Hindu-inspired fantasy

Interview with Roshani Chokshi, Author of “The Star-Touched Queen”

/ saraletourneau / 13 Comments

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I love it when authors write a story that veers away from trends yet works in every way. Roshani Chokshi’s debut YA fantasy The Star-Touched Queen is exactly that. With gorgeously vivid writing and unbridled imagination, this Hindu-inspired tale brings readers to a world of mythical creatures, surreal settings, and love intertwined with destiny. (Check out my review of The Star-Touched Queen here if you haven’t yet.) The book has been an instant hit with readers, too, debuting in the New York Times’ YA Hardcover Bestsellers List in its first week of sales. That’s pretty good, if you ask me.

Today I’m thrilled to have Roshani stop by and chat about The Star-Touched Queen. If you’re curious about her world-building approach, writing influences, her journey to becoming a published author, and flesh-eating demon horses (yes, you read that correctly), then this interview is for you. Enjoy!

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Recent Reads: August 2016

/ saraletourneau / 29 Comments

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Recent Reads is a monthly reading wrap-up, with mini-reviews of the books I read. I’ll also share what I’m currently reading and any other books that are in the pipeline. Feel free to share your bookish happenings in the Comments section!

With this month’s Recent Reads, I’m making a slight organizational change in the “Other Books I Read In…” section. Instead of listing books in the order I read them, I’ll show them in order of rating, starting with the second-highest after the Read of the Month. No one has commented on this before, but I thought it might make it easier to determine which books I liked more than others.

As for the books themselves, I managed to finish 5 more (all of which are reviewed below) and am now reading my 41st book of the year. How in the world have I managed this?! The only thing I can think of is that I’ve really grown to appreciate my reading time, and a day doesn’t feel complete without it. I might not be a fast reader, but gosh do I love it. 🙂

Anyways, onto August’s Read of the Month! And it is…
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