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“and the last puff of the day-wind brought from the unseen villages the scent of damp wood-smoke, hot cakes, dripping undergrowth, and rotting pine-cones. That is the true smell of the Himalayas, and if once it creeps into the blood of a man, that man will at the last, forgetting all else, return to the hills to die.”
― The Collected Works of Rudyard Kipling: The Complete Works PergamonMedia
― The Collected Works of Rudyard Kipling: The Complete Works PergamonMedia
“On books and friends I spend my money;
For stones and bricks I haven't any.”
― Rain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas
For stones and bricks I haven't any.”
― Rain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas
“In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!”
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“People often ask me why my style is so simple. It is, in fact, deceptively simple, for no two sentences are alike. It is clarity that I am striving to attain, not simplicity.
Of course, some people want literature to be difficult and there are writers who like to make their readers toil and sweat. They hope to be taken more seriously that way. I have always tried to achieve a prose that is easy and conversational. And those who think this is simple should try it for themselves.”
― Best Of Ruskin Bond
Of course, some people want literature to be difficult and there are writers who like to make their readers toil and sweat. They hope to be taken more seriously that way. I have always tried to achieve a prose that is easy and conversational. And those who think this is simple should try it for themselves.”
― Best Of Ruskin Bond
Around the World in 80 Books
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Reading takes you places. Where in the world will your next book take you? If you love world literature, translated works, travel writing, or explorin ...more
BYOB Club
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How to use this group to see what other BYOB-ers think of a particular book: 1. Scroll to the "Bookshelf" section of this page. 2. You will see a lin ...more
Around the World
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— last activity Nov 28, 2025 07:02PM
Each year we look at our to-be-read shelves and choose which countries of the world we want to travel through. Some of our members map their journeys ...more
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Do you adore a good piece of travel literature/travelogue? Than this is the group for you!
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Best Writings of The Americas
Mansa’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Mansa’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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