Pingara - Books -the passport to countless adventures.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies" - George R R Martin

It's often said that reading is boring and a complete waste of time. Well, the good news is that reading has more advantages over disadvantages. It can be fun unless your mindset is otherwise. If you choose the right book, then trust me you'll have the best time reading it. One can become best pals with books.

There is a plethora of authors who have written amazing books over a period of time. There are books written on various themes and genres.

Books come in wide categories: novels, novellas, short stories, flash fictions. There are two types of novels: fiction and non-fiction. Fiction is literature that describes imaginary events, whereas non-fiction is literature based on facts and actual events. Literary fiction is categorised into genres: thriller, sci-fi, mystery, romance, fantasy, etc. Non-fiction is further classified into: biographies, memoirs, autobiographies, science and technology, travel and culture, self-help books, spiritual and health wellness, business and economy books, etc.

There are various benefits of reading:

• reduces stress

• alleviates depression

• provides knowledge and information

• provides exercise to the brain

• strengthens analytical thinking

• improves cognitive skills

• acts as an escape from the reality

• increases creativity

• improves writing skills

• improves vocabulary and enhances language

Due to the advancement in technology, getting access to books has become more convenient. There are e-books and audio books available which can be accessed with the help of a stable internet connection. Although, the nostalgia of holding a book in hand and the smell of books cannot be experienced in e-books. Nevertheless, e-books are available at less price compared to paperback. They have made low-light reading possible. In addition to that, there are interfaces which allow readers to make changes as per their desire --- change font size, highlight words and phrases, etc.

If you are inspired to read, and you don't know where to start, below is a list of books which you can refer -

• Becoming by Michelle Obama (memoire)

•The boy in striped pajamas by John Boyne

•Alice's adventures in wonderland by Lewis Carroll

•The devil wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

•Gone girl by Gillian Flynn

•Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

•Hunger games series by Suzanne Collins

•The fault in our stars by John Green

•The diary of a young girl by Anne Frank

•To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee

•Tell me your dreams by Sidney Sheldon