When we think about ‘journal’ or ‘journaling’, most of us think about those hefty biology/physics/chemistry journals we laboured over as schoolkids or writing a daily ‘diary’. The task of writing a daily diary or even writing a diary may seem tedious at a time when we seem to be more stressed than ever! But have you ever thought there may…
Eco friendly. Environment friendly. Sustainable living. Green living. Organic. These are words we’ve seen around us for a while now, irrespective of a sector. These terms have made their space in our daily vocabulary, making way for concepts like ethical, sustainable, fair-trade, biodynamic, earth-friendly, ecological, free-range and the likes. Experts keep reminding us of the need to adopt and adapt…
Reading – that one activity that everyone loves to do, everyone recommends for all age groups. Some of us are good at it, finding time to settle with a book and slip into a new world. Some of us struggle to fit in time to read, despite our best intentions and a burning desire. I love reading – I get…
Work from home has become a norm for most of us, as have the aches and pains that come from it. Physiotherapists and doctors have also noted an alarming increase in patients complaining of excruciating pain in the neck, shoulder and back. The reasons for these aches and pains are aplenty. According to Dr Shinee Shanbag, consultant physiotherapist & deputy…
‘Where did the day go!?’ has been a common refrain for all of us, if not daily then at least 3-4 times a week. With a larger number of roles that we’re juggling daily – especially in these times of pandemic and lockdown – lack of time is a feeling that pinches every one of us.
In conversation with Juhi Bansal of Closet Buddies fame, a first-gen fashion influencer from Gujarat Think first generation bloggers in Gujarat and the one name (and perhaps the only one!) that comes to mind is that of Juhi Bansal a.k.a fashion blogger of the Closet Buddies fame. One of the few among the first set of bloggers to have survived…
To be honest, I don’t exactly remember how I came up with the idea of this particular post about books.
It could be the time when my mother was talking about her favourite Bengali author, Sankar – bits and pieces of his works often find their way in her conversations.
Perhaps it was that memory of a nursery-grade me lying with her head on the elder sister’s stomach, listening to the latter read out loud abridged versions of classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Little Women.
Or when my father revealed that the first English novel he read was Of Human Bondage by William Somerset Maugham at the age of 15. The teenager, studying in a school in a remote village of West Bengal, had been given the book by his favourite teacher.
“It changed the way I looked at books. I was hooked to reading,” said the man who, along with my mother, introduced the elder sister and me to the joys of reading. I was fascinated. I think it was this nugget from my father’s life that planted the seed for this post.
Books are a uniquely portable magic
STEPHEN KING
So, I decided, why not ask a few people to talk about THE book which changed their attitude towards reading and the reason why. Two questions were sent out to those who agreed to share their thoughts on the basis of how they interpreted the questions –
Q Recommend a book that changed your attitude towards reading (could be any genre, language, etc)
Q How & why did the book change your attitude.
And the responses to these two questions have not only increased the length of my ‘books I must read’ list but also given me a trip down nostalgia lane. Not to forget the reminder that every book is important, because every book holds significance for that one person who found bits of themselves in the pages.
Here’s what 14 of my book-loving friends had to say about their ‘THE BOOK’