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Page-turners: Top six books picked by Anuja Chauhan

Updated on: 22 April,2017 11:58 AM IST  | 
Fiona Fernandez | fiona.fernandez@mid-day.com

As Baaz, her romance thriller, set during the 1971 war hits stands, the best-selling author picks five books that shaped and inspired her as a person and writer

Page-turners: Top six books picked by Anuja Chauhan


The Little Hump-Backed Horse
It's an illustrated Russian fairy tale by Pyotr Yershov. This book got me hooked to reading. It was funny, unpredictable and romantic -- an adventure story, written in verse! I didn't learn till I was quite grown up that the iambic tetrameter it used inspired Pushkin's Eugine Onegin, which in turn inspired Vikram Seth's The Golden Gate.


The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
A parallel universe! With talking animals! And sword-fights and ships! Ruled by a Lion King! Narnia taught me about Good and Evil better than any holy book. Besides, it was just so much fun. I didn't know then that Aslan, The Lion King, is based on Jesus Christ.


Atlas Shrugged by Ayan Rand
Yes, back when I was 15, I was pretty taken up with Miss Rand. Now I'm just appalled by the smug arrogance and tight stereotypes in her books.

The Princess Diaries, by Meg Cabot and A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
These two got me to think that maybe I too could be an author. For very different reasons, of course. Meg Cabot makes you really feel romance and her stream of consciousness voice is just so breathlessly unputdownable. Vikram Seth for the affection, depth of knowledge and lightness of touch with which he wrote about India in this book. And the dialogue that sparkles -- it's brilliant.

Both are in a league of their own, masters of their particular crafts, and I could never ever come close, but I read these two and I was like, 'Hmmm, maybe I could write -- maybe I could write a whole book!'

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
I read this when I was 19, and struggling with low self-esteem and eating disorders. It changed my life -- it was the most liberating read, ever. Highly recommended.

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