books

THE WINTER READING

| ramyaamrit [licensed for non-commercial use only]

Reading is a wonderful pastime. It is a hobby that transports the reader to different places. Readers can meet different people in different time zones or eras.

There are few aspects of reading that I follow consistently. I would like to share the same here.

  • Reading outside early morning undisturbed helps – helps one to unwind and start the day in a very relaxed manner.
  • Read books that are not connected to one’s area of specialization. I am an Economics teacher by profession, but I read a lot about History, Literature, Geography and Philosophy.
  • Make sure one does not read more than 10 pages a day. Reading should be followed by reflection too.
  • Read different books each day. If one reads a biography today, read a literature book tomorrow.
  • Read one fiction a month – it be romance, thriller or a murder mystery.
  • Treat vacations as an opportunity to read.

I travel to different locations, find places to rest and read regularly. This winter vacation I read:

  • Agatha Christie: Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah.

This was an unfinished murder mystery by Agatha Christie, which was completed by the Author Sophie Hannah. Unlike the earlier mysteries, this book does not have the thrill nor was it gripping. The twist and the turns were pretty predictable. Hercule Poirot was not characterized as expected. The character seems to talk a lot and hardly uses French during his exclamations. Yet, the English County and their everyday rituals are well described.

  • How To Become CEO. An Amazon.com Top 10 Business Book. The Rules for rising to the top of any organization by Jeffrey J. Fox.

This was a good book to read – short, sweet and crisp. This book is practical and provides tips to handle workplace conflicts. It guides on navigating one’s career using simple but effective strategies. This book is an ideal gift for a BBA or MBA student. The suggestions also help mid-career professionals. This book has to be read once without a break – it’s in fact, a good airport read. Read it once from the first chapter to the last. Then, choose any chapter that resonates with you. Work out the strategies mentioned there.

  • Effective Life Management by Swami Amartyananda

This book was a simple book written in a lucid language. The book was more about disciplining oneself. There are a lot of examples from the life of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. The book does not give out any new ideas; it rehashes the ideas read in different self-help groups. The last section of the book completely focuses on SDM (Satsang, Discipline and Meditation). It explains each aspect in detail. It also describes how this helps in self-discipline. This isn’t an airport. It’s a book you can leaf through while having a morning cup of coffee.

Reading is varied books, expands our mind – this is definitely a different form of meditation.

Adult coloring books

| ramyaamrit [licensed for non-commercial use only]

This is a past time of mine. I do not have any name for it.

I use adult coloring books as a de-stressor. I color the pages and find some relevant detail about the subject I have colored. I then try to do a photo-text (a challenging job, though I have not been really successful).

This I consider is a beautiful and mindful practice—where I combine art, stress relief, and learning into one activity.

My process is:

  1. Color a page from my adult coloring book.
  2. Research some meaningful or relevant detail about the subject I have just colored.
  3. Pair my colored art with that fact or detail.

This is not just for fun. I have attempted to convey a subtle message. Social media can be used as an effective platform for learning. Knowing and knowledge is really fun when it is shared.

I treat this as a personal project with a deeper philosophy. I intend to show, through my posts, that social media can be a space for meaningful learning, not just scrolling. I strongly believe that knowledge can be joyful when paired with creativity, beauty, and sharing.

For people who view my post, this is micro learning experience. Each little post is a knowledge card. Knowledge card = mindfulness + art + knowledge + social good.

Self-Help Books

| ramyaamrit [licensed for non-commercial use only]

I like reading. I read all genres. I have read self-help books by Shiv Khera and Robin Sharma. Many readers do not appreciate or enjoy these books. A general remark that you hear is the content is more or less the same.This is true for an adult who is manoeurvring through life. These self-help books donot really help much. But for a teenagers who is trying to figure himself/herself out – these books are eye openers. The broad outline mentioned in these books is to trust oneself and it is highly essential for a teenager.

These self- help books with little anecdote and simple but effective quotes are good books to be gifted to teenagers, who have self-doubts and are a little unsure of themselves. When we really encourage high-school students or teenagers to begin reading beyond the textbook or fiction, these books are good books to suggest. The language is lucid and the thoughts in the book are relatable.

These books are must for high school library.