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What are you #reading?

By 27/02/2015March 5th, 2016Uncategorized

I’ve been on a hiatus, more about it on my other blog, here and here. Long story short, I was in Yangon, Myanmar, last week with no book to read.

I walked out on the pavements, and also to the Bagan Bookshop (a rather interesting little place with loads of books discarded by foreign tourists selling for a dollar or two each).

Pictured below are the books I found: all of them printed in the 1970’s, other than Orwell’s book. I read Gore Vidal, and have microwaved all the books now that I’m back: don’t want any tiny critters invading my shelves.

What about you? What have you read this new year? What books would you recommend?

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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14 Comments

  • Gore Vidal and George Orwell are great ways to spend the time Damyanti.

  • Joy says:

    I love book stores, and can spend hours browsing books. Sadly here in Chile, I don't get to do that. Not for the lack of bookstores, they have those, but that there aren't any in English.

  • I also love the way books travel and what you can find in these kind of book shops or stalls. Looks like a nice collection. I didn't know about the micro waving. I would probably not have thought of the books being infested in the first place. But you are right of course. Might have to try that next time.

  • I also love the way books travel and what you can find in these kind of book shops or stalls. Looks like a nice collection. I didn't know about the micro waving. I would probably not have thought of the books being infested in the first place. But you are right of course. Might have to try that next time.

  • Microwaving books? Never heard of it before…
    That's a cute collection of books.
    I'm reading about 3 books at the moment…

  • Tonja says:

    I've read some Orwell non-fiction for a class I'm taking – it's brilliant. Microwaving the books is a good idea. I usually put things in a pillowcase and put it in the clothes dryer. Can't be too safe.

  • Anita says:

    Microwaving books is new & news for me! 20-30 seconds?

  • I've never heard of microwaving books. It looks like you found some great books in that little bookstore. It would be interesting to know where those books have traveled.

  • singhalalok says:

    Agree with others, microwaving is a first for me also. I am not so fond of reading books, but spend a lot of time reading online though.

  • Birgit says:

    I never knew about microwaving books. I would not have even thought about the critters inside books but it is so true sadly. Glad you found a little treasure trove

  • You do have to watch for those critters after you've been traveling. It's so cool how books travel and you can find them in little places all over the world.

  • Andrew Leon says:

    I've never heard of microwaving books… It doesn't affect the glue in the spine?

  • Microwaved? Never knew you could do that.
    I've been reading a lot lately and am starting a space opera by Milo James Fowler next.

  • Nick Wilford says:

    I love the feel of old books and old bookshops, although I sadly haven't been in one for too long. There's something about well-thumbed pages, although I agree, don't want any unwanted visitors!