I was introduced to books at a young age. Thank you, parents, thoughtful relatives, and friends who gifted us books. Growing up, our childhood was pretty normal, surrounded by the vagaries of life. What started off with library subscriptions and book barters continues to date as an activity I spend a sufficient amount of time and energy on. As anyone who has been reading books for leisure and pleasure for a long, I have discovered the joys of reading over and over again.I read a library's entire book collection during class 3rd/4th (I don't remember exactly which year) summer vacation. I remember this because the librarian Sarla Mavshi who logged all rentals in a physical register, exclaimed one day, 'There are 2 books out for rental which you have not read yet. Rest everything is off your list!' I eventually read those other 2 books as well. These were around 200 children's storybooks. Except for the Ramayan book which I didn't like much and kept stalling reading it. (btw this, my late running coach AK saying 'well done' to any of my training runs, and one of my favorite Math teacher telling my parents 'I am really good at math' long after he had stopped teaching me, are the only few compliments I truly cherish!)Anywho, I read a lot of books in 2011, and 2012 (Goodreads link here and here). I was jobless (in early 2011) and did not have much of a social life during that time (most existing friends had moved out of the country and new friendships were still nascent), so books were the best friends and worlds in my life. As a child, I found an escape through books. As an adult, I found that escape again in addition to solace. Books saved me from not going bonkers with overwhelming emotions like feeling lost (which I must assume happens to all of us from time to time?)I love books. I also love talking about them and recommending them. As cliched as it may sound, it's one of those things that light up my mood, well-being, and eyes.Even if you find nothing of interest and relevance on this blog, my hope is that you stop by this page and share the joy I feel at the mention of books.All books-related posts here: http://yaminigirey.com/tag/books/