Plato and his allegory of the cave.

Plato was born in Athens, Greece, around 429 B.C. He was expected to become a politician by his family but he chose not to for two reasons and took the road of philosophy and mathematics. The first reason was the Peloponnesian War where he found out that some of his relatives were part of a dictatorship and were removed for corruption. The second reason was the death of Socrates who was the biggest influence in Plato’s life. Socrates was executed by the new Athenian government. Plato started writing and became a philosopher. He studied under Pythagoras in Sicily. After returning from there, he founded The Academy, a place where he and other people discussed philosophy and mathematics to come to better conclusions.

Plato’s allegory of the cave proves the power of reasoning over the senses. Personal human experiences will not amount to the truth. Proper philosophical reasoning is the only way to find the truth. To understand his allegory of the cave, you first need to understand his theory of forms. So Plato states that reality exists on two specific levels. First is the visible world which has sight and sound. Second is the intelligible world which gives the visible world its being. For example, when a person sees an ugly face he’s quickly able to identify its ugliness of it. Because in his mind he has an idea of ugly that allows him to point out ugly. He was able to spot the ugliness because he has an abstract idea of what ugliness is. The current state of that ugly face might change in the future because everything keeps changing in the visible world but the form of beauty, ugly etc is eternal and never changes. This is the theory of forms.

Coming onto the theory of caves, The allegory of caves was a conversation between Socrates and Plato’s brother, Glaucon. Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine a world where illusion is believed to be reality. To prove his point further, he asks him to imagine a scenario where there’s a cave and 3 people are locked up inside the cave since their birth. Their necks and legs are chained and cannot escape from the cave. They can only see what is in front of them. Behind and above the prisoners is a fire, and between the fire and prisoners, there is a low wall from where people walk with objects in their heads. Now, these prisoners can only see the shadow of the object and therefore they believe the shadow to be the real form of the object. Because the prisoners have never been exposed to real objects, they start to believe that the real form of that object looks like a shadow. If a shadow of a hammer were to appear, they’d believe the shadow of the hammer to be the real hammer. They are not saying that it’s a shadow because in their reality no shadows exist. They think it’s an actual hammer. One of the prisoners will eventually be able to understand the nature of this illusionary world and would be able to guess what shadow will come next. This will lead to him being praised by the other 2 prisoners.

Suppose, one of the prisoners is set free. He escapes the cave and gets to see the world. He gets angry and frustrated after seeing the real world because he believes the cave illusion to be his reality. When his reality is disproved, he becomes angry, sad and frustrated because he is now forced to believe something else and step out of his comfort zone. Eventually, he’ll be able to make sense of what he has seen and accept that the cave illusion was not his reality. He has now accepted that his past was based on a lie and that is not the way he should perceive things going ahead because he has now found out that it was all an illusion. He goes back to the cave to tell the other prisoners about the real world. When he tells them whatever he has witnessed, they don’t believe him and threaten to kill him if he tries to free them. They are so comfortable in their fake reality that they don’t even want to make the effort of exploring a new possibility because that might lead them out of their comfort zone and face chaos. People mistake what is in front of them as reality and choose to live in ignorance. And when parts of the truth start to emerge in front of their eyes, they get frightened. Because that threatens their ignorant reality. However, a person who pays attention to these flashes of truth and is open to the idea of exploration will always have a better understanding of the world around him. Always aim for reasoning rather than simply believing what seems easy to believe.

*I was influenced to write this article after coming across the book Philosophy 101 by Paul Kleinman*

The Pre-socratic era (Origins of Western philosophy)

Greek philosophers in the 5th and 6th centuries started to question the world around them. They thought that greek mythology was too vague, and irrational and did not ask the right questions. They were in search of a more rational approach to the truths of life. They questioned where everything came from, what everything was, the role of mathematics and the existence of plurality in nature. They believed that not everything in the world is the same and some materials don’t stay in their present state forever. That’s why they laid the principles of change which they called archê.

The term “pre-Socratic” meaning before Socrates was coined and popularised by Hermann Diels. Socrates was alive at the same time when some of the pre-socratic philosophers existed so this term doesn’t necessarily mean philosophers before the birth of Socrates. It just means a different take from Socrates’ philosophical work. Pre-socratic philosophers produced texts. No texts have survived fully. These philosophies are based on the texts that could be gathered and quoted from the later historian which was usually biased.

There were some different schools of thought during this era. Some of them were The Milesian school, The Pythagorean school, The Eleatic school and The Atomist school. The Milesian school consisted of three important philosophers. Thales was the first. Thales claimed that a single element was water. Thales determined that water could go through changes of state like evaporation and condensation. He also knew that it was responsible for moisture. The second philosopher was Anaximander. Anaximander claimed that the single element was an undefined, unlimited and indefinite substance, known as Apeiron. The thing that separates Hot and Cold, solid and liquid is the Apeiron. His philosophy is similar to the Chinese philosophy of yin-yang. The third and last philosopher from The Milesian school was Anaximenes. He believed the single element to be air. According to him, the air is everywhere and can transform into something else. For example water, objects, clouds etc.

The Pythagorean school was formed by philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras believed that every answer to life can be found through mathematical calculations. Every rationale of life is derived from mathematics. He had a very cult-like following. His students were very true to his rules and ways of life. They’d often follow his exact instructions. His students believed that his studies were the prophecies of God.

The Eleatic school was based in the colophon. It had four main philosophers. The first one was Xenophanes. He did not believe that gods were anthropomorphic or had human characteristics in other words. He believed that there was only one god and he didn’t have a physical form but he can See, Hear, Think and control the world with his thoughts. The second philosopher was Parmenides. He believed that individual experiences don’t amount to the real truth. Truth can only be found through reason and not senses. His foundations hugely influenced Plato and the whole of western philosophy. The school of Elea started using reason to find the truth because of him. The third philosopher is Zeno. He was Parmenides’s most famous student and probably his lover too. He spent most of his life creating arguments that defended parmenides’ ideas. His most famous Argument is about pluralism. The notion that many things exist as opposed to one, will lead to more absurd conclusions. He believed plurality was an illusion. His work was later disproved but was hugely influential. The last one is the melissus of Samos. His philosophy was that what it differs from what it seems. According to him it never really is what it seems.

*I was influenced to write this article after coming across the book philosophy 101 written by Paul Kleiman*

Inculcating Stoicism in your life

Stoicism is a philosophy founded by the Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. According to this school of philosophy, there are two factors. The internal world and the external world. The internal world contains emotions, reactions, behaviour and all the things that a human being controls. The external world is wealth, status, validation etc. Stoicism describes wealth as neither good nor bad. Although a human being should always live a life of modesty and should not pay much attention to the external world. We do not control what happens in the external control but we do control our actions and our reaction toward the external world. We should build such a mindset where the external world doesn’t have an overwhelming effect on us.

In today’s generation, everyone’s life is a busy one. No one has the time to be free and reconnect with themselves. This makes us lose touch with ourselves. This is how the world moves. We are controlled by the external narrative and are always chasing some illusionary goal that we think will give us all the joy and happiness needed in life. We’re all chasing one thing or the other. But stoicism has always said that no material thing in the external world can attain happiness. You always have to look within. Bureaucracy makes us a slave to the external world and we do not break the pattern until we are dead.

Stoicism teaches us to take control of our lives. It tells us not to be controlled by the greed of wealth and status. It encourages us to find ourselves. You can inculcate stoicism in your life by getting across some of the stoic readings. Marcus Aurelius was a believer In stoicism. He was probably the richest man when he existed. He was still believed to live a modest life and people around him worshipped his virtue. One has to grasp an understanding of the world he lives in and more importantly they have to grasp an understanding of themselves. Stoicism encourages independence in thinking. It makes us see what really exists.

Personally, stoicism gave me an understanding of what the external world is. I came across it when I was 16 years old. I was very materialistic as a kid. I used to seek joy in buying all the gadgets that I wanted. There were times when I used to feel hollow but I never really knew what it was and why do I feel that? Stoicism made me understand that void. The void had been created due to the lack of real value in my life. I realised it and started studying stoicism. With time, my understanding of the world got better. Sometimes it makes me laugh how unconcerned I was. We all get lost in our lives sometimes. The games that we make for ourselves can sometimes trap us. But a true human being will always find a way to see through the fake and embrace reality.

“ I THINK, THEREFORE I AM”

• Rene Descartes

School of life’s video about stoicism

4 Must Read Historical Fiction Novels

Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the story is set in the past. Authentic historical novels portray the details of the time period as accurately as possible, including social norms, manners, customs, and traditions. Common characteristics of this writing genre are the inclusion of historical events or historical people, invented scenes and dialogue, as well as true and plausible details. There are seven crucial elements in this genre: character, dialogue, setting, theme, plot, conflict, and world building. The characters could be based off of real or imaginary individuals.

If you want a break from the present and are looking for a book to transform you to a different era, here are a few great historical fiction novels that you shouldn’t miss!

The Stationary Shop of Tehran-

If you’re a fan of historical romantic novels, this book is perfect for you. It follows the lives of two youngsters, Roya and Bahman, and their nascent love blossoming in a Persian stationary shop. This book by Marjan Kamali is an eclectic mix of initial infatuation, first eye lock, the first touch, first love, betrayal, reunion and closure.

Hindu Refugee Camp Lahore-

This book by Sachin Garg is set in the difficult times just after India Pakistan partition in 1947. This is a story of Havildar Ghulam Ali Limb-Fitter, who was stuck in a Hindu refugee camp in Lahore. His wife waits for him in Lucknow, India. India wouldn’t accept him because he had served in the Pakistani army. This book is a heart-aching story of him trying to find a place in his motherland, India. This book comprises of several letters written by him to his wife Zahira, ministers, bureaucrats and other officials, begging them to help him return to his life in India. If you want to read about the real-life hardships faced by innocent people, as an aftermath of the partition, this book is truly a must read.

The Kite Runner-

The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003, it tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul. It is a beautifully crafted novel set in Afghanistan, a country that is on the verge of being ruined. It is an unforgettable, heart-breaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant. It is a one-of-a-kind classic.

Train To Pakistan

This novel by Khushwant Singh is another historical fiction novel based on the repercussions of India Pakistan partition in 1947. This book is narrated from the perspective of Mano Majra, an idyllic fictional border resorted to love and harmony even at the face of all odds till external forces come and disrupted all the harmony. This village has Muslim and Sikh population that suddenly becomes a part of the border between Indian and Pakistan. Published in 1956, this book captures the essential human trauma and suffering in the face of such a terror and crisis. Train to Pakistan is an ideal novel for those who wishes to learn more about India’s past and is looking for more than the socio-political scenario behind the partition.

4 Motivational Books Everyone Should Read!

A book can provide inspiration in many different ways. The characters in fiction can inspire us to grow in the same way. A steady stream of non-fiction guides readers on everything from how to write poetry to how not to manage a career. However, inspirational books go a little further, especially for those of us in need of some extra hygge – the Danish word that refers to a feeling of contentment and cosiness. In essence, Hygge is just another way of saying: let’s read a book by the fire that will calm and relax our spirits. Various genres, tastes, and viewpoints are represented in these inspirational books. All of them strive to improve your life despite their differences. Check out the books that will help you become a better person.

Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial

Written by Anthony Robbins in 1991, this novel teaches people how to master their emotions, their bodies, their relationships, their finances, and their lives. Known as a leader in peak performance science, he has a deep understanding of the psychology of change. With help from this book, you will discover your true purpose, learn how to take control of your life, and become master self-mastery in a step-by-step program.

Rich Dad Poor Dad

This 1997 book called Rich Dad Poor Dad was written by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It emphasizes the importance of financial literacy, financial independence, and building wealth through real estate investing, starting and owning a business, as well as increasing financial intelligence.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business is a book by Charles Duhigg. He was a reporter for the New York Times. Originally published in February 2012 by Random House, the book is now available on Amazon. An in-depth look at habits, their creation, and reformation is explored in this book. Charles Duhigg takes us to the cutting edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its capacity for transformation through his insightful intelligence and ability to distill vast amounts of information into engaging narratives.

How to win friends and influence people. How to stop worrying and start living

Published in 1936, this is a self-help book by Dale Carnegie. Using this book, you can improve how you appear to the world. Changing your own behavior can alter how you are seen and treated by the world. You can change the energy you emit so that what comes back to you, changes as well. This book is an important guide to communication and business skills. It teaches you about marketing yourself and attracting more clients which is why many world-renowned figures have praised this book. By reading this book, you will be able to overcome mental woes and achieve goals. Having a positive attitude allows you to appear to others as a friendlier, more personable person, and in terms of your business, enables you to generate new clients. It helps you accomplish your goals by using your potential fully and by becoming an effective speaker in front of a large audience. If you deal with issues like self-confidence, this book is a must-read!

To Read List (Romance)-2

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
Nat King Cole, ‘Nature Boy’ lyrics

Today, we continue to meander through the spectral world of love.

1. I Owe You One

Sophie Kinsella’s, ‘I Owe You One’ is a tale of self discovery, empowerment and love.

Fixie Farr’s father has always taught her to value family, above all else and that is what Fixie endeavours to upkeep after he passes away, leaving his business of housewares store to his wife and children. Since all her other siblings are out there doing something on their own, Fixie has no choice but seize the reins of her father’s store.

When one fateful day, a charming stranger asks her to watch his laptop for sometime, Fixie, being the person she is, not only watches it for a while but also manages to save it from some impending disaster. The computer’s owner, Sebastian turns out to be an investment manager and leaves an IOU with a business card for Fixie.

In a series of events, Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan enters into the scene and his lack of work, compels Fixie to take up Sebastian’s, IOU to ask a job for Ryan. Sebastian agrees. What ensues is a tale filled with more IOUs, life altering favours and Fixie torn between her family and her life choices.

2. This Lullaby

Sarah Dessen’s, ‘This Lullaby’, revolves around Remy, scared of commitments and known for breaking it off just as things start getting a bit serious after the initial romantic scurry. Remy seems to have inherited her dating skills from her mother who’s at husband number five at present. Remy has had a number of liaisons in the past and dumped her boyfriends with acute precision. This time, Remy just cannot bring herself to dump Dexter. She goes into wild speculations to ascertain why. This might just be the beginning of an epic love for Remy, granted she opens up her heart to an honest relationship without any inhibitions.

3. Catching Jordan

Miranda Kenneally’s, ‘Catching Jordan’, revolves around Jordan Woods, the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. Jordan hangs around with the hot jocks of the team as one of them. She puts all her elbow grease into football and bears anything and anyone, as long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

When Ty Green, stunning and an amazing QB moves to Jordan’s school, all that Jordan has ever strived for is somehow put on the line. Her emotions are a wreck as she tries to give her all to her game without distraction from the heart.

4. The Edge of Never

J.A. Redmerski’s’, ‘The Edge of Never’, tells the tale of Camryn Bennett, a Twenty year old girl with an unmatched and out-of-the-box imagination. Following a series of setbacks, Camryn decides to push forth and not give up. After an unforgettable night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, Camryn decides to leave everything behind and pursue what she always wanted.

With a will of steel, a phone and a small bag and no sense of destination and direction, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus where she finds a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone she can relate to and who has several guarded secrets.

Although sworn to never fall in love, Camryn finds herself in the midst of a whirlwind called Andrew. Together, they do things that Camryn never thought she’d ever do. Their chemistry is fierce, the pull undeniable but the secrets threaten it all.

“your hand touching mine,
this is how galaxies collide.”
-Sanober Khan

To Read List (Sci-fi)

“Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all gravities of terrestrial life.”
-H.g Wells

Introduction

Sci-fi is perhaps one of the coolest literary genre, that is widely read. Scientific fiction encompasses the vast abyss of human imagination that manifests itself in an astounding blend of creativity and literature. Sci-fi stories have a wide variety of themes, they can be based on absolute facts or be a figment of someone’s imagination as well. Fictitious sci-fi stories can include aliens, a world based in space, time travel, strange inventions and weird creatures as well.

Sci-fi might be hard or soft. Hard sci-fi is based on the real world with less novel elements. Soft sci-fi, however, includes far fetched scientific technology.

Sci-fi requires ingenuity on part of writers and proper assimilation of the readers part. Sci-fi is probably one of the most interesting of the genera of the great literary canyon.

Curated below is a list of 4 interesting Sci-fi books that you can check out.

1. The Time Machine

H.G Wells, renowned as ‘The Father of Sci-fi’, wrote ‘The Time Machine’, in 1895. In this extremely enthralling book, the protagonist goes on a time safari 800,000 years beyond his time. He is transported to an era of devastation and utter destruction of Earth, there he discovers two strange races ,the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks that manifest the terrifying future occupants of the planet and describe the dying humane in humanity.

An absolutely enthralling read, that has gripped readers throughout years.

2. Snow Crash

Neal Stephenson’s, ‘Snow Crash’, is a riveting book that describes the parallel life of Hiro Protagonist in the real world and the Metaverse. Delivering pizzas for Uncle Enzo’s CosoNostra Pizza Inc. in the ordinary world, a warrior prince in the Metaverse. The story takes pace as he crusades through a volley of mysterious computer viruses. He strives to prevent utter destruction by bringing down the ultimate virtual villains.

The story meanders through technical know how of computers and is an absolutely thrilling read.

3. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Christopher Paolini’s, ‘ To Sleep in a Sea of Stars ‘, revolves around Kira Navárez, who dreams of life beyond the scape of Earth, in new unchartered worlds. When during a survey mission on a planet, Kira stumbles across an alien relic, although thrilled at first, Kira soon comes to dread her discovery as the ancient relic begins to move around her.

With Earth in great jeopardy and a war brimming amongst the stars, Kira experiences a life altering journey. With her being the ultimate hope, Kira must brave against all odds and delve into the expanse of the universe to bring about order.

4. Cinder

Marissa Meyer’s, ‘Cinder’, is a riveting tale of a girl Lihn Cinder, a mechanic in New Beijing, the capital of the Eastern Commonwealth, s, who is a cyborg i.e. she is half mechanical, has prosthetic limbs and a complex wiring of internal organs. New Beijing is a place that faces consistent scourge of plagues. In this retelling of Cinderella, humans and androids coexist. When the heir to the throne of the Commonwealth, Prince Kai requires Kai’s help to fix his android, their lives take a thrilling turn. With her mysterious past and a strange Lunar people waiting for ambush from the space, Cinder must traverse through several trials to save the fate of her people and perhaps even the entire world.

A sci-fi twist to the classic Cinderella.

To Read List (Chick-Lit)

I would love it if my book was considered chick-lit or a beach read. That would be great. People would buy my book.
emily gould

Introduction

Chick lit was a genre widely popular in the 90s and early 2000s, referred to books usually written by women for women and about women. These books centred in on a female protagonist and the plot usually revolved around some cliché themes or highlight some important themes doused with humour and good natured drama. Though bashed by several authors as sexist, chick- lit continues to be one of the favourite genera of all times.

Chick Lit uses humour to reflect life back to us. It’s a very comforting genre, and it’s the first time our generation has had a voice. It’s a very important genre for all of those reasons.
Marian Keyes

Chick Lit is a sub genre of women- fiction and caters mainly to its women target audience.

Curated below is a list of 4 Chick Lits that you absolutely need to check out.

1. After I Do

‘After I do’, is a book by the notable author of ‘ The seven Husbands of Emily Hugo’, Taylor Jenkin Reid. This book revolves around a marriage traipsing on the edge of collapse and the lengths people involved go to to save it.

Lauren and Ryan’s marriage is on the verge of falling apart, when, in order to save their marriage they devise a plan and decide to take a year apart to rediscover themselves and find their love again. There’s a rule though, they can’t contact each other for the entire time spent apart.

This book delves into simple yet notably important things that are generally overlooked in the everyday life. This is perfect light read for the weekend that makes us question the nuances of love and marriage.

2.The Hating Game

Sally Thorne’s, ‘The Hating Game’ follows a enemies to something more kind of trope. Lucy Hutton, the smart, charming, professional, good girl. Joshua Templeman, dressed to the nines, cold , stoic and efficient. These two manifest the definition of nemesis like no one else. Stuck in the same office at Bexley & Gamin for long periods together, they have got going a series of strange games of outfoxing each other. With a significant promotion coming up that can land Lucy as Templeman’s boss, Lucy is all in for the real game, however, she is utterly unrehearsed for the strange feelings rooting in for her arch-nemesis.

This is the kind of book that everyone loves, sharp and sweeping.

3. Miss Makeover

Claire Betita de Guzman’s, ‘Miss Makeover’, revolves around Mara Francisco, a fashion writer, who gets a major makeover ends up receiving attention from the ever charming Markus. When things do not go as she anticipated and to escape her insecurities she rushes off to a to a remote town in the Philippines to attend a beauty boot camp that does not allow makeup for the participants through the entire six day program.

Not armed with makeup for the first time since forever, Mara will have to meander her way through her insecurities. Throw in an old high school crush and an elusively cold local in the mix and you have a tale worth remembering!

The kind of book that almost everyone can relate to.

4. Manhunting

Jennifer Cruise’s, ‘Manhunting’, is centred around Kate Svenson, a suave woman with an equally strong foothold on the corporate ladder. The only glitch in her life is her terrible love life. After three broken engagements, Kate decides to go all out in search of her perfect match.

A swarm of eligible bachelors in the Cabins resort, wrong perceptions and several troubles later Kate and the ever indifferent Jake Templeton stagger for a footing on the ladder of love.

A hilarious and sizzling romance.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE BOOKS

Here are a list of classic literature books that you will appreciate reading !!!!!

THE GREAT GATSBY – This novel was written by F.Scott Fitzgerald in 1952. It is a Tragic/historical novel that is worth reading .

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – This novel was written by Oscar Wilde and was published in 1890 , however a longer version of the novel was published in 1891. It is basically a philosophical fiction.

LITTLE WOMEN – Little woman was written by Louisa May Alcott , and was published in 1896 . It is a fiction novel with. comical aspects .

NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR – This novel was written by the English novelist George Orwell , and was published in 1949. Nineteen Eighty Four is an amalgamation of social science fiction and dystopia .

Must Reads (General Fiction)

“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Introduction

According to the dictionary, fiction refers to a type of literature in the form of prose that describes imaginary events and people. Fiction is the genre, in which the author whips up imaginary characters and plot and weaves a tale around them. Though untrue and fabricated fiction might be used to relay information and express thoughts on a number of issues that are realistic and often worth highlighting.

Fiction is a very diverse genre of the equally diverse literary canyon. Fiction writing often requires ingenuity and thinking out of the box. Fiction is easily one of the highly read genera in the world. There is such incredible work in the fiction genre that it leaves a reader to browse through a plethora of amazing plots and characters. Several fictitious characters such as Jane Austen’s, ‘Mr. Darcy’ and ‘Elizabeth Bennet‘ or Bam Stoker’s, ‘Dracula‘ have gone down in history as some of the most cherished and timeless characters

Below is a list of four must read fiction books.

1. The Time Traveler’s Wife

Image result for The Time Traveler's Wife book

‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’, is American author Audrey Niffengger’s debut novel. This story revolves around Clare, an artist by profession, who meets her husband Henry under strange circumstances. Henry, afflicted by a genetic disorder is a time traveler of sorts with no control over it. Struggling to control his impromptu trips to strange places and times, naked as the day he was born, Henry finds acceptance and love in Clare. What follows is an enthralling journey full of time spins, confusions , heart-breaks, beginnings and endings.

Time Traveler’s Wife is an absolute must read, with its gripping plot and engaging romance. Full of love and longing, this book is bound to make you burst into guffaws and ugly cry.

2.The Silent Patient

‘The Silent Patient’, by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller that tells the tale of Alicia Berenson, a successful painter, who leads a lavish life with her husband ,Gabriel, an extremely sought after fashion photographer. One evening Gabriel returns home only to be met with five bullets to the face by his wife. What follows is a tale filled with gripping mystery as Alicia refuses to utter even a word or offer something in order of explanation. Now, enshrouded in disrepute, Alicia initiates a cycle of speculations by the public that transmutes her into a public mystery.

Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist is obsessed with Alicia’s case and wants to get her talking. The quest to solve this mystery leads him down a risky path…

3.Beautiful Disaster

Image result for jamie mcguire beautiful disaster goodreads

Jamie McGuire’s, ‘ Beautiful Disaster’, is a new adult book sporting the cliched, good girl- bad boy plot. Abby Abernathy, the good girl. Travis Maddox, the absolute bad boy. As these two collide in college and interact over a bet that can make Maddox go abstinent for a month or can get Abby stuck in Maddox’s apartment for that equal period of time.

Abby might end up winning more than just the bet!

4. In an Instant

Suzanne Redfearn’s, ‘In an Instant’, is a tale of hard life or death decisions made about in an instant. sixteen-year-old Finn Miller meets with a horrible car accident that causes her and ten others to fall off a mountain. It is a tale of love, family and guilt that makes us introspect over the humane in us and accentuates the ramifications of decisions.

Must Reads (Mystery)

Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.
-neil armstrong

Mystery literally refers to something, that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain. It is a fiction genre in which an event such as a crime or a murder keeps unfolding without much revelation till the end of the book. Mystery books are the kind of reads that keep readers hooked and on the edge of their seats. Mysteries are a joy to read with unanticipated plot twists and turn-outs that it blows ones mind. Mystery is one of the widely read genre with many prolific writers.

Below is a list of five must read mystery fictions.

1. And Then There Were None:

Image result for And Then There Were None summary

One of the most prolific writers in the genre Agatha Christie, describes this book as one of the most difficult to write. Following a group of people onto Indian Island, this story explores crime and murder. The ten people on the island including a former governess, an adventurer, an ex-detective, each think they have been hired to do some particular job not knowing the mysterious labyrinth on the island that consequently traps all ten people on the island. With each death the story is thrown into a deeper mysterious aura, leaving the reader befuddled with thoughts and guesses.

A brilliant mystery and an absolute must read!

2. The Guest List

Lucy Foley’s, ‘The Guest List’ is a mystery set amidst a wedding. A happy couple joining in matrimony is faced with a gruesome wedding surprise- a dead body!

A wedding planned right down to the last detail of a T.V star and a magazine editor was bound to catch eyes and garner attention but it might all just shift focus.

A series of guests all dresses to the nines, a volley of drinking groomsmen, expensive champagne and awkward speeches later does a mystery unfold involving all the guests on the list. Loads of suspects with killer motives all enclosed in a big wedding.

3. The Last of the Moon Girls

Image result for The Last of the Moon Girls

Barbara Davis’s ‘The Last of the Moon Girls’, revolves around Lizzy Moon, a girl who wants nothing to do with Moon Girl Farm, which is passed down in their family and has evoked questions and rumours about their strange legacy. Tragedy struck! Lizzy’s beloved Grandmother Althea dies, taking the severe accusation of killings to her grave, Lizzy must do everything to clear her Grandmother’s name and her family legacy. With Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town believing in Althea’s innocence, Lizzy is determined to et things right.

A gorgeously artful story-telling with tints of magic and craft.

4.The Secrets of Lost Stones

Image result for The Secrets of Lost Stones

Melissa Payne’s book, ‘ The Secrets of Lost Stones’ tells the story of a 32 year old woman Jess Abbot who has loses everything from her home to her job and her eight year old son Chance, to a tragic accident. Unable to cope with the humongous loss, Jess bundles up what’s left and leaves for the small mountain town of Pine Lake, where she gets a place as caregiver to strange old woman.

Surrounded by numerous rumours, Lucy is a strange old woman who has taken in several other people besides Jess including a Star, a teenager on the run with a painful secret and a little boy with heart-shaped stones. Jess soon learns the extent of pain and loss in the world and discovers above her suffering, grief like no other. Perhaps it was fate.

5. Where the Forest Meets the Stars

Glendy Vanderah’s ‘Where the Forest Meets the Stars’, is a story of Joanna Teale, who, after overcoming her mother’s demise and battling breast cancer, determined to prove that she has not given up, throws herself into her work, researching on nesting birds in rural Illinois that is until a mysterious child shows up at her cabin door, barefoot and in a ragged condition. The girl, Ursa, claims to be sent from the stars to witness five miracles. Joanna concerned about the girls home, reluctantly takes her in. Jo seeks help from her aloof neighbour, Gabriel Nash, to find out more about Ursa.

What follows is a series of unexpected events and beautiful bonds.

Classic treasure (Part- 2)

“Classic literature is still something that hangs in the air like a song.”
-Gilbert K Chesterton

Some of the must-read classics.

1. The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s his novel is set in Long Island, near New York City. This book, from the narrator Nick Carraway’s perspective tells the story of his dealings with an enigmatic billionaire Jay Gatsby and his fetish for his former lover Daisy Buchanan. A classic worth your time!

“I wasn’t actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

2. The Catcher in The Rye

J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in The Rye revolves around a 16 year old disillusioned and confused adolescent named Holden Caulfield, following his expulsion from prep school. The book touches upon critical subjects of morality, religion, lies and deceit, isolation, youth, sexual identity etc.

“I am always saying “Glad to’ve met you” to somebody I’m not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.”
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

3.Gone With the Wind

Image result for gone with the wind book

American writer Margaret Mitchell’s book is set in Clayton County and Atlanta, Georgia, during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era. It primarily revolves around Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner, who is faced with sudden penury and must do everything to come out of it. It encompasses a sweeping romance and a fictionalised account of the civil war based on facts. The book captures how human persevere and endeavour to survive in the worst of situations.

“Burdens are for shoulders strong enough to carry them.”
Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

4. Anna Karenina

Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s ‘Anna Karenina’, is regarded as one of the greatest novels of all time. The book follows an engaging affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky and subsequently an introspective self discovery and religious epiphany by a character Konstantin Levin. The novel spins the themes such as marriage, fidelity, life, creation, society, class etc. One of the absolute must read for literature lovers.

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

5. Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel gives a peek into the future of America, where books are illegalized and any books found are burnt by people specified for the task called ‘firemen’. The book tells the tale of a fireman Guy Montag. Destroying literature and knowledge starts to weigh heavily upon Montag’s conscious, who ends up quitting his job and working towards safeguarding literature. The title of the book is selected based on the ignition temperature of paper at which it readily catches fire.

“There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

6.Lord of the Flies

Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding’s book pivots round a group of boys marooned on a strange uninhabited island and their hapless attempts at governing themselves. The explores various themes like primitivity, civilisation, rules and order, wisdom and knowledge, youth , power, religion, identity etc.

“We did everything adults would do. What went wrong?”
William Golding, Lord of the Flies

7. The Diary of a Young Girl

Otherwise known as ‘Anne Frank’s diary’, ‘The Diary of a young girl’, is a series of writings in Dutch by Anne Frank while in hiding with her family for two years because of the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands. The diary contains a thorough first hand account of Anne Frank’s life before and after the Nazi occupation. Anne has divulged details of private life, the love and longing for her family and her life in hiding.

“Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.”
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Classic Treasure (Part-1)

A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.
-Italo calvino

Books are man’s best friends. Among these amicable companions are books that are deemed intimidating and difficult to go through. The classics. These books being old, require a little more exertion to get familiar with. These books are composed of excellent plots, intriguing characters and amazing themes. These books, rather than being taken as a burdensome chore should be approached with certainty and enthusiasm. These masterpieces are sure to be worth your time!

Curated below is a list of n timeless classics to sweep you off the mundane into the magical.

1.Pride & Prejudice:

Image result for pride and prejudice book

Pride & Prejudice is English novelist Jane Austen’s brilliantly woven satirical romance that touches upon some of the most familiar socio-economic issues, manners etc. A must for people beginning to traipse into classics.

“If a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out.”
Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

2. Jane Eyre:

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, a book with a cracking plot and diverse themes of love and longing. The situations the character feels in this story, are realistic and relatable making the book almost lifelike and timeless. A must read in the classic genera.

“I could not unlove him now, merely because I found that he had ceased to notice me.”
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

3. Little Women:

‘Little Women’ is Louisa My Alcott’s most popular book that draws up a picture of American life in the early nineteenth century. The March family based in the story is the author’s own family. The book highlights themes such as love, principles, ambition, poverty and femininity brilliantly.

“Women have minds and souls as well as just hearts, and they’ve got ambition and talent as well as just beauty. And I’m sick of people saying love is all a woman is fit for.”
Louisa M. Alcott, Little Women

4.Wuthering Heights:

Emily Bronte’s acutely fashioned English classic, Wuthering Heights tells the tale of two families Earnshaws and Lintons and their relationship with Earnshaws’ adopted son Heathcliff. The most striking themes in the book are love, suffering, revenge, jealousy, the supernatural, society, race and class. An absolute must read.

“I have not broken your heart – you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.”
Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

5. Emma:

Jane Austen’s yet another masterpiece weaves the story of a woman named Emma who is an inopportune matchmaker Emma who sets out a series of debacles in her quest to make the perfect matches. The book mainly revolves around courtship, marriage, matchmaking, social standing etc. A joy to read in classics.

“I lay it down as a general rule, Harriet, that if a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him.”
Jane Austen, Emma

To Read List – 2021

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

As it is rightly said, “Between the pages of a book, is a lovely place to be.” Books fit all the cliché surrounding them, they put dreams in your eyes and give wings to your dreams. Reading is an exercise like no other. It sweeps you into a magical universe and transmutes your mundane into a bewitching dream.

There is such diverse content available in the literary spectrum today that leaves ones mind in a state of bafflement and awe.

Today we explore some of the genera of the great literary abyss.

1. Mystery

Murder on the Orient express – Agatha Christie

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins

The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

The Murders in the Rue Morgue – Edgar Allan Poe

2. Romance

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Me before You – Jojo Moyes

Beautiful Disaster – Jamie McGuire

Red , White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston

The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

3. Fantasy

A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle

The Golden Compass – Phillip Pullman

Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo

Or What You Will – Jo Walton

Gardens of the Moon – Steven Erikson

4. Sci-Fi

The Time Machine – H.G Wells

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet – Becky Chambers

Nineteen Eighty- Four – George Orwell

To Sleep In a Sea of Stars – Christopher Paolini

Children of Ruin – Adrian Tchaikovsky

5. Non- fiction

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck- Mark Manson

A Room of One’s Own – Virginia Woolf

Becoming – Michelle Obama

We Should All Be Feminists – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi

Ghosts Of The Tsunami – Richard Lloyd Parry

“Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading.”
– Lena Dunham

Things to know about B.A English.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A) English. It is an undergraduate degree for three years. The course would focus on the main aspects of the language and it will help us develop creative and independent thinking. The course helps us to enhance our communication skills.

Why English Literature?

English Literature introduces us to a world of creativity. You would get a chance to discover poems, novels and plays. You get to read incredible novels as per your prescribed syllabus. You get the knowledge of the history of literature. You will be able to think without confinement. There are no particular reasons but;

If you are drawn to literature.
If you are interested in the language.
If you love reading books.
If you want to make a career based on this course
If you would love to learn about the wide range of cultures.
It will help you broaden your boundary.

The actual answer lies in your perspective and interest.

B.A English Literature Subjects

Literature students will have major, allied and core subjects. The subjects may differ in correspondence to where you are studying. The subjects are as interesting as it sounds. We will get the flavour of distinct eras. The subjects will pull out the self-reliant sense.

History of English Literature.
American Literature.
Victorian Literature.
Feminism.
Women’s Writing.
Linguistics.
Indian writing.
Poetry and
Literary Criticism.

Best College to Study Literature

Loyola College.
Stella Maris College.
Madras Christian College.
Ethiraj College for Women.
Meenakshi College for Women.
Women’s Christian College.
Patrician College of Arts and Science.

When it comes to college, we have a few things to consider. The accommodation, fees structure, reputation of the institution, etc. In that case, I have listed out colleges in Tamil Nadu, Chennai. The chrome will help you sort out colleges in your location.

Job Opportunities After B.A. English Literature.

Content writer.
Educator.
Editor.
Writer.
Journalist.
Public relations.
Blogging.
Creative writing.
Language translator.
Media and advertising, etc…

The career opportunities are impressive and you can be a freelancer too. Although, many prefer to do Masters in Literature. There are alternatives.

Books for Literature Students

The books may vary according to the syllabus prescribed. Classics to add to your never-ending reading list are;

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Jane Austen’s works.
Shakespeare’s works.
A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, etc.

As literature students, we might have the self-expectation of reading a particular genre. You need not read only classics to be acknowledged as a literature student. Try to savour the stories.

To know the history of English literature, you can refer to;

1. An Outline History of English Literature by William Henry Hudson.

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2. A Critical History of English Literature Vol 1 & 2 by David Daiches.

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Side Hustles for Litreature Students

I’m no expert, but I do have few ideas. Book lovers know the pain of having N number of books on their wishlist and not being able to get them all. Well, with side hustles we will be able to squeeze in extra books while buying.

Content Writing.
Freelancing.
Book logging & Bookstagram.
Bootubing (although the channel will take some time to get monetized.)
Copywriting.
Proofreading.
Affiliate Marketing.
Social Media Marketing.

However, the above-stated side hustles won’t make you rich but will be more like pocket money. There are plenty of internships that will pay you with a certificate.

For clear ideas, consult your counsellor, teachers and mentors. Is Literature tough? No, it is neither easy nor difficult. Unlike the olden days, we have technology and the internet facility. Literature is a wonderful way to know history.

“When in doubt, go to the library.”
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling.

Must Read Female Authors

I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.
Virginia Woolf

In the vast spectrum of literature, women have bestowed eminently, despite earlier, being often left out of the said spectrum and forced to put on a veil of anonymity and nom de plumes.

Female authors have time and again braved all odds and given us some of the most cherished literary jewels of all time.

Today as female authors write and thrive we look at 5 of the some of the must read female authors of all time.

1. Jane Austen (1775-1817)

One of the most cherished authors of all time, Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775 at Steventon, Hampshire, England and published 4 novels during her lifetime, some of her other works were later published posthumously.

Pride and Prejudice is notably regarded as her best novel. Her other novels including Mansfield park, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, The Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are also extremely popular.

Austen’s novels are seen as a close representation of her own self, though not married Austen’s novels highlighted the themes of marriage, love , courting and the life of women with enticing wit.

she passed away at the age of 41 on July 18, 1817 and was buried in Winchester Cathedral. She left a legacy of great literature behind.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

2. Mary Shelly (1797-1851)

English novelist Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly was born August 30, 1797, in London, England and is best known for her horror novel “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.” Married to poet Percy Bysshe Shelly, she was regarded as the mother of science fiction.

The main themes she highlighted in Frankenstein included nature, man’s quest for power and other intense emotions.

She wrote several other books, including Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), the autobiographical Lodore (1835) and the posthumously published Mathilde.

Shelley died of brain cancer on February 1, 1851, at age 53, in London, England. She was buried at St. Peter’s Church in Bournemouth.

“The very winds whispered in soothing accents, and maternal Nature bade me weep no more.”
Mary Shelly

3. Charlotte Bronte(1816-1855)

Charlotte Brontë was an English 19th-century novelist born on April 21, 1816, in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. Brontë published her first novel, Jane Eyre, in 1847 under the manly alias Currer Bell. She followed it with Shirley in 1848 and then Villette in 1853.

She highlighted themes like death, religion, grief, search for meaning and a sense of belonging.

She died during her pregnancy, on March 31, 1855, in Yorkshire, England.

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

4. Emily Bronte (1818-1848)

Emily Brontë famous author of the novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ was born on July 30, 1818, in Thornton, Yorkshire, England and was the sister of Charlotte and Anne Brontë.

Publishing under the alias Ellis Bell, Brontë published her defining work, Wuthering Heights, in December 1847.

Wuthering heights was weaved around the themes of family, revenge, betrayal, society and class and had a supernatural tinge to it as well.

She died of tuberculosis on December 19, 1848.

“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.”
Emily Jane Brontë , Wuthering Heights

5. Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

English author Virginia Woolf was born in an influential English household on January 25, 1882.

She wrote feminist centred classics like ‘Mrs. Dalloway’, ‘To the Lighthouse,’ as well as , ‘A Room of One’s Own’ and ‘Three Guineas’.

Her works explored the themes of flawed marriages, ambition, success, failure, children etc.

She suffered from constant bouts of depression and fell prey to it on March 28, 1941 when she committed suicide by drowning herself into the River Ouse.

“As a woman I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.”
Virginia Woolf

citation: https://www.biography.com

Greatest Hindi Novels – You Must Read!

Literature has never failed to amaze us and to top it Hindi literature goes way beyond our imagination and there are many Hindi novels you must read. If you are bored of watching digital content in this lockdown and are planning to read books, and if you haven’t read Hindi literature, this is the time you should totally give it a try. Hindi language has all kinds of stories and has a very rich literary heritage. From the classic literature by Munshi Premchand to the heart-touching poems of Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan, many amazing Hindi novels touched the core of Indian culture and development. Here is a list of such amazing Hindi novels that will not fail to touch your hearts.

It is a difficult task to put together the best Hindi novels of all times, but somehow I manage to provide you the list of Best Hindi Novels by Indian Authors that everyone should read with our best of knowledge.

Godaan (Munshi Premchand)

Godaan is a beautifully described novel by Munshi Premchand that touches the subject of rural communities of India. It was published in 1936. It has been revered as one of the greatest Hindi novels of the Indian literature. The main theme of the novel was based on Indian peasantry. The theme includes: Socio-economic deprivation, Exploitation of rural people, Caste segregation, varied concept of dharma as held by different people. Impact of industrialization on the various sections of Indian community.vi condition of women in society child marriage and dowry. Godan is an epic of Indian peasant Hari and his wife Dhania who were cheated by the landlords money lenders priests and colonial bureaucrats. They formed a network of oppression robbed their land and converted them to landless Labourers. In the end the couple died with dignity.

Madhushala (Harivansh Rai Bachchan)

Madhushala is a beautifully written novel by Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan. It is a series of poems that describe the complexity of life with comparisons to four Instruments which come almost in every verse: Madhu (wine), saaki (server), pyaala (cup) and madhushala (bar). It is applicable even in today’s life as we are experiencing religious discord. This book inspires brotherhood and harmony and gives hope to people who are trapped in religious disputes. A very famous and one other to the list of Hindi novels you must read.

Gunaho Ka Devta (Dharamvir Bharati)

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Gunaho Ka Devta is a love story that revolves around a student, Chander, who falls in love with Sudha, the daughter of his college professor Dr. Shukla. This story also talks about caste discrimination in our society. The beautiful description of love, angst and confusion makes the book amazing.There is a television adaptation of the novel titled Ek Tha Chander Ek Thi Sudha which aired on Life OK.

Chandrakanta (Devki Nandan Khatri)

चंद्रकान्ता - देवकीनन्दन खत्री Chandrakanta - Hindi book by - Devkinandan Khatri

This book written by Devaki Nandan Khatri is a romantic fantasy that tells the story of two lovers from rival kingdoms. There is a TV serial based on this novel as well. The princess Chandrakanta of Vijaygarh and the prince Virendra Singh of Naugarh go through a series of obstacles to be together and fulfil their love lives. The writing style of the book takes you in the world of “aiyars” and “tilism”. This is one of the best Hindi novels you must read if you like love stories with various challenges.

Rashmirathi (Ramdhari Singh Dinkar)

This book is written by the well known Hindi Novelist, Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’.

It lies in the top 10 in the list of best Hindi novels that one must-read. This book is about Kunti’s firstborn child, Karna and his life as he grows up to become a violent soldier although being raised in a very humble family. This book has various emotions including pride, courage, power, and honour. It is a beautifully written poem that explores various parts of Karna’s life.

Gaban (Mushi Premchand)

Gaban is also one of Munshi Premchand’s best Hindi novels. It is a typical middle-class love story with big desires and dreams. It is about a charming guy named Ramanath. He is not financially sound but he loves his wife too much and gifts her precious things which he cannot afford. Things hit the rock when he is bound with debts and the story gets interesting. Let’s see if he will make it through this crisis morally or will he commit any crime to cover his debts.

Maila Aanchal (Phanishwar Nath Renu)

मैला आंचल -फणीश्वरनाथ रेणु - भारतकोश, ज्ञान का हिन्दी महासागर

This book by Phanishwar Renu lies next in line with Munshi Premchand’s Godan. It is a very well-appreciated and touching story. It is set in the 90s during the Quit India Movement as the states experience a series of trails and rituals in the villages of North-East Bihar. It was the first novel by Phanishwar Nath Renu after which he gained popularity which gave rise to a series of other such books. It is quite often found in the Hindi curriculum of schools.

Volga Se Ganga (Rahul Sankrityayan)

Best Hindi Novels That Everyone Should Read : Volga Se Ganga

This book by Rahul Sankrityayan is a historical fiction that marks the entry of Aryans into the Volga from the steppes of Eurasia. A journey from the Volga to the Ganges contains 20 different short stories that are part fiction and explains the migration of Aryans to River Volga. The author’s influence from Marxist ideas is visible in his last three stories. If you like reading about history then you must add this book to your library.

Kamayani (Jaishankar Prasad)

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Kamayani is considered to be one of the greatest written Hindi literature by Jaishankar Prasad. It is an epic poem that perceives the effects of human emotions, thoughts, and actions with the help of relevant metaphors. It was quite popular in the eighteenth century. It takes reference from mythology to try and explain human behaviour concerning human emotions. Another gem to the list of hindi novels you must read.

Need Ka Nirman Phir (Harivansh Rai Bachchan)

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर - हरिवंशराय बच्चन Neer Ka Nirman Phir - Hindi book by - Harivansh Rai Bachchan

Need Ka Nirman Phir is a beautifully written poem by Harivansh Rai Bachchan. It is about his life and how he overcomes the challenges in his life. The book is full of examples that depict hope. No one should give up because, after every night, the sun comes and brings light into lives. It also has a part where his wife died but he still hoping for a better tomorrow.

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.“
J.K. Rowling

Easy Reads: Summer Edition

Here is a list of breezy reads, that you can leaf through this summer.

a list of my masterposts | Dark aesthetic, Dark academia aesthetic, Girl reading

“if you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”
—J.K Rowling, Author

Books high on the emotional quotient that are thrilling and fiery and make you bite your nails each step of the way are everyone’s favourite. But it might get really monotonous and wearying getting down from that roller coaster of emotions perpetually, especially if you aren’t exactly an avid reader.

Why Is Reading Important? The 11 Benefits Of Books - Best Practice in HR

Below is a thoughtfully curated list of 5 books that are soundly wholesome and light reads.

1. Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

Wishful Thinking (Wish, #2) by Alexandra Bullen

Wishful thinking is a young adult novel by author and playwright Alexandra Bullen. The story follows Hazel Snow, a young girl who had been adopted and passed from home to home as a baby. Driven by the wish to know her parents, Hazel goes all out in an effort to known her mother. With a lot of determination and three wish granting enchanted dresses, Hazel finds herself in the past. With a chance to know her mother and a sweeping romance, Hazel might just fulfil her wishes, or will she?

This book is a very sweet read and has a very lucid plot for a book that navigates past and present.

2. Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

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Lauren Weisberger is the renowned author of the bestseller ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Everyone worth knowing is the story of a single woman living in NYC who gets a public relations job and subsequently gets sucked up in the city’s most affluent event management circuit. Life altering revelations and scandals mar the course of her job and love might just follow through.

Everyone worth knowing is a super fun read for people who love chick-lit. It’s literally like watching a movie and perfect to curl up with on a lazy day.

3. Tommy Sullivan Is a Freak by Meg Cabot

Tommy Sullivan is a Freak eBook : Cabot, Meg: Amazon.in: Kindle Store

Meg Cabot’s Tommy Sullivan is a freak is set in a typical school setting wherein Katie Ellison just cannot tell the truth. Tangled in an absolute mess of lies, making out with a hot guy from drama club while dating her football boyfriend, dying to get out the truth of the night ‘Tommy Sullivan is a freak’ was written on the gymnasium wall that drove him out of town. Just when things couldn’t take a turn for worse, Tommy Sullivan is back in town and Katie fears that he might just be out for revenge.

4. Prom Nights from Hell

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Prom Nights from Hell is a collection of five short, horror-romance stories by authors Kim Harrison, Stephanie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Michelle Jaffe and Lauren Myracle.

It is an exciting collection of dark themed stories.

Circle of Pearls by Rosalind Laker

This Reader’s Digest Condensed Book selection is set in the 15^th century and tells the ambrosial tale of romance between a Puritan lord Adam Warrender and a staunch Royalist Julia Pallister. It follows the English civil war, the Great plague, the Fire of London and the rebuilding of St. Paul’s by Sir Christopher Wren. It is a sweet historical fiction with riveting facts and details.

Agatha Christie: The Queen of Crime

Introduction

When it comes to the genre of mystery, the name Agatha Christie is one bound to be discussed. She has left a long-lasting impact and influence on the genre with her various works even today. Her creations of the detective Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are immortalized in the crime novel genre. According to the Guinness World Records, Agatha Christie’s works have sold more than 2 billion copies worldwide, making her the best-selling fiction writer of all time. According to UNESCO’s book translation database Index Translationum, she is the most translated individual author in record. Her mystery novel ‘And Then There Were None’ is the world’s fifth highest selling book of fiction and highest selling crime novel of all time, having sold around a 100 million copies. Her play ‘The Mousetrap’ holds the record for longest running initial run for a play, and ran from the 25^th of November 1952 to March 2020, being closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Early Life

Agatha Christie was born on the 15^th of September 1890 as Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller in Torquay, Devon, England. She was born to Frederick Alvah Miller and Clarissa Margaret Miller and was the youngest of three siblings, having an elder sister and brother. From early childhood, Agatha Christie had an enormous love for books and reading. She wrote her first piece of writing, a poem titled ‘The Cow Slip’ at the tender age of 10.

Career

Agatha Christie started writing at the age of 18. However, it wasn’t until later that she would be successful in her writing endeavours. She wrote a series of short stories and submitted them to various magazines, however, they got rejected most of the time. In 1916, she wrote her first detective novel. It was titled ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ and starred the Belgium detective Hercule Poirot. It was also the first of the ‘Hercule Poirot’ series of her detective novels. Like her endeavours with her short stories, she was initially unsuccessful in getting a publisher to accept publishing the novel. Finally, it was published in 1920 by the publishing company ‘The Bodley Head’ was a change in the climax of the story. This was a turning point in her career and the start of her rise to the summit of the crime and mystery genre. Her second novel ‘The Secret Adversary’, published in 1922 starred new characters, a crime-solving detective couple named Tommy and Tuppence. In 1927, she created the character Miss Marple, an elderly detective woman. Miss Marple would then be featured in various short stories and novels.

Although Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are Agatha Christie’s most famous detectives, she wrote multiple other crime novels starring other detectives like Tommy and Tuppence, Harley Quin and Parker Pyne.

Christie’s work extended to beyond the crime and mystery novels. She was also a successful playwright and found great joy in it. She also wrote non-fiction works based on her travel experiences around the world. She also published 6 mainstream novels under a pseudonym of Mary Westmacott.

5 Classic Reads with a Female Protagonist

For a long time, the main protagonist in a book was a male. As reflected in the patriarchal values of times long gone, women were relegated to either secondary background roles or as love interest or a role relative to the male lead. Gradually, as the times began to change, more and more authors started giving female characters the spotlight too, until literature finally breached the gender divide with the inclusion of women protagonists. Particularly, books with young female leads and their experiences became popular.

Here are 5 classic stories with a young female protagonist you must read:

The Anne of Green Gables series

Ever since its first published book (Anne of Green Gables), the Anne of Green Gables series has been considered a popular classic, with the titular character Anne Shirley becoming one of the most popular female protagonists in literary history. The Anne of Green Gables series is written by the Canadian author Lucy Mond Montgomery (published as L.M. Montgomery). The series follows the story of Anne Shirley, an orphan taken in by middle-aged siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. The series follows her life and experiences with others as she grows up.

A Little Princess

A Little Princess is another popular classic, and has a high-ranking book in a number of surveys. It is written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a popular children’s writer A Little Princess follows the story of young Sara Crewe, a kind young girl sent to a lavish boarding school. The death of her father sees her fall into poverty and being treated horribly by the headmistress and her peers. Yet, Sara does not lose her kind and generous personality. A Little Princess is, at its heart, a story about staying strong in the face of adversity.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, commonly known as the Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic literature pieces to come from the United States of America. The Wizard of Oz is written by Frank L. Baum, who went on to become one of the United States’ prolific children’s book writers with his Wizard of Oz series. The story follows Dorothy, who along with her dog Toto get caught up in a cyclone which transports them to a mysterious and magical land called Oz. Dorothy and Toto, along with their new allies, a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman and a Cowardly Lion embark on a journey to find the powerful Wizard of Oz, the only one who can solve their problems.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm is written by Kate Douglas Wiggins, an American author for children. The story follows Rebecca Randall, who is sent to live with her mother’s sisters at their farm. The story follows her experiences with them and her journey from a child to a young lady, gaining knowledge and wisdom along the way.

Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland requires no introduction. Though primarily made for children, its story appeals to adults to, even in this age. It is one of the world’s most popular stories and has been adapted multiple times in different formats. It follows the story of Alice, a young girl who follows a mysterious rabbit down a rabbit-hole to a magical fantasy world and follows her adventures there.

Enid Blyton’s Best Series

When English children’s literature is discussed, the name Enid Blyton is bound to be brought up sooner or later. Enid Blyton was a British author who is known worldwide for her books targeted towards children. Even today, decades after her death, her books can still be found in the children’s section of libraries across the world even today. Out of the numerous books she’s written, she is most famed for her series. They span various genres like fantasy, boarding school slice of life as well as mysteries.

Out of Enid Blyton’s book series, these are her most popular five ones:

The Famous Five series

The Famous Five is centered around siblings Julian, Dick, Anne and their cousin Georgina and her dog Timothy. The series is set during their school vacations and follows various adventures the Five experience in the English countryside.

The St. Clare’s series

The St. Clare’s series is the second school boarding school-based series written by Enid Blyton after the Naughtiest Girl series. The story follows two twin girls- Patricia and Isabel O’Sullivan and their journey as well as the journey of their friends and schoolmates at the boarding school of St. Clare’s. The series sees their growth from conceited and arrogant girls to dignified and kind young women. While the original series contained only 6 books, author Pamela Cox, who was responsible for continuing Enid Blyton’s unfinished works after her death, added 3 more titles to the series.

The Secret Seven series

The Secret Seven series follows the adventures of a group of seven children- Peter, his sister Janet, and their friends Pam, Barbara, Jack, Colin and George. The friends form a secret group, which they call the Secret Seven and solve mysteries together. The Secret Seven is one of Enid Blyton’s rare series in which the characters do not attend boarding school; all seven of the children are shown to be attending day school. Coincidentally, the Secret Seven group is based on a real group of friends. Enid Blyton’s publisher’s son Peter and his friends had a ‘secret’ group of their own; they even possessed badges with the inscription of ‘SS’ on them. Enid Blyton exchanged correspondence with this Peter and through his help laid the foundation of the Secret Seven. In 2018 and 2019, two new books, written by author Pamela Butchart were officially added to the Secret Seven series.

The Malory Towers series

The Malory Towers series is Enid Blyton’s third school boarding school series. It follows the story of Darrell Rivers over her years spent at the boarding school of Malory Towers. The original series written by Enid Blyton consists of 6 books. In the year 2009, there was an official continuation to the series. Written by Pamela Cox, the books were a continuation of Darrell’s younger sister, Felicity’s life at Malory Towers.

The Five Find-Outers series

The Five Find-Outers series is another children-based detective series by Enid Blyton. It follows the adventures of Fatty, Larry, Pip, Daisy, Bets and Fatty’s dog Buster and the various mysteries they get entangled in and trying to solve it before the local policeman Mr. Goon.

Enid Blyton: A Titan of Children’s Literature

Introduction

When it comes to children’s books, probably no other English author can come close to the popularity of Enid Blyton. Enid Mary Blyton is one of Britain’s most popular authors, with numerous publications of stories, poems and plays targeted towards children.

Early life

Enid Blyton was born on the 11^th of August 1897 in the eastern part of Dulwich in London, England. Her father was a salesman while her mother was a homemaker. She was the eldest of three siblings, having two younger brothers. As a child, she adored her father and shared a special bond with him. Her father had a keen interest in music, literature, theatre, gardening and nature. These interests were passed to her as well. Her father eventually walked out of the family when she was thirteen. This incident and its effects put a blow on her relationship with him and worsened her relationship with her mother. Unfortunately, Enid would never try to repair either relationship and remained distant the rest of her life.

In the September of 1916, she decided to enroll in a teacher training course at Ipswich High School, Ipswich. After finishing and getting her degree in 1918, she taught in a boys-school for a brief amount of time, before working as a nursery governess. She finally started writing as a profession in 1920.

Career

Enid Blyton showed an interest in writing from a young age. At the age of 14, she made her first foray into the literary world through a poetry competition. Her first publication was in March 1916 with a poetry submission in a children’s magazine called Nash’s Magazine. She actively started writing in 1920 and her work began to be noticed by quite a few publications. Her first published book was a twenty-four-page collection of poems. It was called Child Whispers and was published in 1922. She gained momentum as a writer in 1923, when her work of poems was published in the publication Teachers’ World alongside famous writers like Rudyard Kipling, Walter de la Mare and G.K. Chesterton.

Her first full length book and first series was Adventures of the Wishing Chair of the ‘Wishing Chair’ series. It was published in 1937. This would see the beginning of several of her famous series of books such as fantasy series like the Faraway Tree series and Wishing Chair series, the boarding school series like the Naughtiest Girl series, the St. Clare series, and the Malory Towers series along with detective series like the Secret Seven series, the Famous Five series and the Secret series. They continue to be popular and a sight seen in children’s section of libraries even today.

Apart from writing books, Enid Blyton was also had regular columns in magazines where she wrote about the mundane aspects of her life, along with her observations of her surrounding nature, an interest she had since childhood.

Death

In her mid-sixties, Enid Blyton began to show symptoms of dementia. She spent the final months of her life in a nursing home in London and passed away on the 28^th of November 1968.

MUST READ BOOKS .

Books are a great way to learn about new and valuable things that can be very helpful in life. Also ,reading at least 30 minutes a day is a good habit that can broaden your perspective and help you become more open minded.Books can benefit you in plethora of ways if you read them , here are of a few books that you must add to your reading list ,

RICH DAD POOR DAD – This a book written by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter in the year 1997 . Rich Dad Poor Dad is one of the most commonly recommended financial book . It teaches you the fact that you always have a choice in life , no matter what and teaches you the importance of financial literacy . This book teaches you many life lessons and is a must read for everyone who yearns to be financially independent and successful.

THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL – Also known as the diary of Anne Frank is a collection of writings by Anne Frank while she was hiding from the Nazis for 2 years with her family . Despite being in a confinement and in constant danger , Anne did not lose her sense of hope . This book will surely inspire you keep hoping for the best .

WUTHERING HEIGHTS – This classic literature novel was written by Emily Brontë in 1847.It’s about love , revenge and betrayal with a bit of supernatural element, with a really intricate plot . If you love classic literature , you will surely find this book interesting .

FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY – This books was written by Susan Jeffers , originally published in 1987. It is a great self help book for those who are struggling to overcome their fears and move forward in life . After reading this book you will feel empowered and will surely master the art of overcoming your fears .

The Role of Textbooks in Education

Presentation of a selection of items of knowledge about a specific subject and on a specific theme, taking into account that knowledge acquisition should be progressive and sequenced according to succeeding years of scholarity and curricula must not be overloaded.

The textbook provides information and knowledge, but it does so from an ideological standpoint: the relative value of science and technology, a historical viewpoint, and established linguistic conventions, to name a few.

To assist the student in perceiving and comprehending the world around him, in putting knowledge acquired from sources other than the curriculum together, and in mastering what he has learned.
The textbook proposes a learning path that is arranged into successive blocks of teaching modules. It provides a number of options for learning organization.
A textbook can be viewed as a working instrument for both the teacher and the student. The nature of the textbook as a communication tool will be determined by the language employed, the quantity and level of information, the text, and the relationships between the latter two aspects. In general, textbooks for students are prioritized in the least developed countries. A teacher’s handbook, which differs from school textbooks in nature, is an option for teachers.
Furthermore, the option of collective usage of certain parts in the textbook, such as drawings, maps, and diagrams, for example in a class, can be explored; this lowers production costs.
Learning does not happen in a vacuum. We must steer our students toward specified learning objectives and ensure that these objectives are met. In this way, textbooks assist both teachers and students. They are extremely important in the teaching-learning process. They provide the basic framework within which much of the classroom activity takes place, as well as providing each child with the best available learning opportunity.

Shakuntal by Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Mahakavi Laxmi In about three months, Devkota completed Shakuntala, his first epic poem and the first “Mahakavya” (epic poem) written in Nepali. Shakuntala, a massive work in 24 cantos based on Klidsa’s classic Sanskrit play Abhijnakuntalam, was published in 1945. Devkota’s command of Sanskrit meter and diction, which he significantly assimilated although composing largely in Nepali, is demonstrated in Shakuntala. Shakuntala is one of David Rubin’s greatest achievements, according to the late scholar and Devkota translator.

The Sanskrit masterwork Abhijnanasakuntalam by Kalidasa, based on the Mahabharata’s Shakuntala narrative, was written over 1,500 years ago. In 1789, it was translated into English for the first time, and then into 12 other European languages. But, among the various translations into South Asian languages, Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s adaption into Nepali, whose 110th birthday is on Sunday, October 27th, stands out.Shkuntal Mahkvya (1945) by Devkota is the most faithful to the original shrigara ras traditional poetic form in Nepali. According to experts, Devkota’s Shkuntal is a ‘transcreation,’ not a translation or adaptation.

Devkota’s Shakuntal is one of three versions he worked on, the other two being Dushyanta Shakuntala Bhet and an English Shakuntala. It’s remarkable that a poet can make three different versions of the same piece in two different languages. Devkota, who died in 1959, is also the only poet to produce an English Shakuntala with a distinct poetry structure and style than Kalidasa’s dramatic form.The epic has been translated into Persian, Arabic, classical Tamil, and modern Urdu poetry and prose, as well as other Indian regional languages. Aside from Devkota’s three versions, there are eight other translations of Abhijnanasakuntalam in Nepali.

Reading Devkota’s Shakuntal Mahakavya creates the impression of two-way contact between two great poets from two independent but connected cultural and poetic traditions separated by centuries.When Devkota and Kalidasa discuss the meaning of Shakuntala’s “recognition” (abhijnana), they engage in a spiritual and poetic discussion. Kalidasa’s mystical symbolism and lyrical rhythms are only discernible through suggestion (dhvani), which Devkota’s writing catches quietly yet well.Shakuntala was born as the abandoned daughter of the sage Vishwamitra and the celestial singer Menaka, according to Kalidasa’s epic. The king of Hastinapur meets her in the forest and gives her his ring, which she will receive when she arrives at his palace. Vishwamitra is forced to forget about Shakuntala’s pregnancy, and she misplaces the ring on the way to the palace.The first words of Devkota’s Shakuntal bring the reader closer to Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhavam, where the erotic tension between Shiva and Parvati is the source of world creation and celebration.Kalidasa’s text has various Shaivism symbols, which Devkota not only translated into Nepali but also filled with the original epic’s meaning. The final lines of Devkota’s version bring the idea of ‘kalyan’ as Shakuntala’s bliss full circle.

Even if Devkota does not duplicate the dramatic form, his invocation to the Shiva/Shakti principle that produces the cosmos keeps the original’s sense and aim. Devkota’s Shakuntala, like Kalidasa’s, ceases to be a person or a character and instead becomes the embodiment of Shakti, whose happiness is the fulfillment of the universe.Devkota’s Shakuntal Mahakavya is loaded with the shringara style’s force, with its different elements colliding in creative explosions. The long and detailed account of Menaka seducing Vishwamitra is lyrically astounding in its use of sexual imagery, both visual and aural.

While the story of the seduction is implicitly mentioned or assumed to be comprehended in all other Kalidasa translations, only Devkota concentrates on both the poetic and symbolic implications of the scene. Shakuntala’s birth is regarded as a unique cosmic occurrence since it is the result of the Vishwamitra’s unfinished tapas. Shakuntala’s anguish was described by Rabindranath Tagore as her own struggle to achieve complete understanding of love by continuing her father’s interrupted meditation.

The meditation reaches its pinnacle when the male tapasvi gives way to the female tapasvi. While Vishwamitra was lured by the fact that he was unaware of Indra’s plot, Shakuntala’s anguish stems from her ignorance about Durvasa’s visit to the ashram. Dushyanta abandons his child (in the womb) and briefly leaves Shakuntala, while Menaka abandons her child and leaves Vishwamaitra. This sense of continuity and poetic harmony is only apparent in Devkota’s Nepali translation.Devkota’s brilliance rests in his meticulous delineation of many chhandas for each part, which has more diversity and intricacy than Kalidasa’s original.

In the beginning, Devkota claims that his goal is to elevate Nepali mahakavya to a higher degree of quality, and he achieves. The English Shakuntala by Devkota is a long poem divided into nine cantos, each with a different theme, ranging from ‘Vishwamitra: the Terror of Heaven’ to ‘Strife and Unity.’ In this piece, Devkota maintains his focus on Shakuntala in the Romantic tradition of heroism and self-discovery.Devkota is a famous South Asian poet for a variety of reasons, but his interpretation of Shakuntala is particularly noteworthy.

Shakuntal Mahakavya is a modern-day classic due to his use of comprehensive meters, both classical and folk, the detailed refinement of shringara rasa, stunning descriptions of events, and delicate use of symbolism.

Wings Of Fire

You have heard of the name Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. The entire world is aware of this great human. A human without any haters. A human whose only aim was to flourish his motherland. That human who breathed all of his life only for science and humanity. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was one of the most loved and respected President of India. But before that, he was a highly talented scientist. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam did a lot of struggle in his young days. But his firm will and love for his country did not stop him from succeeding. ‘Wings Of Fire’ is a biography of Dr Kalam written by Arun Tiwari. It is one of the finest works by the writer.

The book begins with the early life of Dr Kalam from Rameshwaram in the year 1930. Dr Kalam’s family had his parents, four brothers, and one sister. This book also describes the role played by the family, relatives, society, and friends in Kalam’s life. Kalam says there was no religious discrimination in his village at that time. He says the highest priest of Rameshwaram temple was very close friends with his father, a Muslim.

At first, Dr Kalam aspired to join the Indian Army. But due to his poor physique, he couldn’t join. Instead of being demotivated, he focused on his studies and did Aeronautics. Later, he developed a hovercraft for which he was invited to NASA on a training program. But his love for his country pulled him back to the nation. He joined ISRO and there he met Dr Vikram Sarabhai. the book also sheds light on the leadership quality and teamwork of Dr Kalam and his team. He has always been an excellent leader in success and in failure. Dr Kalam said, “Great leaders absorb the failures instead of putting the blame on others.” When the space launcher was failed, Kalam took the entire blame on himself. On the contrary, when the project was successful, he gave the credits to his entire team. This reflects the greatness of this man.

The book also includes a detailed description of his work in the fields of missiles and rocketries. Some people may find this part boring but it is an important storyline of their life. It shows the success path of Dr. Kalam. His dedication and love for his country are described in one incident. When his father died he went to Rameshwaram. But he was supposed to return the other day after his father’s death. In the book, he said, he felt really bad looking at his mother and wished to stay with her for few days. But his mother herself insisted to leave and go back to his work saying the country needs you more. We cannot deny the fact that we got such a dedicated scientist not only because of his talent but also because of the support he got from everyone.

At the beginning of his career, he served the nation by bringing missiles for the safety of the nation. After his retirement, he became the President of India so that he can and he did his best for his country till his last breath. Overall, the book covers leadership behaviour, religious equality, dedication and hard work, positive approach, and patriotism of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. There are also a lot of poems by Dr Kalam included in this book. He motivated young minds by saying “If you want to become unique, defeat fear and become the captain of the problem. You want to become unique but the world around you is making its best efforts to make you just anybody else”.

Winners are not those who never fail but those who never quit.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

RELEVANCE OF BOOKS IN DIGITAL ERA.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King

Books are considered to be the most beautiful gift to mankind. Books are a wonderful source of gaining knowledge and is popularly referred to as ‘Treasure of Knowledge’. April 23 every year is celebrated as “World Book and Copyright Day” to appreciate and glorify books, authors, editors and most importantly this day glorifies reading. The culture of writing books has been prevalent since ages when men started writing on the barks of trees, leaves of the papyrus plant which later was compiled into a book. In due course of time, with the coming of printing press, men started manufacturing books in large numbers.

Books in digital era

As the world is changing rapidly, we have entered into the digital age. In this period, things have changed drastically and so is reading and writing. Nowadays to read a book, we don’t really need pages but we can read from a screen. Numerous articles on any topic can be found online. Electronic formats like Amazon Kindle, PDFs, International Digital Publishing Forums, Open e-books etc has taken the place of traditional printed books. Despite technological advancements in the field of reading, that is, reading online, traditional books have not lost its significance.

Reasons for relevance of books in digital era

1. Books provides experience : Reading a book is an experience in itself because while reading, we get connected to the author, we can feel what the author is trying to convey. Reading books takes us to an imaginary world where at the end, all we get is a surreal experience.

2. Books contain real information : An author writes a book after he has done a detailed study on the area he is writing. Also, a book is published after thorough scrutinization by the concerned authorities. So in that case, we can rely on the information that we get from books.

3. Minimal distraction : When we read a book, it is just us and the book and there is nothing sort of external disturbances. But while reading online, we receive so many pop up advertisements, notifications from our social media accounts. If we are tempted by these distractions, we tend to lose the flow of reading.

4. Retention power : Everyone of us has different reading and memorising techniques. Some of us highlight the important texts with colourful pens, use our favourite bookmarks to keep a track on the last reading material, make our own tiny notes somewhere on the book and many such techniques to remember what we have read. Although many of such facilities are available when reading online yet traditional books tend to enhance our retaining capacity.

5. Limited health issues : Reading from a book have no major health related problems. Although many readers do complain about back pains and spondylitis yet health issues are serious when people engage themselves too much in online reading. Starring at the screens for a long time would cause severe headache, vision related problems, sleep disorientation and many others which would gradually affect health.

6. Not everybody has access to Internet : The picture of the rural areas can be drawn in this context. Many parts of the country is still fighting against illiteracy. In such a case, even if internet connection is provided to these people people, it would be of no use because they will not know how to make use of it. But if they are taught by a teacher with the help of books, they would be able to know how to read and write and also gain knowledge. Thus, books are a weapon to fight against illiteracy.

7. Permanence of books : We can keep books with us forever and even conserve it for our future generations to read. Libraries are the best example to highlight the permanence of books.

LIBRARY

Libraries are still very important all over the world even in the digital age because we cannot find everything on the internet. The good, classic books written by famous writers long back are not uploaded on the internet. Library is the only place to find such books. The ambience of a library attract the readers to visit it often. We meet so many enthusiastic readers in the library and from them we can learn many new things. The environment of a library is so quiet and peaceful. The smell of the pages of the books, the sound of the pages being turned, whispering sounds of the readers and everything about a library is so wonderful. Although both libraries and internet are sources of information yet it cannot be denied that internet can never replace libraries.

Inter – relation between books and technology

Books and technology goes hand in hand in disseminating knowledge. We can make use of technology to promote books that enhances its relevance in this technology dominated era. Nowadays, we can order books online from various shopping portals which clearly reflects that the culture of reading is not yet vanished. Also, we have witnessed that many movies has been made where the storyline is adopted from books. For example, the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, the movie 2 States and even the 2009 Bollywood blockbuster 3 idiots is taken from a book. In this way, technology is not replacing books but promoting the relevance of books.

Books really does wonders. An author takes quite a long time to write a book after making a thorough study and we as readers can gain the same information in a short span of time just by reading it. This is the magic of books. Books have always been and will always be an important tool for promoting knowledge.

Why is Reading so important?

When we can watch the movie, listen to the audiobook, or watch a YouTube video synopsis instead, it can be difficult to convince ourselves to read a 382-page book.

Am I correct?

You’re missing out if the majority of your daily reading consists of social media posts, text messages, and news headlines.So, what are some of the advantages of reading books?

Boosts your imagination and creativity.

Reading can help you extend your creative muscles if you’re ever stuck. Reading a book, particularly fiction, enhances your creativity. You become an active participant in the activity when your mind creates a picture of what you’re reading. At least one study backs up this claim. A questionnaire was given to 100 people after they read either a fictitious story or a nonfiction piece. The fiction readers’ responses were more imaginative than the essay readers’.

Enhances concentration

If you’re still not convinced or convinced that reading is necessary, or that it isn’t beneficial to you, it’s crucial to remember that reading actually improves focus. Reading may teach our minds to focus correctly, which is beneficial in practically everything we do on a daily basis from studying to working and maintaining personal relationships. We may all benefit from improving our ability to concentrate.

Reading helps us to break free from the constant state of ‘multitasking.’ It permits us to concentrate entirely on one task at a time and be fully present in it.

Improve vocabulary

Stanovich discovered that passionate readers have a 50 percent bigger vocabulary in the same studies. This is due to the fact that the more you read, the more unfamiliar words you encounter. You can learn the meanings through context or by looking them up, and your vocabulary will grow over time. Learning new phrases is beneficial to your mental health.

Increases your empathy

Empathy is the ability to comprehend and sympathize with others, even if we disagree with them on a particular issue. While some people are born with a lot of empathy, the majority of us could use a little more. Reading can be beneficial. Members of a group read a variety of genres in 2013, including literary fiction, popular fiction, and nonfiction. A control group did not get any information. Researchers discovered that participants who read literary fiction were better at recognizing facial expressions and estimating how the characters in their books would respond during the experiment. This is due to the fact that characters in literary literature are often multifaceted. Readers must be more attentive and empathic.

Create a Feeling of Belonging

A book might also be your best buddy if you are ever feeling lonely or lost. It may sound stupid, but it is absolutely true, and there is nothing to be ashamed about. We’ve all been there, and we could all use some comfort and a nice book.Reading can give us a sense of belonging, give us hope through difficult times, and remind us that we are not alone. Reading about people who have faced similar difficulties and overcame them may be a real source of motivation. If they can do it, you can do it, too! A good book can sometimes be just what we need to keep going.

Is a great Conversation starter

Reading is beneficial not only to the soul and mind, but it also serves as an excellent conversation starter. Reading exposes you to a wealth of new information and allows you to connect with people from all over the world.If two people have read the same book, it will always bring them together, regardless of where they are from. You never know when a book you’ve just finished will come in helpful in a conversation. Perhaps it will help you land the job in an interview, or perhaps it will help you get closer to a romantic partner you’ve been eyeing.

Enhances emotional well-being

Emotions abound in books. With each page turn, they will make you cry at times, and at other moments, they will make you smile. It can make you angry when the story’s opponent succeeds in his terrible scheme, but it can also make you happy when your hero accomplishes his aim. Books have the power to make us happy, sad, envious, loved, betrayed, and many other emotions! Books are thus a mash-up of various conflicting feelings that, in the end, help us grow emotionally!

Improves Communication Capabilities

A key life skill is the capacity to communicate effectively.According to one research, 69 percent of companies prefer to hire persons who have “soft” talents like excellent communication.What’s the good news? One of the most important advantages of reading is that it improves our communication skills.How? Reading every day can help us communicate better in a variety of ways. Reading, for example, can improve your writing skills and expand your vocabulary.

Assist You in De-Stressing

In our busy and chaotic lives, many of us have a lot of things that stress us out, and we’re often seeking for fresh, concrete ways to deal with these worries. Reading, believe it or not, can genuinely help you relax. It’s not always necessary to spend a lot of money on professionals and programs to create a sense of peace; sometimes a simple book can suffice. Reading is an excellent method to unwind and soothe those tense nerves that plague you at work.

In fact, a recent study indicated that just six minutes of reading was enough to reduce muscular tension and bring down readers’ heart rates.Overall, it resulted in a 68 percent reduction in stress levels.

Enhances your writing abilities

If you’re at all interested in the craft of writing, you’re aware that some of the best authors advise extensive reading. You grow more familiar with structure, character development, and literary styles as you read more. This is true for both fiction and nonfiction. Even if you don’t need to write much in your daily life, reading prepares you for any eventuality, whether it’s a Christmas card, an email, a personal blog, or a diary post.

Overall, reading every day increases your chances of retaining your mental faculties and living longer!

Top 5 of the Best-Selling Authors of All Time

For this rundown, the topic of what considers a “creator” becomes the overwhelming focus. Both Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have composed under pen names (Bachman and Robert Galbraith, individually) and both were outed. While it appears to be sensible to check books composed under those aliases their particular writer’s aggregates, a few circumstances are not all that straightforward. The eighteenth-century work A General History of the Pyrates (a critical hotspot for data about the Golden Age of robbery), for instance, is credited to one Captain Charles Johnson. Nonetheless, antiquarians have always been unable to discover proof of a Captain Charles Johnson, so in 1932 one researcher concluded that it was composed by Daniel Defoe—and thus the book is currently much of the time recorded as one of his works. In the previous few decades, however, that attribution has been questioned for a writer named Nathaniel Mist. All in all, should this blockbuster’s numbers be credited to Defoe, Mist, or left off the rundown altogether?

Antiquarians are likewise progressively guessing that Shakespeare wasn’t the sole writer of large numbers of his plays—as per The New Oxford Shakespeare, “His last three plays were all co-composed with [John] Fletcher—who, in every one of the three, appears to have composed a greater amount of the enduring content than Shakespeare.” How at that point to manage Shakespeare? Should his works be divvied up? Or on the other hand, should an indicator be set on the record? These inquiries can get into a shockingly profound philosophical area.

With those admonitions far removed—and the further proviso that this rundown does exclude strict works, and is, with a couple of special cases, directing away from writers who showed up on the top-rated books show; it’s likewise not complete, thorough, or a “main ten” list—here are a few contenders for the top of the line writers ever.

DR. SEUSS // SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 100 AND 650 MILLION

In 2001, Publishers Weekly did an overview to decide the smash hit kids’ books. Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel wouldn’t enter the rundown until number 4 with Green Eggs and Ham at 8 million, yet he had six of the best 20. These days, The Washington Post says that Dr. Seuss has sold 650 million duplicates in 95 nations, with Green Eggs Ham actually driving the path at 17.5 million duplicates sold.

CORÍN TELLADO // POSSIBLY AROUND 400 MILLION

As per her tribute in The Guardian, some mistakenly accept that Corín Tellado was a distributing house as opposed to an individual. Similar to Barbara Cartland, Tellado composed heartfelt books, yet much more—gauges put her all outnumber of books at somewhere in the range of 4000 to 5000 over a 63-year vocation; she is supposed to be the smash-hit writer throughout the entire existence of the Spanish language, and comparable to Miguel de Cervantes for readership. To act as an illustration of the number of books she could create, she worked a portion of her vocation during the fascism of Francisco Franco, when specialists would vigorously blue pencil her books and send them back; The Times of London reports, “In certain months upwards of four of her novellas may be dismissed by the system’s edits.”

BARBARA CARTLAND // POSSIBLY OVER 600 MILLION

Romance writer Barbara Cartland delineates the inborn contrast between smash hit writers and top-rated books. Sources vary, yet it’s, for the most part, concurred she composed around 723 books (more than 600 of which were books) with gauges for her all-out deals going from 600 million to a billion books. Doing some division shows that each book may have sold just a touch over 1,000,000 duplicates, however, her sheer yield—she’s said to have, on occasion, composed 20 books per year—makes her a smash hit writer.

AGATHA CHRISTIE // ESTIMATED 2 BILLION BOOKS SOLD

As per Guinness World Records, Agatha Christie has the title of “world’s best-selling fiction writer,” with assessed deals of more than 2 billion. UNESCO additionally records Christie as the most deciphered creator ever.

MAO ZEDONG // UNTOLD BILLIONS

Mao Zedong shows up on our smash hit books list for Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, yet he’d probably still be on the rundown even without Quotations. As indicated by social scientist Zhengyuan Fu, “The size of the creation and utilization of Mao’s symbols and images is extraordinary in mankind’s set of experiences. During the long time from March 1966 to August 1976, there were 1,820 … state-possessed printing industrial facilities that printed 6.5 billion volumes of Quotations from Chairman Mao (the little red book), 840 million arrangements of Selections of Mao Zedong’s Works (3.36 billion volumes), 400 million volumes of Chairman Mao’s Poems, and 2.2 billion sheets of Mao’s standard photograph representations, which came in five standard sizes.” As consistently when managing these sort of numbers, a few sources go more modest, yet the complete is unquestionably colossal.

Be kind to everyone

It is humbling to think that I have so much to give, when the truth is I have so much more to learn.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that each and every one of us can change the world!

It’s not results that soothe our souls; it’s actions. In a difficult world, kindness has amazing power.

Every day people endure stressful jobs, demanding relationships, and backbreaking responsibility. Every day people battle life threatening disease, face uncertain futures, and struggle to survive.

Each moment of our lives, someone, somewhere, is in need of kindness.

What you do for others energizes the universe. What you do for the universe energizes you.

Go slowly. Breathe, smile, and be present. Seek opportunities to make a difference, embrace the moments, and be grateful for every choice you make.

Breathe.

Opportunities for relaxing meditation exist in every episode of your life.

One that I particularly enjoy is strolling through a bustling airport. Always surrounded by a whirlwind of activity I become entranced in a guessing game of intentions. Where have travelers been? Where are they going? Are they smiling or crying, bundled up or in flip flops? Conquering the world, or leaving the world behind?

One can choose to be engulfed by the mayhem, or detached, able to savor each moment.

Smile when you check in, even if the person behind the counter has obviously had a bad day. Help someone stow their carry-on luggage, even if it takes the space you had spotted for your own.

Accept a delay as a chance to slow down, even if it means missing a connection. I doubt that pilots and flight attendants enjoy delays any more than passengers, and life will continue on its merry way with or without us.

My favorite moment is when the aircraft door closes. The past disappears and the future becomes real. I sit back, relax, and as the jet engines spool up, close my eyes and welcome the vibrations of another new journey.

Smile at everyone you meet.

A smile is a miracle worker.

It makes us more attractive and can change our mood. No one can deny that smiling is contagious. Many have written that smiling relieves stress, boosts your immune system, and releases endorphins and serotonin. A smile can light up your face and make you look younger. A smile is a gift that we receive only by giving to others!

The greatest gift of a smile is that it keeps nothing for itself. Its purpose is to give, to console, to inspire, to cherish, to love, to multiply. Give yours freely to others. Spread happiness and feel it grow inside you. Be contagious.

Your smile brings light to the world. Would you deny the world moments of brightness?

Share your thoughts.

My thoughts are my own, and unsolicited.

Contribute to Tiny Buddha and other sites that inspire your spirit.

Submit your best effort at expressing your thoughts. Post a comment on the efforts of others. Why wait until there’s a free book giveaway to share a few words? The world wants to hear what you have to say.

As I’m sure you’ve read here many times, blog posts can arrive at just the right moment in a person’s life. Send your thoughts on their way. Someone may welcome them with open arms.

It takes courage to put your thoughts out there. Be courageous. It only takes a few moments.

Practice compassion.

Many years ago my niece died of cancer at the age of twenty-one. She was an adventurous spirit, confident and vocal. I spent many afternoons and evenings with her hand in mine as she rested uncomfortably. Her facial expressions unmasked the pain that spread within her dying body.

On better days she would tell me how she loved her visits with other patients, most of them much younger than her. These same young children I passed in the hallways, brave young children wheeling their life support beside them, and almost always smiling. I have no doubt that my niece helped create a few of those smiles.

As we all know, cancer spreads far beyond the children’s hospital that lovingly cared for my niece. We can make a difference in the lives of others by sharing our time and compassion.

Jacque’s favorite expression was “cool beans!” I don’t hear it often, but when I do, it’s like turning my gaze toward the sunshine.

Feed the hungry.

like to eat, and I would wager that you do too!

I was raised on meat and potatoes with sit-down family dinners, and never wanted for food on the table. I miss my mother’s cooking and the early evening conversations.

What I’ve never had to do is stand on a street corner and beg for food, dig through restaurant trash bins, or go to bed hungry.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, hunger touches every community.

Every community also has a food bank. It’s very easy to volunteer, and many who are hungry will benefit from your actions.

Live a giving life.

Life becomes complicated when its difficulties overpower our capacity to love others, to share our compassion, and to simply find time in our busy schedules to live a giving life.

Make a difference! Give to receive! Reap what you sow!

No matter what situation you find yourself in, come from a place of kindness and you will always treat others in the way they’re meant to be treated.

Let go of complicated. Choose simple. Make

CURRENCIES WHOSE WORTH IS MORE THAN DOLLAR.

5. British Pound: 1 GBP = 1.27 USD

Bank of England policymakers generally kept pace with developments in other countries over the last several decades and kept the pound more valuable than the U.S. dollar. The British pound was traditionally worth more than the us dollar, but it declined during much of the 20th century. This decline reversed during the 1980s, and the British pound regained its old advantage over the U.S. dollar.

4. Jordanian Dinar: 1 JOD = 1.41 USD

Like the Cayman Islands Dollar, the Jordanian Dinar was pegged to the U.S. dollar at a higher value. The idea was that a stable exchange would help to attract U.S. investment in Jordan. It is crucial to remember that any country can peg its currency to the dollar at any value. However, the currency must keep its value relative to the U.S. dollar to maintain that peg. Jordan successfully did that during the first two decades of the 21st century.

3. Omani Rial: 1 OMR = 2.60 USD

Oman is yet another country that pegged its currency to the U.S. dollar at a fixed exchange rate. The Omani rial maintained its value against the dollar due to Oman’s historically tight monetary policy and financial restrictions. Omani policymakers have generally restricted the money supply to protect the country against war and conflict in the Middle East. That has impacted the country’s inflation rate, and lending practices in Oman tend to favor risk-averse companies and business ventures.

2. Bahraini Dinar: 1 BHD = 2.66 USD

The Bahraini dinar was pegged to the U.S. dollar at a slightly higher value than the Omani rial. The Bahraini dinar’s yearly average has remained close to its current exchange rate since 2011, despite the significant effect that low oil prices had on Bahrain’s economy. Bahrain’s inflation rate was also modest and relatively stable.

1. Kuwaiti Dinar: 1 KWD = 3.26 USD

The Kuwaiti dinar was the most valuable government-backed currency as of 2020. Some currencies not backed by governments, such as gold and bitcoin, were actually worth far more. Substantial oil production helped augment Kuwait’s wealth and support the value of the Kuwaiti dinar. Over the years, Kuwait amassed a significant soverign wealth fund. The kuwait investment authority manages this fund and helps to ensure that Kuwait remains prosperous.

WHAT IS WOMEN EMPOWERMENT.

What Does Women Empowerment Mean?

Women Empowerment is the process that creates power in women to live a happy and respectable life in a society. Women are empowered when they are able to access opportunities in a variety of fields such as in education, profession, lifestyle, etc., without any limitations and restrictions. It includes raising their status through education, awareness, literacy and training. It also includes the authority to take decisions. When a woman makes a crucial decision, she feels empowered.

Women’s empowerment is the most crucial point for the overall development of a country. Suppose, in a family, there is one earning person, while in another family, both men and women are earning, then who will have a better lifestyle. The answer is simple, the family where both men and women are earning money. Thus, the country where men and women work together develops at a faster rate.

Need for Women Empowerment

History says that women were ill-treated. The Sati Pratha in the ancient times to the girl child abortion in the present scenario, women continue facing such violence. Not only this, heinous crimes against women such as rape, acid attack, dowry system, honour killing, domestic violence, etc., are still happening in India.

Out of the total population, 50% of the population should consist of women. However, due to female foeticide practices, girl child numbers are decreasing sharply in India. It has also impacted the sex ratio in India. The literacy rate in girls is very low. Most of the girls are not even provided with primary education. Moreover, they are married early and made to raise children and shoulder only household work. They are not allowed to go out and are dominated by their husbands. Women are taken for granted by men as they are considered their property. Even at the workplace, women are discriminated against. They are paid less for the same work as compared to their male counterparts.

Steps to Empower Women

Women can be empowered in various ways. It can be done through government schemes as well as on an individual basis. At the individual level, we should start respecting women and start giving them opportunities equal to men. We should promote and encourage them to take up jobs, higher education, business activities, etc. The Government has come up with various schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, Mahila-E-Haat, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Working Women Hostel, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, etc. to empower women. Apart from these schemes, we as individuals can also empower women by abolishing social evils like the dowry system, child marriage. These small steps will change the situation of women in society and make them feel empowered.

Coca Cola controversy

As Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed Coca-Cola at the press conference ahead of Portugal’s Euro 2020 opener, the move had a spiralling effect all across the football fraternity. The move also coincided with the share prices of Coca-Cola dropping down, wiping off about USD 4 billion from their brand value. However, industry experts don’t feel the two incidents were related.

Highlights

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola snub at a Euro 2020 news conference has been a huge topic of discussion
The move also coincided with the brand value of Coke sinking by USD 4 billion
A market expert, however, has brushed aside any connection between the two

Ronaldo wasn’t pleased seeing Coca-Cola bottles placed on the table as he arrived to attend the press conference with Portugal manager Fernando Santos on the eve of the Hungary match. He put the Coke bottles aside and picked up a water bottle saying ‘Agua’, asking people to drink water over soft drinks.

While the move was to promote a healthier lifestyle, the fact that Coca-Cola is an official sponsor of Euro 2020, is bound to leave both the beverage brand and UEFA a little disappointed.

“Coke and UEFA will both be fuming,” sports marketing expert Tim Crow, who worked as an advisor to the beverage-maker for 20 years, was quoted as saying by The Athletic. “The fact is there’s an agreement between them, which all the FAs and players sign up to, and one of the contractual agreements is going to press conferences where you’re surrounded by the sponsors’ branding.”

It’s certainly not ideal that one of the most famous and most followed athletes on the planet makes a gesture like that. The sports marketing community will have raised more than an eyebrow in Ronaldo doing that,” he added.

A day after the incident, reports of Ronaldo’s move hurting Coca-Cola’s stock prices and brand value surfaced but Crow has dismissed any co-relation between the two incidents. Branding it as ‘complete nonsense’, Crow said that the investors in the United States of America are not impacted by what happens in a European football match’s press conference.

American investors are not driven by what happens in a press conference ahead of a European football match. It doesn’t work like that. Tonnes of stocks went down for several reasons but the two things are not related. There are a billion servings of Coke every day. I think they’ll be OK,” he said.

DIGITAL MARKETING – A BOOMING INDUSTRY

Understanding digital marketing

At present, the world is going digital and more and more companies across the world are having an online presence. Digital Marketing has truly made differences in the field of advertising and marketing. The traditional marketing strategies are no more used by companies as internet media is more reliable and optimum. The internet marketing is highly effective, financially feasible and more comprehensive. Digital marketing provides powerful techniques to generate business and efficiently boosts the present scale to zenith levels.

Ever increasing rise in internet usage

The Internet has totally changed the way in which people used to buy required things and even the way in which different businesses provide their products and services. With the reduction in the price of smartphones, there has been a rise in the internet usage. This has resulted in the development of online businesses. Right from the cell phones to personal computers, garments to shoes, books to gadgets, people are increasingly using the internet to buy different products and services.

Online business challenges are the strength of digital marketers

With the organizations busy running their business, they are not able to invest quality time to understand top, middle, and bottom objectives to engage the audience. Digital marketer comes to your rescue as it lowers the business costs considerably. They help the business survive and grow by targeting the right people at the right time. They also identify and prioritize the key performance indicators by auditing your customers’ behavior on various digital platforms. Digital marketers analyze the performance of your online business industry and help companies make informed data-driven decisions for optimal customer experience.

ARE E-BOOKS STILL TRENDING ?

Do you prefer reading an e-book or a physical version? It might be a surprise, but for most people, old school print on paper still wins.

Publishers of books in all formats made almost $26 billion in revenue last year in the U.S., with print making up $22.6 billion and e-books taking $2.04 billion, according to the Association of American Publishers’ annual report 2019. Those figures include trade and educational books, as well as fiction.

While digital media has disrupted other industries such as news publishing and the music business, people still love to own physical books, according to Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers’ Association in the U.K.

“I think the e-book bubble has burst somewhat, sales are flattening off, I think the physical object is very appealing. Publishers are producing incredibly gorgeous books, so the cover designs are often gorgeous, they’re beautiful objects,” she told CNBC.

People love to display what they’ve read, she added. “The book lover loves to have a record of what they’ve read, and it’s about signaling to the rest of the world. It’s about decorating your home, it’s about collecting, I guess, because people are completists aren’t they, they want to have that to indicate about themselves.”

Genres that do well in print include nature, cookery and children’s books, while people prefer to read crime, romantic novels and thrillers via e-reader, according to Nielsen Book International.

It’s more than a decade since Amazon launched the Kindle, and for Halls, there is also a hunger for information and a desire to escape the screen. “It’s partly the political landscape, people are looking for escape, but they are also looking for information. So, they are coming to print for a whole, quite a complex mess of reasons and I think … it’s harder to have an emotional relationship with what you’re reading if it’s on an e-reader.”

GDP CREATES NEW RECORDS!

India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted 7.3% in 2020-21, as per provisional National Income estimates released by the National Statistical Office on Monday, marginally better than the 8% contraction in the economy projected earlier. GDP growth in 2019-20, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was 4%.

The fourth quarter of 2020-21 recorded a growth of 1.6% in GDP, the second quarter of positive growth, after the country had entered a technical recession in the first half of the year. The Gross Value Added recorded 3.7% growth in Q4, compared to 1% in Q3. GVA had contracted 22.4% and 7.3% in the first and second quarters of 2020-21.

The GVA in India’s economy shrank 6.2% in 2020-21, compared to a 4.1% rise in the previous year. Only two sectors bucked the trend of negative GVA growth – Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (which rose 3.6%) and Electricity, Gas, Water Supply and other Utility Services (up 1.9%).

Books : escape to utopia

Reading to your rescue

Most of the times, on daily basis, we repeat the phrase “I’m bored,’ multiple times like some mantra. We all need a hobby or something to keep us occupied especially during the lockdown. Since the pandemic our activity has been bounded to electronics. Nearly everything is done through virtual means without a stop to it.

What could we do prevent ourselves from becoming a slave to our phone screens?

In difficult times like these, a little euphoric escape is it. Books.

Whenever we pick up our phones or laptop our first instinct is to either open Instagram or WhatsApp, the itching of checking our companions texts winning over. And that’s how the plan of spending few minutes on social media extends for hours without a break, with no work done whatsoever.

Why not do the same thing with books which can actually do some good for you?

Reading isn’t something that only certain people with talent can develop. Its a universal habit which even a kid adapt from a very young age, if desired.

Many people say that they just don’t get the time to read them or that they get bored easily. Its because they don’t put effort in finding the books that will suit their taste or they’re just too lazy to stop scrolling through their Instagram feed.

Sometimes people pick up reading only to refine their English speaking or writing skills, which is a good initiative since a lot of them don’t really pay heed to importance of knowing the primary language.

Books are often seen as a coping mechanism, an escape from this reality as we call it. The fiction world is mesmerizingly shocking, slowly becoming an addiction to most of us.

Personally I am a multi-genre reader, always looking forward to a new approach but it surely differs for every individual. Every person varies from another, falling into a particular category of genre that would surely spark their interest.

Reading books is not just a matter of pleasure but also for the sake of benefits beyond enjoyment. It soothes you and is effective, both mentally and physically, the benefits lasting for lifetime.

It is scientifically proven how reading effects your brain networks making it more stronger and sophisticated. It builds your vocabulary which will help you in college exams and further job opportunities. Reading is the best way to increase your exposure to new words.

What should you be reading?

Now that leaves us with one main last question. What should you read?

As earlier discussed everyone has their own preferences and a genre that offers them the rush and excitement. The first thing you need to do is discover what genre or storyline can make your chest bubble with excitement and without a single thought, get your hands on that book. Or if you need to go with something short and easy assessible then maybe blogs can fill that requirement for you.

The effects of reading are cumulative and that is why its never too late to start reading and take many psychological and physical benefits as possible.

Sometimes books also need attention

We always says that never judge a book by its cover which is true “Because we cannot say anything wrong about any book or its author without reading it”

Every book has such a thing written in it that if you read it carefully then you cannot forget that line for lifetime

Sometime people say that I have a lot of books but I don’t like to read them!
Have you ever thought why they say this?

I tell you because, they buy books to just show off or to post pictures on Instagram on Snapchat with the books .

Well, personally I would love to suggest to all that first of all you just find what kind of book your interest is in like: classic ,fantasy, comic books, novel etc.

Once you have find your book of interest and read it completely, trust me you will gonna love reading.
you should read some pages of the book every night before going to sleep this habit will make you motivate and you will be able to create new ideas easily

My mother is a teacher and she always used to say that “agar aap kitabon ki Kadar Karenge to kitabe aapki Kadar Karengi”

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

Hollowness: that I understand. I’m starting to believe that there isn’t anything you can do to fix it. The holes in your life are permanent. You have to grow around them, like tree roots around concrete; you mold yourself through the gaps.
-Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train

This is for all the girls who have just experienced a breakup. I just want you to understand that it was not your fault, so stop blaming yourself.

Breakups can be a shambles. Breakups can be excruciating. People also use memes to mask their pain and turn it into a source of amusement. They are aware, however, that it will not be easy. The agony you’re experiencing is indescribable, and no one could possibly comprehend it. You’re stuck in a rut, unsure of what to do next. Is it time to move on or not? Was he going to return or not? Is it better if I call or if he calls? Is he going through the same thing I am right now?

All of these questions have the same answer: ‘It doesn’t matter.’

What matters is how you’re keeping things together. Is it fair to be so harsh on yourself? You weren’t solely to blame. Perhaps you should set aside some time for yourself. What if he doesn’t return? So, what’s the point? You’ve got your friends, family, and, most importantly, you’ve got yourself. “But I just want him,” I know you’re wondering right now. You don’t want him, that’s the truth. YOU DON’T WANT HIM, BELIEVE ME. He abandoned you in this mess. He said he wouldn’t, but he did anyway. He deceived you. It’s time for you to do the same. He walked away without looking back, and it’s time for you to do the same. It’s past time for you to forgive yourself.

This is just like the girl on the train. Rachel, who recently experienced a breakup, is unable to accept the harsh reality. She also believes Tom loves her and that he will return. Everyone assumes she’s just a drunk girl who’s lost her job and has a broken heart.

Is anybody a fan of suspense novels? If you answered yes, you should probably read this at least once. It’s not great, but it’s not horrible either. You won’t be able to figure out who the killer is.

Apart from that, there is a lot of lying in this storey. All is deceiving one another. Many secrets are kept locked in the recesses of their minds. Loved ones are kept in the dark about secrets. However, with all of the lying, I began to doubt the confidence. Who could be trusted by whom? Rachel had faith in Tom. Scott had faith in Rachel. Anna had faith in Tom. Megan had faith in Kamal Abdic. Despite this, they all ended up rejecting each other. Okay, well, Rachel trusted herself in the end.

That’s one of the things I loved about this book: she wanted to see the whole picture and trust her intuition over Tom’s words. This is a tale about three women who were once strong but had become vulnerable as a result of their circumstances. Don’t let it happen to you as well. Have faith in yourself. Fight for your own interests. Because you are the best, girl.

THE ALCHEMIST

Book : The Alchemist
Original Title : O Alquimista (Portuguese)
Author : Paulo Coelho
Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers LLC
Genre : Quest, Adventure, Fantasy

The majority of the people we see are members of a community. In a dynamic and traditional world, When we’re together, when we look around, we notice that most people are doing similar things, even though their priorities are different. However, if we come across someone who matches our criteria when searching, someone who dares to be different, someone who pays attention to their surroundings. I believe we have found the most courageous among us.

The Alchemist is a mystical fable about the importance of pursuing one’s dreams. The tale of a young shepherd boy who longs to travel and discover a secret that no one else has ever found is wonderfully told by the poet. He continued on his search for the lost treasure in the pyramids. He learned a lot on his journey, read a lot of books, battled with those who got in his way, survived the mighty desert, and finally realised that a person’s treasure is where his heart is. He discovered that it is our decisions, not destiny, that determine what happens to us.

The path to find the treasure is jam-packed with life lessons. Paulo Coelho’s – The Alchemist – became an international bestseller after being translated into 56 languages and selling over 43 million copies worldwide. This book teaches us that we are the masters of our own destiny and captains of our own dreams. It’s a must-read for anyone who has ever doubted themselves. So, if you just pick up one book during the lockdown, make it this one.

SITA- THE WARRIOR OF MITHILA

Book: Sita – The Warrior of Mithila
Author: Amish Tripathi
Publisher: Westend Publishers
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology

We’ve grown up hearing exciting mythological stories, whether from the Mahabharat, the Ramayan, or other sagas, and we’ve only ever seen them from this perspective. The book Sita gives us various perspectives on Sita’s life, who is best known to most of us as Lord Ram’s wife. The book chronicles her life and the battles she faced before marrying Lord Ram. Her abduction is the only important aspect of her life that most people are aware of. This novel, on the other hand, shows Sita in a variety of colours that many people are unaware of. Sita is depicted in the book as being as fierce, strong, and witty as her husband. In a world where we struggle for feminism and equal rights, this book is essential reading.

Sita fights for her own and others’ interests. Sita is more than a princess; she is a warrior who was raised for a greater purpose: to protect our dharma and to unite India under her leadership. The author has arranged it in the most beautiful and wonderful way possible, from the depiction of environments to the characters and plot. This work of fiction incorporates all mythological elements thus giving Sita’s character the highest priority and fully explaining it. This is a good book to read if you’re interested in learning more about Indian myths or female warriors.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH

John Steinbeck won a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath, which was inspired by the Great Depression. The story follows the journey of a poor family of Joads who were pushed out of their homes and land in Oklahoma after the banks confiscated them during the Great Depression, leaving the family homeless. In the expectation of better pay, the family and other poor tenants are persuaded to move to California.

Steinbeck aptly captures the farmers’ disappointment as they learn that the California dream they were sold was nothing more than a mirage. We are given a brief overview of life at these migrant camps through the eyes of Tom Joad, the main protagonist. During the gold rush, families could hardly scrape together enough money to feed themselves, while the wealthy profited from their labour.

Throughout the novel, we see the different challenges that these poor farmers face, from being shot for forming labour unions to family members leaving due to poverty’s hardships. When you read about the inequitable care migrant workers get, the heartbreaking injustice they experience, and the bleak and serious consequences of vulturistic capitalism that poor people face, you know that Steinbeck was able to write a book that is still socio-politically important 75 years later.

The miserable living conditions of farmers, as well as the exploitative existence of landlords, can be seen in modern society. The book appeals to many working-class people because of its authentic depiction of their struggles. When the book was first published, it drew a lot of criticism and was largely banned in California, with accusations that Steinbeck was supporting communist propaganda.

I strongly advise people to add this American classic to their reading lists because it is a beautiful story about humanity, hope, and agitation that is particularly pertinent in these times.

5 INDIAN MYTHOLOGICAL FICTIONS ONE MUST READ

India has a very rich and diverse cultural heritage. If you study India’s history, you will see the lavish lifestyle of the people back in the days. But it is not limited to recent few centuries only. This richness goes way back to the times of gods and goddesses. All this is recorded in the books of literature of the Indian heritage.

India also has a wide range of books and scriptures one can read if they are into Indian mythological genre or simply mythological genre.

It is a country famous for its wars and folklores and hundreds of things that make Indian history quite an interesting subject. Most of us have grown up listening to these stories by our grandparents.

Some of the authors have revamped these stories in their creative imagination. Some characters are taken from the most famous stories of Indian history and represent a different aspect of those stories. These have been widely appreciated and loved. Here’s a list of top 5 Indian Mythological fictions one must read at least once:

The Pandavas series by Roshan Chokshi:

An amazing book for the youngsters that tells the story of a young 12-year-old girl named Aru Shah. Her family runs the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in America. Things turn around for Aru when her friends force her to rub an ancient lamp which releases a sleeping demon. Next thing you see is Aru on an unexpected adventure to set thighs straight by finding the reincarnations of the Pandavas and her journey through the kingdom of death. The series has not yet been completed. But is humorous and full of adventure. The author subtlety and cleverly connects the ancient world to the modern world.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni:

You might have heard the epic of Mahabharata many times. But have you heard it from the perspective of the one major cause behind the war, Draupadi? The Palace of Illusions tells this epic from the perspective of Draupadi, her feelings, how she struggled to find a loving home all her life and how she felt when she might have felt when she was gambled away in a game of chess by her five husbands. The book sums the story in 360 pages and tells her side of the story.

Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi:

One of the most beloved books of people, the Shiva trilogy is a must on this list. Amish Tripathi is known for his storytelling and lucid writing. He intertwines the story of Lord Shiva with a fictional background. He beautifully narrates how a common man because of deeds and karma become a God for people. The first part is The Immortals of Meluha, the second The Secret of Nagas and the third is The Oath of Vayuputras. This is a must-read for all the Shiva as well as mythological lovers.

The Ramchandra series by Amis Tripathi:

Another brilliantly written series by the author Amish Tripathi is his second expression into the world of mythic-fiction. Like his previous work, The Shiva Trilogy, The Ramchandra series is also a bestseller. This time Amish explores the epic of Ramayana, each book from the perspective of the three main characters the epic revolved around. The series consists of two books Scion of Ikshavaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila. This series is much better than the Shiva Trilogy in terms of storytelling and plot. The first part, i.e., Scion of Ikshavaku is from the perspective of Lord Ram, the second part, Sita: Warrior of Mithila is from the perspective of Sita, Lord Ram’s wife. Now the third book of the series is awaited which will be from the perspective of Ravana.

Asura: Tale of the Vanquished by Anand Neelakantan:

Anand Neelakantan is famous for his books on the two most famous epics of Indian history, Mahabharata and Ramayana. The story follows the original storyline of the original Ramayana but what is different about this book is that it tells you the story from the perspective of Ravana. It gives you the story of the other side, the side which is never told while telling the Ramayana. It is a fresh approach towards the epic of Ramayana and is a page-turner.

There are several other books which are worth giving a read. The list could go on and on. These Indian authors have brought a different perspective of the stories we have heard like a hundred times before.

These books are worth your time. After all who wouldn’t love to divide into the royal, fantasy land even if you only get to experience it through a book and your imagination.

10 Books One Must Read At Least Once in their Life

Reading is a great way to keep your mind active. It gives you thousands of reasons to sit back and think about numerous things. It also helps you escape reality and travel to a different world.

Reading fills you with little pieces of knowledge that stay with you for a long time. You never know when something might come handy. You come across new words and they start slipping in your vocabulary. It makes you well-articulated and well-spoken. You read something and it gets stored in your brain. Thus it also helps to improve your memory.

There are countless benefits of reading and there are thousands of books to read. But some books are “evergreen”. They are written by some of the greatest literary minds of all times and are known as “classics”. You can pick them any day and they give you the same fresh feeling as it gave you the first time.

A list of 10 books that you must read at least once in a lifetime:

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee:

This book was published in 1960 and appears in almost all the lists of the best books. It explores human behaviour and the collective conscience of the Deep South in the early 20th century. It also revolves around the themes of prejudice, hatred, hypocrisy, love and innocence. And is delicately woven with humour. Anyone who has read it counts it as one of their favourites.

Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling:

Those who have read the Harry Potter books or have even watched the movie are still waiting for their Hogwarts letter, including me. J.K. Rowling takes you on an amazing journey filled with magic and mystery. She introduces you to the world you will never want to leave. You grow up with Harry in this 7 books series.

The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkein:

Another series that takes you into the world of hobbits, dragons, monsters and gods. This book allows you to escape from reality and go on unimaginable adventures. The book revolves around the themes of fantasy, evil and innocence. This series comprises three books in total.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen:

Jane Austen is said to be one of the most famous writers in English Literature and Pride and Prejudice is one of her best works. It is a story of the courtship of two opposite characters in a world where manners and courtesy are of utmost importance. The book leaves you with the message that “love knows no barriers and finds its way”.

The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank:

Almost everyone is aware of the story of Anne Frank during the German Holocaust. The Diary of a Young Girl is a raw account of her life as she hides from the Nazis. She teaches the readers a valuable lesson that we should keep believing that people are good at heart and situations to change. She wishes to change her life too. The book is spin-chilling and tear-jerking as it reveals how the Jews suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak:

The book is set in Germany during 1939 when the Nazis were ruling Germany and the Jews were being brutally killed. It revolves around a girl named Liesel and how she rescues books from the wrath of Nazi rule. The story also features an unusual friendship that is formed in the most unusual situation. Like The Diary of a Young Girl, this book also gives you a view of the cruel Nazi rule.

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien:

Another fantasy fiction by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit was originally written as a short storybook for children. Later it was made into a long series of movies. It features the story of Bilbo Baggins and his journey to the Middle East to challenge a dragon. The book gives a strong message of bravery and takes you into a fantasy world just like the Lord of the Rings.

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott:

The story of four sisters, set in 19th century New England. Each sister has their own significant personality trait. The book gives you an account of their struggles and their flaws and how they turn into strong young women. The book is a pure joy to read.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte:

Jane Eyre is the first prose fiction to focus on its protagonist’s moral and spiritual development. Jane Eyre is one of the strongest fictional heroines of all time. It is a story of a girl who fights social criticism in a society with a strong sense of Christian morality at its core. It depicts a strong, unbroken woman despite her troubled childhood.

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini:

The story revolves around Amir and his journey to find his one true friend. He has to abandon him due to ethic and religious differences that existed in Kabul, Afghanistan. It also highlights the theme of guilt and redemption. It is a story of true friendship and atonement. The book has been awarded as the New York bestseller for two times in a row.

These were some of the books which one should definitely read once in their life. These books never lose their essence and will surely blow your mind with their brilliant storylines.

Happy Reading!

VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE: BOOK REVIEW

“Veronika Decides to Die” gives you an impression the book is depressing, right? I can assure you it isn’t.

Paulo Coelho, the best selling Brazillian author brings another beautifully woven story. It is bound to make you sad and leave you happy by the end. The story does begin with a depressing tone but takes a twist no one expects.

The story revolves around a 24- year-old girl, Veronika. Veronika lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia and has everything one asks for in life. She is beautiful, has loving parents, a lover and a job. But a feeling of fear that everything will go downhill for her after 24 takes over her mind. So, one evening she sits near her window with a bottle of painkillers. As she starts talking one pill at a time, she takes a look at all the things outside which she sees every day. Slowly, she started getting sleepy but death had not yet come.

The plan to kill herself fails and she woke up to find herself in a mental hospital, Villette. The doctor tells her that her attempt at suicide had failed and her heart had taken the toll of it. She finds out that she has a week only to live. Her world had taken an unexpected turn.

Coelho then goes on to explain how he came to know about Veronika’s story. He relates to her story because his parents also admitted him into a mental institution for his “unusual behaviour”. But Coelho appears in the story for a brief moment only.

Coming back to Veronika, shocked and resistant to live in Villette she tries to find a way out of there. But she fails at this too. Reluctantly she becomes friend with Mari, who suffers from panic attacks. Later she claims that she might have fallen in love with Eduard, a schizophrenic. Somehow she slowly gave in and accepted her reality. She decided to live the last few days of her life to the fullest.

Dr Igor, one of the main characters of the stories gives Veronika series of shocks to test his medical theory. He wants to prove through his experiment that he can shock someone into wanting to live again by convincing them that their death is around the corner. That is exactly what he did with Veronika.

Veronika finds herself on a journey to discover herself before she dies. She rediscovers her passion for piano. She played the piano every evening that lifted the spirits of many at Villette. She suffered a heart-attacks throughout the week, she found her desire to live again.

Coelho, makes you rethink your decisions and your routines. Just like all his other books, this book also successfully connects with its readers. Like Veronika, all of us have had moments in our life where we thought the only way out is to die. Paulo gives his readers a new hope to live. You will reevaluate your reasons to continue living. He leaves a hidden message that there a number of reasons in this world to live and suicide is not an option. A moment can change your life.

I recommend this book to everyone especially the people who have been suicidal some time in life. Veronika decides to Die is not a long read. The stories winds up in around 200 pages. By the end of the book, it will leave its readers happy to be alive. Paulo focuses on the fact that even the slightest of change in perspective can make a broken person stronger.

Books on Indian History which You Must Read

Indian History has been the theme for many books. Whether its fiction or non-fiction, there are plenty of books which deserve to be on the list of must-read books written on the topic of history. These books give one a detailed understanding of India’s history.

Be it comprehensive historical books or fictional accounts of a historical incident, there are many options for you to choose from. If you are a person who loves both reading and history then the following 5 books are just the right choice for you.

The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen

Amartya Sen is an Indian Economist and writer who had won the Nobel Prize in 1998. This book is a collection of essays and it will help one understand the Indian polity. It focusses on the importance of public debate, argument and intellectual diversity in the Indian civilization of the past. Sen writes about his view on how and what will lead to the success of democracy in India.

India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha

Ramachandra Guha is an Indian writer and researcher whose areas of interest include society, politics and history. India After Gandhi is a book describing the journey of modern India, from post-independence from the British in 1947 until the 1990s. The book will provide one with a thorough understanding of India’s social and economic spheres. It covers the country’s political history over the later part of the 20th century.

The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple

William Dalrymple is a Scottish historian, writer, critic, art historian and curator. He has won several awards and prizes for his writings. The book is a comprehensive description of the time period when the Mughal empire started declining in India. It will be a treat for people who love reading history. It is about the last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar II, and it provides an account of 19th century India with the tale of the emergence of the British Raj.

Another famous book by him is White Mughals which is his fifth major book, it tells the story of the love affair between James Achilles Kirkpatrick and Khair-un-Nissa Begum at the backdrop of nineteenth century Hyderabad.

The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was India’s first prime minister and he wrote this from 1942 – 1946. This book was written by Nehru when he was imprisoned by the British. It is a tribute to the rich cultural heritage and legacy of the country. It provides an account of all major developments in the subcontinent from the period of Indus Valley Civilization to the last years of the British rule.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning writer, novelist and poet. The book is about the tale of the epic Mahabharata, written from the perspective of Draupadi (Panchaali). It tells the story of the woman who fights, endures a lot living in a patriarchal world. It is a historical fiction which traces the historical tale and the life of Panchaali.

4 Tips for Effective IELTS Preparation

To migrate or study in English speaking nations, one needs to give an IELTS test. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assesses the person’s ability to speak, write, listen, and read in English. The test is designed to understand how you will use English in your daily life such as in university, workplace, or other social situations.

Before providing the tips on how to do the preparation, here is the breakdown of the types of IELTS test. There are two types: Academic and General. The IELTS Academic test is for those willing to pursue undergraduate or post-graduation or join a professional organization in an English-speaking nation. Second, the IELTS General Training test is for those who want to train or study at below degree level, to work, or to emigrate.

The formats of these two tests are a bit different, but the test assessment will still be on four skills: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking.

Reading Test: This will include a wide range of reading skills such as attention to detail, a general sense of the passage, meaning derived from it, understanding of writer’s opinions, attitudes, and how will you understand the development of the argument.

Listening Test: It assesses how well you recognize opinions, attitudes, the purpose of the speaker, and also factual information and general ideas.

Writing Test: The Writing test is designed to measure the wide range of writing skills including grammar, vocabulary, how you can write responses, organize ideas, and recognize mistakes.

Speaking Test: The IELTS Speaking Test assesses how fluently and accurately you communicate in English. You can be asked to speak on various topics and express your opinions.

Getting back on how to crack the IELTS exam, just like any other test IELTS to needs some preparation. These four tips can help you ace the IELTS exam.

First and foremost, Read! Read! Read! Whether it’s a book, newspaper, magazine, or any written material. While reading, always have a credible English-English dictionary with you. This way you will work out the meanings of the new words making sure you don’t translate back to your language. You can also read an English newspaper every morning and listen to English news channels. It will enhance your reading and listening skills as well as keep you updated about the happenings in the world. Sounds good?
Improve your vocabulary! The more words you are exposed to, better will be your vocabulary. Jot down the words you have heard recently or you don’t know and highlight them with a marker. Check out its meaning in the dictionary and then start putting these words into daily speech. Using new words frequently will help in making your English fluent. As a fact, it takes from 10 to 20 repetitions to make a word part of your daily speech. Do see its pronunciation online if not sure. Speak those words while talking to your parents, friends, or somebody on call. This will increase your confidence and you will be well versed on the day of your exam.
Listen to English radio, shows, or news channels. After that try to write them down and analyze. Also with that, separately write words or sentences that were appealing to you. Use them while you write essays or speak. Don’t watch videos online since you can pause or rewind them. This won’t help as it will break your flow of listening. Hear it once only. After you are done repeat whatever you recall from the show, use stress and intonation appropriately. Make sure you record it so that you can find out your mistakes and improve accordingly.
So far whatever words you have learned, phrase them into sentences and then into paragraphs. While writing always set a timer. This will keep you at pace and improve your speed during the exam. Check for comma mistakes, full stop, and grammar. See-through the sample papers and find out what is the word limit given in the writing paper. Accordingly, write if say the set limit is 200 words don’t write just 150 words. This will lead to losing marks. Generally, a person is ok reading, speaking, and listening but they have a hard time writing, in that case, while practicing start with your favorite topic. Start with as basic as possible. Suppose you like chocolate ice cream, write on that. Sooner or later, you will get used to and can start with difficult topics. When you plan your essay, always have some spare time in the end to check your work.

Taking the IELTS test can be stressful so don’t forget to put these helpful tips. It will equip you to be ready for the exam. Commit and practice thoroughly. With this, you’ll feel more confident and be able to tackle the test and get the desired score.

The Kite Runner – A Book Review

Author – Khaled Hosseini

Publisher – Riverhead Books

Country – United States

Language – English

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a historical fiction which is set in Afghanistan and America at the times of the Soviet Afghan War. It is one of the most loved books by readers across the world. The Times describe the book as “Heartbreaking”. It was a number one New York Times bestseller for over two years, with over seven million copies sold in the United States. It has also been made into a motion picture after being a best selling novel.

The book is a beautiful and endearing tale of two friends, Amir and Hassan who grew up together in ”a peaceful but prejudiced Kabul”. They share a beautiful bond of friendship but the surrounding social prejudice intervenes in it. During their childhood years, they spend their days flying kites along the streets of Wazir Akbar Khan district. Amir occupies a special place in Hassan’s heart and he expresses his love for Amir in a few words, ”for you, a thousand times over”. These words happen to be the book’s most iconic lines. Hassan who was the servant’s son was a Hazara and suffered tremendous social and cultural discrimination for that. During a kite flying event, an incident changes their relationship forever. Eventually Hassan and his father move out of their house.

Their lives change dramatically when the Taliban arrives in Kabul and the Soviet Afghan War changes the entire atmosphere of the country. After 5 years, Amir and his father escape the country and move to America to start a new life. Amir continues to suffer with guilt for the past. It is after he grows up to be a successful writer that he receives a call from a familiar voice of the past and goes back to Kabul. The story takes a different turn at the end when Amir discovers the truth that his relationship with Hassan was deeper than he realised.

Born in Kabul, the author draws inspiration from his own life as well but the plot and characters of the book however are fictional. The characters of the book are beautifully woven and the story is unforgettable. Several conflicts within the plot makes the readers fall in love with the characters. The book created some controversy within Afghan readers as it portrayed Pashtuns as prejudiced towards Hazara people. The racial and religious extremism is deeply saddening and the violence is frightening. The kite has been portrayed as an important symbol which represents Amir’s guilt for his betrayal towards Hassan and thus he does not fly a kite after that incident until the very end.

The book encourages its readers to look at the world in a new way and provides a different perspective for a country which has long been stigmatised. The message conveyed by the book towards the ending offers some hope for its characters and also for war torn Afghanistan as well. The book is highly recommended and it is sure to make a lasting impression on readers.

Reading Habit

One of the many goals which we want to achieve in life, developing a reading habit should be one. It may seem tough at first but with time and practice, everyone can achieve it. While some have mastered it, others might be struggling to be consistent with it. Many of us have tried reading at some point of time and failed to keep at it consistently. This may happen because of a number of reasons but none of them mean that we can’t start with it again and give it a try. One of the most common ways in which people start reading is starting with a list of “Good books to start reading with”. The internet is flooded with such lists and many people have shared their suggestions. A book which has some literary value, is easy and engaging is a great choice to start with. According to many bloggers and writers the following list of books can help someone who has been trying to start reading for a long time.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh

While it may work for some, others may not find it helpful. One of the common things which we fail to notice is the fact that most of us can’t bring ourselves to sit down with a book. This may be due to lack of time. In the middle of a busy day we fail to make time for reading. External factors like a proper surrounding can also be the reason for us getting distracted and impatient. So for people who can relate with these, a few suggestions can work. First of all, set a separate time for reading. Look at your schedule and take out a time which may be ideal for starting a new activity. Setting aside a specific time of the day for reading will help you focus more and be attentive.

Second, create a good reading atmosphere. Clean your surroundings and de-clutter everything around you. Attention depends a lot on external factors and an unkept background can often make you inattentive and disturbed.

Third, make a reading list. Write down all the books which you want to read next and keep ticking them off once you’re done. This will be like a to-do list and will motivate you to read. You can also take up reading challenges like ‘Ten books in a year’ or ‘One book a month’. Remember to start small and go one step at a time.

Fourth, start reading with a friend. Select a book and make a plan to discuss with your friend once you complete it. You can also start talking about it among yourselves and discuss about what may happen next. This will make you definitely finish the book and also speed up your pace.

Fifth, be consistent. Make it a point to read everyday. Even a small 15 minute would do. Once you skip a day it will become a habit and you’ll start repeating it. The same goes for the opposite. Once reading everyday becomes a habit you have developed the habit of reading quite well. So happy reading!

Bibliotherapy

This is the art of reading books, as a part of therapy. Therapy is actually a treatment for those who are going through mental pressure or anxiety, and heals them from tensions. Doctors prescribe different therapies according to the needs of patients. Therapy can be performed on a clinic as well as also at home. As we all know, books are a man’s best friend. A friend like a book won’t be leaving you in your worst times, as because it will remain by your side no matter what, you can take during a Journey, or at Afternoons, you can gift it to you close ones etc. Earlier times when there was no form of modern entertainments or gadgets, people used to read a lot to enrich their knowledge. Reading used to be an excellent method for time pass back then, as many were housewives and weren’t allowed to go out or get socialized that much. Reading is an ancient practice which are becoming rare, almost obsolete as days pass by. Now those people only read who is having a fascination towards it. Reading distracts your mind from everything around you, and sometimes it even feels like you are the part of a character. Reading actually needs a lot of focus or one won’t understand the topics properly. When you read you start imagining the whole thing in your mind . You somehow tend to connect with the stories as if it was happening with you. Reading books is a very good habit which needs absolutely no companion and stimulates your thinking and beliefs. This helps you to think more and more which is a good exercise for your brain. You can spend hours and hours reading an interesting book but still won’t get bored of its twists and turns. During childhood the kids are given books like fairy tales which took them to a fantasy world. We all have read Snow White and the seven Dwarfs, Little Mermaid but unfortunately kids nowadays prefer the cartoons over books. Books provides us with an abundance of knowledge. Reading makes you feel more self sufficient and complete by yourself. Books can be of different languages also having variety of classifications like Detective, Horror, Humorous, Romantic. You can choose your favorite Genre and spend time reading, this is definitely going to cure you from any kind of stress or depression by taking you to another word. We do not get enough time to read books due to the busy schedule, but it is okay to take a break sometimes and spend your leisure time reading new stories. Reading is often the best remedy for a lonely mind. It seems like someone is there with you and supporting you throughout. There are several autobiographies and biographies on eminent and renowned personalities i.e., Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and many others. You get to know a lot about their lives and this inspires you indeed. Reading helps you to become a much better person. You get involved in the book within no time because you are a creator then as you create the scenarios and visualize them all by your own. Hence this is an efficient way to divert your mind from any kind of traumas or depressions.

Reading has almost no disadvantages, you need not have to be a bookworm, if you genuinely love books you will take care of those. Many of the children from this generations do not go for buying books because of its costs rather they download it from the online book platforms directly for free, where the essence is somewhere lost. Library is an abode of books which is an organization stocking ample of books together. These libraries are becoming a matter of past due to the shortage of readers, it is unable to run anymore and mostly getting shut down. No one visits Libraries nowadays to read Story books. Many films are being made adopting the storylines and mostly everyone prefers to watch them over reading the books where the incidents and situations are manipulated according to whims and fancies of the directors. It is good to read to at least pay tribute towards the writers who put their heart and souls it in and spends months on their work. Books can be of various types like Novels, Short Stories, Fiction etc.

Thinking through Act

“Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”

Acting is basically an art of imitation or reflection or representation. It is the quality of utilizing your own spirit body and mind in being someone else. Actors on the stage do not show themselves up there, but they show the character they get into to people.” Acting is equivalent to forgetting the original self.

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Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.

Benefits of acting

There are many benefits of acting :

It is a self-cleansing art.
It helps us to forget ourselves, our worries, or goals, our life pressure, etc for the same time.
It helps us to “be present”. Through acting, we enjoy “the moment”. We are at “the moment”.
It helps us to understand the small little worlds as well as the big worlds of various people around us.
Every act gives us a different perception that adds to build our character.

Methods of acting

Stanislavski/Strasberg/Method: It uses affective memory considering our past. We need to relate to our past events. It draws situations from real life and there is an “emotional recall” as we get in touch with your emotional self.
Meisner Method: It is the method based on the usage of imagination only. We need to enforce us to ask questions to ourselves. We ask the questions “what if”. We need time to contemplate under what situation will I be like this and considers the hypothetical future.

Voice Acting

Our emotions come out of our voices. Talking to a person over a voice call, we can immediately interpret if he is happy, sad, angry, guilty, lonely, or anything else. The Voice of a person gives a strong sense of the feelings of a person. Therefore, in addition to bringing the character by our body movements, we also need to bring out the character through our voice. Indeed, the voice acting is so powerful that it has opened up a separate domain for artists. Voice acting by podcasts are becoming popular day by day. It is easy to access and very interesting helping listeners to create a world of their own by listening to the voice artists. In addition, in these difficult times of pandemic, where shooting is difficult due to the rules of social distancing, podcasts are the way for artists.

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Irrespective of the form of acting, the main trick is to make your character your best friend. We need to study up on character traits; read testimonials, interviews, or watch videos. Then, we need to try to bring the traits through voice. Traits, in general, depending on age, geographical location, any distinct characteristic, or disability. There is a need to develops a culture of responsive acting. It is also important to tackles self-consciousness. It is an effective way of creating the world around us. An actor is an energy bank, always excited about his character and his story.

“Acting is a sport. On stage you must be ready to move like a tennis player on his toes. Your concentration must be keen, your reflexes sharp; your body and mind are in top gear, the chase is on. Acting is energy. In the theatre people pay to see energy.”

Online Classes During Pandemic

COVID-19 began in the month of December in 2019 and soon it grew into a pandemic, leading to several losses of lives and locking down of many cities. Social distancing became the key to escape out of this problem. But, with this solution came other problems. We are able to follow social distancing by keeping us locked in our houses but this stopped students’ education too. But we can’t just stop everything due to this COVID thing. We need to find an effective solution to continue the education of students. We need to continue the functioning of schools and colleges.

Online Classes

In the times of the internet, the one and the only solution are online classes. The online way to share knowledge and information now is the internet. It has proved to be a real miracle these days, connecting millions and making information access fast and easy. Be it school, college, tuition, or coaching classes, knowledge is now being delivered to students who are sitting at their home and can learn things sitting there only. Students now need a mobile or desktop and fast internet connection to attend their online classes and learn things. It is not possible for a pandemic to stop students from learning.

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How it is a different experience?

This way of learning is totally new to everyone, be it students, be it teachers or be it parents. We were already involved in some small ways of e-learning but a complete shift towards this type of mode is something new and challenging to everyone. Teachers are continuously involved in finding new ways to make e-learning more interactive and interseting for students. They are continuously evolving their way of teaching and trying to give them a class-type of feeling. Teachers are also learning to adapt with new softwares and explore things. Students are learning how to deal with online homework submissions, doubt-sessions and examinations. But, the problem is that the medium of interaction is always an electronic device. Hence, students are subjected to fatigue and mental stress. They seem irritated and develop body pain sitting still at a particular position holding their phones or laptops. Students are also developing stress on eyes. It is quite difficult for them to adjust with all of these. It seems that this way of teaching costs their health, both mental and physical. Besides this, internet is not available to all the areas of the country and to all the students. Poor students can’t afford high speed data. This method of teaching, is thus, a barrier between poor students and education. It is a harsh truth that they are left behind. We need to work together towards this to make education available to underprivileged students also.

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5 Books To Read Before You Die

Losing yourself in a great book, is one of the most endearing and satisfying joys. Every book has a different style, different attitude, different perspective but every book teaches and leaves you with a different feeling. It is hard to choose a favorite but let’s talk about 5 books that you must read.

To Kill A Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee- A novel before its time, Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-prize winner addresses issues of race, inequality and segregation with both levity and compassion. While To Kill a Mockingbird could be a favorite book of just about everyone who has read it, it is important to recollect that it continues to be subversive and challenging to the establishment. The story revolves around the cute, lovable kids, Scout and Jem, and undoubtedly one of the most loved character in literature, Atticus Finch. Most of the characters within the book are marginalized by the facility structure of their town — a structure that also exists nearly everywhere — where wealthy white men control the lives of everyone else, and even the members of that group who want to use their status for something honorable, cannot win against the flattening wave of power.

2. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak– Set in Germany during 1939, The Book Thief follows a young girl, Liesel, growing up in Germany amidst World War II. Liesel is living with foster parents, Hans and Rosa. Throughout the story, Liesel steals many books. At first, she doesn’t even know how to read, but she knows that the book is important. Hans notices and teaches her how to make sense of the letters, as she rescues books from the tyranny of Nazi rule. Meanwhile, her family has hidden a Jewish fighter in their basement and death looks down on the family, narrating our tale. Experience bravery that is rarely found in the world, and friendship that is formed in the most unlikely of situations.

3. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger- It only takes one sentence, written in the first person, for Salinger’s Holden Caulfield to announce himself in all his teenage nihilism, sneering at you for wanting to know his biographical details “and all that David Copperfield kind of crap”. The Catcher in the Rye is the quintessential novel of the adolescent experience, captured in deathless prose.

4. The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy-Roy won the 1997 Booker Prize with her debut novel, a powerful inter-generational tale of love that crosses caste lines in southern India, and the appalling consequences for those who break the taboos dictating “who should be loved, and how. And how much.” Sex, death, religion, the ambivalent pull of motherhood: it’s all there in this beautiful and haunting book.

5. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood– Atwood’s classic dystopian novel of a terrifying (and terrifyingly plausible) future America has rewarded rereading like no other book; I’ve probably read it 30 times by now. the globe of the narrator, Offred (from “Of Fred” — women not have their names), is chilling, but she could be a magnificent survivor and chronicler, and also the details of everything from a mundane way of life to ritualized sex and violence to her reminiscences of the time before (our contemporary reality, as seen within the ’80s) are realistic. The novel is as relevant today as ever; feminist backlashes still wax and wane, but women’s rights remain within the spotlight. And despite its scenarios of great despair, The Handmaid’s Tale is ultimately a hopeful book — Offred, and others, simply can’t be human without the chance of hope, and therein lies the strength of the resistance. All of Atwood is worth reading, but this book best exemplifies the cultural and psychological impact that a piece of fiction can create.

Maybe we all were ‘the same’

We have often heard the saying, “Everyone is unique”. But let’s try to question this. Is this really true? Okay, very much debatable! But, let’s proceed with it slowly.

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We grow up in a society where we face comparison knowingly or unknowingly. No one can escape the trap of comparison. Comparison with a second person for grades, for projects, for skills, for the job, for salary, and whatnot. But, then we decide, or let’s say realize that this is not the correct way we are seeing things. We now understand that each of us is unique. Yes, it is true to some extent. We are unique in the way we think, in the way we perceive a situation, the talent we have, the skills we acquire, and the level of our creativity. But, this uniqueness is not out of birth, it is developed.

When we say each of us is different, we start imagining a situation, where we all have everything different. We think that the kind of situations we are in is less likely to be experienced by others or maybe, at least not at that point in time. Sometimes, we come across some difficult situations and we are stuck, we might feel low and might feel that we are the one who is stuck here, there are people out there with a very smooth and happy life with no difficult situation arising in their life. But, the thing is that life offers the same set of problems in each one’s life and the no. of problems with the same difficulty level is also the same. We all experience ‘the same‘. We all come across similar situations in our lives and then label them as “good” or “bad” according to our personal opinion. Now, we call them, good or bad experiences and then count the number of bad experiences we had, to classify our lives as a ‘happy life’ or ‘struggling life’.

To better understand, think of life as a game. We all are players of the same game. Initially, we don’t know whether we will find the game interesting or not but, we all need to start playing. Then, we proceed with playing the game. We all come across different levels of the game in order of increasing difficulty. Some are playing the game with great enthusiasm and interest, collecting a lot of gems, health/lives, and rewards, which will be helpful for them in coming levels. While some are going at the same pace with quite low enthusiasm, hardly collecting gems and lives, or they are stuck at a particular level. Those who have collected rewards and lives can now use these in the difficult levels of the game too, to easily clear that level. But, those who were not able to collect rewards are stuck there watching their fellow reaching higher levels. Some of those in the lower levels of the game can again try the previous levels and collect gems, learn the strategy, and move forward, while some of them are tired and can’t play the game more and they quit. This is how the game goes on.

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So, we all are playing the same game. We all come across the same situations and the same difficulties. The thought that we are the one coming across the difficulties of life arises because we don’t have enough knowledge of others’ lives. We only see their lives from outside. We can say we know the points of each player in the game (it is there on the scoreboard), but what we actually don’t is the details, i.e. how much gems, lives, and rewards each of them have collected. We all started from the same point and proceeded along the same direction but eventually end up getting different results. The gems, lives, and rewards that we collected on our way and the attempt we made for it kept us making different from each other. So, if you look at those who reached the final level, they may have different skills and talents because of the way in which they proceeded but they have similar perceptions.

5 BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU TURN 20

Turning 20 means that you are embarking on your big 20s of your life where you can go to bars, make bad decisions, thrive in college, fall wildly in love which most of us won’t do because we are adults with responsibilities, society is crushing our soul and we have no money but nevertheless, before you embark to your 20s you must read these books that will lend you a helping hand in your 20s. These books will help you figure out or make you feel normal when everything around you is changing or give you advice to sought out your problems or comfort you. So, pick any one book….

1.THE ART OF WAR BY SUN TZU
The art of war is a military manual written by sun Tzu back in the 5th century BC. You may ask why a military manual is useful for us common people? Sun Tzu was a military general who believed that war was based on rules of spirituality and compassion. His writings are filled with wisdom on how to tackle a tough situation with elegance and ease. It’s a beautiful book that gives us an immense understanding of how we should strategize and intercept our problems. As a teen who is stepping into adulthood, this book offers plenty of advice and know-how but most importantly teaches us grace and elegance.

2.THE KITE RUNNER BY KHALED HOUSSEINI
The book is filled with life lessons and will resonate with you as you get older. This book is beautifully painful and will touch your heart. This book is heart touching, filled with heartbreak but poignant story of two boys. Despite the sadness that shrouds the story the book still ends on an optimistic note and sometimes that’s all we can do.

3.NORWEGIAN WOOD BY HARUKI MURAKAMI
The running theme in the book is nostalgia and searching for our inner identity. The book is marked with understanding why we humans feel the way we feel and how each of us deals with sadness and regret in different ways. This book retains the main truth of life that life itself is a bittersweet journey.

4.CATCHER IN THE RYE BY J.D SALINGER
This book captures the story of teenager Holden Caulfield who has been kicked out of is school and runs away to New York city to avoid meeting his parents. The book is a poignant tale about the ‘phoniness of the world we live in “. The book deals with angst, depression, and how its difficult to find a human connection in this phony world. This story is something any teen can understand and go through.

5.THE DEVIL WEARS THE PRADA BY LAUREN WEISBERGER
This story is about a recently graduated girl who struggles to cope with the world and has to change herself to fit in but eventually realizes that her worth. This book holds true to the world cut-throat job market, crazy bosses who hate everyone, and an overworked employee who doesn’t have any time. This book is a heartwarming story that stays true to the ethics of the real world.

Books:A Best Friend in Disguise

Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.- Mark Twain

Life is not easy to live without friends. When it involves Books, they will be our greatest friends ever. Good Books enriches our minds with good thoughts and knowledge a bit like an honest friend. We cannot feel alone within the company of books. We can learn many goodies while reading an honest book. Books written by famous and experienced people help us to become a far better person and also teach us the way to serve the society within the absolute best way. When we are alone, we will always devour a book and begin reading to feel relax.

**A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.- William Styron**

Books are our greatest friends because they inspire us to try to great things in life and overcome our failures. We learn tons from good books a bit like an honest friend. Books can be good or bad, but it is our responsibility to choose them wisely. Friendship with Good books causes you to person and friendship with Bad books cause you to person. Books will always be there for you in your bad times. Books teach us to have dreams. Books bring positive value to our life.

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
― Groucho Marx

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Source :Google

“A man can be destroyed, but not defeated” ~~Ernest Hemingway

Author :Ernest Hemingway

Country :United States

Language :English

Published :1952

Pages:127

Awards:Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1953),Nobel Prize in Literature (1954)

ISBN- 0-684-80122-1

Dewaj Decimal – 813.52

LC class- PS3515. E37

‘The Old Man And The Sea’ is one of the most popular novel written by Ernest Hemingway. While, he is known as the master of brevity, his concise works also are much more complex than they would first appear, and ‘The Old Man And The Sea’ is no exception. The book was published on 1952.The story goes through the life of an old man named Santiago.

Santiago is a old fisherman who has gone for 84 days without catching a fish. His dream is to catch a big fish, so that he can prove his life is not a failure. On the 85th day old man sets out to the open sea. He goes a little farther out than he normally would in his desperation to catch a big fish. After sometimes he saw a big fish, but it is very difficult for him to handle. He expertly hooks the fish, but he cannot pull it in. Instead the fish begins to pull the boat. For two days they battle and Santiago wins that battle, but on the way back to his home scavenger sharks came and ate the flesh of the big fish. The skeleton was only there when he reach the shore. As soon as he reached, he fell asleep. undefined

The story is told with incredible economy of words and description, yet nothing is sacrificed which drives home the power and inner strength of this man, who just takes it as what he does, what it is to be a serious fisherman.

There is a side tale as well. This great individual the old man who stands alone, is not alone completely by choice. He has developed a friendship, a working relationship, a love with a young boy who began fishing with him, when the boy was only five. Now the boy has moved on to another boat, a more successful one,at his parents behest, but he pines to work with Santiago, and when the battle with the great fish has been engaged Santiago pleads over and over :”I wish the boy were here”.

The novel seems to be a simple story. It however has lots of hidden meanings which reflect on society and human’s personality. I got three lessons from this novel, which are patience, courage and friendship. Santiago’s patience is suggestive of satisfaction and happiness after the patience. We are faced with lots of hardships and suffering. We often give up and feel desperate from it. It is not easy to struggle with those. Santiago’s life and challenge encourage us not to be frustrated.

At last, I suggest that this novel is valuable to read. It is not only because this novel is famous or interesting but also there are morals and messages and even courage.

4 Productive Things To Do During Quarantine

REMINDER: IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE PRODUCTIVE EVERYDAY. YOUR WORTH IS INDEPENDENT OF YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

PART 1

Here are 4 productive things to do during quarantine:

1. Learn to play an instrument

Playing an instrument is a great skill, you could start with an instrument that you have always thought of playing- a guitar, a ukulele, a tabla or an instrument that is fascinating to you. Though it will take some time to get used to the habit of following YouTube tutorials or online lessons, but once you get a hang of it, you’ll realise just how rewarding it is. With so much time on your hands you’ll not be under any pressure to reschedule your day and make time out of you busy schedule, instead you’ll be able to take it at your pace and pay more attention to details.

Here’s a list of easy to learn instruments: Top 15 musical instruments you can easily learn & play

2. Read more books

There are hundreds of thousands of authors and an even bigger amount of books you could read. Books are an essential item for improving your language as well as your vocabulary. They develop your knowledge – and like instruments, they help sharpen your memory. If you don’t want to shell out money from your pocket and/or are sceptical to order paperbacks online from stores like Amazon or Flipkart, the easier way out is free e-book websites.

You can try and give EPDF or PDF Drive a shot.

3. Bake

Baking is incredible and extremely fulfilling: mix a few ingredients, put it in the oven – and bingo! You have a tasty treat for yourself. Baking can also be advantageous for mental health as it is very therapeutic and calming for the brain. Research show that it is a great stress reliever and can leave you feeling happier and more positive.

Here are some YouTube channels that will make you want to run to you kitchen to get your supplies

4. Learn a new language

If you want to level up and attempt a more challenging activity, which will benefit you exceedingly- learn a new language. It is scientifically proven that learning a new language makes you smarter and helps in developing cognitive abilities. Learning a new language help strengthen your listening and multitasking skills. Research also suggests that it helps prevent the onset of Alzheimers.

There are plenty apps and e-learning wesbites that can help you learn a language. These include: Affordable yet excellent language courses on Udemy and Coursera also offers such free and paid courses by prestigious universities from all over the globe.

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1. I Owe You One

2. This Lullaby

3. Catching Jordan

4. The Edge of Never

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Introduction

1. The Time Machine

2. Snow Crash

3. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

4. Cinder

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Introduction

1. After I Do

2.The Hating Game

3. Miss Makeover

4. Manhunting

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Introduction

1. The Time Traveler’s Wife

2.The Silent Patient

3.Beautiful Disaster

4. In an Instant

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1. And Then There Were None:

2. The Guest List

3. The Last of the Moon Girls

4.The Secrets of Lost Stones

5. Where the Forest Meets the Stars

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1. The Great Gatsby

2. The Catcher in The Rye

3.Gone With the Wind

4. Anna Karenina

5. Fahrenheit 451

6.Lord of the Flies

7. The Diary of a Young Girl

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1.Pride & Prejudice:

2. Jane Eyre:

3. Little Women:

4.Wuthering Heights:

5. Emma:

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1. Mystery

2. Romance

3. Fantasy

4. Sci-Fi

5. Non- fiction

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1. Jane Austen (1775-1817)

2. Mary Shelly (1797-1851)

3. Charlotte Bronte(1816-1855)

4. Emily Bronte (1818-1848)

5. Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

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Godaan (Munshi Premchand)

Madhushala (Harivansh Rai Bachchan)

Gunaho Ka Devta (Dharamvir Bharati)

Chandrakanta (Devki Nandan Khatri)

Rashmirathi (Ramdhari Singh Dinkar)

Gaban (Mushi Premchand)

Maila Aanchal (Phanishwar Nath Renu)

Volga Se Ganga (Rahul Sankrityayan)

Kamayani (Jaishankar Prasad)

Need Ka Nirman Phir (Harivansh Rai Bachchan)

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1. Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

2. Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

3. Tommy Sullivan Is a Freak by Meg Cabot

4. Prom Nights from Hell

Circle of Pearls by Rosalind Laker

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