Reina James: my current top ten favourite songs

Reina James

Reina James, author of This Time of Dying and The Old Joke on her current top ten favourite songs.

Reina says 'This is very much a current top ten - songs I'm listening to a lot. Although I love them all (and hundreds more) favourites do change!'

Read more about the influence of music on her writing in her blog.

Reina James's current top ten favourite songs, in no particular order:

Mean Old Man - James Taylor

Never Give It Up - Richard Thompson

God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) - Randy Newman

Going Down Slow - Aretha Franklin

Hole In The Heart - Karine Polwart

Train Song - Eliza Carthy

At Last - Etta James

Home At Last - Steely Dan

Finishing The Hat - from Sunday In The Park With George by Stephen Sondheim

Ten Feet Tall And Bullet Proof - Travis Tritt

Etta James

Etta James, whose song At Last is not only one of Reina James's favourites but was also sung by Beyonce to accompany the first dance at Barack Obama's inauguration ball.