Salad Daze

What Caesar Did For My Salad, by Albert Jack, published by Particular Books, priced £12.99 If you’ve ever wondered where the expression ‘humble pie’ comes from, or what’s the story behind the famous dessert peach melba, then Albert Jack's seventh offering is likely to appeal.

As with his previous books, Jack uses extensive research to uncover interesting and witty tales relating to a certain subject – in this instance, the world of food.

The stories behind the names of various dishes and food-related phrases are explained in a clear and concise manner, and even the most knowledgeable reader will learn something new.

Jack also succeeds in maintaining a light and entertaining writing style throughout – a difficult skill in a book loaded with so many theories and facts.

As a result, What Caesar Did For My Salad is intriguing and engaging from start to finish, and provides an excellent reference point for lovers of language and food alike.

I Shall Wear Midnight, by Terry Pratchett, published in hardback by Doubleday Children’s Books, priced £18.99 Terry Pratchett’s final young adult novel starring teen witch Tiffany Aching, is intended as a bridge to his main Discworld series and, like many of his more recent books, is not without its darker moments.

Tiffany is a trainee witch who ends up dealing with some pretty grim situations, like the aftermath of child abuse and wife-beating in the community.

Pratchett’s book is suffused with an awareness of the thankless exhaustion that awaits people in the caring professions. Most Discworld witches spend more time as a district nurse, social worker or vet than turning anyone into a toad – and Tiffany is no exception.

As the well-paced plot weaves its spell in Pratchett’s inimitable style, it goes without saying that everything gets very funny.

Like Tiffany, Pratchett has always known that “laughter helps things slide into the thinking”.

Stalin Ate My Homework, by Alexei Sayle, published in hardback by Sceptre, priced £20 Liverpool comedian Alexei Sayle recalls being politically aware from a young age. Growing up in a family of Communists, he was used to attending marches and party rallies or hearing his parents fire tirades at the television about imperialist bias. By and large, however, his childhood was unremarkable.

For Sayle, the most significant benefit of his unusual upbringing was the annual holiday somewhere behind the Iron Curtain. As such, Stalin Ate My Homework is taken up with anecdotes about trips to the country formerly known as Czechoslovakia.

In between are entertaining stories about schoolboy mischief, a rather unhealthy interest in weapons – and even his father's role as a witness in the 1962 James Hanratty murder case.

Despite his reputation as a comedian, there is a shortage of belly laughs here.

Nevertheless, Sayle maintains a genial tone throughout and his evocative portrayal of working-class life in mid-20th century Britain makes for a genuinely diverting – if inessential – read.