My Favourite Book

The Rev. Angus Aagaard

The Beckoning Silence
by Joe Simpson

I have spent many holidays scrambling up mountains and walking the hills, enjoying the adventure, challenge, freedom and scenery - and even at times the rain and wind beating against me. I feel drawn to such places and this book re-acquainted me with the feelings of excitement, fear, purpose and sense of being alive that I associate with mountain walking. I read this book in 3 days, usually books linger on my bed-side table for a long time before they are read. 'The Beckoning Silence' recounts the great adventures told by Joe Simpson during his time as an expert mountaineer, culminating in his attempt to climb the north face of the Eiger. He writes in such a way that you feel as if you are with him, clinging to the cliff face, racing to avoid an avalanche, feeling anguished at the death of a fellow climber. Perhaps most strikingly he shares so well his sense of wonder and achievement in following the call of the mountain.

The Ven. Christine Hardman

From the Holy Mountain
by William Dalrymple

This is a wonderful book about a pilgrimage. In 1994, William Dalrymple followed in the footsteps of two sixth century monks, John Moschos and his companion, Sophronios. John Moschos recorded that first journey in his writing 'The Spiritual Meadow', a journey that began at Mount Athos and moved through Anatolia into Syria, the Lebanon, Palestine and finally Egypt. As far as he could, Dalrymple stayed in the same monasteries and visited the same shrines as Moschus had done many many centuries before. This is a book to treasure for its wonderful descriptive writing, its humanity, its humour, its honesty, its profound respect for its subjects and its heartbreaking capacity to shed light on all that is happening now in the Middle East.

Leslie Spatt

"Quo Vadis"
by Henryk Sienkiewicz

It's probably very difficult to choose one single favourite book from a very long reading career. But I think the choice has to be made by whether or not it's a book I return to constantly - which rules out a lot of them straightaway! With that in mind, I would nominate "Quo Vadis" by Henryk Sienkiewicz, the saga of Roman authorities and the early Christians (interwoven with a love story between a Roman centurion and a Christian convert) during Nero's rule. Forget the truly awful film, if you've seen it! The book is infinitely better, especially in a good translation.

Wendy S Robins

Miss Garnet's Angel
by Sally Vickers

Miss Garnet's Angel is my favourite book at the moment, though not, I suspect, my all time favourite one. The story of a retired teacher who sets off for Venice and stays for a few months in which she finds new and surprising sides to life. With the book of Tobit running as the spine through it, it is a story of love, fidelity and the goodness of angels. A wonderful first novel full of beautiful images, read it in small chunks and savour it well.