What Book... 

... are you reading now?

Best Offer Wins by Marisa ­Kashino, and it’s fairly unputdownable. I love an unhinged, flawed anti-heroine who’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants – the main character in my novel is also very much one.

Here, thirtysomething Margo feels that her life will finally begin once she manages to buy the house of her dreams.

There are a few snags in the plan; not only is the Washington DC market overheated but ­Margo has already attempted to befriend the owners of one dream home, with disastrous results. It’s pacey and fresh; the best kind of cringe-LOL read.

... would you take to a desert island?

So few people are familiar with The Girls by Lori Lansens, but it’s one of my favourites. It’s the story of Ruby and Rose, conjoined twins who are well-loved in their community in rural Canada.

They face a major dilemma when one of them is given a ­terminal diagnosis, and one also has an urge to reconnect with a dark part of her past. I read this book every couple of years.

... first gave you the reading bug?

Judy Blume was everything to me growing up, and Deenie was the first book that really stole my heart. It was ­published in 1973, before I was born, but I totally related to 13-year-old Deenie, who wants to become a model (I didn’t really relate to this bit, granted).

Her dreams hit the skids when she is diagnosed with scoliosis, and has to wear a full body brace to school. Deenie goes on quite the journey in this book, from agonising self-consciousness (check) and teenage insecurity (check) to self-acceptance and inner peace (any day now).

Though she wrote these books decades ago, Blume really is the greatest of all time.

... left you cold?

This sounds terrible, but I did an English literature degree which meant an awful lot of mandatory reading of things I would not have normally elected to read.

I struggled desperately with The Canterbury Tales. I really had to just get to the end of it, without even knowing what it was about. I still don’t, even though I wrote an exam paper on it. I always have idle thoughts of returning to it but . . . perhaps not.