Bibliophiles share which books are keeping them busy this summer

Mona

From The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, The Laws of the Spirit World to Half Girlfriend… Old and new, about things happy and sad; we speak to avid readers about what they are reading this summer!

Lifting spirits

I am currently enjoying Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia. A friend from the UK sent this across during the second wave of Covid. I was in doldrums, personally and professionally, but the book lifted my spirits. It is like opening an album of positive visuals. Self-employed professionals in creative industries, like me, need a lot of guidance because we remain unemployed for most part of the year and there is lots of introspection needed to crack that one project which pays all the bills! Reading makes you forget the world of cellphones and that’s the need of the hour. Try reading a newspaper, magazine, book or anything that takes you to another world. You must disconnect from the digital media every now and then to reboot your system. — Anjali Khurana, scriptwriter

Hidden strength

This summer, I am reading Joseph Murphy’s The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind and Chetan Bhagat’s Half Girlfriend. I appreciate books that help you connect and progress as a person. These two books are quite different from one another. Books like The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind can help you connect and improve your potential as a person. It assisted me in discovering my hidden strengths. Half Girlfriend is a fictional love story; I really liked the way it has been written. Fiction helps me as an actor in creating an imaginary character and non-fiction provides me with experience. — Prithvi Tanwar, actor

Spiritually inclined

I am reading The Laws of the Spirit World by Khorshed Bhavnagri. It talks about life after death and connects our subconscious mind with

the spiritual world. It also teaches us to be on the correct path in life. I am spiritually inclined and this book is teaching me how to be selfless in life. It has touched my heart and soul. I love fiction, especially love stories. Books are like yoga — they both open your mind! — Jagnoor Aneja, actor-fashion choreographer

Fan of Hindi literature

I am reading Dial D for Don: Inside Stories of CBI Case Missions, written by Neeraj Kumar, former police commissioner. He has a treasure trove of stories and an impeccable style of narration. I am enjoying the untold aspects of numerous momentous investigations, which he conducted during his CBI stint. Being the wife of a police officer, I have always been interested in the way investigations are held. Generally, I am fond of Hindi literature and love reading Phanishwar Nath Renu and Agyeya. While Agyeya pioneered modern trends in Hindi and most of his work relates to philosophy of life; Renu brought regional stories into mainstream Hindi literature. He was one of the most successful and influential writers of modern Hindi literature. His stories are based in rural India, which is why I like them. One of his stories was adapted into a film — Teesri Kasam, starring Raj Kapoor. — Nishi Singh, poetess

Mixed bag

This summer, on my reading list is Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. I have read Rumi in bits and pieces, and have always been fascinated by how he merges love and spirituality. Forty Rules has been recommended by a friend. Of late, I have been spending more time reading books on filmmaking and scripts. However, I have been quite fond of Hindi literature. Nirmal Verma, Prem Chand and Harishankar Parsai are some of my favourites writers.

— Rajesh Tailang, actor [email protected]