My Fantasy Bookshelf: Andi Osho shares the books which influenced her life and career

Now, Osho has added yet another string to her bow with her debut novel, Asking for a Friend. The comedy fiction follows the dating adventures of three friends who decide to take each other’s romantic lives into their own hands.

Here, Andi Osho discusses some of her favourite reads from childhood to today and selects her final Fantasy Bookshelf line up.

She shares one of the books which inspired her own novel, the story she's most excited to read next and the unpopular book she'd gift every child.

As a child, which character from a book would you say you embodied most?

Mr Rush from the Mr Men books because I was literally running around all over the place. I'm still kind of like that.

He was always ahead of himself in a way, in a bad way, and that was a little bit me, constantly on the go. I used to run everywhere as well. Mr Rush is definitely me as a kid.

If you could tell every child in the world to read one book growing up, which would you choose?

Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I don't think that would go down as well as a David Walliams book [with the children], but I just wish that I had had that sort of understanding of not just money, but your relationship with money. It completely changes the game.

They would probably hate me for it, but who cares? They'll have lots of money.

Are there any types of stories you wish there were more of?

More books about who we are in a really easy, accessible way. One book that I really like is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. She writes in a really funny, honest, accessible way about being a creative.

Also A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. This book sheds light on everything we go through as humans but from a different perspective. I think if there were more books like this, people would find more peace which would make the world more peaceful - hopefully.

Your new novel Asking for a Friend was inspired by dating books you'd read before. Was there one in particular which stood out to you?

He's Just Not That Into You. It's about explaining to women that we analyse [men’s] behaviour to be excused but, basically, he's letting you know he's just not that bothered.

That was a real eye opener as I was reading the book and I was like oh my God, all the times I would excuse certain behaviour and he just wasn't bothered! It wasn't just useful, it was a proper revelation at the time.

I was able to weave that into my book. It's a comedy fiction, but I wanted that to be part of what I'm saying with it.

Is there a book you’ve read which you wish you could say you wrote yourself?

A Malcolm Gladwell book, probably Outliers or Tipping Point. He's so good at taking what is quite disparate information and finding the meaning in it all.

Other than that, maybe the Bible because that's quite popular as well. If I could get the royalties to that, that would be cool.

Which book has had the biggest impact on you?

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k had an influence on me. One of the things that I took from it is where we put our energy.

Sometimes we think we want something […] but then when we realise what it means to really realise that dream a lot of people will discover they actually aren't interested in it at all.

For example, to be a rock star. You go down that road of learning an instrument and realise actually, this is really hard work. I just wanted the glory of being a rock star. I didn't actually want to go on the journey.

If you could narrate any audiobook, which would you choose?

Richard Pryor’s autobiography. He was such an influential comedian but he also had this incredible life. His mum was a prostitute and he grew up in a brothel.

Before he'd even hit comedy, he'd already had several lifetimes over. I think that would be a really illuminating book to narrate.

What are you most excited to read next?

The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson. She was a solicitor, but she now writes these amazing crime novels set in South London with a Black, female detective protagonist.

When I heard about the book, I think it was a year or so ago, I was just like, ‘I need to read that book!’

I'm not necessarily into crime novels normally but what she had written felt so authentic.

Andi Osho's debut novel Asking for a Friend is out 4 February and is available to pre-order now.