by Jackie LaPlante –
This Strange Eventful History – Claire Messud
Covering three generations of a Franco-Algerian family, the book’s seven episodes depict the trials and joys of daily life. Important events such as World War II and Algerian independence are kept off-stage, mere backdrops to the family history, allowing the seemingly unimportant family dramas to shine. Inspired by her own history, Claire Messud allows the nearly mythical love story of the eldest generation to guide successive ones, always exploring the unintended rootlessness of a colonial existence.
I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine – Daniel J. Levitin
Daniel Levitin, neurologist, cognitive psychologist and musician, seeks to connect emotion with science, advocating the use of music as an adjunct therapy to traditional treatments. Referring to specific conditions such as PTSD, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and childhood cognitive stresses, Levitin suggests that the sensory stimulation of music might stave off disease and ease pain, providing a path to better health. Drawing on his previous studies, Levitin keeps the tone accessible, punctuating each chapter with case-inspired anecdotes.
Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore and Symbolism – Jessica Roux
Birds have long been important references in art and life. They are symbols of, among many things, wisdom (owl), wealth (goose) and confusion (roadrunner). Inspired by an almost pagan sense of the natural world, Jessica Roux profiles over 100 birds using historical references from folklore, mythology and art to explain their specific connotations. As with her previous compendium, “Floriography,” each page is highlighted by a delightful hand-drawn illustration. This beautiful keepsake anthology is whimsical yet informative.
Blue Sisters – Coco Mellors
One year after their sister’s death, the remaining Blue sisters face the effect of her loss on their lives. Separated by geography and their differing relationships with their late sister, the three women, all successes in their own rights, are plagued – by addiction, infidelity, indecision – but mostly by grief. Coco Mellors’ polished, contemporary writing sees the humour, the vulnerability and the power of family love in embracing and surviving grief.
The Black Loch – Peter May
After an eight-year hiatus Peter May has returned Fin Macleod to the blustery harshness of the Isle of Lewis. Having left both the island and the police force nearly a decade ago, Fin is compelled to return when his son, Fionnlagh, becomes a suspect in a recent murder. Episodes and acquaintances from Fin’s youth and references to the landscape (machair, black houses) help to maintain the almost mystical setting of the Lewis series.
Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys – Steve Milton
Are they hockey sweaters or hockey jerseys? From the woolen sweater Hilda Ranscombe of the Canadian champion Preston Rivulettes wore in the 1930s to current technical fibre jerseys, editor Steve Milton curates a collection of treasured museum pieces. Close-up photos of the jerseys are accompanied by fascinating vignettes about the owners and their careers. It is the heavily-used, well-loved state of these jerseys as much as the histories they impart that make this collection a delightful reference.
Q: A Voyage Around the Queen – Craig Brown
This fascinating profile is not a standard dates-and-places biography of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Acknowledging the Queen as one of the most documented people on the planet, Brown plunges into the overlooked: how the corgis were employed as a conversational tactic, why few people who met her remember what she said, and that she was revered even by anti-monarchists. Creative and amusing, Craig Brown’s account of HRH is cheeky yet ever respectful.
