"There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen"-- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Although Lenin did not say it in the context we are interested in, but it aptly captures the predicament of book lovers. When they are not reading, there is a feeling of nothingness. When they are, they travel many journeys through time and space thereby, living a lot of stories.
I intend to create this thread to pull some unique and great recommendations across different genres. Let's grow this thread together with some great recommendations, reviews and intellectually stimulating discussions.
Currently reading Jawaharlal Nehru Ji's Discovery of India, roughly a quarter way through, finding it pretty amazing. Feels like a casual ongoing conversation.
And, totally agree with@whatonly . 1984 and Animal farm must-read books. For example, I first understood how languages can create a worldview while reading 1984.
@Devanapiyam Those are some amazing recs. Thank you! Seems like exactly what I was looking for. I read John Grisham’sRainmakerandThe Firm. Rainmakerhas stayed with me after all these years. It’s a great book with a lot of heart.
@SergioRamos yes!Discovery of Indiawas the first book I picked up after mains. I only regret not reading it earlier, as my first introduction to the subject.
Does anyone have any poetry recommendations? Feeling a particular craving :D
Devanapiyam,@Devanapiyam Those are some amazing recs. Thank you! Seems like exactly what I was looking for. I read John Grisham’sRainmakerandThe Firm. Rainmakerhas stayed with me after all these years. It’s a great book with a lot of heart.
@SergioRamos yes!Discovery of Indiawas the first book I picked up after mains. I only regret not reading it earlier, as my first introduction to the subject.
Does anyone have any poetry recommendations? Feeling a particular craving :D
Collected works of TS Eliot; Rainer Maria Rilke, Khalil Gibran, Pablo Neruda, WB Yeats, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson...if I've to chose one I'll go with Eliot
Hindi mein Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Jaishankar Prasad (zyaada padhi nahi hain to be honest)
Also, maybe this is just me being a snob, but I cannot unrecommend enough Rupi Kaur and other instgrammy poetry
@Devanapiyam Those are some amazing recs. Thank you! Seems like exactly what I was looking for. I read John Grisham’sRainmakerandThe Firm. Rainmakerhas stayed with me after all these years. It’s a great book with a lot of heart.
@SergioRamos yes!Discovery of Indiawas the first book I picked up after mains. I only regret not reading it earlier, as my first introduction to the subject.
Does anyone have any poetry recommendations? Feeling a particular craving :D
Collected works of TS Eliot; Rainer Maria Rilke, Khalil Gibran, Pablo Neruda, WB Yeats, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson...if I've to chose one I'll go with Eliot
Hindi mein Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Jaishankar Prasad (zyaada padhi nahi hain to be honest)
Also, maybe this is just me being a snob, but I cannot unrecommend enough Rupi Kaur and other instgrammy poetry
Will keep me satisfied for several days. Thanks :D
Also
START PARCHMENT BACKGROUND
START TYPEWRITER FONT
if we find ourselves
turning one day
to lazy random poetry
perhaps it is time
to dust off trusty old Laxmikanth
once again
END TYPEWRITER FONT
END PARCHMENT BACKGROUND
Will keep me satisfied for several days. Thanks :D
Also
START PARCHMENT BACKGROUND
START TYPEWRITER FONT
if we find ourselves
turning one day
to lazy random poetry
perhaps it is time
to dust off trusty old Laxmikanth
once again
END TYPEWRITER FONT
END PARCHMENT BACKGROUND
Oh, dear! This is more poetic than 'milk and bread' (honey, maybe) :D
Villanelle,whatonly@Devanapiyam Those are some amazing recs. Thank you! Seems like exactly what I was looking for. I read John Grisham’sRainmakerandThe Firm. Rainmakerhas stayed with me after all these years. It’s a great book with a lot of heart.
@SergioRamos yes!Discovery of Indiawas the first book I picked up after mains. I only regret not reading it earlier, as my first introduction to the subject.
Does anyone have any poetry recommendations? Feeling a particular craving :D
Collected works of TS Eliot; Rainer Maria Rilke, Khalil Gibran, Pablo Neruda, WB Yeats, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson...if I've to chose one I'll go with Eliot
Hindi mein Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Jaishankar Prasad (zyaada padhi nahi hain to be honest)
Also, maybe this is just me being a snob, but I cannot unrecommend enough Rupi Kaur and other instgrammy poetryWill keep me satisfied for several days. Thanks :D
Also
START PARCHMENT BACKGROUND
START TYPEWRITER FONT
if we find ourselves
turning one day
to lazy random poetry
perhaps it is time
to dust off trusty old Laxmikanth
once again
END TYPEWRITER FONT
END PARCHMENT BACKGROUND
Haha, you’re a natural!
I’ll hold on to this one XD
whatonly,Wow some really awesome recommendations here! I'm gonna save them all. :D.
I need to read more non-fiction, especially relating to India.
Since Mains ended, I've found myself reading fiction a lot more than watching TV shows or movies. Just this past month I read two books by Brandon Sanderson, The Hobbit by Tolkien and the Martian by Andy Weir. Absolutely loved these books, even more than their corresponding movies (if they exist).
On another note, I participated in an online book exchange last week (through reddit). It was exciting; choosing your favourites for someone else while waiting for some random books to come and enthral you. For book lovers out here, I'll suggest participating in something similar. The reddit one is in Feb-Mar next year (a bit too late I know :P).
@Devanapiyam Those are some amazing recs. Thank you! Seems like exactly what I was looking for. I read John Grisham’sRainmakerandThe Firm. Rainmakerhas stayed with me after all these years. It’s a great book with a lot of heart.
@SergioRamos yes!Discovery of Indiawas the first book I picked up after mains. I only regret not reading it earlier, as my first introduction to the subject.
Does anyone have any poetry recommendations? Feeling a particular craving :D
Just putting some of my favourites down. Feel free to explore the other works of the same poet, they're all amazing.
In case you're into Urdu poetry, I'd strongly recommend reading Faiz. 'Mujhse Pehli Si Mohabbat' & 'Hum Dekhenge' are great starting points.
Reading your recommendations reminded me of some similar books I've read. Here are some of my favourites:
For lovers of fantasy and mystery thrillers combined, theMistbornseries as well as theStormlight Archives- both byBrandon Sanderson
For those seeking poignant tales (slightly similar to Khaled Hosseini tales),To kill a mockingbirdbyHarper Lee.Also,the Namesake byJhumpa Lahiri for those seeking Indian fiction in this category
For lovers of humour, PG Wodehouse is the best as someone here already suggested. Another book in a similar vein is The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxybyDouglas Adams.It is science fiction but absolutely humuorous
For lovers of autobiographies with humor, Surely, you're joking Mr Feynman by Richard Feynman. Fans of The Office can also readRainn Wilson'sautobiographyThe Bassoon Kingwith a forward by the one and only Dwight K. Schrute.
If you instead are looking for short stories, try Sum - forty tales from the afterlife.It is a collection of very short yet brilliantly innovative (and humourous at times) 40 tales of how life after death can look like.
Lovers of Barack Obama, can check outDreams from my father. He wrote this 10 years before running for the Senate. In it you can see how his early life contributed to who he became.
Now to the more practical books. Fellow introverts HAVE to readQuiet bySusan Cain. This changed how I looked at myself. Again, a must read.
For UPSC aspirants,Deep WorkbyCal Newport is extremely useful for learning how to focus deeply.
For anyone looking to learn how to write better,The sense of style bySteven Pinker is invaluable. The latter part can get too technical and detailed, but it's useful.
When I get anxious, I find Thin slices of anxiety to be extremely helpful. It's more like a picture book with works of art on all pages. Extremely creative and soothing.
One of the easiest reads, if you're beginning to read, isThe Last Lecture byRandy Pausch.It's about a professor who finds out he has months to live and then prepares and gives one last lecture. The actual lecture can be found on Youtube too.
And finally my favourite poem -When death comesbyMary Oliver(https://www.awakin.org/read/view.php?tid=477)
Apologies for the length. I realised how long the list is only after I typed it all out. :P
Hope you find something worth reading here.
AzadHindFauz,Celeborn
Celeborn,@Devanapiyam Those are some amazing recs. Thank you! Seems like exactly what I was looking for. I read John Grisham’sRainmakerandThe Firm. Rainmakerhas stayed with me after all these years. It’s a great book with a lot of heart.
@SergioRamos yes!Discovery of Indiawas the first book I picked up after mains. I only regret not reading it earlier, as my first introduction to the subject.
Does anyone have any poetry recommendations? Feeling a particular craving :D
Just putting some of my favourites down. Feel free to explore the other works of the same poet, they're all amazing.
William Ernest Henley’s InvictusHenry Wadsworth Longfellow’s ‘A Psalm of Life’Bukowski: Go All the Way,John Greenleaf Whittaker: Don't Quit
In case you're into Urdu poetry, I'd strongly recommend reading Faiz. 'Mujhse Pehli Si Mohabbat' & 'Hum Dekhenge' are great starting points.
Thank you! Great recommendations. These will make for a few beautiful days.I have actually read and relished Invictus and poems by Longfellow before. And Hum Dekhenge thanks to the attention it got last year - that’s how my interest in Urdu poetry really took off.
@Celeborn What a lovely lovely list! Most of these are new to me. Thank you! Except Mary Oliver’s poem... I had forgotten about it for a few years, but there was a time I read it over and over again. So happy to be reminded of it again, somber as it is.
And the book exchange sounds amazing. A few years ago when I was considerably more unwise than I am today, I fell for some Facebook book exchange ponzi scheme. Good to know that they actually work on Reddit!
Celeborn,@Devanapiyam Those are some amazing recs. Thank you! Seems like exactly what I was looking for. I read John Grisham’sRainmakerandThe Firm. Rainmakerhas stayed with me after all these years. It’s a great book with a lot of heart.
@SergioRamos yes!Discovery of Indiawas the first book I picked up after mains. I only regret not reading it earlier, as my first introduction to the subject.
Does anyone have any poetry recommendations? Feeling a particular craving :D
Just putting some of my favourites down. Feel free to explore the other works of the same poet, they're all amazing.
William Ernest Henley’s InvictusHenry Wadsworth Longfellow’s ‘A Psalm of Life’Bukowski: Go All the Way,John Greenleaf Whittaker: Don't Quit
In case you're into Urdu poetry, I'd strongly recommend reading Faiz. 'Mujhse Pehli Si Mohabbat' & 'Hum Dekhenge' are great starting points.Thank you! Great recommendations. These will make for a few beautiful days.I have actually read and relished Invictus and poems by Longfellow before. And Hum Dekhenge thanks to the attention it got last year - that’s how my interest in Urdu poetry really took off.
I'm glad.
Haha, that's when I started to follow Urdu poetry as well. Still not good enough to be able to read them without translation. Poets like Faiz & Dinkar made me realise how rich our poets have been, hope they get the recognition they deserve one day :)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy them. And do post if you find some good stuff.
whatonly,@whatonly Thank you! Glad you liked itI'm not too much into poetry (though I would like to be). I found this poem and it immediately blew me away. It's something I've read and re-read multiple times.About the book exchange, I began writing that out to suggest a book exchange here. But the mere thought of the logistical difficulties and the privacy implications made me stop. About the reddit one, I was cautious too. I've made a fool of myself on various occasions online and offline; so I'm quite wary now :P. I read the reviews and checked out last year's exchange. Once satisfied, I took the plunge (enrolment is free anyways). It was truly worth it.
Even Secret Santa on Reddit has been reliable. And, you have my upvote about the book exchange thingy idea, not sure how it will ever workout though.
Celeborn,whatonly@whatonly Thank you! Glad you liked itI'm not too much into poetry (though I would like to be). I found this poem and it immediately blew me away. It's something I've read and re-read multiple times.About the book exchange, I began writing that out to suggest a book exchange here. But the mere thought of the logistical difficulties and the privacy implications made me stop. About the reddit one, I was cautious too. I've made a fool of myself on various occasions online and offline; so I'm quite wary now :P. I read the reviews and checked out last year's exchange. Once satisfied, I took the plunge (enrolment is free anyways). It was truly worth it.
I’ve also been trying to increase my appreciation of poetry. I think I’m somewhat literal minded, lol, so it’s a challenge. Hence this exercise in horizon-expansion.
And yes, book exchange sounds awesome! I’ll go look at the Reddit one to see how they managed it.
Celeborn,Anyone here likes reading espionage novels?Jean Le Carreor similar authors. I love them.
And also a lot of historical fiction or world history in general. I had a phase a while ago where I would read a lot of books about The Holocaust (Shrier mostly), then branched out to reading about the Roman Empire (300's depiction of Spartans and Achaemenid Empire was so inaccurate), the Ottoman, Gulag, Japanese Imperialism (do you know about Nanking though? -_-), tried to make sense about Middle East politics from a historical perspective (America's exploits still majorly responsible :P, also Rambo 2's plot makes more sense now: the time i watched it I had no clue why he would fight alongside the Mujahideens)
A combination of the above probably contributed to my interest towards Foreign Service.
Above are the books I read over the course of last year, time crunch due to UPSC made me explore an entirely new genre of books - Graphic Novels.
I couldn’t complete Alan Ryan’sOn Politics. Even for a PSIR optional person it felt too much at that time.
Read Guy Delisle’sJerusalemafter prelims - it’s a commentary about contemporary Jerusalem, the issues on the ground, bit of religious history, Israel-Palestine issues from the “fish out of water” perspective. Author Guy’s wife works for Doctors Without Borders, so he finds himself in conflict zones often. His other works which are equally famous includeBurma ChroniclesandPyongyang. It’s almost journalistic. Similar to works of Joe Sacco who covers war zones often and has even won a Pulitzer.
Marjane Satrapi’sPersepolisis now among my favourite books of all time. It’s a coming age of story of a girl in Iran, right at the time of the 1979 revolution. It’s incredibly well written and presented, and takes you through Marjane’s life in a liberal westernised Iran before revolution, under a theologic regime afterwards and as an expat in Austria. Left me sappy.
Read Nehru’sGlimpses of World Historyin January. It’s huuuuge (in Trump’s voice). I know it’s not scholarly or academic, probably has gross generalisations or inaccuracies. But I liked it. Also, for the un-initiated, this book is actually a compilation of letters he wrote to Indira Gandhi to teach her about the story of the world. It’s like having a friend narrate you a story: where the best bits have been put together to make it interesting.
Tintin needs no explanation, so that’s that.
:)
I’ve been longing to readMausnow. Another graphic novel which is generally regarded as the best one out there. It’s about the Holocaust so yeah, that’s reason enough for me to read it.
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