A time to re-discover !!!

As a child watching Beauty & The Beast, I remember Belle while living in the Beast's mansion, was gifted a room full of books. Floor to ceiling lined with beautiful leather bound books, arranged immaculately in a great big sunshine filled room - the image just stuck in my mind and continues to stay with me. The above picture is not from my home, but that is the dream for a home i should own some day.

The reading habit grew on me as a kid when my mother told me stories. I believe she could not keep the schedule of reading night after night and I was always jumping to know what that funny scribbling under the beautiful pictures of my books meant. Reading came easily to me. It started like it would with any other kid; those classic fairy tales, to the 'very very recommended' Amar Chitra Katha', to the joy that was delivered every week with the news paper called 'Tinkle' and to ever popular 'Archies'. I remember sitting cross legged on the bed, a book in one hand and my plate of food in another - needless to say it took me a while to finish my meal. Nothing and noone could distract me during that time - bad light, guests at home and even fatigue. I got my punishment for ignoring bad light - my poor eyesight and the thick glasses. Books were usually a gift for me from very many people and from me to myself too. I sourced them from road side vendors to lavish book stores and even pinched them off other people who kept them but never read ( n no i don't feel bad about it). They were and continue to be my precious possessions and I expect all those who borrow from me to take utmost care.

I feel bad to say the habit slowly started getting left behind once I finished college and entered B school. The TV with all its offerings had managed to take over my mind. Friends, Full House, House, The Big Bang theory, Two n Half men, HIMYM and so many more had suddenly become so interesting. The wait for the new seasons of these TV shows pushed my books further away from me. There was a point of time where apart from my academic books, I refused to look up at any other bounded bunch of papers. 

But old habits die hard and my books fought tooth and nail and crawled back into my life. The credit should go to an online library I discovered while in Mumbai and even after I moved to Bangalore. I thought why not try, one book a month delivered at home and office and picked up is a super system. I pick my list of books online and they deliver one at a time. Oh joy.. yay !! it all came back to me. The feel of the paper in my hands ( I never got accustomed to e-books and the e-readers), the story so well woven to tickle my imagination and transport me to a place far far away. Autobiographies, history, politics, cinema, Indian fiction, self help (to some extent); i don't have any favorite category. Every genre has something to offer, the different views of the author, how I argue those statements in my head, how I am let down by the reality portrayed in life tragedies  the joy I discover when there is a happy ending. My collection of 5-6 books when I first moved to Bangalore has increased to about 30 ( not too big due to lack of space) but there is a new addition every I fly in and out. The airport book stores and Flipkart are my new haunts which add to my collection. 

So now, it is a lazy Saturday afternoon, and the drowsy weather of Bangalore makes a perfect setting for a hot cup of chai (masala, elaichi, adrak, green.. as you would want) and a book... A review you could expect !!! :)