OK, I am fully prepared for tumbleweeds after this comment, but one of my favourite ever reads was the Alex Quartet by New Zealand writer Tessa Duder (Alex, Alex in Winter, Alex in Rome and Songs for Alex).

OK, I am fully prepared for tumbleweeds after this comment, but one of my favourite ever reads was the Alex Quartet by New Zealand writer Tessa Duder (Alex, Alex in Winter, Alex in Rome and Songs for Alex).

Frankie Landau Banks, hells yes. If I ever have a daughter, that is right on her reading list.

Frankie Landau Banks, hells yes. If I ever have a daughter, that is right on her reading list.

I'd never heard the song America The Beautiful when I read the book, so I think I just made up a random melody to sing when I read. Now I'm sure I have definitely heard the proper version of the melody but I'll be damned if it can supplant the version I made up.

I'd never heard the song America The Beautiful when I read the book, so I think I just made up a random melody to sing when I read. Now I'm sure I have definitely heard the proper version of the melody but I'll be damned if it can supplant the version I made up.

I adored the Adrian Mole books (there are loads of sequels, right up to Adrian Mole in his 30s, married, with kids etc). I read them when I was about 13 and then again aged about 26, and found completely different things funny each time. I was almost as clueless as Adrian when I was his age.

I adored the Adrian Mole books (there are loads of sequels, right up to Adrian Mole in his 30s, married, with kids etc). I read them when I was about 13 and then again aged about 26, and found completely different things funny each time. I was almost as clueless as Adrian when I was his age.

Guilty confessions time:

Guilty confessions time:

The man who performs those books is wonderful.

The man who performs those books is wonderful.

Hells yes. I never knew anyone else who had read it.

Hells yes. I never knew anyone else who had read it.

Agreed, the accent is ridiculous. I had to rewind to check just how long he'd been out of the US for.