Day 14: Favorite author from your childhood

Well, I was exposed to books quite late. I enjoyed reading even when I was little but I was too innocent to ask my parents to buy me books. I had only a book or two in my book shelf. Yes, I was quite shy. I am an introvert and have been like that since forever. Therefore, I used to spend time reading short stories from my language textbooks at school. I still recall many of them because I had read them quite a few number of times.

Of course, I can’t recount my favorite authors because I hadn’t any. That time the image I had of an author was obscured by the heavy books of biology, physics and chemistry, my sister used to study. Rather I will discuss the few stories I enjoyed then which were not based on the curriculum.

Panchatantra Tales by Vishnu Sharma were quite an enjoyable read. I had (still have) a kid’s book with certain stories of Panchatantra like that of the crocodile and the monkey and of the greedy milkman, etc. I liked reading them because of the simple language and a moral at the end of every story.

The Monkey and the Crocodile

Also, I spent a lot of time reading religious books that belonged to my mother. I liked and still like reading mythological tales. I was always amazed by the prayer of the devotees and the power of the gods and goddesses. It is quite an irony because I am an agnostic and sometimes an atheist.

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Furthermore, I used to read every single page of a kid’s magazine that used to come  along with the newspaper every Friday.

I know this post is getting really boring for you to read. I will finish by writing that it is never too late to start reading. The books mean a lot to me. I like them. I live in their stories.

I am not reading much right now. But I know I just need to get into the flow of it once again which I would eventually.

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Day 13: Your favorite author

Well, this is like asking about your favorite book.

No, I don’t have any favorite author. Yes, I have many favorite authors.

That is all to be said. That is what says everything.

Okay, so I am going to make a list of all those authors I liked (in no particular order) and what I liked about them:

1. J.d. Salinger- Direct straightforward approach in writing

2. John Green- Understanding of teenage and true narration of coming of age

3. J.K. Rowling- Weaving a superb fantasy world

4. Sidney Sheldon- Hard-paced thriller; page turner content

5. Stephen King- Perfect blend of mysticism and spookiness

6. Jeffrey Archer- Wonderful depictions of a person’s psychology

7. Kathryn Stockett- Joyful writing about a serious issue

8. Marcia Willet- Dramatic and heart-touching writing

9. Dan Brown- Symbols and conspiracy theory

10. Kazuo Ishiguro- Life stories bared; what else to say!?

11. Rick Riordan- Mythological content presented for the young ; easy to understand and enjoy

12. Suzzane Collins- Planning and plotline

13.  Mitch Albom- Understanding life for all its complexities and accepting its end

14. Khaled Hosseini- Heart wrenching tales of unfortunate people, tangled in the web of war

15. Paulo Coelho- Spirituality and metaphors

16. Amitav Ghosh- Words you would treasure; characters you won’t forget

17. Jhumpa Lahiri- Inspiring with the tales of family and mature relationships

18. Sylvia Plath- Raw emotions portrayed in a way that creates a gaping hole in the chest

19. John Grisham- Stories that leave a message and keep you entertained

20. Stephen Chbosky- Gently caressing story, speaking of the wonders of friendship

Day 12: A Book You Don’t Like Anymore

Today, I have to discuss book(s) that I once liked but I don’t anymore. May be it is the The 39 Clues Series. It is a children adventure series written by a collaboration of authors including Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Roland Smith, David Baldacci, Jeff Hirsch and Natalie Standiford.

I liked the original series and I read the 11 books in a matter of a week. They were a very quick read; the language being simple since these are meant for children. It revolves around the two siblings who go for an adventure hunt in competition with their distant relatives, who all belong to the world’s most powerful family i.e. Cahill. They all are on a hunt of 39 clues which would lead them to the ingredients to make a serum that could make one the most powerful person on the Earth.

Then I started reading the sequel to the series which is named Cahills vs Vespers and I was disappointed by the way the story moved on. But I somehow read all the six books of this series as well. I was not happy at all. My experience with the sequel of the original series make me question whether I still like the books from the first series.

They were an enjoyable read once but I don’t think i will ever get back to them. They are quite childish for my taste now. Neither would I want to continue with the future series continuing the journey of the two kids. It was especially the second series, in which instead of maturing, the characters had become even more childish. It was irritating and quite frustrating.

And here I say goodbye to these books.

Day 11: A Book You Hated

Hate is an intense word. I would not use this word for anything in the whole world. I am going to rather discuss about the books which made me mad or angry.

First of all, I regret ever trying to read Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith.

There are multiple series with so many books! Why didn’t the world end in 2012!?

I made myself read them because I thought the story would become interesting. It was only in the middle of the third or fourth book (I don’t remember which… I wouldn’t want to remember either) that I lost my temper. Of course, I never completed that book, neither did I move on with the series. The problem with me was that the story was so morose and ugly that I couldn’t continue it after when a moment came which tortured my mind emotionally. Yes, it had that effect on me. If it is possible, I would burn all the books (all known copies) of these series and erase it entirely from the internet because world would definitely be a better place then. Still no hatred.

Another such book is Lightning by Danielle Steel. My review for the book on goodreads is as follows:-

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This book is a gross mixture of some unrealistic and grotesque circumstances and it is a joke of the relationships. The story of Alex, a happy woman after 17 years of marriage comes to know that she has breast cancer and she has to go through mastectomy and chemotherapy; she has a hellish time going through it all while her amazing husband remains distant or angry, depending on his mood and gets tangled in an extra-marital affair. This is when she comes closer to her colleague who supports her through the hard times and they fell in love. And then one day, trouble befalls her husband and he is charged with the crimes of fraud and embezzlement and he realizes how much he loves his wife, who is now cured.

What happens next!? Our worthless protagonist realizes she still loves her husband and that very husband is saved from going to prison. And what happens to that person who helped her through hard times? – He is left in the dumpster all alone.

In the beginning, you sympathize with the protagonist but then, it is nothing. It is a play of emotions, which is not portrayed in the right away. The book could have been better if the author had created believable characters with a distinct personality. But it wasn’t so.

I do not like the plot line itself. But that is my opinion. It is full of absurdities to the very core. It is definitely a book, I would never open again because it somehow made me furious and enraged by the end of it.

Still no hatred.

I guess that is more than enough for today’s prompt. 😉 🙂

Day 10: Favorite Classic Book

I haven’t read many classic books. Or shall I say I have completed only a few of those books which can be considered a classic?

I am presently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I have started reading it yesterday; so it hasn’t been much that I have read. I am liking it so far. I haven’t read any of the work of Charles Dickens to my heart’s dismay. I am stuck in between of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I never completed To Kill A Mockingbird; I had crossed the half-way mark but then something came between me and the book.

The book I have read and liked a lot is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

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I liked the character of Holden Caulfield which is subjected to a lot of criticism. Many people believed him to be a selfish, heartless, ignorant, while I saw in him the quality of being a normal teenager. He has his own viewpoint which is quite strongly depicted in the whole novel. I could relate with his confusion and the feeling of just running away, that is a normal part of teenage. He is quite a cynic and resents others for somethings that do not even matter much. But aren’t many of us just like him?

He may anger you but think about it. What is wrong about him? He is not wrong; the society has deemed him wrong. I sometimes feel myself into his shoes and that is when I could see him clearly for who he is. He has his faults but I won’t consider his thoughts to be one of them.

Another book which I quite liked was The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. The depression and the journey of Esther Greenwood was too concrete for me. I would rather not discuss more about it.

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That is all. 🙂