Confessions of a Bibliophile
For me, being a bibliophile isn't just a hobby—it's a fundamental part of who I am, shaped by decades of reading adventures and non fiction
According to the dictionary, a bibliophile is "a person who collects or has a great love of books." While this definition captures the essence, it barely scratches the surface of what it truly means to be consumed by an insatiable hunger for the written word. For me, being a bibliophile isn't just a hobby—it's a fundamental part of who I am, shaped by decades of reading adventures and literary discoveries.
My journey as a book lover began remarkably early, around age five or six, when I first discovered the magic between book covers. What started as simple picture books quickly evolved into something voracious and unstoppable. I didn't just read books; I devoured them with an appetite that seemed endless.
Growing up, I was fortunate to have access to incredible literary resources through the Delhi Public Library, the British Council Library, and the American Library. These institutions became my second homes—sanctuaries where I could lose myself for hours among towering shelves of possibilities. My reading list during those formative years reads like a literary hall of fame: Enid Blyton's adventurous Famous Five, P.G. Wodehouse's brilliant Jeeves and Wooster, Agatha Christie's cunning mysteries, and Isaac Asimov's mind-bending science fiction. The Tom Swift series, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew showed me that young people could be heroes solving problems with courage and cleverness.
There was one particularly intense week when I managed to read an astounding 40 books. From breakfast through dinner—even while eating—reading consumed every waking moment. Books accompanied me everywhere, and this dedication came with its physical toll: thick glasses became my constant companion, a badge of honor revealing the depth of my literary immersion.
Among my most treasured possessions is my earliest surviving book from my "Little Library" in New Delhi—a technical guide on making a transistor radio. But the most important book in my life is a pocket copy of the New Testament, presented by the Gideons in 1986. This small volume has accompanied me on every flight and guided me through life's lowest points, serving as both comfort and compass during difficult times.
As technology evolved, so did my reading habits. I embraced Audible, sometimes for multitasking while driving, other times using Whispersync to accompany Kindle books for complete immersion in complex topics. When our bank introduced a work-from-home program called "My Work," giving each employee $1,500 to furnish a home office, my priorities were clear: I spent the entire amount on two-and-a-half bookshelves and an office chair. Books came first; everything else was secondary.
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The Kindle revolutionized my reading with its portability and features—the ability to highlight passages and export notes transformed how I engaged with texts. These days, I've discovered the treasure trove of used books available through eBay and AbeBooks, where literary gems await at affordable prices.
The greatest challenge I face as a bibliophile isn't finding books to read—it's finding enough hours in the day to read them all. My solution is simple but demanding: I wake up at 3 AM daily to steal precious reading time before the world awakens. In those quiet morning hours, with only books for company, I continue the love affair that began decades ago.
From that voracious young reader with thick glasses to today's early-rising book hunter, my identity as a bibliophile has evolved but never wavered. Every format, every era, every discovery reinforces the same truth: books aren't just objects on shelves—they're portals to infinite worlds, teachers of life's greatest lessons, and faithful companions through every season of existence. Being a bibliophile means recognizing that within every book lies the potential to change how we see ourselves and the world around us.