You are currently viewing Mattea Roach , host of new literary radio show Bookends , on their love of reading and its impact on their life.
Representation image: This image is an artistic interpretation related to the article theme.

Mattea Roach , host of new literary radio show Bookends , on their love of reading and its impact on their life.

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 leveraging her expertise to help others succeed in their academic pursuits.

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.

* **Early Reading Experiences:** Roach’s earliest memories of reading are not of reading independently but of reading aloud to his younger siblings. * **Family Dynamics:** Roach’s family dynamic played a significant role in his early love for reading. * **Impact of Reading:** Reading had a profound impact on Roach’s life, shaping his worldview and influencing his career choices.

* **Roach’s preference:** Roach doesn’t enjoy romance novels. * **Reason:** Roach finds it difficult to connect with the happy endings in romance novels. * **Example:** Roach finds it hard to believe that the characters in a romance novel would truly earn their happy ending.

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

Leave a Reply