Major Bookish Blunders

I have a confession to make. You probably may want to banish me from calling myself a book-lover after reading this post. But, Lord, have mercy!

I read this article on Books Riot about “Dangerous Consequence of a Book Life” where these Rioters were confessing about their major bookish mishaps. Well, being a clumsy person I too have had my fair share of accidental “blunders” as well. While the Rioters talk about how their mishaps took place as they were so engrossed in reading, I am talking about blunders that have taken place with me while I was busy being ignorant.

I have a habit of carrying what I am currently reading everywhere I go. Initially when I started working, my boss gave me a book to read. I had to be extra extra careful since she is extremely particular about her books. Once, I removed the book from my bag, and to my astonishment I noticed that the front cover of the book was fully bent!! Can you imagine my horror?!

I immediately put it under the fattest book I could find for six hours straight. Though the results were not that great but it didn’t seem as obvious as it was before.

(Talk about making an impression!)

You must have noticed how fat books have thicker spine and it is practically impossible to read properly. I had borrowed an expensive fat novel from a friend of mine. My friend is batshit insane about her books. While intently reading, the book “accidentally” got a crack in the spine.

(Yes, please take a moment of silence.)

It is weird how most of my blunders happen when I borrow books from others. Most of my friends who are particular about their books have stopped lending them to me, but most of the time I avoid asking anyone else for a book because I fear their reaction once I return them the book.

My Harry Potter collection is the oldest in my shelf. Since we (my sister and I) had the entire collection (1-7), all of our friends used to borrow them. So you will easily find maggi, tea, milk , and what-not stains in the book. While turning a page quickly I have even “accidentally” torn the page and then sellotaped it back together.

(In my defence, I was a kid.)

My tote bag is open, meaning it neither has a zip/ flap or a magnet button. Swoosh comes the rain and there goes my book!

I have had times when I have spilled the entire cup of coffee on the book lying on the table.

I have plenty of such random stories. My books and I share a very unique relationship. Despite treating them badly they always love me, no matter what. What else could I ask for?

I am assuming that none of you have had such blunders, it definitely is a blasphemy. But, if you did have such episodes do share and provide me with comfort while I go hide!

21 Bookish Questions with Sana Shaikh

It has been a while since I posted my ongoing series of 21 Bookish Questions with My Big Red Bag on my blog.

In this video, I went to interview Sana Shaikh who is leading two lives- graphic designer by the day and a literary character during the night. Since her reading style is completely different from mine, doing this video with her was all the more fun.

Watch Sana answer 21 totally weird bookish impromptu questions, and find out if you have anything common with her.

You will find Sana pouring her heart out on a page when 

not day dreaming about cats.

 

If you are a writer, poet, blogger, or simply a fellow bookworm, I need you. Do drop me an email at foramdhruv92@gmail.com or you can tweet to me @readin_glasses. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Reading Spot

Even the simplest of things can turn into something extremely complex. Like a text, we need to understand a word within a context. For example, consider the word “space”. “Space” has no specific meaning attached to it, the definition and perception of the word changes in accordance to the context. When I am talking about “space” with reference to “reading”, I mean a location or an area wherein one is able to read freely without any interruptions.

Reading is a hobby of leisure. It needs to performed when you are most relaxed. Therefore, it needs to be carried out in an area/ space which is cozy, comfortable, and makes you feel at home. This “space” of comfort, hence, is different for each one of us.

Coffee Shops

Imagine personalities like Hemingway, Eliot, Whitman and several others spending hours at coffee shops and creating history. Several people prefer reading at coffee shops or cafes. The romantic idea of reading at a cafe has a European notion attached to it. Though it proves to be difficult for people with a short span of attention as they easily get distracted, some people manage it really well, too engrossed in the book to care about their surroundings!

Parks

Parks are classic Victorian. Fantasise literary characters such as Jane and Lizzy in the background enjoying a good book. Parks/ gardens form as another alternative, ensuring the reader with complete tranquility and abundance of greenery. Sometimes, the scenario no matter how scenic turns vexatious, as, it is either too hot or there are ants lurking around everywhere making it impossible to for the reader to feel “relaxed”.

Reading Rooms

The age-old concept of reading room is just perfect. A complete silence zone, splendid for reading without any distractions. Reading rooms are slowly decaying and dying as less and less people are using it. It is sad to see this notion from the golden era gradually disappearing from this metropolitan world.  

Bed/ Couch
At the end of the day all you want is a bed, blanket, book and a coffee. There won’t be a single person whose favourite reading spot isn’t a bed or a couch. You loosen yourself, forgetting about all the worries of the day, and simply enjoy a good book while snuggling with your blanket. Bliss.

Hammock

Exotic vacation spot. Hammock. Murakami. If there is an epitome for comfortable reading, the award goes to hammocks. Who wouldn’t want to spend their lazy Sundays like this?

Beach

A summer romance with your latest rom-com novel, with an overwhelming and overpowering presence of the sea, is enough to put any reader in a state of euphoria.

Courtyard
My personal recommendation to Indian readers. Image from Arundhati Roy’s book immediately comes to my mind- a house with a large patio/ courtyard surrounded by different species of plants, pungent smell of rain, and  a cup of chai. A well deserved reading spot.






 

Home is where your book is. Which is your favourite reading spot? Where are you most comfortable reading? And most importantly, what is your definition of “domestic space”? 

Few questions whose answers you are subconsciously aware of, but never thought of it out loud. 

Food for thought until my next post.  

A Book for Everyone

A book for you,

A book for me,

A book for the young mamma

That got her through the de-li-very.

A book in need,

A book for a deed,

Is the book that we all want, indeed.

A book for my aunt,

A book for her niece,

A book for their maid

Who tries to read e-very-day.

A book that excites us all,

A book that binds us all,

Is the kind of book that says it all!

A book for a seller,

A book for a collector,

A book for the dog-walker

Who loves them all.

A book for sorrow,

A book for grief,

Is a book for happiness and relief.

A book for your shelf,

A book on your desk,

There is a book here

For Uncle Sam.

A book to try it on,

A book to wear it off,

There is a book, for that is all you want.

One of my friends, who like me is an avid reader, told me that one of her batch-mate asked her to suggest a book to start off reading with. Whenever a non-reader asks us for a book suggestion, we get very excited and happy. Our happiness shoots through the roof as one more person is added to this happy family of book-worms. But she told me, she did not know which book to suggest! She was completely clueless. Not that she did not want him to read. It was mainly fear. Along with being happy for the fact that someone from now on will resort to the joy of reading, we are frightened, frightened to suggest that “one” book which will decide his/her reaction and future towards reading.

What genre would he/she prefer? Should I suggest my favourite book- isn’t that a bit too complex? I think I will suggest something fun and quirky. What about the book that got me started off reading with? I think he/she will definitely like this book, or maybe not?! – These are just a few random thoughts that haunt us when we are asked for a book recommendation. We are put in a tight spot.  

The fear that resides in a reader is genuine. They desperately want their non-reader friends to read the books they liked themselves. There is a sense of urgency to catch up on books/ reading they have missed so far.  

The best way to begin reading is to start with popular fiction. Once you get acquainted with the style, you can then slowly move on and discover new/other genres.

Everyone has a different reading style- a book you loved might not affect me that much and vice versa. We need to discover our reading style, as it is in a constant state of evolution. Every reader evolves after a period of time. I started off reading with Nancy Drew and Famous Five, shifting to Sidney Sheldon and Nora Roberts, then shifting to Dan Brown and Sherlock Holmes, and finally settling on likes of Rushdie and Marquez. The flow chart for every person varies.

There are more than a million books to choose from, and there is one for everyone and anyone. A book never fails you. It doesn’t have a right perspective, it shapes its meaning in accordance to your understanding. All you need is patience and love. My advice to a first time reader is not to judge; give it some time and let it grow on you! The pleasures of reading are innumerable.

To help you out, I will soon come up with a Beginners Reading List. Try to have some fun and discover this new-found hobby.

Happy Reading until my next post!

Hot D̶u̶d̶e̶s̶ Aunties Reading

People following me on Twitter and Instagram keep wondering why do I like to call myself a "Creep with a capital C"? This blog post might just answer that question.

We are all familiar with the rave that "Hot Dudes Reading" has created. It is all over the internet trending and creating headlines. It has made reading look sexier than ever. (If you are unaware of "Hot Dudes Reading" just Google it, might not be able to stop yourself) Because conventionally it has been tried and spoken about by everyone, I thought why not test the waters and do an Indian version of the same?!

The idea seemed to appear very straightforward. Only after I started working on it I realized how complex this was going to be.

Problems: I have been secretly working on this blog post since past 6 weeks or more. I have faced plenty of difficulties while being on this secret mission. I foremost grasped the evident difference between India and other countries, if it wasn't obvious already. 

Mumbai local trains have a distinct segregation of ladies and gents compartment. Apart from the fact that we are deprived of hot dudes who actually read, finding hot men who read while traveling by train is next to impossible. Hence, I was left with the only option of doing an alternate version of Hot Dudes: Hot Aunties Reading!  

In other countries it is OKAY to click a random picture of a hot guy/ girl passing by, but in India you would immediately be labeled as a pervert and if some catches you, you’d probably be beaten to death. 

Clicking these pictures haven’t been an easy task. It is definitely not a piece of cake. You are engrappled with the fear that someone in this oh-so-crowded-train-that-i-can-not-breathe will notice you clicking a creepy picture of another innocent lady. The outcome wouldn’t be pretty. 

I had to be discreetly discreet while clicking a picture. The technique I used was to reduce my phone brightness to zero so that no one would be able to clearly see what I was doing on my phone. Thankfully it worked. 

Every time I clicked a picture I literally peed a little in my pants out of fear. It was like an adrenaline rush, I felt like I was violating my own boundaries and performing a crime. 

Despite all that, I thoroughly enjoyed performing this stunt. And I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do.  

Note: Before you scroll down and look at the pictures, I advise you not to be judgmental and excuse these bad unedited pictures.

It was super crowded and we all were queued up to get down at the next station,

 yet she continued reading.

I double checked whether she was reading or watching a video.

She takes the same train that I take. It was only after four days 

I managed to click her picture while she was busy reading.

She was intently reading a prayer book.

It was raining heavily, windows and doors were shut. 

Aunty used her mobile backlight and continued reading.

Luckily I found this lady as soon as I arrived at the station.

She was reading a health book in Marathi.

With rains I agree Ebook is the best option.

She was too engrossed in reading Fifty Shades of Grey to notice me.

She was busy studying for some exam

 (Technically should fall under the category of reading)

Photo Courtesy: Ashna Bahl

Never let any kind of baggage weigh you down.

Observation: Not many people read. Or not many read while traveling. Though getting these pictures have been difficult for me, it is interesting to see how these ladies despite so many complications make some time in whatever little space they find to read.

I am a little upset that I couldn't find more ladies. It has been a tough six weeks for me. It wasn’t that I was alone working on this blog post; I had spread the word and asked my friends to contribute for photographs if they came across any lady reading in train. Despite that I was able to come up with only 11 pictures.

 6 weeks + 10 people > 11 pictures.

If I were to do a post on “Watch Movies While Traveling- Saves Time” I probably would have got more than 20 pictures. 

It is sad to find such less amount of people reading while traveling. In fact, traveling is the only time for me when I can read peacefully; throughout the day I am so caught up with work and other stuff that I am left with little or no time to read.  

As far as "Hot Dudes Reading" in India is concerned, it won’t ever be possible. As I mentioned earlier, the proportion of hot guys reading to hot guys reading while traveling in train is very less. 

You aren’t alone, everyone has a hidden creepy side. Hence, I ask you guys to try this not-so-secret anymore mission of mine. Email me not only the pictures but your experience as well at foramdhruv92@gmail.com. I will post it on my blog as soon as I have enough pictures.  

P.S: Ladies who have been featured in this post, I assure you your pictures haven’t been used for any creepy purposes, and I sincerely apologise for invading your privacy.

21 Bookish Questions with Shweta Punjabi

Today’s blog post is a little different from my previous ones; it is the first time I am posting a video. It is definitely something new (for me, if not for you) whereas the idea behind it is borrowed.

While I was watching Vogue’s celebrity video on 73 Questions for the fifth time, it struck me why not do something similar in relation to books/reading. Consequently, the idea for 21 Bookish Questions was developed.

Let me give you an insight on what I was thinking while I came up with this idea.

The motive behind this video is rather straightforward. I want to get to know you all better– what each one you is thinking, what is your reading style, what would kind of authors would you prefer and so on. General ideas, beliefs and thoughts.

Questions are funny, quirky and the kind that will not be a part of your daily conversations. And it is in a ‘Rapid Fire’ style, easy to put you in a flux.

Because it is my first time, I appreciate and welcome your comments.

I am on lookout for fellow readers to interview, if anyone of you is interested and is in Mumbai drop me an email on foramdhruv92@gmail.com or you can tweet me @readin_glasses.

If you have any ideas regarding the Questions (no matter how funny or weird), please feel free to comment.

I am thankful for all your love and support!

Disclaimer: The video is shot by me from my phone camera, please excuse the sound. I haven’t done any editing (simply because I am not that tech savvy). I am presenting it to you the way I have shot it.

Cats and Books are two things Shweta loves. 

See what her thoughts are on several things book related.

Thank You Shweta Punjabi for being patient with me while shooting this video.

Happy Reading until my next post!

The Curious Case of a Reader

Reading a book has to be a novel experience. We are constantly reminded of reading a piece of work in complete isolation, without linking it to the writer's personal history.

Don't you think it is extremely difficult to abide by this rule? How can you not be intimidated by the writer? An image is immediately conjured up our minds when we are speaking of a particular author. For example: J.K Rowling- most of us breath the Harry Potter series. When she comes up with a completely new novel, a story line that is poles apart from what she used to write, we end up criticizing her in a bad way. Are we devoiding her of exploring different genres of literature? Of providing her readers/fans with a different world of her's? Can we sour our relationship/bond with her because of this?

Readers play a crucial role in our beloved author's life. The bond is personal and intimate. Every writer speaks differently to his/her reader differently through their piece of writing. Imagine, if tomorrow George Martin comes up with a romance novel or if Dan Brown writes a novel which is not historical or a suspense thriller, what would our reaction be? Their fans would sure as hell be outraged.

Do you realize what we are doing here? We are denying the writer a chance- a chance to write something different, new, a chance to explore, and take risks. Is it fair? Living in a digitally advanced generation, a tweet or a post on Facebook can affect the reading experience of million readers.

There have been long intellectual debates on whether one should read a novel in isolation, with no preconceived notion about the author. Instead, let's ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing? Should we be so critical of the author? Can't we give them a chance to try out something new? Are we that cruel?

Let me know what you think about this. I am open to any kind of views or an experience that you would like to share.

Happy Reading until my next post! 

Have you packed your book trunk?

So summer is here! The season of sweaty armpits, mangoes and that of ice-lollies. But the most amazing thing about summer is taking a break and going away, far away from the hullabaloo of the city life. For a book nerd like me, summer equates to a new romance with a new novel. Imagining myself at an isolated island with only books to keep me company, seems like a paradise to me. But the question arises as to what books would make it to my summer reading-list? Have you ever have faced a situation where you are to make a crucial decision regarding what books to pack when you are travelling? Well, after giving it a lot of thought I have listed down a few books that I would read during summer.

  Lord of the Flies  
by William Golding

Being a sucker for classics, this book tops my summer reading-list. I mean, who wouldn't want to read about a group of kids stranded on an island? Jokes apart, it is an extremely powerful read as Golding explores the dark reality of men. I wouldn't suggest this novel to people who want to do some light reading.

Bossypants 
 by Tina Fey

This book has to be in everyone's reading list. It's hilarious, witty and light, which makes it a perfect summer read.

 

 

Harry Potter series 

by J.K Rowling

There hasn't been one summer (after I finished reading all Potter books for the first time) where I haven't reread Harry Potter. These novels are very dear to my heart and my summer would be incomplete without them. 

Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky 

This is a novel most of us relate to. It is very insightful and wonderfully written. I don't really love this novel but I don't even dislike it. It is quick read and apt for a summer afternoon on a beach..

 

The Museum of Innocence  

by Orhan Pamuk

"After all, a woman who doesn't love cats is never going to make a man happy" (Orhan Pamuk). I absolutely loved this book, was introduced to writings of Pamuk by a friend of mine. He has a very unique style of writing and summer seems the perfect time to get lost in Pamuk's world of Istanbul.

 

Lolita 

 by Vladimir Nabokov

Do I really need a reason to reread this cult classic? The story and language are what makes this novel a delightful read.     

These are a few books which I would prefer reading on a long lazy summer afternoon with Lana Del Rey's songs softly playing in a background. I know that you nerds have a different and a unique summer reading list and might not agree with mine, feel free to share. Let me know which books you will be packing this summer!

Happy Reading until my next post :)