I have a big list of books I have read or I possess. I usually read from my own collection I have built over the years where at any given point in time the unread books are in double digits. I like going to the book stores to buy my books or pick one at the railway station, the airport. Once in a while I do visit libraries too. In fact for sometime book browsing on Church Street used to be a weekend ritual.
I used to love to go book fairs when I was in Patna. The place has a rich literary heritage, especially in Hindi literature. There's a lit fest in Bangalore but I have not attended any book fairs yet. In fact I have not attended one after college.
My three year stint as library in-charge of my school's student council
were my formative years of reading. It has left a profound impression on my taste and nuances of reading I'd say.
Those were best of my years. For books and everything else. The last few years of innocence.
The books I read in school were mostly Hindi books.
School is also where I was introduced to literature from other countries, both in Hindi and English.
I remember reading The Cossacks and then Tagore's Gora as Hindi translations.
I think that is where I had read Maxim Gorky's Mother as well, but I do not remember now. Maybe I didn't.
Then I went to Patna to study engineering and the amount of reading reduced, not necessarily because I had less time.
Time I had but the priorities were misplaced or had just changed.
I did try to keep up. Ashok Rajpath near dental college was a favourite locality
with roadside stalls selling old (that would be a week old, or a month) magazines
and books at very affordable prices. Whatever I lost in reading literary books
I tried to overcompensate by buying and reading lots of magazines from those vendors.
I remember one whom I used to call Raju bhaiya.
Hans,
Kathadesh, Reader's Digest, few old Granta issues and then there were many other magazines like Outlook et cetera.
I'd buy whatever I could get my hands on; as per the remaining pocket money at that time of month.
After college I moved to Indore. I don't think I read anything there except A Jeffrey Archer on office computer. In Bangalore I have been reading again. Intermittently.
So here is a list of books I have read.
Items marks with a star * come highly recommended.
Obviously this page needs update as well. Maybe someday.