It's a shame that titles like "Things That Have Interested Me" (Arnold Bennett) have gone out of fashion for this kind of thing. Stuart Walton's title suggests a dutiful thematic plod, but don't be deluded. The book is an oddball treasure-trove, a well-informed and highly personal collection of essays on all sorts of subjects. Among its several charms is the nonchalant way it mixes high and low material, from Horace to Blur, without ever dumbing itself down: the author clearly values precision in thought, fact and language. (Something to do with being a wine expert, perhaps?) Also, for once, it's a collection of essays that didn't start out as book reviews. Unfashionably good.