By Kumari Swati
During this lockdown , most of our times are spent on social media , online games or binging and watching Netflix and different web series. Thus the screen time have increased and it often led to different health issues . It’s very important for our eyes and mental health to give ourselves a Digital Detoxification .
One of the key ways to do it is engaging yourself in Reading. It not only entertains you but translates you into altogether a different world and make you more creative.
So Amidst this lockdown we bring you conversations with real people and how they are taking and exploring something new in this lockdown. To know more about reading and which stuff we can read in this lockdown we have a short excerpt of an interview of a youth of Patna , ” Shomil Anand ” sharing his lockdown experience and good insight on reading books.
- How you are taking this lockdown?
My life has not been changed particularly . It’s been like a same and normal as it used to be . I was always a Book reader , who loves to spend time indoors reading books . I am a loner who spend most of the time by being with myself.
2.why you like Reading ?
I like Reading because it is my interest. I enjoy reading stories. Apart from that I do write so I read and as it is wisely said that ,the more you read, the better you write so it’s a same case with me. Reading also enables me to know my favourite people whom I admire , like “Elon Musk” and “Dr. Shah Rukh Khan” about their views and struggles. I love to read biographies . Reading is a kind of self discovery for me along with a form of entertainment , and a way of Escapism.
3.what you find interesting in Reading ?
Everything , the whole process of reading , exploring different stories ,genres ,the motivational stuffs and getting the characters. If I won’t be reading how I would have known about Gregor Samsa who turns into an insect ( The Metamorphosis) or Ammu and Velutha’s tragedy ( The God of Small Things) or the struggle of Hori (Godan). Through reading you can live so many lives, and get to know so much about the world, it’s diversities, it’s beauty and the madness. As Stephen King says ” Books are uniquely portable magic.” And that is so true. A reader can never get bored atleast not in this era when you can have ebooks in your cell phones.
4.who is your favourite writer and and which book is your favourite ?
“The God of small Things ” by ‘Arundhati Roy ‘ and “Godan” by ‘Premchand’ are my favorite books . The way the writer have written it will make you feel that you are a part of that world, you will smile, cry , feel sad and laugh with the book . The characters have been weaved very beautifully.
- Which five books you would like to recommend that readers should read in this lockdown?
I would like to suggest :
. “The God of small Things ” by ‘ Arundhati Roy ‘.
. ” Train to Pakistan ” by ‘ khushwant singh’.
. “Godaan ” by ‘Premchand’.
.”The Five people you meet in Heaven ” by ‘Mitch Albom’.
. ” The white Tiger ” by ‘Aravind Adiga ‘. - Reading leads to self discovery , can you suggest some books which helps in self discovery?
There are many books among which I would like to recommend ” Ikigai:- Giving every day meaning and joy ” by ‘Yukari Mitsuhashi ‘, “Siddhartha” by ‘ Hermann Hesse ‘, and “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. - Which books will you recommend for beginners and how they can inculcate the reading habit in them?
As a beginner , one should start reading easy books like ” The Alchemist ” by ‘Paulo coelho’ and ” Animal Farm ” by ‘George Orwell’. These are easy books with interesting and engaging plot.
8.what difference have you seen in yourself as an individual as you started reading?
My writing has been improved. I see world with different angle of view. I understand the world and people around me more better now. Reading has inculcated an understanding capacity in me , where I do not judge people around me but understand perspectives of different people and their situation wisely. I am able to know the characters around me and the way they think. It’s a new self discovery for me.
