WHY I READ
I feel that the word to encapsulate the power and magic of reading has not been invented yet. I still feel wanting for words to describe the impact reading has on my life. It is going to be a work in progress to explain as eloquently as possible the joy, beauty and importance of reading; and I hope to get there one fine day and shout, “Eureka”! So everything I write now is an effort towards creating that elusive word or the perfect phrases to best define how reading has shaped my life.
Reading has literally saved my life. My life would have taken a different turn – most likely for the worse – had it not been for reading. Take out reading from my life and I won’t even be a shadow of my current self. It has emboldened me, inspired me and it is the only thing I am very sure about myself. It means the world to me.
I initially started reading with the impression that I had to read all books the way I read my school books. So my entry into the world of reading wasn’t really smooth. I still have this memory of slogging through a yellow coloured book borrowed from my school library with five rings on the cover. The book was Greek to me. This was in my seventh standard or so. The only story books I had read till then were the ones that were prescribed in our school syllabus.
However, I feel I was destined to be a reader and God introduced an angel in the form of a teacher. He opened up the Narnia-like wardrobe in my life and my life changed completely.
I gorged on Enid Blyton, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and the likes. Vernon Thomas was also one writer I particularly liked. Then I remember reading a chunk of Ruskin Bond books which I relished. Slowly I graduated to reading Agatha Christie and John Grisham. And then one fine day, Harry Potter happened. Still, have fond memories of reading the book furtively within a textbook and in the bathroom even during exams or tests. Those good old days!
Over the years my reading taste has changed. I am currently more drawn towards literary fiction but the urge to go beyond it and sometimes pick up a thriller or fantasy always lurks in the background.
I am starting my Substack journey to capture my reading journey. I honestly have no concrete strategy on how I plan to shape my content here. I will figure out as I go. For now you can expect to hear my thoughts on the books I am reading. It could be a full fledged book review or just a brief thought on some aspects of the books. I am also planning to read War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and capture my thoughts and feelings about it after reading a chapter or so! Hope that is exciting enough for some of you to occasionally check what I am up to. Thanks!