What is #My100BooksLibrary?
Well, it all starts with a book.
Whenever I ask my people, “What should I write about?”, there was all kind of answers.
You can write about anything. Oh, I told you. My people.
Or you can write about health. I am a Medicine graduate.
Or you can write your perspectives on topics. I always have been a vocal person. Of course, among my people.
But there is one answer nobody missed.
And even I never miss making it to my bullet page, ‘blog topics list’, every new year.
You can write about the books you read.
I am still a beginner at reading. But writing and recording the lessons from the books I read has been a priority ever since I started reading and writing.
But there is a problem with a reader like me.
I choose books after much research. Fortunately or unfortunately, I am not that person who frantically reads every bit of paper I come across. And so, the books I most admire are all the books I have ever read.
Now when it comes to writing and reviewing books, it becomes difficult to choose a book to begin if that's the case. And so, writing about the books I read had been the most neglected blog topic ever for me.
I just couldn't choose one.
What changed now?
Well, it is again a book that set me on fire to try this.
In the book, Books for Living by Will Schwalbe, in one of the chapters, the author talked about one of his friends who was a voracious reader. As the books overflowed his friend’s dwelling, the friend started a strange custom. He decided that he will give away a book from his favourite 100 books, every time he wanted to keep a new book with him. It was like curating a 100-book library that was most connected to him. And when he passed away, the author who was his friend could see his entire life on a bookshelf. It was like an autobiography in the form of books, Will says in his book.
The books his friend kept on his ‘100 books’ bookshelf were not about the 100 most influential book list. Like Will Schwalbe remembers, the collection had a book about the history of Martinis, owing to his friend’s love for the Martini drink. And it had books by Moroccan authors, for his love of Morocco.
I felt the idea super lit.
Now, I think in #my100bookslibrary, I will have a book about cake recipes. A book about Istanbul. A book about books and reading. A book about writing. A book about women. A book about love.
Oh. I can't wait to build that library here.
I hope to share lessons, reviews, notes, opinions, and anything and everything about all those books that will be a part of my life. 100 books are too many for a reader like me. But that gives me a lot of space on the shelf of my life to explore newer and interesting things.
If you are interested to write an autobiography in the form of book reviews, maybe you can consider joining too.
Just answer this question with a book name, and hit write.
If you could only keep 100 books on your bookshelf for your whole life, which books would you choose?
See you in my library!
Love
Farzana.
