I'm very close to my parents. I admire them and respect them enormously. But my childhood unfortunately coincided with the end of their marriage. They are two people who should never, ever have got married.

Books aren't like broccoli. You don't have to eat it because it's good for you. Books drag you in because they are fascinating.

I don't read like other people do - back and forth, across the page. I tend to scan a page at a time.

Death had ruled my life till I met Lady Dance. Her dance had set me free.

A lot of dyslexic kids are actually more intelligent than average and are very good, because they've got very good memories, at disguising the fact that they can't read or have got problems in reading and literacy.

I don't finish a lot of the books I read. I get enormous pleasure from reading half f them, two-thirds of them, even incredibly good books. But I don't feel it's my duty to finish them. I read the last few pages and find out what happens at the end.

If something is worth doing you may as well go heart and soul and boot leather.