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…

I always had a thing for academic books. Over time, I also began reading romance novels, making fiction a part of my reading routine. This was a paradigm shift in my viewpoint, for I used to believe that only theoretical books had the potential to shape our thoughts and personality. Reading romantic and inspirational books, Read more…

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…

“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…

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…

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…