International Authors' Day: My bookish Journey!

Hosted by : Book R3vi3ws

Today, on the splendid occasion of International author's day, I would love to go down the memory lane and trace my metamorphosis into a compulsive bibliophile. I hope I won't bore you. I hope you identify with snippets and parts of it. And I hope you join me in this journey of plunging into the fantasy worlds of the books I read.  Here's my story.

I don't have a family who was too passionate about reading, everyone read newspapers, magazines, and maybe a novel once a year. But none of my family members was zealous about the blissful act of reading. For me, it was purely  the "Fates" that I experienced the heavenly mirth of reading. My earliest memory dates back to when as a 9 year old who had a tough time falling asleep without anyone by her side, I used to read myself to sleep: a short story per night out of my coursebooks. Not a bad beginning, right? And then I won books as prizes in elocution competitions. That is technically, my first tryst with books outside of curriculum. I still read it: The beauty and the beast in Hindi, and it happened that year in English.

And then, I pestered my parents to buy me scooby-doo novels. (Well, kids do that, I was just fulfilling my responsibility). Year after year, I Started getting more books as prizes. Then finally, I could lure my sister into the fantasy worlds of the novels, and we started shopping online for books. Till date, books are the only thing I shop for online. And then, My life REALLY began with my first ever visit to the book fair. There was no looking back. I have visited every book fair, every possible bookshop and my library spans possibly every genre. 

Today, the person who is writing this post has evolved as a bibliophile. I had my Facebook last name as bibliophile for years, my bookish obsession has made me a book-blogger, book-reviewer, book-hoarder, a crazy fangirl.  Which also implies that I love these mobile cases, necklaces, posters, jewelry, mugs, et al which are bookish to their core. 

I am the kind of person who keeps telling her friends to buy her these as gifts. And yes, I have received them very generously from some of my closest buddies. The books they have gifted is a reminder of their love, and it's almost like anyone who hasn't gifted me books isn't really a friend for life.

 (Dear all friends, who are feeling hurt and want to prove their friendship: Next on my please-gift-me-list: any and every book by Dan Brown,  John green, The Hunger Games Trilogy, Mathhew Quick, Ashwin Sanghi )

So, When I started this blog a year ago, I just had an itch to showcase my passion for books. That it would acquire these dimensions was the biggest surprise all year long. At 10,000 pageviews and loads of books coming up for review, I feel blessed to be a part of this book-lovers community.

Do be a part of our facebook flash giveaway here: So Many Books, So little time pinned post

Enter giveaway for Tantra By Adi (Paperback)
(Indian addresses only)

Anu is a vampire Hunter.But when her enemies murder the one person she truly cared about, all she wants is vengeance. The only clue points to New Delhi, so Anu puts in for a job transfer.

In India, she finds more than she expected. For one thing, her fellow operatives have made a truce with the vampires. For another, it’s way too hot to wear leather.

At first, it seems Anu’s biggest challenge will be evading the nice boys her aunt wants her to marry. But when children start disappearing, she discovers forces older and darker than anything she’s faced before. All of Delhi is in danger, especially the sexy stranger who sets Anu’s pulse racing.

To prepare for the coming battle, Anu must overcome her personal demons and put aside years of training. This time, her most powerful weapon will come from her mind, not her weapons belt.
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Book Discussion: The Fault in our Stars By John Green

“Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put together unless and until all living humans read the book.”

 

This quote from the book itself pretty much sums up everything that I feel for the book, yet I venture into writing more about it.

This is a quintessential book for a fangirl. Augustus-waters fetish. Cancer perks. An Imperial Affliction. Van Houten. Support group.

These words and phrases hover in the reader's minds long after the reading has been finished. In a market brimming with books of mediocre quality, (and although I am positive that there are as many brilliant masterpieces to make up for that), reading a book which would be cherished and relished forever is a proud feeling.

And although it remains inexplicable what this book has done to me, I dare to try give words to its magical effect.

A smorgasbord of emotions: what else can one expect from a novel which is a tale of two cancer-afflicted teenagers, waiting to fall n love with each other? The novel is so high on its emotional meter that the measuring gauge just burst, okay? Maybe, Okay will be our always. Okay?

A honeycomb of overwhelming thoughts: The marks humans leave are most often scars. I just died with choking from a deluge of sweetly-saddening emotions.

Crying on the verge of Choking: Oh, yeah. If nothing else could ever make you cry, Augustus' eulogy in the end will do. And by nothing else, I mean anything else. Ever.

Undying poignancy: Right from the beginning when people in the Support group narrate their tales of misfortune, to the various cancer perks. And remember that instance when Augustus asks Hazel her story, and she reminds him how she got cancer, to which Augustus retorts, “No, not your cancer story. YOUR story. Interests, hobbies, passions, weird fetishes et cetera. ”

Love and Companionship: Telling a friend in the manner of consolation, “Thats the thing about pain. It demands to be felt”. Communicating with your girlfriend's favourite author to know what happens next in her favourite novel, and managing to elicit a response. Going to meet the author with her. Its the little big things, you know?

Unconditional love: Sorry, can't define it. Because that would mean conditions, right?

Endearing characters: The guy compares the girl to Natalie Portman. He loves metaphors. And he writes a eulogy no one ever could. And the girl thought he was a tenured professor in the Department of slightly crooked smiles with a dual appointment in the Department of having a voice that made her skin feel more like skin. Isaac, whom you can feel nothing but a weird sympathy for.

Aesthetically exotic practices: Hazel's thirty-third half birthday, or encouragements at Gus' house.

The unfaltering, yet convincingly spontaneous chemistry and harmless flirting: and you say we don't know each other” And they discussed books with each other. So, it just keeps getting better and awesome. Hazel could hear his crooked smile!

 

A Pandora's

box of heart-rending quotes: 

Sometimes people don't understand the promises they are making when they are making them. But love is keeping the promise anyway.

I don't believe I have a crush on a girl with such cliche wishes.

The writer's efforts: He saw it from the perspective of opposite sex. He just did it! 

Damn! John Green is a genius, man!

This book just made the best part of my teenage. Go grab your copy NOW, like right NOW!!!

You Know you are a book-lover when...(Part 1)

We have all read books at some point of time or another. Here's a checklist to know whether you have qualified fully to be called a bibliophile (or bookaholic, or book-lover, or book-addict). And even if you have done these or felt these just once, we the bibliophiles are more than happy to accord the warmest welcome to you!

• You love books: Or should I say, you are in love with your books. It might seem like stating the obvious, however a bibliophile's love is a true one, it knows no boundaries, it sees no limits. They love books for not just the printed word, but also for the smell, the feel, the touch. Or, if it is an e-book, they sit glued to their e-device for hours. And they take care of their books like their babies, selfless love, you see!

• You sniff books: Yes, You heard it right, book-lovers love the smell of their books. Many of them are also into the practice of recognizing the publishing house by the smell and/or texture of the paper or the format of their electronic counterpart.

• You make excuses : From not going out on get-togethers, to delaying/cancelling hangouts with friends, you have done it, at least once so as to be able to read and finish the book by your favourite authors. And yes, without any compunction, you devise pretexts to do this, because you feel that it is a sacred ritual that needs to be attended before anything else.

 

• You prefer the company of books to people :The company of people entertains you, but that of books enthralls you beyond measure. And then you are judged: people call you anti-social, introvert. You see, that is the reason you love books. They don't judge you, nor they demand explanation.

• You sneak at work/while studying: It seems like a forbidden sin, and yet when you are in the middle of a good book, you cannot help but read snippets from the book every now and then. Troubled by the inconvenience, at last you give in to the temptation and abandon everything to read the book till the very last.

• You love books as gifts: You love it when people give you books as gifts, or even better,gift cards. There's a litmus test: you always gift books to people according to their tastes, but your friends have a tough time deciding which book to gift you. 

• You sleep with books: Ah! This one is the best. You retire to bed for the day. And inevitably there's the book in your hand, reading which you travel to another world, and without realizing slip into slumber while cuddling with the book. :-) This feeling's like no other.

• You are a book hunter: Yes, wherever you go, You are on the lookout for books. You check out the shelves of your host, you forage and ransack all places for libraries, bookstores or other nooks harbouring books.

• Your visits to bookstores disturb your budget: Each time you resist, first the urge to visit a bookshop and then the itch to buy books. No matter how hard you try,you end up spending a large fortune of your budget on books. In the aftermath of a book-splurge, you barely make your ends meet throughout the month.

• You fall in love with the fictional character: Not just fangirls, even booklovers find the man (or woman) of their dreams in a chapter.

• You cry when a good book ends: By their syntactical function, books with a poignant end make you cry. You are choked when your favorite character dies, you don't feel like talking to anyone for hours and can mourn for days. Yet, no one understands and life goes on, much to your grief.

• You experience book hangover: After having completed the book, It takes you time to make sense of reality. And then, you are incapable of starting another book because you cannot keep your thoughts from the previous one. The journey back into reality is tough. And if you haven't felt such as yet, try reading The Fault In our Stars, without crying for days following that.

• You find it difficult to part with your book: Yes, that practice of lending books. Accustomed to keeping your books like your babies, you cannot afford to get them hurt. 

• You love to get photographed with your books: Oh! yes, you love to get photographed with a book in your hand, by your side, or on the adjacent table, you flaunt your love of books, becuase.....they are the ultimate fashion accessory that never go out of trend. Isn't?

• Your to-do list never seems to diminish: So many books, so little time. But then there is nothing like so many books.

• You are always confused which book to pick next: As much as it is a moment of excitement, it is a moment of confusion.

• Your library card is always issued to the last: Despite telling yourself to keep at least one slot empty for moment of crisis, you end up getting as many books as the limit allows. 

• You despise Bookbreakers: That sadistic clan which attempts to tear pages from the books. Oh Lord! Punish them.There is no greater torment than an unfinished book because some blockhead wanted the page to complete the assignment on the last date of returning the book to library.

• You grab every possible opportunity to give book recommendations: You feel it is your sacred duty to give the best recommendations to budding bibliophiles and welcome them to the party.And you are on a mission to turn the world into a panorama of bibliophiles.

• You always want more bookshelves: The ones at your home never seem to suffice, especially not after a visit to the book fair or bookstore.

I can go on and on to enumerate the traits of a bibliophile. Watch out for the second part with a plethora of other characteristics of bibliophiles. I would love to know what other traits you think you possess. Just leave them in the comments section below, and I will include them in the next part of the series.
Happy Reading!