The books that CHANGED MY LIFE

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME LAUGH

I’m really not a re-reader, because there are simply too many books clamouring to be read, but I’m currently loving Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes every bit as much as I did first time round. It’s about rehab and addiction, but still manages to be one of the funniest novels

I’ve ever read.

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY

While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart tells the story of two couples during the Second World War. About to be herded on to a train to Auschwitz, a desperate mother hands her baby over to a stranger. Years later, that stranger and his wife are living in California – but their beloved son doesn’t belong to them. I was on tenterhooks throughout.

THE BOOK THAT CHANGED THE WAY I THINK

The Seamstress Of Warsaw by Rebecca Mascull gave me a new understanding of the terrible plight of the Jewish people in Warsaw during the Second World War. This brilliant book describes the true horrors in astonishing detail, as well as the strength of the human spirit.

THE BOOK THAT GOT ME THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME

When life is hard, I want something that will whisk me away. I also want many more books by the same author, so I can move seamlessly on to the next. If an escapist beach read is your bag, try Elin Hilderbrand’s novels, set on Nantucket island in the US.

THE BOOK I MOST OFTEN GIVE TO OTHERS

The Madness Of Grief by the Reverend Richard Coles, about the death of his husband, David, is beautifully written. I can recommend it to anyone struggling with the loss of a loved one.