Masterpieces of Islamic art : the decorated page from the 8th to the 17th century - Oleg Grabar

An excellent collection of large colour reproductions.  Well worth tracking down.  With a magnifying glass, you can examine the amazing details in these works.

My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk

This being the second or third time I've read this book, I can say you don't really appreciate the charm of it until you get past the rather convoluted and sketchy storyline.  The real charm of it is 1) the evocation in small details of historical Istanbul, its neighbourhoods and people  2) the information and reflections on the the nature, history and working methods of Islamic illuminated manuscripts  3) the subtle discussion of the push and pull of West and East in Turkish history (and modern Turkey).  He tries to portray a world view, a way of thinking, that is essentially lost.

A book to reread while leafing through a good collection of Islamic miniatures - it gives a new perspective on the paintings.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Very well-written book with some unusual elements:
- set in WWII in Germany, just outside Munich, but most of the characters are poor Germans
- a look at the survivors of Nazism within German society itself
- the Jewish theme comes in, but in an unusual way
- the narrator is Death

Turns out it is actually a young-adult book.  Some of those seem to be the best fiction around these days, from the "good story" point of view.

Tenth of December - George Saunders

See other books by same author.

Of the books by Saunders I have read, this is the one that held me the least.  Some of the stories were hard to get through, and the last one I just could not finish.  A bit dreary as a read.  If there is humour, it is very dark.  I felt at times he was pounding the point he was making a bit too hard and long.

Scottish Imprints in Quebec - Ray Baillie

An interesting book with text and photos looking at the Scottish influence and traces of Scottish life and architecture in Quebec.  There are sections on many areas I have visited, including Scotstown, Murray Bay, Eastern Townships, Montreal and Quebec city.
Many interesting vignettes about buildings, farms, names, people.  There is even a small section on the MacMorine farm in Kingsbury and a photo of Uncle Ian.

The Highland Clearances - Eric Richards

A clear-eyed look at the history of Clearances in the Scottish Highlands from the late 1700s to late 1800s.   Richards has a different approach from other accounts that I have read, a historian's approach, relying on contemporary accounts, reports, newspaper articles and also the accounts and papers of a few of the larger estates at the time (a relatively recently available source).

Richards creates a much more complex picture by looking, not only at the human drama and suffering, but also at the economics driving the whole process.  When you consider the evidence he brings in about the economic condition of the large estates at the time, there seems to be a certain inevitability about the whole thing.  Most estates were both overpopulated given the farming resources, and producing very low returns.  Many traditional landholders in fact went bankrupt at that time and their estates were sold off.  

The book also places the Clearances in a larger historical context where you see a number of interesting points to consider.  At the time, the Highland social and economic structure was a mix of tribal and almost feudal landlord/tenant relations.  This social structure was in conflict with the newly evolving capitalist social and economic structure which was beginning to produce much more wealth (for property holders and investors at that time) than the old arrangement possibly could.  The Highlands were stuck in that premodern period where wealth was measured in land, not capital.  Like every other society that comes in conflict with the capitalist structure, it proves impossible to stop or resist.   The Clearances are in part a story of the emergence of the modern world, and come early in the process given that England was the country where modern capitalism was born.  

Richards points out that this is a process that continues today in countries where there are still peasants.  Like all social change, it is very disruptive as it works itself out.

There is a good bibliography in the back that has some material worth pursuing.