Books
- Vasundhara Jain
- Oct 24
- 16 min read
I liked reading…
2025
“She’s far happier thinking her sister is normal, even if she has a lot of problems, than she is having an abnormal sister for whom everything is fine. For her, normality—however messy—is far more comprehensible.”
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E.Butler
Some excerpts:
“We’ll have to be very careful how we allow our needs to shape us.”
“Will it be legal to poison, mutilate, or infect people—as long as you provide them with food, water, and space to die?”
Be a Free Range Human by Marianne Cantwell
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
The author balances characters' stories with larger questions pertaining to the culture.
Written from an insider's vantage point, it gives a rare access to understanding the Tibetan culture and their current context. I feel an inner expansion due to this read!
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Three characters connected by friendship, love, and video-games. Gripping story with relatable themes and characters to root for. A healthy escape.
2024
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Some excerpts:
"Love each other, or perish"
"Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone."
The Artist's Way: A spiritual path to higher creativity by Julia Cameron
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Beautiful writing. Excerpts:
“It’s magic, Astrid. You have to know how to reach up and pull beauty out of thin air. People want a little magic.”
“What was beauty unless you intended to use it, like a hammer, or a key? It was just something for other people to use and admire, or envy, despise. To nail their dreams onto like a picture hanger on a blank wall. And so many girls saying, use me, dream me.”
Die With Zero by Bill Perkins
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
— Make magic in a world that could use more of it
— Nobody knows what they are doing before they do it. Have faith in your ability to figure it out.
2023
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Some Excerpts:
"Ideas have consciousness and will, and want to be manifested."
"You are a “partner” to your inspiration, not it’s master and not it’s slave."
"Combinatory play — the act of opening up one mental channel by dabbling in another (Einstein played violin when he had difficulties solving a mathematical play)"
"Let fear take the backseat. Drive with curiosity."
Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
Some Excerpts:
"Try not to resist the chances that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side that you are used to is better than the one to come."
"Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough."
The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
The Danish culture prioritises spending time with family and friends, enjoying the moment, Gratitude, work-life balance, free time.
The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams
Some Excerpts:
“wherever you have friends that’s your country, and wherever you receive love, that’s your home”
“according to Lyibomirsky, the three factors that seem to have the greatest influence on increasing our happiness are our ability to reframe our situation more positively, our ability to experience gratitude, and our choice to be kind and generous.”
“Buddhists believe that joy is the natural state but that the ability to experience joy can also be cultivated as a skill.”
— The only things we can control are our attitudes and actions
Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
2022
Mud Ball: How I dug myself out of the daily grind by Atulya K Bingham
— Points of exchange are where the known meets the unknown — where the magic happens, at this sacred line of connection. It’s where we see a dream and find the courage to build it.
"All pioneers deal witth naysayers"
“This confidence would take time and a few small victories to develop, though.”
"The natural state of joy a human is capable of is beautiful."
“There is an infinite cache of solutions surfing the width and breadth of the universe on frequencies that have no special or temporal correlation to where we are. Some might be deduced by inching step by step along a linear road of logical milestones. Some may be arrived at by a series of experiments. But the best solutions simply ‘drop down’ or spontaneously manifest.”
2021
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
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Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
“…a joyful life is an individual reaction”
“The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”
“People who learn to enjoy their work…end up feeling that their lives as a whole have become much more worthwhile”
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Demian by Hermann Hesse
“But when the paths of friends meet, the whole world looks like home for a while”
“He had loved and, by doing so, had found himself. But most people love in order to lose themselves.”
"It remains to be seen whether we, you and I and a few others, will renew the world. But within ourselves we must renew it daily"
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Waking Up by Sam Harris
“The way we think directly influences our experience of the world”
Compassion and patience are teachable skills
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The Living Landscape by Douglas W. Tallamy and Rick Darke
"On average, native plants support thirteen times more caterpillar species than non-native plants."
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The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
“There are no isolated problems”
— When women are able to use their talent and energy, they can begin to share their values and help improve the lives of those connected.
“You don’t get behaviour change unless a new practice is transparent, works well and gets people talking.”
“You lift their gaze, they gain their voice”
“To be known without being loved is terrifying. To be loved without being known has no power to change us. But to be deeply known and deeply loved transforms us.”
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson
“The easier and more problem-free our lives become, the more we seem to feel entitled for them to get even better.”
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The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
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Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy
“It is now within the power of individual gardeners to do something we all dream of doing - to make a difference”
— Within most of our lifetime 95% of species will be lost unless we change our places of living/work/stay.
— Create redundancy in plants
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Die Empty by Todd Henry
“There are many ways you can add value to the world, while operating in your sweet spot. However, these opportunities will only become clear over time as you act.”
"You must plant seeds today for a harvest later"
"The cure for boredom is intentional and applied curiosity."
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You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
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Getting Things Done by David Allen
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2020
Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America by Kendall Brown
Read for:
All about Japanese gardens and their adaptations in the US
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A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
Excerpts: “…if we have the habit of freedom and the courage to write exactly what we think; if we escape a little from the common sitting-room and see human beings not always in their relation to each other but in relation to reality; and the sky, too, and the trees or whatever it may be in themselves…”“masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people”“…when I ask you to earn money and have a room of your own, I am asking you to live in the presence of reality, an invigorating life”
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An Un-stretched Canvas Essays by Shankar Palsikar, Vasudeo Gaitonde, Prabhakar Barwe and Prabhakar Kolte
Excerpts: “…I began an inquiry into the existence of the correlation between sacred chants and colour. This was something that necessitated a major change in my artistic process, at a technical as well as structural level… I realized that yoga practice would bring me to the answers I sought, and acted upon it. The thought of success or failure never once touched my mind and I was able to experience the force”“dialogue with the other begins only when our monologue with the inner is clear”“Just as in every seed is the potential to become a tree, in every inch of land exists the latent life-energy to nourish this seed. We have before us both of these but are unable to use them due to our preconceptions.”“It is necessary that a painter travel through the territories of music, culture, dance and literature as well as painting, in a systematic manner. It must be an exploration, and not just an aimless wandering.”
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Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Read for:
Raw poetry
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Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda
Some excerpts: “The Hindu scriptures teach that the first duty of man is to keep his body in good condition, otherwise his mind is unable to remain fixed in devotional concentration”“trees that bend low with the burden of ripening fruits; it is the barren tree that lifts its head high in an empty boast”
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Become What You Are by Alan Watts
Some excerpts: “we want to enjoy ourselves, and feel that if we forget ourselves there will be no enjoyment – an entertainment without anyone present to be entertained”“because they take themselves lightly, angels can fly”“The world of form and illusion which the majority take to be the real world is none other than the play of the Spirit…man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun”
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The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh
Read for:
The flow of the narration feels like being on a wave – with glimpses into various character’s lives, perspectives and the intermingling of their lives in the presence of historical events. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life by Hector Garcia and Albert Liebermann
Read for:
Thought-provoking. The book refers to Viktor Frankl’s work, which is a very good pre-read for this. Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s search for meaning” is my favourite book and is included earlier on this page.
Some excerpts:“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years”Stress leads to degeneration of cells, like pathogens doFrustration can be a catalyst for change“The happiest people are not the ones who achieve the most. They are the ones who spend more time than others in a state of flow.”
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Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight
Read for:
A must-read. Fabulous story-telling. Phil Knight takes the reader in completely, sharing his journey in such an open manner that one comes out feeling as if they have lived his story. Some excerpts: “Geese in the rear of the formation, cruising in the backdraft, only have to work 80 percent as hard as the leaders. Front runners always work the hardest, and risk the most.”
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The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe by Anuschka Rees
Read for:
Although this book is about clothes, its philosophies extend to life (and what we let in). Some excerpts:“(Your style is) a reflection of your experiences and the associations you picked up over the years”“Allow yourself to go down rabbit holes”“The way you shop is nothing but a set of habits you have picked up over the years…” to become a more thoughtful shopper, slow down the process so as to give yourself more energy and deliberation time to make better decisions.
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2019
Read for:
An extensive array of powerful strategies distilled from a Former FBI hostage negotiator’s real life experiences.
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Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown
Read for: Some points that stood out for me:What stands in the way, becomes the way.Live into your values. Show up with whole hearts, pay attention and be curious.The armour is too heavy a price to pay, so don’t keep an armour.
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The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change by Charles Duhigg
Read for: Some points that stood out for me:To change habits, identify the trigger leading up the habit and the reward. Then change the way you respond to the trigger, in a way that the reward is still met. New behaviour should have something similar at the beginning and the end.Small wins convince one of bigger wins.Keystone habits, once changed, trigger other habits to change.
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How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age by Dale Carnegie
Read for: Realistic and grounded. Some key points:“Each additional happy friend increases a person’s probability of being happy by 9%. An extra 5000 dollars in income in 1984 dollars increased probability of being happy by 2%.”Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices.Interest is on the surface. Engagement is deeper and based on a person’s core values.
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Love, Loss, and What We Ate : A Memoir by Padma Lakshmi
Read for: Life has so many possibilities. If one has the openness, the experience of multiple lives can be lived in a single lifetime. The author has lived thus, beautifully, and shared it with us.
Some excerpts: Chutney was useful for reasons of “time, weakness or inertia”
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Anti-Inflammatory Eating for a Happy, Healthy Brain by Michelle Babb
Read for: Everyday meals full of nutrition, taste and variety, incorporating minimal cooking. Key points: The book considers Mediterranean style cooking, which avoids processed foods and includes fresh vegetables, to be the go-to approach for brain health.
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Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein
Read for: Who knew that originally, Blue was considered a more feminine colour. No wonder so many Disney female characters have blue attire – Snow White, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel. Pink was a pastel hue for red, symbolising strength, not girlishness. At some point, marketing messages bulldozed this.
I was concerned this book was going be a 200-page-long-rant but it turned out to be pretty interesting for parenting/sister-ing. The author vents out her frustrations relating to the “girly-girl” culture, Disney princesses and its impact on young girls.
I had recently visited an American Girl store – it is a toy brand for young girls, which (dare I say) feels apocalyptic. You could easily spend 500$ customising a doll, getting her a change of clothes, some accessories and salon treatment (for the doll!). I find out now that the brand’s original objective was to connect young girls to the real life by sharing stories and values of women from various periods of American history. Ironically, it has somehow now moved into promoting consumerism, despite the simple values it was meant to connect girls to.
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The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
Read for: The author, a self-proclaimed unhappy person, dons his journalist hat and moves from country to country, exploring which place is happy and possibly why. Some interesting observations:
“By telling us that happiness lives inside us, it’s turned us inward just when we should be looking outward. Not to money, but to other people, to community and to the kind of human bonds that so clearly are the sources of our happiness.”
“Commuting in particular has been found to be detrimental to our happiness, as well as our physical health.”
“What you’ve danced, can’t be taken away”
“We can’t love a place, or a person if we always have one foot out of the door”
“The golden thread – a path appears. Faint at first but increasingly clear if you are willing to look closely”
“There is a question… the answer to which identifies your true home. That question is, where do you want to die”
These are associated with happiness: Trust, gratitude, friends, family.
“The good life cannot be mere indulgence. It must contain a measure of grit and truth”
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The Art of War by Sun Tzu
There are many versions/editions of this book, so you may want to explore various editions before deciding which one to read. I read a highly abridged version of the original text, which suited me well as I was looking for a quick introduction to the manuscript. Some insightful excerpts:
“In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns”
“Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting”
“The good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision”
“Regard your soldiers as your children. Spoilt children are useless for any practical purpose”
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Take Your Time: Finding Balance in a Hurried World by Eknath Easwaran
Read for: I feel lucky that this book found me, so had to make sure I share it.
If you value balance, peace and compassion, this book is calling out to you. While the speed of life can easily scatter our energies if left unchecked, the author shares useful approaches to removing noise, cutting out unnecessary distractions and making simple choices to move to a more centred living.
I found it to be amazing and cannot recommend it enough. Do read it if you get the chance!
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The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal
Read for: Very practical and very useful. This book gives exactly what its subtitle says. Some notes:
“In the quest for self-control…guilt, stress, and shame – don’t work. People who have the greatest self-control aren’t waging self-war.”
“The most effective stress-relief strategies are exercising or playing sports…reading…spending time with friends or family…The least effective strategies are gambling, shopping, smoking…Rather than releasing dopamine and relying on the promise of reward, the real stress relievers boost mood-enhancing brain chemicals..” >>>
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Read for: Dreamy, romantic fantasy, connecting one to an alternate beautiful world. Beware – this may onset a lot of daydreaming! Some excerpts:
“You shall not, for the sake of one individual, change the meaning of principle and integrity”
“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” >>>
Women’s Power by Vinoba Bhave
Read for: The author’s progressive thoughts about women empowerment despite other impending national challenges is an inspiration. Some excerpts:
“Experience shows that the advance of any creature can be achieved only by the own strength of that creature”
“It is a form of theft to refrain from speaking when it is necessary to speak” >>>
I Too Had A Dream by Verghese Kurien
Read for: A definite must-read for every Indian and anyone interested in the development sector. It is not often that one comes across such a hero, and even less often that one gets to know the balanced story of their journey. Candidly shared, Dr Kurien’s life stories, vision and values are bound to inspire. Some excerpts:
“Any sensible government must learn to unleash the energy of its people and get them to perform instead of trying to get the bureaucracy to perform.”
“Each one of us has a responsibility, as a member of our nation’s privileged elite… we must hold ourselves accountable for that future…act not only as advantaged individuals but as concerned members of our society. Criticise and correct.” >>>
Into The Shoes by Yash Jain
Read for: The parallel lives of the main characters help the reader navigate and discover various angles from which to look at the challenges in the education system, and the possible opportunities. The interactions between the characters are heartwarming. Straight-from-the-heart and thought-provoking!
2018
The Case for India by Will Durant
Read for: Every young Indian should read this book to remember the struggles of our forefathers. Many facets of India from when it was a part of the British Empire are not prominent in the modern memory – this book enlightens the reader with these.
Some excerpts: “one-fifth of the human race – suffering poverty and oppression bitterer than any to be found elsewhere on the earth” “since English manufacturers destroyed the domestic industries of India…for half the year 80% of the Hindus are unemployed through no fault of their own” “…a century of unmitigated rape on the resouces of India…They taxed the provinces under the Company so exorbitantly that two-thirds of the population fled…fathers sold their children to meet the rising rates.” “(Gandhi) wonders what is the purpose and fruit of this Western bustle and “overproduction,” this strange mechanism for concentrating wealth, in which the rapid production of goods leads to universal depression and poverty” “When the West is sick to the heart of its “progress” and its prosperity, its machines and its speed, it will turn to India to be saved.” >>>
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
Read for: the mysterious life of trees. Surprising facts and methods of the trees. Discover an entire new world of this creative, methodical and ancient life form.
There are many lessons for us to learn.
Some excerpts: “Isolated trees have far shorter lives than those living connected together in forests” “If every tree were looking out only for itself, then quite a few of them would never reach old age” “As almost no habitat on Earth offers ideal living conditions, it’s actually got more to do with the tree adapting than the niche being ideal” >>>
We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love by Robert A. Johnson
Read for: Re-balancing perception of Romance and finding a sustainable and accepting approach to relationships, without the hue and cry that has become common. Not for: Anything related to casual dating. >>>
Mahavira: Prince of Peace by Ranchor Prime
Read for: Accessible mythology. Beautiful illustrations. Much to reflect on. >>>
Dream with Your Eyes Open: An Entrepreneurial Journey by Ronnie Screwvala
Read for: Engaging fast-paced narration, honest reflections. Readers will find it very easy to connect to the content, which is very relevant to the current economic environment. >>>
Men and Ideals by C Mahajan
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Read for: The inspiring story of persistence, courage and vision that led to the building of the Apollo empire. Go the distance is not just a brand tag-line, but also an underlying philosophy that the entity has followed to reach its respectable position. >>>
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray
Read for: Eye-opening and clear perspective into gender-specific idiosyncracies in relationships which everyone is bound to face at some point Not for: Not a guide to falling in love, but definitely good tips on treating it right >>>
Psychic Powers (Collins Gem) by Carolyn Boyes
Read for: An over-arching and interesting perspective on spiritualism that connects everything from meditation to reiki, and positive thinking to voodooism Not for: Actually becoming a (professional) psychic >>>
Zero to One: Note on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
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How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty: And Say Yes to More Time, and What Matters Most to You by Patti Breitman
Read for: You CAN reclaim your personal space Not for: Subtle and graceful ways to say no – so many of the suggestions in the book are rude, that a more appropriate title might be “How to say no by being rude”
. . .
2016-2017
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
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Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
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Mastery (The Robert Greene Collection) by Robert Greene
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Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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A Short History of Financial Euphoria by John Kenneth Galbraith
. . .
2013-2016 (approx)
The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan Read for: The youthfulness in the writing and the author’s honest portrayal of her age (there are no words supporting pretentious ideals over-reaching for the age). Not for: The benefits of a self-help book!
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The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Read for: Meditative Reading and reflections on living in the present.
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Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann
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Big Babies by Michael Bywater I did not read through this book page by page. It became quite an effortful reading when the author’s endless cynicism continuously dismissed any outside opinion. While delving into the ‘childishness’ of present day grown-ups, the author himself is entrapped into playing an argumentative game of a child. In one of the latter sections of the book: “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Mother”, i.e., how to ‘grow up’, the author puts forth some rather interesting reflections, such as denouncing relativism, not trusting estimates, or indulging in manners and that not to associate skills with moral. However, he poses serious thought-contradictions when he professes “writers know everything”, literally and by implication of his tone. Incidentally this is one of the better sections of the book. Literary Review called him ‘the funniest man in England’. Either I personally don’t share a similar sense of humour, or, my unmet expectations result from finding this book in the wrong section of the library (Psychology). Read for: Wit Not for: Psychological analysis (as I did!) >>>
Sexual Fluidity by Lisa M. Diamond Read for: Novel understanding/Breaking stereotypes/Personal Reasons Not for: Reinforcing homophobia
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Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie Read for: ‘Magical realism’. And of course it won the Booker of Bookers prize. Not for: Historical account!
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