Trisha Prabhu is an anti-hate activist and the inventor of ReThink, an app that aims to stop cyberbullying. She is the author of the children's book ReThink the Internet: How to Make the Digital World a Lot Less Sucky (Philomel Books).
Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:
GenZ is totally tech savvy... but not so digitally literate. ReThink the Internet is a fun, relatable "survival guide" to our digital world for today's youth.
On your nightstand now:
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. Mindy's writing, just like her, is funny and witty, but also so deeply relatable. As an incredibly successful, strong South Asian American woman, she is deeply inspiring to me.
Favorite book when you were a child:
My favorite book when I was a child was Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Rawls's writing is so moving and personal, and I'll never forget Billy, Little Ann and Old Dan!
Your top five authors:
My top five authors would have to be Jhumpa Lahiri, for making the ordinary extraordinary with her beautiful writing; Khaled Hosseini, who makes worlds and experiences so vivid, they live forever in our minds; Gary D. Schmidt, who navigates the most difficult subjects in the most eye-opening way; Toni Morrison, whose incredible writing and life continue to inspire me; and John Green, who has written close to all of my young adult favorites.
Book you've faked reading:
Ulysses by James Joyce. I have two words: so long. If you have read it, kudos!
Book you're an evangelist for:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I know I'm definitely not alone in being an evangelist for this timeless book. I read To Kill a Mockingbird as a child, and it sparked my quest to find justice, particularly for the voiceless. It's a mission that continues to drive me today.
Book you've bought for the cover:
I honestly can't remember a time I've done this... and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
Book you hid from your parents:
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. This classic remains a favorite book of mine... but not one that I ever wanted to discuss with my parents.
Book that changed your life:
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I first read Anne Frank's diary when I was seven years old. Her courage, her wit, her humor and her grace has remained with me and continues to inspire me.
Favorite line from a book:
A little cliché, but I love this line from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling: "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Five books you'll never part with:
The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald is as heartwarming as it humorous; The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien brings every reader into the horror and raw truth of war; Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is a beautiful collection of stories that capture so many elements of the Indian and Indian American experience; Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman offers tremendous insight into the human mind; and Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech--I will always remember Dallas and Florida!
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
I would most definitely want to read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini again. There is nothing quite like the emotion I felt getting to know Mariam and Laila, two incredible Afghani women, and reading about their struggles and burdens.
Are books or their movies better?
I can confidently say that the book is almost always better!