For Love (Or Not) Of Books...

I remember the time in 2012, January or February, when I began reading, I was so hungry for books. I would spend the whole day reading. And the books I read then, I still remember the story, some lines even today. I used to have at the most three unread books at a time, not starting a book until I was done with the one I was reading. I might not have read many, but that was better. Slowly I developed a mania, not exactly of reading but of purchasing and collecting.

Collecting books is a hobby, even an obsession but I am not against that. But I am against piling up unread books one over the other onto the bookshelf. It’s a pure disregard. Or may be it doesn't work for me!

I just hate my bookshelf these days. It’s having so many good books yet I am not reading any. In fact, even if I am reading, I have realised that it’s more to finish a book than to read.

I am in the middle of four books this time. It sucks you know.

Leave. So, no more purchases. And I am not reading any book. I am removing the book marks from all. And I am putting all of them inside the cupboard, so that I cannot see them. And I’ll read them only when I’ll genuinely like to.

Isn’t it very..umm...obvious? I mean you should read whenever you feel like. Why I am making such a big deal out of it. Perhaps I am really...PISSED. OFF.

Anyways, feeling better!

So to make this post meaningful and worth reading for you, I am listing a few books that I read and not just finished, and really liked.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom:  Almost all of you must have read Tuesdays with Morrie. ( I haven’t). But I know that’s a wonderful book. And The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom is one I really really liked. The synopsis can be read here. I liked the book, not just because of the fable, but also because of the writing style. It’s a book worth reading. Both the story and the message is awesome.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand: Though Controversial, the books actually makes sense 90% of time. It’s the first classic that I read and it’s not only about the fact that a man’s ego is the fountainhead of human development but also the deep insights into human psychology, economy and society is brilliant. I don’t know how much right I am in saying so, but this book inspired a lot many Bollywood movies of 1970-80.

I ordered both Atlas shrugged and The Fountainhead together. Atlas shrugged is still unread on my shelf.

Looking For Alaska by John Green: I absolutely feel grateful for the day when my friend suggested me this book. This is one book I absolutely love. I love the philosophy and the writing style. I was so immersed in this book while reading, that when a great twist happened, I literally shouted and texted my friend OMG so and so happened. I am reading TFIOS these days. I have liked it so far, but as I said, I am finishing books these days and not really reading, so I might stop right away and take up only if I genuinely feel like. Most people like TFIOS better than Looking for Alaska but until now, I liked Looking for Alaska better, though TFIOS is good too. By the way, TFIOS is The Fault In Our Stars.

Anyways, A particular paragraph that I love from Looking for Alaska and still remember is:

And what is this ‘instant’ death anyway? How long is an instant? Is it one second? Ten? The pain of those seconds must have been awful as her heart burst and her lungs collapsed and there was no air and no blood to her brain and raw panic. What the hell is this ‘instant’ Nothing is instant. Instant rice takes five minutes, instant pudding an hour. I doubt that an instant of binding pain ‘feels’ particularly instantaneous.

I actually hunted for the paragraph in the book and I feel like re-reading it. Great!

A sentence that is not off my mind, btw, from TFIOS--"That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt."

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: Well, no introduction needed. Even those, who do not like Paulo Coelho much, will like this book most probably. I haven’t read all of him but I like Eleven Minutes, hated The Zahir (perhaps the writing style put me off, I’ll take it sometime later) and loved Aleph, perhaps because it introduced me to the very concept of the Aleph.

I feel the list deserved Aleph more than The Alchemist. But never mind. I like both. The Alchemist doesn’t need its best lines to be told. The book is a legend in itself.

Blogging here after so many days. But thankfully not a filler post. I actually had something to say and I am able to say it. Once again- Great!!!

Happy Moments :-)

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