I’m in Bombay, downstairs in the garden, writing my diary on the wooden table. All around me, birds are chirping, chattering, and squawking. Bright green parrots take off in flight; A brown-gray kite sits still at the top of the palm tree next to me.
But I was restless. February is almost over, the year is moving forward, and I feel… stuck somehow. And then this reader’s email arrives.
Dear Bookbox, Every January I set a reading goal. This year I made a list of “important” books that I’ve been meaning to read forever, like War and Peace and Dog’s Shoe by Phil Knight.
But it’s almost the end of February and I’m already behind on my list. Plus there are a lot of important new books coming out – books that people are talking about – and I, who consider myself a reader, don’t read any of these books.
Instead, I read six suspense novels about airports and a story about a missing influencer. I tell myself I’ll read “important books” when work slows down, but work never stops. Have you become the type of person who only reads what is easy?
Yours, Behind the Books, Bangalore
Behind the books, I’ve been thinking about your email for the past few days. You seem like the type of person who enjoys making lists and organizing your life, and I relate to that so much. However, planning something as fun as reading can take the fun out of it. I know this because I was trying to do the same thing.
I am on leave from teaching while building a house in Manali, but snow storms have stopped the construction. For the first two months of the year, I did none of that – no building, no teaching. I decided to do some objective reading.
For February, it makes sense to read romance. I thought to myself: The world needs more romance. What is the best antidote to tariff wars and mangrove cutting? Depression drowns in the spontaneous fun of cute boy-meets-girl, the challenge of some complications, and then fast-forward to a happy ending.
Beth O’Leary has been using my Kindle for a long time, so I turned to The Flatshare. It’s fun and clever, but halfway through, it starts to drag. I knew what was going to happen, so I got impatient and quickly read the rest of the book. Next up was Lily King’s lover’s heart. Everyone’s been talking about it. But the book did not gel for me. The romance seemed forced, the complications artificial. The ending was very disappointing. I thought it must be me because I backed away from this too.
Finally, what saved me was the most unusual book. It’s not a love story at all; You’ll never find it on a list of romance books. However, as I write this, I realize that it could be the ultimate romance – a story between a young woman and a crane. I discovered that the crane is a little rabbit.
In Raising Hare, Chloe Dalton leaves her busy life in London to live in the English countryside. One day I found an injured crane and started taking care of it. She is slowly learning her ways, adjusting her life to her rhythms. There is no quick wit, repetition or complexity here, just thoughtful patient survival in a world of quiet intimacy. However, this book, a huge deviation from the romantic plan, made me feel calm, comfortable, and everything I needed.
Here’s a passage from the chapter I’m reading – attentive prose about a small life unfolding:
“The crane passed in front of the window, and disappeared from sight. I waited for it to appear again and continue its cycle. Seconds passed. I put the glass aside, walked to the back door and looked out.
The crane was standing on top of the garden wall, looking back in my direction. His ears were delicately curled, like fingertips gently probing the air, as he sensed his surroundings. I had never seen a crane attempt to jump the wall, which was made of traditional drystone and was many times its body length. My surprise quickly turned to – How did I get there? -To worry about what will happen next. Which direction will you jump?
Which brings me back to your question, behind the books in Bangalore. Don’t feel guilty about putting War and Peace and Shoe Dog aside for another day, another month, or another year. Head straight to your favorite books; Read what makes you comfortable. The “important” books will be there when you need them — or they won’t be there, and that’s okay, too.
As for me, I must return to the crane. Still waiting to see which direction it will jump.
Note: The Lost Influencer’s novel, Is Julie Chan Dead by Lian Zhang? It’s lively and lively – I loved it.
(Sonia Dutta Chowdhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and founder of Sonya’s Book Box, a personalized book service. Every week she brings you books specially curated to give you a comprehensive understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or reading dilemmas, write to her at sonyasbookbox@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal)
