Book lover: Dan Shanan

Dan Shanan. Photo / Supplied

Dan Shanan is a trustee of the Documentary Edge Festival.

The book I love most is ... One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This is a classic. Need I say more?

The book I'm reading right now is ... The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein. My dog (Goldie) of 17 1/2 years passed on just before the holiday and this book is so powerful, especially now. Written from a point of view of an old dog, the book is very real and touching. Prepare to cry.

The book I'd like to read next is ... The Shah by Abbas Milani. I'm a biography buff and always on the look for inspiring new ones. Iran is a fascinating country today and so is its history. This new biography of Mohammad Reza Shah, the pre-revolution leader of Iran for 40 years, promises to reveal more about the man and his regime.

The book that changed me is ... The Diary Of Anne Frank. The Holocaust played a big role in my early readings in life and Anne Frank's diary was one that most affected me as a teenager. Growing up in Israel, a country that is always under threat, I shared Anne's views about the human race - the pain, suffering, prejudice and injustice which so many innocent people around the world experience. One could only wonder how far Anne would have gone in life if her fate were different.

The book I wish I'd never read is ... My partner's diary. Not all the answers have to be serious, right?

* The Documentary Edge Festival starts on February 16 in Auckland and March 10 in Wellington and includes work from Spike Lee, Oliver Stone and Justin Pemberton.