10 things You should never say to a Bookworm

We bookworms are an eccentric lot. While it is easy to guess what makes us happy (anything and everything that concerns books :P), you can never know what will tick us off!!

Here is a little help though. My sincere advise: NEVER EVER say any of this to a bookworm.. the repercussions may vary from mild irritation to extreme violence :P

10. My favourite author is Chetan Bhagat/Mills&Boons.

9. I am sorry but I lost the book that you gave me last week.

8. What's with you carrying books in your bag all the time? Aren't there better things to put in your bag?

7. The only books I have read are my school textbooks.

6. I love to make dog-ears in my books!! (seriously dude, haven't you heard of bookmarks??)

5. Yuck!! What are we doing in a bookstore??

4. Once I finish reading a book, i give it in Raddhi/Bhangaar(!!!)

3. I read a book when I want to sleep.

2. There are better things to spend money on.. I would never waste it on books.

1. Books???? Eeeewwwwwww.....!!!!!!! (The consequences of this statement can be fatal)

You Know You're a Bookworm When.....

1. Your idea of a perfect date begins at The Crossword Book Store, browsing for books and ends up on the couch… discussing books.

1. You have a tendency to quote randomly from the latest book that you have read or are reading… For Example: when you see Palak (spinach) for dinner you say "It is silliness to eat, when to eat is a torment"

1. You have the habit of noticing grammatical errors while people are speaking and you love to correct them, even if in return you get whacked on the head with your own book.

1. You judge people by the kind of books they read: Chetan Bhagat/Sidney Sheldon readers = The Easy Going ones, Management Books readers = The Workaholics, Shakespeare/Jane Austen/Classics Readers = The Intense, Dreamy ones, Non readers = The Losers

1. You will take it PERSONALLY if you hear even complete strangers saying "Oh books are so BORING!!"

1. In all probabilities, the only serious hobby you have had in your life is "Reading".

1. Nine out of Ten times, you wear glasses… atleast reading glasses.

1. If you ever realise that there is a certain book that you STILL HAVE NOT READ… you will die of misery and embarrassment.

1. When you are moving to a new house, you will pack your books in bubble wrap and write "Fragile, handle with care" on the box.

1. According to you mishandling a book is a heinous crime and all offenders should be made to serve in a library for lifetime.

1. Your circle of friends include the staff at your favourite bookstore, the friendly book-wallah on Dadar Station and your raddi-wallah who gives you second hand books for free.

1. You are so crazy about books that in spite of all the constructive things you could have done with your free time, all you will do is start a blog dedicated to books and write about books till the time everyone around you gets nauseous and starts puking at the slightest mention of the "B- Word".

An Unfailing Companion-- Part 2

Situation 2: The Solitary Journey

The world can be a lonely place when you are an introvert. That I am an introvert, a naturally shy person, is something that has bothered me a lot. More so when I am on my own, travelling to someplace with nothing else to do.

Striking up a conversation with your fellow travelers can be a huge pain when you just end up tongue tied and unable to speak at all with strangers.
The iPod gets boring because after a certain while you cannot bear the music blasting in your ears (no, switching to soft music also doesn't help after an hour or two.)
Yes, looking out of the window can be pretty pleasing because our incredible country is full of sights and surprises at every nook and corner... But what do you do after it turns dark?

Then out comes The Book.
And invariably I lose myself in it, because, the book is my gateway to an unknown exciting world; 17th century Europe, 21st century India, the morbid world of Vampires, the artificial world of socialites and the gruesome world of the Mafia.

Laughing and crying with them, I make my way to my destination and realise that the book has been an unfailing companion to me, yet again.

An Unfailing Companion-- Part 1

Books, they say, are our best friends. And best friends stand by us come what may, and never let us down. Books, I discovered, are my best friends too, my truest, most unfailing companions :)

Situation 1: Classroom, Boring lecture in progress

Imagine a situation, where you are compelled to sit through a lecture on an extremely lethargic subject like Indian Management Thoughts and Practices. With huge efforts I was trying to concentrate on what the prof was trying to say but invariably my mind started wandering, i began stifling monstrous yawns and my eyelids start drooping. But hey!! I cannot sleep in class, can I? Who wants to get caught sleeping midway through a lecture... because that is like the surest way to drawing not just the professors but the entire class's attention to you. Neither could I chat or play my i-pod, lest I be caught :(

And then I remembered, I had an old Archie somewhere in my backpack :D
Honestly, it is very easy to camouflage an Archie within a huge Management volume, pretend that you are listening and taking notes/marking points and still have the time of your life hanging out with Archie and his Gang at Pop Tates ;)

And boy, did the time fly by!!!! :)

Will the paperback die?

Travelling back home on the evening fast train, I was lost in my battered old Shakespeare Paperback until a lady sitting right across me caught my eye. Well actually it was a chic little black gadget in her hand that caught my eye. No it was not an i-pod or a Blackberry considering the way the lady was intently staring at the screen. On a little closer inspection i realised that it was an e-book reader!!

Smart, sleek, portable and capable of storing hundreds of books at a time, the Electronic Book Reader saves up precious space in you bag while you're on the move and you can practically carry your library with you. I looked depressingly at my paperback... was the e-reader soon going to put the traditional books out of circulation? Was the good ole paperback nearing extinction?

Sitting there, my mind already taken over by the above mentioned depressing thoughts, i decided to do a mental E-Reader v/s Paperback debate :)

What tosses the coin in favour of the E-reader is its portability. Now who wouldn't like their bag to be a little lighter while going to work in the jam packed Mumbai locals? Also, the e-reader has a vast memory and so you can store as many books you like in it... so if mid way you finish off a book, you do not need to wait until you reach home to pick up a new book to read!!

And then there came a deluge of women rushing right inside the compartment and the crowd wouldn't stop knocking our knees!! Let me tell you, in such a situation, it is far more easier to take care of your book as compared to your e-reader. What would happen at the most is that the book might be knocked out of your hands, it will fall, get a little dirty or a page or two might come loose. But the e-reader won't survive such an assault and there goes your Rs. 15,000 down the drain!

Also, while you can flip through the pages of your book easily, the constant tapping and scrolling through your e-reader gets a little frustrating and strains your fingers after a while.

What will happen if your book is stolen? Well you can always go back to the bookstore and buy a new one... 300 bucks are not that heavy on our pocket; but if your e-reader is stolen (and the chances of this happening are very high), how many people will be as willing to shell out 15-20k for a new gadget again?

And lastly, there is no comfort as lying on your soft couch, sipping a nice cup of coffee and reading a book.. the gentle sound of the turning pages is extremely soothing :)

While I do not say that the paperback is Better than the e-reader or vice versa, the mental debate put me at ease because i know that the e-reader along with its amazing pros also has it cons and so it will surely never kill the paperbacks.

5 Books that every Guy should read

OK, so after my hugely popular blog about 7 books that every Woman should read... here is my Must read list of 5 Books for every Guy!!

1. The Kite Runner: Set in the pre Taliban occupied Afghanistan, this is the story of Amir and Hasan, one the son of a Rich man and the other, the son of his servant. This heart wrenching tale is about the enduring power of friendship between these two boys, which spans across a lifetime --- distance, lies, betrayal and war notwithstanding.

2. The Godfather: Arguably one of the best books written about the mafia, the lesser I talk about this book, the better :) A Must Must read for all the guys!!

3.The Picture of Dorian Gray: All that Dorian Gray wanted was to be the best looking chap in town and freeze his handsome looks forever. But good looks come at a heavy cost!! This clever and witty tale by Oscar Wilde tells us about the pitfalls of being...... or wanting to be the most Good-looking guy around.

4. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: I put forth my point here again... I Hate Self help books!!! But then this is one book that has to be included in this list... simply because it makes an honest attempt to help Men understand the complexity of a woman's brain (and vice-versa!) ;)

5. Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra: Semi- autobiographical, this is a collection of short stories by Ruskin Bond. Chronicling his life from his childhood days to his youth, the stories are written in a simple, almost lyrical language, and they innocently capture all the emotions and moods of a boy who is on the verge of becoming a Man.

P.S. This list is shorter than the one I wrote for girls simply because I found myself at loss racking my brains over and over again thinking which books would be most suitable for guys.
If any guy is reading this post, please suggest some "Includable" books and i will rewrite this post again :)

Don't judge a Book by its Movie

"Don't judge a Book by its Movie" --- so said the bookmark at Crossword. And I could not help agree more!

I remember the time when I was watching Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and at least 10 times throughout the movie i was wondering "Heck, was this even there in the book?"

The plot was put on a complete fast forward mode, characters were ruthlessly omitted and seriously the Quidditch Matches in the movie did not give me the goosebumps like those in the book.

But then there are exceptions everywhere, and so even here. If me and you think likewise about the whole books into movies trend, then I suggest you have a look at the below list. It took me quite some time to figure out this list, but I feel it was worth all the effort.

Here are 3 Books-made-into-movies, which are worth a watch, simply because they succeed in bringing on the big screen, the original charm and beauty of the plot and the characters, without spoiling its "True Feel". At least now I am satisfied to know that sometimes, just sometimes, it is OK to Judge a Book by its Movie

The Blue Umbrella: Adapted from the story of the same name by Ruskin Bond, this movie is charming, touching and original. Watch out for the rock solid performance by Pankaj Kapoor.

Marley and Me: Adapted from the book of the same name, it tells us the story of the author and his life with his badly behaved dog Marley. The movie rarely strays from what is there in the book, is delightful, funny and tender. Must watch movie for all dog lovers, I bet you will hug your doggie endlessly while watching Marley & Me.

Godfather: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Mafia and Francis Ford Coppola---- sheer genius.

A 23 year old Love Affair

A love affair always begins with something simple and harmless-- a simple look, a small conversation, even a seemingly minuscule hello!! An then it turns into something that is all encompassing, passionate and unforgettable!!

Mine began with something as simple and harmless as a Birthday gift... a First Birthday gift to be more precise.

While most parents would pamper their kids silly with toys, clothes and other such goodies, mine decided to give me a set of Childcraft-- 16 volumes covering everything that a child should know-- History, Geography, Biology, Maths, Literature, Art and Cultures + an Atlas and a Dictionary.

Those 16 books where the first ever books that i owned as a year old toddler, the first books from which I learnt to read, the very first Dictionary that I learnt to refer to. They were the truest companions when introvert little Miss Bookworm preferred staying at home than play Hide-n-Seek.

They say you should have something that you are passionate about in life, because Passion makes the world go around!

23 years ago unknowingly I found my Passion :)

My dearest Set of Childcraft .... Here's to You :)