Nothing to Be Frightened Of (book) by Julian Barnes
(Random House, $32.95)
Death is something our society skirts around. Yet as Julian Barnes points out in his fascinating and intelligent new book, “the mortality rate for human beings is not less than 100 per cent.” Admitting an intense fear of death as he enters his 60s, Barnes explores the subject by way of metaphysics, personal memory, literature, and religion. Both charmingly personal and erudite, Nothing to Be Frightened Of strikes just the right balance between irreverence and genuine wonder. The result is an elegant, consistently entertaining, and often (honestly) a very amusing read. —Stephanie MacDonald
We Were One (DVD) by Scott Cervine
(SpiritualCinemaCircle.com, free trial membership)
We Were One offers hope through a story illuminating the universal link among all people and the sense of joy that comes from human
connection. Frustrated with modern life, a middle-aged, unemployed man ruminates on divorce, death, and life gone wrong. Encouraged by a friend to take one positive step toward a happier existence, he finds
himself unexpectedly moved by a random encounter with a down-and-out stranger who asks him for a dollar. For a brief moment, he feels connected to her as he catches a glimpse of the beauty of her soul—and is reminded that he is not alone. —Erica Gehrke
No Junk Mail Please (CD) by 21 Tandem Repeats
(Canada Lynx Records, $12.97)
The immediate charm of 21 Tandem Repeats’ latest CD is the title (we don’t like ad mail, either—who does?). It even comes with cute “no junk mail” band stickers you can paste to your mailbox, which serve the dual purpose of informing Canada Post that flyers advertising home equity loans are a turn-off, while turning your mail carrier onto the laid-back, down-home folk-rock offerings of the Vancouver foursome. The uncomplicated, low-key melodies will soothe the nerves of even the most ardent treehugger after a long, hard day spent saving the world. —Tamara Letkeman
