Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Tagged...
I am not your conventional blogger... I am one with a permanent writers block! Kumari! I'll kill u for making me put in all this effort....
I loved reading her blog on books... It was a little long, but was interesting till the end, where she threw the bombshell at me.... She passed on the tag to me...
Not that I don't want to talk about books... Just that I am still not comfortable writing...
Coming to books - I've been in love with books even before I started reading. My parents used to get be those lovely Russian story books with lots of pictures and the story written in huge font for easy reading. I did have a lot of Rupa classics and other Indian publications also, but my earliest memories are of the Russian books.
From picture stories and comics (Marvel Comics, Amar Chitra Katha) I graduated to the 'big books' when I was around 7-8 years old (I think - not very sure). The first book I read was Secret Seven Bonfire - Enid Blyton. Amma asked me to borrow books for the train journey during Summer Vacation from my neighbor Sudha Akka. She gave me 2 Secret Seven books. I forgot the title of the second book. I also remember someone gifting me a copy of The Five Find Outers and a Dog (Enid Blyton). But unfortunately I lost it somewhere.
My parents used to get me a set of books every year when the Book Exhibition came to Kanakakkunnu Grounds at Trivandrum. That was the best part of the year. Black Beauty, Heidi, Ukranian Folk Tales, The Big Book of Fairy Tales... I must mention that I forgot my hard bound copy of Black Beauty in the train (while going to Delhi, I think) and was miserable about it for a very long time. I also had 3 big fat books (Light green, Dark green and Orange) which had a huge collection of stories, excerpts from stories, and small poems. This is where I first heard about Dr Doolittle and the Pushmi-Pullyu, Heidi (I read the Chapter At Granddad's House first in this book, and then wanted to read the whole book), Stuart Little and some other characters from these books. I was re-reading them when I was in Trivandrum during my Maternity leave, waiting for Vaibhav to come out into this world.
I remember reading Great Expectations and Pickwick Papers (The original unabridged) when I was in 7-th or 8-th class. I expect it was too much for me at that time, because when I re-read Pickwick Papers a few years back, I couldn't remember the story at all. But when I went through Great Expectation again for my Plus 2 English, I really lived Pip's life for a while, cried with him, and hated Emma. Other favorites from Dickens are Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby (Read only the abridged ones till now)
I also remember reading a lot of classics in abridged form - we used to get those 4 inches X 4 inches X 1 inch books, with pictures on 1/4 of the pages. That's how I first read Jules Verne, Robinson Crusoe, Alexandar Dumas, R L Stevenson and a host of other authors(or rather their stories). My cousin Visakh had a huge collection of these abridged books, and I must have read them more number of times than he has.
I cannot forget the time I was in Mavelikkara at my granny's place, and she introduced me to the new neighbors (I don't remember the names :( ) Uncle had a huge collection of books and I was allowed to borrow anything from him to read. I read a book called The Far Country about someone who goes to Australia (when it was still a very young country). That was a beautiful book.
While talking about books, I have to mention my great love - Wodehouse. I think the first one I read was 'Pelican at Blandings'. I simply loved the style, and would be found laughing very frequently thinking about the book. I also remember reading Laughing Gas around the time I discovered Wodehouse. One of my great aims in life is to read every Wodehouse book I can possibly lay my hands on.
Taking a quick fast forward from school and summer holidays, I went thru a season of Thomas Hardy, Oliver Goldsmith, Charles Dickens et al on one side, and Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, The 3 Investigators and other mystery stories during high school and Plus 2 years. But the frequency of reading dwindled a lot during Plus 2, and the early Engineering years. My sources were limited during those years, and I had to read what I got and not what I want.
One major tragedy in my life happened around then. My uncle is a voracious reader and had a huge collection of books, and I was hoping to flick many of those once I got out of college and settled down. He had some problems lugging around his collection during every transfer, and decided to dispose off the books. My dad (traitor!) encouraged him to sell them to a library without my knowledge! :(
Now I am a member of Easwari Lending Library in Chennai, and a regular visitor there. I read a lot of books - some I want to read, some because I don't want to search, so pick up the books on top. I go so frequently, and read so many books now, that I lose track, and take the same book again sometimes(not that I really mind - some of the books can be read again and again, but I do mind paying full charge for second reading). I have exhausted their collection of Wodehouse, but I still keep checking once in a while if they have got new titles. I spend at least 45 minutes a day reading (on the return journey from work).
Books I am reading currently:
The Northern Light - A J Cronin (Am working thru the collection of Cronin at Easwari)
Restaurant At The End Of The World - Am reading the Hitchhikers series also - been wanting to re-read for a very long time. Read them first around 3 years back.
Wodehouse on Wodehouse - It is some sort of autobiography.
The Small Bachelor - Wodehouse - new addition at Easwari
Books I want to read someday:
Gone with the Wind
Black Shirt - this is a series about a gentleman cat-thief. Read one book when I was in school. Always wanted to read the others in the series. Found the name in the library database, but no one has been able to locate the books yet :D
Books that I cannot forget:
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Salman Rushdie
The Mayor of Casterbridge - Thomas Hardy
Sybil - Flora Rheta Schreiber (It is about a woman with multiple personality disorder)
Ponniyin Selvan - Kalki (read the translation in English - would like to read some of his other works too)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
Catch - 22 - Joseph Heller
Huckleberry Finn (And Tom Sawyer) - Mark Twain
Peony - Pearl S Buck
Masters of the Himalayas (or the Himalayan Masters) - It was a spiritual book my mother was reading. I started flicking through it, and could not put it down!
The Citadel – A J Cronin
Some of my current favorite authors (means I’ll look for these in the library first):
PG Wodehouse
Henry Cecil - Courthouse humor - really good.
A J Cronin
Salman Rushdie
Agatha Christie
Enid Blyton
PS: Passing on the tag - I really don't know many bloggers to pass on the tag to. So the tag ends here for now.
I loved reading her blog on books... It was a little long, but was interesting till the end, where she threw the bombshell at me.... She passed on the tag to me...
Not that I don't want to talk about books... Just that I am still not comfortable writing...
Coming to books - I've been in love with books even before I started reading. My parents used to get be those lovely Russian story books with lots of pictures and the story written in huge font for easy reading. I did have a lot of Rupa classics and other Indian publications also, but my earliest memories are of the Russian books.
From picture stories and comics (Marvel Comics, Amar Chitra Katha) I graduated to the 'big books' when I was around 7-8 years old (I think - not very sure). The first book I read was Secret Seven Bonfire - Enid Blyton. Amma asked me to borrow books for the train journey during Summer Vacation from my neighbor Sudha Akka. She gave me 2 Secret Seven books. I forgot the title of the second book. I also remember someone gifting me a copy of The Five Find Outers and a Dog (Enid Blyton). But unfortunately I lost it somewhere.
My parents used to get me a set of books every year when the Book Exhibition came to Kanakakkunnu Grounds at Trivandrum. That was the best part of the year. Black Beauty, Heidi, Ukranian Folk Tales, The Big Book of Fairy Tales... I must mention that I forgot my hard bound copy of Black Beauty in the train (while going to Delhi, I think) and was miserable about it for a very long time. I also had 3 big fat books (Light green, Dark green and Orange) which had a huge collection of stories, excerpts from stories, and small poems. This is where I first heard about Dr Doolittle and the Pushmi-Pullyu, Heidi (I read the Chapter At Granddad's House first in this book, and then wanted to read the whole book), Stuart Little and some other characters from these books. I was re-reading them when I was in Trivandrum during my Maternity leave, waiting for Vaibhav to come out into this world.
I remember reading Great Expectations and Pickwick Papers (The original unabridged) when I was in 7-th or 8-th class. I expect it was too much for me at that time, because when I re-read Pickwick Papers a few years back, I couldn't remember the story at all. But when I went through Great Expectation again for my Plus 2 English, I really lived Pip's life for a while, cried with him, and hated Emma. Other favorites from Dickens are Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby (Read only the abridged ones till now)
I also remember reading a lot of classics in abridged form - we used to get those 4 inches X 4 inches X 1 inch books, with pictures on 1/4 of the pages. That's how I first read Jules Verne, Robinson Crusoe, Alexandar Dumas, R L Stevenson and a host of other authors(or rather their stories). My cousin Visakh had a huge collection of these abridged books, and I must have read them more number of times than he has.
I cannot forget the time I was in Mavelikkara at my granny's place, and she introduced me to the new neighbors (I don't remember the names :( ) Uncle had a huge collection of books and I was allowed to borrow anything from him to read. I read a book called The Far Country about someone who goes to Australia (when it was still a very young country). That was a beautiful book.
While talking about books, I have to mention my great love - Wodehouse. I think the first one I read was 'Pelican at Blandings'. I simply loved the style, and would be found laughing very frequently thinking about the book. I also remember reading Laughing Gas around the time I discovered Wodehouse. One of my great aims in life is to read every Wodehouse book I can possibly lay my hands on.
Taking a quick fast forward from school and summer holidays, I went thru a season of Thomas Hardy, Oliver Goldsmith, Charles Dickens et al on one side, and Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, The 3 Investigators and other mystery stories during high school and Plus 2 years. But the frequency of reading dwindled a lot during Plus 2, and the early Engineering years. My sources were limited during those years, and I had to read what I got and not what I want.
One major tragedy in my life happened around then. My uncle is a voracious reader and had a huge collection of books, and I was hoping to flick many of those once I got out of college and settled down. He had some problems lugging around his collection during every transfer, and decided to dispose off the books. My dad (traitor!) encouraged him to sell them to a library without my knowledge! :(
Now I am a member of Easwari Lending Library in Chennai, and a regular visitor there. I read a lot of books - some I want to read, some because I don't want to search, so pick up the books on top. I go so frequently, and read so many books now, that I lose track, and take the same book again sometimes(not that I really mind - some of the books can be read again and again, but I do mind paying full charge for second reading). I have exhausted their collection of Wodehouse, but I still keep checking once in a while if they have got new titles. I spend at least 45 minutes a day reading (on the return journey from work).
Books I am reading currently:
The Northern Light - A J Cronin (Am working thru the collection of Cronin at Easwari)
Restaurant At The End Of The World - Am reading the Hitchhikers series also - been wanting to re-read for a very long time. Read them first around 3 years back.
Wodehouse on Wodehouse - It is some sort of autobiography.
The Small Bachelor - Wodehouse - new addition at Easwari
Books I want to read someday:
Gone with the Wind
Black Shirt - this is a series about a gentleman cat-thief. Read one book when I was in school. Always wanted to read the others in the series. Found the name in the library database, but no one has been able to locate the books yet :D
Books that I cannot forget:
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Salman Rushdie
The Mayor of Casterbridge - Thomas Hardy
Sybil - Flora Rheta Schreiber (It is about a woman with multiple personality disorder)
Ponniyin Selvan - Kalki (read the translation in English - would like to read some of his other works too)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
Catch - 22 - Joseph Heller
Huckleberry Finn (And Tom Sawyer) - Mark Twain
Peony - Pearl S Buck
Masters of the Himalayas (or the Himalayan Masters) - It was a spiritual book my mother was reading. I started flicking through it, and could not put it down!
The Citadel – A J Cronin
Some of my current favorite authors (means I’ll look for these in the library first):
PG Wodehouse
Henry Cecil - Courthouse humor - really good.
A J Cronin
Salman Rushdie
Agatha Christie
Enid Blyton
PS: Passing on the tag - I really don't know many bloggers to pass on the tag to. So the tag ends here for now.
Comments:
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Wow! You've read so many different authors and genres of books. And i really loved the Prologue :)
Yous hould write more often..maybe u can do a review of a book that u read whenever u find time :-D
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Yous hould write more often..maybe u can do a review of a book that u read whenever u find time :-D
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