Bookbenchers: Pamela Nash MP

The first Bookbencher of 2012 is Pamela Nash, MP for Airdrie and Shotts. She tells us what she likes about Roald Dahl and surprises us with the book she'd most recommend.

Which book's on your bedside table at the moment?

Eight years behind everyone else, I am reading Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin. I'm only halfway through, but already it has provided a sharp insight into the female mind and the thin line between domestic bliss and disaster.  I think it has remained a must-read as it broke the mould in exploring a modern woman's ability to decide whether or not she really wants to have children, and the consequences of that choice.

Which book would you read to your children?

Roald Dahl's books remain timeless.  They provide modern fables; each with an important lesson for the reader.  Most importantly he has managed to mix moral tales with good old fashioned toilet humour, which every kid and big kid loves.  I have a soft spot for his work, but would particularly pass on Matilda to the children in my life, as it carries the important message that you can do whatever you dream of if you put your mind to it. 

Which literary character would you most like to be?

Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice is a character ahead of her time. Independent, funny and accomplished whilst putting her family first and still falling head over heels when the opportunity arises.

Which book do you think best sums up 'now'?
 
There has rightly been a buzz about The Spirit Level by Richard G. Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. This is an important work about the massive changes that the world is undergoing at the moment, and the effect that it is having on human beings.  That relative poverty, and not just absolute poverty, and its powerful effect on society are something that we, as politicians, must address.

What was the last novel you read? 
 
The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden.  Uganda is very close to my heart, and this book brings alive the sights, sounds and smells of this amazing country, whilst also providing a narrative around one of the most terrible times in its history.  The character of Idi Amin that Foden has created is terrifyingly believable.

Which book would you most recommend?

Twilight! For those who think the Twilight Saga is for children or just a fad, please give it a go.  

Given enough time, which book would you like to study deeply?

I would like to take the time to get to know Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest in depth.  Despite its age, it is still hilarious and very readable, but I would like to appreciate the layers of meaning and humour fully.

Which books do you plan to read next?

I am trying to work my way through the classics that I missed as a teenager, so I have just downloaded Jane Eyre to my iPad.  Stephen Hawking’s book The Grand Design is also waiting on my bookshelf to be read.

If the British Library was on fire and you could only save three books, which ones would you take?
  
Complete Works of Shakespeare 
Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species
And finally, lest we forget to heed the lessons of history, worst of human nature and the consequences of our failure to react, Lt.Gen. Romeo Dallaire's Shake Hands with the Devil.