Celebrity Book Club: Reading And Life Lessons

As RR Martin famously said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.” Reading has the ability to transport you to the unknown. One learns, discovers, explores, and evolves. Moreover, there is nothing like a good read before wrapping up a hectic day. Several stars around the world have credited books to changing their lives and inspiring them. Let’s take a look at the ones that weaved magic.

1. Sonam Kapoor Ahuja

If you follow the actor on social media, you are bound to observe the multiple posts on the books she has lapped up over time. In fact, during the lockdown, she and her family put up their monthly reads on social media. In an interview with a portal, she mentioned, The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera as one of her favourites. “Weirdly, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, had a huge impact on me, just in terms of the way things are meant to be in relationships.”

2. Twinkle Khanna

A former actor, an author, and a columnist, Khanna’s love for books is well-known. She firmly believes that, “Books are like treadmills on which our minds can run endlessly. We cover vast distances-over continents, galaxies and time itself, without ever leaving the room.” While she doesn’t have one book that changed her life, science fiction influenced her ideologies rather firmly. As per a report, her favourite book is The Little Prince because, “More than a children’s book, it is an allegory of love and loneliness.”

3. Sobhita Dhulipala

The actor has been vocal about her inclination towards writers and musicians, and not “actors” as is the norm. She loves Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist Leonard Cohen’s body of work. “I get transported when I read books. I am such a reclusive person that literally when I am done shooting, at some level I sort of disassociate myself and I get back to reading my books. I just want to do what makes my heart soar. I have been doing that,” she had said. Dhulipala writes poetry and plans to publish her work eventually.

4. Amy Poehler

In an interview in 2016 to an international website, Poehler had named her favourite book as Travelling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. “The autobiographical essays in this collection cover faith and family, booze, men, and self-love. They’re full of the small moments in [Anne] Lamott’s life, the observations that make you laugh really hard and make you bawl really fast—two of my favourite activities. She talks about how the most popular prayers are ‘Help me, help me, help me’ and ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ I’ve read all her work, and she continually surprises me and speaks to me. One of the lines from this book that I love is: ‘All you can do is show up for someone in crisis. You’re there-ness… can be life giving, because often everyone else is in hiding.’ That’s just killer.”

She added, “Lamott is so open and funny and honest about her own shortcomings and insecurities that you feel connected. She takes away the mystery of things like writing or religion or motherhood, and makes you feel included in a very human way. I think every good book should make you feel connected to the rest of the world.”

5. Jessica Biel

The actor recommended Tender Is The Night a few years ago owing to its takeaway. “I recently finished Tender Is the Night, by F Scott Fitzgerald. I've read it quite a few times and just love it. It's tragic, and I think tragedies might be good for you: You read them and think, Maybe I'm not doing so bad—I'm doing OK!” she said.