Nirupama P.R.V.'s Blog: Catty Opinions of a Book Loving Couch Potato, page 25
October 10, 2018
Reading Recap
This post is a short recap of all the books I read the past month. I hope to make this a regular feature on this blog.
In September –
I mostly re-read favorites in the mystery genre. Agatha Christie’s and Isaac Asimov’s detective series. Since I started a new role and am still wrapping up my machine learning course, I resorted to relishing my all time favorites. (So I would agonize over what the end is… sigh! ) While I know it counts in Goodreads Reading Challenge, I am hoping my reading goals will have been met without the double counting. Fingers crossed.
I finished the audiobook How to Impress Anyone by Leil Lowndes. One of my targets this year was to dabble more in audiobooks- so this finish was a bit more dear.
I also read a few Harlequin romances- light reading that accounts for quite a few spare moments on the go.
Other than that, I also read many storybooks to the kiddo – multiple times. I’m always wondering if that counts. Sure they’re less than a dozen pages but when you have to read them over and over … with interruptions and while answering a flurry of questions -the sort only kids ask…
What has your reading been like? Any opinions on my musings above? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
October 8, 2018
October 1, 2018
August 6, 2018
August 1, 2018
Little Steps to Pursue Hobbies
With all those spare moments of reading adding up, I am actually ahead of my reading goals for 2018. Hurrah!
And while it’s true that we should definitely pursue hobbies and interests for the joy they spark, I feel tracking my spare moments on reading helps me use my time a little better. Definitely the zing of watching me inch closer to my goals by tracking helps me be more disciplined about the next time a short free time a lot opens up. So, instead of reaching mindlessly for visual junk or aimless social media scrolling, I’m more likely to reach for that ebook or paperback. I literally have one book in strategic points in every room and reading apps on the first screw of my phone to sustain the habit.
I’ve found that this also makes me more deliberate and discerning when it comes to consuming television, Youtube and social media. Consequently, I am happier with the content I am watching (and my feeds get better) and more inspired by the tweets/ posts I read. And yes, I don’t believe in cutting it out altogether. (After all the husband and I did happily watch some great recommendations on Netflix).
Wrapping up, what is your line of action when it comes to pursuing hobbies? Do you track? How do you make time? How do you conquer the ‘Attraction of Distraction’? Share your tips in the comments below.
July 30, 2018
July 21, 2018
Grandma and Reading
A graceful figure clad in a sari, she is sitting on the floor. Her back is straight resting against a door or wall. She always read in this position, her body making a right angle, erect in posture, only feet crossed at the ankles, for the three decades I knew her. Her book would be exactly 25cm away, the free hand’s index on her chin. Sometimes her forehead would crease in riveted attention, sometimes a smile would play and sometimes (one of my favorite sounds), a chuckle would escape. I would wait and watch her almost meditative form with admiration and curiosity. The title on the books would be in different languages, some I could read, some were squiggles I still can’t decipher.
That is one of my memories when I think of my grandma, reading with gusto, reading with love.
My grandma read everything, from philosophy to classics to war stories to children’s books. If she liked it, she would read it. She never read because it was the ‘in’ thing or everyone was jumping onto the bestseller bandwagon. She read for the sheer joy of it.
She also read with pride. She did not see age or genre when it came to books. She devoured Enid Blytons, Jane Austen, Mills and Boons and Archies Digests all with the same enthusiasm. Light, dense, old, new, modern, classic and everything in between, she taught me that like music, different genres are appealing for different moods and energy levels. We limit ourselves when we think that middle age calls for philosophy or that chick-lit is only for women.
I love how my grandma read in many languages. A drawback of the times she grew up was that she had to discontinue her studies quite early. But she never stopped learning or growing. Books were her way of education. She showed me in her inspiring way, what an effortless conduit books are to learn from the masters, from great leaders and cultures. Needless to say, when she graduated at fifty plus with a first class degree in world history, it was not even surprising.
I wanted to write a lot more, about many more different aspects of this gracious and wonderful person who gave so me the gift of reading but I simply miss so much. (this post is sparked by the thought that this week was her birthday)
But inspired by the joyful bundle of cheer she was, I leave you with a question instead. Who do you think of when you think of reading? Is there a person who shaped your habits, a particular memory that you hold dear. What is it? Share in the comments below. Until then, adieu and Happy Reading!
July 16, 2018
July 9, 2018
July 7, 2018
Lists and Reading
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This post is a combination of two of my favorites- reading and lists. I thought it would be fun to see what I could come up. And lo and behold- I decided to simply add different lists related to reading in this post.
I. My current reads:
Laura Vanderkam’s “Off the Clock”
Seth Godin’s “All Marketers are Liars…”
“Friend of Friend” by David Burkus (audiobook)
“Regatta Mystery and Other Stories” by Agatha Christie (re-reading)
What’s yours?
II. Why I re-read books:
They are easier, quicker
Old classics and perennial favorites are like old friends, the ‘familiarity’ is nice and comforting.
They help me practice my reading speeds
I like knowing the story- it keeps me from resenting that I will be interrupted by life’s various distractions
The thrill and anticipation of re-reading your favorite parts is amazing. This is why Youtube is full of famous movie scenes!
It counts towards my reading goals.
Reading is a skill that has to be practiced. I like to build my reading muscles.
It is good visual for the kiddo to view- Mommy reading good old fashioned physical books. This is one of the painless ways to be a role model
