Past Events

A seasonal treat from global bestselling, award-winning author Jenny Colgan with her new novel ‘The Secret Christmas Library’

After Mirren Sutherland finds a priceless antique book in her great aunt's attic, she is contacted by Jamie McPherson, who is hopeful she might be able to find another one- a book lost in his own house. He doesn't even know the name of it, only that it is so valuable it could potentially save the entire estate from ruin, and time is running out. On arriving at Jamie's vast crumbling home in the highlands of Scotland (on the family train, no less), Mirren meets rival bookseller Theo Palliser, whose motives are not remotely honourable; and sets out on the quest.

As the snow falls in the highlands, cutting off the outside world, the three of them, plus Maggie, the estate manager, do their best to uncover the last hope of the MacPherson clan before the year ends.
Caught between devastatingly attractive and immoral Theo, and the distracted and worried Jamie, will Mirren find the book ... and lose her heart?

08 Oct 2025
The Book Nook is delighted to welcome internationally bestselling, award-winning author Ann Cleeves with her latest crime novel featuring the popular Jimmy Perez.

When a violent storm descends upon Orkney, the body of Archie Stout is left in its wake. An unusual murder weapon, a Neolithic stone bearing ancient inscriptions, is found discarded nearby.
Archie’s death is a shocking blow to the community where Perez, his partner Willow and their young son now live.

Here, in these ancient lands where history runs deep, Perez must discern the truth from legend before a desperate killer strikes again . . .tion goes here

10.09.2025 @ 7.30pm
Stewarton Area Centre, Avenue St, Stewarton KA3 5AP

Step into the world of psychological suspense with Alice Feeney, the Queen of Twists, as she talks about her 7th and latest gripping thriller, Beautiful Ugly.
Fellow thriller writer Emma Christie will be talking to Alice about her bestselling books, topping the New York Times and the Sunday Times charts and her upcoming Netflix adaptation.

We are excited to welcome Nicola Sturgeon for two evenings of engaging conversation and distinctive insights. Nicola will be in discussion with the acclaimed author Andrew O’Hagan, reflecting together on their shared Ayrshire roots and upbringing.

‘Frankly’ is the long-awaited, intimate memoir from Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first female first minister and former leader of the SNP, reflecting on her life and times at the forefront of Scottish and British politics. In this captivating memoir, Nicola Sturgeon takes readers from her working-class roots in Ayrshire to the forefront of Scottish politics as the country’s first female and longest-serving first minister.

Sturgeon offers an insider’s view of key political moments, including the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, the SNP’s rise to power, the Scottish Independence Referendum, the complexities of Brexit and the unforeseen challenges of the Covid pandemic.
With candour and insight, she shares personal achievements and regrets, discusses the challenges of being a woman in a high-stakes political arena and reveals the person behind the public figure. The result is a deeply personal and revealing memoir from one of Britain’s most significant political leaders of recent times.

21.08.2025 @ 7pm
The Book Nook, 6B High Street, Stewarton, KA3 5AA

Join us at this launch event when Douglas Skelton unveils The Ship of Thieves, the much-anticipated fifth thriller in the Jonas Flynt, Company of Rogues series.

We are thrilled to welcome award-winning author Callum McSorley to chat to Douglas. Callum has received great acclaim for his darly comin crimie thrillers ‘Squeaky Clean’ and ‘Paperboy’.

In Ship of Thieves, Jonas Flynt faces his greatest challenge yet—an electrifying encounter with the legendary pirate Blackbeard himself!

Dead thieves tell no tales...Jonas Flynt’s stepmother, Mercy, has been abducted from Edinburgh and carried back to the West Indies by her former owner. Gideon Flynt his father, has followed in hot pursuit, but Cassie, Jonas's first love, knows he is not the man he once was and appeals to Flynt for help. Naturally, he agrees.

Against Colonel Nathaniel Charters’ wishes, he sails for the Caribbean, where he will unwittingly join forces with the most notorious pirate of all time, Blackbeard. But this time he may be out of his depth…

07.07.25
Heart-stopping and heart-rending, this is Liam McIlvanney's best novel yet' - VAL MCDERMID

WHAT COULD BE WORSE THAN YOUR CHILD DISAPPEARING?
Gordon and Sarah Rutherford are normal, happy people with successful, fulfilling lives. They have a son they adore, a house on the beach and a safe, friendly and honest community in a picture-postcard town on the Ayrshire coast.

Until one day, Bonnie the lab comes in from the beach alone. Their son, Rory, has gone - the only trace left behind is a single black Adidas slider. Their lives don't fall apart immediately. While there's still hope (and no body) they dig deep and try to carry on.

When the worst thing has happened and you've lost everything, you either go under or you rebuild and start again.

01.04.25

We were delighted to hold the official launch of the latest novel from Gordon J Brown , a popular and well-known guest author at The Book Nook. Gordon was in conversation about his thrilling and gritty new novel ‘The Cost’ with another Book Nook favourite author - and temporary ‘taxi driver’ for Gordon -Douglas Skelton.

26.03.2025

DSI William Lorimer first meets Meredith St Claire when he is giving a careers talk at his goddaughter's school. The popular and glamorous drama teacher is distraught, begging him to investigate her fiancé's recent disappearance, but with a report already made to the relevant authorities, there's nothing more Lorimer can do. But then a body is discovered on the outskirts of Glasgow.

Guy Richmond was a wealthy and charismatic actor, adored by everyone. Or so it first seems. But as Lorimer and his team are drawn deeper into the peculiar world of professional theatre, they find themselves caught in a web of confidences and rivalry, thwarted dreams and ruthless ambition.
For it seems the finest actors of all are those with the darkest secrets to hide.

21.03.25

Katy Lironi has been singing, writing and recording music for the past 40 years and writing stories for a decade longer. She was lead singer in C86 band The Fizzbombs and Creeping Bent signing, The Secret Goldfis,h throughout the 90s. She is a mum to five almost grown up children and is married to Douglas MacIntyre, a fellow musician.

Choir 21 is a Makaton choir run by Katy Lironi at Downs Syndrome Scotland, made up of a group of young people aged 12+ with Down’s syndrome, who love singing and signing.

05.12.2024

A thrilling evening with multi-award winning, Sunday Times bestselling author Chris Brookmyre introducing his latest novel - The Cracked Mirror. A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.

05.11.2024

A wonderful reunion with Coinneach Macleod, The Hebridean Baker, with his fourth book The Hebridean Baker: The Scottish Cookbook. With tales of island life, encounters with pioneering women, the musical influence of Gaelic across the Atlantic and maritime adventures around lesser-known isles, this is not just a cookbook; it's a cultural expedition.

10.10.2024

Mairi’s series of books about powerful, moving and inspiring stories about women and sisterhood are well-known bestsellers.

Mairi is already receiving critical acclaim for her new book to be published in September, ‘The Specimens’ - meet the women of Burke and Hare in 19th century Edinburgh. It is the first book to be published on the women in the lives of Scotland's most prolific serial killers which sheds a light on the characters of Burke and Hare.

11.09.2024 & 12.09.2024

We were excited to bring you twinned events with Vanda Symon, best-selling crime writer and star of The Traitors New Zealand television show and Craig Robertson as well as Michael Bennettmulti, award-winning indigenous screenwriter, director and author with Alex Sokoloff.

We will also enjoyed New Zealand-themed drinks, nibbles, and treats, so lots of fun!

24.09.2024

With over 10 million sales, Jenny is one of the most successful and prolific authors of feel-good fiction in the UK.

Her internationally bestselling books include almost fifty novels, novellas, short stories and children’s books. She has sold more than four million copies in the UK alone, and ten million copies worldwide. Her books have spent more than thirty weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list.

16.08.2024

Three-time Booker nominee and bestselling author of Mayflies Andrew O'Hagan discussed his magnificent new novel Caledonian Road - an addictive portrait of British society and the story of one man's epic fall from grace.

Described by Monica Ali as 'a brilliant state-of-the-nation novel that pulls down the facades of high society and knocks over the "good liberal" house-of-cards', this is another triumph from one of the foremost chroniclers of our times.

21.05.2024

We were excited and privileged to welcome the critically acclaimed author and climate change expert Paul Hardisty to talk about his climate emergency thrillers ‘The Forcing’ and ‘The Descent’

The Forcing - A cataclysmic, clarion-call literary climate-change thriller by one of the world’s leading environmental scientists

The Descent - this is a searingly authentic origin story, focusing on the events that will lead to the destruction of our world

Canadian Paul Hardisty has spent twenty-five years working all over the world as an environmental scientist and freelance journalist. Paul is a university professor and CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).

24.03.2024

We were really privileged to welcome thrice Sunday Times Bestselling Poet Donna Ashworth to an event at The Book Nook. Donna’s beautiful and relevant poetry has deeply touched many of us. Donna’s newest collection of words ‘WILD HOPE’ flew straight into the Sunday Times bestsellers list when it was released.

Even if you don’t consider yourself as being ‘into poetry’, this was truly an event for all.

Donna’s words are widely shared daily, by her 1.5 million plus followers. Donna’s writing came to spotlight during the lockdown period where she saw her purpose as building a place to find hope, calm and comfort amidst the collective chaos.