My husband gifted me Dan Brown's, The Lost Symbol (a hardcover at that) when it got released. And I started on it day before. This would have been sacrilege ten years ago when I would devour new books even if it meant staying up till 3 am...or beyond. Nope, that's not ideal at all....but heck, these were un-put-downable JK Rowlings, Dan Browns, John Grishams, Alistair McLeans,Jeffery Archers, Daphne du Mauriers, Agatha Christies, and ......Hardy Boys, Nancy Drews, and....Famous Fives and Secret Sevens! Yup! Together with countless comics, and hundreds of other random fiction.
Then suddenly, I woke up one day and realized I had grown older, and had a job to go to that sucked all energy out of me. Reading sat in the last row in the least priority class-room. Those were sad days!
Yet there is an unmistakable and stupendous sense of satisfaction of having gone down the crazy reading lane that knew no bounds, esp., no time-lines, bottom-line, top-lines, or any other dubious stuff we make our life's purpose to plod through.
Then a stroke of luck happened. I found an eclectic and committed reader in my husband who revived my joy for books, intense reading, pointless discussions, endless debates, and book shopping sprees - the joys of life. We excitedly caught-up on many notes, anecdotes, memories, and the thrill of reading our favourite authors. Together, we rummaged through dusty second-hand book stores, erupting with excitement on having found a book title that seemed impossible to have got published in the first place. Over time, we also had fun exchanging some of our unique reading interests that the other hadn't tasted yet.
Thankfully, some of our most enchanted discussions at home are around discoveries and learning, and spying new places in our small apartment to fit in more book-shelves.
When we recently moved into our second home, the first carton I looked for was the one with books. Which, btw, was meticulously marked, and so what, if we found my comb with the kitchen utensils. The first shelf I lovingly arranged was our book-shelf. And the most animated times while painstakingly packing our stuff (and doubting the whole move) was which books to leave behind and which to transfer to our other home.My best memories of packing and moving in the last two years have been - without a doubt - our collective books.
Somewhere down the line, catching up with management literature became important, and I read up frantically, so I could have meaningful things to say in a training session. That was important as well.
But now...once again....it's time to get back to fiction as well....I might not find a quotable quote to impress my training junta....but then, management books never kept me awake till 1:15 am either!
The joys of reading!
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