My life in books
Cat Deeley
As she publishes her first children’s book, The Joy In You, the TV presenter shares the reads that have shaped her
THE BOOK I RELATE TO THE MOST IS...
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton. She writes as though you’re having a chat over a cup of tea. She’s so honest and self-deprecating, her misdemeanours and peccadilloes simply add to her appeal. There is a sense of camaraderie with the reader, her cultural references are on point and even the north London setting reminds me of my old MTV days in the 1990s and 2000s.
MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE BOOK IS...
Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. A brilliant friend of mine gave it to me when we had our babies at the same time. I would sit until I was prune-like in baths of Epsom salts, hormones raging and sleep deprived, absorbing life- and self-affirming stories about trusting our own instincts. If a wise old grandmother was a book, this would be it.
THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY WAS...
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
I picked up my copy while running through an airport. It’s a heart-wrenching love story; I read the whole book on the plane, and as I turned each page, one solitary tear became a gentle stream until finally I had to explain myself to the air steward! There is something about being in a giant metal tube in the sky that heightens every emotion: that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
THE BOOK THAT GOT ME THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME WAS...
Tuesdays With Morrie, a memoir about a series of visits Mitch Albom made to his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz gradually dies of ALS. It’s the story of a young man and an old man and life’s greatest lessons. It covers life, love, death, family, friendship, kindness and empathy in such a simple, life-affirming way. At difficult moments in life, it helps me see the bigger picture, so I re-read it every so often. It’s like pressing a personal reset button. My favourite quote is ‘Love is how you stay alive, even after you’re gone.’
THE ONE BOOK I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ IS...
How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran, which mixes feminism with humour. She’s my hero. In the book she touches on everything from bikini waxing to patriarchal society. I once posted an article she wrote for Red about love on social media. It was funny and heartfelt; truly brilliant. She wrote back: ‘Thank you! But this is bittersweet... you’re my husband’s “hall pass”.’ Catherine Elizabeth Moran at her finest!