My life in books

What childhood book sparked your love of reading? One that really stands out for me is Winnie-the-Pooh. I was given a hardback copy on my seventh birthday, and I still treasure it. The maps in the fro

Which childhood book first sparked your love of reading? I was a little bit of a mythical unicorn growing up – unlike everyone else I knew, my family never had a TV, so I spend a lot of my time readin

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt was my recent holiday read, and I loved it. It tells the story of lonely widow Tova, whose teenage son vanished 30 years ago. She works at a small aquari

Broadcaster and author Clare Balding shares the reads that have been her escape and inspiration

HEART THE LOVER BY LILY KING This year marks 250 years since Jane Austen was born so it’s fitting that love stories are having an epic moment. The current fiction boom (sales are up 18% on last year)

I loved ghost stories as a child, which was not ideal because I was also a scaredy cat. I would read The Ghost of Thomas Kempe under the covers but then stay awake rigid with fear half the night. Late