BOOKSHELF

Literary gems

Award-winning comedian and author Katy Brand is a judge for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction – the winner will be announced on 6 June. ◆ I recently re-read THE SECRET DIARY AND GROWING PAINS OF ADRIAN MOLE by SUE TOWNSEND and both books are every bit as hilarious as I remember. They seem to age with you – the jokes I got the first time round are still there, of course, but looking at it now through adult eyes, a whole new vista of humour opens up. ◆ I have a weakness for JILLY COOPER, and POLO is one of my favourites. I read it on a rather decadent holiday with a man I was going out with at the time, and it is the perfect book to lie on a hot beach with, without a care in the world.‘i She’s so funny, but also compassionate, sexy and somehow comforting. ◆ At the other end of the spectrum, I couldn’t put down HILARY MANTEL’S WOLF HALL. She just draws you in and holds you in this extraordinary world she’s created from historical fact and her own imagination. ◆ Whenever I’m asked for a recommendation on a series of books to get stuck into, I always suggest THE RABBIT SERIES by JOHN UPDIKE. He follows the life of an American everyman, Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom, from early adulthood to death. It’s an amazing study of a man, and of America as a nation. ◆ I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by MAYA ANGELOU made quite an impression on me when I read it. An incredible story, which is both unique and universal, like Angelou herself.