Catholics by Brian Moore I read this (rather ironically), while on an eight-day silent retreat at a Jesuit spirituality centre in the UK, after finding it on a bookshelf in the library.

The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge A wise old Irish man once told me that a wise old Jesuit once said to him at the beginning of a psychology lecture that “all psychology and philosophy exists in order to teach us to love other people”.

Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C.

Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey by Jane Goodall My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one of those books that came at the right time – it seems as though it was given to me.

All the Broken Places by John Boyne SPOILERS AHEAD 15/04/23: I’m upset with this one.

To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility by Jonathan Sacks There are textbooks, and then there are text-people.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy My rating: 5 of 5 stars I guess because this book is such a beast and such a mad ride I feel some kind of pressure to go into a cave for 3 days and come out saying I’m a changed man or something, but instead I’m just gonna write what I’m thinking right now.

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder Not the kind of book you review; it’s the kind of book that reviews you.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi My rating: 3 of 5 stars Saw this book on one of my regular excursions to my local charity shop.