Book Blogger Interview – Kriti Khare

We all love books, don’t we? So why is it that we hear from authors in interviews but so barely rarely with other bloggers and simply with fans of books?

I personally love reading the passion from other avid book readers and learning about their reading journeys, their experience of books, blogging and life in general. I was really glad Kriti approached me for a blogger interview and it’s been a real pleasure to have Kriti back in return to Spells & Spaceships to talk about her experiences as a creator, reader and fan of books. You can read our chat below and get to know Kriti better. Her socials are listed below the interview.

Hi Kriti!

It’s a pleasure to welcome you back to the blog. It’s actually been 4 years since I last interviewed you (International Women’s Day 2020) so it’s great to have you back.

Hi Alex! It is great to be back. 🙂

You’re a prolific reader and creator who makes a valuable contribution to the bookish community. Not only highlighting authors, but other creators too especially with your Creator’s Roulette. Why do you think it is important to spotlight other creators, rather than just authors and books?

Thanks for your kind words, Alex. I highlight other creators because I am a curious person and I love asking questions. Books are one side of quenching my curiosity and imagination but often knowledge goes beyond what can be put in a book.

Getting to know people through Creator’s Roulette interviews and guest posts is a way for me to tap into their passion and see the many forms of creative pursuits out there as well as the sheer number of things people know about. For example, one of my favorite (and probably random interviews) on the series is with C about knee arthritis. I have family members diagnosed with arthritis and it felt great to learn from someone who had dedicated years to knowing about the condition. I don’t remember how many different professions I considered when I was young and by connecting with different professionals and learning about their everyday (see life of a neurosurgeon and ranger), it’s a way of getting a glimpse into life I don’t have.

Creator’s Roulette is about personal stories and knowledge that we all collect over time. You have been on it, you know the feel I am going for there.

You’re a big advocate of the indie publishing world. What unique advantages do you find with indie books? I personally feel like the fact you can take more risks means you can often find something truly special and different.

I am on the lookout for stories that interest me and I will pick up a story because of what it promises, not because of the publication route taken for it. I love connecting with authors after reading the book and I have found indie authors to be more open to chatting with me but that may be because they already reached out to me about their book or know me from my work with the community through my Indie Recommends Indie series.

By the time a book arrives in my hands, it isn’t about the efforts put into the book or whether there is a marketing team or just the author being their work’s advocate. There are authors who want to connect with bloggers, those who let someone else do it for them, those who can accept honest feedback with grace and those who might never look at the book review they ultimately received. In over 100 post-reading interviews, numerous pre-reading interviews and over a 1000 review requests in the past 5 years, I have witnessed quite the variety. There have been instances where interviews have been dropped by both indie and traditionally published authors as well as opportunities where both have appreciated my interest.

Every author out there has a method on how they want themselves and their work to exist in the context of others. I am just one reader out of many and if I see potential in a story, especially when I am unable to commit to making time for it, I want to highlight it and hope it reaches someone who would read it.

What would you say sparked your love for the magic of books and reading?

I come from a family of readers. My paternal grandmother and aunt loved books and had massive collections in their lifetimes. I remember many lazy afternoons reading with them and I love going back to the authors we adored together.

What do you think it is about reading that provides such a comforting and engaging experience? Movies and TV series can give us stories, escapism and perspective but reading still feels completely different (and dare I say, much more rewarding).

I am a student at heart and growing up, I loved making notes from my text books and reading extra materials. Books are the closest I get to the classroom now except it’s my own curriculum and I can pursue anything I want. This is probably why even as an avid listener of audiobooks, I retain the text medium a lot better. The kind of depth that reading can provide me is something other mediums never will.

What each of us finds rewarding is a truly personal endeavour and with time and circumstances, things will change. The kind of books I used to enjoy 5 years, 10 years ago and how I would consume them is different from what and how I read today. Reading during university years looked very different from having a full time job. As a dad, I am sure you can speak to the changes with parenthood.

It’s often said that reading books and buying them are two separate hobbies! Have you ever bought a book you knew you wouldn’t get around to reading any time soon but needed it for your collection?

Reading and collecting are definitely separate hobbies for me. If you had asked me this question a couple years ago, the answer would have been that I buy impulsively. I have many books in my collection that I haven’t read and might not even get to.

It has only been in the last 2 years when I finally have the space in my house to create a library that I have thought more about intentional curation. I have a list of books I hope to buy at some point but I am not in a rush because I have already read them through the library or as digital review copies. I typically buy non-fiction books (to annotate them to my heart’s content) since I already get a lot of fiction from authors and publishers and the library.

What do you look for when deciding the next book to read?

I am a mix of planner and mood reader when it comes to choosing my next book. I tend to prioritize books where I have interviews set up with the author to get them questions about a month before planned coverage. This year, I am working through my indie backlist with the Backlist Bingo challenge so those review copies are getting priority. And then there’s my self-assigned-no-deadline review copies and personal fiction and non-fiction reading lists to choose from! I go towards the story/topic that appeals to me in the moment while keeping my commitments and goals in mind.

What is your favourite book in your collection?

I don’t have one favorite. Many books are special to me and you can find the recent ones on my Goodreads’ adored bookshelf.

What was the last book you read that you kept thinking about when you were away from it and couldn’t wait to return to?

The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills is a recent read that I looked forward to returning to and stayed immersed in every time I picked it up. It is a unique science fantasy that made me think of a lot of things and I love thought-provoking books. Planning to post the review in June with an interview with the author!