Spirals in Time

Seashells come from living things, you know. We know the shells, but not always the inhabitants. Note that the animals themselves are pictured in the beautiful cover of Helen Scales’ “Spirals in Time”. This may pull you into the book, but her gift for writing is just as pleasing. In every natural history told in this book, there is just as much about the original organism as there is the human relation. Black and white illustrations add another very nice touch, but the writing is so lucid that a mental image is already easily formed. Having read Anthony Doerr's “All the Light We Cannot See” and “The Shell Collector” I had some appreciation for seashells outside my preexisting fascination with biodiversity, but now  I will observe them with a new, broader perspective. And if John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts couldn’t explain to others why they were studying these creatures, Helen Scales sparks curiosity. She explains why, in addition to being cool and interesting, such research has bigger implications, and how it relates to humans.

Where the Bird Sings Best

“Weird” might be my choice if I had to describe Alejandro Jodorowsky’s “Where the Bird Sings Best” in one word. That was my biggest impression, but there are so many dimensions to this “autobiographical novel” that make it unique and at the same time another masterpiece of Latin American literature. I will warn readers that there are many disturbing scenes, but from what I gather, those familiar with Jodorowsky’s other work will find this to share many of his trademark elements. In fact, his family history, through a curtain of fiction, helps explain where he comes from and why he is the way he is.