- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: Magnificent sweeping saga of love and literature, family secrets and a hidden bookshop, set in Barcelona. It is the second most successful novel in Spanish publishing history after Don Quixote.
- The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende: Read for family book club, this is a love story told through reminisces and letters in the confines of war and a nursing home.
- Taste, My Life through Food by Stanely Tucci: I listened to this as an audio book because I love his voice and his charming self-deprecation, a result of growing up in America, choosing to live in England, and celebrating his Italian heritage. Through recipes, anecdotes and observations, he guides us through the highs and lows of his life in a rich and piquant memoir.
- Destructive Emotions and How We Can Overcome Them by Daniel Goleman: Combining Buddhist wisdom and the latest research in neuroscience and child development, these dialogues with the Dalai Lama offer insights into how we can recognise destructive emotions and how to manage them. Spoiler alert - it is not the emotion itself which is destructive (anger is an energy after all), but our reaction to it and whether we allow it to take over rational thought.
- Terms and Conditions by Robert Glancy: Waking up after a car accident with amnesia, Frank starts to piece together his memories only to recall that he doesn't like his job, his wife, his brother or even himself very much. As a business lawyer who specialises in terms and conditions, he reminds us with wry humour that it's always important to check the fine print. An enjoyable novel celebrating decency and standing up to the man.
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