A WATERSTONES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH In this love letter to reading, curated by Pandora Sykes in aid of the National Literacy Trust, bestselling and beloved writers share their favourite books: the ones they hold most dearly, that they return to time and again and that helped make them the writers they are. WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM : NICK HORNBY * RUTH OZEKI * ANN PATCHETT * BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH * MARIAN KEYES * ELIZABETH STROUT * DEBORAH LEVY * TESSA HADLEY * ELIF SHAFAK * GEORGE THE POET * LEILA SLIMANI * ALI SMITH * DEREK OWUSU * DOLLY ALDERTON * PARIS LEES * JOJO MOYES * PAUL MENDEZ * SEBASTIAN FAULKS * DIANA EVANS * MEENA KANDASAMY * LISA TADDEO * NIKESH SHUKLA * TAIYE SELASI * MONICA ALI * NINA STIBBE * CALEB AZUMAH NELSON * ELIZABETH DAY * SARA COLLINS * DAMON GALGUT * NAOISE DOLAN * WILLIAM BOYD * EMMA DABIRI * FATIMA BHUTTO * KIT DE WAAL

__________________ THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Stop searching for the answers - and start delighting in the questions with Pandora Sykes, co-host of The High Low podcast. 'Deliciously fascinating' MARIAN KEYES 'Refreshing ... thoughtful, considered' STYLIST 'Brilliant' EVENING STANDARD 'Timely and fulsome' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS 'Joyful and wise' LISA TADDEO Modern life is full of choices - but how do we know we're making the right ones? Why, in our attempts to make life easier, do we often make it harder? With a light touch and plenty of humour, Pandora Sykes delves into the myths we've been sold and the stories we tell ourselves, in a timely bid to encourage us to consider the lives we once led, and how they might better serve us. It's time to stop looking for the answers - and start delighting in the questions. __________________ 'Thoughtful and funny' DOLLY ALDERTON 'Like a very clever, lucid, charming friend unpacking all the messy anxieties of modern existence with tremendous intelligence and elan. Read this book. It will help your life' INDIA KNIGHT 'Had me cackling. So smart but so well-researched' CANDICE BRATHWAITE 'Energetic and compelling' OLIVIA SUDJIC 'Navigates complicated issues with great humanity, humour and humility ... [it] left me wanting more' SATHNAM SANGHERA 'Self-aware, self-deprecating, relatable, funny, and brilliantly curious' STACEY DOOLEY 'Witty and zeitgeisty ... strikes a fresh, honest note' VANITY FAIR __________________ Readers love Pandora's first book: 'A truly marvellous debut' 'Insightful and beautifully written' 'Totally brilliant ... I devoured this masterpiece in one sitting' 'A bright book in a gloomy year' 'Feeling a lot better about life after finishing this!' 'I adored Pandora's book and will be thinking about it for a long time.' 'So clever and thought-provoking' 'Pandora is a wonderful writer and I found myself unexpectedly in tears by the end' INCLUDES A NEW PROLOGUE