What are you reading at present?

Right now, I'm reading Ayurveda and the Mind (The Healing of Consciousness) by David Frawley. The book is an insight into consciousness and basically a virtual guideline on Ayurveda and yoga. It's more like a directive on creating a wholeness of the body, mind and spirit. The book relates everything to one another. The author has made such abstract topics easier to understand. The text links Ayurveda to yoga and yoga to psychology, giving one a better understanding of the topics dealt with. The book works very well as a meditative journey.

How did you first come to love books?

For me, it wasn't love at first book. I think I was around six years of age and I had no interest in reading at all. My two elder sisters were voracious readers and eventually my parents got so worried that they started getting me books to encourage me. They got me Enid Blyton's Famous Five books, Jacqueline Wilson's My Sister Jodie and Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Although I resisted initially, I did grow to love them in time. And I've been in the company of books every since.

Who would you say are your favourite writers, and why?

When I was younger, books by Wilson and Judy Blume (Tiger Eyes) were my favourites. Especially Wilson, whose works would allow my imagination run wild. I could relate to the stories she wrote. Her books, I think have helped me widen my perspective on life.

These days, an assorted choice of writers catches my fancy. Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner), Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar), Arundati Roy (The God of Small Things), Haruki Murakami (The Wind-up Bird Chronicles), Virgina Woolf (Orlando).

I like Murakami owing to the fact that he seems very neurotic. It's special because the stuff he writes about is sometimes very disturbing, but quite intriguing nonetheless. Roy steals my heart with the way she makes daily life events seem so interesting. Like the way she describes Indian food. It actually stimulates the taste in my mouth. Woolf because I entirely admire her style of writing. It's very depressing at times but she was very much in touch with her feelings and you can really see it in her works. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun) is another writer I totally adore. Not just her writing, she inspires me for being such a strong woman. She is my idol.

What is good writing for you? What would you say makes a good writer?

I would say writing from the heart and really being able to express oneself is what makes a good writer. I also like a lot of description. The kind that lets you put yourself into the author's mind.

How do you select books to read?

I like to read books that are at least a hundred years old. That way I can get others opinions of the book in the form of recommendations and reviews. It helps me decide whether I would like reading it or not. Normally, if I am going to buy a book, I do some research on it. But if I just go into a book store, I browse through and see what interests me.

One book that inspired you a lot and why?

I'd say the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky because, there's a quote at the end by the narrator that reads: "I would never teach my children a lesson saying that 'you shouldn't waste food', because people in Africa are starving, because no matter what other people are going through, your problems are always more significant to you.” That has always stayed with me

Do you think electronic alternatives will ever replace books?

I think there's a good chance they might, but I'm personally very old-fashioned when it comes to books. I love the feel of books and the smell; I think electronic devices can never replace that.

Your advice to young readers?

Keep on reading. Read a lot. Never stop reading. Because it will keep your mind active always and you will learn new things. And it's a quick, easy escape from reality.