This has been reposted from the Melbourne High School Library blog.
Sai Pannaganti is our 5th NYOR Ambassador 2012.
![Sai (1)](http://taniasheko.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/sai-12.jpg)
What are you reading at the moment?
I’ve started The Hunger Games – I’ve read the first one & the third one [Mockingjay] & I’m reading the second one at the moment [Catching Fire] – it’s not really confusing reading them this way, it makes sense – for me. The first one was really involving & engaging; the third one is better, but darker. I’ve also started reading Shiver [Maggie Stiefvater], it’s about vampires & a bit chick lit, but I like it.
What was you first reading memory?
It would probably be reading TinTin & Asterix – I read them all. They’re really funny – I didn’t actually pick up on all the puns in Asterix at the time, but I looked through them again when I was older – all the way through, they’re all puns. They’re so good. I also read Star Wars books & Aussie Bite stuff, too. I remember in kindergarten correcting the teacher for skipping out parts of the stories that were being read to us – that really annoyed me.
Where’s the most unusual place that you’ve ever read a book?
That would probably be while walking – in Year 3 I got into trouble from my parents & teachers because I was walking upstairs reading – I literally was reading while I walked everywhere. I never fell or tripped – you get used to it.
What book / story has made a lasting impression upon you?
The story that has made a really great impression on me because I didn’t like the character was probably Perfume [Patrick Suskind] – it was horrible & I couldn’t get it out of my head. He was a totally psychotic character & his actions were disgusting. I don’t really want to remember it but can’t help it.
There are a few books that I remember in a positive way – Harry Potter, for example, & The Hunger Games will stay with me because it’s so realistic – the third one in particular – and I can really empathize with the characters, especially the main character even though I found her really annoying at the same time. I felt the same with His Dark Materials [Philip Pullman] – I felt a great deal of empathy with the characters & felt quite depressed at the end.
Thanks, Sai, for sharing your reading background with us, and to Denise for the interview and photo.