The Sunday Haul (on 21 June 2026)

 It had rained on Saturday evening and continued into the night and so Sunday morning was cool and pleasant. For the first time I kept my cap aside at home and started for Abids via Chikkadpally. There was nothing good with the sellers at Chikkadpally so I went ahead to Abids. Since I have a bus pass I travel by the public buses. It feels good to sit at the window and watch how Hyderabad is changing. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of people look at the books in my hand when I start from home. 

At one of the sellers in front of the GPO at Abids I spotted a copy of 'Against Interpretation and Other Essays' by Susan Sontag on a shelf leaning against a railing. The cover was damaged and inside too some of the pages were damaged by moisture but otherwise all the pages were intact. I hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to take it since one doesn't find Susan Sontag titles very often anywhere. I got this collection of more than twenty five essays for a hundred rupees as the seller climbed down from the price he quoted after I showed him the damaged pages inside. 

A few years ago I had found a copy of 'I Dreamed of Africa' by Kuki Gallman that I found to be an interesting account of a White woman settled in Kenya who is also into wildlife conservation. I was sad to read about the death of her son from snake bite, and also of her husband. It is one of my favorite African books so when I saw a copy of African Nights' by Kuki Gallman I bought it right away without a second thought. 

I've read this title a long time back and there's a copy somewhere on my shelves but when I saw a nice copy of 'A Walk in the Woods' by Bill Bryson I decided to buy it. I got it pretty cheap, at just fifty rupees. It's been a long time since I read anything by Bryson and moreover I needed a few laughs in my life as things aren't looking bright on every front. 

The last title in the haul I found in a heap of books selling for hundred rupees. I found a copy of  'Bhima: Lone Warrior' by M.T. Vasudevan Nair with the title and name of the author in striking read against a white background with a drawing of Bhima holding his mace. It is Bhima's version of events in his own voice. I don't know when I will finally read it but I am glad I found this wonderful title by one of my favourite writers. 

    Last Sunday also happened to be Father's Day. My son surprised me with the gift of a brand new copy of 'A Wonderland of Words' by Shashi Tharoor that I had casually mentioned to him. He ordered it online and I got it the same day on Father's Day. There are a hundred and one essays in it on various aspects of the English language. I plan to read one essay a day and finish in a little more than three months if possible.