6 Months, 6 Books, 6 Lessons
A Half-year check-in of books from a reader who never really slumps.
People who know me know the kind of reader I am. I read — no matter what.
There have been times when I thought I was in a reading slump. I would feel disconnected from books, barely able to finish a few pages. But once, a friend said something that stuck with me:
“Sneha, do you go around reading random articles when you sit, like on Medium or any other website?”
I said yes.
In fact, sometimes I open the Books app on my phone and read whatever appears. That’s when it hit me। I never actually go through a reading slump. It’s just that sometimes, I’m not reading books. But I’m still reading. Always.
Honestly, books give me comfort. The kind of comfort I’ve never found in any human. They don’t judge me for who I am; they don’t point out my weaknesses. They let me exist.
They take me to places I may or may not love, but they never make me feel out of place.
This year has been slow for me in many ways. Life kept happening. But even in the middle of chaos, I managed to read six books — one for every month. And that’s usually what I aim for.
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So here’s a list of the six books I read each month and the little things they left behind in me.
📘 January: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop — Satoshi Yagisawa
This book is soft. It’s really soft. Set in a secondhand bookshop in Tokyo’s Jimbocho district, it’s a short, simple story about a girl finding her way back to herself after heartbreak. There’s not a lot of drama, and that’s what makes it beautiful. It’s about how books slowly wrap themselves around your soul and help you heal.
Lesson: Not all healing needs noise. Sometimes, it happens quietly — between pages, between shelves, between cups of tea, and the smell of old books.
📙 February: Twisted Love — Ana Huang
So, I read this book because of the hype. And… it wasn’t for me. The characters didn’t land, the story felt too forced, and the emotional connection just didn’t click. I struggled to finish it, and that’s okay.
Lesson: Not every book is meant for you. And you’re allowed to not love what everyone else seems to be raving about. That doesn’t make you a bad reader. It makes you the kind of reader you are.
📕 March: Better Than the Movies — Lynn Painter
This one brought the butterflies. It’s young adult, it’s a cliché in the best possible way, and it’s full of movie references and slow-burn banter. The characters felt like people I’d know. And even though it was predictable, I wanted that predictability. Sometimes, you just want something light, sweet, and comforting.
Lesson: Love doesn’t always show up the way you imagined it, but that’s what makes it real. Let go of the script and enjoy the scene you’re in.
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📗 April: The Three-Body Problem — Liu Cixin
What a mind-bender. This book isn’t something you casually pick up at bedtime. It’s heavy, complex, scientific, and philosophical. But also? It’s brilliant. It challenged my brain in the best way. I won’t pretend I understood every part of it, but I felt the magnitude of it.
Lesson: Growth happens in confusion. Being lost in a book — truly lost — can be a good thing. Let your mind stretch. It deserves it.
📘 May: Outliers — Malcolm Gladwell
A classic I somehow never picked up until now. Gladwell breaks down what makes successful people different — spoiler: it’s not just talent. It’s a combination of timing, upbringing, opportunity, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Think of the 10,000-hour rule, but with real-life examples that make you rethink everything.
Lesson: Success isn’t magic. It’s a pattern. And once you start noticing it, you stop romanticizing “luck” and start trusting the process more.
📓 June: Kuch Ishq Kiya, Kuch Kaam Kiya — Piyush Mishra
June was chaotic. I started The Dose Effect but quickly realized that I couldn’t give it the attention it needed. It’s a task-based book, and June didn’t have room for tasks. So, I picked this short collection by Piyush Mishra instead. And honestly? No regrets. His poetry hit differently. Raw, honest, emotional.
Lesson: Sometimes, you just need to feel. No structure, no schedule. Just words that make your heart feel heard. Piyush Mishra does that beautifully.
📖 Conclusion
You could be an avid reader and still read fewer books than you usually do. That doesn’t make you less of a reader.
A reader is someone who reads, whether it’s articles, blogs, books, or even the back of a cereal box, but who feels incomplete when they’re not reading something.
If you’re one of those people, don’t worry about your Goodreads count this year.
Read at your pace. Reread the same line if it speaks to you. Skip pages if you want to.
Enjoy literature. Enjoy emotions. Enjoy the world.
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