Getting addicted to #bookstagram or reposts of #booktok is an easy thing. I am not lying or exaggerating. Take it from someone who does not read any books at all. You cannot convince me to read a book. If you suggested me a book, I usually deferred reading it. Or maybe look up the gist online and read the parts that are most loved by the readers. Okay, maybe I have read at least one book whole heartedly.
I remember reading every single Enid Blyton book, and most of the Nancy Drew mysteries when I was school. But all that stopped when I grew up and finished school. No access to libraries. I did read other books but these, I thought, are better than the rest. I got into the genre of adventure, fantasy, horror, mystery and thriller. Apparently, reading those books and those particular genre aren’t appreciated by the people. They are not considered to be ‘real books’. Or books at all. (What are the ‘real books’ anyway?)
The only book I have ever read is ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ by Anne Frank. I remember reading a part of it as school syllabus. It touched my heart and I had to get the book. (Maybe it’s one of the real books). After that, I mostly read books meant for casual reading. No, I still haven’t done reading the classics. Even though my sister has a huge library of her own filled with the classics, I have not got around to actually read them. Skimmed through most of them or have read the concise versions of them, but to read in such a way that I could quote them later or refer to it… was difficult.
This is where academia side of social media come to play. During quarantine years, I bought a lot of books recommended by those said accounts. I got into the healthy habit of reading, after someone said to read no matter what. They shared their story of how they were made to think that reading ‘real books’ was the only way to read and that it is okay to read whatever you like, whatever genre interests you. It is okay if you are interested in only a one genre of books. Just read.
Thus, began my addiction my bookstagram. I am following a few accounts that I feel suggests books that might interest me or I like their reading lists and library. I am subscribed to websites that provide newsletters on recently released books or suggests books if you want to read a particular genre or on a particular topic or season or mood.
I am slow reader. I get lost in my thoughts after not even finishing a paragraph. Slowly but surely I will finish reading a lot of books before it’s considered too late. Here are some of the books I read in 2021-22:
- The Witch Of Portobello by Paulo Coelho: Oh! How many times did I open the book and then not read it. People warned me against reading a Paolo Coelho book as I am not reader. But I decided one day to be done with it. End result: I wanted to be Athena!
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: One of the books I skimmed earlier because it was popular but one of my cousins purchased the book. I had to read the book in detail.
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: Watched the movie first, then read the book. I read the book earlier but unpacked a book box and found it. So I had to give it a read.
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: Again watched the movie first and then read the book. Surprisingly the book was more in a comic book style. Same frames were used in the movie.
- Death of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon: One of the books that took me time to read. At first I thought some context is missing or there was a reference I didn’t understand. Turns out there is another book, a prequel I had no idea of.
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: A very good coming-of-age books suggested by book lovers. Quite easy to read.
- The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn: I bought this book when it came out but it was on my to-be-read list for a long time. A good thriller but I guess I’ve read too many Agatha Christie books to figure out the big secret. I have mixed feelings for this one.
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: Another book I saw on the social media accounts. A good read! At first I thought it was slow but later I was hooked. Can’t wait to read the entire series.
I have a few books on me as of now that I intend to read before buying new books. So these may join the 2023 club. What do they say about small steps everyday…
Currently on to-be-read:
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (one classic at a time and honestly I have no idea what the actual story is)
- Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav (update: finished reading. A must-have poetry book)
- Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov (more like revisiting the story)
- Genius and Ink: Virginia Woolf on How To Read
- The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir by André Leon Talley
To be honest, I am reading all the books at once. I know I will get bored with just one book so I change it up frequently resulting in all the books being half-read. The idea of reading at least 10 pages a day has really helped a lot. If a part of a book is interesting I end up reading more than one chapter. There are days when I don’t read at all. There are times when if I found a book interesting, I would finish it in a day or two.
It’s good to see progress personally. The younger me would have never thought that I would read so many books or read books at all. I would still claim that I prefer movies to books but I might find a middle ground. That would be all in this blog. Let me know if you are hooked onto #bookstagram or #booktok. Any other book suggestions for readers or beginners like me? Let me know in the comments section.
Until next time…
Images used:
Featured Image: Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash
Books read so far Image: Photo by Asal Lotfi on Unsplash
TBR Image: Photo by Elena Putina on Unsplash
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