Books are the Biggest Blessing! #AtoZChallenge

Posted by

Why Reading Books is More Important Now Than Ever Before!

Reading a biography of Bollywood veteran actor Shammi Kapoor by Senior film journalist Rauf Ahmed. I’m not big on biographies, but I thoroughly enjoyed exploring a genre outside my comfort zone with this one!

I’m sick. That sounds particularly ominous in these covidian times, and believe me I’m scared. I started coughing a couple of days ago and kept worrying that I had caught the dreaded virus, but the cough is progressing into the seasonal laryngitis that usually happens to me. It begins with a cough and minor congestion and leads to a complete loss of my voice for about a week. Now that I’m at the croaking stage, without any other telltale symptoms like fever or body aches, I think it’s just good ol’ laryngitis after all.

Don’t worry though, if the situation gets worse, I’ll be the first one to get tested for corona- just saying! It’s funny how a cough is now more worrisome than a serious disease.

I’ve been in self-isolation for 17 days, having begun well before the nation’s lockdown. My only outings have been 3 trips to the grocery store/ chemist, with extreme caution being exercised (masks, sanitiser after every transaction, shower and change of clothes after returning home!), so, I’m unsure where I could’ve caught it even if I did. Could it be community transmission, despite our government’s vehement denial of its existence?!! Hmmm… The verdict is out on this one guys.

For now, let’s leave it at laryngitis and I shall keep you posted here with any developments.

As I think of a new tip to beat lockdown blues every day, books often present themselves as a universal solution.

Readers are often introverts and home-bodies, rarely needing entertainment other than books,. Take a lesson from readers and start reading during the lockdown.

There are many benefits to reading books-

  1. You improve your knowledge
  2. You improve your vocabulary and grammar skills
  3. You become a better writer
  4. You can express your emotions better
  5. You learn to think creatively and out of the box
  6. You are never bored as long as you have a good book to read
  7. Books stand in for your friends in case you don’t have them around

While juggling jobs with daily lives, it’s hard for people to make time for reading. Hence, the lockdown is the best time to hone this wonderful habit. It has never been easier to access books from around the world – you can choose from e-books and audiobooks! However, if you are already an inveterate reader like I am, I have a different idea for you.

So, my tip to beat the lockdown blues today is:

Find a book in your personal library or your parents/husband/wife/sibling/in-laws collection, that’ doesn’t belong to a genre that you enjoy reading. It’s the best time to move out of your comfort zone and explore a new genre. If you don’t have an extensive collection of books at home, you can download an e-book that you wouldn’t otherwise pick. Who knows, you may discover a new side of your personality?!

I, do however, highly recommend reading reviews of the books before investing in them, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the genre- Goodreads to the rescue!

Talking of books, my recommendation with the alphabet B is:

Beloved” by Toni Morrison, which is set in the aftermath of the American Civil War in the 19th century. It’s the fantastic story of a freed former slave who chooses to kill her child rather than have her enslaved again, only to be haunted by her ghost. Through a plot based on paranormal activity, this Pulitzer-prize winning novel, explores important themes of freedom, self-will and love among the African American community. A heavy topic but a must-read.

On a lighter note, here’s the TV show I’ve been thinking of today:

“Bewitched” is an American comedy show from the 1970s that aired on Sony TV in India throughout the 90s and was an essential part of my childhood. The show is about a witch who is married to a human, leading to plenty of hilarious antics in their life. Though it’s not available for streaming, some of the episodes are on Youtube. If you’re a 90s kid who grew up in India, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this enjoyable trip down memory lane.

As for my blogger recommendation with the letter B:

Who else but Blogchatter right? These guys have changed the way India blogs through their innovative community campaigns. Their curated newsletters are some of the only blogging related ones I read regularly, and that’s saying a lot.

That’s it for today folks.

Do check out my daily update videos on Instagram Stories for #LockdownWithTheLadyLawyer and follow me there to stay better connected. Also tell me your favourite TV Shows/ movies/ books/ bloggers with the letter B? I’ll see you every day this month with some random lockdown thoughts and lots of recommendations.

Bye till tomorrow!

This post has been written for the #AtoZChallenge 2020. My theme this year is #LockdownWithTheLadyLawyer, where I’m journaling my thoughts during the coronavirus lockdown, and sharing numerous recommendations that will help keep your spirits up.

_______________________________________________________________________

*This is not a sponsored post.

**Copyright in pictures and content belongs to nooranandchawla.com and cannot be republished or repurposed without express permission of the author. As I am a copyright lawyer by profession, infringement of any kind will invite strict legal action.

84 comments

  1. Take care Noor..I hope everything is ok..you know, two days before, I had a minor cold and felt the same like you had mentioned here..its scary and now, suffocating too..here in USA, situation is really bad..but I am trying to keep myself sane ..and trying to do not think much about it.
    will check the series you had mentioned in the post. thanks for sharing1

  2. As always some lovely recommendations. And thank you so much for the mention and that too along with Blogchatter. Means a lot. Wishing you a speedy recovery. These are tough times and you are right a slight cold and cough is scaring us more than anything else. Take care.

  3. Hope your laryngitis gets better soon Noor! Even I have been reading a lot of books these days , somehow reading refreshes me!

  4. Really Books are the blessing dear! Source of knowledge, best friends, mind changer and many more. Take care, the weather is changing too, try to do some extra care of yourselves and family. I am glad, you are fine now. I am loving the recommendations.

  5. Books are the best partner to spend these days. And nice books recommended. I will definitely read them, obviously after this challenge 😉✨. Good to see you recommend other bloggers ✨I appreciate that. Well done ✨✍️ Have a wonderful day ✨💐

  6. How are you now Noor? Please don’t stress, you will be fine. I also had cough and cold some days ago and trust me, I was in your situation. Thank god, we’re safe. I also picked some books of my fav genres these days, and am loving to read them. Nice one, waiting for tomorrow’s bite.

  7. These are weird times! Even if I sneeze, I feel scared. Such paranoia! Hope things get better soon. Will look into the book Beloved. Sounds interesting.

  8. I liked your term ‘covidian times’. Take care of health, hope the time gets better soon. Not books really but I am reading lot of blogs specially related to blogging and how to improve it, readability, seo, google analytics etc.
    whatever we read it never goes waste.

  9. Thanks for another good set of recommendations. I once tried reading a biography on Sunil Gavaskar but didn’t finish it. But I think I will try a biography again.

  10. Take care girl…the Shammi Kapoor book seems to be interesting but right now no time to read but a lot of chores and writing..will keep it on the back burner for now.By the way even my throat is bad and the moment I cough I am scared 🙁

  11. Ah, it was Beloved. I thought you’d have mentioned Becoming 🙂 Yup, not a fan of biographies!
    I like the movie Bewitched. You might’ve watched it?
    P.S: Please take care! <3

  12. For avid readers, this is the best time to read for long uninterrupted hours. I did that for a few days but then WFH exigencies and AtoZ Challenge isnt allowing me to read as much as I’d want to. I havent read Toni Morisson’s books. Thanks for recommending Beloved.

  13. HII Noor, I am also a big fan of bewitched. Thank you for letting me know it’s available on YouTube. And being an avid reader
    I ‘ll add this book in my to read list.
    Hope you feel better soon 🙂

  14. Totally agree with you: find a book and settle down. I’d rather have a real book in my hands, but I have no problem with getting ebooks from the library website and a few other sources.
    I just finished reading Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. I don’t highly recommended it, but if you like subtle psychological horror, give it a shot.
    A B TV show that I’ve enjoyed is Being Human. There are two series (maybe more; not sure): first one was from Great Britain; the other was an American TV version.

    C you tomorrow.

      1. Hi Noor: I can’t believe I forgot a very important (to me) book:

        Behold The Man by Michael Moorecock. I mentioned the author in your E posting. I was looking for a favorite to reread, and Behold…the book was in my hand. Not sure how many times I’ve reread it.

  15. I so much agree with you, try reading can bring so many positive changes in us. And our English will also be very good with grammar and vocabulary.

  16. Ah, tell me about quarantine. I am working from home 10th March and gone out only 4-5 times for grocery shopping. Books are good not only for the ming but also for the eyes which are stressed out thoroughly due to work.

  17. Take care Noor. Ditto on reading, it is indeed therapy in these trying times. I prefer memoirs to biographies, but will try Shammi Kapoor’s.

  18. That’s an amazing post. Recommendations are always welcome, and nothing like reading books with their never-ending advantages. Each time I complete a book I wonder what was I doing all along without reading this. They are complete eye-openers.

  19. Reading is always the best practice not just when we are bored but also in general. No knowledge in any form gets wasted. We never know when where we will recall what we have read in the past. About the mention, I also like Arusi’s blogs.

  20. Take care Noor, I can Understand the level of worry during corona season, I love reading biographies, I will definitely check Shammi kapoor’s one, Books are indeed a saviour to pass lock down time smoothly, plz do me a favor and suggest me from where you download the books as I find low scale of availability of options for download books on kindle.

    1. Thanks Archana!
      Actually every book I’ve recommended in my AtoZ series so far (I recommend one book daily), including the Shammi Kapoor one, are available on Amazon Kindle. You can click the link I’ve embedded in the name for easy access 😊

  21. Take care Noor, seasonal change is taking a toll on everyone. I too had sore throat couple of days back but now I am Ok. Bewitched, I watched this regularly during my childhood days. Thanks for taking me down the memory lane.

  22. Even a cold can seem scary. Hope you are alright now. This is the best time to unleash our inner bibliophile. It will certainly save us from panic attacks!

  23. Oh o am getting hooked to your recommendations. Books, Bewitched, Blogchatter and beingathinkaholic are my favorite too.. I am not an avid reader but I aspire to be one. As of now the books I read have more Colors and pictures and less or no words.

Leave a Reply