The Bible

It seems slightly odd to include the New and Old Testaments in a list of favourite books, but it would be even odder to leave it out, given it's the only book I read virtually every day.

The version highlighted is a modern, easy-to-read, thought-for-thought translation of the original, with a funky metal cover, a Bible that not only slips into a bag but also sets off airport security alarms and probably stops bullets.

This is a fine version but I think the best idea is to read every version you can get your hands on, including the word-for-word translations like the NIV and paraphrases like The Message. Then buy a Greek-English interlinear version and a book like Vine's Dictionary of New Testament words and make your own translations. The New Testament has sold even more copies than the Da Vinci Code, I'm told, so there must be something in it.