Lorraine Candy: my five best books

The former editor of The Sunday Times Style Magazine and podcaster chooses her favourite books

Lorraine Candy

Lorriane Candy's book, Mum, What’s Wrong With You?! (4th Estate £14.99), a guide to raising teenage girls, is out this week.

1. The Birthday Boys

The Birthday Boys

Beryl Bainbridge (1991)

I am obsessed with Antarctica and went on an expedition there 20 years ago. This haunting novel is about Scott’s ill-fated 1912 trip, and uncovers the arrogance of these upper-class male explorers, but also paints a beautiful picture of an untouched land and the human endurance needed to conquer it.

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Abacus £9.99; the Week Bookshop £7.99

2. The Tiger Who Came to Tea

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Judith Kerr (1968)

I have four kids, so I know this one off by heart. If I can’t sleep, I just recite it in my head. But one look at the cover makes me instantly melancholy about my babies growing up.

HarperCollins £6.99; the Week Bookshop £5.99

3. Hunter: The Strange and Savage Life of Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter: The Strange and Savage Life of Hunter S. Thompson

E. Jean Carroll (1993)

This is a crazy tale of a crazy man told by one of Rolling Stone’s funniest female writers. I am not entirely sure what’s true or what’s not, but it is a wild ride.

Simon & Schuster, out of print

4. Menopause: All you need to know in one concise manual

Menopause book

Dr Louise Newson (2019)

All midlife women should read this fact-filled, evidence-based book – it changed my life when I hit my late 40s. It explains the low risks associated with HRT, and defines the symptoms of perimenopause.

J.H. Haynes & Co. £12.99; the Week Bookshop £9.99

5. Girl, Woman, Other

Bernardine Evaristo

Bernardine Evaristo (2019)

I love this humorous and spirited exploration of difficult women, which follows 12 characters, of different ages and generations, as they navigate life’s big questions. I encouraged my teenage daughters to read it.

Penguin £8.99; the Week Bookshop £13.99

6. Just Kids

Patti Smith's Just Kids

Patti Smith (2010)

This autobiography is the vibrant story of the author’s relationship with the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and of her love affair with New York City. I met Patti once and was so star-struck that I couldn’t think of a single thing to say, so we talked about hairstyles!

Bloomsbury £9.99; £7.99

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