My Head In the Clouds

Ever since I visited my friend’s book club event, I’ve been flooded with memories of the stories, characters and genres that enthralled me through my childhood and early adulthood. So, here’s a nostalgic little detour, a post dedicated to the books I devoured, the quirky rituals attached to them and the fondness that still lingers.

📚The Enid Blyton Era
It all began with Enid Blyton.

Famous Five kept me company on long, bumpy school bus rides. Noddy added its dose of whimsy and Secret Seven fed my love for adventure. Malory Towers made such an impression that I ended up gifting the entire series to my niece (because joy must be passed down). My eyesight didn’t thank me for those late-night lamp reads, but my soul did as my mini library grew not brick by brick, but book by book.

🕵️Comics, Capers & After School Splurges
Then came Tintin and Asterix & Obelix, equal parts wit and adventure. Archies, though, was my guilty pleasure. At the end of every school term, I’d splurge my prize money on a trip to the bookstore just to snag an Archies comic. Honestly, no amount of OTT remakes (Riverdale or The Archies) can compete with the joy of those quirky characters living their best lives in ink and colour.

🔎Mini Thrills & Mysteries
From Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, I graduated to Sidney Sheldon, Agatha Christie, Colin Forbes & Lee Child. Each novel was a ticket to suspenseful nights, wide-eyed mornings and the occasional “just one more chapter” lie.

✨Magic, Vampires & Midnight Reads
No list is complete without J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter didn’t just make me read; it literally made me walk. I once trudged miles through gloomy Edinburgh rain just to find the “Elephant House” cafe, where Rowling dreamed up the wizarding world. Now that’s what I call commitment.

Then came Twilight, arriving like a storm- moody, mysterious and just dangerous enough to pull me headlong into its world of vampires.

❤️Romance, Drama & Big Fat Sagas
Romance snuck in with Mills & Boon (no judgment, please). Soon thrillers joined the party, and Nora Roberts who masterfully blended both, became a lifelong favourite. Jeffrey Archer’s Kane & Abel, As the Crow Flies and later The Clifton Chronicles were unforgettable. I got a chance to attend the launch of The Clifton Chronicles in 2016 in New Delhi and see the man himself, truly a fangirl moment.

🌍Modern Reads That Shook Me
Some books hit differently. Dan Brown’s controversial Da Vinci Code was one of them. The autobiography I am Malala & Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner left me heartbroken in the best way.

📖Adulting = Self-Help & Biographies
Adulthood often leads us to embrace realism. Books like Atomic Habits and Indra Nooyi’s memoir My Life In Full offer practical strategies and inspiring life stories, not whimsical escapes, but essential guides for navigating life’s challenges.

🎭When Books Felt Like Oscar Films
Literary fiction? For me, it often felt like Oscar films, painfully slow, possibly important but not always enjoyable. Still, I waded through Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Sense & Sensibility) and came out mostly unscathed. I even trudged all the way from Delhi to Jaipur for the Jaipur Literature Festival, hoping to see Salman Rushdie; only for him to cancel due to safety concerns.

🙃Books That Got Away
Not every book landed. Some went straight over my head, like Great Expectations & The Fountainhead. Maybe it’s time for an adult reread to see if they now offer solace. (Though, when I once asked ChatGPT for recommendations based on my childhood favourites, it cheekily asked: “Would you like suggestions based on your age now?” Rude, but fair.)

👉That’s the thing about books: they don’t just stay on shelves; they live in the phases of your life. Looking back, I realise every story carried me through a season, whether on bus rides or through heartbreak, from libraries to Netflix sabbaticals. As seasons change, so do the stories that shape us, each book a quiet companion through life’s evolving chapters.