Saba Sams: “I have no interest in reading Wuthering Heights again.” books

My first memory is reading
I remember Jacqueline Wilson reading aloud to my mother in the car. I think she was the “photographer mom.”. My mother couldn’t believe it was a children’s book, and felt very proud. I’ve always found most children’s books to be overly utopian and safe, but Wilson’s books were not at all like that. I love her for that.

My favorite book growing up
The Peak of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. I read it again recently, having almost forgotten about it, and loved it just as much. She’s completely alive.

The book that changed me as a teenager
Blood and Guts in High School by Cathy Acker. I read it at university when I was nineteen. I’ve never read anything like it. It expanded my mind by making me feel many things at once.

The writer who changed my mind
Gwendolyn Riley, for repeatedly writing claustrophobic novels from the perspective of an ambiguous female protagonist. I got the sense at some point that the writers were supposed to jump from book to book showing off their huge scope, but I find Reilly’s approach braver and more convincing.

The book that made me want to be a writer
“The Complete Story and Other Stories” by Ali Smith, especially a story in the collection called “Erosion.” Structure is disordered, but disorder is perceived as such. Reading them made writing feel like one of the most fulfilling and fun things I could attempt.

The book I’m back
“Agua Viva” by Clarice Lispector. When I first picked it up, it seemed very difficult, and I couldn’t understand it. I tried again several years later, after I put my baby down for a nap, and I had read the whole thing when he woke up. It was a unique, completely out-of-body reading experience, and exactly what I needed at that moment.

The book I re-read
Who will run the frog hospital? By Lori Moore. This novel suits every mood for me. At the sentence level, it’s charming and funny and very rubbery, but then it has this somber, wise mood that hangs over it. And the characters are great. And every time I return to it I find something new.

The book that I could never read again
I did Wuthering Heights for A-level, and I didn’t mind at the time. But I have no interest in reading it again. There are a lot of books out there.

The book I discovered later in life
I just read the book “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith. I enjoyed it very much. It’s more surreal and predictable than I expected. I wish I had read it as a teenager, but the complete naivety of each character may be the best thing about them, and I may have missed that years ago.

The book I’m currently reading
Sailing away from land By Ben Bester. It’s weird and emotional. I love ending my days with her.

Read my palm
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Some might argue that this novel is too sad to be comforting, but I disagree. At its heart is a call for extended love, and that to me is the ultimate balm. It’s funny too.