My favourite reads: Mary Ercilia Gayen

Here are five books that reignited my love for reading

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling Courtesy Scholastic

I have rekindled my love for reading, literally. I bought a Kindle two years ago and started setting myself reading challenges for the number of books I can get through in a year. Fortunately for my ego, I’ve so far been successful. Here are five books that made me brood.

St Clare’s series by Enid Blyton (since 1941)

When I was at boarding school I devoured this series ... set in a girls’ boarding school. The stories resonated with our playtime, headmistress troubles, midnight feasts and friendships. It is also great literature for school-going girls. Blyton is very relatable and has good life lessons on integrity in this early education on womanhood.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling (1999)

Yes, I am a member of the Harry Potter cult following. This one is my favourite in the series. By the third book, I had my moment of: “How on earth does Rowling imagine this?” Still in school at the time, I remember being totally engrossed by the Howlers, Dementors, wands, magic and the endless, painful wait until the next one would be released.

Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta (2004)

Bombay, as it was known then, offers an escape to a better life for millions of people. The financial capital of India is a city of paradoxes that makes for an intriguing narrative. Mehta presents thought-provoking stories of gangs, dancers, businessmen, slum-dwellers, the Hindi film industry; you’ll be hooked to the end.

Modern Romance: An Investigation by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg (2015)

If you are curious about how human beings look for love these days, this is a hilarious read. Results from surveys in Tokyo, Doha, Paris and other cities reveal a lot about our social behaviour. Unfortunately, most of it is bleak. I believe people are more disconnected in these so-called connected times. This book only proves my point.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (1997)

As a yoga practitioner, this book is my guide to tuning in more presence to my life. This is no spiritual mumbo-jumbo, Tolle, in the simplest manner, explains how a more mindful life can benefit us all. Try and pick up this very short read, you never know, you may end up incorporating elements of it in your life. This recommendation is my pay it forward deed.

Mary Gayen is a sub-editor for The National

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