Tag - Indian writing

Desigirl has tagged me. She doesn't know that I am a wrong person in her list. She can't be blamed, I have disguised her enough to make her believe that I am in her league. :-)

I will try my best though.
I don't know when I started reading books. Mostly to eascape from my school text books and/or to hide my inability to join the gossip club. I was always the kid in the corner reading "something".. "She doesn't hear anything when she reads. Even an idy (thunder) can't get her take her eyes off her books. She doesn't need food or anything. She just needs her books. Very intelligent kid" they all said. There was never a shortage of supply of books for me. Kumudam and Vikatan were regularly bought.. We owned few Sandilyans. Kombai Library filled in regularly too.

During my college days it was trendy to read poetry (kavithai) books. Palamalai was the popular one those days. One of our friends' brother was a writer himself. He has published few books (I have not read a single one of his books). We (this writer brother and few others) used sit on the terrace and engage ourselves in "intellectual literary discussions" and the starry nights accentuated the scene. His wife used to cook for us..

I moved on. Time passed. Once the Writer Brother friend asked me what I was reading then.. The conversation was in Tamil, which does not differentiate between reading and studying.. I replied what I was studying... I guess that clearly displayed the end of my reading era. After that, I have read books here and there, still do read now and then, but no, I cannot be grouped under "book reading" people. Now I prefer watching movies to spend my pass time. I have got a good collection of books, mostly unread, hoping that one day I will be able to retrieve my book reading skills.

Here are my favourite books: (Tamil books)
1. Kolaiyudhir kaalam by Sujatha. - my first thodarkathai (series). I used to wait for kumudam/vikatan (I can't remember which one) for the next episode. The scientific explanation and the aethistic view of the author had left a huge impact on me.

2. Yavana Raani by Sandilyan - War strategies. Intelligence. politics. I have read this book several times.

3. Mannan mahal by Sandilyan - consipracy theory surrounding Rajendra cholan's throne. Ponniyin selvan by Kalki for the same reason (this one is about Rajaraja cholan's time).

5. Irumbuk kuthiraikal and Kariyora Mudhalaikal by Balakumaran. - feministic stuff.

4. Malgudi days by RK Narayan (recently read, so English book). Everyone is able to find something to relate to.

5. My all time favourites are Pattukkottai Prabakar, Subha, Rajeshkumar, Rajendrakumar and Sujatha's Ganesh-Vasanth's stories... The first four authors repeatedly wrote same stuff or copied from one another or some of them were very crappy. But that is what exactly I needed, a break. It is like working in the check-out tills in superstores. I love that job. One can keep the brain at home and come to work. Very enjoyable. :-)

I must pass this on to some good book readers. I don't know whether they do tags or not, but I am going to try anyway. Hope they don't mind.
Chenthil (Self confessed book worm)
Pons
Prakash
Mumbaigirl
Ilavanji