The books that CHANGED MY LIFE

Journalist and author India Knight’s fifth novel, Darling, is out this month. Here, she shares the books that have made her laugh, cry and think…

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME LAUGH

My elder son was reading me a story called Us And Them from David Sedaris’ compilation, The Best Of Me, and started laughing so much that he couldn’t carry on.

He just pushed the book at me to finish reading, and by the end, we were both crying actual tears.

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY

I don’t often cry at books;

I just get really choked up for hours – and sometimes days – and have to drink loads of tea and stare out of the window. Usually, a tiny domestic detail sets me off, rather than a big plot thing. I find economy of expression very moving. Also, repressed people daring to imagine happiness, such as in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains Of The Day, which remains my mostcried-at book of all time.

THE BOOK THAT CHANGED THE WAY I THINK

All books change their readers, I think, in tiny little ways. I couldn’t pick just one.

THE BOOK THAT GOT ME THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME

I have a roster, which includes all of Barbara Pym’s books, the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, all of Nancy Mitford’s novels and a wonderful novel that deserves to be much better known called Leonard And Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession, which is just the loveliest, most life-enhancing book. It’s about two quiet, gentle, unassuming men who still live at home and like board games. Nothing much happens. It’s a small masterpiece.

THE BOOK I MOST OFTEN GIVE TO OTHERS

Sorrow And Bliss by Meg Mason, on the basis that I couldn’t ever really be friends with anyone who didn’t love it. I also give Just One Pan by Jane Lovett to anyone who is a foodie but bored of their own cooking and is short of time. That woman is a genius.