God Is No Laughing Matter by Julia Cameron (Pan, £6.99).

THIS is a witty, honest and irreverent guide to discovering spirituality.

Julia Cameron debunks the mythology surrounding the mystical life and offers a thought-provoking and enriching view of God.

She cuts through the paradoxes and contradictions that make the spiritual path so hard to follow and describes how we can focus our experiences and recognise true inspiration.

It is important that the reader approaches this work without a particular mindset and that all options are kept open.

For this is indeed a refreshing new look at the sometimes vexed issue of faith and belief.

Patience Mansell-Read