It was the hot month of June. I had gone to attend a distant relative’s wedding. The sun was blazing right above our heads, spitting fire. The weather was extremely sultry. Fans and coolers were of little to no help. I was sitting in a corner, feeling forlorn and jaded. My parents were busy meeting Read more…

It is often said that books are a person’s friends, philosophers and guides. This could not have been any truer in my case. Be it the childhood days spent honing my English-language skills or those attempts at filling my inner void, books were with me through thick and thin. That said, the one instance that Read more…

As with all my habits, the foundation for my interest in reading was also laid at a very young age. As is the case with most Indian families, my siblings and I had a fairly strict upbringing. Television and playtime were strictly regulated and studies, inordinately encouraged. All these factors conspired to create an environment Read more…

I had no idea that our recent move to a big city would turn out to be such a pivotal moment in my life. To put things into perspective, I had been brought up in a quaint town, where people were warm and friendly. However, the new and unfeeling city environment made me feel lost Read more…

To be honest, I detested books back when I was a schoolgoing kid. On second thoughts, I was not completely averse to reading; I preferred reading picture books to those boring black-and-white textbooks. As years passed by, the library period saw us compelled to read for one hour. With no other option, I began to Read more…

Ever since I was a kid, I saw books as nothing but part of the school curriculum. The thought of reading a non-curriculum book was almost unimaginable at the time. As someone who barely managed to read through his course books, reading an out-of-syllabus book was, at best, perceived as an utter waste of time. Read more…

Coming from the research field, I was always destined to be a bookworm. Reading those voluminous curriculum books was an undeniable part of my routine. I was completely focused on reading those books for the sake of getting good grades. I still remember that fateful day when, years ago, the CBSE policy was revised to Read more…

Books have always been my partners in crime. If I had to describe their place in my life using a hashtag in this social media-obsessed world, it would be #myconstant. I owe this love for books to my mother, who was the one responsible for bringing them into my life. Having been an avid reader Read more…

Being inquisitive by nature, I always looked to be a part of each and every conversation around me. I seemed to have an opinion on every issue, be it economics, world politics, technology or entertainment. However, two things always prevented me from putting forward my thoughts in a convincing manner. The first was my glaring Read more…

Books have been my best friends since the time I could read. My very first book was my aunt’s gift to me on my fifth birthday. It was a fairy tale book. Of all the gifts I had received in my childhood, that book was – and still remains – my favorite. The very evening Read more…