“Reading gives us some place to go, when we have to stay where we are.”
That’s one of the many reasons I love to read books. Be it novels or poetry, or at times even non-fiction, it’s joyous to sink into the story and visit a world crafted purely by imagination. When I chanced upon this topic on Indispire, I knew this would be one to write on.
Reading in 2017: How many books?
With just five days left in this year, I have read (so far) 58 books. That’s a number I’m not very happy with, but I have liked almost every book I’ve read this year. So that’s good. I targeted 50 books on my Goodreads challenge, and it’s always nice to outscore that.
Books that have left an impression…
Every book that we read does leave its mark on us in one way or another. I’ve read many genres, so each of them have had at least one book that I have loved to bits.
Fantasy:
I found 3 books in the Pottermore Presents series. I love the Harry Potter series of course, so these three books were definitely exciting and enjoyable to read. One of my friends Aniesha Brahma wrote an eBook titled An Awfully BIG Adventure, which was interesting too. You could check these out!
Mythology:
The Conspiracy at Meru is mythology-based fantasy, the second in the Vikramaditya series. I loved it a lot, and would recommend. For short reads, I’d recommend Devdutt Pattanaik’s Ganesha’s Secret.
Thrillers:
The Curse of Mohenjo-daro by Maha Khan Phillips is one that I would recommend. I loved how the author has plotted the tale. And while I wouldn’t say it’s his absolute best book, I also enjoyed reading The Midnight Line by Lee Child.
Romance:
One of my friends recommended The Bridges of Madison County very strongly. It turned out to be an amazing read, a very unconventional romance story. It’s definitely worth a read.
Poetry:
I love to read poetry as much as I love to write it. The Select Nonsense of Sukumar Ray is one book I loved a lot. Very humorous, fun to read.
Children’s Fiction:
It’s nice to discover new authors. I found three books in the Ronaldo series and I loved all three. Beautifully illustrated by the author Maxine Sylvester herself, these would be wonderful to read to children too, I think.
Short Story Collections:
The Inimitable Chaos of Life, Maliny Mohan’s debut book is one I enjoyed reading this year. Like I said in my review, it is a book I’d love to read again as well.
Non Fiction:
Gems of Kerala History by Sreedeep Chennamangalam and Surya Das is quite a good read, even for Malayalees. I also liked the biography of Sir Alex Ferguson titled Football: Bloody Hell, written by Patrick Barclay.
Crime Fiction:
One of my favorite genres, this is perhaps the genre I have read most this year too. Archana Sarat’s Birds of Prey is one I’d recommend from Indian Writing in English. And if you haven’t read it already, please do read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
I’m hopeful that my reading in 2018 will fare better than in 2017. If you read any books I’ve mentioned here, and love the read, do let me know!
(© Vinay Leo R. @ I Rhyme Without Reason,
26th December, 2017)
Vinay Leo R.
Poetry & writing are to me, a breath of fresh air in a life that is sometimes covered by the smoke of sorrow or self doubt. They also become the sweets I share to celebrate when life offers me a reason to. But most of all, they are to me, my life. For each word I write is a piece of my heart, a thought that just had to find its way into the world.
I love Bridges of Madison County and even have a page dedicated to it on my blog :). Wish you a great year ahead and many many engaging books to read in 2018.
Thank you, Gee. Hope your blogging/reading year is wonderful too! 🙂
That was a good read
Now tempted to do same on my blog 🙂
(Prats recently posted… Transitions)
Do na Pratsie. 🙂 Might be the first step to restarting it, no?
Why aren’t you happy reading 58 books?! I’d be stoked! Wish I could get past 45! Some interesting reads here…haven’t read most. I loved And then there were none. Best Agatha Christie in my opinion.
(Sanch @ Sanch Writes recently posted… Stereotypes)
I’m happy with the quality of the books I read. 🙂 I just expected more of myself when it comes to reading! 😛
Yes, Babby. I agree that And Then There Were None is perhaps the best Agatha Christie book. 😀