3 Short Reads to Kick Start your Reading Habit

Hi there,

Hope you are doing well!

Starting this new category on my blog called ‘Ashwini’s Book Club’ where I will be posting exclusively about the books I have read/planning to read. Eventually, when I find a good number of participants, we can convert this forum into a virtual Book Club. (The optimist in me chose to jump a step forward and name it a Book Club anyway).

So here goes the first post – 3 Short Reads to Kick Start your Reading Habit.

Readers or not, we all love stories. A lot of my friends who call themselves ‘Non-readers’ often say that they would love to start reading but are unable to do so because of one or many of the following reasons.

1. I do not know where to start.
2. I do not have the patience to read till the end.
3. Books are expensive (My dear reader friends, you are allowed to roll your eyes at this one)

So, I decided to write a short post suggesting 3 short reads that I absolutely loved, hoping it provides a solution to the above three points and motivates you to start reading.

1. The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond

Reading time: 15 to 30 min

Price: INR 27.80 (as on date of this post)

A simple, sweet story that was originally written for children but has managed to draw the attention of all age groups. The story is about a little girl, Binya and a Blue Umbrella that she is given by a foreign tourist. The other main character is a shopkeeper named Ram Bharosa who becomes obsessed with the Umbrella and persuades Binya to sell it to him. What follows is an interesting turn of events that brings forth jealousy, obsession, pride and realisation.

I believe this story like all great stories is a treasure of important life lessons disguised as a simple children’s tale. I particularly love this story because someone special entered my life while I was reading this book for the very first time. You can read all about it here. 

You can buy the Kindle e-book here

And the paperback here.

2. Six Geese A-Laying by Sophie Kinsella (NY Best Selling Author)

Reading time: 10 to 15 mins

Price: INR 0 (as on date of this post) – Yes! This one is free.

Another of Sophie Kinsella’s work that has made its way not only into readers’ bookshelves but also their hearts. It is a ‘cute’ story. There is no better word to describe this story. I read it around Christmas last year because this came up when I was browsing for short reads in the kindle store. This story is about Ginny who is soon going to be a mother and is enrolled in an exclusive antenatal class taught by the legendary Petal Harmon. Ginny, like the other 5 mothers in the class know exactly what they want and how they are going to handle it. But Petal’s very first-class changes their perspective making them realise what parenting is all about.

You can buy the Kindle e-book here.

3. The Sleep Tight Motel- Lisa Unger (NY Best Selling Author)

Reading time: 15 to 30 min.

Price: INR 43.61 (as on date of this post)

This one is a gripping read with an unexpected ending.

Eve finds refuge in an isolated motel with plenty of vacancies. She has a fake ID, a .38, and a violent lover in a hunt to find her. The kind manager of the motel is happy to ease her fears. An unusual turn of events occurs when Eve hears someone on the other side of the wall, while the manager assures her that she is the only guest at the motel. Eve will not rest until she finds out…

You can buy the Kindle e-book here.

Note: You can download the Kindle app for free and read the above ebooks if you do not have a Kindle device. 

Hope you guys enjoy reading these as much as I did and leave you coming back for more. Because, trust me, losing yourself in a good book is one of the best feelings in the world.

Do come back and leave a comment on how you liked these books. Feel free to suggest your favourite short reads too.

Love,

Ashwini

Image Courtesy: Amazon.in