Season’s Readings

CULINARY
Easy Does It
From flips to shrubs, spritzes to smashes, toddies and teas and more, if you’re zero-proof curious, or can’t or don’t want to drink alcohol for any reason, “Craft: The Eat Fit Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails,” the latest publication from Ochsner’s Eat Fit program is a great addition to any home bar or kitchen. With more than 50 recipes of delicious and refreshing non-alcoholic cocktails and mixers (plus guides to barware, garnishes and more) this is a year-round, go-to reference for get-togethers, parties and celebrations. Author Molly Kimball, mixologist Ethan Skaggs and editor Melanie Warner Spencer (a.k.a. Louisiana Life’s managing editor) make crafting compelling drinks at home a breeze — no booze needed. Hardcover, 160 pages, $22. Gift with: a pretty shaker, a bottle of non-alcoholic bitters (such as Louisiana-based El Guapo) or cheeky cocktail napkins

FICTION
Truth and Justice
In award-winning novelist James Wade’s third novel, “Beasts of the Earth,” Harlen LeBlanc leads a simple, ordered existence. But when his small-town life, and members of the community around him, is upended by a series of unexpected events, LeBlanc works to defend his friend while uncovering a generation of secrets and stories. LeBlanc’s story becomes intertwined with the history and lives of the people around him and tells a tale of fate, faith, evil and justice. The New York Journal of Books call “Beasts of the Earth,” a “soul-deep exploration of a wounded man in crisis,” and proclaims Wade as “an author of extraordinary merit.” Hardcover, 350 pages, $25.99. Gift with: some cozy Sleepytime tea or hot chocolate to curl up with while reading

MUSIC
Living Art
Music is an ever-changing art that ebbs and flows, reflecting new generations and styles, no matter the genre. Zydeco is no exception. “Creole Soul: Zydeco Lives” takes a colorful look at the traditions of zydeco, its rich history, current musicians and a new wave of performers and influences. Musician and writer Burt Feintuch, along with fellow folklore expert Jeannie Banks Thomas, capture the Creole zydeco scene through the musicians’ own words and stories, both on stage and off, highlighted by extraordinary photography by Gary Samson. “Creole Soul: Zydeco Lives” puts readers right in the middle of this riotous, energetic, colorful world, and is a must-have for music fans as well as cultural history buffs. Hardcover, 280 pages, $40. Gift with: a copy of your favorite zydeco album on vinyl

NATURE
Winged Glory
New Orleans writer and local historian Rien Fertel dives deep into the history of our relationship with Louisiana’s state bird, the brown pelican, in his newest book of the same name. “Brown Pelican” takes a look at this iconic, beloved bird, its precarious past and the efforts to save it, and its place in our state history. It is, at once, a look at the natural world and man’s place within it, and an appreciation of this strange, almost dino-like, bird that is forever linked with Louisiana. Paperback, 112 pages, $21.95. Gift with: a membership to the Audubon Society to help protect native wild birds