People Speak | 12 Amazing Books That The ‘Aam Janta’ Is Reading During The Lockdown

It has been a little over a year since coronavirus took the country and the world by a storm and forced people to stay locked up indoors. Last year people engaged in hitting utensils, making mug cakes and watching TikTok. This time around, coronavirus is back with a bang and has once again forced many states in India to go into lockdown again. With work from home and a lot of free time in hand, many people have taken to reading. If you’re looking to get back into reading or form a new reading habit, here are some people and what they are reading right now for you to get inspired!

The Commonwealth of Cricket by Ramchandra Guha

 

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Himanshu Sharma from Bangalore has taken his liking for cricket to the next level with this book. For the uninitiated, Ramchandra Guha is a renowned historian with several praise-worthy works and this one is nothing different! Published in 2020, this book takes a look at India’s favourite sport cricket and how it has evolved ever since its inception to its present kind. The book contains several personal insights and also talks in detail about cricketing gods like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni as well!

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

 

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Romila Padhi is trying to read celebrated author Elif Shafak’s second English book, The Bastard of Istanbul. The book depicts the violent past of Turkey with a story that revolves around Turkey and the US and two families. This fictional book is very widely talked about and even got the author in trouble for her writing as well!

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

 

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Drushti Bharot is currently reading one of Arundhati Roy’s best-selling books. Set in Kerala in 1969 this book revolves around a set of twins Rahel and Esthapphen and their journey in Marxist Kerala among their other cousins. The writing is old and new at the same time and the author went on to win a Booker Prize for this book as well!

Snuffing Out The Moon by Osama Siddiqui

 

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Criss-crossing through timelines and characters, this book is vast and expansive in its personal stories and revelations. Even Shashi Tharoor praised this book and called it a “challenging and through-provoking read.” From Mohenjodaro to Lahore, this book traverses many histories, each as gripping as the previous one.  Vatsal Thakore is currently reading this while he quarantines!

Postscript by Cecelia Ahern

 

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Kashmira Makani from Pune is reading one of Cecelia Ahern’s newest books, Postscript which is the second instalment to her famous best-selling book, PS I love you. This book takes place seven years after Holly’s husband, Gerry dies. She has learned to live without him but a group calling themselves the PS I love you club contact Holly and she finds herself drawn back to the world of her loved one’s death.

Adultery by Paulo Coehlo

 

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Shreyasee Sen from West Bengal is currently reading Adultery by Paulo Coelho because she wanted to know what goes behind one’s mind when one commits adultery. She has never been fond of fairytale romances and so she picked this book by her favourite author to read something atypical yet enriching. Published in 2014, this novel explores what it means to live and the desire for new things.

Ikigai

 

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Swagata from Gurgaon is reading Ikigai right now. She feels bogged down by what’s currently happening in the country along with her work and family and picked up this book as a way to navigate through this mess and find some calmness and happiness in life. Ikigai talks about the Japanese ways of going through life and finding happiness. It has been quite popular since its release.

Barbarians by Terry Jones and Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

 

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Journalist Sumitra Nair, 34 often reads two books at the same time. She has been reading Barbarians by Terry Jones and Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig currently. She is reading Barbarians because it is a recounting of Roman history by a non-historian and it is an easy read. And Reasons To Stay Alive because in it the author talks about his own journey with depression because it grounds her and makes her feel like she is not alone in her suffering and pain right now!

Lust For Life

 

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Gauri Sapre Joshi is reading Lust for Life right now and this book talks about the artist Vincent Van Gogh’s life and works. The book delves into what went behind some of his most famous works and what his life was like when he made them. This gives a lot of insights into the minds of artists and Gauri recommends this to everyone who has an artistic side to them! She was recommended this book by her brother Sagar when she was stressed about the lockdown and her work.

The Secret History by Donna Tart

 

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This is a gothic mystery thriller that Manjiri is currently reading. She enjoys gothic books which have a mysterious quality to them. This book revolves around a group of eccentric kids at a college in London who are influenced by a new classics professor and under him, go through many changes that leave them evil. Manjiri picked up this book because she heard a lot of hype about it!

The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden

 

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Akanksha picked up this book because she wanted to find some joy in these testing times. She is enjoying the humour that this book brings to her and keeps her smiling! This book is about Nombeko Mayeki, her two Chinese sisters, luck and international relations. She is on the run from a secret service agency whilst also carrying the King of Sweden’s fate on her shoulders.

The Hidden Hindu by Akshat Gupta

 

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Vidhi A Chheda is reading The Hidden Hindu, a book that mixes mythology with mystery and thrill. Vidhi had watched Maharbharat during the lockdown and was very taken by Ashwathama’s character. She was curious about what Ashwathama would be like if he lived today. When she picked up this she was excited to gain knowledge about him and is very excited to see how this ends. This is the first book in Akshat Gupta’s trilogy!

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