MY SIX BEST BOOKS

BA PARIS is the author of Sunday Times bestsellers Behind Closed Doors and Bring Me Back. Her new novel The Dilemma (HQ, £12.99) is out on Thursday.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

by CS Lewis

(HarperCollins, £5.99)

I remember reading this cross-legged on the floor of the travelling library in Surrey as a child. I was fascinated by this enchanting fantasy world and I only stopped reading when the librarian said they had to go.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

by Jane Austen

(Penguin Classics, £4.99)

I fell in love with its world of beautiful women. I wanted to live in their girly world but I had four brothers. Now I have five daughters, like Mrs Bennet. I feel so lucky.

LES MISÉRABLES

by Victor Hugo

(Penguin Classics, £12.99)

My favourite book of all time. I read it just after I arrived to live in France and it was a wonderful way to appreciate this crucial time in French history. I love the film adaptation with

Liam Neeson too.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

by Lionel Shriver (Serpent’s Tail, £8.99)

So gripping and, apart from being compelling and original, what I really liked was the way it tackled nature vs nurture – it’s about a woman who doesn’t bond with her child. An important book.

THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST

by Mohsin Hamid

(Penguin, £8.99)

I love it. It’s beautifully written and the story is told in a quiet way. It’s lovely to read, quite spare and calm yet also exciting.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM

by Kate Atkinson

(Black Swan, £8.99)

I love stories about families and the relationships in them.When I read it, I thought I’d like to write like her.