I used to be a casual reader, flipping through a few non-fiction pages now and then, but I never quite committed to finishing a book cover to cover. This year, though, things took a turn. I found myself glued to literature more than ever. I kept up with my sporadic page-turning, especially enjoying the freedom to dive into a ghazal from any source. As always, my main digital reading diet comprised Wikipedia, online articles, blogs, and Reddit.
Once a dedicated daily reader of newspapers, this practice faded away after leaving Jaipur. The era of quick news bites and click-baity headlines, I couldn’t help but feel the absence of some immersive storytelling. As luck would have it, my literary journey hit a high this year. I happily knocked out over a dozen books – certainly not a massive feat by the standards of an average reader on Goodreads, but still a personal victory for me. Assisted by a trusty e-book reader, I am spared the weight of holding a book for hours and the anxiety of unfinished pages. Of course, this digital convenience comes at the expense of the woody scent of book pages and the joy of a physical book collection – a luxury my cramped room can’t afford.
In chronological order, here’s a peek into my literary escapades this year. Each book was a thoughtful choice, given my slow reading pace that spans weeks. Time always seems to be in short supply, when you can just unwind with a movie, a YouTube video, or even some shorts.
Many of my chosen readings revolve around mountains and mountaineering, serving as a placebo for enjoying such adventures vicariously. I explored a number of public libraries, with Jurong Regional Library becoming a favorite haunt, only to end up with reading materials on the same, seated in a quiet and nippy corner.
Among my favorite reads this year, James Hilton’s classic fiction, Lost Horizon, stands out, immersing me in the mystical world of Shangri-La set in Tibet. On the non-fiction front, “The Ghosts of K2: The Epic Saga of the First Ascent” by Mick Conefrey gripped me with its depiction of the struggles, courage, and adventurous spirit of early expeditionists conquering the toughest, highest, and culturally the remotest terrains of the world. In the world of poetry, Diwan-e-Ghalib has consistently been a wellspring of poetic ecstasy – a psychoactive drug hitting all the right notes. Also engaging myself digitally on Rekhta, Clubhouse, and FWP.
- The Scent of Death by Simon Beckett
- Written in Blood by Chris Carter
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- 1984 by George Orwell
- The Ghosts of K2: The Epic Saga of the First Ascent by Mick Conefrey
- Lost Horizon by James Hilton
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
- Verity by Colleen Hoover
- Everest 1922 by Mick Conefrey
- Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis
- Beyond Possible by Nimsdai Purja
- The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
- On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves
- The Housemaid’s Secret by Frieda McFadden
- Free Will by Sam Harris
- Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
- Diwan-e-Ghalib
ShySnail 