I come from Bihar. I am sure this four-word sentence was enough to tell you all you need to know about my command of English (or the lack of it). My whole school life, I rarely talked to my teachers. I even shied away from asking any questions I had during my classes. All this Read more…
When I think of my love for printed treasures, I am instantly taken back to the time when my mother would sit me down with a glass of hot Bournvita milk on a cool rainy afternoon and hand me a storybook. She would sit beside me with a book of her own. The feeling, the Read more…
A long time ago, in the kingdom of Patliputra, there lived a man better known as Munshiji. He worked as the king’s chief collector. He was in his mid-thirties and was usually an easygoing man. However, when it came to money matters, no one was as diligent and as strict as him. Munshiji was very Read more…
As part of the armed forces, my father was always posted in different parts of the country. Our vacations involved going sightseeing at the place he was stationed. However, I still (fondly) remember the vacation that made me a reader. It happened when I was thirteen. My dad had taken us to his family home, Read more…
I had never been the quiet kid around. I went out, played, and got into fights and a lot of trouble. In short, I had a great childhood – maybe even a memorable one. I watched a lot of TV. The absurd soaps and movies I watched meant that I always craved for drama in my Read more…
A friend in need is a friend indeed. This is the quote that often plays in my mind whenever I turn to some book on a gloomy day. I would like to begin by clarifying that I am not a bookworm. However, since my early college days, I did have the habit of reading at Read more…
As a tenth grader, studying was the one thing I hated the most. If I am allowed to be more specific here, I am talking about reading books. Almost every other person in my life seemed to suggest me to read novels and non-fiction books for the sake of “entertainment”. For someone who just about Read more…
Back in tenth grade, the one thing I absolutely abhorred was reading. In fact, I even wondered how reading could be regarded as a real hobby. My dad, who happened to be a bibliophile, would often argue with me that books could boost my analytical skills. However, more often than not, his words would fall Read more…
Synopsis: This Mournable Body is a psychologically charged novel about a young girl and a fledgling nation. The novel transports readers to a place devoid of any hope or optimism. The author, Tsitsi Dangarembga, brings us face-to-face with Tambudzai, who is leading a melancholic life in a youth hostel in downtown Harare, the capital of Read more…
There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place. Joanne Kathleen Rowling, aka J. K. Rowling, the household name among fantasy writers, has exemplified her dictum by constantly transporting the readers to a realm of illusion, imagination, fancy and fiction. Growing up, I too have heard umpteen stories that fashioned the Read more…
