Hobby groups in Stirlingshire

A book that really surprised me in 2025! Not at all something I'd usually pick up but the audio book came highly recommended. It's so well narrated and a brilliant story. Coming as a film with lovely Ryan Gosling this year too!

This tells the story of her year living in a tiny hut in the Norwegian arctic: melting snow for water, eating seal meat, and watching the changes in the awe-inspiring landscape.

A novel set in Ukraine that looks at how the war has impacted people in rural communities. The central character is a beekeeper living in the "grey zone" between Russian and Ukrainian lines. He sets out to find a safer place for his bees where there is pollen instead of explosives.

This is a short, beautifully-written historical novel set in early sixteenth century Istanbul (Constantinpole). The Sultan has invited Michelangelo to design a bridge across the Bosphorus, and this tells the tale of his efforts.

This tells the gripping story of a devastating fire that destroyed a town in Northern Alberta (Western Canada). It explains how climate change is contributing to drier forests that have more potential to burn, and of the fire risks created by our urban environment e.g. flammable plastics in the home. A cautionary tale, and useful background to understanding other major fires e.g. in Jan 2025 in Los Angeles.

I know this might sound cliché, but believe me when I tell you, I could NOT put this book down! The amount of times I gasped out loud and felt a chill run down my spine, AMAZING! I would highly recommend.

Psychological thriller.

Typical recommendation, but worth the hype!!

Wonderful if you enjoy character focused books. Follows a mother retelling stories of a memorable summer acting in a play to her daughters.

The build up is everything and the way the characters are written makes it hard not to instantly love them.