‘John & Paul’ by Ian Leslie

Hardback, Faber & Faber, £25

A love story in songs, drawing on recently released footage and recordings of the two iconic figures of British music.

John and Paul begins in 1957, when two teenagers in suburban Liverpool decide to play rock’n'roll together. It ends twenty-three years later, with John’s murder.

Lennon and McCartney were more than friends, rivals or collaborators. When they couldn't say what they felt, they sang it.

After the break-up of the Beatles, they continued a musical dialogue in songs full of recrimination, regret, and affection.

Ian Leslie traces their relationship through the music it produced and offers rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration and human connection.

‘The Age of Diagnosis’ by Suzanne O’Sullivan

Hardback, Hodder Press, £22

From autism to allergies, ADHD to long Covid, more people are being labelled with medical conditions than ever before.

But can a diagnosis do us more harm than good? The boundaries between sickness and health are being redrawn.

An exact diagnosis can bring greater understanding and improved treatment.

But many diagnoses aren't as definitive as we think. And in some cases, they risk turning healthy people into patients.

Drawing on the stories of real people, as well as decades of clinical practice and the latest medical research, Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan overturns long held assumptions and reframes how we think about illness and health.