My love affair with reading began at a young age when my aunt gifted me my first ever book (an Enid Blyton) on my birthday. Little did I know then that reading books would top my list of favourite hobbies.
The early part of my reading graph looks like a path well-trodden. A steady progress from The Famous Five to Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie to bestsellers.
It is only later that my reading became more eclectic and varied thanks to the wonderful blogging world, and e-commerce websites which made so many books accessible.
I enjoy literary fiction, both classics and contemporary lit. I have also developed a taste for crime and translated literature.
Some of my favourite publishers include NYRB Classics, Charco Press, Peirene Press, Virago, Penguin Modern Classics, Pushkin Press to name a few.
Just like music, certain books remind me of certain places and phases of my life. For intance, the P.G. Wodehouse books are a bond between my best friend in college (who introduced me to them), my husband (who enjoys the humour in them as much as I do) and London (a city and a way of life which always fascinates me).
Not to mention, I have a penchant for buying books at the drop of a hat. I have visited all major bookstores in the city umpteen times and feel quite uneasy if I leave a bookstore empty handed.
While I find myself adapting to the wonders of the digital world, when it comes to books I have remained old fashioned. In other words, I still love books as physical objects, beautifully crafted – be it the cover, overall book design, paper quality, font…Oh and, who can resist the waft of paper? And yet, shortage of space has compelled me to keep an open mind towards Kindle and e-books.
I had been mulling over the thought of starting a blog for quite some time. Given my passion for reading, writing about the books I read seemed like a natural extension of my hobby. And that’s how RADHIKA’S READING RETREAT was born in March 2017.
Other than this blog, I also discuss books on Twitter (@radzpandit), and on Instagram (@radhikasreading). Plus, I have a page on Facebook, where I share my joy of reading. It’s called Radhika’s Reading Retreat, the same as this blog.
AWARDS
I won an award twice in a row for my contribution (Book Reviews) to the wonderful “Did You Read Today” community, a book club I am part of.
2021
2020
Radhika's Reading Retreat 