Category Archives: The Books That Changed Me.

5 Books That Changed Me: CJ Daugherty

Posted on by

CJ Daugherty The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

This fast-paced but dreamy novel set at a private university in the New England mountains, starts with a murder and tells the story of how it happened in reverse, as a group of elegant young friends obsessed with Greek mythology take everything too far, and close friendships fall to pieces. In her most restrained and elegant book, Tartt performs a magic trick by inventing fascinating characters who are capable of cold-blooded murder, and then making you like them. You know from the start they are killers, and yet you still want to be their friend. I re-read this book regularly.

The Likeness, by Tana French

This Irish crime novel by Tana French is one of my all-time favorite books. I’ve read it multiple times. It follows a female detective as she investigates a murder victim who looks exactly like her. Using their alikeness as a weapon, she takes over the dead woman’s life – moving in with her friends into a house in the countryside outside Dublin. She begins investigating them from within but then, slowly becomes seduced by them, and the rambling mansion where they live. Unfortunately, this is a very dangerous decision. Because one of them is a killer.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

This is an elegant, wandering, multi-strand tale of a mysterious circus that travels in secrecy and arrives without warning. Nobody knows when or where it will appear, or how long it will stay. The tents are filled with magical, mysterious displays. People are obsessed with it, and for good reason. It could be dangerous or simply wonderful — even after reading the book it’s hard to know which. Either way it doesn’t matter. It’s so beautifully written, I long to wake up one morning, as dawn washes the dark from the sky, to find the circus has appeared in my town. 

Station 11, by Emily St John Mandel

I bought this book after everyone I trust in the world told me it was amazing, and they were ALL right. It starts in a pandemic apocalypse (sound familiar?) and then jumps forward in time to follow a group of survivors who are exploring the remains of America in a roving band of Shakespearean actors, travelling from settlement to settlement performing plays for people who can barely remember a time before life was like this. It’s both scary and thoughtful, and ultimately filled with hope. Maybe just skim the first chapter while we’re all locked in our houses, but the rest will lift you.

Circe, by Madeline Miller

This feminist reinterpretation of The Odyssey told from the perspective of the banished witch, Circe, is the most beautiful, heartbreaking, glorious look at the Greek myths in all of time. Circe’s story is bittersweet. She’s young and voiceless, expected to be nothing but beautiful and compliant. Because she isn’t either of those things, she’s punished by being banished to an island to live completely alone. There, in isolation, she finds herself. The tale is told with wonderful compassion. It’s funny and dry, and terribly poignant in places. I cried 3 times listening to the audiobook. Honestly, it’s so gorgeously written I don’t know why I bother.

 

Number 10 by CJ Daugherty is out now, £9.99 from Moonflower Books available on Amazon here.

 

5 Books That Changed Me by Natalie Jayne Peeke West Country Correspondent

Posted on by

It is no secret to those that know me that books hold a special place in my heart. I enjoy being able to escape to a different world, a different time, a different place. With the stresses of everyday life I have been reading more and more over the past few years and I thought that now would be the perfect time to look back and reflect on the books that have changed me.

First up is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone by J K Rowling. I have very fond memories of this book, my mum used to read it to me and she would speak in different voices for each of the characters which would always make me chuckle. I was fascinated with the world of magic and imagination that J K Rowling has. This book kickstarted my love of the Harry Potter books, i would insist on having the latest one as soon as i possibly could. I remember when I was 15 and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had just been released and that summer me and my family went on holiday to the south of France and instead of lounging by the pool all day I would stay inside and read. Yes I did finish it within the two weeks we were away. To this day I am a huge Harry Potter fan and so is my daughter who i now read the Philosophers stone to.

Next up is the Diary of Anne Frank, i read this for the first time when i was in secondary school around the age of 14. It opened my eyes to not only the cruelty and horror that Jews were subjected to just because they were Jews but despite it all Anne Frank remained  positive and extremely brave “I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart”. Anne Frank received her diary as a present for her 13th birthday and i was reading her diary when i was of a similar age and i remember thinking that i would not be that brave and it put things into perspective for me. The diary of Anne Frank is one book that will always remain on my bookshelf and one that i will turn to when i feel that i need to be brave or strong or positive. 

At Long last love by Milly Adams was a book that was given to me as a gift from someone who knows that my favourite genre to read is historical fiction. This book changed me in a different way to the others listed because even though I absolutely adored reading it and I went on to buy two more books written by Milly Adams because i enjoyed it so much, it is the events that followed reading this book that changed me. At the time I was writing my own blog where I would write book reviews and interviews with authors among other things. When I finished At long Last Love, i reached out to Milly Adams and asked if she would be willing to answer a few questions for my blog. She kindly agreed to do so. I went on to learn that Milly Adams is in fact a pen name for Margaret Graham who is a editor for Frost magazine, I must have done something right as to my amazement Margaret asked if i would like to write reviews for the magazine. Fast forward almost 3 years and I am now the West Country Correspondent for Frost Magazine and my confidence in myself and in my writing has improved drastically all thanks to Margaret Graham and the Frost Magazine Team. 

There are very few books that I have read as many times as A Christmas Carol by Charles dickens. This classic book did – as corny as it sounds- teach me the true meaning of christmas, it isn’t about what gifts you get but who you spend the time with, how you treat others, how you value and appreciate them. Over the years i have watched many film adaptations which i enjoy with my children, our personal favourite is ‘A Muppets ‘Christmas Carol’ which again has become a tradition to watch at least once over the festive period. 

Last but by no means least is a book that I read last year, The Lost Girl’s of Paris by Pam Jenoff. Up to that point I was blissfully unaware of women’s involvement in world war two. This taught me a lot about the German occupation of France, the resistance and the missions and sabotage that they carried out which would have absolutely contributed to the allied victory. I knew that back home women  worked in munitions factories risking life and limb.  However I did not know about Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive or SOE, where women would be taught sabotage and survival skills and would be parachuted behind enemy lines where they would face capture, torture and execution. These women were smart, courageous and ruthless. They were heroes. 

 

Five Books That Changed Me By Yousra Imran, author of Hijab and Red Lipstick

Posted on by

Roxy van der Post for Myosotis Film & Photography

Headscarves and Hymens by Mona El Tahawy

“The most subversive thing a woman can do is talk about her life as if it really matters.” This was the line in Headscarves and Hymens that gave me the affirmation I needed to use my passion for writing to talk about the subjects that mattered most to me and not to feel a sense of “shame” for writing openly about life experiences. This was the first time I read a book which spoke so closely to my own thoughts as a Muslim Arab feminist, and I was nodding along every page of the way. Headscarves and Hymens is feminist journalist Mona El Tahawy’s first non-fiction book, and an in-depth look at the multi-faceted injustices women face across the Middle East.

It’s Not About the Burqa by Mariam Khan

It’s Not About the Burqa is an anthology of essays written by a long list of female British Muslim writers including BBC journalist Saima Mir, Jeremy Vine on 5 co-presenter Salma-El Wardany and award-winning author Sufiya Ahmed. They write unabashedly about their own experiences and on a range of topics people think Muslim women aren’t interested in – sexuality, feminism, politics, the law and queerness to name a few. This is a life-changing read because it proves that Muslim women are not a monolithic and there is no “one type” of Muslim woman. It also proves that we are extremely successful and have made incredible contributions in British society. Everyone needs to read this book.

Two Women in One by Nawaal El Saadawi

As well as being a famous Egyptian feminist, Nawaal El Saadawi writes novels and her husband has translated most of them into English. She writes about everyday Egyptian women, including working class women and women in rural areas. My favourite novel of hers is Two Women in One, probably because I can resonate with the protagonist Bahiah. Bahiah is a medical student in Cairo who is trying her hardest to reconcile the two women she is: the quiet, studious, obedient Bahiah at home, and the shameless, strong Bahiah who wears trousers, stands with one leg up on her stool in the lab and experiences intimacy outside of wedlock. The book is set in the early ‘80s, yet little has changed for women in Egypt today.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I read Little Women for the first time when Mum bought it for me as a gift when I was 11 years old, and until this day the part where Beth dies makes me blubber like a baby. Reading it again as an adult I can see that Alcott was a feminist – it wasn’t something that I digested as a young girl. If I was to do a postgraduate degree in feminist literature I would probably choose Little Women for my thesis, as there are just so many references to gender injustice. Marmi is a feminist and so is Jo March. I had thought Jo March was based on Alcott but I recently read Alcott had based Jo’s youngest sister Amy on herself.

The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot 

The Mill on the Floss was the 19th century novel I studied for my English Literature A-Level. It was a complete eye-opener, particularly as a teenager living in the Arab Gulf. I remember underlining so many passages in the book and telling my teacher that Victorian society was just like Qatari society; it was mad that the customs were so similar despite the 150-year gap! I could also see myself in the protagonist Maggie – the internal struggle between wanting to be pious and modest, but also be passionate and love and be loved. As an adult I now know I can be both – I don’t have to choose one or the other.

About the Author

Yousra S Imran is an English-Egyptian hybrid who works and lives in West Yorkshire. She has been writing from the moment she learned how to hold a pen and works full time in marketing and events in the education sector.
Yousra grew up between the UK and the Middle East and has a BA Hons in International Relations. She is passionate about women’s rights and gender justice. Yousra lives with her husband in Bradford, Yorkshire.

5 Books That Changed Me by Michael Rowan

Posted on by

1 Coral Island by R.M.Ballantyne 

The first ‘proper’ book that I read as child.  I could read the standard text that we were taught at school, but there was little plot, no discernible theme or character development. Coral Island was loaded with all three, this little book captivated me, as this was the first time that I could see the pictures they conjured up of the three shipwrecked boys having adventures in a lagoon. I would pretend that I was one of the two older characters every time I swam in any municipal swimming pool and even today at 64, I can’t resist imagining myself back there, as I duck beneath the surface in our local Lido though these days it is more Moby Dick than Coral Island.
Michael Rowan, writer

2) Merchant of Venice – Willian Shakespeare

As a 10 year old at St Wilfrid’s, I looked forward to our weekly reading sessions. One week there was a change of format, as our teacher explained that he was going to read us a story from a few hundred years ago. He didn’t read it as a play, but as a story, in parts over several weeks. He told us of a man who was in love (Yuck) and who needed money to impress the girl’s father. There was a riddle which I recall was a cliff hanger and then there was the cutting of a pound of flesh, ‘nearest to the heart’ which enthralled this 10 year old bloodthirsty boy. It was the beginning of a love affair with Shakespeare that continues to this day.

3) Lady Chatterley’s Lover- D H Lawrence

As a pupil at an all boy’s grammar school around 1971, I had been identified as a keen reader. Whilst most of my fellow pupils trudged through one book a term, I returned each week for a new book. This interest delighted a series of English teachers, until in the fourth year, Mr W gave me a special ticket to use the sixth form library. The keys to the sanctum of knowledge. As I perused the shelf containing the works of D H Lawrence, I discovered Lady Chatterley’s Lover, which was soon hidden beneath my blazer as I marched back to my class, about to become the hero of the fourth year. The look on Mr W’s face as he confiscated the book, my special library card and delivered his ‘you have let me down and yourself down speech’ will never leave me, but I did go on to read all of the works of D H Lawrence, albeit after I had left that particular school.

4) The Return of the Native – Thomas Hardy

In the summer of 1975, I found myself on an 18 30 holiday, now famed for high jinks and alcohol but then a travel company in its second or third year and virtually unknown. As a keen reader I ensured that along with my sun- tan lotion and coolest threads, I packed an ample supply of books. Evenings were spent in Spanish discotheques, whilst the afternoons were for laying on the beach recovering from a hangover. I however, was to be found reading about Eustacia Vye in The Return of the Native. How I was mocked by the other lads on the holiday, that is until a young and very pretty English Teacher lent over and asked me what I was reading. It was the beginning of my love of Thomas Hardy, and the start of my first holiday romance.

5 Contented Dementia – Oliver James. 

I was in my 50s when both of my parents developed dementia, a cruel illness of which, at the time there was limited information written.  

The demands of the illness kept growing, but there was little advice and I clearly recall thinking, if only there was the equivalent to a car manual, a book that explained in simple easy to understand language, what to do. A chance review brought this book to my attention, crammed with excellent advice, with its three golden rules, never ask direct questions, never contradict, and learn from the person with dementia. This book became my bible throughout my parents’ final years, and I went on to become an advocate for Contented Dementia. No one, no matter who or where, could have a conversation that used the word dementia, without me elbowing my way in and recommending the book. Over the years 100s of people have looked on me as some eccentric but quite a few of those have thanked me afterwards. 

 

The Books That Changed me by Alex Bannard

Posted on by

alex yoga

I began my journey into mindfulness around 8 year’s ago amidst a battle with mental illness. 10 minutes of mindfulness by Goldie Hawn was my first insight into mindfulness & a wonderful reflection on parenting & engaging with our children.

It changed the way I parent & has shaped that experience for us all for the better. Flicking through it again to write this piece I am staggered by the simple wisdom in its pages & the great ideas that help us to encourage our kids to let their light shine…it makes me want to delve right back into it again! 

Some of the best, most honest, funny & engaging books written about mental health & mindfulness have been written, in my humble opinion, by Ruby Wax. Her brilliance, wit & searing honesty make each of her books a page turning delight. 

Finding a favourite is tough but possibly because I am fascinated by the geeky neuroscience behind mindfulness & spirituality, How to be Human pips the others to the post. In this book, Ruby chats through a variety of topics close to the heart of any full bloodied human with a neuroscientist, Ashish Ranpura & Buddhist monk, Gelong Thubten with her trademark frankness & humour. It was so good I went to see them perform on stage too, which was unforgettable. 

When we were living in Bangkok, a dear friend & spiritual guru introduced me to Gabby Bernstein’s The Universe has your Back. So began a mini obsession: I love Gabby’s work. This book introduced me to the idea that our thoughts & energy create our reality amidst the comfort of knowing the universe has our back. 

It taps into the idea of manifesting & law of attraction; the joy & flow that abound once we begin to dance in union with the energy of the universe. And it works. I ‘manifested’ a wonderful first home & fantastic school for myself & my kids when we returned to the UK soon after reading this book, within 2 weeks of making the decision. Having lived overseas for 12 years I have never seen anyone orchestrate a move so quickly & I put it all down to the universe having our back!

The Quantum & the Lotus by Matthieu Ricard & Trinh Xuan Thuan is an exploration of the overlap between quantum physics & spirituality, which feeds right into 2 of my passions. It’s not an easy read, but it’s remarkable & fascinating.

Finally, I recently finished my first ever book on Audible: Gabby Bernstein’s latest offering, I am the Guru.  The 6 lessons described are beautiful in their simplicity & ease of application. I had never ‘done’ Audible before. I love an actual book: the cover, turning over the page corners, the smell of it. But this book isn’t out in print yet & it was the only way to access it. What a revelation! I binge-listened to it one weekend, revisiting each chapter several times afterwards. And now I’m a convert, it’s revolutionised my reading experience for the better. 

Alex coaches yoga & mindfulness in person & online to individuals, groups, in schools & in businesses. She can be contacted at alex@myananda.co.uk or via her website www.myananda.co.uk 

 

The books that have changed me by Margaret Graham (aka Milly Adams and Annie Clarke)

Posted on by

The books that changed me, or should I say perhaps, developed my understanding… Heavens, so many, but let me take a stab at it.

Margaret Graham, Annie Clarke, Milly Adams, books that changed me

As a child I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in which an obnoxious orphan Mary Lennox arrives to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. Archibald Craven  locked  the door leading to his wife’s beloved garden on her death. He also secreted his son, with crooked legs and back , in his own quarters for his own safety, and went about his business elsewhere, leaving the kindly servants to care for this disparate household.

The children find the secret garden, and slowly as they work within it, and  as the seasons roll on, the healing of both begins.   This book introduced me to a love of gardening, to the relentless rhythm of the seasons which has given me solace and a sense of something ‘bigger’. It grounds me.

Then as a teenager I read I Never Promised you a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg. This is the story of a  schizophrenic young woman, who spends some years receiving therapy ina residential centre. As  the young woman recovers she is devastated to realise that the world is not perfect, that happiness is not a given. That there are ups and downs, and one must find a ‘centre’. But as the psychiatrist says: I helped you heal, but I never promised a rose garden, I promised you a life.

I found this profound, and it stabilized the angst of a teenager, and was a great guide as an adult.

As an adult I was struggling to write my first novel – to navigate my way through the muddle of my thoughts, . I read Cinderella to my children one evening, and realised that it is the clearest example of the common structural form. It enabled me to write my first novel, and create almost 30 other books. It also allowed me to teach aspiring authors, perhaps the most rewarding part of my writing life, apart from editing Frost Magazine.

Basically, there is one protagonist, Cinderella, she has helpers ( mentors) and enemies (antagonists). Cinderella is on a journey, which is the plot, in order to resolved the theme, which for me was her quest to find love. Fourth must be Reginald Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe novels. Erudite, immaculately structured with characters in complete balance, and scattered with laugh-aloud humour. They freed something in me, and made me brave enough to be myself, and allow the humour I inherited from my parents free rein.

Fourth are the Reginald Hill Dalziel and Pascoe novels, beautifully structured and written, with a superb balance of characters. Erudite, fascinating, and laugh-aloud funny. They gave me the courage to allow myself to use my own sense of humour, inherited from Mum and Dad. 

Fifth and perhaps most importantly From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by award winning author Dr Kathleen Thompson

Dr Thompson is ‘the doctor who knows’ what it is to face the chilling cancer diagnosis, and then find your way through the maze of information and treatment. The book is set out in an extraordinarily accessible way for the patient, and also for those like me who have friends with this  illness,  it gives me a way of helping, of listening, of supporting. It is life enhancing, and invaluable.

If I can sneak in a sixth, The Variety Girls series by Tracy Baines made me realise I should have been on the stage, not stuck in a study writing. You see, I could have ‘hoofed’ with the best of them, and hugged the spotlight, and showed off, and my mum would have been shocked, then proud, as I received a standing ovation – just me, not the rest of the chorus, of course. Ah, well, I can dream.

 

The Books That Changed Me by Catherine Yardley

Posted on by

Is there anything more powerful than a book? I don’t think so. Life-changing, knowledge-giving, and entertainment. Though sometimes not all at once. They have the power to change the world and make us feel every emotion under the sun. With that in mind, here are the books that changed me and made me the women I am today.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

This book follows Raskolnikov, an poor student wrought out by his own nihilism, and thoughts of the struggle between good and evil. He brutally murders an old woman who is a pawnbroker as he beliefs he is above the law. He justifies his actions, but later is overwhelmed with guilt and terror. Raskolnikov confesses to the crime and goes to prison. He realises that happiness and redemption is only achieved through suffering.

This is an intense psychological thriller from the most famous Russian novelist. Dostoyevsky was in a bad way when he wrote it, his wife and brother had both died and he was living in poverty. Crime and Punishment will awaken your brain and make you rethink your opinions on crime and punishment. This is the perfect book on redemption and how our actions in life matter. The very last page has some of my favourite lines in literature, including the fact that a new life is not given for nothing. I will not spoiler you by sharing anymore but it is a hard, yet fascinating read. It opens your brain right up and makes you more intelligent by the end. Do not just read books that are easy to read, that is not how you end up smarter.

Life if Pi by Yann Martel .

A ship sinks and a boy ends up on a raft with a tiger he calls Richard Parker. This is a book about survival and wisdom. It is outrageous with its plot but is never not believable. This spiritual novel changed my entire way of thinking. This book will feed your imagination like nothing on earth. It is so cleverly done I will be forever be jealous that I will never be as good a writer as Yann Martel . It was made into a film that is a good enough watch, but the book is untouchable. This book left me with a spiritualness that has stayed with me until this day. Read it with a highlighter pen and go back to it often.

Catherine Balavage with Margaret Graham at the Words For The Wounded Literary Festival

Catherine Yardley with Margaret Graham at the Words For The Wounded Literary Festival

Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Before reading this searingly honest memoir from the former First Lady of the United States I felt like a failure as I had never become who I was supposed to be. I was forever changing and no one ever told me that was a good, and normal, thing. There are so many stunning quotes in this book and it is filled with wisdom. Michelle Obama leaves no part of her life untold: she discusses miscarriages, IVF, politics, race and her marriage. Michelle is from a working class background and her father was disabled. She has triumphed through hard work and intelligence. I cannot think of anyone I find more inspirational than Michelle Obama. Well, other than the next novelist….

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

Maya Angelou. What a woman. What a life. What a writer. I am full of admiration and awe. I am obsessed with Maya Angelou. I read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings when I was about thirteen. I already wanted to be a writer and I was already writing. I knew I was nowhere near as good a writer as Maya Angelou, I doubt I ever will be. What  I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings did for me was crack me open like a nut. I learned a lot about racism and I became even more political, I also learned a lot about life and wisdom. I learnt that everyone has a hard life and we should be kinder to each other. It is more than a good book, it is a book that teaches you that strength of character, and a love of reading, can overcome trauma and create a beautiful life.

The Wives By Lauren Weisberger.

This book makes me appear much more fun than my other selections, I am aware. Lol. I think Lauren Weisberger is underrated. She has such a keen eye for detail and the satire of everyday life. Yes, there is The Devil Wears Prada which was a runaway (ahem) success. Lauren holds a mirror up to sections of society and captures them with absolute perfection. Her characters are honest, flawed and real. She makes me laugh and nod, and cry all at once. The Wives is a sassy and entertaining sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. It features Emily, you know, the one who looked great in her dress because anytime she was about to faint she ‘ate a tiny bit of cheese.’ Her books are a joy to read because she makes writing them look easy. There are anything but and Lauren Weisberger is a fearless writer.

The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook.

Now, this book really did change my life. I have written my entire life. I wrote poems when I was in single figures and I tried to write my first novel when I was ten. It was terrible and I only got to fourteen pages. They were all written longhand. I decided to send some of my poems off but, how and where? Enter this book. It had so much advice and numerous agents and publishers to send my stuff too. I still use it to this day. The 2021 version has pride of place on my desk. This is an essential and life-changing book for all writers.

Guests of The Emperor By Janice Young-Brooks.

My parents have always had a house full of books. We had so many bookcases and books our home was more like a library. One of the books on my parents shelf was Guests of The Emperor By Janice Young-Brooks. It is a World War II novel about a group of women who are ‘guests’ in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. The characters were so vivid and the story so well told it has always stayed with me. It is a good history lesson too.

What books changed you? Send us your selection to frostmagaziine@gmail.com.

My debut novel, Ember, is available here and here.