List 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Dont take more than a few minutes, and dont think too hard. Its not about the right book or great works of literature, just ones that have affected you in some way. Doesnt have to be in order. Then tag 10 friends and me so I can see your list. Thanksss Jonathan Chan for the tag! Its really tough to narrow down 10 books so Im going to cheat a little with a few authors and name a few books by them. 1) Enid Blytons Illustrated Collections (and her other stuff too) Honestly, I wouldn’t have started reading on my own if not for this amazing lady with a magical gift for taking a childs mind through wonders, real and imagined. I first got a copy of The Fairy Kitten and Other Stories when I was 6 and I spent the next couple of years reading pretty much every other book in that collection that I could get my hands on. I still remember that as a reward for good results, I used to be allowed to buy 4 at once. The Five Find-Outers collection consumed my Primary 4-6 life. Enid Blyton pretty much has a monopoly over my childhood. 2) “The Kite Runner”, “A Thousand Splendid Suns and And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini I would be hard pressed to think of a book that has moved me more than The Kite Runner. Hosseinis gift for writing is akin to finding his readers heartstrings and playing them like a harp. I read this in Secondary 2, and I still remember getting a scolding in Geography for reading in class (probably shouldnt have). This book conveys the struggle of three generations of migrant Afghans against the backdrop of war, in the lyrical beauty characteristic of Farsi literature. Especially close to my heart because it mirrors (in many ways) the journey of the Kashmiri community. Hosseinis subsequent two books were brilliant, though I think his debut novel overshadowed them a little. I think that anyone who wants just a peek into the magic that Hosseini can weave should read the first thirty pages of And The Mountains Echoed. 3) “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand Thanks to Sunil Dhar for giving me this when I was 15. A very difficult read at the time, but it challenged me and the way I thought, in a way that few other books have ever done. By the end of the book, Howard Roark, Dominique Francon, Ellsworth Toohey and Gail Wynand somehow coaxed their way into defining this impressionable teenager’s view on the world. My first foray into a book that has a subtle yet defined philosophy embedded within. 4) Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy” Got me hooked, is all I can say. 5) Dan Browns “The Da Vinci Code”, “Angels and Demons”, “The Lost Symbol”, Digital Fortress, Deception Point I first found The Da Vinci Code lurking in a bookshelf at home and it really blew my mind. Whether or not the books contents are true, Dan Brown really knows how to take a reader on a roller-coaster ride. Same goes for his other books. 6) Basharat Peers Curfewed Night I read this book in Sec 3, as part of a history project. Its a book thats given me great insight into the 1989 Kashmir insurgency, and in revealing these secrets, its given me privileged glimpses into the human heart and mind. (theres another book embedded in that line) 7) James Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” This is my favourite book of 2014, and its hit me in ways similar to way The Fountainhead did when I read it at the age of 15. The way Joyce brings a reader through Stephens growing up years is in many ways is demanding, yet stunningly captivating. Its a book that one has to work a little to read, but its so worth it. 8) How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Its incredible how well Carnegie understands the human mind. The name might be cheesy, but it masks the brilliance of this book. 9) Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup I havent watched the movie, but if it could overshadow the popularity of this book, it has to be really really good. The structure of the plot amazed me when I first read it. Along with that, it was perhaps the first book I read which was explicit about the less-spoken-of aspects of life, especially that in India. 10) The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga This captures what plagues India in a nutshell. Its unique (at least as far as I have read) in style and as someone whos been to India several times, it was like reading my thoughts on a book. I got acquainted with a lot of these books through others so a big thank you to Nomita Dhar and papa (tagged above) for bearing with and encouraging my irrational love for reading aaand its your turn Lim Soo Ji Shriya Mahawar Bryan Ah Seng Vanessa Koh Daniel Goh Su Suraj Guo Jun Nikita Dhar Kartik Singh Muhammad Saad Siddiqui
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:05:27 +0000
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