Into the world of Books

“Maybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know.”

-by Alberto Manguel

It is true when they say “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.” When you read a good book you just don’t know where you are. You feel and experience the same as the character, you form your own opinions and understand some things that no one can actually explain to you-which you have to learn from experience. It is truly very educational, fun, exciting and an indescribable experience. It also helps to improve your vocabulary.

  I developed the hobby in Germany when I was 8 years old - I didn’t have anyone to spend my evenings with, so I would issue many books from my school every week and just spend time reading.

The kind of books I read then were all childish fantasies - I practically read the whole series of 'magic tree' when I was in 3^rd std. (which has almost 40 books!). When I came to India in 4^th grade, I started other classics, like the time machine, little women, Anne of the green gables, etc. I also tried out horror books but decided I shouldn’t continue with them until I was a bit older.

Unfortunately, our school library doesn’t have that good a collection. It has many Hindi books and a specific series of English books. I completed all English books till 6^th grade and after that whichever book I searched for wasn’t there in the library. I tried Hindi books too but I don’t have much interest in them. My father likes to read Hindi books and he encourages me to try them out but I am just not able to reach the end.

In our holidays last year, we had gotten a homework of a movie review of any movie from the Harry Potter series. It was really unfortunate for me because I didn’t have any interest in wizards who go to school and have to fight another bad wizard - I had already passed through that phase. But I had no option but to watch them so I sat down with my best friend (who, apparently, liked the Harry Potter series and could watch the movies anytime). At the starting I was bored out of my mind and was just condemning my luck, but I am going to be honest, I was captured by it at the end of the movie. I was so eager to get a closure that I saw all the movies and read the last book too. Sometimes your own preferences surprise you.

Surprisingly, I also developed an interest in philosophical books at the end of 8^th grade, thanks to my friend who was reading 'Demian', a book by Herman Hesse. Apparently, it is a very philosophical book and quite hard for one to decipher the meaning behind the words.  My friend is really serious about the book and said I could borrow it after she is done. Till then I will try to read some more philosophical books, though it is going to be quite hard due to the pandemic.

Another series I read last year which got me thinking was the 'Divergent' series by Veronica Roth. It wasn’t actually a series for which you needed to think about much. I just thought about the genetic experiment they did on people merely to see if genetic change in a body could bring about “pure thoughts” and “better people” who had every good quality and no bad qualities at all. A thought: we wouldn’t be humans if we all had good qualities. Isn’t the fact that we have bad qualities a part of humanity? Doesn’t it makes us a part of who we are? We would just be super humans otherwise! We wouldn’t actually learn how to deal with them and how to accept others. (SPOILER ALERT: BEATRICE DIES)

Recently, due to lockdown, I don’t have the option to actually read any book I want to read. Most of the books I had read before were upon suggestions from friends and family, so the books that I have read so far in 4 months are few.

I read 'To kill a Mocking bird' by Harper Lee. It is a good book. You get the view of the world through the eyes of an 8-year-old (the book is in first person). I can’t actually describe the book - not because it is incredible. I didn’t even find it that great. My brother says that the whole book is a metaphor. Then maybe I’ll have to read it again to get it properly. I did get some idea, but to understand it better I’ll have to revisit the world.

Another book I read was 'The Diary of Anne Frank'. The main reason I read it was because this year we have Nazism in history, but more than learning about the history I learned about the life that Anne lived and how she felt during all the time she lived in hiding. I have also started an Indian mythos (Indian mythology+fiction). The series name is 'Vikrama Aditya Veergatha' by Shatrujeet Nath. I could go on and on about the story and mythology behind the book, but I think I’ll save it for another time.

I have read several more books but those mentioned above are a few from those which I really liked. There are more books which I have read but didn’t mention, for example 'Everything Everything' (by Nicola Yoon), 'More than this' (by Peter Ness), 'Nancy Drew series' (by Carolyn Keene), 'Fault in our stars' (by John Green), many books by Enid Blyton, etc.

I hope I am able to read many more such good books. Books just makes one enter another world. I don’t think anything could compare to the feeling good books give you.

                      

 

 “Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.”– E.B. White

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”– John Green