Saturday 21- Old+New

This is an endless predicament if you ask me, to decide whether old rules or new. Whenever a topic on kindle is raised, it comes attached with a debate over its prominence vis a vis paperbacks. But then I wonder why should it be a thing to decide, eh? Books of any kind, any version should and must rule, irrespective of how we get to read them. Whether paper bound or electronically bound, a book is a book is a book!

I cant’t believe that I am saying this, because when e-readers had started to gain ground, I was one of those who had resisted them. But now, with the old and new managing to co-exist wonderfully so far, I can see myself embracing my Kindle and my paperbacks with both my arms alike!

Having said that, with the rapid change in the environment for the worse, I shudder to admit that gradually the use of paper may dwindle with the moving times. Which makes it even more of a need to enjoy this very moment of co-existence while it lasts.

Posted in response to Photo a Day Challenge 2015 by Fat Mum Slim

Day 8

So my bookshelf has been arranged and I am looking at it right now as I type in, with a sense of calm and belonging. Most of the books have been stacked in the shelves, a few haven’t made it to the racks for lack of space. So those may go in a box or trunk till we have a new bookcase in place. Yessss, another bookcase soon! That makes me excited in a weird sort of way. Getting another bookcase home takes me one step closer to my dream of living in a home filled with books and more books.

The house I grew up in, my parents’ home was as good as living my dream. Interestingly I was never an avid reader. But I always enjoyed having books around, whether I read them often or no! My parents were far avid than I was, which showed in their love for owning books of all kinds. Our house used to be full of books, ranging from classics to contemporary fiction to autobiographies to memoirs, collected, safeguarded over years of precision and care by Achan & Amma. Until one fine day, when the books fell prey to the wretched rains of Delhi. Pages were torn apart by rain water that seeped inside the house. We could still manage to keep a large number safe, but a sizeable amount was damaged. Unfortunately ever since Achan & Amma, have somehow lost that drive to collect books. They are every bit lovers of reading though, but can’t be bothered to revive their love for collecting books like before. And now with the kindle revolution, the revival is even bleaker.

Oh no I’m not against Kindle. I have one, and I do enjoy using it. Yet, the joy you get from holding, smelling and feeling the paper is just too real to let it go, isnt it?

Rambling #5- Reading vis a vis Watching- the conflict

This is what greeted me in the morning when I went up to wake Namnam up

 

 

Now being someone who simply cannot kickstart her day without brushing her teeth, I felt compelled at first to scream at her for not doing the same. But then I also felt nice and proud to see her so glued to her book. I feel this way every time I see her taking to reading far better than I did while growing up. Touchwood.

Even though I love reading, I have never considered myself to be an avid reader and have certainly never done what Namnam does in the pic above. But I have had many people recount their stories about how they used to read at any given opportunity. Amma has told how there had been so many nights when she used to read in the dead dark, under her quilt, using a torch! And there have been plenty of occasions, when I have caught Namnam reading her books in the same manner. Under the comforter, using the torch on my or R’s phone. I have even had friends tell me how they would read while eating, drinking, washing. Even ironing, yes! Smitha tweeted this and I couldnt help myself from laughing and also feeling much in awe of her at the same time! The kind of reading-stamina that she has, is something that I wish I could imbibe from her. However I see a similar drive for reading growing in my house when I observe my child. For which I couldn’t be gladder.

Namnam has been jumping around all excited about her grandparents’ visit, the reason for which has also got  a great deal to do with a bundle of books that they are bringing for her :).

Having said that, I must also mention that Namnam has shown similar dedication towards watching shows on YouTube as well! She sometimes insists on watching it while having her dinner, in the same way she insists on carrying a book to read in the car, even if the journey is a 10 minute ride! Oh she has even woken up once in the middle of the night, to watch a scene from her favourite show that she had missed out. Now R & I are fully aware of the shows she watches. We have kept a tab. We can safely say that she has benefited a great deal  even from a lot of them, in terms of learning, enhancing knowledge and improving her command over the language.

Probably the exact similar way reading helps.

Of course there are times when we have had to curtail her watching whenever it bordered on addiction. But that’s something we have had to do a couple of times with her reading-fixation too. Especially whenever it interfered with her studies or some important activity. Imagine a situation when she decides that her books need her more than her assignments and homeworks. Or when we are already late for her after school activity and instead of rushing out, she is found sitting with her book oblivious to pressing situation. You get what I mean? 😀

And yet what I find worth pondering is how the reaction changes drastically when we speak about our kids’ reading vis a vis watching. To speak for myself, I know how much pride I take when I tell people that my daughter loves reading. Even when I sense her addiction towards it, I love it! But when it comes to acknowledging her love for watching shows that are just as entertaining and informative, I feel the enthusiasm lacking.

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Sometimes all it takes is a synopsis..

To break you from a resolve you had every intention of keeping! 🙂

Now it’s not been long since I started taking to e-reading. It has been a gradual shift though.

To be honest I was pretty resistant to the Kindle revolution at first purely because I was way too much in love with my paper books to let it come in the way. The blissfully smooth touch, the divine smell of the paper which I felt every time I flipped the pages always made my reading journey more complete than the vagueness that I felt with a flimsy careless swipe of an e-reader.

But, a dearth in good book stores and libraries here have made me seek out for other options to keep my love for reading alive. And reading on Kindle has been a fairly good option which I have begun to rather enjoy.

That’s not to say that I don’t love paper books anymore. I do. I heart them. Which is why I had resolved, after the last two e-books, that I would now pick up a proper book, that I can touch, feel, breath-in in the ‘real’ sense.

But one month on since then, there still wasn’t any sign of a good book that I could lay my hands on. Until today.

I stumbled upon a book while wishlisting a few other books that I wanted delivered to my parents’ so I could pick them up in my next visit home. It had showed up as the website’s recommendation. Since the cover was quite pleasing, I decided to click on it and read its summary. Suffice would it be to say that I was hooked! I was itching to pick this book up to read.

Usually, before deciding on buying a book, I also check on its reviews by readers, especially those whose recommendations I follow. So I looked up to see whether anyone I knew had already read it. Noone had. But I still decided to buy it. Placing an order for delivery of the book here in Doha was proving a bit steep on my pocket, while a more economical option of having it delivered to my parents would have meant that I would have to wait till my next visit home. And I didnt want to wait.

So what do I do? I opt for the next best option. Even if that means breaking my resolve to invest in a paper book next. Yes, Kindle it is 🙂

The book is now lying in my reader waiting to be read. I have no idea how the book is going to fare from the inside, but the synopsis sure has made it too good to be turned down!