My love affair with books started at a very young age. Even when the other kids went out to play, I would find myself completely engrossed in one book or the other. I still remember my grandparents telling me a fable every afternoon to put me to sleep. At night, my mother would gleefully read me a bedtime story.
As I grew up, my mom started getting more and more storybooks for me. Every night, I would finish my homework and then cuddle up to my books. At the age of five, I made my dad build me a bookshelf, which is present in my room even today. And mind you, with a whopping capacity of over 250 books, it is no ordinary bookshelf. I bet he had no idea that his daughter would go on to have a crazy book collection over the years!
By the time I reached my teens, my obsession with books had gone through the roof. In fact, every weekend I would nag my mom to get me a book. When she finally gave in to my tantrums, I would finish the book overnight! That is when she decided to enroll me in a library. In retrospect, I don’t think I had ever felt that happy in my life! No amount of chocolates or toys could have measured up to that sense of satisfaction.
Over time, I started reading more genres, exploring more literary gems along the way. And that is when I came across Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. For those of you who are yet to read it, I beg you to quit whatever you are doing and get your hands on that book. Oh, and you can me later!
The good thing about being a book lover is that you get loads of books as gifts. On every birthday of mine, my mom makes sure to treat me to one ‘life-changing’ book (that is what she prefers to call them) along with a heart-warming letter. Of course, my friends send me books too. Every time I travel, I make sure to carry along three of my favorites to exchange them with any fellow bibliophile travelers I might run into.
I believe a book says a lot about its reader. Every reader has a unique story about each book they read and how they perceive it. When traveling, I make it a point to visit quaint bookshops, indulge in erudite conversations with the shop owner, and try to buy as many books as I can. Well, this strategy can backfire at times – I ended up getting a Latvian book once! I know nothing about the book other than its title. Even so, it holds good memories of the people I crossed paths with, and that in itself makes me happy.
You see, it is not just about books; reading is more like a way of life. You can never read a lot, but you can always read enough. I always try to push the people around me to read – not a dozen books, but just one book worth a dozen, for words have the power to transform our lives!
A NOTE TO OUR READERS
Divya’s fondness for reading also translates into her skill at coming up with high-quality content. You can check out her portfolio here.
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