Turn Up the Heat Challenges: A Book About Someone You Would Love to Meet

What famous or not-so-famous, book-worthy person would you love to meet? Here are just some of the responses to this thought-provoking Turn Up the Heat Challenge.

I really over thought this challenge. Because there are famous people you are interested to read about but would you really want to meet them? Often for me the answer is a no because I think they might disappoint or that we really would have nothing in common. For a moment I thought I would like to meet Ricky Gervais but I couldn't find anything to read about him. Then I expanded my search to include people that had died but still no one jumped out at me. And once I made the challenge more relatable to my life e.g., who would I like to have a coffee with, like a catch-up with a friend or who would I enjoy to have as a work colleague or who would I enjoy listening to a TED talk by, I sorted it. Aoife Abbey ticks all these boxes. I really enjoyed the book she wrote called Seven Signs of Life. Aoife is an intensive care doctor and she divides her book into seven chapters, each a human emotion. She shares her work experiences with us in the book. She is thoughtful, considered and intelligent. She is amazing. Who knows when we will meet up for coffee...(Melanie)

Love Lives Here, a Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family by Amanda Jette Knox.
As a teenager, Amanda met the love of her life. They married and had 3 children. The middle child came out as transgender at 11 years old, at a time before society had become more accepting. This is the story of how Amanda coped with the revelation and became a champion and advocate for transgender people. And then her husband came out as transgender as well, beginning a whole new phase of their life, parenting, and marriage. Having some similar life experiences, I loved reading about how a wife and mother made sense of her life after her family members came out. I have now read more of Amanda's blog and articles and would love to meet her in real life as she is down to earth and inspirational. (Elizabeth P) 

The memoir Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell recounts the highlights and low-lights of running a bookshop in Scotland. The people behind the counter are just as interesting as the customers. The author is a bit of a curmudgeon, rather like Basil Fawlty, and he's not a fan of librarians. Then there's co-worker Nicki who dumpster dives. Shaun is very witty and funny - there are so many quotable moments. It's a shop I would love to visit. (Elizabeth B) 

                              

Bowie - Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams. I saw this on display at the Havelock North library and was drawn to it. Maybe it was because David Bowie was my first celebrity crush or maybe it's that I really enjoy his music. Either way, this book wasn't what I was expecting. But in a good way! I enjoyed the comic format (definitely haven't read comics in a while!) and thoroughly enjoyed seeing his journey peppered with interesting people, rock stars and it left me feeling more inspired to sit down and re-listen to some old albums with a whole new mindset. Thoroughly enjoyed! (Jane) 

The Centre Cannot Hold: a memoir of my schizophrenia by Elyn R Saks

Elyn R. Saks is an esteemed professor, lawyer, and psychiatrist and is the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, Psychiatry, and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Law School, yet she has suffered from schizophrenia for most of her life, and still has ongoing major episodes of the illness.
A fascinating, inspiring, hopeful memoir of a very challenging life. I would love to meet the talented, intelligent, ambitious author of this highly readable memoir. (Cheryl)

I have always enjoyed the poetry and personality of Pam Ayres so I was keen to read her 2011 Memoir The Necessary Aptitude. Pam's personality and wonderful writing expression are like her poetry - down to earth, honest and entertaining. Pam was born in the same year as I (in another part of UK) and her description of life in post war UK and the way we children absorbed the attitudes and views on life from our parents who had gone through two World Wars and a Great Depression seemed absolutely true to me. She shared her various experiences at school, work, which in the armed forces led to her taking the risk of sharing her poetry and wonderful performing ability with the public. She has also had a very happy family life and expresses well her love of animals and of the English countryside. An excellent read! (Eileen)