Top tree books that I read this year and my take away from them
1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Synopsis: A short story about a grumpy old miser Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner and the spirits of Christmas Pat, Present and Yet to come. Each of these spirits are related to different times in Scrooge’s life. By the end of the novella, Scrooge is a changed man, kinder and gentler. This novella shows kindness, generosity, charity, love, respect and Christmas spirit.
My take away: After reading this classic novella, I realized that being grumpy and unkind gets you nowhere. Kindness has its way to return to you in some or the other form probably offering much more than you showed earlier. You cannot change the past but you can learn from it and transform your present. That’s what the ghost from the Past taught. You can transform your present which will set a course for your future. Epiphany aided by the ghost of Present. Then comes the mysterious and gloomy ghost of Christmas Yet to come, which teaches you that the future is not set in stone and can be changed, choose your actions wisely.
2. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Synopsis: The novel is a story about twenty something Lily Bloom living in Boston and her abusive relationship with a neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid. Her traces from past, growing up in an abusive home revolves around her still, her fall into this abusive relationship and her escape.
No doubt this book will make you laugh and cry.
This book comes with trigger warning — Domestic violence.
My take away: Domestic abusive is not to be tolerated at any cost. It is the people we love who are capable of causing us the most damage. We give them this power inadvertently. No matter how much we love them but when they turn to domestic violence, the relation should be ended and no second thoughts given. Indian society has a different take on such things, being a husband, father, brother, mother, sister or any other relative doesn’t give them a free pass to domestic violence. You should learn to stand up for yourself because if you don’t then no one else will.
3. Circe by Madeline Miller
Synopsis: A delightful retelling of one of the Greek mythological tales. Despite being the daughter of Helios, the God of Sun and Perse, Oceanid nymph, Circe was less beautiful and lacked the skills of her siblings. She is shunned and ridiculed among the godly. Circe is flawed and empathetic character, struggling to find meaning and worth in her immortal life. She decided not to follow in the footsteps of other Gods, little did she know she would set herself apart from anyone ever before.
The book also has mentions of other Greek gods and their roles briefly.
My take away: Why try to fit in when you are clearly made to stand out. Easier said than done, right? I concur, it is hard when the whole world stands against you and despises the very being of you to stand out, shine and bright. It takes a lot of courage and discipline to achieve your goals but anything that does not help fulfil your goal is just a distraction. It took years for Circe to identify and hone her powers as a witch. There came a time when Gods or lesser mortals came to her for help. So, no matter what your goal is, you alone have to fight for it, stay disciplined and after struggle, the result will taste better. It takes time and patience, a skill this generation mostly lacks, to reach your goal. There will be people who help out time to time, but it is you alone who needs to battle and reach the top.
Hope you enjoyed reading my take away from these books and I hope it inspired you to read all or at least one of them. Happy Reading folks.! 😊
