Spring has properly arrived at 57 Glassford Street — and so have some very good books. Here’s a look at what’s just landed on our shelves in the past month: five titles we’re excited about, for five different kinds of reader.
Click on the book titles to see more.
He’s the Devil by Tobi Coventry
Debut novel
a gloriously unsettling horror debut that deserves a spot at the top of your reading list. If you’ve ever endured a nightmare flatmate, this wickedly funny and deeply creepy novel will feel disturbingly relatable. When buttoned-up, people-pleasing Simon gains a new housemate — the enigmatic and oddly magnetic Massimo — strange things begin to creep in: disturbing sounds, eerie smells, and dark, tantalising dreams that start to unravel Simon’s carefully controlled life.
It’s a claustrophobic slow-burn that blends horror with dark humour, exploring how the arrival of one chaotic stranger can awaken something terrifying (and thrilling) within us. We were lucky enough to have the Glasgow book launch for He’s The Devil we we have it available as a signed hardback edition for £16.99.
→ A must for fans of literary horror with a sharp sardonic edge.
When the Cranes Fly South — Lisa Rizdén
Translated from Swedish by Alice Menzies — Swedish Book of the Year 2024
Winner of the Swedish Book of the Year in 2024, this quietly devastating novel follows an elderly man trying to bridge the distance with his estranged son before it’s too late. Lisa Rizdén writes with real precision and tenderness about the things we leave unsaid, and Alice Menzies’ translation does full justice to the original. One of the best things we’ve read recently.
→ Perfect for: readers of Hanya Yanagihara, literary fiction lovers, fans of Scandinavian writing
“This is not just a story about a man and his dog; it’s a story of family, of relationships tested by time and distance, and the effort to find peace within the limits of one’s existence“
Strange Houses — Uketsu
Translated from Japanese by Jim Rion — author of Strange Pictures
The floor plans of a house in suburban Tokyo reveal a dead space — a room that shouldn’t exist. If that sentence didn’t make you immediately want to read on, this might not be the book for you. For everyone else: Uketsu is the Japanese mystery sensation behind Strange Pictures, and this follow-up is even more unsettling, even more original. One of the most talked-about thrillers of the past year.
→ Perfect for: thriller readers, fans of Japanese fiction, anyone who loved Strange Pictures
Slags — Emma Jane Unsworth
Author of Adults and Animals
Described by the Irish Times as “deeply wise and hilarious”, Emma Jane Unsworth’s third novel follows two sisters on a whisky-fuelled campervan trip across Scotland, reckoning with decades of shared history. We love this one not just because part of it unfolds in our own backyard, but because it gets the messy, funny, devastating nature of sisterhood exactly right.
→ Perfect for: fans of literary fiction, anyone with a sister, readers who loved Adults
Witches: A King’s Obsession — Steven Veerapen
Glasgow-raised author — published by Birlinn
From Glasgow-raised author Steven Veerapen comes this meticulously researched history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in Scotland and Britain — from the mass trials under King James VI to the dying out of the phenomenon in the early eighteenth century. The Scotsman called it “overdue” and gave it an excellent review. We couldn’t agree more.
→ Perfect for: Scottish history enthusiasts, readers of narrative non-fiction, true crime fans
All five are in the shop now and available to order online. Come in and say hello — we’d love to tell you more about any of them.