The books that CHANGED MY LIFE

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME LAUGH The latest heartwarming novel from Mike Gayle is The Museum Of Ordinary People. Here, he shares the books that have made him laugh, cry and think…

Once a year I try to reread Unreliable Memoirs by Clive James. It’s about the late journalist’s early childhood in Australia and it’s hands down one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. The chapter when all the kids in his street link their go-carts together and head down a steep hill is worth the price of the book alone.

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY

I don’t think I’ve ever cried at a book, but I came close reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. It’s a beautifully written memoir about a neurosurgeon who has stage-four lung cancer. It’s utterly heartbreaking and yet somehow life-affirming.

THE BOOK THAT CHANGED THE WAY I THINK

I recently read Atomic Habits by James Clear and it opened my eyes to how easy it is to sleepwalk into bad habits and the consequences of doing so. He takes a deep dive into entrenched behaviours and how they become embedded in our lives.

THE BOOK THAT GOT ME THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME

This may sound strange but anything by Agatha Christie is my go-to during tough times. Her books are so involving and there’s something so comforting about curling up with one when things seem bleak. My favourites are The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd and Murder On The Orient Express, both of which feature her marvellous creation Hercule Poirot.

THE BOOK I MOST OFTEN GIVE TO OTHERS

It’s called

Encyclopedia Of An Ordinary Life by the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Amy was such a wonderful writer with a unique way of looking at the world and in this book she imagines her own life as an encyclopedia, taking the reader through the A-Z. It’s a very unusual, funny and strangely heartwarming read.