7.) The History of the English Puppet Theatre, by George Speaight -- Originally written in 1955, this traces the history of the puppet theatre in England, starting with its origins in the ancient world, and showing how it developed through the centuries. Unsurprisingly its main focus is Mr Punch, and how various traditions, such as the Comedia dell'arte and mystery plays, combined to result in Punch and Judy shows today (or more accurately half a century ago).
This was actually a surprisingly fascinating read, with plenty of entertaining anecdotes, particularly over the sections dealing with the development of the Punch & Judy shows. Once that was over, and we were back to the marionettes, without all the tales about the seedier side of the theatre, it got a bit dull.
It was very much of its time, and there were a couple of uncomfortable moments with certain words and phrasing the author used, but that can probably be forgiven due to the time it was written.
8.) The Year of Reading Dangerously, by Andy Miller -- A non-fiction book about an editor and blogger who sets out, after not having read a book for ages, to read his way through a list of 50 great books. It's a mixture of autobiographical writing and literary criticism. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and found it a very quick read, and there were some genuinely funny moments, but I really wish he'd spent a bit more time talking about the books he'd read rather than about himself. I enjoyed the autobiographical bits, but I was, let's face it, there for the books. There were a few on the list he never really talked about, and I think a third more book-talk, and a third-less autobiographical waffle would have been ideal.
I came out of it thinking I should really read A Confederency of Dunces, Middlemarch and War and Peace, which is, apparently, an easy read. 
Next up, I've started on the third in the Gentlemen Bastards Sequence, The Republic of Thieves.