Immerse yourself in this week's Life & Arts stories, and enrich your weekend with fresh perspectives and cultural discovery.

Appetites is your go-to hub for food and drink coverage, led by our all-star roster — including Tim Hayward, Jancis Robinson, Marina O'Loughlin, and Jay Rayner. Featuring recipes, destination dining and expert guides, explore the hub on FT.com or find the latest articles in Food & Drink on the FT app.

Ronnie Scott’s has had a revamp – take a first look

The renovation of the legendary upstairs lounge is both grassroots and glamorous

Celebrating the sweet taste of spring at Quebec’s sugar shacks

Make mine a Wallbanger: the return of the OJ cocktail

The best books of the week

Why the global economic order is spiralling out of control; a history of Syria tackles the nation’s complexities; working-class life in Charlie Chaplin’s London; masterly autofiction from Pirkko Saisio; a Jeremy Cooper novel set among classical musicians; the sinister legacy of the Marquis de Morès; a deeply personal survey of the judgments women face in divorce courts — plus Adam LeBor’s pick of the best new thrillers

Custody by Lara Feigel — who gets to keep the kids?

A deeply personal survey of the judgments women have faced in divorce courts for centuries

Backlight by Pirkko Saisio — a Finnish masterpiece of autofiction

The lauded author’s Helsinki Trilogy vanishes the boundaries of form and genre — and it’s finally available to anglophone readers