For the true crime person in your life (that’s me), this new book about Jack the Ripper, They All Love Jack by Bruce Robinson, has just been released. It’s a monster in size, meticulously researched, so you’ll be getting your money’s worth. Whether or not you agree with Robinson and who he believes is Jack the Ripper will depend on how convincingly he presents his evidence and I can’t say – not having read it – if it is. I do know of the suspect by his professional reputation (avoiding spoilers), so if it is true it would be a huge story in itself, along with the solved mystery.
I think nearly every secondhand bookshop or holiday rental flat I’ve ever been to has a Bill Bryson book on the shelves. His fans are legion and they’re often to be spotted on the beaches, lying on towels, reading his brand of perfect summer fare. If you’re after such a read, The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island might be for you, especially as this has been written to mark the twentieth anniversary of his bestseller Notes from a Small Island.
To solve a situation pretty much every family has, the ‘What to Get the Person Who Has Everything’ dilemma, perhaps you could go down the LEGO route. Just Brick It by David Scarfe has instructions for all sorts of designs. If you want to try something more challenging than a simple tower or car, give it a go.
I adored Letters of Note by Shaun Usher, so it’s sequel More Letters of Note is a bit of a no-brainer. If you’re not familiar with either book, Usher has collected letters and correspondence from famous and important people in history. For me, the most affecting letters are those written with love with the intent to help; they’re so life affirming.
Last, I Quit Sugar: Simplicious by Sarah Wilson could be an option for the person who is wanting to clean up their diets and lifestyles (and most of us could do with a bit of that). I know the phrases ‘sugar-free’ and ‘clean eating’ and ‘alkaline diet’ are in – and abused – right now, but I think Wilson has always done a pretty good job of keeping things in perspective. On her blog, she’s been honest about those times she’s slipped; she’s human, like the rest of us. I have her first two books, and like the looks of this one because it focuses on using/reusing leftovers. Food waste is one of my big bugbears as well.
