The notepad: Maha Khan Phillips

Financial journalist and author of two compelling novels, jots down pieces of literature that have most influenced her

Maha Khan Phillips, a financial journalist and author of two compelling novels, jots down the pieces of literature that have been the most influential to her 

Burnt Shadows

Kamila Shamsie



This book still haunts me. It begins on the day of the bombing of Nagasaki in Japan, and ends in Guantanamo Bay, spanning the breadth of history, and its shared impact on two families. It is heart-wrenching and political, but it is also very human, and the writing is achingly beautiful.

Calvin and Hobbes

Bill Watterson



I can’t pick just one of the anthologies of these stunning comic strips, they are all brilliant, joyful, and wry! The comics chronicle the adventures of six-year-old Calvin and his anthropomorphic tiger, Hobbes. They are my happy place.

Emma

Jane Austen



I love all things Austen, but Emma is by far my favourite. A witty tale of a clueless and often self-deluded matchmaker set in Georgian-Regency England; Emma is satire at its best, with a nice sprinkle of romance in it too.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn



I return to this book constantly. The story is set in a Soviet labour camp in the 1950s, and is an indictment of political oppression under Stalin, told from the point of view of an ordinary prisoner. I first read it as a teenager, and it made me realise how little I knew, or understood the world.

The Phantom of the Opera

Gaston Leroux



I don’t know why I love this gothic story so much. Perhaps because it is dark and twisted, or because it involves music, or because Erik, the Phantom, is such a compelling character. I think it also grabbed me because Leroux writes it as though it’s a true story. Because I knew there really was an underground lake under the Paris Opera House where it is set, I decided it simply must be true.

Timeline

Michael Crichton



An absolute page turner of a book about archaeologists and historians who travel back in time to save their missing professor, who is trapped in 14th century France, by going to a parallel universe. Michael Crichton always manages to combine adventure and fun with fascinating scientific ‘what ifs’, like he did with Jurassic Park, and I love the combination.

My Side of the Mountain

Jean Craighead George



I picked this book up one day, randomly, when I was 11 years old, and I haven’t stopped talking about it since. It’s about a 12-year-old boy who runs away from New York and goes to the Catskill Mountains to live in the wilderness. It’s everything a children’s book ought to be. It’s a tale of survival, and full of adventure. It’s also about nature, growing up, and becoming independent.