MY SIX BEST BOOKS

FIONA PHILLIPS, 57, is best known as the former presenter of GMTV Today. She has also appeared as a regular Loose Women panellist and Watchdog reporter. She co-hosts Shop Smart, Save Money on Channel 5 on Thursdays at 8pm. THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE

by Thomas Hardy

Penguin, £7.99 I love Hardy and can never get over how attuned he was to the female psyche.

Some of his greatest characters are women, though this novel doesn’t put him in a good light because the mayor starts off by selling his wife. I love Hardy’s use of the role of fate. SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW

by Wendy Mitchell

Bloomsbury, £16.99 Both my parents had early-onset Alzheimer’s and I’ve seen the carnage it can cause. But Wendy is not letting Alzheimer’s defeat her.

Hers is an interesting perspective and it gave me hope because my big dread is that I’m going to get it. THIS IS GOING TO HURT

by Adam Kay

Picador, £8.99 I’m fascinated by the NHS and love hospitals. I still wish I’d become a doctor because I think it’s the most noble profession. Adam’s book is very funny but he balances the sheer hell of what’s going on in the NHS with a love of what he does. SOMEWHERE TOWARDS THE END

by Diana Athill

Granta, £8.99 My mum always used to make sure older people where we lived were OK. The stories I heard from them and the laughs we had have stuck with me. I don’t like the way older people are treated in society. A candid look at getting near the inevitable. JUDE THE OBSCURE

by Thomas Hardy

Penguin, £6.99 I love how Hardy gets to grips with the tragedy of everyday life. My favourite character is headstrong Sue Bridehead in this. She and Jude live together and are outlawed.

At auction I bought a first edition, along with correspondence between Hardy and a critic who called it pornographic, and I still haven’t told my husband how much it was. PLEASE, MISTER POSTMAN

by Alan Johnson

Corgi, £8.99 I love political biographies and Alan is a lovely guy. His books are written in a conversational style. He came from humble beginnings and got to the top so they’re inspirational too.