Had a very strange dream last night. For some reason, the government placed a £15 tax on every book - including the ones you already owned. This meant that most people couldn’t keep their book collection and had to get rid of them all except for three (why three, I’m not sure!)

I woke up wondering which three books I would keep if this really happened. It’s a tough question. In fact, I’m sitting here, looking at my bookshelves, and I still don’t know. OK - time to force myself! Here’s a possible three book line-up…

The Lord Of The Rings. Yes, I know it’s a trilogy, but I’ve got a copy that has all three volumes in one book, so I hope I’m allowed to keep that. Years ago I had an operation and was laid up for two weeks afterwards. I had a friend pick me up some Tolkien reference books from the library, and I re-read LOTR but, this time, stopping at every name, song or poem and cross-referencing them. It was slow going and I’m sure I only scratched the surface, but it gave me a brief look at the sheer scale of Tolkien’s writing.

Dictionary/Thesaurus. Another two books in one! I love words, so a book like this would be a must for me. I am wary of filling my writing with long or complicated words just to try and look like ‘a writer’, however. If you write for children, you must always remember your audience every time you sit at the computer screen.

This third book is a real problem. What to choose? A classic - I’d go for Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger. ‘Literature’? David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. A biography - Harpo Speaks, the story of Harpo Marks is wonderful. Poetry by Wordsworth or Keats? What about a modern book, a children’s favourite, or even one of my own? I think, in the end, I would have to choose:

The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare. Yes, another multi-book tome. At least it would take some time to read! While I’m not someone who bangs on about the importance of Shakespeare, I do enjoy his plays (Othello being my favourite).

So, there you go - the three books I’m allowed to keep. What would you choose?

Tommy

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