Saturday Story: Musty Books on a Dusty Bookshelf

Come let’s venture into a bookshelf

The owner I know not who

Shh….be quiet, lest you disturb the souls

Sleeping peacefully on the shelf

Life is bliss in the company of a bookshelf that treasures myriad pleasures. Bookshelves have always held a perennial charm for me and I manage to hunt down one wherever I go. So, on a sunny morning as I stepped into the lovely Silver Sands Holiday Village in Goa my eyes were drawn to the overladen bookshelf standing in the lounge.

On a holiday, in a beach resort and in the company of a loaded bookshelf, now if that’s not pure bliss then what is? 

It was a messy and dusty bookshelf bearing the weight of its priceless treasures and yet it defined the beauty of the space. I almost ran at once to have a look at its assets – musty but lovely assets they were! 

Look at the dark mahogany rows displaying their prized possessions. I discovered a vibrant mix of known and unknown titles. They formed such a perfect combination: the books, the comfy lounge chairs and the holiday mood. Oh yes, the rule book says you have to read the books sitting in the lounge itself. Not that I mind it much….

See these musty old books on the shelf – their own place to be! These soundless souls remain witness to the emotions and expressions of us humans. In a corner of the lounge someone laughed out loud, someone whispered, someone stole a glance and someone giggled. In the silence of the bookshelf the books watched as life went by at a lazy pace.

I noticed a lovely blue book playing peek-a-boo from behind a mini-tower of paperbacks and brought it out. Musty they may be, but all the same, old books do attract me always. The yellowed pages hold so much more than just stories. A forgotten bookmark, a scribble, a date written, a dog-eared page, each little thing speaking of a book's journey with a previous reader.

May be another traveller had picked up the book just like me and explored its fictional world. Had the reader finished reading the book or was it left midway? Did the reader fall in love with the characters? Did the reader carry back the story with her in her heart? I would never know the answers and the book won't reveal such secrets to me. They are too loyal you see....

They are the musty books dwelling in a dusty bookshelf!! 

Random Musings: Old Books and New Ideas

Beyond the vagaries of time the pages of old books continue to ignite new ideas. A treasure trove of wisdom, a mentor to the one who cares, old books are gems to be cherished forever.

A Bagful of Happiness

Who says money can't buy happiness? There lies my bagful of happiness!! The reader in me jumps with joy whenever the whiff of new books surround me. Each book contains a story and each book has a story of its own. 

There are times when a book becomes special just because it comes from a very dear person. At other times, it is the beauty of the words that endears a book and I hold it close to my heart.

Sometimes I wonder why I feel so attached to my books. Is it because I become a part of the story when I am reading it? Is it because books provide me a chance to co-exist in their world while still being a part of the real world? Is it the characters whom I befriend while unwrapping a story? Maybe it's the sheer joy of discovering a new story when I first read a book and the wonderful feeling of being with old friends when I read the same book a second or third time.

Like the sun-rays on your back on a winter afternoon, books provide a kind of warmth that can only be experienced and enjoyed. Each book is a unique friend for life. A friendship that can be bought by money and yet it remains the truest form of friendship and happiness!      

   

Saturday Story: Literati Bookshop & Café, Goa

Literati Bookshop & Café was a chance discovery on my recent trip to Goa and what a discovery it was!! Situated in the Bardez locality of North Goa and not far from the Calangute beach, this unique bookshop is in essence a literary oasis.

Literati is a remarkable home for books. It is housed in a picturesque 100-year old Indo-Portuguese bungalow that stands amidst lush green lawns. The long verandah of the house with its comfortable sit-in arrangement extends an inviting look. The in-house café provides snacks, tea, coffee, wine and beer during the off-season and turns into a special Italian café during the peak tourist season.  

Once you step inside the bungalow, stacks and stacks of books strewn around transports you to the wonder world of words and phrases and stories. The unregimented arrangement of books adds to the characteristic feel of Literati. This cosy little place has distinct rooms marked for new and used books. The living area housing the new books gives you the feel of a local library while the used books section has an enticing charm of its own.

The extensive book collection at Literati comprises of a wide variety of genre. It mainly includes Indian fiction, Indian non-fiction and literature. An impressive selection of books on Goa and children’s books are stocked in this quaint bookshop. A dedicated foreign language section includes books in Portuguese, German, Italian, Russian and French. Literati is also a treasure trove of antiquarian books.

The wide assortment of books and periodicals on display and the warm ambiance of Literati can easily make you lose sense of time as you browse through the amazing collection or sit down with a book of your choice.

This one-of-its-kind bookshop is owned and run by Divya Kapur, a well-known figure in the literary circles in Goa and beyond. A self-confessed bibliophile, she gave up her career as a lawyer to set up Literati in November 2005 and mould it into a booklover’s haven.

Today Literati is much more than just a bookshop and café. It is a meeting place of creative minds. Literati hosts book launches, author meets, book reading sessions, storytelling events, art exhibitions, documentary screenings, photography shows, literary events and workshops. Many acclaimed international authors and artists have participated in the events organised at Literati.

On your next visit to Goa, head off to Literati’s porch to spend some memorable moments in this exceptional bookshop. If you love books, no beach in Goa can be as cosy as the comfortable couches and chairs of Literati where you can sit back and flip through your choice of pages as you sip freshly brewed coffee and munch on delicious home-made sandwiches from the in-house cafe.

Literati Bookshop & Cafe

E/1-282, Gaura Vaddo

Calangute, Bardez

Goa – 403 516

Phone: +91 832 227 7740

Timing: 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM (Closed on Sundays)

Random Musings: On the Quest for Stories

I live to read. Read to explore. Explore to know. Know to learn. Learn to live. Incurably bitten by the book bug. Forever on the quest to discover stories and tales…. 

Saturday Story: Blossom Book House, Bangalore

On my last visit to Bangalore one of my dear friends took me to the Blossom Book House. I had heard a lot about this Mecca of new and used books. Naturally, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to go there.

Books, Blossom and Bangalore

Blossom fascinated me from the moment I stepped into it. The place is a treasure trove of all kinds of books. Stacks after stacks of books reaching out to the roof made for a pleasant sight. No wonder it is the largest second hand bookstore in India.

The store was created in 2001 by Mayi Gowda, a former engineer. It is located on Church Street in Bangalore. Starting with an area of just 200 sq. ft. the bookstore has expanded to a three storey building that currently measures 3500 sq. ft.

The selection of new titles at Blossom is very impressive. But what fascinated me the most is their enormous collection of used books. To my delight I found many of the used books in very good condition. 

Blossom has alleys of books arranged on the basis of various genres and each alley opens a new world of excitement for the booklovers. It is sheer joy for any booklover to browse through such a huge assortment of books and it was no different for me. I spent a marvelous couple of hours browsing through the amazing array of books. 

To end on a happy note, Blossom offers amazing discount on the used books. So next time when you are in Bangalore, do not forget to step into the wonder world of Blossom and browse through their fabulous collection!!

Blossom Book House

No. 84/6, 

Church Street, Opp. Amoeba,

Bangalore – 560 001

Phone: +91 80 25320400 / 25559733

Timing: 10:45 AM to 9:00 PM

Book Review: The Devotion of Suspect X

‘Which is harder: devising an unsolvable problem, or solving that problem?’

Title: The Devotion of Suspect X

Author: Keigo Higashino

Pages: 374

Translator: Alexander O. Smith with Elye J. Alexander

Published: Originally published in Japanese in 2005; this translation was published in 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown

Genre: Crime Fiction/ Mystery

Rating: 5/5 

The Devotion of Suspect X is a crime thriller that presents a story of obsessive love set against the backdrop of a murder. This is the first Keigo Higashino book I have read and I am thrilled to discover an author who follows an extraordinary method to stimulate the reader’s grey cells. The book delves deep into human psyche and highlights the intense emotions felt by the characters. It has all the ingredients of a fascinating crime fiction and yet its beauty lies in its simplicity.

The Devotion of Suspect X is about Ishigami, a mathematical genius and his next door neighbour, Yasuko Hanaoka and the depth of Ishigami’s devotion for her. The drama is introduced in the form of Yasuko’s ex-husband who is murdered at the beginning of the story. The exceptional point is Higashino keeps his readers aware of the murderer, the method and the motive from the very beginning but his gripping storyline never relaxes its hold on the reader till the very end. Now the question is: How does the writer achieve this feat? Suffice to say, therein lies the brilliance of The Devotion of Suspect X!!

You are drawn to Higashino’s carefully constructed world that teases your sensibilities as a mystery reader. He engrosses you into a brain game that involves the ingenious cover-up of the murder and the police investigation that follows it. It compels you to think hard as you race through the story. The fine balance of the known and the unknown elements helps to enhance the book’s appeal.

The book is also about human nature and to what extent a person can go for love’s sake. The genius mind of Ishigami is sure that logical thinking holds the key to the problem at hand. He meets his match in Manabu Yukawa, a brilliant physics professor and his former classmate, who arrives on the scene to help police detective Kusanagi to unravel the mystery. It is a pleasure to understand the thought process of Yukawa as he patiently considers and rejects the hypothetical possibilities associated with the case. The author sure does deserve kudos to keep the storyline taut even when not much happens in terms of physical action for most part of the book.  

The final twist of the story is both poignant and terrifying. The climax touches upon raw emotions that are a rarity in crime fictions. I was left feeling a little sad as I turned the last page of this exceptional thriller. This book will linger long in my mind.  

GO GRAB A COPY AND READ IT..... JUST READ IT!!    

        

The First Step

Each of us, when our day's work is done, must seek our ideal, 

whether it be love or pinochle or lobster à la Newburg, or the sweet silence of the musty bookshelves.

- O. HENRY, "The Social Triangle"

My first step into the world of books was as a 4 year old kid. I had access to plenty of comic books owned by one of my cousins. Those were the days of Phantom, Mandrake and Tintin. The wonderful world introduced by Indrajal Comics and Amar Chitra Katha helped in the initiation of a lifelong bond with books.

By the time I was 10 years old, I was reading the works of celebrated writers like O. Henry, William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. I must admit that I started reading in a very random manner, without having any real idea of the brilliance of these writers. I used to read any book that was issued to me by the school librarian.  

The first book that really left a strong impression on me during those days was a compilation of short stories by O. Henry. By the time I had finished reading that book I knew I was hooked to the magic of reading. The beauty and simplicity of the stories had a profound effect on a young reader like me.  

The short story that had really fascinated me at that time was ‘The Last Leaf’. I was left spellbound by the beauty of words weaved by O. Henry. The story had three main characters, each having very specific part to play in the tale. But the way the writer presented these characters and developed the essence of the story in so few words left me in wonder. The subplots of sacrifice and death dealt in the story were a bit too much for me to fully appreciate at that age. Nonetheless, I loved this particular story that demonstrated the power of hope and belief. Later when I reread the story after many years, I was yet again in awe of the master story teller and his creation. Till date O. Henry remains one of my favourite writers.

The other short stories included in the book were gems like ‘The Gift of Magi’, ‘Springtime a la Carte‘, ‘After Twenty Years’, ‘One Thousand Dollars’ and a few more that I cannot remember now. For a 10 year old kid each story was a revelation in itself. My journey into the world of books took speed after that and over a period of time I developed a reading habit that continues since. The credit for developing my reading habit also goes to my father, an ardent reader who believes that the greatest gift for any child is the gift of reading. His vision broadened my horizons and I embarked on this wonderful reading voyage.  

Sometimes I wonder how my reading life would have shaped up without that first story of the last leaf.....