Book lover: Yvette Parsons

Yvette Parsons. Photo / Supplied

Actress Yvette Parsons is performing in The House of Bernard Alba in Auckland this month.

The book I love most is ... Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake, a surreal fantastical tale about the inhabitants of a remote, ancient, crumbling castle called Gormenghast. It's the first in the Gormenghast trilogy. The second is equally juicy. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The book I'm reading right now ... is The Occidentals by Caron Eastgate James. It's a rollicking good historical novel, set in 19th century Siam. The book has sold 25,000 copies in Southeast Asia and Europe and really should be in New Zealand bookshops. It's written by my best friend from schooldays, Dr Caron Dann, a New Zealander who now lives in Melbourne.

The book I'd like to read next is ... Ghost Dance by Douglas Wright. I've already read it and it's one of the very few books I've wanted to re-read. A beautifully written, truthful, profound autobiography. In my opinion an utter masterpiece along with his book of poetry, Laughing Mirror. Astounding.

A book that changed me is ... The Women's Room by Marilyn French. It was written in 1977, but is still relevant. It's a book about a woman finding herself.

The book I wish I'd never read is ... The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Widely touted to be a revelation, I couldn't for the life of me make head nor tail of it. A pile of pants.

The House Of Bernard Alba plays from June 10-19. Bookings through Tapac - (09) 845 0295 ext 1 or robin@tapac.org.nz