At least, for me, some of my favorite books came in my life at the right time, exactly when I needed them. I might not remember my first book, but I clearly remember when I fell in love with reading. It was when Enid Blyton took me on an adventurous journey with her Famous Five gang.
It's easy to like books when you are surrounded by avid readers. In my case, it was my mother, grandfather, and younger brother. My mom had a library subscription and would get us whatever we want during vacations. My introduction to the genre of mystery was first through The Adventures Of Tintin, The Famous Five novels, and Nancy Drew stories. A natural progression of this was reading thrillers by authors like Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon, and Dan Brown.
In my post-teen years, there was a sudden switch, and romance became the genre that attracted me. One of the books that instantly became my favorite was Remembrance by Jude Deveraux, and I got hooked to her novels immediately. The love for romantic fiction continued with Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and classics by Jane Austen. Although, I didn't just stick to these categories, thanks to my brother, who had a myriad collection of books. It was just a hobby until then and something to keep me occupied during my vacations. I didn't know then that some books would come in my life exactly when they were supposed to and change my perception.
As you can see from my Insta caption, the timing of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist was just perfect. I needed clarity and a different vision, which is exactly what this book gave me. I bet, the next time I decide to read it, it'll be a pleasant surprise all over again.
This is the one book I couldn't complete, twice! Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts was an eye-opener about my birth city, and simultaneously, because of work, I was getting to explore Mumbai more than ever before. I think it was the contrast of the reality and fiction that made me not finish the book, but I'm going to try again (wish me luck).
My ex-boss, Malini Agarwal, wrote an awesome book about her blogging journey, which is so inspiring and fun. I love the way each chapter was written in a blog form. Plus, my name is mentioned in one of the chapters (I'm never going to get over it)! It was a dream job to have and to see Malini in action. Dreams do come true.
The first book I bought, when I shifted to the US, was Anne Frank- The Diary Of A Young Girl. It was heartbreaking, but to read such raw emotions made me want to put my experience of this new world in words too. My dairy became my savior in this new, unknown place.
Recently, the book that has helped me focus has been How To Be A Bawse by Lilly Singh. It gave me the courage to get back to personal blogging. So, here I am. Thanks, Superwoman!
I might not have read many books, but can easily pick out the ones that are important to me. Now that I look at it, every book I mentioned here (right from Tintin comics) played a special role in my life. In the words of novelist Louis L'Amour:
Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.
Happy #WorldBookDay2020!
Love,
Rashmi B.
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