A UNIQUELY PORTABLE MAGIC - WORLD BOOK DAY 2023

-

                                                                    Pinterest

I have always believed in the above quote, ever since I read my first few books by Enid Blyton and was transported into her world of pixies, elves and adventure. That is when I realised that books can only appeal to you if they tickle your senses and pique your curiosity. There is no use in reading weighty tomes to impress others. Even the simplest book has lessons that are begging to be learnt, if you know where to look for them, much akin to how the knights of yore went searching for the Holy Grail.

                                                                      Facebook

As a child, I could often be found between the pages of a book, reluctant to tear my eyes away from the antics of Don Quixote, tilting at windmills, or Heidi's exploits in the Swiss Alps with her taciturn grandfather. I would always thank God that I could boast of two erudite, yet approachable grandfathers myself.

Penn State University Press

Those were the days when my grandmother introduced me to the eight volumes of Krishnavatara by KM Munshi, volumes replete with the miraculous doings of Krishna. I skimmed over the typos, but lost myself in the sheer excitement of the fast paced narrative.

                                                                     Hindu E shop

When friends come and tell me that their children do not enjoy reading because they have more interesting things to do, it quite breaks my heart. I could never have survived boredom when I was growing up if I did not have my books around. Of course, we did not have myriad gadgets all set to tempt us away from our Eden of books back then, and we did spend a lot of time playing physical games, like Hopscotch, Five Stones, Hide-n-Seek, Dodgeball and the like. 

Going back to those folks who do not like to read, J K Rowling had the right quip for them. 

Pinterest

World Book Day and Copyright Day are celebrated on April 23rd as a celebration to enjoy and savour books, and also to recognise books as a link between the past and the present, between generations and cultures. It also promotes the importance of literacy and education around the world. In 1995, UNESCO organised the first World Book Day, a movement that has assumed greater significance over the decades. The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has named Accra (Ghana) as the UNESCO World Book capital of 2023.

Freepik

If I were to choose my favourite reads of all times, I would tie myself in knots. However, I did do a little juggling in my head and came up with a few absolute magical reads.

My World of Imagination 

And so there I float, between the realms of fantasy and reality, every book I read a beacon of warmth and illumination. It is easy to lose myself in this oasis of peace, shutting the world away for a few blissful hours, as I inhabit a world so diverse from my own. That is the true magic of a book, and as long as I live, I will remain a lifelong fan of this "uniquely portable magic".

Epic Reads


My babies and I



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE STRANGE CASE OF THE MISSING TEETH

-
Image
                                                                            Clipart.com I cannot forget the shocked expression on the young dentist’s face. “Where are all your teeth?” “Uhh… in my mouth, where they should be?” I mumbled, perched on the leather chair as he peered into my mouth. His eyes widened with bewilderment as he leant forward, almost falling into the gaping cavern in front of him. “Three missing here… three on the other side! Two more here and a broken tooth!” I was quite shocked out of my wits. Where had all my teeth disappeared to? I did recall a few sittings earlier where some of my wisdom had been yanked out, but eight and a half teeth? I was a walking miracle! More importantly, an ‘eating’ miracle! When my better half agonised over one painful grinder that made lif...
Read more

The Miracle of Love - Fiction - Post Number 8: #MyFriendAlexa

-
Image
Credits: Col. Gopinath Menon The waves crashed on the rocks, a sound that Sudesh loved, as he sat feeling the freshness of the spray on his face. Voices echoed around him, and he could feel the vibration as people jogged along the beach, and his sightless eyes turned towards the movement. He had been coming to this spot for many months now, ever since he had shifted to Mumbai, after his mother had passed away.  The sound of the sea evoked a vision that he could only feel, not see. He could smell the delicious puris that Ram Prasad was frying, very near to where he sat. Every day the cheerful proprietor would look for a moment when there were few customers, and hand over a plate of piping hot puris and delicious potato curry to the gentle blind man who sat there, so young and so uncomplaining!                                                 ...
Read more

Clouds and Waves by Rabindrananth Tagore - Poetry: The Best Words in the Best Order - #BlogchatterA2ZChallenge2021

-
Image
     CLOUDS AND WAVES Rabindranath Tagore Amazon.com Serenity in the Garden Mother, the folk who live up in the clouds call out to me - "We play from the time we wake till the day ends. We play with the golden dawn, we play with the silver moon." I ask, "But how am I to get up to you?" They answer, "Come to the edge of the earth, lift up your hands to the sky, and you will be taken up into the clouds." "My mother is waiting for me at home," I say, "How can I leave her and come?" Then they smile and float away.    But I know a nicer game than that, mother. I shall be the cloud and you the moon.  I shall cover you with both my hands, and our house-top will be the blue sky.  The folk who live in the waves call out to me - "We sing from morning till night; on and on we travel and know not where we pass.            Sunaina Coelho I ask, "But how am I to join you? They tell me, "Come to the edge of the shore and stand wit...
Read more