The 24-year-old Canadian Jeopardy! champion has landed a job as a full-time tutor for students in the Toronto area. Roach, who became a household name after her historic Jeopardy! run in 2022, is now focusing on sharing her knowledge and skills with others.
ROACH: According to my data on StoryGraph (similar service to Goodreads), I like to read books that are “reflective, emotional, and informative,” and I think that’s a pretty good summation of what ties together my taste in reading. I read pretty widely — the three most recent books I read outside of work were a cowboy fantasy graphic novel, a memoir about living as an artist in Big Sur, and a book that did an anthropological analysis of bureaucracy. What ties the three together for me is that I felt they all had something to teach me about how to live in the world.
A. The Power of Family in Shaping Early Reading Experiences
B.
* **Early Reading Experiences:** Roach’s earliest memories of reading involve reading aloud to his younger siblings. * **Family Dynamics:** Roach’s family dynamic plays a significant role in shaping his early reading experiences. * **Impact of Reading:** Roach’s love for reading is deeply rooted in his childhood and continues to influence his life.
CP: Is there a genre or type of book that you don’t naturally gravitate towards? ROACH: I don’t generally enjoy romance novels — I have a hard time feeling like the happy endings are properly earned. CP: How and when do you decide not to finish a book you’ve started? ROACH: I try to be very discerning with what I read in the first place to avoid abandoning books midway. My most common reason for not finishing a book is that I need to return it to the library. CP: Are there any books you haven’t read that you’re saving for a rainy day?
ROACH: I have some big tomes kicking around my house that I want to chip away at over time — “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism” by Shoshana Zuboff, “Capital in the 21st Century” by Thomas Piketty, and “Debt” by David Graeber. These aren’t the sort of books we’re going to be covering on “Bookends,” so I’ll save them for my leisure time (I have some funny ideas about what constitutes “leisure”). CP: Ebook, paper book or audiobook? ROACH: Paper book unless it’s absolutely impossible for some reason. CP: Essay collection or narrative non-fiction? ROACH: Love both, but I marginally prefer narrative non-fiction.
CP: Plot-driven or character-driven? ROACH: Character-driven — I sometimes love reading a book where nothing happens. “Bookends” premieres on CBC Radio and CBC Listen on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
