Shark Drunk and A Sea Monster’s Tale review – the lure of an astonishing fish

Morten Strøksnes is in search of a Greenland while Colin Speedie is mesmerised by the basker. Philip Hoare considers a new kind of shark fever

But Seriously: An Autobiography by John McEnroe review – chalk dust to stardust

John McEnroe’s ‘difficult’ second memoir is marked by rehashed glories and celebrity anecdotes

That’s the Way It Crumbles: The American Conquest of English by Matthew Engel – review

Matthew Engel urges us to hang tough against Americanisms in this entertaining history of linguistic imperialism

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X Kendi – review

Even abolitionists don’t emerge unscathed from a fearless, brilliant history of racist thinking spanning 500 years

The Unfinished Palazzo: Life, Love and Art in Venice by Judith Mackrell – review

Three remarkable women are at the heart of this colourful story of an unloved building on the Grand Canal that became one the world’s most celebrated museums

Typewriters, Bombs, Jellyfish by Tom McCarthy – review

Fifteen essays illuminate and revel in such culturally diverse subjects as Tristram Shandy and Zinedine Zidane

Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor review – courage in abundance

The late author and screenwriter contemplates the end of life in this eloquent, unflinching memoir

Will You Walk a Little Faster? by Penelope Shuttle review – an ode to London

On the occasion of her 70th birthday, Shuttle reflects on the city, contemplates her place in it and leads us to see it with fresh eyes

Greatest Hits review – ought to be a smash

Laura Barnett’s clever book about a reclusive singer-songwriter telling the story of her life is engaging and emotionally charged

One Man and a Mule: Across England With a Pack Mule by Hugh Thomson – review

No animal was harmed in Hugh Thomson’s entertaining and instructive journey from coast to coast

As Kingfishers Catch Fire: Books & Birds – review

Alex Preston’s literary compendium of birds, illustrated by Neil Gower, is a sumptuous labour of love

The Exile by Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy review – Osama Bin Laden after 9/11

The investigative reporters have produced a revelatory work about al-Qaida members in hiding in Pakistan and Iran between 2001 and 2011

A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee review – vital meditations on migration

Themes of alienation and life in transit are explored through the experiences of five characters in modern-day India

The Wind in the Willows review – Rufus Hound goes wild with Julian Fellowes’ party animals

Toad, Badger, Mole and Rat are joined by new female characters in a fast-moving musical which ranges in style from Gilbert and Sullivan to raucous rock

Blind Spot by Teju Cole review – a writer’s photographs

On his travels to cities around the world, Cole took photos, initially to aid his memory. His pictures and texts show him to be wonderful at seeing