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Library residency
Corinna Standen
The book I'm reading currently
I've got two on the go, David Nicholls, The Understudy and Neville Shute, A Town Like Alice.
A book that had a big impact on me
I would say Neville Shute, A Town Like Alice. This is about the fourth time I'm reading it. It's set in the Second World War. It's about a group of women who were taken captive in Japan and they had to walk hundreds and hundreds of miles. It sounds quite morbid but it is also a love story.
I love Neville Shute and my mum used to think I was really old fashioned when I was reading him as a teenager but I've always really liked his books.
My desert island reading
I would probably take any books by Ian McEwan. I've read lots of his books, not a specific book, just one by him.
My choice of lifetime magazine subscription
That's really hard because I change all the time. I subscribe to Woman's Health at the moment, but probably my interests will change as I get older so I'm not sure. I subscribed to Red before and I also enjoyed that.
My must-see film
Schindler's List, based on the book Schindler's Ark, and The Pianist.
There's a theme coming out here, I really like Second World War stories. It's not like I'm a morbid person, I just think people have such a lot to learn from those sorts of stories; how brave people were and what they were able to achieve in those times.
Whats so lovely about Schindler's List is the guy who was able to do such amazing things was an Industrialist concerned with making money and being with as many women as possible. He was not your typical hero and then suddenly circumstances completely brought it out of him.
My guilty-pleasure telly
Strictly with the children. I'd say Gogglebox as well, that's really guilty pleasure, I know I shouldn't be watching it but it is hilarious.
My radio turn-on and turn-off
I had a conversation with my husband about this yesterday, he always listens to Radio 6 so I used to listen to it because it has lots of music from my twenties, Indie music, but in the mornings they have Shaun Keaveny and I find him so miserable and grumpy. So I've switched to Radio 2 in the mornings for Chris Evans but my husband can't stand Chris Evans, he's too forced-jolly for my husband. I like a bit of jolliness in the morning, even if it is forced.
I listen to Radio 4 when I'm in my car but that just gets depressing because it's all the bad news. The other day I switched to Radio 2 in the afternoon but I couldn't stand the DJ and I ended up listening to Radio 1 and I've been really enjoying Radio 1. I think you have to match the station to your mood and the time of day. So I listen to Radio 4, Radio 6, Radio 2 and Radio 1 and I switch between all of them depending on my mood.
My favourite work of art
I'm not particularly into art but Impressionist Art is definitely my favourite type of art. I think it's really gutsy, Van Gogh's stuff would be my favourite.
The weekend paper I am most likely to pick up
Definitely The Observer or The Guardian, not that we have time to read it.
The section of the weekend paper I read first
I would say I do read the news because I struggle to keep up with the news during the week.
A piece of music that makes me smile
I like Happy by Pharrell Williams, my son Milo plays it on his guitar so I probably like it because of the association. And Robbie Williams' album, Swing Both Ways, we often put that on when the children are having dinner and they start dancing around, it's got a real good beat so we dance around the kitchen to it.
A piece of music that makes me cry
Anything by The Smiths because they were my friend's favourite band and she died recently. When I hear that on the radio it makes me really sad. She was my best friend and at Sixth Form College she was really into The Smiths. I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to listen to them properly again.
