This week’s BKBF Interview is with debut YA author Nisha Sharma (My So-Called Bollywood Life). She reveals what is swoon-worthy, her favorite book to give, and what books she will read again and again. Come hear her talk relationships at the Young Adult Stage at BKBF on September 16!
Where is your favorite place to read? In bed on Sunday afternoons. There is absolutely nothing better than lazy Sunday afternoon reading.
What is your favorite book to give an adult or a child? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’m a firm believer that Austen’s hero Darcy is the blueprint for the modern day Alpha male in genre romance. Also, that level of snark in classic British fiction is glorious.
What books are currently piled in your “To Be Read” stack … and where can the stack be found in your home? Every year I clear off a shelf in my library for books I plan to read, and a shelf of books that I’ll finish. I like to see what I plan on accomplishing and what I’ve done so far. Some of the books on my TBR shelf are genre romances from my favorite authors, as well as memoirs and young adult fiction. For example, I have an arc of Odd One Out by Nic Stone, as well as When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
What book do you return to most often, whether passages or whole? I tend to re-read serial fiction the most. I also like to re-read a lot of poetry and writing manuals. The two books that I tend to re-read the most in particular are On Writing by Stephen King, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
What’s the last book that had you reading past your bedtime? I have been obsessed with billionaire romances lately. They’re fascinating and a little swoon-worthy if I’m being honest. I was up until 3AM a few nights ago finishing a series by Katee Robert that combines two tropes: billionaire heroes and mob bosses. Trust me, these characters are worth the lack of sleep.
Nisha Sharma is a first generation Indian American. She grew up immersed in Bollywood movies, eighties pop culture, and romance novels, so it comes as no surprise that her first novel, My So-Called Bollywood Life, features all three. Along with writing, she teaches creative writing and practices law. She lives in New Jersey with her cat and her dog, both named after her favorite literature characters.
Get The BKBF Interview delivered to your inbox.
