Jim - Stig of the Dump by Clive King. 'We read Stig of the Dump at primary school, over a few weeks. The concept of finding treasure in things that people throw away bewitched me, and influenced my working life so far. I became monitor for newspaper recycling at school and eventually ended up introducing the green recycling box into Doncaster over twenty years ago. Today, so I run Re-Read: A Social Enterprise that trades used books online so that we can give children’s books away for free.'
Zara - Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland taught me that there is nothing wrong with being curious, willing to learn and explore. That life is full of weird, wonderful and fascinating people. We should embrace our uniqueness, respect others, and that there is a place for all of us in this mad world.'
Phil - Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. 'The transmogrifier in Calvin and Hobbes can turn you into whatever you want. I always wanted to be an author and illustrator, and that's what comics like this helped turn me into. Calvin and Hobbes has fantastic artwork, clever comedy and the message that imagination can take you anywhere. In the words of Calvin:
Sally - Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle. 'Can you remember the first novel that you ever read? I'm not talking about a book you had to read because it was on the school syllabus, I'm talking about the first novel you ever chose to read. Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, was mine. I borrowed it from the school library at Edlington Comprehensive. I was never a strong reader, and I was definitely a reluctant borrower. This book and its cover image, still has the ability to conjure that feeling of challenge and difficulty. I still own a copy, the only difference is, now I love to read, and have piles of books stacked about the house and unlike Paddy Clarke, each book evokes very different emotions based on the stories they tell.'
Phil - The Assassins Cloak: An Anthology of the World’s Greatest Diarists by Irene Taylor & Alan Taylor. 'Diaries – and, in particular, The Assassin’s Cloak. To me, they are an endless source of fascination, for they reveal the writer’s thoughts, their fears, foibles and frustrations – and much else besides. A good diarist writes what is true, what he or she observes and experiences. The appeal is in that honesty, although there are some which blatantly avoid certain vital details, usually to protect the author’s public image. This is usually because of the prevailing social issues of the time – they don’t want to be “found out”, even after their death. However, reading between those lines frequently adds to the delights of a diary. Do I write one myself? Yes. Am I always honest? Yes. But I hope that you’ll have to wait a few more years before you find that out.'
Al - Angler's Mail Coarse Fishing Year by Dave Coster, illustrated by Tony Wheildon. 'I read it in my teens, a time I was enjoying going fishing and having laughs with my mates. It brings back great memories as all the lads read and shared a copy of this book, we talked about it and our favourite bits of the book. It taught us angling skills and techniques. It documents the changing of the Seasons in colour which I admire greatly. It also made the penny drop for me,making myself realise you can draw / illustrate and get paid for something you love doing. “Eck Tony who illustrated it loves fishing and drawing that cannot be a bad thing in this life”'.
Mel Hewitt - My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. 'When I was 13 my late dad handed me a copy of 'My Family and Other Animals' by Gerald Durrell to read. I was immediately transported from a grey, damp February afternoon at home to the idyllic Greek island of Corfu. Utterly charming, beautifully written, with an intoxicating exuberance, I was enchanted. It was a love for all the Durrells' work - Gerry, Larry and Margo - that would inspire me to write my own novel, nearly 50 years later. 'Looking for the Durrells' was published in August 2021 and is, as well as a love letter to Corfu, my homage to a remarkable family.'
Luca - Here We are by Oliver Jeffers. 'I love this book, it made me want to be an author when I grow up.'
Joe - His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman. 'I first read this as a young teen and have re-read it many times since. It was the first thing I can remember reading on my own that really took me to another world while reading it. It cemented my love for reading and its power to transport the reader somewhere - a big reason I love working with books!'
Jamie - Mary Berry’s Baking Bible by Mary Berry. 'My book of choice, Mary Berry’s Baking Bible isn’t my favourite book just because it offers nearly every baking recipe you could ever need or because it’s the book I turn to when I need a really reliable recipe. It's not just my favourite because it's the first thing I look at when I want to bake but don’t know what recipe to choose. It’s because it contains the first recipe I ever cooked and sparked my interest in baking. I love reading all types of books but this one inspired my passion for cookery. I think this book symbolises all cookbooks for me, and my love of baking which has lasted for over half of my life and will be with me forever.'
Honor - Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. 'I chose Small Great Things because it took me into the mind of someone that has a completely opposing view to my own. The book switches between the perspectives of a Black midwife and a white supremacist couple that come to the hospital to have their baby. It showed me that sometimes people are a product of their environment and that can shape who they are and their views regardless of what might seem to be obviously 'right and wrong'. It taught me about having tolerance for people, and showed that even if someone has views that wildly conflict with my own, they’re not necessarily a bad person. Small Great Things highlighted people’s capacity for change. With change comes hope, and with hope the possibilities are endless.'
Ian McMillan - A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. 'I love A Kestrel For A Knave because it speaks directly to me in language I can understand and in language that sounds like those I stand in bus queues with and sit in cafes with. In Barnsley we really do see it as our abiding and timeless myth; Billy Casper is our Icarus, flying with his bird too close to the sun. It’s our Moby Dick, our Great Gatsby, our Hard Times. It reminds me that literature can happen anywhere and that profound tales can be made of lives that, like all lives, appear ordinary on the surface but are, like swooping birds of prey, truly extraordinary.'
Hannah - The Discovery of Chocolate by James Runcie. 'I chose The Discovery of Chocolate because it shows how food engages all the senses, is incredibly evocative and wound into the fabric of all of our lives. The sheer joy in the descriptions of food makes me want to recreate and share that joy with my friend, family, and my customers.'
Graham - The Letters of Van Gogh by Vincent Van Gogh. 'It showed that he was an intensely sensitive emotional person rather than the scruffy oaf most people thought he was. Perfect for a 16 year old scruffy oaf to read.'
Ed Miliband - The Lorax by Dr Seuss. 'The Lorax is a book way ahead of its time. Published 50 years ago it is about the need for us to protect nature and the dangers of environmental destruction. The Lorax is the creature that speaks for the trees but is powerless against forces that see money to be made from the magical Truffula trees. I missed out on the book when I was a child but I have read it to my kids and been deeply moved by it. The most important message comes at the end. We are reminded that all is not lost but it is up to us: “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not
Dan - Absolute Beginners by Colin Macinnes. 'Absolute Beginners was the book catalysed my lifelong fascination with mod culture. The book offers an amazing commentary on life in England in the late fifties and eloquently deals with complex issues such as class, race and sexuality whilst at the same time celebrating great photography, music and clothes. Colin Macinnes’ brilliant book demonstrated to me how all of these things contribute to the glorious melting pot that is modernism and helped me to find my own identity as a modernist whilst also inspiring me to stand up for values and fairness.'
Craig - Bravo Two Zero by Andy Mcnab. 'This book inspires me to always have hope that no matter how bad things may seem, there's always a positive. The challenge is finding it. Work hard play hard!'
Cher - The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. ‘We’ve all put ourselves in a situation that we can’t seem to get out of and we put pressure on ourselves that we don’t need. What the Secret has taught me is that you are the greatest power you’ll ever know, you are worthy and anything is possible, all you have to do is believe that you are worth your weight in gold. One of my favourite quotes from the book is ‘Your life is in your hands. No matter where you are now, no matter what has happened in your life, you can begin to consciously choose your thoughts and you can. Change your life. There is no such thing as a hopeless situation. Every single circumstance of your life can change!’.
Bishop Sophie Jelley - The Bible. 'I started reading The Bible as a teenager and I have been reading it most days since. I find it encourages and helps me through good times and bad. It never ceases to amaze me that a book written thousands of years ago is so relevant to life in C21st Britain!'
Cadence - Unstoppable: How to Silence Self Doubt and Turn Up Your Power by Bridie Walker. 'My mother continues to inspire me, and her book did not disappoint. Whilst reading and working through the tasks, I’ve learnt to control my self-doubt and develop a positive mindset on how I view myself and the woman I can become. Now I’ll never hold myself back.'