You know Desert Island Discs? I'll ignore the music side of that for the moment and just ask: what is your desert island book? You can only choose ONE!!! What's it gonna be?
OH GOD YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS QUESTION KILLS ME. I listen to Desert Island Discs quite a lot, and the second Kirsty Young says "and now you can have the Bible, the Complete Works of Shakespeare and one other book - what's it going to be?" I go into a complete panic.
I've considered turning down the Bible in a sort of atheist protest, but I then realise that if I'm stuck on a desert island I am in absolutely no position to turn anything down.
I've also considered just finding the longest book in the history of humanity and saying that, as a way of getting 'round it.
But no, I'll do this properly. The real question, I suppose, is not "what is your absolute favourite book?" but "what book could you not live without?", which gives a very different answer.
I don't think I could live without Odo Hirsch's Hazel Green. It's a kids book, very simple, very sweet. But I want it because it's the happiest book I have ever read, and I think it would keep me sane on that island.
Phew, glad to have got that out of the way. Incredible question - cheers!