairemagnolia

I received this this morning, thanks wubbaducky. I'm looking forward to a good giggle...

A splendid read, at least as good as the first one. Hurray for Bertie! Will there be a third installment?

All packed and ready to send to Wickedlazy this afternoon.

Safely received and stuck onto the summit of Mount TBR.

And thanks Clairemagnolia for the little extras ;)

This one is slightly slower than the first I think... maybe that's something to do with Ramsey Dunbarton's memoirs ;) And definately YAY for Bertie and Stuart. And Domenica's last dinner party with the wine made me smile.

I'll contact Cross-patch today and send off ASAP.

Thank you, arrived safe and well this morning.

I finished reading last night and caught the post today.

Alexander McCall Smith is very good at telling stories with wry humour and so I loved the Bertie/Stuart bits, the memoirs too because of the way he lets Ramsey Dumbarton say just enough to show up the truth (reminded me of Diary of a Nobody) but I can do without the philosophising - mainly with Pat and Domenica. Love the short chapters as demanded by the regular newspaper article format.
I'm looking forward to the next, and will hunt out my copy of the previous one in the series. A big thank you to minx2012 for sharing your book and to wickedlazy to posting it on to me.

The book has just arrived thank you. I love his African books so I am looking forward to reading one of his Scottish ones, especially as I have spent a bit of time in Edinburgh (I am a Scot living in England.

I really enjoyed this week and I got so into the characters that I want to read another book in the series (if there is one) - I want to know what happened to them!

Posting was delayed due to the Christmas rush. I am posting it to Spain today.

Hello and Happy New Year 2007!
I received it today, and I will read it as soon as possible!
Take care!:)

Again, a pleasure to read another book by this author! It makes me "travel" to Edinburgh mentally and remember the time I spent in that city. Thank you for organising this bookring!
Time to contact the following fellow bookcrosser!

I gave it in person in Antwerpen, Belgium to my friend Eugénia. She should register it one of this days.