Mindy Kaling Says Reading Stephen King Books Growing Up Was ‘a Way to Be Rebellious’ (Exclusive)

Mindy Kaling is celebrating an upcoming literary milestone, but not without enjoying some of her favorite childhood books. in 2022 I never did the creator launched Mindy’s Book Studio, a publishing house that is part of Amazon Publishing. The aim of the study is “[celebrate] new and diverse voices” and has a particular focus on female protagonists. Featured titles include novels Lively years by Sonali Dev, I will stop the world by Lauren Thoman and The better half Alli Frank and Asha Youmans. “I feel incredibly grateful for that because I, as a multi-hyphenate, can never predict when certain parts of my workflow will be interrupted, which has been the case for the past five months,” Kaling tells PEOPLE. “It just feels good, especially since there are so many [the writers] are women of color.”

Mindy’s Book Studio.

Courtesy of Mindy’s Book Studio

“Mindy is remarkable for constantly coming up with ways to refresh our culture with unique voices and stories that ring so true in television, film and books,” Julia Sommerfeld, publisher of Amazon Publishing, said in a statement. Kaling, whose writing credits span from her days in the Office to front her sitcom The Mindy Project to recent shows like Sexual life of female students, has always been an avid reader. When she was a child, her parents were strict about watching television, so she turned to books for entertainment instead.

Mindy Kaling talks about how her parents landed the role of Kelly Kapoor on The Office

“Reading Michael [Crichton] books or Stephen King, when I was too young to read them, it was so moving,” she says. “I think that’s how kids feel now when they see an R-rated movie and they’re only 11 years old. it was a way for me to be rebellious because the great thing about my parents was that they didn’t care what I read, as long as I read.”

As a child of immigrants, she also loved novels by the likes of Jhumpa Lahiri Namesake and Zadie Smith white teeth, the latter of whom Kaling says has “a real sense of humor.”

Mindy Kaling.

Courtesy of Mindy’s Book Studio

As for the types of books Mindy’s Book Studio is looking for, Kaling, a fan of multiple genres, has a few suggestions for success stories. “What I really love are stories about female underdogs,” she says. “And I like juiciness. I love page-turning books. [I also love] a writer who is a gifted writer but who has a sense of humor about herself and doesn’t take herself seriously.” One of those writers is Canadian author Amy Lea, a romance writer whose latest book, He woke up like this, was published by Mindy’s Book Studio on October 1st. The story follows high school senior Charlotte Wu, who wakes up one morning to find herself catapulted decades into the future and engaged to her high school nemesis. The book is inspired 13 Continues 30 and other early 2000s rom-coms.

By Amy Lea.

Courtesy of Mindy’s Book Studio

“She is such a powerful talent and has done such an incredible job of paving the way for more diverse creators in the entertainment industry,” Lea tells PEOPLE of Kaling. “I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of such an incredible team.”

‘Never Have I Ever’ Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Shares What She Learned From ‘Life Mentor’ Mindy Kaling

Kaling, who wrote the introduction to the novel, says the book is one she “would have tried to get when I was 12.”Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“It was wonderful to find solace in these amazing books,” says Kaling. “I’m just excited for these authors to get the attention they rightfully deserve.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education