@Time Out
By a stroke of unplanned luck (yes, the luck that is usually unplanned), I found myself at Time Out this morning - the Time Out that is Reliance's gift to mankind, or book-lovers at the least - at Ambience mall in Gurgaon - affectionately known as 'Ambi' mall by its frequenters. I looked for Nine Lives by Salinger, and was promised a copy would arrive for me this Thursday. Other purchases were largely based on the 'calling-out-to-me' phenomenon belabored upon in last week's post. Here's the list:
1. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - I've encountered mention of this book many times of late, each time with a quote or passage that has left its mark. Excerpts I met in Light from many Lamps this week firmed the resolve to read. As I browsed through the Philosophy component of the Religion and Philosophy section (the Religion more-than-half was covered last December), I was thrilled to find one lone copy of it. Am on page 7 now and can safely say it has (already) altered the course of my life.
2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - This was the first book I picked up, again motivated by excerpts I've read though I can't remember where. I've always had great respect for Plath too, though I can't remember why. I do, admittedly, have a soft corner for poets, but I suspect it was more than that...
3. Brida by Paolo Coelho - I'm not (yet) the die-hard Coelho fan who reads every one of his books; in fact, I've been quite content with having reading three thus far, which is why I looked past this book every visit to the bookstore of late. This time however, mom was with me, and when she explicitly brought my attention to it - aware that I'd just read The Pilgrimage - I felt the need to acknowledge it somehow... and my hand, without my knowledge, picked it up and added it to my pile.
4. Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino - This comes by recommendation. A trusted source. It helped that I have great faith in Calvino somehow, even if his book of Folk Tales that I own is not one I would wish on anyone save for obnoxious amusement (I kid you not).
5. Five Moral Pieces by Umberto Eco - An(other) impulse purchase. I've been meaning to explore Umberto Eco for a while, and this one didn't seem to demand too much of a commitment at first sight, unlike most others I've seen (i.e., size factor). The hope is that this will drive me closer to them.
6. My Friend Sancho by Amit Varma - I bought this at the counter where it sat staring me in the face, reminding me of a blog post I read very recently. The post drove me to check out this book for obvious reasons and I enjoyed the read (yes, it was read within hours of purchase). It was witty in parts and hilarious almost always, but the 'plot' lacked punch and I found myself longing for longer conversations, greater detail, and deeper introspections. I've obviously been generously spoiled by my recent readings though, and certainly not every read need drive me into the depths of my soul. In fact, laughter, they say, is where it's at. I take back my whining then. Go ahead and read it. It's only Rs. 195 anyway :).
1. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - I've encountered mention of this book many times of late, each time with a quote or passage that has left its mark. Excerpts I met in Light from many Lamps this week firmed the resolve to read. As I browsed through the Philosophy component of the Religion and Philosophy section (the Religion more-than-half was covered last December), I was thrilled to find one lone copy of it. Am on page 7 now and can safely say it has (already) altered the course of my life.
2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - This was the first book I picked up, again motivated by excerpts I've read though I can't remember where. I've always had great respect for Plath too, though I can't remember why. I do, admittedly, have a soft corner for poets, but I suspect it was more than that...
3. Brida by Paolo Coelho - I'm not (yet) the die-hard Coelho fan who reads every one of his books; in fact, I've been quite content with having reading three thus far, which is why I looked past this book every visit to the bookstore of late. This time however, mom was with me, and when she explicitly brought my attention to it - aware that I'd just read The Pilgrimage - I felt the need to acknowledge it somehow... and my hand, without my knowledge, picked it up and added it to my pile.
4. Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino - This comes by recommendation. A trusted source. It helped that I have great faith in Calvino somehow, even if his book of Folk Tales that I own is not one I would wish on anyone save for obnoxious amusement (I kid you not).
5. Five Moral Pieces by Umberto Eco - An(other) impulse purchase. I've been meaning to explore Umberto Eco for a while, and this one didn't seem to demand too much of a commitment at first sight, unlike most others I've seen (i.e., size factor). The hope is that this will drive me closer to them.
6. My Friend Sancho by Amit Varma - I bought this at the counter where it sat staring me in the face, reminding me of a blog post I read very recently. The post drove me to check out this book for obvious reasons and I enjoyed the read (yes, it was read within hours of purchase). It was witty in parts and hilarious almost always, but the 'plot' lacked punch and I found myself longing for longer conversations, greater detail, and deeper introspections. I've obviously been generously spoiled by my recent readings though, and certainly not every read need drive me into the depths of my soul. In fact, laughter, they say, is where it's at. I take back my whining then. Go ahead and read it. It's only Rs. 195 anyway :).
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