Holiday reading

Can't remember being asked to contribute to this survey which highlights favoured reading of MPs and Peers.

There is always a dilemma in answering these things. Should I try and hint at my intellectual side or highlight the common touch? Hence the lists of preferred reading range from the politically predictable to something everyone will have heard of (ie Harry Potter).

Whatever happened to reading for pleasure? Are they all being honest?

For the record my holiday reading has hardly been touched but I try to alternate between something I feel I ought to read and something I just want to read for the hell of it. The following are cluttering up my bedside:

Author Author - David Lodge
David Blunkett - Stephen Pollard
Fruit of the Lemon - Andrea Levy
Downsize this- Michael Moore
A tale of love and Darkness - Amos Oz
Birds without wings - Louis de Bernieres
Grumpy old women

David Hinchliffe once recounted a worrying tale to me on a Select Committee Trip. He had discovered that Simon Burns was talking to publishers about writing a book (Simon used to keep us entertained on visits by providing an endless stream of political quiz questions).
The exchange (I am told ) went something like this
"Blimey," says David, "You'd better keep that quiet or people will think you're an intellectual"

Quick as a flash came the retort from Simon,
"In my party - the fact I actually read books marks me out as an intellectual!"