The books that CHANGED MY LIFE

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME LAUGH Victoria Hislop The latest book from the much-loved author is The Figurine, out now. Here, she shares the books that have made her laugh, cry and think.

I always feel guilty that I don’t read every issue of Private Eye from cover to cover (my husband, Ian, is the editor), but I always catch up with the Private Eye Annual, which has the very best of the year’s jokes. And then I annoy him even more by reading bits of it out loud and collapsing with laughter.

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY

I was washed away by my own tears when I finished My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.

The combination of the protagonist’s memories and revelations was heart-rending and yet I never once felt I was being manipulated simply for the sake of sentimentality. The writing was brilliant and spare and I was completely caught up inside the woman’s life and, indeed, her mother’s.

THE BOOK THAT CHANGED THE WAY I THINK

The concept of how small decisions change the whole pattern of our lives is a gripping one – and I loved the way The Midnight Library by Matt Haig treats the whole ‘sliding doors’ notion. It was deceptively simple, but the concept very profound.

THE BOOK THAT GOT ME THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME

I read War And Peace by Leo Tolstoy during lockdown, along with my son. We had a book group for two! It needed long stretches of tranquil time and near solitude to read it, but it was sanity-saving to be so absorbed by a work of literature. Most importantly, it is the best book I have ever read. Flawless in every way and with some of the most memorable characters in literature.

THE BOOK I MOST OFTEN GIVE TO OTHERS

I often get asked for writing tips, and my answer is to give people On Writing by Stephen King. I have bought literally dozens of copies. For me, it is the writer’s bible and gives the best (and only) advice worth giving. It’s both funny and shocking sometimes – and totally authentic.