This “summer vacation” gave me ample time to read lavishly. I finally picked up a book I was gifted by a friend over a year ago. “Kashmir - A Tragedy of Errors” by Tavleen Singh became my first book on the country’s political history. I read Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman, and more.
Since April 2023, I have read 8 books and counting. I realize it’s not something to brag about, but it does feel like an opportunity to appreciate myself as I have been able to read for leisure without feeling guilty or as a reward to myself. Until now, whenever I pick a book to read, I felt that there are many other things to do than read a book for leisure. Studying course books (prescribed books for school/college), exercising, talking to a friend, or working are some of those things I could be doing which would be far more rewarding/beneficial.
I started the year with Indra Nooyi’s biography - My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future. and followed it with The Mathematics of Love. I pushed myself to review the books on Goodreads because I think of myself as an opinionated woman who is scared to share it. and I wanted to change that.
Reading about Kashmir’s history piqued my curiosity and led me to look for and attempt other books on Indian Political History. I am currently reading India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha. I don’t recall being interested in the genre or reading something substantial apart from the history textbooks in school. However, Tavleen Singh’s writing style and story about India’s most volatile and beautiful “possession” kept me hooked. She has described the events in such detail through the lens of an eye-witness. The author’s description was enough to make me feel the beauty of Kashmir from the confines of my room and to re-ignite the desire to visit the valley.