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Day Seven: Four Books

1. The Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl

The first book I ever read that made me feel like a grown up reader. I was 9 or 10 when I my dad bought it for me from our local CNA... it started a bit of a Roald Dahl phase. I remember feeling pretty darn chuffed with myself for reading a whole book in just a weekend.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

Technically not one book 'cos there are seven, I was assigned the series as a holiday homework assignment by my Standard 4 (grade 6) English teacher, Mr Mess. Even as a youngster I picked up that CS Lewis was talking about far more important things than lions, witches and wardrobes.

3. Winnie The Pooh: The Complete Collection of Stories and Poems by AA Milne

Not the Disney version, the original. The one with all the beautiful EH Shepard pencil sketches. The stories and poems are so familiar to my mom, my aunt and I, that a spontaneous recital, peppered with 'Tiddly Pomms' is always entertaining.

4. The Bible (yes, as in Scripture)

The version doesn't matter – NIV, King James, The Message – it's the content that does. In a world where spirituality has become a convenient pick n mix and religion has gotten in the way of the relationship, The Bible has had more of an influence on who I am than any other 'book'. It's a sounding board, a resource, a call to action, a challenge and a directive, in the best sense of the word.

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