Did you grow up as a reader, or was there a particular book or story that sparked your love of reading?
I have been an avid reader since I was a little kid, but I do have an origin story for it! My school used to do a program where older kids would be partnered with younger ones as reading buddies, and I was a kindergartner forcing her fourth grade buddy to read picture books all year. Finally she got very fed up and sat me down with a chapter book of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. After Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, I was hooked and began seeking out more complex reads on my own.
What’s the most important factor to your enjoyment of a book: plot, characters, writing style, other?
I think plot and characters are most important to me, but I give more leeway in the plot than I do with characters. I need characters to be engaging, if not likable, and I need them to behave like real people to some extent.
You seem to read a wide variety of genres. (Harlequins, true crime, fantasy, Miss Fisher, narrative nonfiction!) How do you decide what to read next from your TBR list?
My TBR is massive, so I am definitely spoiled for choice when picking what to read next! I do a lot of reading challenges, so I often pick what I’m going to read based on what book fulfills the prompt at hand. Other times I’ll just read whatever I’m in the mood for – true crime, a romance, etc. And of course any new releases I’ve been waiting a while for jump straight to the top of my TBR when I finally get my hands on them!
Do you reread old favorites, or think life’s too short and there are too many new things to read?
I definitely am a rereader, though I’ve been doing it less in recent years. When I was a kid I reread books all the time, but now I think there’s too many new ones on my plate to dwell on older ones! That said, I have reread my favorites, like Into Thin Air and Cold Comfort Farm, too many times to count.
Did you attempt (successfully or un) to learn any new skills while quarantining?
I really wanted to learn how to knit, but unfortunately I could not work out how to start a second row and gave up on it. Funnily enough, my sister picked up my discarded needles and yarn and got very into knitting! She’s making me a hat now I think.
Now that you’ve learned all about Pooja, head over and see what she’s been reading lately. Or meet other Cannonballers we’ve interviewed recently.
