The written word has greater meaning than just trends. It has provided us with knowledge for eons or at least long before the internet took over and gave us an alternative, quick and somewhat unreliable alternative: social media. But whether you read in print by investing in a book or you prefer to stay tech-with-it by reading on your tablets, you cannot underplay the value of books.

Here’s what we’re currently reading; maybe these titles will help you through quarantine just as effectively…

Book: Romantic Tales from the Punjab

Author: Reverend Charles Swynnerton

First published in 1903, this book was written in the time of the British Raj, dedicated to ‘Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India’ and compiled in a form that is reminiscent of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It takes the mind to fictional fireplaces as it relays unadulterated tales that people used to narrate back in the day. The scribe introduces it as an eye opener to village life on the Upper Indus; it is romanticized no doubt, but one reads and then desperately misses the need for this kind of simplistic love, life and lifestyle that is neither experienced nor documented in the world we live in today. Illustrated by ‘native hands’ the book is raw and has been translated without any ‘conscious embellishment’ as it narrates the tales of Heer and Ranjha, the Legend of Rasalu, the love tale of Mirza and Sahibanh and the story of the immaculate Puran Bhagat.

This book was first issued in Pakistan in 1992 and opens to my father’s handwritten stamp that says, ‘Lahore Nov 24, ‘93’, making it all the more special.

Book: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Author: Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant, the titular character, is ironically not fine at all, even as she tells herself that she is a “sole survivor” and “a self-contained entity” that needs no one else and “there is no big hole in myself, no missing part of my own particular puzzle”. With gripping prose, this contemporary novel by Gail Honeyman commands your attention.

When we first meet Eleanor, she works a job that she believes she got on the basis of pity and empathy or a mixture of both since she showed up with a black eye (among other things) for the interview.

Working in an office that no one ever asks about in detail, she is a loner who re-lives the same days. She spends her weekdays working and rewards herself on weekends by drowning herself in vodka that she buys and rations for the whole weekend. A 31-year-old, she doesn’t have the money nor the inclination to buy the good things in material life and lives on the same clothes, same routine and same loneliness. Some colleagues even call her “mental” but that’s no news to her. However, everything changes when she encounters a musician that makes this “self-contained entity” curious and so begins the story.

The book, not surprisingly optioned by Reese Witherspoon to be adapted into a film, is both a meticulously and touching study of a deeper loneliness and powerful exploration that lies in kindness, and compassion.

- Maheen Sabeeh

Book: The Winning Attitude

Author: Jeff Keller

Penned by the author of bestseller Attitude Is Everything, Jeff Keller’s The Winning Attitude focuses on creating extraordinary results in one’s life. Recommended by a friend, the book has the potential to change one’s life as it emphasizes on having a positive perspective on an otherwise grim reality or situation. It definitely isn’t as easy as it sounds but it needs conscious effort, consistency and the right approach to look at things. A motivational speaker and life-coach, Keller is often asked what separates successful people from others and his only answer would be, “right attitude” or a “winning attitude”.

First published in USA in 2007 and then in India last year, The Winning Attitude is divided into 54 chapters, each carrying a significant realization surrounding the various notions in life and what it puts us through. It has answers to questions we often ask ourselves and wonder if we are the only ones suffering. This book helps understand life better as it quotes several real-life examples and recommends activities to get you involved in the process of self-development.

Give it a read while you have time on your hands!

– Buraq Shabbir

Book: Mission Parwaaz

Author: Fakhr e Alam

After making a name for himself as a singer, VJ, TV host, anchor, actor, philanthropist and above all, the first Pakistani to circumnavigate the world solo, Fakhre Alam turns author with Mission Parwaaz. The book chronicles his adventurous flight around the world in an excellent manner. Dedicated to all the dreamers, believers, adventurers and explorers, the book serves both as a travelogue and a pictorial diary, making it worth reading in these tiring days. For the young, it serves as an inspiration whereas, for the rest, it comes across as a reminder that if you set your mind to it, nothing is impossible.

Mission Parwaaz’s biggest attraction is its high-quality images, both aerial and those taken on the ground, makes it an interesting travel guide for all. The 220-page book is written as a first-person narrative that begins with why Fakhre Alam decided to attempt the challenging feat and what difficulties he faced during his trip, most significantly in Russia. Add to that images of his stopovers and of the cities he visited and you have a book that can brighten your isolation period, taking you on a journey while you are grounded in lockdown.

– Omair Alavi