Books fill the gap for people during social distancing

The shutdown was an opportunity to get back into a long-lost hobby for many. “I used to read a lot more before. I had less free time on my hands – commute time being a major part of that – and I would usually come back home so tired, I sleep immediately. Now, however, I’ve picked up and finished two books in the past 10 days,” said Solita Deb, a local in Velachery.

Many share that their average amount of daily reading has gone up, as well as their interest in other genres. Bookworms with large numbers of books also share that this shutdown was an opportunity to make a dent in the unread books in their collection.

Reading has also helped many cope with the stresses of the shutdown. “I am a huge fan of rom-coms, because they’re so mindless and fun. Honestly, it’s a relief to read them during this time because it takes my mind off all the other things happening around me. The news and the Internet is always full of something corona-related or the other, and books are a safe, offline option for me,” said Mirai Kandathil.

With e-commerce now open for people to purchase more books and have it delivered digitally or at their doorstep, the option is available for many to keep up their reading streak. However, many say that they would not chose that option, either due to a large availability of books already at home, or due to financial restraints following the shutdown.

"I'm saving up as much as I can because my living situation isn't very stable right now. Also, due to the shutdown, there's been a strain on my funds, and so I'm choosing to hold these luxury items until later," said a local.