This week’s Inheritance Books are from the brilliant Carol E Wyer.

Hi Carol, welcome to inheritance books, tell us a bit about yourself, written in first person.

It’s always tricky, writing about oneself. You don’t want to come across as a prima donna, cocksure or an idiot. I seem to manage to come across as an idiot quite frequently. It started years ago when I used to be the class clown, but that is another story. I suppose it’s easier to be a bit of a fool or a clown because if you are, you make people laugh, and I like nothing better than to make people laugh.

That explains why all my books have a large dollop of humour in them. I believe that laughter, while it doesn’t fix problems or health issues, can certainly help them. A good laugh can lift spirits and it is proven to have a beneficial effect on your health.

So, in summary, I am a humorous writer and blogger who encourages people to see the funny side of life.

Which book have you inherited from your parents/grandparents? Why is it special?

My parents were both prolific readers and my love of reading came from them. We didn’t watch television. We would all sit around with books on an evening or a weekend, with the radio playing in the background. My father was often absent because he was in the army, but when he came home, he too would get out a book, sit on the settee next to Mum and read. On occasion he would laugh and read out a passage from his book, as he always read light-hearted books. The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovannino Guareschi was one of his favourites.

My mother has a large bookcase overflowing with battered books. When asked, she said that of all her collection, she’d like me to have Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

Most people have seen the film version of this classic, but my mother is not one of them. She always felt that Clarke Gable was not the Rhett Butler of her imagination and didn’t want to spoil her own mental image of that character.

I read the book when I was confined to bed during 1997. I spent thirteen weeks in hospital on traction thanks to a spinal problem, then a further three months at home, confined to bed after major spinal surgery.

My mother went to the library for me every few days, even though she worked full time and had to make a special journey. I read prolifically, and rather quickly, during the days I was stuck in bed. When she couldn’t get to the library, she would let me read the books from her own collection and Gone with the Wind was one of the first she lent me.

I can still remember the smell of that book. It had its own perfume. It was a “loved” book and my mother had read it several times, so the pages were beginning to show the signs of wear.

I was gripped from the outset. Before this book, I knew nothing about America or the Civil War, so this was a history lesson and a romance all rolled into one. It was more than that though; it was a story about emotions, grit, and determination, highlighted by a colourful exciting backdrop of a turbulent period in American history.

I spoke to my mother this weekend to confirm she still had the book. She assured me that she does, and that she will definitely pass it onto me when the time is right. In the meantime, she’s hanging on to it as she thinks she might like to read it again.

Which book would you like to leave to future generations? Why? 

I’d like to leave behind Winnie the Pooh by A A Milne. I realise this may seem a peculiar choice but in my mind it is timeless. It contains gentle humour, lovable characters and even adults can relate to it.

Today, as old as I am, I have a bedroom full of teddy bears that resemble Winnie the Pooh. I live with a real life Eeyore; my husband, and I act like an irrepressible Tigger. For me, the book reminds us of important things in our lives, of friendships and the innocence of childhood. Life is to be enjoyed and this reminds us of that.

Brilliant choices Carol. I love Winnie the Pooh. It’s not a strange choice at all. In just about any group of people you can spot the characters from the hundred acre wood.

Thanks for sharing your choices of books with us. Please drop by again, and good luck with the book.

Carol’s book How Not to Murder Your Grumpy is available now. You can find out more about Carol on her website , her blog (http://facing50withhumour.com), Facebook, Twitter or at LoveHappyEnding.com.