Having a few days off from the day job has really knocked out my body clock. It’s a good job I remembered Tina Baker is joining me to share her Decades selections, I’d have hated for you to miss out on these cracking recommendations.

A quick explanation about the Decades Library for any new visitors. Imagine having to start a new Library from scratch. You have no books but only want the very best books on the Library shelves so visitors know whatever they choose to read it’s a book someone else loved.

Each week I ask a guest to join me and nominate new books to add to the Library shelves. They must follow two rules when making their choices:

1- Pick Any Five Books
2- You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades

It’s as easy as that – five books, five decades. So time to turn over to Tina Baker to get this week’s recommened books…

Tina was brought up in a caravan after her mother, a fairground traveller, fell pregnant by a window cleaner. After leaving the bright lights of Coalville, she came to London and worked as a journalist and broadcaster for thirty years. She’s probably best known as a television critic for the BBC and GMTV, but after so many hours watching soaps gave her a widescreen bum, she got off it, lost weight and won Celebrity Fit Club. When not writing she now works as a fitness instructor. She also rescues cats, whether they want to be rescued or not.

DECADES

WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES, KAREN JOY FOWLER, 2013

This is an ear wetter of a novel – I sobbed so much in bed that my ears were soaked with tears. I had to have one book about animals on my list. I have had closer relationships with my pets than many people.

This is a gut-wrenching story about love, families, jealousy and what it means to be human.

I’m still loathe to give away the twist (It’s Fingersmith level gobsmacking) but it involves some hideous experiments scientists have done on animals. I love science (yay, vaccines!) and wanted to be one, briefly, until I realised what I’d be required to do to rats.

BLONDE, JOYCE CAROL OATES, 2000

I would read a shipping list written by this author. I love her work. I’ve read this hefty novel several times. It’s a fictionalised version of Marilyn Monroe’s life, and, no spoilers, it does not end well.

Somehow, I felt I was inside Marilyn’s heart and mind, hearing all her inner secrets and vulnerabilities. It’s also a scathing examination of fame and how a person can struggle with being a disposable commodity and an icon others project so much onto, while wrestling their own demons.

THE VAN, RODDY DOYLE, 1991

I had to have at least one funny book, although it takes a lot to make me laugh in print. I adore Doyle’s dialogue and his working class characters. Two mates going into business together is often a recipe for disaster, but the warmth here is fabulous.

This was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I’m a bit of a reading snob I suppose.

Unusually for me, I also loved the film, and ditto The Commitments – books are always better than films. Fact.

Another fact, he was born on May 8^th, my brother’s birthday.

THE HANDMAID’S TALE, MARGARATE ATWOOD, 1985

This feminist dystopia was actually cited in my first divorce. True story. The ex whined that he’d wanted to see ‘anything’ but’ at the cinema, but I’d ‘made him’ see this. To be honest, the TV series is way better than the film.

I had nightmares about the world of Gilead, where women are treated as brood cows and all their rights taken from them. Look around the world, it’s already happening, has always been happening. It’s chilling.

Huge thanks to Tina for five storming recommendations. Nobody has turned around their five selections quicker than Tina did – even people who have told me they had given some thought to which books they may select before I had contacted them couldn’t match her speed. Given her five books smoothly fitted into the five decades it also makes it more likely there was less cursing at me than I have experienced in the past.

DECADES WILL RETURN