As kids, we all listen to countless stories. However, all of that comes to an abrupt end as we start growing up. In my case, I found it difficult to leave those stories behind even as teenage life beckoned. My insatiable appetite for stories motivated me to read wherever I found one. That said, such Read more…

Even by the lofty standards of teenage life, I was as rebellious and mischievous as one could possibly be. To put it bluntly, I was an out-and-out brat. Maybe I still am. As my mother would often say, I was like a raccoon: carefree, lazy and mischievous, yet remarkably smart and strong. I was terribly Read more…

By the age of twelve, I had already read a decent number of children’s classics and novels. Later that year, my paternal grandmother passed away, leaving their 22-year-old home empty. I had never been very close to my grandparents, so snooping around the house and rummaging through their stuff was out of question. Now, both Read more…

“Wait a minute, Solomon. I’ve got something for you,” these were the words of Dwarka ammachi, or grandma. She was the eldest and the most pious person in our local church. The eighth grader me surmised that it was some wonderful present or a savory delicacy, or that she was perhaps in need of some Read more…

Love at first sight? Maybe not, but definitely a partner for a lifetime. This is just how I would describe my fascination for reading. I believe that reading is a journey. We begin from alphabets, then move on to captivating illustrations, before making some imperfect sentences from our limited vocabulary. Then comes a stage when Read more…

I attribute my love for reading to two different instances. The first is a faint childhood memory. I was lying on my bed, along with my brother, and our mother was reading to us. We are young – maybe five and seven respectively. Bedtime stories were an inseparable part of our daily routine, especially when Read more…

It is a well-established fact that books are the most loyal friends in the world. They can help you escape from all the troubles in life and transport you to the magical world of fantasy. That said, I had not always been a voracious reader. In my early days as a reader, I was someone 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…

Will you believe me if I told you that I had not read a single novel before I completed high school? You most likely will not. But that’s just how I was. For someone who saw out-of-syllabus books as nothing but a waste of time, even my course books took aeons to complete. That said, Read more…

Have you ever smelled a new book? If you are a normal person, you probably haven’t. However, to a bookworm like me, it is one of the best smells in the world. When it comes to actually reading a book, I am invariably a slow starter. As the story begins to unfold, I’m always unsure Read more…