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Penguin’s February Favourites!

Looking for a book to accompany your cup of hot coffee these cold days? Here are our February favourites that are absolute page-turners! 

Victory City by Salman Rushdie

Victory City
Victory City || Salman Rushdie

COMING SOON – from the magnificent mind of Booker Prize-winning, worldwide popular novelist Salman Rushdie comes the epic story of a woman who creates a mythical empire only to be destroyed by it over the years. This chronicle of love, adventure, and myth is brilliantly designed as a translation of a historic tale, and it is a monument to the magic of storytelling in and of itself.

Tirukkural by Meena Kandasamy and Tiruvalluvar

Tirukkural
Tirukkural || Meena Kandasamy, Tiruvalluvar

The Kamattu-p-pal, written by Thiruvalluvar, is the third portion of the Tirukkural, one of the most significant manuscripts in Tamil literature. The most intimate element of this wonderful work is also the one that has historically been most restricted. 

Meena Kandasamy weaves a magical spell with her trademark wit, lyricism, and passionate insight: taking the reader on a journey through 250 kurals organized under separate headings – ‘The Pleasure of Sex,’ ‘Renouncing Shame,’ ‘The Delights of Sulking’ – the outcome is a brand new, crucial, and exhilarating translation that expresses meaningful messages about female sensuality, agency, and desire. 

These Seats are Reserved by Abhinav Chandrachud

These Seats Are Reserved
These Seats are Reserved || Abhinav Chandrachud

Reservation, often known as affirmative action, is a very contentious concept in India. While constitutionally mandated and supported by historians, political scientists, and social activists, many oppose it, seeing it as compromising ‘merit’ and going against the idea of equality of opportunity.

Abhinav analyzes the history and development of the reservation policy in These Seats Are Reserved. Having been thoroughly researched and expertly narrated, this volume is a captivating addition to any thinking person’s library.

 

The Laughter by Sonora Jha

The Laughter
The Laughter || Sonora Jha

Sonora Jha has developed a fascinating figure who is both in sync with and out of sync with our times, an intellectual man who inspires and then questions our sympathies. As the novel draws to a close, Jha invites us to reconsider events, revealing a depth of loneliness in unexpected places, the individuality of youth, and the looming menace of white rage in America.

The Laughter, an explosive and tense piece of fiction, is a fascinating depiction of privilege, radicalization, class, and modern academia that compels us to confront our preconceptions as readers and citizens.

 

The Best of Satyajit Ray by Satyajit Ray

The Best of Satyajit Ray (Boxset, Volume 1 & Volume 2)
The Best of Satyajit Ray || Satyajit Ray

From Ray’s enduring creation, professional detective Feluda, to the narratives of Professor Shonku; short stories; writings on filmmaking; and opinions on world and Indian cinema, among many others, this box set, The Best of Satyajit Ray, is not only a treat for Ray enthusiasts but also a collector’s edition.

 

Customer in the Boardroom by Rama Bijapurkar

Customer in the Boardroom
Customer in the Boardroom || Rama Bijapurkar

Most Indian organisations’ business strategies are characterised by supply-side, tunnel vision of the market, and compulsively competitor-centered methods. Customer in the Boardroom emphasises the importance of firms incorporating customer centricity into their business strategy formulation process if they are to continue to expand profitably and protect their future.

 

Secrets of Divine Love Journal by A. Helwa

Secrets of Divine Love Journal
Secrets of Divine Love Journal || A. Helwa

The Secrets of Divine Love Journal is based on the book Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam, which was published in 2008. Secrets of Divine Love Journal will help you establish a closer connection to Allah by uniting you with the heart of your faith in a more intimate and inspiring way through heart-centered thoughts, enlightening prompts, and thought-provoking questions.

 

From Darkness into Light by A. Helwa

From Darkness Into Light
From Darkness into Light || A. Helwa

From Darkness into Light is a deeply moving collection of poetry on forgiveness, guidance, timeless wisdom, prayer, self-love, faith, and the ultimate journey of the soul to healing, connection, and unity with the One. This book was intended for individuals who want to embark on a spiritual journey. For individuals in search of hope, connection, and a meaningful relationship with Allah.

Unfiltered by Saurabh Mukherjea

Unfiltered
Unfiltered || Saurabh Mukherjea

Unfiltered: The CEO and the Coach, a pioneering book, for the first time opens the doors that ordinarily shield the confidential world of coaching sessions. The book’s candour assists readers in completely grasping the life-changing influence that coaching may have. As a leadership development book, the writers share the tales (both individual and mutual) of their five-year collaboration. The resulting narrative includes not only unique ideas that executives and entrepreneurs will find valuable for their own development, but also deep insights into how we may master the world by understanding ourselves.

 

The Perfect 10 by Yasmin Karachiwala

The Perfect 10
The Perfect 10 || Yasmin Karachiwala

This book will show you that it only takes ten minutes a day to begin your health journey and you will be packed with fitness routines, movement ideas, and lifestyle modifications interspersed with stories of actual people’s adventures. Yasmin Karachiwala is on the move. Observe how your body and life changes.

 

7 Rules to Reset Your Mind and Body by Dr. Hansaji Yogendra

7 Rules to Reset Your Mind and Body for Greater Well-Being
7 Rules to Reset Your Mind and Body || Dr. Hansaji Yogendra

The simple yet practical guide 7 Rules to Reset Your Mind and Body for Greater Well-Being is what you need to read to regain control. This step-by-step book, written by The Yoga Institute’s most acclaimed and regarded Dr Hansaji Yogendra, emphasizes the necessity of achieving and maintaining balance in all parts of your life.

 

Life Switch by Madhuri Banerjee

Life Switch
Life Switch || Madhuri Banerjee

Life Switch is a thrilling, emotional, dramatic, and erotic love story. Nandita, a staid housewife, switches lives with Annie, her doppelgänger. She swaps her phone, her house, her husband, and her mundane family life for Annie’s dazzling business life at an advertising agency. When secrets are revealed, their lives become brutally difficult.

 

Oblivion and Other Stories by Gopinath Mohnaty

Oblivion and Other Stories
Oblivion and Other Stories || Gopinath Mohnaty

Gopinath Mohanty’s anthology Oblivion and Other Stories contains twenty short stories. They portray the forgotten ones, the monotony of living on the outside of life—of the impoverished, tribals, and regular people—invisible amid the feudal environment of Orissa in the twentieth century.

 

Bad Liars by Vikrant Khanna

Bad Liars
Bad Liars || Vikrant Khanna

When the body of a well-known fund manager, Anant Kapoor, is discovered in his home, the police quickly suspect his wife of murder. She has no excuse, and she stands to benefit directly from his death. However, when the police dig deeper, they discover two other suspects who are equally likely to commit the crime. Who, and more importantly, why, killed Anant?

 

Dattapaharam by V.J. James

Dattapaharam
Dattapaharam || V.J. James

Dattapaharam, a novel by critically acclaimed and bestselling Malayalam author V.J. James, is a rumination on solitude, man’s connection with nature, and the strings that bind us to this world. It is a surreal novel in which the author’s imagination soars like an eagle and words flow like the untouched springs in a rainforest. Dattapaharam is a powerful novel for our anthropocentric age, written by one of the most exciting voices to emerge from the Indian subcontinent. It is at times a fable on the modern world, at times a search for identity amid a quest for discovery, and on the whole a moving tale that takes the reader deep into the forests to understand what truly makes us human.

 

Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye by K.J.S. Dhillon 

Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye (Signed by the author)
Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye || K.J.S. Dhillon

Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye is an autobiographical, candid, and emotive account of an Army veteran’s life. It concentrates on the personal, professional, and, most significantly, family life of an Army soldier, and will not only provide insight into the challenges and tribulations he endured, but will also inspire a broad range of readers, particularly young defence aspirants.

Fascinating February 2023 Reads for Your Penguinster! ?

Cuddled up with your kid and looking for the perfect bedtime story? Penguin’s got you covered. Here are our February recommendations to make your kids warm up to reading. 

My First Ruskin Bond Collection by Ruskin Bond

My First Ruskin Bond Collection: A Set of 10 Chapter Books
My First Ruskin Bond Collection || Ruskin Bond

A carefully picked collection of ten concise, endearingly illustrated stories from India’s favourite storyteller, each book provides a wonderful introduction to the world of Ruskin Bond through fascinating characters and stories that are delightfully crafted in his particular way. This boxset of heartwarming, humorous, and vibrant books makes the ideal present for independent and beginning readers.

10 Unforgettable Indians and their Remarkable Stories 

Puffin Lives: 10 Unforgettable Indians and their Remarkable Stories (Boxset)
10 Unforgettable Indians and their Remarkable Stories

These biographies, written by authors like Sreelata Menon, Subhadra Sen Gupta, Devika Rangachari, and others, reconstruct the lives and legacies of famous people. This compilation of fascinating stories about trailblazers like Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, Guru Nanak, and Mother Teresa are laced with anecdotes, obscure facts, and trivia. Each book is an engrossing tale of icons whose lives continue to inspire every generation, making this a wonderful gift package for young readers.

My Little Book of Gods and Goddesses Boxset 

My Little Book of Gods and Goddesses Boxset
My Little Book of Gods and Goddesses

This collection of six endearingly designed board books features stories about some of the most well-known and adored Hindu deities, including Krishna, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Hanuman, Shiva, and Durga. These books provide a special and pleasant introduction to classic myths for contemporary kids. They include fascinating facts about each god as well as a seek-and-find exercise.

Hanuman: Anjani’s Mighty Son (Read and Colour) by Devdutt Patnaik

Hanuman: Anjani’s Mighty Son (Read and Colour)
Hanuman: Anjani’s Mighty Son || Devdutt Patnaik

A new generation of readers is introduced to the tale of Hanuman, a beloved Hindu god, by Devdutt Pattanaik. The read-aloud version of Hanuman, Anjani’s Mighty Son is ideal for introducing young readers to the courage, selflessness, loyalty, and humility that Hanuman possessed. Young readers will love this distinctive, interactive style, especially for nighttime reading.

Terminal 3 by Debasmita Dasgupta

Terminal 3: A Graphic Novel set in Kashmir
Terminal 3 || Debasmita Dasgupta

Khwab has persevered through bliss and emptiness, desire and loss, penance and serenity. She has a dream about the day when life will be a paradise. The story of the common people in the Valley attempting to live their dreams is told in Terminal 3’s breathing against the setting of violence.

Taatung Tatung and Other Amazing Stories of India’s Diverse Languages by Vaishali Shroff

Taatung Tatung and Other Amazing Stories of India’s Diverse Languages
Taatung Tatung || Vaishali Shroff

Khwab has persevered through bliss and emptiness, desire and loss, penance and serenity. She has a dream about the day when life will be a paradise. The story of the common people in the Valley attempting to live their dreams is told in Terminal 3’s breathing against the setting of violence.

Dakshin by Nitin Kushalappa MP

Dakshin: South Indian Myths and Fables Retold
Dakshin || Nitin Kushalappa MP

Explore this collection of fifteen colourful myths, fables, and folktales from vivacious southern India. Discover the alluring fairies, elves, gods, and goddesses along the route as you journey from the banks of the Kaveri to the coasts of the Indian Ocean, from the depths of enigmatic jungles to the towering Nilgiris, from the opulent palaces of kings to tranquil villages in Coorg. Chuckle at a miser’s humorous actions. Cry at the foolish misfortunes. Be in awe of the weak’s bravery in the face of the powerful. Come and enjoy these wonderful folktales!

Munni Monster by Madhurima Vidyarthi

Munni Monster
Munni Monster || Madhurima Vidyarthi

When Munni, a relative of her grandmother’s who has cerebral palsy, moves in with them, Mishti’s life is drastically altered. Her only thought is to somehow get her to leave. But as time goes on, Munni develops oddly appealing tendencies, and when things reach a crisis point, Mishti isn’t so sure Munni is the monster she initially believed she was. A humorously moving tale about a young boy, 10, who must deal with unexpected and challenging changes, a disability, and, most importantly, love.

The Complete Vikram–Aditya Stories by Deepak Dalal

The Complete Vikram–Aditya Stories
The Complete Vikram–Aditya Stories || Deepak Dalal

India’s response to the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Famous Five mystery novels is the Complete Vikram-Aditya Stories boxset. This collector’s edition boxset includes all eight volumes for the first time ever. The dynamic duo of Vikram and Aditya, together with their ragtag crew of companions, set off on exciting excursions where they come face to face with frightened wild creatures, secluded indigenous communities, and a number of other frightening situations.

 

Chitti’s Travelling Book Box by Kavitha Punniyamurthi

Chitti’s Travelling Book Box
Chitti’s Travelling Book Box || Kavitha Punniyamurthi

Chitti enjoys reading. But her town doesn’t have enough books, and some of her friends believe they’re boring! Can Chitti convince them to reconsider?

Adani crash predictions turns true – 91 Predictions by Greenstone Lobo

Did you know that the scientific astrologer Greenstone Lobo had already predicted the Adani crash in his book 91 Predictions?

According to the Hindenburg Reports, on Wednesday 25th January 2023, Adani Group of Companies crashed, their stocks slipping by 20% in early trade. By Friday the chances of them bouncing back also seemed meager, as it wiped out almost 3.18 trillion in investor wealth. It was also due to their involvement “in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud by the conglomerate” as per the reports.

However, it wasn’t a crack or shock for the followers and readers of Greenstone Lobo. Here’s an excerpt of the prediction he made for the slippage of the companies’ stocks.

*

91 Predictions
91 Predictions || Greenstone Lobo

Prediction #38

Will Gautam Adani Be Able to Keep Flying High?

Gautam Adani’s resume looks impressive. He started as a humble commodity trader in 1988 and went on to build a huge conglomerate. While the entire world was reeling under the impact of Covid-19, in 2020, he added a jaw-dropping $35 billion86 to his riches. He is now the second richest Indian and closing in on Mukesh Ambani. Would his growth story continue? Yes, but with huge roadblocks.

The company was incorporated in the year 1993 and came with a public issue in 1994. Pluto and Neptune were in the strongest positions in these two years and the company’s tremendous growth and status can be attributed to that. Looking further, some milestones aren’t encouraging astrologically. In August 2006, the company was renamed Adani Enterprises Limited from Adani Exports. Pluto just got into nascent debilitation and Neptune was deeply debilitated during this time. While the massive placement of Planet-X and Uranus can push the company into good positions, the biggest planets Pluto and Neptune in weak positions probably indicate a weak foundation.

Adani Power was started in 1996, a good year according to astrology. Other projects, like IT and data centre, which started post 2019 will not have much trouble as they were started when Pluto was in strong positions. The troubles will originate from businesses started during 2010-2017. When you dig deep and go into the dates when the various subsidiary companies of the group were established, there seems to be a long, challenging road ahead. The biggest money spinners for the group—Adani Ports & SEZ, Adani Green Energy, Adani Transmission, Adani Infrastructure— were established during 2010-2017 when Pluto got deeper and deeper into debilitation.

So, can Gautam Adani go on to be the richest man in India? Yes, it is possible. He has almost nine planets in dignity in his horoscope, and he can do that. Albeit that could just be temporary. Despite the presence of strong planets in his horoscope, there are two important yet weak planets in his chart—Uranus in fall and Pluto is almost in the Grey Lizard avatar. His growth story can be pretty impressive till 2025, when Pluto would push him further. But during 2025-29 when Pluto will get into the Grey Lizard zone and Uranus would get debilitated, Adani will get into some serious troubles with his businesses.

It is difficult to predict the kind of challenges Adani group would face at this point of time but just like the huge roadblock for their coal project in Australia since 201087 they will get into more and more troubles. Gautam’s businesses will face various obstacles and his financial empire would just get saddled with many troubles, legal wrangles and financial muddles.

Interestingly, Gautam’s son Karan Adani who manages the Adani Ports too is a Grey Lizard with Pluto in deep debilitation. This just confirms the fact that the huge conglomerate of Adani has huge challenges ahead which is contradictory to the promises the group shows in 2021.

**

Read more about Pluto’s impact on the fate of the world and predictions in 91 Predictions. Get a one-minute summary of this book below:

Penguin At JLF 2023 ?

The Jaipur Literature Festival, also called the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’, is the Multiverse of Madness for every littérateur! Over one lakh people attended the 16th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival last week, which featured sessions by over 500 speakers and artists from around the globe. Here’s a recap of Penguin at JLF 2023!

Pic 1: Visitors pay homage to the festival with heartfelt messages Pic 2: #SPOTTED Namita Gokhale’s The Blind Matriarch finds it’s way to the streets of the Pink City

 

In the words of Festival Director, Namita Gokhale, “The Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 had an emphasis on translations and shared human narratives. Writers and translators broke beyond the boundaries of language and reached out across cultures and continents.

2023 was truly a vintage year with a stellar range of writers from India and across the world. The audiences were as ever deeply engaged and responsive. Five days of lucid dreaming with intellect and creative imagination at play.”

 

Pic 1: Children line up to have their copies signed by the iconic Sudha Murty. Pic 2: Bestselling author Durjoy Datta draws massive crowds during his opening session at JLF Day 1.

 

This year, Penguin presented India’s budding writers with an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime lifetime! The Perfect Pitch is a contest where writers get a chance to pitch their book to a jury of eminent people from the world of publishing.

Five shortlisted authors got to pitch their book to a distinguished panel at JLF with the winner being offered exclusive one-on-one mentorship, for a chance for them to hone their talent and polish their book. The mentors and jury included two editors from Penguin – Elizabeth Kuruvilla and Gurveen Chadha – author of Manjhi’s Mayhem, Tanuj Solanki, and Shreya Punj, also known as The Editor Recommends.

Our winner for the first edition of The Perfect Pitch was Subi Taba.

Pic 3: Meet the Perfect Pitch jury and finalists!

 

Subi Taba
Subi Taba, the winner of The Perfect Pitch
Subi Taba
Subi Taba being announced the winner of The Perfect Pitch 2023

The icing on the cake for us was to see so many of our debut authors at the festival this year, and the cherry on top? Six of our books made it to the top fifteen bestsellers! 

 

Penguin authors among the Top 15 Bestsellers at JLF 2023 ?

Energize Your Mind by Gaur Gopal Das

Energize Your Mind
Energize Your Mind || Gaur Gopal Das

Gaur Gopal Das, renowned author and life coach, decodes the mind in this book. He uses anecdotes and analytical studies to educate us how to discipline our minds for higher well-being. He gives engaging activities, meditation techniques, and worksheets throughout the book to help us take control of our minds. 

 

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida || Shehan Karunatilaka

Set in Colombo, 1990, Maali Almeida, a war photographer, gambler, and closet gay, has died in what appears to be a celestial visa office. His dismembered body is sinking in Beira Lake, and he has no idea who killed him. At a time when scores are settled by death squads, suicide bombers, and hired thugs, the list of suspects is depressingly long, as the ghouls and ghosts who gather around him can attest. Even in the afterlife, Maali’s time is running short. He has seven moons to contact the man and woman he loves the most and lead them to a hidden stockpile of images that will rock Sri Lanka.

 

The Magic of the Lost Story by Sudha Murty

The Magic of the Lost Story
The Magic of the Lost Story || Sudha Murty

The Magic of the Lost Story, written in India’s favourite storyteller, Sudha Murty’s, distinctive style, captures the value of asking questions and keeping the answers alive. This story takes you on an unforgettable adventure as it follows the gorgeous Tungabhadra River, which is filled with delightful artworks and wondrous terrains.

 

The Last Heroes by P Sainath

The Last Heroes
The Last Heroes || P. Sainath

The Last Heroes tells the stories of the footsoldiers who fought for Indian independence. The men, women, and children in this book include Adivasis, Dalits, OBCs, Brahmins, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. They are from all across the country, speak a variety of languages, and include atheists and believers, Leftists, Gandhians, and Ambedkarites.

 

The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Song of the Cell
The Song of the Cell || Siddhartha Mukherjee

In The Song of the Cell, Siddhartha Mukherjee narrates the tale of how scientists discovered cells, began to comprehend them, and are now using that knowledge to create new humans. He entices readers with writing that is vibrant, lucid, and intriguing, making complex science exciting. The Song of the Cell is a masterwork, told in six sections and filled with Mukherjee’s personal experience as a researcher, clinician, and voracious reader.

 

Life’s Amazing Secrets by Gaur Gopal Das

Life’s Amazing Secrets
Life’s Amazing Secrets || Gaur Gopal Das

Gaur Gopal Das is one of the world’s most well-known and sought-after monks and life coaches, having taught millions of people. Life’s Amazing Secrets, his debut book, distils his life experiences and lessons into a light-hearted, thought-provoking book that will help you match yourself with the life you want to live.

 

 

Check out our must-read debut authors! ?

Hacking Health by Mukesh Bansal

Hacking Health
Hacking Health || Mukesh Bansal

Mukesh Bansal tackles the monumental challenge of deciphering science, summarizing research, and charting the journey of our relationship with our bodies in Hacking Health. This book draws from ancient wisdom while also debunking unscientific myths to help you make informed choices in pursuit of good health, using a blend of firsthand opinion and cutting-edge science. This book looks into the breadth and depth of holistic health and helps you traverse the lines between science and pseudoscience, from nutrition and exercise to relaxation and immunity, proper nutrition and mental health to ageing and lifespan.

 

Slow is Beautiful by Gunjan Ahlawat

Slow is Beautiful
Slow is Beautiful || Ahlawat Gunjan

Slow is Beautiful is the opportunity to go on an adventure filled with awareness and contemplation in the form of an exhilarating book. Through the eyes of the author, Ahlawat Gunjan, we get to  perceive, evaluate, contemplate, and apply using artistic abilities developed through years of study to re-ignite a lost inclination. The book urges you to embrace a new aesthetic viewpoint by introducing you to form, colour, and composition. Every one of the sixty simple prompts in this book is an important step that is illustrated by vivid ink and watercolour drawings drawn from nature and created and carefully crafted by the artist himself to inspire readers to draw, erase, paint, experiment, create, and, most importantly, accept their mistakes.

 

Rethink Ageing by Nidhi Chawla & Reshmi Chakrobarty

Rethink Ageing
Rethink Ageing || Nidhi Chawla & Reshmi Chakrobarty

Rethink Ageing is a montage of significant stories that demonstrate how the narrative of ageing in India is changing. They fight ageism, which is deeply ingrained in Indian culture, with rigid ideals of ‘acceptable’ behaviour. Why should our age prohibit us from pursuing the lives we desire? We live in an ageing community that is adjusting to nuclear families, distant children, and ambiguous social support. To adopt active ageing, the best form of preventative healthcare, urban Indians are negotiating health difficulties, loneliness, and changing social benchmarks. This book offers a comprehensive insight into comprehending ageing, its influence on society, and how to conquer certain ‘obstacles’. We are no longer defined and restricted to our biological age.

 

I Am Onir and I am Gay by Onir

I Am Onir and I Am Gay
I Am Onir and I Am Gay || Onir

I Am Onir and I Am Gay is a powerful autobiography on addressing and conquering obstacles. This visceral and brutally honest personal story of faith, love, and the pursuit of dreams, co-written with his sister Irene Dhar Malik, is a game changer.

 

All the Right People by Priyanka Khanna

All the Right People
All the Right People || Priyanka Khanna

Shaan Singh, a Delhi party girl by night and a senior politician’s obedient daughter by day, understands whatever role to play to get her way. She is feisty and highly brilliant, and she has her own political ambitions. How far would she go to keep her freedom if her parents drive her into marriage for strategic reasons? Or will she succumb?

All The Right People is a glittering, whip-smart, and extremely amusing book that takes you into the secret, privileged world of the most wealthy and powerful families in Bombay, Delhi, and London while telling a universal story. Of love, loss, family, friendship, and difficult decisions a nd of women reclaiming control of their lives.

 

Half Empress by Tripti Pandey

The Half Empress
The Half Empress || Tripti Pandey

Tripti Pandey’s historical novel The Half Empress takes the reader to the regal hallways of nineteenth-century Jaipur and recounts the tale of a magnificent woman who has been deliberately erased from history. Raskapoor, the daughter of a Muslim mother and a Brahmin father, is best remembered today by the guides who often cite her as a celebrity prisoner at the famous Nahargarh Fort, upon whom the Maharaja violated all standards to give the title of ‘Half Empress’.

 

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Remembering Gandhi and other freedom fighters this Martyrs’ Day!

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi lives on in the heart of every Indian. His contributions as a freedom fighter and political leader continue to inspire people from all over the world. This Martyrs’ Day, lets sift through these books and recall the sacrifices of Mahatma Gandhi and several other freedom fighters who risked their lives to safeguard our nation.

 

Gandhi’s Assassin by Dhirendra K. Jha

Gandhi’s Assassin
Gandhi’s Assassin || Dhirendra K. Jha

Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India delves into Godse’s encounters with the people and organisations that shaped his worldview and gave him a feeling of purpose. The book recounts Godse’s gradual hardening of determination, as well as the tragic decisions and intrigue that eventually led to Mahatma Gandhi’s death in the turbulent aftermath of India’s independence in 1947.

 

Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye by Lt Gen KJS ‘Tiny’ Dhillon

Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye (Signed by the author)
Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye || Lt Gen KJS ‘Tiny’ Dhillon

Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye is an anecdotal, frank, and evocative account of an Army veteran’s life. It concentrates on the personal, professional, and, most significantly, family life of an Army soldier, and will not only provide insight into the challenges and tribulations he endured, but will also inspire a broad range of readers, particularly young defence aspirants.

 

Mahatma Gandhi by Raja Rao

Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi || Raja Rao

Mahatma Gandhi’s life is the story of a hero. Raja Rao upends the literary biography genre with imaginative non-linear chronology, through dialogue and anecdote, locating the physical within the metaphysical, and with a book that is both retrospective and contemporary at the same time in Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Indian Way. Rao concentrates on Gandhi’s years in South Africa, the birthplace of nonviolent resistance, before moving on to the epic independence struggle in India, which won Gandhi worldwide acclaim during his lifetime.

 

Gandhi before India by Ramachandra Guha

Gandhi Before India
Gandhi Before India || Ramachandra Guha

Based on archival research in four continents, this book explores Gandhi’s experiments with dissident cults, his friendships and enmities, and his failures as a husband and father. Gandhi Before India tells the dramatic story of how he mobilized a cross-class and inter-religious coalition, pledged to non-violence in their battle against a racist regime.

 

Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover by Akshaya Mukul

Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover
Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover || Akshaya Mukul

Premchand, Phanishwarnath Renu, Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand, and Josephine Miles are among the writers featured in Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover, as are Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, revolutionary Chandra Shekhar Azad, and actor Balraj Sahni. Its settings range from British prisons to an academically vigorous Allahabad and present-day Delhi, as well as monasteries in Europe.   is ambitious and intellectual, but it’s also an achingly beautiful tempest of a read.

 

India’s Most Fearless Series by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh

India’s Most Fearless
India’s Most Fearless || Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh,

India’s Most Fearless highlights fourteen true stories of extraordinary bravery and fearlessness, offering a glimpse into the kind of heroism demonstrated by our troops in impossibly terrible situations and under immense provocation. Its two highly anticipated sequels bring you fourteen and ten more stories, respectively, of great fearlessness, bringing you closer than ever to the personal bravery demonstrated by Indian military soldiers in the line of duty.

 

1971 by Rachna Bisht Rawat

1971
1971 || Rachna Bisht Rawat

1971: Charge of the Gorkhas and Other Stories, revisits the battlefields of the 1971 Indo-Pak war through the eyes of valiant soldiers from the army, navy, and air force who sacrificed their lives for a cause greater than themselves.

 

The Burning Chaffees by Balram Singh Mehta

The Burning Chaffees
The Burning Chaffees || Balram Singh Mehta

India launched a decisive war against Pakistan in 1971. However, prior to all-out war, an even more critical tank engagement was fought on 21 November 1971 by the C Squadron 45 Cavalry, which wrecked Pakistani General A.A.K. Niazi’s preparations for triumph and set the foundation for the Pakistani Army’s ultimate destruction. Brigadier B.S. Mehta’s The Burning Chaffees is a gripping account of the decisive combat of November 21st.

 

The Good Boatman by Rajmohan Gandhi

The Good Boatman
The Good Boatman || Rajmohan Gandhi

In this book, Rajmohan Gandhi, a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and an acclaimed biographer and scholar, attempts to understand the phenomenon that was Gandhi. This he does by examining in detail dominant and varied themes of Gandhi’s life. His unsuccessful bid to keep India united, his attitude towards caste and untouchability; his relationship with those whose empire he challenged; his controversial experiments with chastity; his views on God, truth and non-violence; and his selection of heirs to lead a new-born nation.

 

The Death and Afterlife of Mahatma Gandhi by Makarand R Paranjape

The Death And Afterlife Of Mahatma Gandhi
The Death And Afterlife Of Mahatma Gandhi || Makarand R Paranjape

Paranjape’s meticulous study culminates in his reading of Gandhi’s last six months in Delhi where, from the very edge of the grave, he wrought what was perhaps his greatest miracle – the saving of Delhi and thus of India itself from the internecine bloodshed of Partition. Paranjape, taking a cue from the Mahatma himself, also shows us a way to expiate our guilt and to heal the wounds of an ancient civilization torn into two.

 

The Man Before the Mahatma by Charles DiSalvo

The Man Before The Mahatma
The Man Before The Mahatma || Charles DiSalvo

At the age of eighteen, a shy and timid Mohandas Gandhi leaves his home in Gujarat for a life on his own. At forty-five, a confident and fearless Gandhi, ready to boldly lead his country to freedom, returns to India. What transforms him? The law. The Man before the Mahatma is the first biography of Gandhi’s life in the law. Using materials hidden away in archival vaults and brought to light for the first time, The Man before the Mahatma puts the reader inside dramatic experiences that changed Gandhi’s life forever and have never been written about—until now.

 

Mahatma Gandhi and his Apostles by Ved Mehta

Mahatma Gandhi And His Apostles
Mahatma Gandhi And His Apostles || Ved Mehta

Ved Mehta’s book on Gandhi (1977) is one of the great portraits of the political leader. Travelling the world to talk to Gandhi’s family, friends and followers, drawing his daily life in exacting detail, Mehta gives us a nuanced and complex picture of the great man and brings him vividly alive.

 

My Dear Bapu by Gopalkrishna Gandhi

My Dear Bapu
My Dear Bapu || Gopalkrishna Gandhi

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, or Rajaji, was famously described by Mahatma Gandhi as his ‘conscience keeper’. The eighty-odd largely unpublished letters presented here span the period from the run-up to Independence to its early years, providing deep insight into the struggles and endeavours of Indian public life.

 

The Living Gandhi by Tara Sethia

The Living Gandhi
The Living Gandhi || Tara Sethia

This inspiring volume presents unique insights from leading international scholars, activists, educators and thought leaders on the contemporary relevance of Gandhi’s ideas and actions. The essays here reveal that for Gandhi, legitimate coercion by the state in certain cases was compatible with ahimsa; a balance between spiritual and material values was essential for a true civilization; and swaraj anchored in self-discipline and self-restraint was imperative for sustainable ways of life.

 

Gandhi, The Years That Changed the World by Ramachandra Guha

Gandhi lived one of the great 20th- century lives. He inspired and enraged, challenged and delighted millions of men and women around the world. He lived almost entirely in the shadow of British Raj, which for much of his life seemed a permanent fact, but which he did more than anyone else to bring down. In a world defined by violence and warfare and by fascist and communist dictatorships, Gandhi was armed with nothing more than his arguments and example. While fighting for national freedom, he also attacked caste and gender hierarchies and fought-and died-for inter-religious harmony. This magnificent book tells the story of Gandhi’s life from the time he left South Africa to his participation in the Second Round Table Conference.

The Sleep Mindset – An excerpt from Ritual

Do you lack motivation on Monday? Are Monday morning blues making you dizzy? While at your work desk, all you can think about is the warm cocoon of your bed, but the moment the moon is at its apex you cannot sleep. Are you also one of the many people who cannot sleep at night and feel sleepy during the day? Being an author, columnist, and podcaster who has written on beauty and wellness for more than two decades, Vasudha Rai brings a solution to your sleeping problems and others to renew your mind, body and spirit through, Ritual: Daily Practices for Wellness, Beauty & Bliss. Here’s an excerpt from her book for a healthy sleep mindset.

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Ritual: Daily Practices for Wellness, Beauty & Bliss
Ritual: Daily Practices for Wellness, Beauty & Bliss || Vasudha Rai

When we sleep well, we perform better the next day, our interpersonal relationships are better, we’re inspired to work out, eat healthy and make the right choices. On the contrary, when we don’t get enough sleep, we’re not inspired to do anything at all. The first step of sleep hygiene then is to put away your phone which will only happen when you are determined. Try replacing your smartphone or tablet with a book (especially one that is mildly academic/ slow paced). It may not be as stimulating as social media, but that is the whole point.

If you’re an overthinker, it may be a good idea to write down a list of things to do the next day, lest you forget. In Ayurveda, this is especially recommended for the ambitious pitta type. Vata types do well with a warm oil foot massage that works to ground their flight, anxious energy. Kapha types usually don’t have a problem falling asleep – for them the problem is oversleeping). But whether it’s journaling, meditation, massage, sound healing, the idea is to wind down and destress. The mind cannot run at a breakneck speed and then be expected to calm down and then help you fall asleep.

Someone like me who gets stimulated easily prefers to either read a non-fiction/ knowledge book or indulge in a sound bath before bed. Personally, I find that sometimes even reading on my phone is okay as long as I’m looking up information about beauty, health and wellness. For me these are comforting areas of interest. For you it could be language, astronomy or art history. If I get involved in an engaging conversation I stay awake longer. So even if I’m on my phone, I avoid social media because I don’t want to be faced with excitement, fear, revulsion, admiration, or any other stimulating information right before bed.

The big worry is if we will be able to sleep at all. Often the inability to fall asleep is what keeps us up all night. I remember reading an article about sleep management a while back on a particular night that I spent tossing and turning. It was almost 4am and I couldn’t bear the thought of listening to the birdsong in the morning after a night I had laid awake. So I picked up my phone and looked up ‘What can you do when you can’t sleep all night’. Among the various tips the author had given one line stood out so beautifully that I remember it to this day. A somnologist said something on the lines of ‘ultimately you will go to sleep at some point, it may not come soon enough but it will come for sure’. I felt comforted by that and have worried a little bit lesser since then.

The paradox is that when we try to stay up is when we fall asleep the soonest. So my trick when I’m wakeful in the middle of the night is to do something, instead of just tossing around in bed. I keep a heavy academic book, with difficult concepts in my bedside drawer. It could also be an old, classic novel. Something heavy and verbose always makes me feel drowsy. But that’s just me, we are all different and have different needs. Think about it like this – we feel the sleepiest when we’re trying to stay awake. So instead of tossing and turning waiting for it to come, engage yourself in something boring. You could step out of the room for a few minutes, lie down and listen to a guided meditation, journal your thoughts. If you wake up in the middle of the night and aren’t able to go to sleep, try one of these, or anything else that does not involve a screen.

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Get your copy of Ritual from your nearest bookstore or Amazon.

26 books to celebrate January 26th

January 26th holds a special place in the heart of every Indian. It marks the day we commemorate the enactment of the Constitution of India. As we celebrate India’s 74th Republic Day, here are our favourite books and audiobooks to fill you with patriotism and fervour. 

 

Bravehearts of Bharat by Vikram Sampath

Bravehearts of Bharat
Bravehearts of Bharat || Vikram Sampath

 

History has always been the victor’s handmaiden. This book explores the lives, times, and works of fifteen long-lost and completely forgotten unsung heroes and heroines of our history, bringing to light the contribution of soldiers who not only armour-clad stormed into battle, but also kept the torch of hope alive under harsh circumstances.

 

The Last Heroes by P. Sainath

The Last Heroes
The Last Heroes || P. Sainath

 

The foot-soldiers of Indian independence share their stories in The Last Heroes. Adivasis, Dalits, OBCs, Brahmins, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus are among the men, women, and children represented in this book. They come from many parts of the country, speak various languages, and include atheists and believers, Leftists, Gandhians, and Ambedkarites.

 

A Little Book of India by Ruskin Bond

A Little Book of India
A Little Book of India || Ruskin Bond

 

As India celebrates 75 years of independence, we give you a glimpse of our beloved country through the words of our favourite author, Ruskin Bond. He pays tribute to the country that has been his home for 84 years, drawing on his own memories and perceptions of it. A Little Book of India is an amalgamation of our homeland’s physical and spiritual features that leads you on a nostalgic and mystical trip.

 

The Rise of the BJP by Bhupender Yadav and Ila Patnaik

The Rise of the BJP
The Rise of the BJP || Bhupender Yadav, Ila Patnaik

 

In this book, veteran BJP politician and cabinet minister Bhupender Yadav and leading economist Ila Patnaik collaborate to recount the BJP’s journey from humble beginnings to winning 303 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and becoming the world’s largest political party. While focused on the wider economic and political tale, the book includes numerous minor, but highly significant stories of individuals and circumstances that led to the BJP’s present state.

 

Planning Democracy by Nikhil Menon

Planning Democracy
Planning Democracy || Nikhil Menon

 

Nikhil Menon’s fascinating narrative of a gifted scientist known as the Professor, a trailblazing research facility in Calcutta, and the appealing idea of ‘democratic planning’ brings the world of planning to life in this engaging history. Menon illustrates how India walked a tightrope between capitalism and communism in the face of global wars and international disputes. Planning Democracy recasts our view of the Indian republic, explaining how planning came to define the nation and how it still shapes our society today.

 

Scars of 1947 by Rajeev Shukla

Scars of 1947
Scars of 1947 || Rajeev Shukla

 

More than seven decades after India’s partition in 1947, the burden of sadness remains heavy in the hearts and minds of those impacted. A nation was divided into two with a single stroke of ink on a map, hurting families from generation to generation, and the resulting wounds are still achingly deep even today. Scars of 1947 is a touching and nostalgic compilation of accounts of an unforgettable period that left two nations scarred for life.

 

The Life and Times of George Fernandes by Rahul Ramagundam

The Life and Times of George Fernandes
The Life and Times of George Fernandes || Rahul Ramagundam

 

The Life and Times of George Fernandes tells the story of George Fernandes, who rose from the streets of Bombay to walk the halls of power. Rahul Ramagundam’s fascinating biography gives a window into George’s political evolution and tracks the trajectory of India’s Socialist Party from its founding in the 1930s to its breakup into the Janata Party in the late 1970s. This book follows the journey of India’s opposition parties as they attempted to dethrone the long-ruling Congress Party from its apex.

 

Nehru and the Spirit of India by Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee

Nehru and the Spirit of India
Nehru and the Spirit of India || Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee

 

Plato’s philosopher king, Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘found’ an India that remains an unexplored promise. Nehru and the Spirit of India examines his intellectual and political legacy in a critical and nuanced manner. Bhattacharjee, a second-generation refugee, advocates for a “minoritarian” approach to national politics. He forces us to learn from the insights of poets and thinkers, breaking ideological and disciplinary boundaries. This intriguing book, written with simplicity, presents an original take on Nehru and Indian history.

 

Bhagat Singh by Satvinder S. Juss

Bhagat Singh
Bhagat Singh || Satvinder S. Juss

 

This well researched biography is an exhaustive journey into Bhagat Singh’s life and serves as a contemporary antidote. The book delves into his family’s history before he was born, studying the influence that numerous episodes, policies, and people played in creating the identity of a renowned revolutionary while also diving into his views on significant issues of the time. 

 

Challenges to A Liberal Polity by M. Hamid Ansari

Challenges to A Liberal Polity
Challenges to A Liberal Polity || M. Hamid Ansari

 

Challenges to a Liberal Polity, written by Hamid Ansari, former Vice President of India, is a book that puts to light some of the most pressing challenges that affect our thinking every day. This book, which is thorough, persuasive, and expressive, will appeal to a wide range of readers, as well as politicians, policymakers, and students and scholars of Indian politics, history, and sociology.

 

The People of India by Ravinder Kaur and Nayanika Mathur

The People of India
The People of India || Ravinder Kaur, Nayanika Mathur

 

In this book, some of South Asia’s most eminent scholars collaborate to write about a person or subject with particular significance in modern Indian politics. In doing so, they cumulatively bring us a new understanding of what the politics at the heart of New India are—and how we might effectively analyse them. Ravinder Kaur and Nayanika Mathur’s superb anthology features fresh and accessible writings by South Asia’s best social science and humanities specialists.

Hello Bastar by Rahul Pandita

Hello Bastar
Hello Bastar || Rahul Pandita

 

Rahul Pandita provides an authoritative account of how a small group of revolutionaries infiltrated Bastar in Central India in 1980 and established a strong force that New Delhi now considers as India’s greatest internal security problem. Based on extensive on-the-ground reporting and extensive interviews with Maoist leaders such as their supreme commander Ganapathi, Kobad Ghandy, and others who are imprisoned or have been killed in police encounters, this book is a combination of firsthand storytelling and daring analysis.

 

Our Moon Has Blood Clots by Rahul Pandita

Our Moon Has Blood Clots
Our Moon Has Blood Clots || Rahul Pandita

 

Rahul Pandita and his family were fourteen years old when they were forced to evacuate their home in Srinagar. They were Kashmiri Pandits, the Hindu minority in a Muslim-majority Kashmir that, by 1990, was becoming increasingly agitated by India’s Azaadi shouts. Our Moon Has Blood Clots tells the narrative of Kashmir, where Islamist militants tortured, killed, and forced hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits to evacuate their homes, forcing them to live in exile in their own country for the rest of their lives. Rahul Pandita’s history, home, and loss tale is extremely intimate, fascinating, and unforgettable.

 

Gandhi’s Assassin by Dhirendra K. Jha

Gandhi’s Assassin
Gandhi’s Assassin || Dhirendra K. Jha

 

Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India explores Godse’s interactions with the groups that shaped his worldview and provided him with a sense of purpose. The book depicts the progressive hardening of Godse’s resolve, as well as the tragic decisions and intrigue that eventually led to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in the tumultuous wake of India’s independence in 1947. 

 

The Muslim Vanishes by Saeed Naqvi

The Muslim Vanishes
The Muslim Vanishes || Saeed Naqvi

 

The decibel levels on caste, the Hindu-Muslim split, Pakistan, and Kashmir are too high for a discourse to take place, with each side aggressively defending their own story. Saeed Naqvi’s razor-sharp, kind, and amusing drama draws on a variety of influences—from grandma’s bedtime stories to Aesop’s fables and Mullah Nasruddin’s satirical tales—to spring an inspired surprise on us, bringing us on a journey into both history and fiction.

 

Head Held High by Vishwas Nangre Patil

Head Held High
Head Held High || Vishwas Nangre Patil

 

Head Held High, translated from the Marathi book Mann Mein Hai Vishwas, is an account of IPS officer Vishwas Nangre Patil’s life—from his humble beginnings, through school, college, long hours of studying for the UPSC examinations, and finally, his role in counterterrorism operations during the Mumbai attacks. This touching and realistic narrative of his most formative and hard years is guaranteed to resonate with individuals who wish to enter the Indian public services.

 

Operation Sudarshan Chakra by Prabhakar Aloka

Operation Sudarshan Chakra
Operation Sudarshan Chakra || Prabhakar Aloka

 

Despite having experienced great personal anguish, Ravi and his colleagues band together to start clever counterterror and counterintelligence operations dubbed Operation Sudarshan Chakra, putting everything, even their individual lives, in jeopardy.

 

The Architect of the New BJP by Ajay Singh

The Architect of the New BJP
The Architect of the New BJP || Ajay Singh

 

The Architect of the New BJP employs extensive research and specific examples to demonstrate how the BJP has evolved over the years. It shows lesser-known contributions, including as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempts with traditional party-building methods, his acute eye for detail, and the several new methodologies for party expansion. Ajay Singh not only studies the party’s past, including the vision of its founders, but also offers a view into the party’s future.

 

Sarojini Naidu by Sarojini Naidu

Essential Reader: Sarojini Naidu
Essential Reader: Sarojini Naidu || Sarojini Naidu

 

We can see Sarojini Naidu’s innermost thoughts and feelings on these pages, as well as the important role she played in shaping the country’s freedom struggle and ideas as a young nation, particularly through rousing speeches on the Education of Indian Women and the Battle for Freedom, which were broadcast on All India Radio on 15 August 1947.

 

Against All Odds by S. ‘Kris’ Gopalakrishnan, N. Dayasindhu, Krishnan Narayanan

Against All Odds
Against All Odds || S. ‘Kris’ Gopalakrishnan, N. Dayasindhu, Krishnan Narayanan

 

Against All Odds: The IT Story of India is an insider’s narrative of Indian IT during the previous six decades, filled with anecdotes. It draws on the firsthand experiences of Kris Gopalakrishnan and fifty other industry titans who helped to build and define the IT sector. This is a narrative about endurance and resilience, forethought, preparing and being ready when opportunity knocks, a spirit of adventure, and, most importantly, unshakeable faith in technology and the belief that it would help India. It’s a happy ending, and the best is yet to come!

 

Gautam Adani by R.N. Bhaskar

Gautam Adani
Gautam Adani || R.N. Bhaskar

 

This book shines light on what we didn’t know about Gautam Adani but should have. It dives deep, covering a variety of fascinating incidents from Gautam Adani’s life, revealing his early life, his introduction to business, and the lessons and opportunities he took advantage of.This book is dedicated to analysing Gautam Adani’s business practises, which have piqued everyone’s interest.

 

Books Available on Audio

 

India’s Most Fearless and India’s Most Fearless 2 by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh

India’s Most Fearless
India’s Most Fearless || Shiv Aroor, Rahul Singh

 

India’s Most Fearless tells fourteen genuine stories of exceptional bravery and fearlessness, providing a look into the type of heroism displayed by our warriors in unimaginably harsh conditions and under tremendous provocation. Its much awaited sequel delivers to you fourteen more stories of incredible fearlessness, bringing you closer than ever before to the personal bravery displayed by Indian military soldiers in the line of duty. 

 

The Man Who Saved India by Hindol Sengupta

The Man Who Saved India
The Man Who Saved India || Hindol Sengupta

 

No other political figure comes close to the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to preserve and protect the Indian nation. However, little is known or appreciated about Patel’s significant contribution to India’s making. The Man Who Saved India is a magnificent account of Sardar Patel’s life. Hindol Sengupta, a numerous award-winning and best-selling author, brings Patel’s resolute life of hardship and his ardent determination to keeping India secure to life with ferociously detailed and pugnacious anecdotes.

 

Bose by Chandrachur Ghose

Bose
Bose || Chandrachur Ghose

 

There haven’t been many Indian heroes whose lives have been as spectacular and exciting as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s. That is, however, a judgement of his life based on what is commonly known about him. Bose: The Unwritten Story of an Inconvenient Nationalist is a fast-paced, thought-provoking, and completely engrossing read that will introduce you to many previously untold and unheard anecdotes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

 

10 Judgements That Changed India by Zia Mody

10 Judgements That Changed India
10 Judgements That Changed India || Zia Mody

 

This book contextualises the judgements, explains essential concepts, and maps their implications by examining critical subjects such as custodial fatalities, reserves, and environmental jurisprudence. Ten Judgements That Changed India, written by one of India’s most renowned lawyers, is an authoritative yet approachable book for anybody interested in understanding India’s legal system and the underpinnings of our democracy.

 

The Kargil Girl by Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena (Retd.), Kiran Nirvan

The Kargil Girl
The Kargil Girl || Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena (Retd.), Kiran Nirvan

 

From supplying vital arsenal to Indian troops in the Dras and Batalik regions to casualty evacuation from the ongoing battle. From meticulously relaying messages to her seniors of enemy positions to  narrowly escaping a Pakistani rocket missile during one of her sorties, Saxena fearlessly discharges her duties, earning herself the title ‘The Kargil Girl’. This is her wonderful story in her own words.

 

Nehru And Bose by Rudrangshu Mukherjee

Nehru And Bose
Nehru And Bose || Rudrangshu Mukherjee

 

Had relations between the two great nationalist leaders deteriorated to the point where Bose saw Nehru as an enemy? The interesting book by Rudrangshu Mukherjee examines the contours of a friendship that did not entirely develop as political ideas split, and delineates the shadow that fell between them—for Gandhi saw Nehru as his chosen heir and Bose as a prodigal son.

 

Partitions of the Heart by Harsh Mander

Partitions of the Heart
Partitions of the Heart || Harsh Mander

 

Harsh Mander believes that the partition in 1947 wasn’t the only one. He feels that another schism is taking place in our hearts and brains. A human rights and peace activist, Mander, examines whether the republic has preserved the objectives it set out to achieve in Partitions of the Heart: Unmaking the Idea of India, and provides searing, unflinching insight into the dimensions of hate violence. This painstakingly studied societal critique is a rallying cry for public compassion, conscience, and justice, as well as a tribute to humanity’s tenacity.

9 flamin’ hot and spicy recipe book recommendations ?

Looking for a mouthwatering meal to celebrate International Hot and Spicy Food Day? We’ve curated just the perfect recipe book recommendations for you that will make you want to cook your heart out! Pick up your favourite one from the list – they’re sure to tingle your taste buds.

On the Pickle Trail by Monish Gujral

On the Pickle Trail front cover
On the Pickle Trail||Monish Gujral

In this book, Monish Gujral brings together a collection of 100 pickles to start you on your journey of pickling. These recipes are not only simple and easy to make, each also has health benefits. From the Italian Giardiniera (pickled vegetables) to the Israeli Torshi Left (white turnip pickle), from the Gari (Japanese ginger pickle) to the Cebollas Encurtidas (pickled onions from Ecuador), this book is a treasure trove of some of the best pickles from around the world. Start your lip-smacking journey today!

Degh to Dastarkhwan by Tarana Husain Khan

front cover degh to dastarkhwan
Degh to Dastarkhwan || Tarana Husain Khan

Originally indifferent eater and cook, Tarana Husain Khan, stumbled upon a nineteenth-century Persian cookbook at Rampur’s renowned Raza Library, that instantaneously set her on a voyage into the history of Rampur cuisine and the legends surrounding it. 

Degh to Dastarkhwan revolves around the question of what truly sets Rampur’s cuisine apart from others. Each chapter is a metaphor for a sentiment, a festival. The variety of Rampuri cuisine, from the lavish royal cuisine to the straightforward everyday meal, lays the groundwork for the expression of love, sorrow, healing, and spirituality. 

 

The Rana Cookbook by Rohini Rana

front cover the rana cookbook
The Rana Cookbook || Rohini Rana

The elegant palaces of Nepal were not only renowned for their glitz and architecture but their lavish feasts as well. Only the palace cooks were fortunate enough to have acquired these delicious recipes. For the first time ever, the doors to the palace kitchens are opened in this gorgeous book, giving us a look into the delectable royal cuisine.

Rohini Rana has compiled and documented the dishes that are cherished by each Rana prime minister’s family in this phenomenal book. This premium, exquisitely designed cookbook tries to preserve these recipes for future generations by showcasing delicious meals from the palaces.

 

This Handmade Life by Nandita Iyer

front cover this handmade life
This Handmade Life || Nandita Iyer

This Handmade Life is all about discovering your passion and mastering it. Divided into seven sections on baking, fermenting, self-care, kitchen gardening, soap-making, spices, and needlework, encourages us to take our time and engage in straightforward hobbies that bring us pure delight.

The book is about hands-on activities that can be contemplative and restorative for the body, mind, and spirit. It is written in Iyer’s trademark lyrical and approachable style. Iyer has succeeded in serving up a book that is inspirational and motivational at a time when both are in short supply by taking the reader through a variety of personal and transforming interests.

 

What’s Cooking in India?

front cover whats cooking in india
What’s Cooking In India?

The books On the Kebab Trail and On the Dessert Trail by Monish Gujral are ideal for anyone who wants to explore the world through food! With over a hundred Kashmiri recipes, P. Krishna Dar’s Kashmiri Cooking is a gorgeously illustrated edition of a well-known classic. Highway on My Plate: The Indian Guide to Roadside Eating by Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma is a must-have travel companion!

 

The Essential Sindhi Cookbook by Reejhsinghani Aroona

front cover the essential sindhi cookbook
The Essential Sindhi Cookbook || Aroona Reejhsinghani

The Sindhi community may trace its origins back to the Harappan civilization and claims a unique continuity of tradition and lifestyle in the Indian subcontinent. Cuisine, as explained in the opening to this book, is a crucial component of this continuity. While Sindhi cuisine has absorbed components from other cuisines, particularly Mughlai and Punjabi, it has always maintained its own distinct blend of flavours and scents. The answers to all questions relating to the preparation and serving of Sindhi food are all here in this comprehensive guide to a distinctive culture.

 

The Essential Delhi Cookbook by Priti Narain

front cover the essential delhi cookbook
The Essential Delhi Cookbook || Priti Narain

The Penguin Essential Cookbooks are a pioneering endeavour to preserve the art of traditional Indian cooking. Each book is prepared by a skilled chef who combines regional or community-specific recipes with a lengthy introduction that details the rituals and customs associated with eating and presenting food. Recipes in the Essential Delhi Cookbook are gathered from the various communities that have made Delhi their home, including the Khatris and Kayasths, as well as Mughlai and Punjabi foods. Raan, Bheja, Methi Dal ki Pakori, Muthanjan Pulao, Mathri, Papri, Chaat, and Sharbat-e-Ghulab are among the recipes.

 

The Essential North-East Cookbook by Hoihnu Hauzel

front cover The Essential North – East Cookbook
The Essential North – East Cookbook || Hoihnu Hauzel

If there is one section of our country that has yet to be explored, it is the North East, at least in terms of its food. Those who live in or have visited the seven sister states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura will tell you that the North East’s chefs produce an incredible variety of cuisines that combine tradition and innovation in surprising ways.

 

The Essential Andhra Cookbook by Bilkees Latif

front cover Essential Andhra Cookbook
The Essential Andhra Cookbook || Bilkees Latif

 

Enjoy the enticing flavours of Andhra cuisine. While Hyderabadi cuisine is well-known for its distinct Mughlai flavour, food from other parts of Andhra, one of India’s largest and most culturally varied states, is relatively obscure. The author brings together for the first time the various tastes of Andhra cooking, from the simple idli-sambar to spicy seafood specialties, in this contribution to the Penguin series on Indian food and customs.

8 books to help you prioritize your mental health in 2023!

Hey, you! We are here to remind you that mental health is as important as physical health. So, prioritize your mental health in 2023!

Some of you might have missed adding ‘self-care’ to your long list of resolutions this year. However, each one of us should take an extra step in taking care of our bodies, mind, and soul right from the beginning of the year. To help you in the journey of refreshing your mind and relieving your worries, we bring to you five books that can be a good starting point. Scroll through this list and choose the books that will become your companions in your self-care journey and help you understand your mind better.

 

front cover if i'm honest
If I’m Honest||Sidhartha Mallya

 

Sidhartha Mallya has had a unique life to say the least. Born into one of India’s most prominent business families, he has had-from an outside perspective-what many would consider a blessed life. Appearances can often be deceiving, though, and at times what was going on inside was a very different story. In 2016, he went through depression. Something that came as a bit of a surprise to him, given that he seemingly had the world at his feet: he was young, had just graduated from a prestigious drama school and had upcoming film projects. However, despite all the wonderful opportunities that awaited him, he felt desperately unhappy, constantly low and like his insides were being crushed by a vice. That was when Sidhartha realized that something was not right and he sought professional help. Thus began the journey to understanding his current mental state as well as an exploration of the other mental issues he has suffered throughout his life and where they might have stemmed from. Sidhartha also writes about what helped him face and overcome his challenges.

 

 

Energize Your Mind

Energize Your Mind
Energize Your Mind || Gaur Gopal Das

 

In this book, bestselling author and life coach Gaur Gopal Das decodes how the mind works. He combines his anecdotal style with analytical research to teach us how to discipline our mind for our greater well-being. Throughout this book, he provides interactive exercises, meditation techniques and worksheets to help us take charge of our minds.

This book is an essential read for anyone who wants to work towards a better, more fulfilling future for themselves.

 

 

And How Do You Feel About That?

And How Do You Feel About That?
And How Do You Feel About That? || Aruna Gopakumar, Yashodhara Lal

 

Ever wondered what REALLY happens in the therapy room?
For too long, therapy has been seen as taboo in our society and is shrouded in myth–it’s only for the weak or ‘crazies’, it’s just blaming your parents, a therapist ‘only listens’ and so on. In this book, Aruna Gopakumar and Yashodhara Lal bust those myths and show you how therapy actually works.
With decades of combined experience in the field, these two therapists share fascinating stories based on their practice. You’ll meet the woman who sends secret messages to her husband during arguments; the towering tattooed man who realizes he can’t save his sister; the teenager whose life is revealed in the tale of a lonely bear; the divorced man angry with his ex-wife for starting to date again; the fiery gay young man impatient to change the world; the lady who won’t relax until her daughter is perfect; and many more.
Written with authenticity, warmth, simplicity, and lightness, And How Do You Feel About That brings you an understanding of the world of possibilities that opens up when we embark on an inner exploration – in dialogue with another.

 

Chemical Khichdi

Chemical Khichdi
Chemical Khichdi || Aparna Piramal Raje

 

Part memoir and part self-help guide, Chemical Khichdi provides a pathway for anyone with a mental health condition and the family, friends, colleagues, and medical professionals that love and care for them.

Empathetic, candid and accessible, it outlines ‘seven therapies’ that have enabled Aparna to ‘hack’ her mental health and find equilibrium over the years, and shows how you or someone you know can also do the same.

 

 

The Wisdom Bridge

The Wisdom Bridge
The Wisdom Bridge || Kamlesh D. Patel

 

The intentions, thoughts and actions of the elders are caught by the hearts of the children. The children observe, learn and imbibe the teachings quickly and faithfully, and the elders have the responsibility to not only raise the children well, but nurture and guide them in a way that they can lead fulfilling lives.

Daaji in The Wisdom Bridge offers nine principles to guide you, the reader, to live a life that inspires your children and your loved ones. These principles are important references for parents, parents-to-be, grandparents and caregivers to create fulfilling and happy lives. They will not only help you enrich the lives of your children and raise responsible teenagers, but pave the way for an inspired life and resilient bonds in your family.

 

 

The Friend

The Friend
The Friend || Sri M, Mohini Kent Noon

 

Sri M is widely known as a spiritual leader and teacher. However, he believes, for him to truly connect with someone and guide them, they must be friends.
In this book, Mohini Kent asks him about love, life, religion, marriage, death and everything in between making it a one-stop shop complete collection of Sri M’s teachings and philosophy. Following the ancient form of a conversation between a guru and a disciple, this book is easy to read and relatable for people of all ages.

 

 

Slow is Beautiful by Ahlawat Gunjan

Slow is Beautiful
Slow is Beautiful || Ahlawat Gunjan

 

Slow is Beautiful serves as an invitation to engage in a voyage of mindfulness and to tune out the clutter and noise in your environment. You’ll learn to see, watch, reflect, and practise using artistic methods developed through years of training under the direction of artist and visual designer Ahlawat Gunjan in order to rekindle a lost instinct. By developing a relationship with form, colour, and composition in a particularly approachable manner, this lovely collector’s edition equips you to accept a fresh artistic perspective into your lives. In order to encourage readers to draw, erase, paint, experiment, create, and, most importantly, embrace their errors, each of the book’s sixty simple prompts is highlighted by vibrant ink and watercolour paintings created and curated by the artist himself.

 

25 Small Habits by Manoj Chenthamarakshan

25 Small Habits
25 Small Habits || Manoj Chenthamarakshan

 

We all recognize that our habits influence how we live, but when we also know how challenging it can be to adopt a new habit. Most individuals struggle after the first week to keep up with a new habit. This book doesn’t teach you how to create habits; instead, it provides you with a list of 25 quick, easy routines that you can adopt right away.

The practises in this book are meant to help you develop holistically in terms of your personal growth, as well as your community, job, relationships, physical health, and mental health. You can decide which habits you can incorporate into your daily plan.

 

 From the Writer’s Desk ft. Rahul Pandita

by Avleen Kaur

 

To write books that have political blood and bones, in a country like ours, is a brave job that requires hard work. And here’s someone who’s trying to do it right by talking about important issues through deep rooted investigative journalism. We sat down with the incredible Rahul Pandita and discussed both his books, Our Moon Has Blood Clots and Hello, Bastar; the different processes that went behind writing a memoir and an investigative book, and what inspires him to write. 

 

What prompted you to write Hello, Bastar and what are you trying to say through it?

 

Hello, Bastar is a labour of many, many years of travel through central and eastern India, in what are widely known as left-wing, extremist-affected districts of India. Most of these travels happened at a time when the editors and intellectuals in Delhi and other bigger cities had very little idea about the movement and how large its future could be. Nobody anticipated how it would consume us in many ways in the following years until our former Prime Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh called it the country’s biggest internal security threat.  

This book is basically about how a handful of young men and women believed in a certain idea of revolution and how they created the modern Naxal movement from the jungles of Bastar in the 1980s. Hello, Bastar is mostly meant for a non-academic reader, for someone who is a student of India and really wants to know what is happening in this part of the country.  

 

While your previous book, Our Moon Has Blood Clots was a memoir that rose out of personal and community experience, Hello, Bastar is more investigative in nature, made out of reportage and interviews. How different were both the processes? And was the latter more comfortable considering your journalistic background? 

 

I think Hello, Bastar was a relatively easier book to write because it was largely a part of what I do as a journalist. So, writing this did not feel as hard as the previous book which is part memoir-part reportage of the exodus and torture that happened to a minority community in the Kashmir Valley. That book was more difficult to write because of the personal history involved. And as my editor, Meru might recall that there were times when I had to wait through patches of darkness because of which the book became extremely difficult to write. But during those patches, Meru did handhold me quite a few times during the writing process for which I remain grateful to her.  

 

Both the books talk about conflicts. Is that something that particularly intrigues you?  

 

Well, I am a conflict writer. Early on in my career, when I came to Delhi, I made a pact with myself. I vowed that I will not report on things based out of New Delhi because most times when you care about an incident or event, you have a preconceived notion about it. And most times when you actually investigate on the ground level, you are surprised to realize that your preconceived notions about most things were absolutely false. So, the reportage part of Our Moon Has Blood Clots or the entirety of Hello, Bastar has been built out of investigative journeys made through the length and breadth of the country.  

 

Talking about preconceived notions, there must be a lot of things you would’ve learnt during Hello, Bastar. Was there one thing that particularly shocked you or was a wild revelation? 

 

Whenever I get a chance to interact with young people, I tell them, ‘I’ve learnt nothing in school or college. Whatever I have learnt of life, I have learnt from Bastar, really.’ I spent weeks and weeks embedded with the Maoist guerillas and Adivasis in the back of beyond and learnt years in days. So, every journey, every day has been replete with some learning. And many of those learnings have left me shocked, surprised and sometimes also thankful that I could travel to these parts and learn so much not only about these people but about life in general. 

 

And was it difficult reaching out to a community you don’t belong to? Were you apprehensive? Were they apprehensive in sharing their life and story with you?  

 

So again, I think this is a part of a larger problem which Indian journalism suffers from. Where journalists are just paradropped at some place because of a particular incident and they spend a couple of days there, piggybacking on the previous work of stringers or local resource persons and later on claim to understand everything about that area. In the past, I have typically called it ‘clean-bedsheet journalism’ where you leave for a small town in the morning and make sure that you come back to the small hotel by the evening. But that’s not how things work, at least in Bastar.  

You have to spend a lot of time in Bastar to understand its reality. When you’re travelling in the village during the day, you might come across an ordinary Adivasi at the roadside tea shop. Later, you find out that he is a Naxal Guerilla. But that is not something you will know if you just have tea there and proceed back to your station. Conflict zones are like snake pits, you don’t know who is who until you familiarize yourself to the place. 

Also, it takes a lot of time for people to open up about their story. There were times when we were embedded with Maoist groups of men and women, where young women especially would really shy away and not talk at all. But after spending some days with them and talking to them, telling them you mean well, that you’re there to know their story and make them comfortable – they open up. And that again, is unfortunately not possible when you’re there for a day or two.  

Once an author wrote that he spent a lot of time in Bastar but didn’t meet a single Naxal there. I remember joking about it and commenting that Naxals are not like Coca-Cola or Haldiram Bhujia. If you go inside villages, the penetration of Haldiram Bhujia is immense. But that’s not how Naxals are to be found. You have to spend a lot of time there before they let you in. 

 

Does the fear of backlash or controversy of writing about sensitive subjects govern your writing in some way? 

 

I think both my books with Penguin India prove the fact that I really don’t care about labels. In the past, I have been called a specialist of this and that and I refute those claims completely. I am just a student of India. Even my twitter bio says that. I came to journalism because I had jigyaasa, the intellectual curiosity about the things I saw around me and I wanted to explore their reality. So, my modus operandi is simple. If I’m intrigued about something and want to seek answers, I seek them for myself first before seeking them on behalf of anyone else. And that has pretty much guided my reporting from anywhere in India. So, I’m not really into what is fashionable to say and what isn’t. I say what I see and I try to write passionately about it.  

 

Do you have a particular target audience in mind when you write a book? Do you think Our Moon Has Blood Clots reached the right audience, considering the current political climate of the country? 

 

I think I am glad that Our Moon Has Blood Clots came out when our country’s politics was slightly simpler than this. My understanding of writing is very simple. I am a firm believer of the fact that your writing should be accessible to the last man down. So, there are many people who write to me saying that we have very scant understanding of English but they were able to read my book and I consider that my strength. I also think Indian journalists often miss out on the element of storytelling. So, when I write my books, I consider them an extension of my journalism. What I really want to do is to give the feel, colour and sound of the place and people I am talking about and that comes only when you have a basic understanding of storytelling. So I think these two parameters are personally very important to me.  

 

Politics shape every individual, especially a writer. And you, quite directly, write about overtly political issues. Considering that pen is mightier than the sword and books have the power to shape individuals, do you feel a heavy responsibility while writing?  

 

Yes, there’s a responsibility about what you’re writing.  

But again, like I said, you should not worry about labels. What you see, you see to the best of your ability. We’ve just come to this terrible and ugly situation where everything is reduced to the binary of left and right. Everyone has this pressing need to put everyone in a basket. I would not like to be in any basket. I hate this basket system. Personally, I give a lot of leeway to people. Most things around our universe are not black and white. They are shades of grey. There is a subtle nuance about everything. Who are we at the end of the day? We are the sum total of our experiences. Our politics is also shaped by what we have gone through as individuals. So, you should always keep that in mind before you accuse someone of being an urban Naxal or a closet Sanghi or any other such labels.  

 

Lastly, do you think there is a possibility of an endeavor where Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims could come together to share their respective points of view regarding the 1990s in the shape of a book or an art piece together?  

 

That’s an ideal situation. But for that to happen, the Kashmiri society from both sides has to meet somewhere. Unfortunately, we are not there right now. To begin with, the idea of reconciliation has to come from the majority in many ways. There has to be an acknowledgement about what happened in the 1990s. To the best of my knowledge, there is very little collective acknowledgement. In a private space, what a Kashmiri Pandit says to a Kashmiri Muslim doesn’t matter in the larger scheme of things. What you say collectively as a debate matters, which will then find expression in writing, art and theatre. I think some work here and there gets done. My friend, M.K. Raina is an eminent theatre personality and he tries to perform initiatives like these. There are plays in which both Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims have participated. And you will find a microcosm of this in things such as weddings sometimes. There’ll be a Kashmiri Pandit wedding and a Kashmiri Muslim singer will be performing there and everyone will be nostalgic about olden times. But these events are far and few and come from a personal space. But in terms of society at a larger level, these efforts are largely missing.  

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re intrigued to read Rahul Pandita’s works, you can get your copy of Our Moon Has Blood Clots and Hello, Bastar at your nearest bookstore or through Amazon.  

 

 

 

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