For the last couple of weeks, I’ve had nothing new to read. That’s because I took a look at my bookshelves, realised I had these books because I wanted to keep them - i.e., presumably I had thought that they’d be good to re-read - and figured, what the bleep. Let’s avoid the bookshops for a bit. Let’s re-read. Read more

I’m slightly ashamed to admit this, but I recently went head to head with my little nephew over the ownership of five books.

I’m particularly fond of these books – a series of children’s books by Rene Goscinny (the Asterix chappie) and Jean-Jacques Sempe starring a little French boy called Nicholas and his friends. Read more

Last night, I watched Sach Ka Saamna, the new reality show on Star Plus, and felt sick.

If you haven’t heard of it, it’s the Hindi take on the American show, Moment of Truth, in which contestants are asked all sorts of personal questions about their lives and relationships which they must answer with a yes or a no. Four of the people they have relationships with (parents, spouse / partner, friends, relatives) are also on the set with them and many of the questions relate to these people. Read more

There’s a little boy I know whose father thinks books cause clutter.

I’m very sorry for this little boy because I’ve seen him read when he can get his hands on a book, and he reads hungrily. No, greedily. Like he can’t get enough of it. And of course, he can’t get enough of it. There are very few books in his house. They cause clutter. Read more

Do you remember that January day when employees of the oil companies struck work and there was no fuel available for buses and cars? 

I made it to the office with no great difficulty that day, but I wondered how long the strike would continue and what would happen if it wasn’t broken by that evening. Read more

Last week I read an odd sort of book - The Case of the Missing Servant, by Tarquin Hall.

Odd not because it’s strange. Odd because it’s a work of crime fiction by a Brit that’s set in contemporary India (specifically Delhi / NCR), starring a Punjabi detective, and it’s Indian in every way including the use of Indian English. Read more

I was about to begin this post with a line I just remembered I’ve used before - ‘One of the happiest things about being a journalist is…’

So I stopped and thought I’d think of another opener, but I’ve changed my mind again. Because it’s 4 am by my computer clock, I’ve just sent the May 10 edition of Brunch to press, I’m waiting for the office car to return from dropping other late night workers home so I can go home, and I’m tired, okay? Read more

I’ve got it. The little black mark on my finger that proudly proclaims I’m a Good Citizen because I cast my vote. (Or, as I’ve seen relentlessly in all newspapers over the last few days, the one I work for included, ‘caste’ my vote. Which, given the propensity of our political parties for vote banks, may actually be the mot juste.) Read more

(*Since I can’t use bad words on this blog)

The thing with TV is I don’t watch it unless I’m struggling with a book. (I’m very grim when I read. Once I’ve started a book, I HAVE to finish it whether I like it or not. So when I don’t like it, I distract myself with TV.) Read more

I’ve just started reading The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction and I have to say I’m having a really good time.

So far, I’ve read a very far-fetched but still gripping detective story, a murder story with a twist and a story about reincarnation. What I’m going to read next I don’t know, because with anthologies and collections, I don’t begin at the beginning and go on to the end. I close my eyes, open the book at random, and read whichever story or essay the book opened into. Read more