And surprisingly, Bena is actually a reader

I have never loved reading when I was small.

I remember my first time reading English book was when I was in standard 1, introduced by Angah my sister. It was a simple book with simple story. Not sure why I remember this image quite vividly. Somehow, your mind pick and choose random things to be remembered that clearly.

I didn't grow up reading instilled as a habit, nor was it made part of learning staples. I remember I read quite a lot of translated Enid Blyton, borrowed from the wooden library of my primary school. Looking back, I think the school did quite a good job of introducing books to us kids back then. But there wasn't much of English material. Enid Blyton may have caught my interest quite a lot, since I managed to read through several series, and not just the few hits wonder. But they were mostly the translated ones. Not the original english version. 

Back in the day, when we were in high school, The Sweet Valley High series was really big. Almost everyone read it. I may have tried, but I don't think I have ever finished the book. If I had, it was not significant and impactful to me, that I couldn't recall any fond memories of it. There were few unorthodox ones, Mills and Boon series. Again, your brain tends to remember certain random things for no apparent reason. I highly related the series to our fellow friends, whom we fondly address as Boon (not her real name), has a high mastery of English language, was a debater herself, may have read this a lot, or was seen a lot with the book, and was even joked to have read something of a bit indecent. Mills and Boon is a romance series and may have crossed over the age appropriateness of teen school girls. That aside, despite all these trending and popular books and the lack of much entertainment back then, I never had any special attachment with books. The most that came close was the translated to Malay, Enid Blyton ones. 

Uni time, was possibly one of the most deserted time for reading. It happened very fast, and we definitely played a lot. Late nights, going outs were a norm. Who would have time for reading? Coupled with the new found freedom and guys (not that I was drooling over any guys, but this was the definite difference than what I had before - all girls school, all girls sibling). I may have had some silly crushes but nothing big that lead to me pursuing anyone. 

Then work life came. By then, Dan Brown made it big with Da Vinci Code. Then other series by him follows. Da Vinci Code is a brilliant book. I was intrigued. It opened my eyes to the story behind all these historical monuments, and never did I know that all these places has their own stories and possibly connections. Whether they're made up or for real, the connections put up by Dan Brown seems valid. Even if they are consequential or coincidence, we cannot discount the fact of the brilliance of the writer or the conspiracy theories of the connections that each of the monuments presented.

Then I thought I was already hooked up with books. Maybe read a couple of Dan Brown's. But nothing much after as it started to get stale after few series or installments. May have read 1 or 2 of John Grisham's. It was ok, but it didn't leave me that much fond memories as well. To Kill a Mockingbird may have left me a deeper impact. Although I couldn't seem to recall the actual plot by now. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and maybe few other classics. All these are occasional ones and happened at random throughout some of my adult life. 

Then later towards my final years in Digi (maybe around 2017 or so), I may have started to read some non-fictions. At some of the Big Bad Wolf (BBW was big back then, that's where you get cheap books, pre covid era), I bought some running books. Some of these books have become my running reference up until now. Now that Qaid is also constantly running and 18, he has also read few of my running books as well. The non-fiction was the one that got me hooked, a bit. A bit cause it still didn't become a complete habit yet at that point. But I think I have started to realise that this is my kind of reads. I started to record the books that I've read in Jan 2019, with Marie Kondo. My fellow 937 Srikandis should get their credits definitely since it was from them that I had few book recommendations as well particularly this famous habit book of Atomic Habit (frankly, I forgot the name of the book, but I assume it's this one). 

When I started to move to Edotco, reading habit really gets ingrained. Back then I had to commute with LRT to get to work. I would occupy my 30 mins ride with reading, whether or not I was sitting or standing. It was one my treasured moments. My earlier reads were mostly self-help book. This introverted, proclaimed analytic and overthinking self find joy in self helps. And there was no turning back after. I got some inspirations from fellow IG friends as well, from whom I started to read Sheryl Sandberg's books. Bought via Shopee. This alone opened to another new door: Cheap books purchased on Shopee, which I had ended with few too many shopee purchases. And I had started to evolve from self help, to financial and economics based (Freakonomics and Poor Economics to be specific). Which is one of my favourite genre as well.

From then, I started to get hooked up with a fellow colleague books collection, who is an avid reader herself. She got nice collections and all bought from Kinokuniya. She brought few books to office and let anyone who wants to read it, to help themselves. I never knew that one can actually be voluntarily spend on pricey books. I read 1 of her books and had developed a new genre interest as well. The book was Prisoners of Geography if I'm not mistaken, and I was later interested in titles of that sort as well. And to make matters worse, I didn't mind spending more on books now. It's hard to find good, quality titles on the cheap shopee option. If any, it was very limited. From time to know, when I was desperate for new books, I had no choice but to succumb to buy from Kinokuniya as well. 

But as usual, life will always have its way to get in the way. My 30 mins train ride reads were disrupted when I had to move to Ara Damansara (read: no more train rides). I then managed to change it to around few minutes reads while commuting to work since me and my husband would carpool to work. Just when this was firmly set, hubs had to be outstation a lot and this has disrupted this habit as well. My biggest accomplishment was 12 books in a year, and that was it. I hardly reach that level, let alone 5 books a year now. My biggest problem is of course I am a slow reader. I like to savour reading word by read. I appreciate the sentences and not just the contents. Hence I will take my own sweet time to read. 

In any case, reading is definitely my much beloved habit like running and cycling. Can't say so much about 'pickle'ing, and others. It gives a lasting emotion and enhance you intellectually. I appreciate writings and words more than I had in my life. I now understands how people can actually finds joy in reading. If only I am able to squeeze in more time to read, while juggling all the other things, it will be so lovely. Will keep the next post with what have I read. Ciao