#Bloggerthon | A convo between two #bookbloggers who love literature, blogging and discovering wicked awesome next reads! Jorie interviews Priya for a bit of ‘book talk’.

As I broached on Wednesday, when my own interview with Jessica @ Writing Pearls was featured, #Bloggerthon is a book blogosphere event hosted by Margaret @ Bemused Bookworm wherein book bloggers had the opportunity to interview each other in a round robin style where the interviewee is engaged in conversations with two book bloggers they have not yet had the chance to meet outside this event!

Today, I am featuring the book blogger of whom I had the pleasure of conversing about the books which challenge us and the topics which alight in our mind to broach whenever you find two bookish souls together sharing a cuppa of conversation!

Kindly welcome Priya Prithviraj of the blog Priya ‘s Lit Blog!

Hi Jorie

First, a big thank you for having me over on your blog and asking these wonderful questions! I hope you like my answers too.

What do you love about Classical Children’s Literature vs today’s Contemporary Children’s Literature?

Priya responds: I actually haven’t read many of the contemporary children’s literature. I grew up reading the classics. But from the few present day children’s literature that I have read, I feel the growing distance from the good old uncles and aunts, the old farmhouse and its animals, and the beautiful countryside. While books like Heidi and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm were about children going to live in a faraway place with an old uncle or aunt, both had the part about bonding with the old relatives and getting to know the countryside and the goodness of it. Those books have actually made me want to visit those places or at least the countryside that’s closer home.

Jorie’s thoughts: I can sympathise with your longings for a simpler time and a keen innocence of scope within Children’s Literature as this is what I am seeking myself when I pick up Contemporary stories for children and young adults. By far one of my favourite contemporary writers for children who gives us a breadth of a glimpse back inside what we love from the Classics is Jacqueline Kelly who gave us Calpurnia Tate. Calpurnia is a self-aware young girl who has bonded to her naturalist grandfather ; we’re first introduced to her in ‘The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate’ which is a heart-warming coming-of age story set at the family farm. Kelly joyfully surprised me this past year by releasing ‘The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate’ (info on author’s site) of which I am keen on borrowing through my library!

I originally found Calpurnia on my local library’s reading shelf and happily celebrated seeing they had bought the sequel! It’s my intention to dig back inside this wonderful world of girlhood discoveries with the benefit of feeling as if I had returnt home. This is one reason I created my page for Children’s Lit, to show my own journey back inside the stories which guide younger readers to world of wonder, self-discovery, innocent childhoods and the joys of growing comfortable in their own skin. We simply have to look a bit harder to find the beauty of where the contemporary writers are taking our children of today.

Priya left me curious if here a contemporary children’s author who has made her curious to read their stories? If she has even come across a book that surprised her? What do you think dear hearts? Are there contemporary authors who are drawing you back into stories which remind you of the Classics?

Priya responds: I have read quite a few contemporary children’s literature but im not mentioning the titles as I just said I didn’t quite like them. I have a little nephew aged four and I browse through popular children’s books of today when picking out books for him.

Jorie’s thoughts: I can respect your not wanting to reveal which titles did not quite float your boat, as I too, tend to hold back from mentioning ones that wrinkled my feathers, too! How lovely you have this connection with your nephew! It’s wonderful when we can share a passion with a young child where our happiness with reading is passed on to the next generation! Many happy reads to you both!

Of the three top favourite novels you’ve enjoyed from the Classics (Anne of Green Gables, Heidi and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) what stands out to you as being the quintessential reason these stories still speak to your heart?

Priya responds: These three books are about little girls going to live in a faraway place and learning to live. How they feel like a stranger in the beginning and then find a home in the strange place forms the main plot and I love that – the idea of home and the intricacies entangled.

Jorie’s thoughts: Very much akin to The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, Pippi Longstocking, and Jane Eyre where they had to live off their intuitive instincts in regards to how to adapt to their new circumstances. I find these stories quite uplifting, as they show a strength of character and of how you can rise above your adversities through a bit of hope cast against the shadows. I, too, appreciated seeing how intricately the writers wove their characters through the heart centered focus of family and hearth. There is a bit of a stepping back from having children’s characters attached to their families and/or their relations of whom take them in when life yields to a need for relocation. Almost as though there is a fracture of revealling how families are coming together in today’s contemporary world in lieu for only showing children on their own without the guidance and advise of their guardians.

Priya’s reply left me wanting to pitch this question: What do you feel is causing this disconnection between children, family, and the manner in which stories are altering their focus to where children are viewed more independently from their parents, siblings and families in today’s children’s stories? dear hearts – what do you think is causing the major shift of focus?

Priya responds: The world is shrinking and so is the family. Families are mostly nuclear and compact these days, consisting of just parents and children (mostly two). So children’s lives revolve around their school, friends and home, and the stories reflect the same. I totally like how the books of today show lives of children without having too much of grown-ups in the picture. The books I read were about children going on a holiday or spending their vacations exploring and adventuring. I just wanted to point out the difference that striked me first.

Jorie’s thoughts: Yes, I think your quite right on this response too – literature does tend to reflect back what currently can be observed from our society. I think for myself, I tend to hope there are more families that are still as connected as families were of the past, and sometimes I find some of the choices being made in Children’s Lit a bit disheartening for my own tastes, but I do appreciate your observations on the changes themselves.

Anna Karenina is on my Classics TBR so much so I picked up a second-hand copy of the novel in hardback last year (2014) aiming to read it shortly thereafter. Time swept me away, and I’ve not yet broached it’s pages. As a new reader to this work, what would you tell me about your original impressions when you read it for the first time?

Priya responds: Anna Karenina was my first tryst with Tolstoy and Russian Literature. It made an interesting read and I felt pretty emotionally involved as I read through the pages. Since you haven’t read the book I don’t think I should talk more about it and spoil it for you. But to put it simple, my heart felt as heavy as the book when I finished it.

Jorie’s thoughts: I admit, it’s hard not to spoilt a story for a reader who is new to an author and about to take their journey into their world for the very first time. I appreciate your kindness in not sharing too much, except to let me know this novel might affect me in such a manner as to become one of the stories where I find it most difficult to pull back into my own living reality for having visited so long inside Tolstoy’s. I find this a blessing amongst reads, because there are certain authors who are so wholly in tune with how to curate their timescapes and develop their characters, we can only help but to become so eagerly attached to the breadth of where their stories allow us to traverse. I shall remember to pick up this topic with you after I’ve consumed Anna Karenina!

You mentioned another title to me “Quo Vadis” which I had never heard of before you’ve mentioned it. What drew you to this particular story and how did it soak inside your mind to become one of your favourite stories?

Priya responds: I came across Quo Vadis when I found an old moth-eaten copy of it from my mom’s old trunk. It was the summer holidays and we were at our old farmhouse where there was no TV or computer. So I started reading it without much interest but then I started enjoying it as the story unfolded chapter after chapter. Originally written in Polish by Henryk Sienkiewicz Quo Vadis is a historical romance set against the backdrop of the reign of Nero, the time of Christian persecutions in the Roman Empire leading to its decadence. It was the first historical fiction I read and the history that it talks about is very fascinating too, and it could not have missed my list of best books. The author won the Nobel Prize for Literature for this work.

Jorie’s thoughts: I love how you walked into this story without any expectations, soaking inside this work of historical fiction and finding it was to your liking! This is a good visual explanation of how we, as readers, hope to seek out stories which may or may not make a strong first impression on us as wanting to be read but whose heart of narrative convinces us to stay with the characters and remain firmly rooted inside the novel. What a lovely memory, you’ve shared! Curious if this has made you start to seek out more historicals?

Priya adds: Of course I did love the new genre I discovered and I guess that’s how I found Anna Karenina.

Jorie’s thoughts: How wicked sweet! I hadn’t connected the dots on this part of our conversation – I had felt inclined to ask how you were keen on Tolstoy’s masterpiece but for some reason I hadn’t thought to think about what came first in regards to which author inspired you to read the other! Love this!

What type of style of poetry do you write vs the kinds of poems you enjoy reading? Is there a difference or do you gravitate towards contemporaries of whom write in the same style as your own writings?

Priya responds: I don’t think I can be even close to the brilliance of the poems I read, but I do certainly tend to follow the style of poetry I enjoy while I’m writing myself. I have a strong liking towards short poems and I have noticed that my poems are mostly short. I feel that the meaning on the words become more and more powerful as they are less. And I also love sensory imagery and do employ a lot of imagery in my poems.

Jorie’s thoughts: I would never sell yourself short – for starters, all poets had to find the confidence in their words and their conveyance of an idea in the style of poetry they selected as being their own. I am quite sure poets throughout the centuries faltered a bit to think they had anything important to share or even anything pertinent to say when they first inked out their words. Poetry can be interpreted differently per each person who reads a poem; similar to novels as there are never two reactions equal to each other when two readers read the same novel. I think if you’ve followed your heart and are inclined to pursue a style of writing that gives you joy to create, your well on your way to developing this side of your craft.

Again, I don’t believe it matters if you write epic poems, short poems, poems in verse or even experimental poetry – if how the words are arriving to you are collected into a poem that makes you smile after you re-read it, then you’ve captured something special.

Will you be reviewing works of poetic prose on your blog? If so, do you know which poets you would like to feature first?

Priya responds: I actually want to do that but haven’t got the opportune moment yet. :) I would of course love to talk about my favourite poems and poets. But I am more focused on the contemporary writers when it comes to my blog so I guess I’ll have to make time for some new poetry.

Jorie’s thoughts: I think this sounds like a great idea as you move forward – our book blogs should remain fluid with where our reading lives are taking us next. We might highlight certain authors or genres of stories, and then lateron realise we have undergone a bit of a shift of focus in where our current reads are taking us. If we find something is missing, we must strive for better balance, as I know this is one thing I am attempting to do myself having mentioned it on my own interview.

You are the curator of a bookish curiosity shoppe – what led you taking this leap into being a homemade shoppe keeper of bookish goods?

Priya responds: Actually I’m not just the curator but also the artisan behind the goods. :D I have always been interested in crafts and had been making a few bookmarks recently when I thought it might be a good idea to spread some bookish love. :)

*Note to my readers: You can see an example of her homemade bookmarks in the photograph on the right. Also seen in this photograph is her hand-painted bottle light. You can find her shoppe online: Priya’s Curiosity Shop

Jorie’s thoughts: Anytime you can find a way to give joy and to create harmony with your own creativity as you do is a surefire way to spread happiness. I am a bit crafty myself – as I appreciate creating mixed media collages, taking wildlife and nature photography and knitting projects I can give away as either a gift or a bit of cheer to a charity where the recipient will have an unexpected smile.

What do you appreciate the most in being able to interview authors you’re either curious about reading or have already read knowing your an appreciator of their works?

Priya responds: When I interview writers, I focus mainly on their writing process and their way to success. I try to ask them about the things that aspiring writers would want to know about. And I’m glad to be able to do that. It’s a learning experience for me as well.

Jorie’s thoughts: I do this myself – focus on how the writer is writing their stories but also, to dig a bit inside the heart of the story they are focusing on promoting – whether I’ve read the book myself or whether I plan to read it down the road a bit, I am naturally curious about how stories alight inside a writer’s mind to be told. I like the research behind the interviews inasmuch as the responses writers give when I interview them. Sometimes I even like to ask the same question to different authors – seeing if their responses will differ and if they do differ, how do those new answers reflect back against the original responses? What can we learn as a collective whole by how certain questions trigger certain responses? I think if we stopped learning we’d find ourselves without a way to remain curiously observant of our living realities.

Which thematic of narrative and genre of literature do you find yourself reading the most over the past year? Has this changed from previous years?

Priya responds: I started reading Existentialist Literature only a year ago when I picked up the novel ‘The Last Labyrinth’ by Arun Joshi*. That was my first stint with existentialism and what followed thereafter was a search for all his novels. I also stumbled upon Camus’ The Stranger in the reading list for the course in Prose Genres at my university.

*Note: You can see the Arun Joshi book in her September Reads photo at the end of this convo.

Jorie’s thoughts: I must admit, I am not familiar with these works nor have I come across this particular thematic in my previous literary wanderings. I found the description about this kind of literature on Wikipedia quite enlightening on how it differs from other philosophies and works of literary insight.

I presume you are a traditional reader like myself, as I saw a lot of print book photography on your book blog – do you also enjoy listening to audiobooks or do you have another secondary method of reading the stories which tempt you to devour them?

Priya responds: I love the scent of books and the sound of flipping the pages and really like the idea of a bookshelf. I would love print books any day but I do read e-books these days as they’re more convenient to read on the go. I haven’t tried audiobooks but have listened to audios of few short stories and found it to be not my cup of tea. I prefer reading than listening and perhaps that’s why I couldn’t enjoy audiobooks. I read ebooks on my phone when I’m travelling on a train or waiting in a queue and I guess that’s the best part about ebooks – convenience.

Jorie’s thoughts: Yes! Isn’t it smashingly lovely how joyful it is to hold a book in your hands and feel the tangible connection to both the thoughts within the story and the book itself? I can understand this, in regards to audiobooks – for me it’s helping add a new dimension to my reading and to how I am processing the words themselves; it’s a re-awakening of finding a hidden layer of joy whilst I read but I can definitely respect this might not be the same for everyone because we all process stories differently. What works for me might not be of interest to another reader and vice versa. For instance, I’m quite uninterested in ebooks and reading electronically – because for me, books were always keenly portable, as I would regular pop in several paperbacks and hardbacks into my backpack whether I was heading to class or going on holiday. I think we’re simply approaching it from two different perspectives of what we find ‘convenient’. (to read more see my thoughts about print, audiobooks and ebooks via #BookishNotBookish No.7 – releasing soon!)

Priya adds: But I have found a website called Lit2Go from the Bloggerthon posts on Bemused Bookworm and it has a lot of audio books. So I guess I’ll try listening to some audio books soon.

Jorie’s thoughts: I think this is fantastic! Mostly because I have become so very intrigued by the theatrical manner in which audiobooks are being produced, they have become a bit of a luxury to dip inside whilst I am reading! Even if there isn’t an ensemble cast, the way in which an audibook narrator is guiding you through the context of the story by switching their voice per character or etching inside your mind a living reel of where the story is taking you via their narration is the best bliss I can attest to having found whilst listening to an audiobook! I do hope on your new adventures into audiobooks, you’ll find something equal to your tastes to give you the same kinds of joys!

Which book did you discover at your local library or a secondhand book shoppe or a thrift store that ended up becoming an incredible read you cannot stop cheering about?

Priya responds: I found an old copy of Daphne Du Maurier’s ‘I’ll Never Be Young Again’ at a second hand book sale at my university. Daphne’s books are so hard to find and I love old tattered books for some reason, especially second hand ones. So I just bought it without a second thought and it’s one of my treasured books now.

Jorie’s thoughts: I love how you can to reflect that this because one of your most treasured reads!! Even though I look for gently used books where they are not completely gone a muck by previous owners, I too, can attest that sometimes a book has a way of finding us and it’s story is one that will be remembered due to how unexpected it was to even read it in the first place! Always trust your instincts. Sometimes you’ll be surprised where your impulse purchase can be the gateway towards a lifetime of reading an author whose stories entertain you quite cleverly! I will be reading Du Maurier myself for the first time in 2016.

Which novel would you consider the most challenging work of narrative you’ve ever read? What made it difficult to absorb?

Priya responds: I think Wuthering Heights is the work I have spent much thought on reading as it involved split narratives and many characters who even had same or similar names. It could also have been so because I read it while I was still at school and hadn’t been used to such a writing style.

Jorie’s thoughts: I have heard so many unique things about Wuthering Heights, they tend to run the full gambit of ‘positive, neutral and quasi-negative’ in tone of reflection! I am never quite sure who is appreciating the story and whom is quite irked they read it only to become quite disenchanted with it as a whole! lol We’re never meant to love every book that we read, but I think we’re bookishly inclined to believe we can find something positive about a classical author especially one who has been read for such a very long time! Perhaps even the Classics have their limits – and where we might feel we’re akin to favour an author’s work, there might be two more yet discovered of whom we’d appreciate even more! I have earmarked 2016 the year I read this one for the first time; a bit like saying I’ll be reading War and Peace and Anna Karenina too!

Priya shares her September reads in a photograph to end our conversation, as there is one thing we dearly share in common: an eagerness for picking up a story which will capture our mind and heart for what is left behind waiting to be discovered by us. I, myself have an active queue of ‘next discoveries’ as I am finishing my readings of The Haunting of Springett Hall, CORVIDAE, Summer Campaign, and The Barter.

Thank you Priya for such a hearty open exchange on literature and our bookish lives! I definitely enjoyed conversing with you, and appreciated the fact we could go back and forth on a few of the discussion points, too! Such a special treat to pick up the conversation whilst it was in progress and have a new response to respond too! It felt like this was a live conversation at one point! Many happy bookish adventures to you, and thank you for being open to my questions! I will be in touch after I read Tolstoy so we may talk about his writings and his characters! Cheers!

Be sure to follow the rest of the events:

Don’t miss the convo Priya had with Whitney @ She’s Too Fond of Books!

Are you a book blogger? What were your thoughts on this round robin interview between book bloggers who are seeking out each other as a way to get to know a part of the book blogosphere we might not have had the pleasure of visiting prior to our conversations? Do we share mutual interests with you? What are the stories which etch inside your own heart with such fierce passion?

{SOURCES: #Bloggerthon badge created by Bemused Bookworm for the event and used with permission. Comment Box Banner made by Jorie in Canva. Tweets embedded due to the codes provided by Twitter. All book photography shared on this interview were taking by Priya Prithviraj and are considered fair use as she is sharing her reading life through personal photography. She granted me permission to use these photographs on my interview and sent them to me directly.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2015.

Comments via Twitter:

Jorie interviews a fellow #bookblogger for #Bloggerthon (https://t.co/umjoAcsYJL) Join our convo on literature & #KidsLit! @PriyaPrithviraj

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) November 5, 2015

.@PriyaPrithviraj Thx everyone who visited my convo w/ Priya! NEW UPDATES now visible via https://t.co/umjoAcsYJL #classiclit #KidsLit JOY!!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) November 5, 2015

@joriestory really enjoyed this post!

— Liza Wiemer || THE ASSIGNMENT (@LizaWiemer) February 29, 2016

@joriestory @PriyaPrithviraj that really came thru!! Well done! 💗

— Liza Wiemer || THE ASSIGNMENT (@LizaWiemer) March 1, 2016