Time is often accused of betrayal.
“I have no time,” we say, as days slip through our fingers like sand. Reading even one book a week feels ambitious—almost indulgent. So how does one finish 1,050 books in a single year?
The answer is not speed alone.
It is a quiet rebellion.
Reclaiming Time
I learned that impossibility softens when met with determination, consistency, and the courage to step away from endless scrolling. The hours were never missing—they were merely misplaced. Once reclaimed, they revealed their generosity.
In 2025, I followed the same discipline that guided me in 2024, but this time, I strengthened the foundation.
Each day began with pranayama, breath flowing like a river returning home. My body followed through hatha yoga, walking, and mindful movement that reminded me I was alive. The mind—restless by nature—was trained through trataka, learning to stay, just a little longer, on a single point. Knowledge, I discovered, grows best when body, breath, and mind work as allies.
Books as Companions
Books slowly stopped being objects and became companions. Voices from distant lands and inner worlds spoke to me—Ajahn Chah’s silence, Jack Kornfield’s compassion, Elie Wiesel’s witness, Savarkar’s fire, Ash Maurya’s clarity, Kushwaha Kant’s patriotism, and many others. Each author left a footprint on my inner landscape. I did not merely read them; I walked with them.
And yet, beyond all these voices, there was one that mattered most.
A mother’s.
A Mother’s Wisdom
Halfway through the year, in July, I shared my progress with her. She listened quietly and then asked a simple question:
“Have you read Rujuta Diwekar?”
I had not.
At her suggestion, I entered a world where food was not counted, but respected—where local fruits and vegetables were not trends, but wisdom passed down through generations. It reminded me that even while consuming thousands of ideas, grounding oneself in everyday wisdom is essential. Knowledge must nourish, not overwhelm.
Reading as Discernment
To read—or to listen—is to cultivate viveka: the power to distinguish what matters from what does not. Stories awaken compassion. Philosophy builds clarity. Scriptures nurture humility. Through reading, one learns that every human heart carries both shadow and light.
The elders spoke of vidyā—knowledge that grows when shared and multiplies when practiced. Unlike gold, it cannot be stolen. Unlike power, it does not decay. The more one spends it, the richer one becomes. This is why learning was placed above all forms of wealth.
Reading as Meditation
Reading and listening also discipline desire. While the world pulls the senses outward, a book gently turns them inward. The breath slows. The mind listens. Time loosens its grip. This is why reading was once considered a form of meditation. And when the body tires and the voice weakens, knowledge remains. It stands beside you like an old friend, whispering guidance when the path is unclear.
The Greatest Wealth
Among all possessions, knowledge stands apart. It cannot be stolen by thieves. It cannot be seized by kings. It cannot be divided by brothers. It grows lighter the more you carry it, and richer the more you spend it.
विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानम्
Knowledge is the greatest wealth of all.
Why I Keep Reading
So I keep reading. Not to count books, but to count blessings. Not to escape life, but to understand it more deeply. Not to appear wise, but to become gentle.
The list of books I loved in 2025 follows—not as numbers, but as milestones in a journey where time did not disappear.
Pic : Unsplash
Column 1 | Books that I read /listen in 2025 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 |
Book Name | Author | Category | Type | Link |
Thirteen Months in the Himalayas | Om Swami | Om Swami Ji | Text Book | |
The Legend of Goddess | Om Swami | Om Swami Ji | Audio Book | |
Miracles of Sivananda | A Divine Life Society Publication | Other | Text Book | Rare book |
The Gordian Knot of Self Effort and Destiny | Chinmaya International Foundation | Commentary | Text Book | Rare book |
Tips for Happy Living | Swami Tejomayananda | Self Help | Text Book | |
Nav Durga (reread) | Gita Press, Gorakhpur | Scripture | Text Book | |
Sri Vishnusahastrnamstrotram (Hindi Anuvad) | Gita Press, Gorakhpur | Scripture | Text Book | |
Shreemad Devi Bhagwat Mahapuran (re-read) | Geeta Press | Scripture | Text Book | https://www.amazon.in/MPF-Shreemad-Devi-Bhagwat-Mahapuran/dp/B08QJS4LR7 |
Panchatantra (Hindi Edition) | Vishnu Sharma | Scripture | Audio Book | |
Manas Piyush Vol 2 | Gita Press, Gorakhpur | Commentary | Text Book | https://gitapressbookshop.in/manas-piyush-volume-2-balkand-2?route=product/product&language=en-gb |
Bhagwan Sada Tumhare Sath Hain | Hanuman Prasad Podher | Self Help | Text Book | https://gitapress.org/product/bhagwan-sada-tumhare-sath-hain |
Undefeatable Krishna | Shubha Vilas | Commentary | Text Book | |
Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do! | Robert H. Schuller | Self Help | Text Book | |
The Law of Success | Napolean Hill | Self Help | Audio Book | |
The Untethered Soul | Michael A Singer | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Mindfulness in Plain English | Bhante Henepola Gunaratana | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Living Untethered | Michael A Singer | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Work, Sex and Money | Chogyam Trungpa n others | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Puranik Kahaniyan (Hindi Edition) | V&S Editorial Board | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Anmol Kahaniyan (Hindi Edition) | V&S Editorial Board | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Essentialism | Greg McKeown | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Endless Ambition | David J. Lieberman Ph.D | Self Help | Audio Book | |
Kya Kahate Hain Puran (Hindi Edition) | Mahesh Sharma n P. Bhalla | Scripture | Audio Book | |
Miles to Run Before I Sleep | Sumedha Mahajan | Other | Audio Book | |
The Buddha is Still Teaching | Jack Kornfield n Noelle Oxenhandler | Other | Audio Book | |
Bringing Home the Dharma | Jack Kornfield n Daniel J. Siegel MD | Other | Audio Book | |
The Bliss of Inner Fire | Lama Thubten Yeshe | Other | Audio Book | |
The Berlin Wall : A World Divided | Hope M. Harrison and Great Courses | Other | Audio Book | |
The Startup Way | Eric Ries | Other | Text Book | |
Mere Priya Aatman (Hindi Edition) | Sushobhit | Other | Audio Book | |
Dashavatar | Piyusha Vir | Other | Audio Book | |
Rezang La (Hindi Edition) | Manish Kumar n Hind Yugm | Other | Audio Book | |
No Self, No Problem | Anam Thubten | Other | Audio Book | |
Breath By Breath | Larry Rosenberg n David Guy | Other | Audio Book | |
Why I Killed Gandhi? | Nathuram Godse | Other | Audio Book | |
The Awakened Ape | Jevan Pradas | Other | Audio Book | |
The Gopi Diaries: Finding Love | Sudha Murthy | Other | Audio Book | |
The Gopi Diaries: Coming Home | Sudha Murthy | Other | Audio Book | |
The Gopi Diaries: Growing Up | Sudha Murthy | Other | Audio Book | |
The Gopi Diaries: The Gopi's Day Out! | Sudha Murthy | Other | Audio Book | |
Adhnanga Fakeer (Half Naked Fakir) | Dayashankar Shukla Sagar | Other | Audio Book | |
Damn Right | Janet Lowe | Other | Audio Book | |
Thicker than Water | Tyler Shultz | Other | Audio Book | |
Indian Superfoods | Rujuta Diwekar | Other | Audio Book | |
Towards a New World | S. Radhakrishnan | Other | Text Book | Rare Book |
The Dhandho Investor | Mohnish Pabrai | Other | Audio Book | |
Warren Buffett Speaks | Janet Lowe | Other | Audio Book | |
Supercop NSA | Mahesh Dutt Sharma | Other | Audio Book | |
Google Speaks | Janet Lowe | Other | Audio Book | |
An Indian Spy in Pakistan | Mohanlal Bhaskar | Other | Audio Book | |
The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Other | Audio Book | |
Capturing Eichmann | Rafi Eitan n Anshel Pfeffer | Other | Audio Book | |
China and Japan | Ezra F Vogel | Other | Audio Book | |
Lal Rekha | Kushwaha Kant | Other | Audio Book | |
Buffett Beyond Value | Prem C. Jain | Other | Audio Book | |
Food for the Heart | Ajahn Chah | Other | Audio Book | |
Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away | Ajahn Chah | Other | Audio Book | |
What Makes You Not a Buddhist | Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse | Other | Audio Book | |
Etiquette Guide to Japan | Boye Lafayette De Mante | Other | Audio Book | |
China: The Bubble that Never Pops | Thomas Orlik | Other | Audio Book | |
A Dream to Follow | Lauraine Snelling | Other | Audio Book | |
China and the World | David Shambaugh | Other | Audio Book | |
Elephant Dawn | Sharon Pincott | Other | Audio Book | |
Dog Man | Martha Sherrill | Other | Audio Book | |
The Little Book of Big Profits from Small Stocks | Hilary Kramer | Other | Audio Book | |
Night | Elie Wiesel | Other | Audio Book | |
Deng Xiaoping n the Transformation of China | Ezra F Vogel | Other | Audio Book | |
Midnights with The Mystic | Cheryl Simone n Sadhguru | Other | Audio Book | |
The Lean Product Playbook | Dan Olsen | Other | Audio Book | |
Blockchain Basics | Daniel Drescher | Other | Audio Book | |
Marketing 4.0 | Philip Kotler n others | Other | Audio Book | |
The McKinsey Way | Ethan M Rasiel | Other | Audio Book | |
Amp It Up | Frank Slootman | Other | Audio Book | |
Invent and Wander | Jeff Bezos n Walter Isaacson | Other | Audio Book | |
Lessons from the Titans | Scott Davis and others | Other | Audio Book | |
Running Lean | Ash Maurya | Other | Audio Book | |
The Toyota Way (Second Edition) | Jeffrey Liker | Other | Audio Book | |
Marketing 5.0 | Philip Kotler n others | Other | Audio Book | |
33 Strategies of War | Robert Greene | Other | Audio Book | |
Oversubcribed | Daniel Priestley | Other | Audio Book | |
If You're Not First, You're Last | Grant Cardone | Other | Audio Book | |
Grinding It Out | Ray Kroc n Robert Anderson | Other | Audio Book | |
Expert Secrets: The Underground Playbook | Russell Brunson | Other | Audio Book | |
The Innovation Ultimatum | Steve Brown | Other | Audio Book | |
Sister of My Heart | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni | Other | Audio Book | |
101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think | Brianna Wiest | Other | Audio Book | |
Hindutva | Vinayak Damodar Savarkar | Other | Audio Book | |
The One-Straw Revolution | Masanobu Fukuoka n Larry Korn | Other | Audio Book | |
Managing Teams From Gen-Z to Boomer | Jennifer Romolini | Other | Audio Book | |
The Race of My Life | Milkha Singh n Sonia Sanwalka | Other | Audio Book | |
Six Steps to Manage Your Money | Dr. Miranda Reiter | Other | Audio Book | |
Mitahara | Rujuta Diwekar | Other | Audio Book | |
Dream WIth Your Eyes Open | Ronnie Screwvala | Other | Audio Book | |
Startup to Proficorn | Rajesh Jain | Other | Audio Book | |
Auschwitz | Dr. Miklos Nyiszli | Other | Audio Book | |
Kaala Ghora (Black Beauty) | Anna Sewell | Other | Audio Book | |
Patanjali Yog Sutra (Hindi Edition) | Iyengar | Other | Audio Book | |
Secrets of Closing the Sale | Zig Ziglar | Other | Audio Book | |
The Art of Being | Erich Fromm | Other | Audio Book | |
How Life Imitates Chess | Garry Kasparov | Other | Audio Book |
