Selection Stories
I read quite a lot myself, and for a long time, I had been thinking about having a conversation with someone who genuinely loves books. The difficult part? Convincing a book reader to actually sit down for a conversation!
While searching, I came across Vasisht’s videos, and most of his content revolves around books. He’s a student who creates reels about books with a simple purpose—to make people more curious about reading and inspire them to pick up a book.
Luckily, Vasisht was up for the conversation.
So, from books that stay with us to the lessons they quietly leave behind, let’s get into my conversation with Vasisht.
1. Do you judge a book by its cover or its first line?
Vasisht: Books should never be judged by their covers, just like we shouldn’t judge people based on how they look. I usually judge a book after reading around 40 pages because, by then, I have a rough idea of the characters and the story.
2. What’s your earliest memory of falling in love with a book?
Vasisht: I remember picking up a book from the Goosebumps series, which is basically a collection of horror books for kids. I would always get excited whenever I got my hands on a new Goosebumps book. The stories were well-written, and the endings often had cliffhangers, which made me love reading even more. As a result, I kept ordering more books and continued reading them.
3. How do you decide which books to post about on Instagram?
Vasisht: I have a list of books that I’ve completed, and I usually pick the ones that have left an emotional impact on me. These are the books I can talk about for hours, so I naturally choose the ones I feel a strong connection with.
4. Has a book ever healed or changed something in you?
Vasisht: Yes. Books can give words to feelings you couldn’t explain, make you feel understood when you thought nobody understood you, and completely change the way you see yourself or the world. A single sentence can stay with us for a long time and have a meaningful impact on us.
5. Do you think we find books, or do books find us?
Vasisht: I believe books find us. When I was in a hostel, we weren’t allowed to read novels, so we had to read them in secrecy. One day, I got my hands on The Book Thief. I had never heard of it before and wasn’t searching for it. It felt as though the book was meant to find me. That book changed the way I looked at thick books with long stories. Since then, I’ve believed that sometimes, books find us.
6. How much water do you make a conscious effort to drink every day?
Vasisht: Around 2–3 litres. I don’t focus on an exact number as much as I focus on staying consistently hydrated throughout the day.
7. What is your worst habit?
Vasisht: My worst habit—and I hate to admit it—is scrolling on my phone. Every time I pick up my phone just to check the insights on my reels, I somehow end up scrolling endlessly. Even though I’m trying my best to stop, I still find myself falling into the same habit again.
8. What’s the biggest life lesson you have learned from a book?
Vasisht: There is this book called The Metamorphosis, and it completely changed the way I look at society. It is basically about a man who turns into a giant insect and how his family reacts to his transformation. As I went through the book, I realised that his family valued him largely because he was their financial support.
It made me realise something about society as well: people may love and respect you as long as you are useful to them, but once you become a burden, they may not hesitate to push you away.
9. Can you recommend five books that have had the biggest impact on your life?
Vasisht: These are five books I would recommend to everyone and genuinely urge them to read:
- The Woman in the Dunes
- 1984
- The Metamorphosis
- The Book Thief
- 11/22/63
10. Are people born good, or do they become good?
Vasisht: From my point of view, people become good. In fact, a lot depends on their surroundings and what they consume. If a person is surrounded by people who encourage them, they are more likely to become confident. If the people around them constantly criticise everything they do, they may become timid and less confident in life. Similarly, if someone is surrounded by good and like-minded people, they are more likely to grow into a good person themselves.
11. What does a meaningful life look like to you?
Vasisht: A meaningful life is one where you keep growing and build deep, meaningful relationships. It isn’t so much about being happy all the time, but about being present in each moment and experiencing it fully, whether it is happy or sad.
And most importantly, it is about not lying to yourself. Once you start lying to yourself and pretending that everything is fine when it isn’t, that’s when things begin to fall apart and lose their meaning. Sometimes, we overlook certain moments because they don’t seem important at the time, only to realise later in life that that moment was actually one of the most meaningful ones.
———–Thank You———