December

This month, with Christmas in mind, I am going to include a selection of recently published books that will make good gifts or stocking fillers, all under £10:

A Shropshire Christmas: extracts of fact, fiction and poetry about Christmas over the years in Shropshire from various authors, including Mary Webb, Ellis Peters, A E Housman, Charlotte Burne, Peter Davies and Rev. Donald Carr.

See John Run: the hilarious Janet and John scripts from the Terry Wogan show on Radio 2. Told in the style of children's stories of yesteryear, every perfectly innocent turn of phrase somehow seems to acquire a whole new meaning.

British Home Guard Pocket Book 1942: a Home Guard Brigadier-General fondly recalls his experiences, in particular the training, organisation, discipline, fire arms, reconnaissance and field engineering that came with the job, and also offers advice on how to set a trap for an advancing German cyclist.

Blackboard Blunders: a humorous collection of spelling slip-ups and homework howlers showing children's earnest attempts at mastering the English language.

The Celebrated Pedestrian and Other Historical Curiosities: a miscellany from the BBC History Magazine: Who is the Downing of Downing Street? What did the first illuminated adverts in Piccadilly Circus advertise? Was Oliver Cromwell actually Welsh? This book answers these questions.

Plato’s Podcasts: a timeless insight into life, relationships, work and partying, all through the thoughts of ancient philosophers. From Plato on podcasts to Epicurus on bottled water - a funny but profound take on what life means today.