Timeline of the Indian Bookworm

‘Can I smell it?’

‘No! Nooooo. Give it back. Give back the smell.’ I pulled the book back from my friend’s hands and clutched it to my chest. I stroked the paper back cover of the book like I was caring for a newly born child.

‘The smell forms an essence of the book. And you tried to take away the essence. I might get violent.’ I warned my friend while she rolled her eyes. Well, those are the side effects of having a bookworm for a friend.

The timeline of the Indian bookworm:

Ages 10 – 12: The Muggle Born Witch and the Secret Seven detective

Probably most Indian kids got hooked on to books because of our beloved J. K. Rowling and our very own Enid Blyton. Our evenings were spent in coming up with innovative passwords and secret group meetings so that we could be as cool as the Secret Seven.

Our childhoods be like, ‘Mom, did an owl come with my letter?’

‘Not yet. But why don’t you finish your maths homework?’

‘Maths! I got to be learning some defense against the dark arts. How else will I fight You Know Who?’

(Sob, I am still waiting for my owl. Accio, letter. Acciooooo, letterrrrr. Throws the stick into the dustbin)

Ages 12 -13: Goosebumps. Do it yourself Goosebumps.

We knew now that the letter wasn’t coming. The secret seven meetings had all but dried up and there weren’t enough adventures for a detective at the moment. We had officially moved to the genre of horror. R. L. Stine was our hero. Late into the nights (secretly hiding from our parents) we read page after page of the horror that was stored in each Goosebumps book.

The thrill was even more for a DIY Goosebumps where you suddenly died a painful death or escaped under the monster’s grip.

The corridors spooked us for days after we had finished reading and shadows terrified us at night. But we scrounged for every Goosebumps book that existed and devoured it.

P.S. - A special mention to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Much love to them.

Ages 14 – 15: Classics

We grew out of cheap thrills (till Sia happened, obviously) and got into Classics. Cried our way through Little Women and fell in love with Anne of Green Gables. Charles Dickens filled our afternoons and Jane Austen our evenings.

Around the same time, we were hooked on to Roald Dahl. Our love for him is eternal. Through the magic of Matilda, BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and so many more, he made us fall in love with ourselves. Made us the heroes of our everyday lives. Nothing seemed impossible.

A special mention to Lewis Caroll and Mark Twain for filling us with wonder. 

Time to re-read Alice in Wonderland.

Ages 16 - 18: New horizons

Sixteen is a difficult age. It is the age where we battle with multiple emotions. Before we knew what was happening to us, we were thrown into the clutches of Sidney Sheldon (There was a brief moment when I thought Sidney was a woman. I hope I am not the only one!) This resulted in sleepless nights of a different kind.

‘Tell me your dreams’ – why not?

There was also the brief venturing into Danielle Steele and the likes. I hate to admit this but we have also secretly tried reading Mills and Boon and then given up for the sheer mundaneness of the story-line. 

Ages 18 - 22: Get me all the best sellers

In the time and age where we had to prove ourselves, we also had to stay abreast of the latest bestsellers. And there was so much to read. We got engrossed in Jeffrey Archer, Dan Brown, Gregory David Roberts, Khaled Hosseini, Arvind Adiga, Paulo Coelho and so many more. The list would be truly endless. 

These books introduced us to the world. The authors portraying the vivid characters and enthralling us with their universe. We gorged on these books, always wanting for more.

Ages 22 and on: All the books I can read

We enjoy multiple genres and diverse authors now. Our ideal Saturday evenings include reading a book, with a bowl of munchies under our most comfy blanket. We aren't anti-social but........

Special mention to one of my favorite authors, Sophie Kinsella. I love you.