Top 5 Books

1. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
Scout would have to be my favourite character of all time. I love how this book is written from the innocent viewpoint of a child, making its message come across just that bit more sharply. The author’s use of language is amazing and I always feel like I am living somewhere warm and slow-paced even when I am in London. Of course there is the whole Southern USA / Ku Klux Klan racism issue addressed here but this book is about so much more. Hypocrisy & bigotry are also key themes. It explores our general prejudices & how these influence our treatment of others who are considered outside the mainstream - and how this then causes them to react. Brilliant.

2. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
Scarlett O'Hara & Rhett Butler are not particularly likeable characters, yet you can't help adoring them, particularly for their feistiness, strength and blatant disregard for what society expects of them. Scarlett O'Hara turns out to be a bit of an accidental feminist. Plus it is a real battle of the sexes between these two. If you think this is just a romance novel you are way off track. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, as seen through the eyes of the civilians caught up in the conflict (and on the losing side) it highlights the horror & futility of war - regardless of the purported "cause" - and the suffering it causes even after it is meant to be "over". Insightful & enjoyable.

3. The Agony & The Ecstacy (Irving Stone)
The story of Michaelangelo’s life, told in a way that not only do you actually learn about this sublime artist & the Renaissance, but you also see Florence & Rome through his eyes. Makes you appreciate the passion he injected into his work & the personal sacrifices he made for the sake of his art. Constantly standing up to his controlling father, critics, competing artists (including Leonardo Da Vinci), a number of Popes & the Roman Catholic Church & winning their admiration in the end..wow! One of those fantastic reads that you just can’t put down.

4. Sunne in Splendour (Sharon Penman)
Historical fiction at its best. Swashbuckling, handsome kings; beautiful & manipulative queens; murder, revenge, betrayal (oh so much treachery!!); and a bit of romance. The author challenges history’s account (including Shakespeare’s) of King Richard III and the War of the Roses, claiming that history is always written by the victor. Hence Richard III being painted as an evil king in our history books. A real page turner right from the start.

5. Red Dragon (Thomas Harris)
The first book written by the same author of “Silence of the Lambs”, I have to say that it is the best crime book I have ever read. The point of distinction being that you - as the reader - know who the killer is pretty much right from the start. You are taken on his personal journey and explore the reasons why he is the way he is. Of course it also follows a cop's thought process in figuring it all out before he kills again. And yes, Hannibal Lecter plays a key role in this story too. Gripping.















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