Books and only books. Blog Marathon #4

Books.
Books.
Books.
Three words. Same meaning.
But each time I utter it, I think about a different book, a different genre, a different character.
Sometimes it is the lovely Miss.Emma and sometimes it is the brave little Potter.

Who wouldn't love books?

Am I a bookworm?
Yes, I am! And I am proud to be one!

Am I guilty of hoarding?
No! (Yes, I am!)

Even if u ask a million questions related to books, my answer would be just yes. A plain yes. You don't have to expect an exaggerated version which will finally lead to a simple affirmative response. I will just answer in a single word, because a simple answer holds the plentiful meaning and a real bookworm who would lovingly appreciate the simple response, will have lots and lots to imagine, and as a true believer in the goodness of all books, I will leave it to their imagination. (And I will always pray to God for rich imagination and heavenly portrayals)

So, having clearly (I hope so!) explained the goodness of the black and white letters printed on a subdued white paper, I will explain further and will try to bring you, the reader, into the world of unrealistic expectations that will surely be fulfilled!

What do you think when you see a book?

Imagine a scenario.

You are walking along a pavement, trying to cover yourself from the heavenly pour that decided to come down at the exact time you leave your office. You decide to stop at a small store and you look sadly at the sky, which looks like as if it is glowering down at you. You can't help but feel threatened by the dark grey clouds. You look back at the store. It is a small second hand book store.
Let me pass at this second. You come back from your imagination! (though it may be tough, because of my superb hypnotic powers)

Now, I can't help but tell a few words or rather push towards you a few sentences about second hand book shops, even though it is highly inappropriate! Second hand book shops are histories that are waiting to be explored and read.

Just take a book. It has been already owned by a person or two or more persons. It could have been a first gift to a shy bride from her groom. She could have cherished it, until her grandson decided to sell it to make space for his new home theatre stereo speakers. 

Or it could have been a proposal gift by an unrequited lover trying to propose by gifting the book. How wonderful it would be to open a book and find a lovely proposal written in a page corner, still waiting for that response. You could feel the emotions coursing through you. Each page has a different story to tell apart from the one the author has intended for the readers.

So, going back to the imagination, you look at the bookstore. You are tempted to go in and get into a new world. You go inside, and your wet trail follows you. You explore different racks and finally select a book, which you have been wanting to read for ages. 

You buy it and finally when you reach home, you recline back and start reading. When you have completed it, you feel something has been lit up in your mind. Something that has been wanting to escape from a cage and finally it has.
And that feeling is 'fantastic'.
#fantastico

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

HAPPINESS

Happiness.

What is happiness?

                                      If you want to be happy, be.

                                                          -Leo Tolstoy

Happiness is a feeling that sweeps past us at some point of time in a normal day. As soon as you get up, the first thing that comes to mind is what you have to do the whole day; the projects you have to complete, the presentations you have to do, the deadlines you have to meet and finally dodging some of the notorious persons in your life. It is not exactly a pleasant feeling and no one will look forward to a day like that. There is a reason that we like weekend!

In a life like this, where do we find happiness?

Happiness arises out of small things that can happen at any time of our life. 

When you sit back and relax after your retirement, some moments in life will remain the sweetest and they in turn form the happiest moments in life!

Usually the events that make you happy are the simple events in your life rather than the elaborate ones. These simple happenings amount to the happiness of a person in his simple daily life.

What are those simple events that will make me smile? Let me list those one by one.

If you have ever lived in a hostel, you will know that the most hated thing about the life in a hostel is its food! You might have been complaining about the home food before you entered hostel. But once you enter the hostel, you will know the difference the love and care brings to food.

When I go home from hostel for a day or two, I wouldn’t be surprised if a gain a kilo or two over those two days. On the day I go home, my home will smell of my favourite food. If you are a person who loves food, you will have a long list of favourite foods and as a person, for whom food is a religion, my mother makes sure I have had all of those in those two days! 

Just going back home will make me happy, but home food makes it extra special. Thus, the food especially home food occupies the top priority in my list.

The next in the list would have taken the top place, if not for the pathetic hostel situation. But I guess both places have a wonderful position in my heart.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

                                                                                                                     ― Jane Austen

Books are truly a blessing in a person’s life. A person who does not like to read have no idea what they are missing! Though books in general make me happy, a visit to a bookstore will keep me smiling at least for a month. I am not exaggerating when I say ‘a month’! It is true!

The books take me to a different world. You can travel to a very different place other than the one you are trapped in. Bookshops, even the smallest ones selling second hand ones are heavens on earth for a book lover. Though in the present world, online shopping seems wiser and better, it can never beat the ‘aura’ of a bookshop.

You enter a bookstore and when your eyes roam the different books stored in stacks, you feel a shiver going through you. The adrenaline rush that I get will last throughout the time I select my books and pay for them and till I complete reading them. Whenever I look at those books in my bookshelf, I remember the visit to the bookstore, the display of books and so on.

This is a feeling that only a true book lover knows and cherishes and this takes the second part in my list.

Having said about books and bookshops, how can I not say about writing!

The fictional world knows no boundaries; you don’t have to stay trapped in a world. You can write your heart out and when you create a new world, you feel the happiness of having created a new world and you feel the exhilaration of being the master of your own world. Though it is a fictional world, the power that it gives you is something that you can never find it in the real world.

After having written a story, when a reader gives good comments, that makes me even happier. Though I am not writing for anyone in particular, when an unknown face likes the story and when your work gets noticed, there is nothing more rewarding than that!

If, you are a person who commutes frequently or at if you are a person who has visited a bus station or a railway station or a beach, you would have noticed the number of small children selling petty things. They take huge pains in going to every customer in the station and try to sell their wares. Most of the people just ignore them. They will happily give alms to a beggar who will be healthy enough to work, but ignore a small child selling goods to have his life. Without spending their childhood in merry and without being pampered, some are left in the streets to fend for themselves. Whenever I come across one, I try my best to buy something from them and make it useful. Though a single person buying from them will not make much of a difference, when similar minded people like me do the same, it will really be helpful to them.

Once on shopping, I saw a boy of around ten years of age selling flowers nearby. I bought the flowers from him ignoring the other sellers. The little boy’s face was full of happiness and he thanked me for buying. I was touched. What we did was exchange of goods. I was given some flowers for some money, but that didn’t matter to him. 

That little doing in my part made a soul happy and it made me happy in turn. Though I did not do a million amount donations, I was happy beyond that. Helping others will always make us happy and I learned an important lesson that day. 

"True happiness... is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            --  Helen Keller

Book Review - The Zoya Factor - Anuja Chauhan

This is my first book of this author. I have never heard of her before until recently.
The book starts with Zoya who was born on the day that India won the world cup. And no one team has lost if they had her presence before the match.
And how cool is that?
This forms the skeleton of the story.
In comes the dashing Indian Cricket captain. And in comes the World Cup. And in comes the rivalry between Zoya and the Captain.
Should I even say more?
The book was absolutely readable. Not a literature. But for passing your time when you are really bored.
The plot was good. But extremely predictable. The author could have developed something better.
Rating: 6/10. Average.

Book Review- Adultery by Paulo Coelho

Adultery by Paulo Coelho

   My first book of Paulo Coelho was The Eleven Minutes which came highly recommended from a friend. Then after I have read many of his books of which some were awe inspiring and some were a duh for me.
And with all due respect I pre-ordered this book as soon as I saw it online.
The book synopsis is as follows.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LOSE YOURSELF TO DISCOVER WHO YOU ARE

   A woman in her thirties begins to question the routine and predictability of her days. In everybody's eyes, she has a perfect life: happy marriage, children, and a career. Yet what she feels is an enormous sense of dissatisfaction. All that changes when she encounters a successful politician who had, years earlier, been her high school boyfriend. As she rediscovers the passion missing from her life, she will face a life-altering choice.

    One look at the title and at the synopsis makes you think may be this book is about extramarital affair and about how the leading lady overcomes it. But, no. It is not.
I could very well end the review here and make the inquisitive read the novel to find about what I am actually trying to say.
The novel starts with introductions.
How many of us are bored out of our wits? People always have wanted all but boredom. You know how irritating is idleness. An Idle brain is a devils workshop and probably this is what happened with the protagonist.
The story is all about her. She is a good wife. She is a good mother. Yet she feels something lacking in her life. Don't we all?
We all feel that there is always something lacking in our life and we try with all our might to gain it. But once you attain that something which you were lacking earlier, it is clear to you that something was not the reason for the emptiness that dominated your life.
Life gets boring and you get daring. Weird though, isn't it?
And if one is to read this book with a narrow mind, he or she is going to gain some.
But if you were to open your mind and put your heart into it, I assure you that it won't let you down.
I feel that this one deals with life as a whole than just adultery. And it is also about love.
It is also about letting yourself be who you are.

Read and see for yourself. I completed this one at the dearth of the night and i felt'wow'. You get 'that' feeling only with some books. Every bibliophile would know that feel. You don't get it with all that you read.
I highly recommend this one. And I am going to read it again.

(And I also felt that if they named the book a little differently, many of the readers would have prevented themselves from getting a scrutinizing glance from their parents.)

Rating: 10/10 and a thums up.

Buy this book at Buy Adultery ">Flipkart.

Book review - IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW by CECILIA AHERN

After reading P.S I love you, I wanted to read another book by her and got The Gift, which was OK for me.
It has been some years now. So I wanted to try an other one and so I got myself her another book called If You Could See Me Now.
IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW - Cecilia Ahern - a review.
The synopsis behind the book was great and it prompted me to get this one.
The story involves Elizabeth Egan, an interior designer by profession and who wears nothing but black and beige clothes.
She has a sister Saroise ( the pronunciation is really different) who is carefree and she never really cares about anything. She becomes pregnant at a very young age and she doesn't know who is the father and she doesn't care for her child too.
The child of Saroise is Luke and Elizabeth adopts him.
So the life goes on for Elizabeth and Luke.
In comes Ivan, a slightly different (literally) person.
He comes as a  friend for Luke and afterwards realizes his real job is to be friends with Elizabeth and not Luke.
The three enjoy glorious moments and Elizabeth and Ivan gets closer.
After Ivan, Elizabeth starts letting herself loose and her past worries and haunts disappear.
But Ivan is a secret to Elizabeth and she realizes she doesn't know anything about him.
Ivan realizes they can never to be togethe, but he cannot let her go.
Both Ivan and Elizabeth start thinking and the rest forms the climax.
Thought the end was predictable, it still formed a great and touching story.
Now having read this one, I am going to read her next.
Totally a touching one, but not at par with P.S I love You.

Many may call this chick lit, but it certainly is not that.

Also comes the characters-

-Her mother and according to her, she is a carefree spirit and she is yet to return from her adventure.

-Her father- who is still waiting for his wife having reared the children on his own.

-Benjamin- an American and a friend of Elizabeth.

Rating - 8/10