> NEW AND NOTABLE
Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: The Early Years, by Michael Posner, Simon and Schuster
“Untold Stories” marks the first of three volumes on Cohen anticipated from this prodigious journalist.
The format is interesting: Posner undertook dozens and dozens of interviews with Cohen’s relations, friends, sometimes even Cohen himself, and quotes them directly — creating a unique oral history, as if they’re in a room together, sharing memories and stories, going right back to his early life in Montreal, and even earlier, to understand the context in which he grew up. They’re linked together with a light narrative voice that gives this biography a very intimate and personal feel.
Do You Feel Like I Do, Peter Frampton with Alan Light, Hachette Books
He was the guy with the hair, the guy who could make a guitar speak the guy who, in1976, released “Frampton Comes Alive!” the album he would forever be associated with. But for music aficionados, he was also a great guitarist who toured with the likes of Stevie Nicks and his childhood friend David Bowie.
This is Frampton’s story, sure, but it’s also a trip back into ’70s and ’80s rock ’n’ roll and a nod to Frampton’s resilience.
Accidentally Wes Anderson, by Wally Koval, Voracious
This is a beautifully strange and wonderful book compiled from photos and entries in a strang e and wonderful Instagram account t h a t n ow h a s more than a million followers. It features architecture from around the world that looks, well, as if it were taken from a Wes Anderson movie (think “Grand Budapest Hotel,” for one).
There are surprise appearances — by a pancake stand in Croatia, for instance, or by ice-fishing shacks on Lake Nipissing. Each page’s photo is accompanied by a description of the building. Part architectural, part travelogue, it’s a lot of fun and the perfect place to spend some time during your armchair travels.
Sh*t, Actually, by Lindy West, Hachette Books
We’ve all been spending more time indoors watching movies — and erstwhile indie film critic and funny woman Lindy West took it upon herself to watch some of the most iconic movies from the past 40 years and ask: Does it still hold up?
She starts with what she considers perfection: “The Fugitive,” and goes from there. Along the way she includes the only movie I’ve ever walked out of: “The Rock,” starring Sean Connery and Nic Cage, which she gives an outrageous 9/ 10 DVDs of “The Fugitive” (her quirky rating system). There’s a poignancy here along with the laughs: writing this during COVID-19, she says, “has made me feel less alone” — you know, kinda like a movie night, curled up trash talking with your best friends.
Something to look forward to every year is Biblioasis’ “Best Canadian ...” collections: Essays, Short Stories and Poetry. Each year, different editors step in and choose what they consider to be standout pieces from each genre. The books are a great way to discover new voices, see pieces you might have missed and explore the issues and themes that writers and editors felt were important over the year.
They’re valuable for understanding the moment we’re in and, because they’re the best of the best, a darn good read, to boot.
Deborah Dundas is the Star’s Books editor. She is based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @debdundas