Winter 2021 may not be 100 per cent normal or like the other winters of your life but let’s just ask ourselves, what is normal? With masks, social distancing, sanitizing, boosting the immune system, and fighting with all new strains every month, the definition of being normal has now completely changed.
Every year people get excited about winter because of only one reason- ‘Travel’- whether leaving on a vacation to a tourist place or travelling to your hometown/village. The enthusiasm of the winter holidays especially for the children who wait for the last day at the school before the holidays start. But now with waiting for the pandemic to recede has turned the world upside completely. With the new strains threatening our life, people are opting for indoor holidays over outdoor ones.
Taking a step out with masks and latex gloves is the new norm and as per some experts will continue for a long time. Last year due to Lockdown, people at home discovered their inner talent and hobbies which allowed them to explore more about themselves. Making Dalgona coffee to cooking different recipes to making art or doodles was all over the social media sites.
But the major lifestyle change among the people was the consumption of media and reading habits. People tend to find comfort in books and reading habits changed the periods of stress. There were so many genres that were explored but the fiction has roots in times of significant social, political and economic eruption.
While the new strains are getting even more gravest, the normalise of life will take some more time. Unlike last year whether you’re looking for a distraction or just spending a lot more time at home (which is of course for your safety) you can’t beat reading a book. Here are some of the books which can be explored during this holiday while at home.
1. “people We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry-
“Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love”- that’s the quote which gives enough information regarding this New York Times Bestselling author Emily Henry’s book. This is a scintillating novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations.
The story is about two people- Poppy and Alex who have nothing in common where one prefers to stay at home with a book. After both the character meet in college they start taking an annual trip together and are always on the cheap and spontaneous.
Emily Henry’s last book “Beach Read” was also an amazing book that gives you some complex character and an amazing vibe on vacation.
This book is a wonderful take on the best friends to lovers trope and sure by the end of the novel, you will get a smile as well as tears. Both the characters are wonderfully complex with their own vulnerabilities and imperfections which just made the story so much more layered as a whole.
2. “sea of Poppies” by Amitav Ghosh
“Sea of Poppies” is about ‘Deeti’ which is an ordinary woman, ‘Zachary Reid’ who is an “octoroon” American sailor, ‘Neel Rattan Halder’ who is an Indian rajah/zamindar and ‘Benjamin Burnham’ who is an evangelist opium trader.
The book is set before the First Opium War, on the banks of the holy river the Ganges and in Calcutta where the author contrasts the Ganges to the Nile, the lifeline of the Egyptian civilization, connecting the derivation and completion of these civilizations to these selfless, ever-flowing bodies.
The book was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2008 and is the first volume of the Ibis Trilogy while the second volume is “River Of Smoke”
3. “attachments” by Jeff Arch
“Attachments” by Jeff Arch is the story of three best friends Stewart Goodman, Sandy Piccolo, and Laura Appleby who meet in 1972 at a boarding school in Pennsylvania where they meet Henry Griffin, the school dean, whose genuine fatherly interest and deep human bond with them is so strong that when he has a critical stroke almost twenty years later, he uses what could be his last words ever to call out their names.
Jeff Arch is the award-winning screenwriter of “Sleepless in Seattle” and again bought this amazing book which shows secrets and betrayals which are revealed slowly when you keep turning the pages.
4. “our Impossible Love” by Durjoy Datta
“Our Impossible Love” is about ‘Aisha’ who has to figure out what it meant to be a woman and to be desired and ‘Danish’ who feels like time is running out for him and he is going to end up as a nobody. But life takes a strange turn when Danish is appointed as the student counsellor to Aisha and then…..
Durjoy Dutt is one of the authors whose book attracts mostly the young audience. The book is a light read and can be completed within a day.
5. “the Guncle” Steven Rowley
The story is about Uncle Patrick who has always loved his niece Maisie, and nephew, Grant. But it doesn’t matter how much he loves his niece and nephew and caretake both of them, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league. So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian.
Steven Rowley is the bestselling author who delivers yet another best of his writing which is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.
