Netizens fight isolation blues with books, books and more books

A group of young men and women have initiated a WhatsApp group exclusively for sharing e-books and PDFs of rare books.

It’s been two days since the lockdown and we know what you’re feeling right now. You’ve probably counted all the tiles in your bathroom or made good friends with the spiders and cockroaches in your room. You may have scrolled miles on your social media feed and yet found that it has only been ten minutes. You’re probably having imaginary conversations with your imagined friends also. But we’re here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be like that. We have a solution for you all and bibliophiles will especially enjoy it.

The hashtag #ShowYourShelves is giving netizens the opportunity to showcase all the books they have in their collection. (Twitter)

Meet this group of young men and women who have initiated a WhatsApp group exclusively for sharing e-books and PDFs of rare books. Spreading the message of #StayHomeReadBooks Turya Basu, Aditya and Sandipan have taken the initiative to encourage everyone to spend time at home and explore the unending world of literature.

“We have to fight this war from our homes only,” Basu, one of the founders of the ‘Whatsapp library’ told Hindustan Times. Within a few days this virtual library has seen a prompt rush of members.

#StayHomeReadBooks participants

The message was spread far and wide as netizens responded to the call of these young people.

And if this message is making you want to showcase fellow netizens some interesting titles, this fun hashtag trend on Twitter is just what you need to check out. The hashtag #ShowYourShelves is giving netizens the opportunity to showcase all the books they have in their collection and people are obviously participating.

Here are some rich treasure troves posted on the micro-blogging site.

This Twitter user took the challenge up a notch and posted the picture of his virtual shelf of books.

Reading books can be the most productive way of spending time in this dire need of recreational activities. So go ahead and pull out your favourite copies or take a cue from these youngsters and start your own e-libraries. (Though keep in mind, not to share any e-books less than 5 years old)