I admit I didn’t read that many books in my high school days — well, apart from my textbooks. I can remember, though, sitting on the lawn inside my school garden during winter days and reading some Nepali books. I can also recall reading adapted editions of “Sherlock Holmes” stories, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

I completed high school in a rural village in Nepal, and we didn’t have a library at school. My English teacher used to bring adapted editions of English literature books from Kathmandu — the capital city of Nepal. He gave me those books to read during vacations. I read them hoping my English vocabulary would improve. The aesthetic pleasure was never the reason behind my attachment with books. I got one or two books from my Nepali teacher as well, but the books he gave were more related to grammar and technical understanding than literature.

My father also used to bring home a Nepali monthly magazine called “Muna.” “Muna” was intended for children of lower grades. Once I reached the eighth grade, I started finding “Muna” boring. From eighth to the 12th grade, I rarely found any English literature books that perfectly fit my interest and reading ability.

I wasn’t a great reader and couldn’t find any great literary work of the West I could comprehend during that time. The adapted editions were intended for children of lower grades and were too plain to read. So I mostly read the Nepali books available to me.

My life changed when I moved to the city of Kathmandu to pursue my undergraduate studies. In Kathmandu, I not only found more books to study but was also able to meet some authors and listen to them speak about their works.

I also started reading English fiction in their original versions, and my comprehension skills improved. I started enjoying the works of Hemingway, Chekhov and Naipaul the most. Chekhov is still my all-time favorite writer, and his short story collection stays in my bookshelves irrespective of where I live. I am deeply intrigued by Chekhov’s artistic genius in capturing the triumphs and failures of his characters.

I carried the reading habit I developed in Kathmandu along with me to the United States. I am still a passionate reader and enjoy reading a variety of books. These days, I read a lot of nonfiction books, mostly related to history and human development. Currently, I am reading Yuval Noah Harari and am fascinated by how the author brings a unique perspective about human evolution and presents the entire history from the archaic age to the present-day world.

My reading process is no longer driven by the urge to improve vocabulary but by the aesthetic pleasure and also the desire to better understand the world through different perspectives.

To me, reading a good work of literature is like a meditation. The more I read, the more I realize my ignorance.

I work as a software developer, and reading literature doesn’t directly help me at my work. But I feel that if I spend my weekend reading, I feel more refreshed on Monday and perform better at work rather than if I spend my time partying and getting drunk. So besides the aesthetic pleasure, reading literature has also benefited my work in some indirect ways.