Since my last interview post was received so well, I decided to invite another literary colleague to the Country House for a chat.
My guest for a cup of tea today is Saradia Chatterjee
(better known as Sara): blogger,
poet, author, reviewer, and student of literature. She is the owner of the Page-Hungry Bookworm blog and an ardent activist for human and
animal rights.
Sara, welcome to my Country House and thanks for stopping by
for a chat.
Thank you so much for the opportunity!
Let’s start out with a question about your blog. How did the Page-Hungry Bookworm come into being?
I must confess I didn’t start blogging solely due to the
fact that I’m an avid reader who wants to share her thoughts on books. I was a
clueless Indie writer trying to explore different websites that offered
promotional services. That is when I was referred to several review blogs. I
realized there are many authors in a similar situation and wanted to do my bit
to help them. I also wanted to read the works of contemporary authors who don’t
appear in popular media because of their decision to self-publish. I’m very
glad I chose to be a book blogger. It’s been a wonderful experience so far.
One of your major passions is social issues, particularly
animal rights. I’ve seen the videos on
your YouTube channel, and they are difficult to watch. How did you come to be so deeply involved in
this issue?
I have always been an animal lover but I wasn’t an active
participant in any welfare project or something of that kind. My initial
interest was wildlife conservation and protection of animals in the wild. While
doing some research in that field, I had the chance to interact with some
animal activists. I was shocked to learn about the numerous cases of animal
cruelty around the world and thought that I should join others in spreading
awareness. Many people don’t have much idea about the unthinkable plight of
thousands of animals. I believe it is necessary to speak up about this issue as
it is often ignored by those in power.
You mentioned that you prefer writing romantic stories rather than reading them. Why is that?
I haven’t been able to explain that to myself either.
Frankly, I used to read very few romances before I started my blog. But I wrote
a romance novel and a couple of short stories which have romantic elements in
them. I don’t enjoy reading romances because most of them are rather farcical.
As I have mentioned in my blog, maybe I just didn’t happen to read that one
romance novel that can change my viewpoint about the genre. As to why I like
writing romances, I have only one theory. The first story I ever wrote was a
romance and I suppose that is why I have some kind of attachment to it.
Please give us some examples of your “other-worldly"
philosophy.
My other worldly philosophy consists of ideas such as poetic
justice which are far removed from the reality of this planet. But I believe
that faith in goodness and justice is absolutely necessary in the struggle for
peace.
You’re writing a collection of short stories in which all
the protagonists are animals. Where did
the inspiration come from? How is the
writing progressing?
The inspiration obviously came from my love for animals. I
wanted to write about animal heroes and so I thought of this book. The writing
isn’t really progressing well because I’ve been very busy. I really hope I can
make time for this soon.
You have two works currently for sale on Amazon: “Beyond
Tragedies” and “In The End.” Tell us
something about them.
Beyond Tragedies is the first book I published. It is
general fiction bordering on romance. The main theme of this book is restoring
faith in the power of hope.
In the End is a psychological short story. It’s just
a few pages long and has a surprise ending. This story was inspired by a real
life incident I learned about in a news article. The focus here is on a woman
who is battling disease and depression and what happens after she chooses to
give up on life.
When you’re comfortably curled up on your sofa and reading
for fun, which authors are you most likely to read?
It changes from time to time. Right now, I mostly read Indie
books. But if I’m reading for fun, I like to read non-fiction. A lot of people
will find this odd but since I’m a student of literature I’m always dealing
with fiction, and in this case, non-fiction books are like a breath of fresh
air.
As a prolific reviewer on Goodreads, how do you handle the
grind of reading an endless parade of books without losing your sanity?
I have grown so accustomed to reading that not reading will
drive me to the edge of sanity. But yes, too much of it can become a chore. I
don’t overburden myself with more books than I think I’m capable of reading. I
read till the experience remains a pleasure. The moment I realize it is
becoming a grind, I quit reading for a while. I do accept 90% of review
requests if they are for genres I prefer. But that doesn’t mean I rush things.
I take my time so that I can properly assess the books. Since you mentioned
Goodreads, I would like to confess that I don’t admire it a great deal. This is
a little unrelated to your question but I thought I might as well talk about
it. Goodreads has too many rules and complications which I found very
problematic both as a writer and a reviewer. It’s largely dominated by
moderators which is not the case with other social media. I’m aware that many
authors love Goodreads but I personally didn’t like my experience there. Now I
visit Goodreads just to post my reviews.
Some closing thoughts of your choosing?
I look forward to reading plenty more Indie books and
interacting with talented authors. Thanks to all the authors and readers who
have made my blog possible! Thanks again, Ross, for this interview and good
luck for your future projects!
Sara, it was a pleasure to chat with you. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I wish you great success in all of your endeavors.
Some places where Sara can be found in cyberspace:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarabookworm91
Works available on Amazon:
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