Local Life - Wigan - December 2020

48
The Gift of a Great Book
Books to give, add to your wish list or just treat yourself to…
The Thursday Murder
Club
Richard Osman
Retirees Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim
and Ron have a unique set of skills
that they put to good use solving old
murder cases. So when a real murder
takes place rather close to home, the
four are well placed to find the killer. Funny, warm and
with a twist every minute, The Thursday Murder Club will
keep readers guessing right until the end. Best of all, a
sequel is already in the pipeline.
Oliver’s Britain
Oliver Hellowell
From roadside poppies and
native wildlife to lochs, lakes
and waterfalls, the photos
that grace the pages of this
coffee table book are a sight
to behold. Oliver has Down’s Syndrome and a natural gift
for spotting the perfect shot. Alongside the photos are
quotes from Oliver and some of his many fans. A great
present for people who enjoy a good ramble through the
British countryside.
Word Perfect:
Etymological
Entertainment for
Every Day of the Year
Susie Dent
Ever wondered who the original Jack
the lad was? Or where a phrase like
‘turn a blind eye’ came from? Susie
Dent has been a regular expert on Countdown for twentyfive
years. In Word Perfect, she reveals the story behind
some well-known words and phrases and introduces the
reader to a whole load of new ones. (Personally, I might
start calling a hankie by its Victorian slang name – a
snottinger.)
The Boy Who Grew
Dragons
Andy Shepherd
Looking for a book for a seven to nine
year old? The Boy Who Grew Dragons
is likely to be appeal to even reluctant
readers. Tomas discovers a plant when
he’s helping out in his grandparents’
garden. It turns out to be a dragon fruit tree and the fruit is
about to hatch. Before long, Tomas is learning all about his
new pet, from the fact it loves broccoli to the unfortunate
fact that dragon poo is highly explosive.
Flavour
Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage
If you’re buying for someone who
loves nothing more than spending
a couple of hours in the kitchen
cooking up a storm, this is the
gift for them. It is not, however, a
cookery book for beginners or those
wanting to whip up a quick and easy dish. The ingredients
aren’t always easy to come by and most of the recipes are
experimental to say the least. The dishes are not always
vegetarian, but fruit, vegetables or fungi are the star
ingredients, and often used in rather surprising ways.
Lime and Coconut Potato Gratin anyone?
My Garden World
Monty Don
Wildlife fans will adore My Garden
World, which is basically Monty
Don’s personal homage to the
birds, insects and other creatures
that share his garden. The book is
packed with interesting nuggets of
information about British wildlife and is a real pleasure to
read (particularly when sat in the garden with a cuppa). If
you want to really earn some brownie points, team it with
a few packets of wildflower seeds and a pair of binoculars.