M4

 For the first time ever, I managed to read as many non-fiction titles as I did fiction, in a year. And I found that these very well-recommended titles deserved all the praise they got from others. Well, most of them.  Here's the list-  The Almanack of Naval Ravikant – Eric Jorgenson The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel What got you here won’t get you there – Marshall Goldsmith The Richest Man in Babylon – George S Classon Nudge – Richard H. Thaler The Compound Effect – Daren Hardy Why We Sleep – Matthew Walker Think Again – Adam Grant The Inugami Curse – Seishi Yokomizo The Village of Eight Graves – Seishi Yokomizo The Afghan – Frederick Forsyth James Moriarty: Consulting Criminal – Andy Weir Murder House – James Patterson Moonflower Murders – Anthony Horowitz Shikhandi – Devdutt Pattanaik Black Wind – Clive Cussler Would definitely recommend #3 - 'What got you here...', #7 - 'Why we Sleep' and #8 - 'Think Again' to anyone. Talk about broadening the hori

 Tried reading more non-fiction this year. Took quite a bit of effort in finding the best/ most relevant ones to read; eventually ended up with a scarily long list of books to read.  Also, tried to diversify my non-fiction reads to newer authors, genres and languages.  Here goes the list-  Skin in the Game - Nassim Nicholas Taleb Pale Blue Dot – Carl Sagan The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg The Intelligent Investor – Benjamin Graham David & Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell Confessions of an Economic Hitman – John Perkins Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen The Honjin Murders – Seishi Yokomizo Impact Winter – Travis Beacham Poseidon’s Arrow – Clive Cussler Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn Private Berlin – James Patterson The Labours of Hercules – Agatha Christie Absolute Power – David Baldacci Some of these were fantastic reads- those that I wondered how I hadn't heard of sooner. Others- Impact Winter and Private Berlin - such drags! But then again, that is the idea of trying anything new: we

The first half of this year was so messy and turbulent in my life that I barely had the time or attention to read anything. And the second half of the year- well, I needed some comfort and solace. So this year, my reading list is all about the book-version of soul food.  The list goes thus- The Effective Executive – Peter Drucker Good to Great – Jim Collins 21 lessons for the 21 st Century – Yuval Noah Harari Elephants can Remember: Poirot – Agatha Christie A Caribbean Mystery: Marple – Agatha Christie At Bertram’s Hotel: Marple – Agatha Christie Dead Man’s Folly: Poirot – Agatha Christie Halloween Party: Poirot – Agatha Christie After the Funeral: Poirot – Agatha Christie The Return of Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle His Last Bow: Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of Four – Arthur Conan Doyle A Study in Scarlet – Arthur Conan Doyle The extraordinary adventures of Arsene Lupin – Maurice LeBlanc Origin – Dan Brown Salvation of a Saint – Keigo Higashino The Odessa File

 This was the year we were all stuck at home, in a pandemic-induced lockdown. While the initial few months were chaotic, I quickly fell into a rhythm in what was then termed as 'the new normal' (sic).  This was also the year I finally gave in and got an audible subscription. Charges about INR 199 per month, offers one free title each month. Great deal, if you ask me. So, while I had been long struggling about getting around to sit down and grab a copy of books, with audiobooks, I can listen while doing other mundane stuff such as, say, taking a walk, or cleaning the car or doing meal prep.  And thus began my exploration of newer genres and non-fiction titles. For the year 2020, here's the list of titles I read/ listened to: Ikigai – Hector Garcia Puigcerver Inglorious empire – Shashi Tharoor The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz How the Mighty Fall – Jim Collins Blink – Malcolm Gladwell Death on the Nile – Poirot – Agatha Christie The Tales of Beedle, the Bard – J

A recent end-of-year retrospection showed me that as years go by, my activity on this blog here is turning sparser than ever, and so is the site traffic to my posts. This was only expected since people have moved on to alternate content formats - picture sharing on instagram, short format videos on tiktok or reels, and micro-blogs on substack, conversations in the form of podcasts (cringe!) or god forbid, revolting wisdom spewed on LinkedIn. What's more, blogging platforms themselves may be shut down sooner rather than later, as companies are caught between a dwindling audience and increasing costs to keep the tech running.  While the world may have moved on to shinier new stuff, I find myself in an alien world - where folks don't have the attention span to read or listen to what I have to say. And yet, the written word is something I can't break ties with.   I have recently found myself with a little too much time on my hands- more than I know what to productively do with.

Last year, I fell into this rabbit hole of fountain pens, quite serendipitously. At about the same time, I had changed jobs and found myself between a rock and a hard place. A lot of things transpired between then and now and while my fountain pens and journal kept me company along with cute cats on Instagram, I couldn't find the time or the space in my mind to share my experiences on the interwebs.  But lately, I realized that I was stressing myself out over things I can't control. And while I fixed a few, there have always been new and very demanding challenges popping up. So, what the hell! Here goes nothing.   Join me as I introduce you to my cherished beginner fountain pen collection, showcasing a range of exceptional writing instruments. Among the many choices available, the Pilot Metropolitan was my very excellent entry point. Its combination of sleek design, reliable performance, and affordability makes it a perfect choice for those new to the world of fountain pens.