Category: A2Z Challenge

  • Do We Really Finish Books; or Just Stop Reading?

    Do We Really Finish Books; or Just Stop Reading?

    Anyone who knows me personally can attest to a simple fact; I am rarely seen without a book with me. Friends often joke that I don’t merely read books; I devour them with an insatiable appetite. Yet, there are still days when the novel tucked in my bag remains unopened. Typically, when I turn the last page of a book, I promptly swap it for the next, dutifully logging it as “finished” on my tracking apps. But occasionally, a story halts me in my tracks, making it impossible to pick up something new the moment I reach “The End.” These are the rare works that leave me wondering: do we ever truly finish books, or do we simply stop reading?

    Does it really finish?

    Mind you, I am not referring to dense, heavily researched non-fiction volumes or weighty philosophical tomes. Fiction possesses a unique power to send the mind wandering down unexpected trails. It doesn’t always take an entire novel or even a short story; sometimes, a single, beautifully crafted sentence is enough to spark a profound train of thought. While immersed in Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, my mind snagged on a poignant observation by Hwang Boreum:

    “Despite falling short of the expectations, could a book, if enjoyed, be considered a good read?”

    The story didn’t end on that particular thought, yet the sentiment lingered, sending my mind on a retrospective hunt for books that defied my expectations but still brought me immense joy. I’ve found myself dwelling on these titles for quite some time, even as I’ve moved on to dozens of other reads.

    जांभळाचे दिवस by Vyankatesh Madgulkar, माणसे: अरभाट आणि चिल्लर by G. A. Kulkarni, the evocative poetry of Indira Sant, B. B. Borkar, Vaibhav Joshi, and Guru Thakur, The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin, and Ladies’ Tailor by Priya Hajela – these are the works that make me question the finality of the last page. Do we actually finish them, or do we just stop reading, allowing the narrative to echo quietly in our subconscious?

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    I’d love to hear from you: do you have any books like this? Stories where you feel you simply stopped reading, rather than truly finishing them?

    This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026.

    To read more about books, click here.

  • The comfort books I return to – As love, not escape

    The comfort books I return to – As love, not escape

    For as long as I can remember, I have been a reader. The switch that श्रीमान योगी flipped in me all those years ago is still firmly in the “on” position. However, saying that might be a little misleading; it makes it sound as though I’ve never experienced a reading slump. I want to dispel that notion right away. There have certainly been lulls. Times when half-read books gathered dust on the table. Once, the rough patch was so severe that I stopped reading entirely for a brief period.

    The reasons for these breaks; or reading slumps, as we call them; vary. Sometimes life simply gets in the way; other times, it’s the inability to find a book that matches my exact mood. It can feel surprisingly difficult to pick a book from the hundreds you own that will offer the precise comfort you need in that moment. That indecision breeds a slump, one that often lingers long after the initial situation has passed.

    Yet, inevitably, after a few days, I find myself wandering back to my bookshelf. Pulled in by familiar titles, just browsing the shelves begins to reignite the joy of reading. Scattered among those rows are a few specific books that act as the perfect antidote to slumpy days. They are well-loved, bearing the physical evidence of countless re-reads. The comfort of a familiar story, the memory of the happiness I felt during the first read, and the anticipation of experiencing that joy again make the process incredibly soothing. Even though there is no suspense building to a crescendo in the final chapter, these old stories warm my heart every single time. There are even a few books where, nowadays, I can just flip to a random page and dive right in.

    These books are incredibly dear to me, and naming just a few wouldn’t do justice to the rest. Importantly, they don’t act as an escape from my current feelings, nor do they provide a hiding place from my troubles. Instead, I find genuine comfort and grounding in those pages, and I know I will keep returning to them every time I find myself in a slump.

    This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026

    To read more about books, click here.

  • Buying Books I Don’t Read — Habit, Hope, or Self-Deception?

    Buying Books I Don’t Read — Habit, Hope, or Self-Deception?

    I won’t claim that I have been a bibliophile since my younger days, nor would I claim my home boasted a wall full of books stacked neatly on shelves. Although my reading journey started in high school, it was fueled by a steady supply from a local public library. I was perfectly happy with my small collection of storybooks, which consisted of six abridged Sherlock Holmes stories in Marathi and the first six books of the Faster Fene series by Bha. Ra. Bhagwat.

    But when I moved to Pune from my hometown, things changed. As I’ve mentioned in an earlier blog post, I started buying new books to read. Little did I know my collection would eventually grow to nearly 400 books over the years. And as I mentioned in my last post, that collection falls into three categories: Read, TBRs, and DNFs.

    While arranging my shelves recently, I realized that even the TBR pile has two sub-categories of its own; titles I will read sooner or later, and titles I am almost certain will remain on the TBR list forever. The first three parts of Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series definitely belong in the latter category, if you ask me. I bought them enthusiastically on a whim because the blurbs were so compelling. But their voluminous size has deterred me from picking them up for years. This begs the question: why do I even buy a book if it’s going to end up on the TBR list forever?

    Habit, hope or self-deception?

    There’s neither a set timetable for buying new books, nor are there funds specifically allotted for this ever-growing collection. So, we can rule out the idea that buying books is just a mindless habit. The truth is, it’s incredibly hard for any book lover to walk out of a bookshop empty-handed. When I enter a bookstore, the vibrant displays, cozy nooks, and that inviting smell of printed paper pull me in. The clever arrangements entice me to pick up titles and read their blurbs. Sometimes, cleverly wrapped books set me up on a blind date with their stories. And as I browse, the snippets I read make me hopeful that this book will be worth the time. Before I know it, my mind is made up.

    I know the hope I feel while reading a blurb is genuine. The storyline feels enticing, intriguing, and highly readable. Even though it’s hard to leave a bookstore without buying anything, I have done it when I couldn’t find a blurb that truly intrigued me. If a book later turns out to be all bait and no substance, it goes straight into the DNF pile. But the act of buying the book in the first place is never a self-deception or a mere compulsion. I am always fueled by the hope that one day, I will pick up that one book that has been sitting on my shelf for years, and the story will finally do justice to the blurb that convinced me to take it home.

    This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026

    To read more about books, click here.

  • The Abandoned Book I Still Think About

    The Abandoned Book I Still Think About

    You might think it’s impossible for a bibliophile to ever leave a book unfinished. But let me let you in on a little insider secret: yes, we absolutely abandon books if they don’t hook us. We bookworms even have an acronym for it; DNF (Did Not Finish). Look at any reader’s shelf, and you’ll find three distinct categories: Read, DNF, and TBR (To Be Read). And yes, that TBR pile is always growing, so let’s not be judgmental about it! We can talk about that pile when we get to the letter ‘T’.

    Today is all about the abandoned books.My shelves hold quite a few books that I started and couldn’t finish for one reason or another. However, there’s one particular DNF book I still think about; My Name is Red by Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk.

    Why is it still in DNF

    Usually, a book lands in the DNF pile simply because it’s uninteresting. If the author fails to pull you into the story within the first chapter, it’s easy to lose interest. My Name is Red, however, is a glaring exception to that rule. I have made multiple attempts to finish it. I’ve tried different formats—paperback, ebook, you name it. I even gave the audiobook version a shot. The production quality is great, and John Lee’s narration is wonderful, yet the result is always the same. The book remains firmly in my DNF section.

    My Name is Red is a wonderfully crafted historical thriller revolving around the murder of “Elegant Effendi,” a royal miniaturist in the Ottoman court. Orhan has built a fantastic, immersive world out of medieval Istanbul, where Eastern and Western philosophies clash. It explores the rising tension between traditional Islamic and Western Renaissance painting styles, while also tackling deeper themes like faith, identity, and the tussle between traditional and modern artistic expressions.

    With his unique use of multiple perspectives, Orhan manages to pull me right back into the narrative every single time I pick the book up. And it’s not just the human characters speaking to us; a dog, a tree, and even the color Red itself take turns telling the story.

    Is it a time to move it from DNF?

    This incredible blend of faith, art, and highly original storytelling is exactly why I can never quite stop thinking about a book I’ve abandoned so many times. In fact, just writing this post has made up my mind. I’m going to pick it up again and finally finish it this time. That way, I can give you all a proper review and finally get some closure by solving the mystery for myself!

    This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026

    To read more about books, click here.

  • Nothing but Emotion Gatherer

    Nothing but Emotion Gatherer

    Our heart is always filled with emotions. Sometimes we are really happy, someday we feel a bit deflated just like a flat tire. The sun may rise someday with a very sad and gloomy mood while the other day might feel elated. Our mind keeps playing tricks on us with all of these emotions.

    As a creative soul, I nourish my creativity with a regular dosage of these emotions. I have been writing poetry for more than 15 years. Over the years, many people asked me if there’s a personal story behind every poem.

    No, we are mere gatherers

    So today, I will answer this question. There are poems which come out from a very personal space. But not every poem comes with a backstory. Not every love-poem is written for my girlfriend/partner and my heart is not broken for so many times to mach my ‘broken heart’ poetry. Many times, I draw inspiration from people around me. Sometimes I don’t even know them. A poem can come to me when I am sitting at a cafe and there’s a couple sharing a nice conversation over a cuppa. A thought can take root when I am in a garden where I see an old man brooding alone.

    I find an abundance of emotions to gather all around me. Copious amounts of joy, plenty of happiness, tensions, anxiety and many more. However, I feel, sorrow is the strongest emotion we humans can feel. And it’s said many times that we poets carry a sadness deep down inside us.

    केहते है, दर्द के बिना कविता पैदा नहीं होती।

    With this thought, a Marathi poem came to me some days before, which talks about the relationship that poetry shares with sadness. May it be a personal emotion or it’s borrowed from someone else.

    दुःख, भावना तशी अतिशय प्रभावशाली.
    कधी स्वतः अनुभवलेली, कधी सभोवताली बघितलेली.
    क्वचित पूर्ण गुरफटून टाकणारी, तर केव्हा अगदी नमुन्याला गोळा केलेली.
    अनेक दुःखे हाताशी घेऊन आम्ही कवी,
    गुंफतो कधी शब्द काही.
    ते कागदावर उतरतात तेव्हा लेखणीतून उतरत नाही शाई,
    उतरतात ते अश्रू, ओढून दुःखाची चादर काळी.
    आजही, कढ अगदी दाटून आलाय,
    बहुदा दुःख उतू जाणार थोडी.
    कदाचित, आज कविता घडेल थोडी…

    आदित्य साठे

    हिंदी अनुवाद

    दुख, वैसे तो बहोत प्रभावशाली भावना।
    कभी खुद का अनुभव, तो फिर कभी कही देखा हुवा।
    शायद पूरी तरह से गिरफ्त में लेती हुई, या कई बार, बस छू कर जाने वाली।
    वैसे हम कवि लोग, अनगिनत दुख अपने बस्ते में लेके घूमते है,
    कही किसी दिन लिख देते है कुछ शब्द।
    जब वो कागज पे उतरते है तो स्याही नही,
    आसू उतरते है, दुख की काली चादर लपेटे हुए।
    आज भी, कूछ ज्यादा ही गहरा हो गया है,
    शायद दुख उबल कर बह जाएगा।
    शायद, आज थोड़ी कविता होगी…

    आदित्य साठे

    I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and this is the 5th post in my “Mobile Blogging” series. Do let me know what you think about this in the comments below.

    For my other posts, follow this trail…

  • It’s all about the dedication

    It’s all about the dedication

    It’s all about dedication, I tell you. It was a perfect 3 day streak of posting even when I was on vacation. It appears that my streak ended along with it. Yesterday on the 4th of April, I was supposed to write the post for the letter D. I can give you the excuse of being tired after driving a car for 5 hours in this burning heat. But that would be a lie.

    I faltered with my dedication to keep writing is the only truth. And I am not ready to give up. Wise people say, it’s not a bad thing to make mistakes, it’s bad to repeat the same ones and not learn from them.

    It’s time to relearn

    I am learning once again about the need and importance of dedication and determination to achieve your goal. And it’s not just about being consistent at blogging. This relearning is helping me with my other goal too for which I have made a social commitment in my earlier blog.

    But I am glad that I am a part of this thriving community of my lovely fellow bloggers, Blogchatter. Their constant encouragement keeps my morals high and I am here writing this one instead of leaving the A2Z challenge after this first hurdle.

    This post started with my understanding of the importance of dedication and determination to achieve goals for improvement but seems like it has turned into my appreciation of the lovely folks of the Blogchatter community! And I have no regrets about this.

    But wait, I think an idea is brewing in my head for my next post which is supposed to be the ‘E post’. Just to give you a hint, a lot of shout outs are coming your way!!!

    So stay tuned to know, if you’re getting lucky in this post or the next one.

    I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and this is 4th post in my “Mobile Blogging” series. Do let me know what you think about this in the comments below.

    For my other posts, follow this trapil…

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