…. The Scent of a Book !!

I love books. The gorgeous smell when you turn pages, those enchanting covers, characters that feel so alive&real you could almost touch them, places & fragrances so vividly described!! Enough (or maybe not) has been said and written about books and perhaps, I will not be able to express what books mean to me, and how I treasure them. All I can say is I truly thank God for all those amazing people who decided they must write to express.

Having being introduced to books pretty late (guess I was 12 then), the geek in me was hooked on instantly. I read like a maniac, feverishly reading as many as 4 different books at the same time sometimes - probably to cover up for all the lost time. I’m still smitten!!**

**Candid confession however is that I haven’t read in a while now. And I’m itching to. Will definitely make sure I make some time every day.

You know how there are these stages, or levels in life, when you feel elevated? Transformed? Enlightened even? Some of the books recommended by a few friends did that to me. They were those highlighted points of life – the ones that enhanced the whole experience of living. Maybe I didn’t thank you guys then. But here’s to the impact & the permanent mark you left on my heart! Thank you :):):)

Nancy Drew
Judy Teacher, Class VII. She was my favourite teacher. So pretty and well-spoken, such a pleasing personality and her happy vibe! I adored her!! Considering I was (# time to show off here :P) the class monitor and topper, I guess she expected me to not make basic grammatical errors at least… err… {now comes the embarrassing part) and definitely did not let go of the fact that in my world “fell” and “fall” could be conveniently interchanged – hear this – “Miss, I was running so fast that I fall down yesterday”. Okay, now, I want to die! Well, she made sure she corrected me, gave me an earful, and kept a very close watch on any such future slip-ups (which thank heavens, never happened again).
During library/reading class one day, she stood behind me overlooking the genre of books I was randomly picking, and quickly slipped me a copy of Nancy Drew telling me how I’d definitely like the book. Sure, I did! So much, that I finished reading it in 2 days, and from thereon read almost all books from the series.
Nancy’s world, her crime-solving logical mind, and very gripping tales were such fun!

Sidney Sheldon
This was at a rather difficult time in life. Everything within and around me was in shambles. I was in college and not doing well even there, which was unbelievable considering how I loved studying. I was lost, weak, and bogged down. That’s when Sidney’s characters, their strengths, the ability and courage to get up and fight, to not give up ever, made a very momentous entry in my world. Chandni, my best friend since time immemorial, handed me her copy, and urged me to start reading again. Perhaps she was somebody who understood so much, saw beneath the façade, and knew the hells I was going through and not expressing. Don’t think I’ve ever thanked her, or even mentioned all of this.
Thanks Chand for making me fall in love with the man, his characters, and the worlds they lived in, their battles, intensity, and their courage. Thank you, for showing me what true blue heroines are supposed to be like.
Sheldon’s books have since been read, re-read, and re-read some more. Love ‘em that much!!
Also, a big thank you, Kanchan - for refilling the stock, at all times. :)

Paulo Coehlo
Just when I became a tad too head-strong, and needed a little push into philosophy, Ram gifted me a copy of The Alchemist. Okay, I hated the book. But the second chance I gave Paulo Coehlo’s narrative was absolutely worthwhile. I read The Zahir, and couldn’t believe how love, loss, obsession, and attraction between souls was so beautifully explained and expressed. I went on to read several of Coehlo’s works, and enjoyed most of them. The Zahir (which means obvious) however, still remains my preferred choice. Very obviously, Thanks Ram…. For never failing to keep pointing out the great books I must read :)

The Secret Garden
I remember I was looking for simplicity. It was rather tough to find. And then there was Vivek handing me a hard-bound copy of The Secret Garden. Now this was a book so full of positivity! Such a humble tale, told so simply. This is one book I ask all my kids (I teach) to read. It’s a spell-binding, easy narrative.
Thus dear Vivek, I have more than calligraphically written French notes to thank you for…. Merci Beaucoup :)

Not without my Daughter & Twilight
All right, there cannot be two more different books suggested by one person. Mentor, philosopher, guide, and a verrrry dear friend, Chumki Ma’am, gave me these books to read. While Not Without…played emotional roller-coasters in my head, Twilight brought to life fresh, non-pukey romance. I hate almost all overtly romantic Jab Tak Hai Jaan kinda romantic movies, so this surprised me. I have since watched the movie versions of both these books, and enjoyed those almost as much as the novels. Surprised again!
Thank you Ma’am… for keeping alive in me the thirst to learn and experiment…! :)

The Last Lecture
Of course I cried. Okay finnneee… I wept. But the book teaches you such precious lessons. Art on a wall, falling in love, treasuring what you have while you can – Dhananjay cannot be thanked enough for this lovely treasure-box of beautiful lessons. It made me so aware of my precious ones. One can only try, but I do my best at expressing my love more freely now.
Thanks Dhan… You have given me the most exquisite presents always !!:)

Game of Thrones
Shwetank Singh!!! This one had to feature here, even if I haven’t completed reading this master-piece yet. Believe me, I will. The book has such a strong personality with amazingly complex characters, and definitely more than 50 shades of grey…..
Thanks SwS for introducing brilliance via GOT!! :)

Atlas Shrugged & Fountainhead
They are my bible. And no, no one contributed here. The cover-page of Fountainhead was so painfully beautiful – with all those lines, and all that precision. It screamed out to me, and I cannot thank my luck more for having me stumble upon this genius of Ms. Ayn Rand. Her books have changed my life, and are absolutely that point, where life becomes before reading and after reading these books.
I love Atlas Shrugged slightly more, but that’s simply nit-picking and over-fussing.
What can I say – Thank you Ms. Rand for knowing who I am, and understanding things I thought no one else could&would.

These are my most treasured books. Let me know your thoughts if you have read them. If you haven’t yet, go get yourself a copy. You won’t regret it. Await your feedback.

Much Love….

P.S. Considering the gap between my posts, accept my apologies in the form of this one’s length (and hopefully content).