Sophie Roell is editor of Five Books, the website where authorities in a field are asked to recommend the top books in their subject, and talk about them in an interview. The aim is to offer book recommendations on as wide a variety of subjects as possible, from Happiness and Success, to World Wars and the Holocaust. Economics and China are particularly strongly represented, reflecting Sophie's background as a financial journalist and current place of residence (Beijing).

SOPHIE'S FAVOURITE BOOKS

The Browser -  This is set as my homepage and is completely essential to my life. I have three small children, so the idea that I have time to read newspapers in a leisurely way is simply ludicrous. With The Browser, I don’t need to. I can still appear intelligent and informed about the world just by scanning editor Robert Cottrell’s short summaries. I particularly like the quotes section, some of which are just hilarious.

Marginal Revolution - Unfortunately we live in a world where we need to understand economics. This blog gives a good glimpse of some of the stuff going on/being debated (eg South Sudan is the fastest growing economy  in the world right now) combined with a daily dose of more fun/quirky links . The bloggers, two professors at George Mason University, are at the other end of the political spectrum from me, but I view that as a plus rather than a minus.

Youbemom - This is an addictive time wasting site for mothers, completely anonymous, hence its appeal. There are people canvassing opinions about whether or not their husband (always referred to as DH or Dear Husband) is having an affair, or if the way another mother treated their child at the playground was appropriate or not. People answer questions in real time, so you don’t have to wait long to hear the sometimes helpful, sometimes snarky, string of responses…

Flycheapo -  I travel a lot and not always to and from predictable places. This site tells you which budget airlines fly between different destinations. So say I’m in Rome and need to get to Dubrovnik, Flycheapo will tell me which airline does the route (Answer: Easyjet). I find it an incredibly useful resource. Love the name too.

The Man in Seat 61 -  I can’t resist another travel one, this one for international trains which can be a bit of an informational black hole. I used it at Christmas to figure out how to book my ticket from Amsterdam to Zurich (surprisingly, the easiest way to get a ticket was online from DB, the German rail operator) and I’m currently lurking on the site for a planned train trip with the kids over the border from China to Vietnam.

FORCE -  Like Angelina Jolie (who thought I would ever write those words!), I carry the BRCA1 breast (and ovarian) cancer gene. This is the website to go to for information about it. The woman who runs it, Sue Friedman, is very well-informed, and you can post your own questions in the forum, and benefit from the wealth of knowledge of its users. I wouldn’t say the advice they give is always right, but it will equip you with the tools to ask your doctor the right questions and make your own decisions.

3 July 2013