The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery; paperback $15

This beautiful novel, set in a fashionable hotel, centers around three characters: Renee, the middle-aged concierge who is more than “ordinary”; Paloma is the precocious twelve-year-old daughter living in one of the apartments, and the new tenant is a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu. I was drawn ever deeper into this novel which is narrated by the two females. More than a finely drawn character study, it is a book of ideas on art, philosophy, and beauty. I was left with a profound awareness of the lives around me, all while being drawn towards those in the novel. It will encourage you to search “for those moments of always within never.” People of the Whale by Linda Hogan; paperback $14.95

This is a powerful novel centering around Thomas Witka, a Vietnam veteran, and his first love, Ruth, and the community in which they live. Amidst both personal conflicts and those of their tribe, Linda Hogan has written a novel filled with compassion about the beauty of the natural world and the painful moral choices humans make in it. Set on the coast of the Pacific Northwest, this is a tale of whales, a magical octopus, and a people connected to the mysteries of the sea. Her rich use of language comes from the soul of the poet that she is. Deeply ecological, this haunting story is not to be missed.

The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Gwen Millward; hardcover $16.99 Do you believe in bog babies? I do after reading this lovely picture book. When two sisters go fishing in a vernal pond they find something much better than a frog or a newt—they find a bog baby. He is the size of a frog, only round and blue. He has boggly eyes and a spiky tail, and wings that are no bigger than daisy petals. Of course the sisters have to take him home and make a wonderful home for him. But one day he gets sick and hides under his shell. When their mother comes upon the girls crying and sees what is in their bucket, her eyes get misty and she tells the girls about the bog baby she found. This gentle story touches on many lessons, not the least of which is the true meaning of love, and the illustrations are so lush and inviting that you will find yourself wanting to step inside them.