What Are You Reading These Days, Savvy?
As far as reading books go i.e. for the absolute joy of it, I am 40 years too late. But with some help from my little friends and 'Bookamma', I am catching up.
Piku was busy summarising David Walliam’s Grandpa’s Great Escape and talking about spitfires, nuances of the war and the conversation between the characters. And then he asked “What are you reading these days, Savvy?”. I was taken aback.
Now I had just finished reading Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and all I could muster was “You know, it is very well written. It is easy to understand.”
EASY TO UNDERSTAND! This is what a 45 year old could tell a 12 year old.
EASY TO UNDERSTAND!!!
This incidentally happened to be the book that Jasmeeta bought for her nine year old Jabbar. I am the India warehouse where all her books arrive before they are shipped to The Hague. This has been happening for nine years and Jabbar thinks I buy all these books for her, like a book Santa.
I was stumped by Piku’s intelligence and by my absolute inability to examine, analyse or express. In my defense, I am a late bloomer. And I am slow. By decades. But as far as reading books go, I either evaded it all my growing up years or just chose/was given the wrong kind of books that put me off reading.
By the time I could read or understand, dad had a kidney failure and saving him became the main focus of every adults life in our family and thankfully so. But in that too, mum made sure she took me to the little bookstore in the CMCH campus and bought me the Ladybird series of books. All the fairy tales. Then I had others too– Leo the Lop, about a bunny with droopy ears was my favourite. As I grew older, these books became integral to my playing a librarian or a teacher.
Wisdom, a children’s magazine (at least all the photos on the cover pages were of children) published from Chennai, became my staple in Vellore. We subscribed to it even when we returned to Jamshedpur. As dad got better, Siddharth Basu quiz books came home. And also a very interesting, child-friendly designed book of facts from around the world. I saw it around the house until a few years ago.
Now these were the books at home. Which once I finished reading was only used in role plays. I wasn’t a voracious reader. I spent all my evenings (at least 3 hours everyday) playing all kinds of outdoor games and with all age groups of children/teenagers or cycling. Till the 12th.
There was a library in the Telco Club. I must have issued a Nancy Drew or a Hardy Boys but never Enid Blyton’s or anything. I knew of Tintin and Asterix. But I wasn’t going to let books come in the way of playing and running around, watching a film and eating a packet of potato chips dunked in tomato ketchup.
Between 8th and 12th, dad tried a few books. While ‘Physics Can Be Fun’ and ‘Maths Can Be Fun’ were ok, the Xeroxed stapled version of Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People sounded the death knell. I knew books weren’t for me.
On one occasion in my school life, inspired by Stuti, I went to the Telco Club library and picked up Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Bad Idea. One page is all I could manage. I returned it after a week.
In college, my roommates were in to Mills and Boons. I picked one copy; erotic or whatever it was, it wasn’t for me. Then there was Catch 22. Two pages, this time. I think I went through Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead out of some kind of peer pressure. This is the time when I read pirated versions of Danielle Steele, Sidney Sheldon and Jeffery Archer. Mostly because I didn’t want to look like a complete idiot.
My college and many years after that remains a big book blur. I tried reading a couple of times in the library—once at the SRCC library and once at Law Faculty—on both occasions I passed out within five minutes only to wake up after two hours or so.
The first book that I clearly enjoyed reading was Marley and Me. Udit had gifted it to me soon after we got married. I think I started reading books, actually discovering books only then. I realised a) pirated books were not for me, b) just because an author has won an award doesn’t make them read-able, and c) thriller was my genre.
So visits to the bookstores and book fairs became frequent. With online, buying books became a regular affair. In one year, we bought books by the kilos. All of Ian Rankin, Thomas Harris, the Martin Beck series, Agatha Christie came home. Udit’s books on Economy and Policy started covering our bookshelves, too. I don’t think he can read fiction or even non fiction unless it is Economics. Actually I barely see him reading and yet when he buys a book, he knows what passage to find where.
I have now finally started enjoying books — Anthony Horowitz, Richard Osman, John Le Carre, Keigo Higashino are my favourite.
What has been a real revelation though (and it needs a dedicated piece of its own) are the children’s books. Whenever Jasmeeta’s consignment arrives, both Udit and I devour these books. Patricia Polacco is Udit’s favourite. The last time I went to the bookstore, I picked up children’s books. Some for me, a few for Jabbar and a couple for Piku.
But I must admit I love buying books more. And this was once again Jasmeeta’s doing. She gifted us a book stamp, a few years ago. Bas, fir kya tha. I think deep down somewhere, I buy books so that I can stamp them. Jasmeeta, in many ways, is my Book Mother, my Bookamma.
Anyway, back to Piku’s “What are you reading these days, Savvy?”—a question that jolts me back to the books every time I stray away— it is Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to Die.
A piece on children’s literature, should be next. In the meantime, share your favourite recommendations.
So here’s my recco : Wonder by RJ Pelacio. Was Piu’s course book in Year 5 and she forced me to get started on it (“No time to read, baby!” used to be my excuse). And my goodness, my mind was blown. I was astonished at the complexity of emotions and relationships it covered. And with such maturity. Completely opened my eyes to children’s literature.
Awwwiee I loved reading this, Savvy! I could never tell you didn't grow up reading books - like me! However, unlike you, I devoured Mills & Boon and Sidney Sheldon lol In my late 20s though, it was Jean Sasson's Princess series and Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code that got me hooked. And then I lost track of everything as I entered motherhood. Currently enjoying reading both adult and children's books with The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse being my favourite! You have to get that for yourself and Jabbar if you haven't already :)
P.S - I was sitting at the verge of buying a book stamp for my book-maniac friend. Your adorable stamp just convinced me to finally place an order for her!