Goodreads - reading challenge

 Since the last few years, I have not been able to complete writing 100 posts a year. I have no regrets, I do have the content somewhere in my mind, which I can catch into at some later point.

There is one more challenge which I had taken on good reads, it was to complete a certain number of books a year.

I have been taking good reads challenge every year for the last 4-5 years and I average about 8 books a year for the last 2 years which is rather ridiculous (owing to kindle and few other stuffs).

This year too, I set 5 books and I am proud as of today mid year its been 7 books. My highest has been 20 I suppose all on kindle. Now that I plan to go to physical copy of books, I wish I can up the number.

Cheers,

Ordering books

 After many years on Kindle, I thought of going back to buying books and reading printed books. Without much of a fuss, I made a list of books which I wanted to buy and then placed the order.

I got few of them used ones and I plan to few new ones. I realized, if I get used copy of the books, it amounts to the same as kindle books. In return, I get to hold physical copy of books.

Real reason of going back to buying physical books over kindle are as below.

1. Reading kindle feels slower - too many taps and touches later, I would not have completed even 10% of a book. Classics with 600+ pages end up taking too much time and if its not an interesting read, its even more slower.

2. Reading on a kindle after hours in front of a monitor feels a bit irritating. Though not completely, its the mindset which makes me think that I am staring at kindle which is another monitor.

3. Lack of inspiration - Though I have plenty of books on kindle, not seeing them on shelf causes me to abandon the reading pleasure. This results in lesser books read.

4. Home library - I always have and had a dream of a having a huge shelf dedicated to books comprising of multiple authors. So a step closer to that would be to start buying.

5. Business to local vendors - During lock-down many local book sellers might be having lots of stocks and offering discounts. Instead of buying online versions from bigger players it would be worthwhile buying from smaller sellers, doing my tiniest bit. (also I get to choose from used books versus new books). 

6. Holding books, the various designer covers, the thought of classics being placed around the shelf with or without it being read is a pleasure. Waking up to them is nothing next to pure bliss.

7. Reading with marking - I always thought books to be kept clean as possible, but not anymore. Now I am even thinking of using markers wherever needed just for my pleasure. I know it might destroy the aesthetics of the reading experience, but then my reading joy and pleasure comes first.

8. Boasting about the books owned - ahhh - a childhood joy missed out, owing to playing in mud. Never mind, happy to be alive time to catch up.

Cheers,

PS - Downside is my parents are aware of my buying habit and not reading them. They also know that I find less time to read - so its easy to gauge how much I can read and how much I cannot.

Drinking English tea, - The Edd China way

 I am very much influenced by few people from Television shows - One of them happens to be Edd China. I have been watching Edd from quite a few years may be 2013 - 2017 post which I stopped watching television. 

It happens Edd was a part of very famous show Wheeler Dealers which I used to watch. Post that show, I did not know what happened to the show nor what happened to Edd.

Now Edd's back on youtube with a new series of videos under the title Workshop Diaries - which I follow very ardently. The show is all about fixing cars, which Edd does best.

Though owning a workshop, workbench, professional tools, working on cars is a dream of mine, which I am not sure if I can ever fulfill, because of the investment and time required. 

One thing which I caught on from the show if not about mechanics - its about Edd China's way of drinking tea. 

I am used to drinking tea the Indian way - where we boil water and milk and tea leaves in a kettle for about 15 mins and then drink the same. 

But now I am trying to change and trying to incorporate the way Edd China drinks tea - its by boiling water in a kettle adding the boiling hot water to a mug having tea bag and then adding 2 spoons of milk!

Watch the show, I promise you will enjoy their tea break as much as the show!

I waited for two weeks before I got my pack of tea bags owing to lockdown, but boy o boy am I enjoying the new way of drinking tea? Yes I am.

Cheers!

PS - hope someday I get to work in a workshop with some tools too, fiddling with stuffs rather than just computer software!

Book by Dale Carnegie - How to win friends and influence people

I was reading this famous book by Dale written many moons ago. It was my second take at this particular book. First time, I was pretty much a beginner or you can call me an immature. But now after so many years in corporate, I felt, I am pretty much an experienced campaigner to take on this book.

I started and completed the book in 3 days, not boasting about my achievement. But the situation I encounter in corporate has no answers for, in this particular book.

The book says - with sympathy, appreciation people work better. Listening to people's stories or problems will make them feel important and they will oblige. Writing clearly letters or any documentation shall always be appreciated. 

But on a day to day basis, I hate to admit these are the things which I do not find places to apply. 

If a person is least interested in reading emails, how much ever I write clearly, he fails to read. If a person is not interested in working, how shall me listening to his problem make him perform better. What can I do if a person is always telling lies, making excuses and double talking. Well I really cannot do but just to feel bad for the investor who funds the corporate projects and quacks who handle projects.

Clearly, the book written by Dale has aged. People have found new ways to trick their bosses, colleagues solution to which has to come from people's inner conscience. Clearly role of teachers, parents, genes, environment, plays a crucial role. 

Back to back reading....

 One thing I missed during my childhood was reading all of Agatha Christie books, I hardly read 4-5 of them. I was hoping a day would come and I could get hang of many of Agatha Christie books and read them and over come my childhood guilt.

Last 2.5 weeks have been lucky for me, I gotta read 4 books in total and 3 of which are Agatha Christie.
I finished my goodreads reading challenge for the year which was 5 books in 2021, I now surpassed it with count being 6.

Out of the 6 books I have read, 3 happen to be Agatha Christie.

1. Mysterious affairs at styles.

2. Murder on the links.

3. Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

I shall be reading few more, especially the ones which have good rating on good reads.

But reading Christie has been pure fun and reliving childhood memories is just priceless. 

Cheers to Christie and simple life!

And now after back to back Christie, I switched over to short stories. After Tagore's short stories, I was looking for a good follow up one. But many of the time, I was left disappointed. I tried to read Shashi Deshpande, could not connect, I read Ruskin Bond, and it got over too soon. 

And then I now got Short stories by Satyajit Ray, translated by Gopa Majumdar. 

I felt what better way to celebrate centenary birth year of the legend Ray than reading some of his short stories. its a mammoth 500 pager waiting to be read by me.. 

One thing I lost by this back to back reading is not being able to play on my play station :(

Cleaning the Auri Katarina way

 Well, instagram has taught me quite a few tricks during the lockdown phase. The very recent thing which I gotta learn was from Auri Katarina and it is all about cleaning.

If you do not know who the Queen of cleaning is - you gotta check these videos and the immaculate cleaning techniques many of which I have applied, on oven, kitchen and couple of other places.

Cheers and loads of thanks going out to the queen of cleaning!.

Meanwhile - I recently had a discussion on how staying away from few sites/apps can save you lots of time. Well, yeah (I do agree). 

PS - Since TikTok is banned in India, I gotta use instagram to follow Auri.

David Gray and his music - Part 1

 I have been listening to David Gray since my teenage years, I am sad to say, I have been discovering or understanding his music even better only now.

I chanced upon few very nice songs in the last few days, I so much fell in love with the music  instrument play that I had to bring this blog public from hiatus, just to share those few songs which I adore.

Here it goes.

The song is Lately. Both the version are from Live Stage concerts. The Nurburgring one starts from 14:35.

I will write about how I fell in love with David Gray during the year 2002-2003, in my coming posts.

Cheers,