In response to Dinesh's tag

Please don’t judge me from my poor writings. I do read sometimes. But I am stumped when somebody (Dinesh) tags me to write down my reading habits. It is hard because I read anything that comes by my way and I don’t go and search for anything in particular. So I follow a chronological orer to present my reading habits.

Age 5-8
I was a very eager to read as much as I can from the day I was able to read. However, in my little village called Krishnagiri, there were not many who could have guided me. Things were really worser as my father was ailing. My readings were mostly limited to “Poondhalir, dinamani, Thughlak (seriously I read), that were available in “padipagam” of K.giri. (Do you know who are Mandravathi Mandrake, Super thumbi?). I was introduced to “Rani Comics” when I was seven. I could not exactly recall where I got those books, but I can remember how excited I was to read them sitting on a compound wall of some one’s (who was that..hmmmmm?) house. I guess I read few of 007 comics. (Tamil than)

Age 8-15
My mother joined as a member of local public library. She used to read novels of “Lakshmi”, So did I. All my wisdom about indian family set-up (sentiment, azhugai etc) comes staright from there. I really wonder what I might have understood from it. She also used to read lot of “Bhakthi” items. I think I must have read a lot on “Periya Puranam”, “Azhwar”, “Sri rangam” kind of items . It was a real challenge to finish those huge books before the library due dates. So I must have acquired a knack to read them fast then.
There was another great source for books. It was a grocery shop near by. I used to go sit there in the shop, read Dinamani and there were lot of used books (Edaiku poda patta) sold to him, which he uses for packing his commodities. He would preserve any book he gets for me. (“Saami unakaga eduthu vechen”). Mostly they were books by communists, occasionally there were nice books too. (Oru Jayakanthana vandhuruka vendiyanavan!!!). Probably I did not know there were books in English until that age.
I never missed reading thughlak. I was becoming die hard fan of cho, as I was reading “Enge brahanam” then. I must have finished more than hundred Rani Comics by this age and had enough of it.

Age 15-22
The books I read during this age that had its impact are
1) Ramayanam Pesugiradhu
2) MahaBharatham Pesugiradhu (Both By Cho)
3) Deivathin Kural
4) Vakkapatta Bhoomi (Susi Ganesan ->director of the movie Five Star).
5) Kalli Kattu Ithihasam (Vairamuthu on Vaigai dam Construction)
6) Raghuvamsam (Translated)
7) Some novels of Jeffrey Archer, May be 5 or 6. Fourth estate is my most favorite.
8) Sydney Sheldon 3 or 4.
9) Arunachala Mahimai.
10) Might be about 100s (minimum 200) of tamil fictions (Pocket novel junk)
11) Balakumaran, Sujatha, Maalan etc were little different from others.

Probably I have a bigger list. I was/am greatly influenced by Cho. I can list some more books of his on Religion, Politics, Economics, etc., those influence me a lot.

Present: (Promise, I am not older than 22, this is for chumma!)
In the last six years too, I spent a great deal time reading. Some of them that are worth mentioning are
1) Razor’s edge Somerset Maugham.
2) Illusion Richard Bach
3) Search in Secret India Paul Brunton
4) Malgudi Days and some other books by R.K.N
5) Wings of Fire by Dr.Kalam
6) Jagadguru, on Paramacharya by priya kalyana raman
7) Thunai ezhuthu by S.Ramakrishnan
8) Many books on Sri Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi
9) Short story collection of O.Henry
10) Ponniiyin Selvan, Sivagamiyin Sabatham, Parthiban Kanavu by Kalki.
11) Sri Rangathu Devathaigal by Sujatha.
12) Uchan thalai mudhal ullangaal varai , Vikatan publications

I also have a habit of browsing thorugh “Sanga Ilakiyams” like kamba ramayanam, Prabhandham, etc.(net la than) . Always, I carry a copy of thirukural, Bharathiyar Kavidhaigal and Bhagawath Geethai , I read them too.

Recently read books were:
1) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
2) Day By Day with Bhagwan from ramanshramam,
3) A collecetion of Pancha thanthra stories from Amar chithra katha,
4) Queen of Dreams by Chithra Banerjee.

I am huge of fan of tamil short stories. Nowadays, in tamil literature, the standard of short stories has soared high. Sify is the best place to check out for “ilakiya ithazhgal” like uyirmai etc. Even though I read tens of blogs that don’t impress me a lot, a few blogs are really good. (Check out some of those blog-rolled)

I own very few books, as I rarely buy them.

I tag the following names
1. Vijay Venkatesh
2. Sangeetha
3. Deepa.
It is really difficult for me to express how much I enjoy reading. Right from “Kisu Kisu” to “kaapiyam” I enjoy all. Except English poetry, which never made an appeal to me (wordsworth goshti mannikavaum!)

Note 1: I have a bad habit of pestering people to read whatever I thought was good write up.
Note 2: I kill anyone stumbles upon me, by talking for hours together, about something I read recently.
Note 3: In my observation, one can grow as better person by reading Tamil prose and poetry first, before he starts reading English fictions. (If you need an example, you are reading his blog!)