I have always read books – a wide range of them. I loved reading and always made it a point to read something or the other. I always had bedside books and ended up days with books. I have been known to stay up all night before an exam just to finish a book. Yes you could say I am addicted. I have never regretted my love for books and I have never regretted a book I have picked up. Good or bad you just get something out of a book. I usually reflect on a book for a few minutes and move on. I talk about books I loved with a few people and that is the way my book reading flourished over the years.

But something has changed – the way I read, the way I understand and the way I think about a book has changed. For good. I reflect more because I put down in words what I feel about a book. It has made me think a lot more. To put into words a book involves some effort from my side – it involves putting my jumbled thoughts and reflections together in a coherent manner that makes sense. This effort has changed me for good.

I have forgotten when I started writing book reviews and even the reason I started writing them. But the books I have read remain within me. These days when I read something that I like, dislike, agree, disagree, smile or cry about – I think about ways to transfer it to my review. It makes me think more and when has thinking been a bad thing?

Book reviews on this blog have helped me tremendously. I have no idea if the readers enjoy it (I know a few people who actually mention about my reviews) but it helps me go places I have not been to. It helps me collect my muddled thoughts into vaguely coherent post (Some books do stumble me and they are best kind I think – Midnight Children is a great example)

As I read, I will write 🙂