A personal reading journey of comfort, joy and companionship.

My earliest memory of books is of my dad reading me children’s stories.

Even at the age of five, I was mesmerised by the power of storytelling—never realising how important fiction would become in my life. It never crossed my mind then that books would still be influential in my life forty-five years later.

As a child growing up in the 80s in a quiet suburb in Malaysia, I turned to books to entertain myself. At a time when information and entertainment were limited, I found my escape from boredom through storybooks. Reading about The Famous Five cousins, the adventures of Joe, Bessie and Fanny in The Magic Faraway Tree, Margaret’s thoughts in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, among others, gave me the chance to go on my own adventures with them in my imagination.

The reading habit stayed with me into my teens, when I devoured books almost every day, sometimes even while eating, much to my mother’s dismay. As an adult, I started to enjoy reading cultural-centric stories from India, China, and the Middle East, deepening my appreciation for stories from different perspectives.

Novels by Paulo Coelho, Jhumpa Lahiri, Amy Tan, Elif Shafak and others have occupied my bookshelves for years, their stories staying close to me over time. Authors like Tan Twan Eng, Preeta Samarasan, and Catherine Lim are writers I enjoy closer to home, as they share stories I resonate with and deeply connect with.

More than a way to escape the realities of life, books have given me comfort during difficult and uncertain times. Over the years, reading stories has given me a sense of calm and clarity when I needed them. Books have been my companion, always there when I needed them the most.

I love that there are certain books that have changed the way I think and see the world. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho encouraged me to ask questions, ponder, and imagine a different world for myself. It reminded me to go beyond the surface and think about the meaning and intention of the words.

Books have helped me in my career as a writer. The many words, characters, and plot twists I’ve encountered have inspired and influenced my writing in one way or another. Stories I read years ago, like Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, have left lasting impressions and continue to inspire me today.

In today’s world, where attention spans are short and distractions are aplenty, books give me the chance to slow down, relax, and reflect. Whether in physical form or digital (though I still prefer the feel of a printed page to that of a Kindle), books are not just a part of my life—they keep it bright, meaningful, and beautiful.

Written in conjunction with World Book Day 2026. May we all encounter many more adventures in the pages of books.