So it has been a while since I last wrote a review about any book I have read...I am glad I came across this initiative and it sparked me to get back into reading more diligently as well as writing reviews. Without any further ado, lets get right into the Q & A.
1. What is the first book you remember reading as a child?
The first book I can remember reading when I was 11 years old was "The Shack" by William P Young. It was a beautifully written novel which tells a gripping story of a father who comes into terms with the fate of his daughter at a camping trip. It was my first time being introduced to a well put together plot with series of twists and metaphors which will make you stop in your tracks and read between the lines. Few weeks ago, I was surprised to read a post here at hive where a person wrote a movie review of "The Shack". Prior to that, I had no idea that a movie about this book existed.
Book Cover by Dave Aldrich
2. What is the best time to read?
I would say that evening and night time (6 to 10 pm) are the best times to read because you can focus on slowing down with your day and let the creative juices flow in your mind. I usually spend my morning and afternoon time to get work related things out of the way. I would then take a walk at around 5:30 or 6pm to wind down. I usually designate a specific time towards reading and the thrill of writing a review fuels me to finish reading in 2 to 3 days.
3. In what format do you prefer to read? (paper vs digital)
I am 100% in favor of a hardcopy book but I love the convenience factor which comes with reading a book digitally. I used to read more digitally when I was commuting more often but now I have a lot of hard copy books which were given to me by a store owner who was closing down his store. I like the feeling of turning off my phone and laptop and just focusing on reading a book with a good view.
Photo by Claudia Wolf
4. What distracts you the most when you read?
If you could take a peek inside my brain, you will find that it can be messy yet organized somehow. A lot of plans and ideas about multiple things can start bombarding my brain. Also, I find myself reaching out to my phone to take a short music break or check my messages. I usually snap back into reading again but I have been training myself to divide my readings into chunks with few breaks.
5. Favorite Genre?
It is hard to pick just one genre but I would say that I love adventure, thriller, and mystery. In fact, a lot of my inspiration for short stories come from these specific themes. Lately, I find myself reading more classical novels. They are filled with a lot of valuable messages and dilemmas which are true of our time and it has been a good way to obtain valuable lessons from cautionary tales.
Finally, I wanted to let out a big thank you to @nicxi for setting up this initiative! This was a great way to start my Saturday.