“Sharvil began in his deep, therapeutic voice reading from Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore…”
POCKETDIARYBOOKCLUB
MINUTESOFTHEMEETING
YEAR2023
24/09/202303:00PM
AkshatDramaGroupStudio
Attendees
Janvi,Sharvil,Shruti,Pallavi,Sameer, Mitesh,Shaurya,Prince,Ruchi,Bharath,Sonam,Rajesh,NiraliandPriya
KafkabytheshoreByHarukiMurakami-ReadbySharvil
SharvilandI werekindofalmostdebatingonwhogottoreadthebestpartsfromthisandhowIbeathimtotheraceasI readfromthisbookintheprevioussession …SoSharvilbeganinhisdeepvoiceanditalmostsoundedtherapeutic … Thepiecehereadfromtheinitialpagesofthebookwhichdealswiththeinternalstruggleoftheprotagonist“…apoolofominousforeboding;that’smyheart… ”Wellhedidn’tstopherehewasdeterminedthathewillpulltheentirecrowdintotheMurakamiLabyrinthandhewentontotalkabouttheRiceBowlHillEvent→anicecozyplaceinthewildernessatopahill-kidsfromanearbyschoolaretheretocollectmushrooms-suddenlytheyallcollapse-nooneknowswhy-childrenhavenomemoryofwhathappened-andyouwhoarereadingwithsuchinterest-guesswhat-yougettoknownomore.SharvilevenwentontoconfuseeveryonewiththecomplexrelationsofKafkawithhisfather, thelibrarianandthegirlinthepaintingandwhatnot … . Janviandmeexchangedglancesthatmeantletsnotgetintoit … .ButSharvilwasunstoppable … .welltobebiasedI dosharethesameenthusiasmforthewhimsicalworldofMurakami..
StormofSwordsByGeorgeRRMartin-ReadbyRuchi
I stillrememberreadingthisparticularpassageforthefirsttime … sittinginmydad’srockingchair … itwasoneofthosedaysofunemployment … freshlyoutofmastersandkillingtimeefficientlywithGeorgeR. R. Martin’sblessings.I rememberreadingandtearingup,alumpinmythroat,I wasreadingitonmylaptopandI justunceremoniouslyshutthelaptopdownandwentrunningtomyroomandjusthidmyselfunder3-4pillows … I literallydidn’treaditfortwodays …andtodayRuchiwithallthegimmickswithvoicemodulationsandnarratingthewholeRedWeddingplayeditselfinfrontofmyeyes …ButI wassurprised,itdidnotaffectmethewayitaffectmethatday … maybecozI amnowdesensitizedormaybetheimpactitmakescomesfromthecollectiveemotionsthatonegathersforacharacterasitsnowballsovertheperiodoftimethatyouhaveinvestedinthenovel … .RuchigaveusatriggerwarningandthosewhoweretriggeredwerealreadytriggeredandthosewhowerenotwellhopingthatRuchi’snarratingskillsmadeyouguffawattheironyofwarsandrevenge.AnywaystheNorthRemembers,andPDBCtooremembers … .
SimsimByGeetChaturvedi-ReadbyRajesh
Hewasreadingandwewerewatchingamovie … wewatchedpoetrycomealive … .loversbalancingonatightropebetweenrealityandashareddreamworld … .revoltsandresistancerisingandburning …Somebodyasks,‘WhythetitleisSimsim?’ Well,hopingagainsthopethatthingsweresimpler, don’tweallwantanabracadabra,akhuljasimsimtounknotthemostclosestand“drivesyoumad”relations …
simsimforthetornrelationsbetweenasonandadad …simsimforthedeadgloriousrelationbetweenahusbandandawife …simsimforeveryrelationtoreigniteitsflame … .
Anarrationbybooks …booksdancinginthelibrary …bookswaitingtobepickedup,touchedandread..bookstalkingabouthowthefirstbookcametobe …andhoweverytimeabookisburntitburnsasegmentofcivilization,imaginationandfreewill.Asheendedreadingtheentirestudiowashanginginalimboanderuptedinapplause,itwasatruemomentofexperiencingwhatwordscandotoyou.
ThenarrationremindedmeoftheMarcelProust’sInSearchofLostTimewithitbringinginthefragranceofguavaandthelockedawaymemoriesoflostlove…a100pageletterburiedinthebackyardinawoodenboxwithguavaleavesatop,anoldbookstoreinshamblesandamanolderthanthebookstore,ayellowwindowandahandkerchieftiedtoitasasouvenirofapromisekept …atapdanceofmemories,longingandimagination.
YarekhByAnamikaAnu-ReadbyMitesh
YarekhisacollectionoflovelettersinvariouslanguagescompiledandtranslatedinHindi.Inhisslightlynasalvoice(sniffsniffhe’sgotthemsniffles)MiteshpushesusalltowardsaneveninginFebruary, winter’sbiteintheairandandalover’ssigh.Aletterwritteninsweetlongingandthawingthefrozenheart,thelettercatapultseveryoneintheroomtothelettertheythemselveshadwritten,lettertheywouldhavewrittenandmaybeletterstheyallarewaitingfor …
Itmakesusallwonderhowwouldtheseownersoflettersfeeliftheywouldknowthattheirdeepest,themostnakedandmaybeeventhedarkestdesiresarepassedaroundinmillionsofhandsdissectedandsutured..
Wellcomingbacktotheinsanityofthereaders-wewerestucktothetitleandwho, what,whyandhow …
Sothisbookisacollectionofletterswrittenbyvariouspeoplebroughttogetherandtranslatedinhindibytheauthor.Thebookhasasparrowonthecover.ThetitleisYarekh.Meaningthemooninhebrew.Butbeforethatweallinsistedthatnobodygoogleitsmeaningandallrakedtheirbrainstofindthemeaning …someonewassurethatitsthemooninsomelanguage …someonecraziersuggesteditssparrowinsomeotherlanguage …Mitesh’sexpressionwaslike‘Mujhemaafkardomujhezukhamhaiaurmujhenahimalumiskamatlab.’ ButlookattheoddsthenextsundayI wasreadingabookcalled“ThePeriodicTable”andlobeholdI comeacrossthewordYarekhanditsmeaning …
InnocentisLoveByBarbaraCartland-ReadbyJanvi
Isloveinnocentorthemasterofmavericks?
Orjusttheinnocentfallforloveandturnintoinsufferableinternsoflife?
Maybeitsforwhofallandriseinittotell?
Whoknows?wewillalwaysbeinthisneverlandofforever.
Janvireadandtimetraveledbacktothedays oftheteen,howshecameacrossthisbookandhowromanceevolvedandtookitsfinalforminherpsyche.Asshereadaboutthefiery kissignitingthepassionthatdoesn’tdie …
Priya’snotes:
RecentlyI amreadingabook..ThethingsyoucanseeonlywhenyouslowdownbyHaeminSunim.I woulddefinitelyreadthisforeveryone.
‘Whatwillyoureadforusatthenextedition?’
Inthewritteninterviewtypequestions,heranswersweresimpleandshort.Shespeakslessbutlistenstoeveryreader, hersmilesweetandeyeswaitingforanopportunitytotalktothereaderreadingfromhisbook.
Thiswasherfirst introductionto us.Andit wasa pleasure,seeinganeducatorby professionableto readguiltypleasuresandownthemwithouthesitating.Youknow, therunofthemillromancetitles,childlikecreamskinheroinewithfreckles,butverykind,tametheanimalinthehero, findhisheartlikeapro-surgeonwhohasneverhadacrushbefore.
I amusedtowatchingtheshavemy faceyoutubevideosbutmy teenageselfcanrelatetothehappinessofjustlyingonbedandreadingthesebooks.
Backtomydoodlesandjournals:
InnerEngineeringBySadhguru-ReadbyPallavi
Thereadersitswithabubblyenergyintheroomandisverychattyandhasasmilethatlightsuptheroom.Shesaysshehaschangedandforgood.Good!
Booksthattouchedhercore(abs?)andwantstomakehermoreopentotheworld(travel?spiritual?eyes?)andreadytododgethecurveballs.(wow)
I noticedPriyalisteningtowhatshewassayingverycarefully. Thebooktalksaboutrespondingtoastimuli,notreactingtoit.Paradoxically, afewreadersreactedtoit.Thebookstartsoffwiththeauthor’s“autobiographical”journeyandendsonhowoneneedsagurutolearnthetechniques,soundslikeabooktomarkettheIshaFoundationprogram.
Priya:Butthepoint,respondnotreacttookmetoachildlhoodlessonmaybeI readinHarryPotter, countto10inmyheadandthenspeak,butwhatifI aminafightandthepersonleavestillthen?Verypunny
https://www.actualized.org/forum/topic/39763-my-review-of-inner-engineering-pros-and-cons/
“Holdthestoryinsideuntilyouarereadytoburst.”-PeakByRolandSmith
ReadbySameer
Abookwithitsspinenotbroken,thepagescrispandsmellingofligninandprintink,Sameerboughtthebookonsaturdaynightandthoughtofbringinghislovefortravelingtothebookclub.PeakstalksaboutaboywhosenameisPeak …imaginethepassionformountains,fortheopenbrownlandsandwhiteglacialwaterstonameyourchildpeak,ortheteachercallingtoMr.Glacier, age10,‘readfromthechapteronclimatechangeandglaciers’
Canwehaveareaderfromourclubnamingtheirchildbasedonabook?Please…
“Theonlythingyou’llfindonthesummitofMountEverestisadivineview. Thethingsthatreallymatterliefarbelow.”
Priya:Definitelyonmybucketlist …
Uchhaiyan,MatthewplacesaChockfullo’NutscoffeecanofEdward’sashesalongsideanothercanofCarter’sashes,hecrossesoffthelastitemonthebucketlist,”witnesssomethingtrulymajestic”
Itsaheadydream,friendsandmountains …I rememberedmyowntrektothebasecamp,stoppingatpoints,sittingdownandopeningthebookI carried.
Andnow, I amwaitingfor08.03.2024whenPocketDiaryBookClubwillhaveaneditioninthesalwoodsofDehradunonitsthirdreadingretreat,awayfromnetworkandworkandproblemsoflife,justsomebooks,starsandreadersinaforest …
AlgorithmsToLiveBy-byBrianChristianandTomGriffith
ReadbyBharath
BharathBharathBharathyoucomeupwithsomemindscintillatingstuff!Youbringalgorithmtoinsanityofhumandrudgery, 37%chancesofbeingtotallyoffthegridorjustoffindingmyselfintheCloudswithachanceofmeatballs,organisedmessormessthatisconstantlyorganised,twoways tofail,yousaidstoppingtooearlyandstoppingtoolate …wellsuchrawnervesyouhavetouchedtoday withthisbook …there is a methodto themadness,humanmemory isfickle,relevanceisthekey. DoI soundmad?Ayegoaskthealgorithm
Sonamsmileswhileshereads,I lovepeoplewhosmilealotandfromtheheart.ShehadaNithallekiDiarywithher. (byHarishankarParsai)looktoyourleft,nowlooktoyourright,nowlookattheimage.
Shruticameforthefirsttimetoday, shereadfromTheSufi’sNightingalebySabpreetSingh,Raxilarrivedlatebutbroughttheasgoodasitsold,JuliusCaesarByWilliamShakespeareandPrincetooktheTheLastBowbyArthurConanDoyle
SeeyouintheDehradunmountains-08.03.2024