Time to stock up…

…so, I need recommendations.

The partner wanted a book to read during his upcoming journey. I ran around the house, picked the ones off my recommendation list and put the pile in front of him to choose. “But I asked you for a light, fun read. No heavy subjects, please” he declared. The only light reads I could come up with from my library were Harry Potter, a collection of Wodehouse’s works and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy.

Harry Potter – the partner wants to read the whole series together and he doesn’t suppose now is the right time for that. The one with the collection of Wodehouse’s works – the partner is a big Wodehouse fan (who isn’t?), but this one I have is a big book, not suitable to lug around during travel. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy – the partner has already read. There, everything was ruled out. I was back to square one – racking my brain trying to find something suitable. And I came up with nothing.

The partner settled to downloading an e-book (one of Wodehouse’s, but of course!). I started to grouse that I did so much work to handpick the books in front of him; he pointed out the fun I had during the process and stated that I shouldn’t be complaining. I agreed and retreated. And that was that.

Ever since this episode, though, the fact that I have no light, fun read handy has been bothering me. So, go on, please send in your recommendations for books in that category. I want to go to the bookstore next time with a list in hand focusing on this genre. Thank you!

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Writing has been a cathartic experience for me, especially since I started blogging years ago. I am not overly creative, but the mere experience of giving a form to my thoughts invigorates me to some extent. I do not find this much pleasure in any other creative outlet… I do try things time and again, but most of it falls out because of my obvious lack of interest to keep the momentum going. The fact that I’ve maintained this blog for this long (albeit being absent from it for a good part of last year) is proof enough to show how much I enjoy this medium of expression more than any other. Anyway, the point is, since I’ve realized how much writing needs to be a part of my everyday life, I am going to take steps to make sure I do it regularly.

I heard about Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way from a friend over a year ago. It’s a twelve week program and the exercises in the book intend to help overcome the blocks and beliefs that hold back one’s creativity. It sounded interesting. It went on my to-read list immediately, and I bought it the next time I was at the bookstore. And, blame my laziness, it’s been sitting on my bookshelf ever since. I did try starting it once, but gave up only after a chapter, I think. The recommendation came from another friend recently and I remembered I already had a copy. So, it was taken out of its resting place on the bookshelf and was carefully placed on the side table few days ago.

I plan to start it again, beginning this weekend. And hopefully, this time around, I’ll follow through and put it back on the shelf only after I’m done. Because, who knows, completing it might even spark my enthusiasm enough that I’ll take up (and keep up) other hobbies, like cooking or painting or gardening, to channel creativity and that would be amazing, right?

Happy Weekend, folks.

The Invisible Pages

You walk into the quaint little bookshop with a smile so big that anyone looking at you might follow you in just to see what you are so euphoric about. Who knows, that might just be what they need to discover the wonderland that gives you so much joy! You open the door; the chimes ring, as the owner welcomes you in, and a cool breeze that carries the fragrance that reminds you of nothing but books whizzes by.  You step in, feeling the warmth of words all around.

For a second there, you are stumped looking at the edifice in front of you… you don’t know where to start. There is a pull from every shelf, every stack, every book. You open the list of ‘to-read’ you always carry with you and make a call on where to start. But soon after you begin browsing, the list finds its original place back in your purse and you get immersed in a world has been part of your heart and soul for as long as you’ve known.

You make sure you spend enough time with every book that catches your fancy.

A beautiful cover art attracts you and you silently bet with yourself that the story would be just as stunning. You blindly pick another book and read the synopsis on the back cover; it engrosses you and now there’s no letting go. A familiar name on the binding crosses your sight and you know you must have it because you’re sure it holds inside words woven so brilliantly that you can’t go wrong by picking it. And then you spot a book that you know is out of your comfort zone; you reach for it still, for you remember the time you’d dared yourself to read something different, something new.

A book with a familiar title sways, calling for you to notice it; you take one look and you know the reason behind the closeness you feel towards it. Perhaps it’s one of those books that comes highly recommended by someone whose preferences match yours. Or maybe it reminds you of a friend; the said friend might be oceans apart, but the memories come rushing with one turn of a page. Perhaps it is something someone dear has been wanting for a long time and you can’t wait to share your discovery. Or maybe it’s the one – it is the book that you’ve been looking for all along, but just didn’t realize it, until now.

Like this, you browse around, isle after isle, and finally walk towards the billing counter carrying a stack of treasure. You pay for it all, as the owner starts a conversation about the books that he’s read from your stack. You smile, thank him, and just as you are about to walk out, you spot something…

In the dusty uppermost shelf, sits a volume of Khalil Gibran’s works. You ask the owner if you can see it. He brings a ladder, gets the book off the shelf, and hands it over to you. You’ve seen this before… you’ve read some poems in it every now and then… you know you own a copy of it. Nonetheless, as you run your fingers through the pages and skim through the table of contents, you know you want this one too. There’s no logic as to why. Why would you want something that you know you already have? Your mind argues with your heart. But, at this price, you know it’s a steal. You could gift it to someone, you tell yourself, and buy this too.

As you walk out, you look back and see all that you’re leaving behind. Just as each book in your hand has a story behind why it was chosen, the ones that were left behind hold a tale of why they didn’t make it today. The choices of tomorrow might be different; they might eventually find a way into your home, but for now, they lie calmly on the shelves that hold them close and give them the love they deserve.

You go home, eager to put your collection in place. As you go through them again, you smile as you recall the reasons why and how these found a way into your heart. You are engulfed by the bond that you’ve already developed, which, now, spreads its roots deeper.

Each one of these books has a story that is printed on its pages, but what about those invisible pages that are bound around? These invisible pages are only yours to read. These invisible pages are written with words that are in your memory. These invisible pages hold a love story that is your own. And every time you come across one of these books in the future, these invisible pages let you read the words that they hold hidden from the rest of the world.

The end of an era

Back when I was in school the library used to be my second home. Say, I was done with classes for the day and had time to spare, or I was working on an assignment / project, or I was studying for a test, or I just wanted to rest for a while – there was only one place I would go to – the library. My home away from home; my sanctuary.

Then came the time to graduate and to move to a new place, new job. The first few months here, I spent most of the time at work trying to get used to it all. And once I was settled in comfortably, I found myself with so much spare time in the evenings and started missing the library back in school. As I was debating whether or not to go visit the public library nearby, the distant dream of one day having a good collection of books of my own started knocking on my heart’s door more frequently. Now, I could afford to spend on books that weren’t textbooks and I thought why not.

And that’s when I became a regular at the Borders store near work.

Since then, so much time I’ve spent in the company of books there! And how attached I’ve gotten to that place because it holds so many memories – of the time I took my sister there and she picked book after book all the while telling me it would be the last, but still couldn’t stop; of those weekends I studying for the test while K sat next to me and passed time with a good book in hand; of the evenings K spent preparing for interviews while I sat there lost in a world that the story took me to; of those days when we would meet there after work, sit upstairs at the store and just watch people walk by down in the streets – people rushing home after work, tourists stopping here and there to take in what the city has to offer, kids chasing pigeons, couples, hand in hand, smiling for photos; and of all those afternoons and evenings that I have spent there alone – wandering around different sections of the store, browsing a page or two of a book here and there, sitting near the window and reading a novel, digging through coupons to buy the books I want – good times!

I’ve made Borders a part of my life only in the past few years and I was heartbroken when I heard the news of all stores across the country closing. What must they be feeling – the ones who’ve seen the franchise grow alongside them; the ones who’ve spent time with their children and then their grandchildren in the stores seeing the generations after theirs grow just as fond of the written words as they are; the ones who’ve made it part of their routine to go to the bookstore to meet friends or family to spend time every now and then to appreciate the world of books, be it in the form of discussing favorite reads or recommending good books or buying a bestseller; and most of all, the ones who’ve spent years  working for the company, the devoted employees.

This post might sound like an exaggeration to many, but to me it’s just the way I feel – deeply sad to know that one of my safe havens would be no more in a matter of months. Of course there are other bookstores around and I am sure I will come to like those too, but that’s a different thing altogether. For now all I know is that I’ll miss the comfort that comes from being in a place that always brings a smile, the memories that are written all over the walls, the familiar faces that I get to see every time I walk into those doors, and those isles that I’ve strolled through so many times or those shelves that I’ve skimmed through week after week.

Borders – you’ll be missed immensely by me and so many others. Thank you for all these years of service. My best wishes to all your employees.