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The Best New Books to Enjoy this Rainy Season

With the rain pouring outside, it’s the perfect time to snuggle up with a good book. This rainy season, we’ve got the best new books for you to enjoy. Whether you’re looking for an exciting thriller, a heartfelt romance, or an inspiring non-fiction read, our list has something for everyone. These newest reads will keep you entertained, cozy, and make the rainy days fly by. So grab a blanket, a warm drink, and dive into these fantastic new releases.

A Person Is a Prayer
A Person Is a Prayer || Ammar Kalia

Bedi and Sushma’s marriage is arranged. When they first meet, they stumble through a faltering conversation about happiness and hope, and agree to go in search of these things together. But even after their children, Selena, Tara and Rohan, are grown up and have their own families, Bedi and Sushma are still searching.
Years later, the siblings attempt to navigate life without their parents. As they travel to the Ganges to unite their father’s ashes with the opaque water, it becomes clear that each of them has inherited the same desire to understand what makes a happy life, the same confusion about this question and the same enduring hope.
A Person Is a Prayer plumbs the depths of the spaces between family members and the silence that rushes in like a flood when communication deteriorates. It is about how short a life is and how the choices we make can ripple down generations.

 

Banaras
Banaras || Vertul Singh

A kaleidoscopic view of Banaras, Varanasi charts a narrative that spans from the city’s present day, to its origins as Kashi, and the fin de siècle of the eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, which witnessed Varanasi’s inclusionary development as a cultural and pilgrimage centre, an opulent trading hub, and a basilica of political power.

Weaving facts, interesting anecdotes and untold stories to make a rich tapestry, this book is an insider’s account and an unparalleled portrait of the city.

 

Bird Milk and Mosquito Bones
Bird Milk and Mosquito Bones || Priyanka Mattoo

Priyanka Mattoo was born into a wooden house in the Himalayas, as were most of her ancestors. In 1989, however, mounting violence in the region forced Mattoo’s community to flee. The home into which her family poured their dreams was reduced to a pile of rubble.

Mattoo never moved back to her beloved Kashmir—because it no longer existed. She and her family just kept packing and unpacking and moving on. In forty years, Mattoo accumulated thirty-two different addresses, and she chronicles her nomadic existence with wit, wisdom, and an inimitable eye for light within the darkest moments.

 

Darako
Darako || Parashar Kulkarni

Brave and funny, set in colonial India, Darako features a paanwallah and his secrets, a spitting competition that grows to be a massive affair attracting talents from everywhere, an Afghan rebel who is a star spitter and a mystic, gun-running during the freedom struggle, a daylight murder and a tangy romance amidst the utter chaos. In this world, up is down, and down is up. With laugh-out-loud moments and a clever play with language, song and history, Darako uses satire to comment on religion, identity and freedom.

 

Death in the Air
Death in the Air || Ram Murali

Samsara is the Sanskrit word for the karmic cycle of death and rebirth, after all. And as it turns out, the colorful cast of characters Ro meets—including a misanthropic politician; an American movie star preparing for his Bollywood crossover debut; a beautiful heiress to a family fortune that barely survived Partition; and a bumbling white yogi inexplicably there to teach meditation—
harbors a murderer among them. Maybe more than one.
As the death toll rises, Ro, a lawyer by training and a sleuth by circumstance, becomes embroiled in a vicious world under a gilded surface, where nothing is quite what it seems . . . including Ro himself. Death in the Air is a brilliant, teasing mystery from a remarkable new talent.

 

Design Your Career
Design Your Career || Pavan Soni

Design Your Career is the distillation of Pavan’s 550 workshops at over 175 organizations across five countries where he infers that human talent is grossly underutilized. This book is a humble attempt in offering hope and clarity to individuals who feel helpless amid all the chaos and to give them the appropriate tools and frameworks to guide their careers towards fulfilment.

 

I Have the Streets
I Have the Streets || R Ashwin, Sidharth Monga

Ashwin is arguably the greatest match-winner for India in Test cricket. The fastest man to 300 Test wickets, he was a part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup in the ODI format. In T20 cricket, he has won two IPL titles and a Champions League T20. He is a feisty offspinner and more than a handy batter. But that’s only half the tale.

This nuanced portrait delves deep to paint a candid picture of a cricketer’s life before cricket—his struggles with health issues as a child, a middle-class family’s unwavering fight and determination to give him the resources he needed for a professional career in the sport, and the little joys of growing up in a cricket-mad gully.

How does a champion sportsman view the world? What drives him on and off the field? One of the more articulate and thoughtful cricketers, in this book, R. Ashwin tells his story with Sidharth Monga.

 

M.K. Nambyar
M.K. Nambyar || K.K. Venugopal

It is rare to see a lawyer from a district court occupy centre stage in the Supreme Court but M.K. Nambyar achieved this remarkable feat. Starting his practice in a district court in Mangalore, M.K. Nambyar rose to become an eminent constitutional lawyer. Written by his son K.K. Venugopal, a legal luminary himself, this biography provides a fascinating account of Nambyar’s life. It not only describes the man but also recapitulates India’s legal history from the pre-Independence era. The book includes some landmark cases argued by Nambyar that have significantly contributed to the development of constitutional law in India such as A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras and I.C. Golak Nath v. State of Punjab, where he sowed the seeds of the ‘basic structure’ doctrine. These cases continue to guide and inspire lawyers and judges today.

 

Match Me If You Can
Match Me If You Can || Swati Hegde

Local pub owner and cocktail genius Jaiman Patil can’t help but be enamoured with journalist/matchmaker Jia Deshpande and her meddling spirit. He’s always been an honorary part of her family, but even more so since his own moved to America. Life with the Deshpandes is chaotic and loud, but it’s also more loving than anything he experienced growing up, and he wouldn’t risk losing that for the world. It feels manageable—until his pub begins to struggle and his long-hidden feelings for Jia grow deeper.
When Jia’s attempts at office matchmaking go haywire, risking new friendships and her relationship with Jaiman, she must reevaluate her own thoughts on love. For the first time, Jia Deshpande realizes that love may be a lot more complicated than she thought. Luckily, happily-ever-afters are never in short supply in Mumbai.

 

Remember Me As Yours
Remember Me As Yours

Nityami Thakur hails from Bhopal and only has a simple request from life: that she get a man who loves her as unconditionally and loyally as she would. But her pursuit of this simple wish has landed her on a journey where every man she meets only punctures her confidence, convincing her that perhaps she is not good for anybody. Sick and tired of window-shopping for Mr Right, Nityami gets to know that her first love from school is somewhere in Sikkim. And that he has recently broken up. With renewed hope and the desire to take a break from her messy present, Nityami decides to take a road trip to Sikkim.

Falak Sultana hails from New Delhi and is a born fighter. Coming from a broken home with an abusive father, she worked hard to not only set up her own small food delivery service but, unbeknownst to her family, to also pursue an MBA, aspiring to bigger life goals. Her only friend is her stepmother, who is her age. Just when Falak thinks her life is finally aligning with her dreams, she ends up doing something drastic, which makes her run for her life. And she reaches Sikkim.

When the two girls find themselves, coincidentally, in the same cab, they feel the company would be good for the road trip ahead. But little do they know whom destiny has kept in store for them. Someone who had changed their lives when they had first met, and will once again alter their lives.

Remember Me As Yours is as much a fast-reading romantic comedy, as it is a poignant coming-of-age tale of two girls who find themselves singled out by society and are desperate to make sense of their personal losses.

 

Take No. 2020
Take No. 2020 || Puneet Sikka

Meera has just landed her first big Bollywood film after years of struggling, loneliness and despair.
For Dabloo, who is fighting to make ends meet, this year has brought both the lowest and highest points of his career.
Aspiring TikTok star Jayesh, unlucky in love and films, might just discover his métier the hard way.
Embroiled in #MeToo allegations, the puppet master of the casting couch, Micky Taneja, might be able to find his true love and work again.

As the paths of these strugglers collide, broken relationships give way to unexpected ones, projects are found and lost, and repressed pasts resurface in their shiny new lives. In the face of a real-life climax, each is forced to reckon if they’re the hero or villain of their own story.

A smoke-and-mirrors story decked in acerbic humour and grief, Take No. 2020 is a story within a story, where reality is nothing except what you believe in.

 

Secrets Within
Secrets Within || Mushtaq Shiekh

In the shadow of opulence, ambition can be a dangerous driving force. Aakash, a visionary architect, finds himself with the chance of a lifetime—a contract that could crown his career or crush it. The job? To build and redesign a mansion for Mr Khanna, a man whose riches are only matched by his secrets. Aakash’s path to success is paved with temptations when he crosses paths with the enigmatic Maya, Mr Khanna’s wife, whose eyes hold stories yet to be told.

Dive into Secrets Within, where the scent of scandal is as intoxicating as the allure of power. Here, every corner turned could be a step towards an empire or a slip into an abyss, and every face masks a secret dying to break free.

Will Aakash be able to navigate this treacherous maze to emerge victorious or will he become a casualty of his unchecked desires?
Behind the gates of the Khanna mansion, a game of deceit beckons, where the price of truth may be too perilous to pay.

 

The Earnicorns
The Earnicorns || Dhruv Nath

These are stories about phenomenal companies and their equally phenomenal founders. How Zoho transformed rural Tamil Nadu, by recruiting young boys and girls who could not afford to go to a decent college. And nurturing them into becoming star programmers. Nithin Kamath, the outstandingly humble founder of Zerodha, who shocked the nation by charging absolutely no brokerage from investors. Sanjeev Bikhchandani, who started Naukri.com from the servant’s quarters above his father’s garage, using second-hand computers and furniture. And subsequently, grew the business to a point where they have an unbelievable 70 per cent share of the market for white-collar jobs. Harsh Jain of Dream11, who built a roaring fantasy sports platform when everyone advised him not to.

 

The Practical MBA
The Practical MBA || Sandeep Das

The Practical MBA aims to help you get a valuable MBA education, i.e. what you should be taught in business schools. It discusses various topics like entrepreneurship, self-help, technological disruption and financial literacy. This holistic guide breaks down various day-to-day business concepts such as pricing, inflation, GDP, statistics and so on. It also provides a glimpse of industries—FMCG, consulting, e-commerce, banking—to help you understand their cultures and demands.
With career-related advice on creating an impactful resume and acing various rounds of job selections, this book provides you with the secret sauce that will help you land the job you want.

 

The Remains of the Body
The Remains of the Body || Saikat Majumdar

The Remains of the Body is an intricate story of friendship and intimacy between three Indian immigrants in North America from a writer known for his exploration of the unpredictable nature of human sexuality.

Two men in their mid-thirties, childhood friends, share a deep bond that is put to an unexpected test as one’s marriage starts to crumble under the conflicting arcs of immigrant ambition. As the marriage loses its last breath in an unexpected affair, the other friend, a single man, has to confront questions about his own desire that he cannot answer. Whose body does he long to touch? Can a man’s intimacy with a woman mask his inexpressible desire for someone who lies beyond his reach?

 

The Somnath Cipher
The Somnath Cipher || Priyanka Pathak Narain

When a Somnath University professor sends a desperate plea for help, journalist Pia Jani and her childhood friend Aditya Narayan are pulled into a battle of wits and stealth to unravel a millennium-old mystery.

As the duo deciphers intricate clues and cracks baffling codes, they unearth a trail leading back to the day the Somnath Temple was plundered by the infamous Mahmud of Ghazni—and the staggering truth of what really happened.

Stalked by a faceless, merciless adversary who outmanoeuvres their every move, they must race against time before an explosive secret is lost forever in the annals of history.

Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones in this exhilarating and unputdownable read through India’s history, ancient cults, symbols and religion.

 

A Slight Angle
A Slight Angle || Ruth Vanita

In the volatile India of the 1920s, with its many political and technological crosscurrents, we encounter a group of young people in Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Banaras, discovering new ways to live. Fiery Sheela, once a Gandhian, charts her own path; clever Kanta and orphaned Hemlata make the most of their limited resources; gentle and gifted Sharad and Abhik grapple with forbidden desire and redefine older arts; Robin the jazz musician and Rita the Jewish movie star construct urban pleasures. Hindi writers Mahadevi and Ugra make cameo appearances.

 

Cauldron, Sword and Victory
Cauldron, Sword and Victory || Sarbpreet Singh

In Cauldron, Sword and Victory, author Sarbpreet Singh takes the reader on a journey through the fiery crucible in which the character of the Sikhs was forged. Seers and mystics, conquerors and kings rub shoulders in this heady tale of history and politics, embarking on never-ending quests for land, power and glory. Singh’s first volume on Sikh history told the story of the venerated Sikh Gurus. Starting with the rebellion of Banda Singh Bahadur, he now turns his attention to Nawab Kapur Singh and his cohort of doughty Sikh chiefs who became the masters of Punjab as the weakened Mughals of Delhi clashed with the powerful Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan. Bringing these swashbuckling characters to life in a manner most vivid and compelling, Singh transports us to the eighteenth-century Indian subcontinent as the Sikh chiefs engage with the British, the Marathas, the Jats and the Rohillas, sometimes as allies and sometimes as adversaries.

 

Power Within
Power Within || R. Balasubramaniam

Western thought on leadership is trait-oriented; it emphasizes the importance of ‘being a leader’. Indian leadership offers a contrast—it focuses on the ‘exercise of leadership’. Power Within introspects on this practice as it captures the civilizational wisdom of Bharat through the lived experience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The book delves into the fifty years of his public life and explores how he discovered his purpose, the seeds of which were sown in his formative years. Poignant anecdotes from his colleagues shed light on how his relentless hard work and communicative approach propelled him to the prime ministerial post. They also underscore his constant quest for self-discovery in the service of others.

 

Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora
Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora || Edward T. G. Anderson

Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora explores how and why the movement became popular among India’s diaspora from the second half of the twentieth century. It shows that Hindutva ideology and its plethora of organizations have a distinctive resonance and way of operating overseas; the movement and its ideas perform significant, particular functions for diaspora communities.
Edward T.G. Anderson argues that transnational Hindutva cannot simply be viewed as an export: this phenomenon has evolved and been shaped into an important aspect of diasporic identity, a way for people to connect with their homeland. He also sheds light on the impact of conservative Indian politics on British multiculturalism, migrant politics and relations between various minority communities.

 

On the Other Side
On the Other Side || Rahman Abbas

Abdus-Salam Kalshekar’s only aspiration was to publish his Dastan-e-Ishq, a seven-volume ‘Saga of Passion’, before his death. While Salam could only complete three volumes, an author sets out to write a novel about Salam, unveiling the fifty-three diaries about the latter’s past amours that consume the saga. It also reveals a certain beloved whom Salam could never bring himself to write about. While Salam’s life unfolds a world that is riddled with patriarchy, caste prejudice, religious intolerance and exploitation in the name of faith, the deeper conflicts of love and abandonment are revealed in this expertly crafted narrative, now available in an English translation.

The Newest Children’s Books for a Rainy July!

July brings a fantastic collection of new children’s books to spark imaginations and delight young readers. From magical folk tales to stories of curiosity and courage, these June releases are perfect for kids to enjoy during the rainy season. Let the reading fun begin!

 

 

 

The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds a Home
The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds a Home || Alia Bhatt

Ed is a little dog without a home but a heart full of hope. Alia is a little girl with a heart full of love and a secret superpower. When Ed meets Alia, she becomes his safe place. In turn, he inspires her to be the best version of herself.

Ed Finds a Home celebrates ordinary kindnesses and the hero inside each one of us.
Join Alia and Ed on all their exciting adventures in this new picture-book series, The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma.

 

 

 

How and Why Tales
How and Why Tales || Geeta Ramanujam

Why do nightingales sing at night?
How did the Moon get its craters?
Why did the Great Bear become a constellation?

Do you ever wonder about these questions? If you find yourself intrigued by the universe, then this book of folk tales is for you!

Delight in these richly illustrated stories as you explore the magical mysteries of nature and traverse distant lands, such as the Pamir Knot, the Ottoman Empire in Turkey and the icy expanse of Greenland.

Curated by Geeta Ramanujam, these enchanting tales not only draw from diverse traditions but also feature her own unique stories. An imaginative exploration, this collection of eighteen tales invites you to discover folk tales and trivia from around the world.

 

Petu Pumpkin Freedom Fighter
Petu Pumpkin Freedom Fighter || Arundhati Venkatesh

‘The future depends on what you do today.’ –Mahatma Gandhi

When games periods are cancelled and Petu and his friends unearth a sinister conspiracy, there is only one thing to be done–to seek inspiration from the founders of our nation, and protest.

But the path to freedom and justice is not a straight and narrow one. Many unexpected challenges crop up, including malicious media, the real-estate mafia, credit-stealing politicians and scary security guards.

Will the Awesome Fivesome expose the land-grabbers and save their playground? Will justice prevail?

 

The Book of Emperors
The Book of Emperors || Ashwitha Jayakumar

A little over five hundred years ago, a boy sat in a garden, waiting for his story to begin. His name was Babur, and he would soon found an empire that astonished the world.

For three hundred years, Babur’s sons and grandsons, alongside their mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters, would wage wars, make art and music, eat a delicious fruit or two, and both shape and be shaped by the land they made their home.

History would call them the Mughals. The Book of Emperors tells their stories.

Brighten Up Your Summer With these Children’s Books!

Get ready to soak up the summer sun with some fantastic new children’s books hitting the shelves this month! From heartwarming friendships to exciting adventures, these stories are sure to make your summer days extra special. So find a cozy spot, and let the reading adventures begin!

 

Puppy Trouble (Hook Book)
Puppy Trouble (Hook Book) || Bijal Vachharajani

Amit wants a puppy. But when a pokey-bitey-chewy-peeing pup turns up, he is not sure he wants a dog any more . . .

 

Maithili and the Minotaur
Maithili and the Minotaur || C.G. Salamander, Rajiv Eipe

Armed with her mother’s map, Maithili is out to find the truth behind her disappearance. But haunted by ominous visions of a strange boy, Maithili might just lead her friends into the clutches of something sinister.

Will Maithili, Minotaur and their friends find what they’re looking for? Or will they be stuck in the cave of a thousand eyes forever?

 

Hold On to Your Dreams
Hold On to Your Dreams || Ruskin Bond

On the eve of his ninetieth birthday, literary legend Ruskin Bond brings to readers a heartfelt letter capturing his most cherished memories and experiences. Penning his thoughts with sincerity and grace, the writer reflects upon love, loss, friendship, frailties, solitude and companionship—the bittersweet experience of human existence.

Reminiscing tales of his boyhood and youth, the author urges us to learn from mistakes, embrace empathy and hold on to our dreams through life’s vicissitudes. Complemented with poignant art, this book is a timeless collection of learnings on the journey called life.

Living with Adi
Living with Adi || Zarin Virji

Adi Krishnan is different!
He is a bright student, who loves to read, and remembers everything down to the smallest details—yet he has no friends. His unusual view of things makes his classmates and teachers regard him as a weirdo.
Will the bullying ever end? Will people accept him as he is? Will he gain the respect of others, especially his dad?
Award-winning author Zarin Virji creates the extraordinary journey of an ordinary boy, narrated by him, his family, classmates and a teacher. And how, despite the challenges, living with Adi is, in fact, unexpected, delightful and funny.

These Summer Reads are Making Waves Everywhere!

As the sun-kissed days of summer draw near, it’s time to stock up on the best reads for those leisurely moments. Whether you’re lounging beachside or chilling in the backyard, these books are your perfect companions for the sizzling summer days ahead. So grab a refreshing drink, and a comfy chair and dive into the fun. Happy summer reading!

To Every Parent, To Every School
To Every Parent, To Every School ||

To Every Parent, To Every School addresses the challenges posed by our swiftly changing VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world. It goes beyond mere knowledge acquisition or curriculum revisions, which are necessary and continuous processes; nor is it about swapping topics in and out of curricula. While these adjustments are necessary, they aren’t sufficient. What is crucial is empowering our children with the capacity to anticipate and adapt to rapid changes as they occur.

 

This Our Paradise
This Our Paradise || Karan Mujoo

Srinagar, 1986. A Kashmiri Pandit family has just moved into their new home. The patriarch Papaji is a clerk in a food cooperative and his wife Byenji is a homemaker. The narrator is their eight-year-old grandson who spends his days playing cricket and climbing the tang kul in the garden. Everything is rosy till 1989. But then, propelled by ISI and the Jamaat, a secessionist movement rises and changes everything.

Lolab valley, 1968. After years of prayers, a boy named Shahid is born to Zun and her husband. He grows up in a society where corruption and unemployment are rife. The trajectory of his life changes when he meets Syed Sahab — an Islamic theologian and rabble-rouser, who wants to overthrow the Indian state.

The stories of both families intertwine tragically. In both cases, the boys are at the mercy of forces much larger than them. Both lose their Kashmir, in different ways.

 

 

Success Is Inevitable
Success Is Inevitable || Thibaut Meurisse

What if you could make your success inevitable?

Imagine if, by mastering specific laws of success, you could achieve any goal you’ve ever set?

How would that make you feel?

What would you start doing differently?

Success Is Inevitable is your definitive master plan for success. By reading it, you’ll discover the seventeen laws that will skyrocket your success. With pragmatic exercises and personal examples, you’ll explore specific techniques that will enable you to reach your full potential and achieve your biggest goals.

 

The One Goal
The One Goal || Thibaut Meurisse

In The One Goal, you’ll learn the exact blueprint to achieving all the goals and dreams you’re most excited about. Thibaut shares how to set goals fully aligned with your personal values to build lasting motivation and unstoppable enthusiasm. You will learn how to develop an unbeatable mindset and achieve insanely demanding goals. The book introduces you to the bullet-proof timeframe and the mastery mindset and its five commandments so that you can achieve any future goal in any area of your life. The psychology of expertise will shorten your learning curve and help you position yourself as an expert faster than you thought possible.

 

Think Better Thoughts
Think Better Thoughts || Thibaut Meurisse

Are you struggling with negative thoughts? Do you hold on to too many limiting beliefs? Do you feel like you’re capable of more?

If so, it’s time for you to replace disempowering beliefs with more empowering ones and improve your life in the process.

Author and coach Thibaut Meurisse wants you to think better, more empowering thoughts. In his latest book, you’ll learn about 100 negative assumptions that, often unconsciously, prevent you from designing a more fulfilling life.

He addresses questions such as why you often feel like you’re not good enough (and what to do about it); how your fear of missing out is working against you; why being hard on yourself doesn’t work (and what you should do instead), and much more.

Think Better Thoughts is a must-read guide to reprogramme your mind, have more empowering thoughts and make lasting changes in your life.

 

The Republic Relearnt
The Republic Relearnt || Radha Kumar

Despite the clear danger of the rise of totalitarianism in India today, this book’s aim is to look forward to the moment when democracy will be renewed in the country and ask what lessons can be learnt from past experience to anchor it more firmly when the opportunity arises. It is generally assumed that Indian democracy has had an unbroken run since Independence, with the brief disruption of the 1975–77 Emergency. While those two years saw a stark assault on democratic institutions, Indian democracy had been repeatedly punctured prior to the Emergency, and it has been threatened many times since. The country underwent almost four decades of democracy decay after the founding years of the republic, as compared to the three relatively short-lived waves of democracy renewal. That fact makes an examination of these three waves rather significant.

 

The Naga Warriors 1
The Naga Warriors 1 || Akshat Gupta

To prepare for the future, our ancestors created the Naga sadhus—a clan of warriors for the protection of Dharma, as proclaimed by Adi Guru Shankaracharya in the eighth century. This sect of Shiva devotees has stood firm, living selflessly and fighting fearlessly. For centuries, they have died the death of heroes, serving and saving Dharma and the temples.

In the year 1757, 111 Naga sadhus borrowed the majestic weapons of the idols of their gods. Fueled by their belief in Lord Shiva, they gathered an invincible courage to protect the temples of Gokul. They stood as an indestructible wall, led by Ajaa, a fearless Naga warrior, against the Afghan army of 4000 men, a cavalry of 200 horses and 100 camels, and 20 cannons. The brutal Afghan army was led by Sardar Khan, the most ruthless commander of Emperor Ahmed Shah Abdali, ill-famed for the demolition of temples and building a history of genocide in Bharat.

The fight continues. This is the Naga warrior’s commitment to courage and determination. This is the clash of Shiva devotees against the devils that lie under men’s skin. This is the Battle of Gokul.

The Book of Wealth
The Book of Wealth || Mark Mobius

Renowned as a titan in global finance, Mark Mobius unveils a comprehensive guide to mastering the intricate landscape of financial investments. Drawing from his illustrious career spanning emerging markets and beyond, Mobius, with unparalleled expertise, demystifies the various financial instruments one can use to start their investing journey. From stocks and bonds to alternative assets, The Book of Wealth serves as an indispensable road map for understanding the diverse avenues of wealth creation. Dive into Mobius’s wealth of knowledge as he provides insightful descriptions and analyses of different investment tools, offering young investors a solid foundation for making informed financial decisions.

 

The Distaste of the Earth
The Distaste of the Earth || Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih

The Distaste of the Earth imaginatively weaves an ancient world of Khasi kings and queens, warriors and plunderers, and chronicles the sorrows of a young man caught up in that world.

This layered fictional history of a land where a queen falls in love with a pauper, where animals recount their tales of woe against man, and where retribution—destructive to both good and bad—arrives, sooner or later, begins in a pata, the local bar, whose patrons form a microcosm of the world around them.

The novel reimagines a world where man is a despot, where God is ostensibly absent, perhaps much like our own, outlining issues at once ancient and contemporary with startling clarity.

 

The 100X Formula
The 100X Formula || Siddhartha Rastogi, Koushik Mohan

Today’s generation dreams big and wants to lead a rich and happy life. But how does one make it big? How can one achieve success in their professional and personal lives? What should one do to create wealth? Does the accumulation of wealth lead to happiness? What is the purpose of life? The 100X Formula attempts to answer these and many such questions.

The 100X Formula  reveals the magic formula that the authors have developed after years of research in equity markets. The formula not only helps one achieve stupendous success in the stock market but also helps one find ways to win in life in general. With lessons in investing, entrepreneurship and relationships, the book is the ultimate resource for surviving and thriving in a highly competitive world. Read this book and find your purpose in life!

 

Summer of Then
Summer of Then || Rupleena Bose

Summer of Then is a debut novel that relishes the interiority of women, especially about the often-unsettling intimacies of relationships—sexual, romantic and platonic—against the trauma of sexual assault and harassment. Set across Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai, and even Edinburgh, Scotland, this coming-of-age novel crosses paths with the India of the 2010s, exploring the trickle-down effect of politics into academia and college life in Indian metropolitan cities, leading us just to the point of the incipient anxieties and beginnings of the 2020 pandemic.

 

India’s Forgotten Country
India’s Forgotten Country || Bela Bhatia

Over the course of more than three decades, Bela Bhatia’s work and concerns have brought her face-to-face with the harsh nature of people’s lives in India’s ‘forgotten country’—the hamlets, villages and slums—and the oppressive forces that rule and ruin the lives of Dalits, Adivasis, bonded labourers, women and other downtrodden groups. She has also witnessed how their everyday lives are pockmarked with violence and the brutality—often organized—they face when they resist.
India’s Forgotten Country captures Bela’s early years as an activist in rural Gujarat, her research on the Naxalite movement, her investigations of violations of democratic rights in different regions, and her recent years dealing with the ongoing conflict between the state and Maoists in Bastar. The essays build on first-hand investigations conducted in states ranging from Bihar and Telangana to Rajasthan and Nagaland, besides Kashmir. People such as Deepa Musahar, Kaliben, Muchaki Sukadi, Zarifa Begum, Tareptsuba and others have ample space in this book to speak for themselves.

 

The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur
The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur || Santosh Singh, Aditya Anmol

Karpoori Thakur, often called Jannayak, was a legendary leader from Bihar who had a significant impact on India’s politics. In early 2024, he was posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to society. Commemorating his birth centenary, this gripping biography brings to light the life, legacy and enduring relevance of Thakur. It focuses on Karpoori Thakur’s politics, which introduced ‘quota within quota’ and opens a window to his role in bifurcating reservation among the backward classes and women in 1978.

Deeply researched, anecdotal and unputdownable, The Jannayak promises to be a beacon for readers seeking to understand the complex landscape of Indian politics and society.

 

A Firestorm in Paradise
A Firestorm in Paradise || Rana Safvi

Before the 1857 Uprising of India, the old Delhi, or Shahjahanabad is sprawling with life—like an ode wavering towards its end. The inhabitants of Red Fort and the splendored world around it, all subjects of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, lived on the cusp of a change with the arrival of the British. Yet, people’s own stories continued against backdrop of this transition.

At the centre of this sprawling narrative is a princess, Falak Ara, daughter of the Emperor. Beautiful and vivacious, Falak Ara is curious about the world outside the fort but never imagines being able to leave. Soon, she loses her heart to a salatin—a prince— and longs for a union with him. Her quest is made difficult by a changing Shahjahanabad, on whose horizon lurks a revolution.

Author Rana Safvi unspools the aches of a young heart as she pays homage to Old Delhi—which, like a living, breathing being, has many moods and survives a lifetime in this novel A Firestorm in Paradise.

 

Against the Grain
Against the Grain || Pankaj Mishra

Dive deep into the minds of those who dared to defy convention in Against the Grain, a compelling exploration of wisdom, vulnerability and visionary thinking. Through conversations with luminaries like A.R. Rahman, Uday Kotak, Nandan Nilekani, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Naval Ravikant and many more, Against the Grain reveals what it takes to carve your own path, defy norms and truly embrace your uniqueness.

Veteran business journalist Pankaj Mishra skilfully retraces the journeys of these bold outliers, delving into their experiences of hope, disillusionment, victory, defeat, joy and pain with refreshing candour. Drawing from transformative interviews featured on Mishra’s acclaimed and beloved podcast Outliers, Against the Grain offers a lucid and captivating narrative that vividly portrays how some of India’s most prominent figures confront the myriad challenges and uncertainties of life.

A must-read for those navigating their own paths to success, this chronicle serves as an inspiring testament to resilience, determination and individuality.

 

Aperture
Aperture || Bhaskar Chattopadhyay

When a struggling freelance photographer discovers a secret window in his apartment that offers a clear view of the rooms in a shady hotel across the lane, he is lured by the dangerous obsession of voyeurism and, subsequently, blackmail. But one day, when he sees a husband murder his wife in a fit of rage in one of the rooms, the photographer turns to detective Janardan Maity to confess his own crimes, so that the killer can be brought to book. With his dear friend Prakash Ray by his side, Maity investigates this seemingly simple case, only to realize that not everything is as it seems.

Fallout
Fallout || Salman Masood

Fallout delves into the tumultuous journey of Imran Khan’s transition from a tenacious opposition leader to the prime minister of Pakistan (2014–2018), and his complicated relationship with the Pakistani military since then. It charts the fall of Nawaz Sharif, influenced by the Panama Papers scandal, and the role of former army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in the Hybrid Project/Rule, revealing the changes he went through while in power. The book underscores the persistent unpredictability of leadership decisions, both military and civilian, that leads to a constant state of crisis in Pakistan today, underlining the crucial need for institutional stability. A familiar-yet-ever-changing tableau of power, Fallout is an incisive exploration of Pakistani politics.

 

Blasphear
Blasphear || Sohail Rauf

When Sub-Inspector Waqas Mahmood is assigned the case of a suicide of a seventeen-year-old boy, he is tempted to do the bare minimum and close it. Waqas has been disenchanted with the police force and wants to quit anyway. And the ominous presence of a religious outfit around the boy’s house is another reason to stay away. It’s also just too hot in Shantinagar, a dusty town in Punjab, Pakistan.
But Waqas realizes there’s more to the case when the boy’s friend reaches out claiming that it was not a suicide. In fact, the case might be linked to another terrifying case in Shantinagar when a Hindu art teacher was lynched on the accusation of blasphemy against Islam.

 

Banaras
Banaras || Vertul Singh

A kaleidoscopic view of Banaras, Varanasi charts a narrative that spans from the city’s present day, to its origins as Kashi, and the fin de siècle of the eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, which witnessed Varanasi’s inclusionary development as a cultural and pilgrimage centre, an opulent trading hub, and a basilica of political power.

Weaving facts, interesting anecdotes and untold stories to make a rich tapestry, Banaras is an insider’s account and an unparalleled portrait of the city.

 

The Rise of Asian Paints
The Rise of Asian Paints || Anupam Gupta

Asian Paints is India’s largest paints company and its early history is hardly known; even less is known about how Champaklal Choksey and his friends made Asian Paints the largest paints company in India as far back as 1967. There are many lessons that are relevant even today – from investing in high quality talent to separating management and ownership. Most importantly, there are very few books that show how honest businessmen can – and should – build large-scale institutions that endure beyond their lifetime, just as Champaklal Choksey has done. The Rise of Asian Paints tells the story of an iconic institution and its less-known but visionary founder.

 

Cover coming soon

The Ancestors
The Ancestors || Laksh Maheshwari, Ashish Kavi

It has been two years after the black element was discovered; two years since Jay disappeared, believed to be dead. The revelations continue for the Somvanshis, as they deal with the changes that the black element caused in their bodies. As Karan makes discoveries that shake him to his core, Shantanu Somvanshi finds the key that he has been waiting for in the shape of a young, strong-minded girl. The Ancestors takes the reader on a whirlwind ride with twists and turns that will shock.

 

April’s Newest Releases to Brighten Your Days!

Are you ready to kick-start summer with some fresh reads? Check out this April’s newest releases; promising stories that’ll sweep you off your feet and keep you hooked till the last page. So, grab a chilled, refreshing drink and dive into pure reading bliss.

Just a Mercenary?
Just a Mercenary? || D. Subbarao

Nearly forty years later, in 2013, as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India in the midst of a fierce exchange rate crisis, Subbarao learnt—once again the hard way—the harsh challenges of emerging economies in an unequal world.
Bookended by these assignments is the remarkable journey of a small-town boy from a modest background to the top echelons of India’s civil service and then on to the helm of the country’s central bank. Subbarao recounts that journey—his hopes and despair, his successes and setbacks, his mistakes and misdeeds, and the lessons he learnt along the way—with rare candour and honesty. The subtext of that story though is his constant soul searching about whether he has given back to society more than he received.

Just a Mercenary? is a warm, engaging and earnest account of an extraordinary career that is bound to inform and inspire young professionals trying to find their way up their career ladders and discover meaning in their journeys.

 

Gobind
Gobind || Harinder Sikka

Born in an impoverished Sikh family in Bihar, Gobind is content to live under the long shadow of poverty. Then, one day, moved by his father’s words, Gobind vows to uplift his life and change his and his family’s fortunes forever.

A soldier at heart, he joins the Indian Navy and becomes a shining star, all set to achieve great success. No one though knows the pain he’s carrying in his heart—that of an unfulfilled promise, an unrequited love.

Soon fate throws him one more challenge—on an assignment to Russia he meets someone who’s not only extraordinarily beautiful, but also reminds him of his lost love. The only catch is, being with her will jeopardize the pledge he made to the navy notwithstanding his heroic rescue of his course mates.

What decision will he make? Who will he choose? Which promise will he break?

A thriller, a love story, a saga of passion and human endurance, Gobind is a page-turner that will keep you spell bound long after you’ve finished reading it.

 

Conversations with the Career Doctor
Conversations with the Career Doctor || Saundarya Rajesh

Conversations with the Career Doctor is a ready-reckoner that women can refer to whenever they are confronted with a challenge. It provides a powerful toolkit for every Indian woman professional to lead a strong, secure and successful career.

Saundarya Rajesh, through  twenty-six stories, helps women navigate the loaded inequities in the ecosystem that is charged with social, familial and economic biases, and provides solutions to help them stay employed, make money, achieve financial security and keep bounding forward. Accessibly written, well-researched and keenly solution-oriented, this book is the perfect guide for every working woman.

 

Choice
Choice || Neel Mukherjee

A publisher, who is at war with his industry and himself, embarks on a radical experiment in his own life and the lives of those connected to him; an academic exchanges one story for another after an accident brings a stranger into her life; and a family in rural India have their lives destroyed by a gift. These three ingeniously linked but distinct narratives, each of which has devastating unintended consequences, form a breathtaking exploration of freedom, responsibility, and ethics. What happens when market values replace other notions of value and meaning? How do the choices we make affect our work, our relationships, and our place in the world? Neel Mukherjee’s new novel exposes the myths of individual choice, and confronts our fundamental assumptions about economics, race, appropriation, and the tangled ethics of contemporary life.
Choice is a scathing, compassionate quarrel with the world, a masterful inquiry into how we should live our lives, and how we should tell them.

 

Before I Forget
Before I Forget || M.K. Raina

In his sparkling memoir, M.K. Raina documents the many lives he has lived. From sharing the stage with some of the most celebrated actors in India to his journey as a young man witnessing the violence and horrors rampant through the streets of Kashmir, an entire history of northern India is painted with subtle elegance.
Brimming with delightful anecdotes as well as poignant, painful memories of a region that once was, this book is a tour de force.

 

Kathmandu Chronicle
Kathmandu Chronicle || K.V. Rajan, Atul K. Thakur

In recent decades, Nepal’s history has been marked by tumultuous events and transformations, and its relations with India by sharp fluctuations. From the Maoist insurgency to the hijacking of IC 814, from the Palace Massacre that wiped out King Birendra and his entire family to the coup by King Gyanendra against democracy, among others, the much-vaunted India–Nepal ‘special relationship’ has repeatedly experienced setbacks, some of them with long-term implications.

What are the real causes of regular anti-Indian eruptions in Nepal, and why is there so much mutual distrust and suspicion despite India’s best intentions? Anecdotal, definitive and deeply researched, Kathmandu Chronicle opens a window to many stories of India–Nepal relation that largely remain untold and therefore unknown till date.

 

Knife
Knife || Salman Rushdie

On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man wearing black clothes and a black mask rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are.
What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey toward physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.
Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again.

 

Leech and Other Stories
Leech and Other Stories || Ranjan Adiga

Leech dives into the stories and lives of contemporary Nepalis struggling to belong to new worlds. In Kathmandu, they are caught between tradition and progress. In America, it is no different.
A leech caught inside a man’s nostril reveals fissures of class; a middle-aged Nepali man tries to come to terms with his sexuality in a deeply conventional social system; a professor worries about his immigrant status; a young couple try to bridge the silences in their relationship after moving to America.
Each story explores the distance between home and abroad, desire and reality, allegiance and treachery.

 

Power to the Parent
Power to the Parent || Ishinna B.Sadana

Through Power to the Parent, Dr Ishinna B. Sadana talks to parents to understand their most vulnerable doubts and fears, provides them with a safe space without judgement or preconceived notions, empowers them to deal with their children in different situations and connects with them in a positive way.

Using Dr Ishinna’s practical ways of dealing with kids, many parents have seen transformational results in their relationship with their children. She writes with clarity and simplicity, using real-life examples and case studies so that parents can start applying the lessons they take from the book immediately and see the changes.

Ultimately, Power to the Parent enables parents everywhere not only to raise happy and resilient children, but also to become happier and more confident parents.

 

Sanatan
Sanatan || Sharankumar Limbale, Paromita Sengupta

Sanatan is the gut-wrenching story of Bhimnak Mahar and his ilk, who have been subjected to barbaric abuse and inhuman discrimination by the upper castes over centuries. The story begins with the young Bhimnak in pre-Independence India. It then traverses time and geographical boundaries to end with Bhimnak’s grandson. The circular narrative pattern is reflective of the endless cycle of pain that the Mahars are unable to break free from, no matter how hard they try, no matter where they go, no matter if they change their identity and religion. Using myths, the Puranas and historical texts as resources, Sharankumar Limbale rewrites Dalit history in this novel as he attempts to tell the truth, with an intention to build what he calls ‘a new and progressive social order’. Limbale not just brings his reader face to face with uncomfortable realities, he also suggests what could be an alternative social order in the future.

 

The Foresighted Ambedkar
The Foresighted Ambedkar || Anurag Bhaskar

In The Foresighted Ambedkar, Anurag Bhaskar argues that India’s Constitution was drafted not just between 1946 and 1950 but over the course of four decades. Dr Ambedkar was the only person to have been involved at all the stages related to the drafting of the Indian constitutional document since 1919. These stages bear the imprint of his contribution and role.

 

The Politician Redux
The Politician Redux || Devesh Verma

Ram Mohan, an ambitious man in newly independent India, refuses to let his humble origins define him. On a mission to build a political career, he realizes that the only way to live a respectable life is to hold some kind of power.

When the Congress high command vetoes Ram Mohan’s inclusion in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, Saansad-ji, the state’s chief minister, appoints him as member, UP Public Service Commission, Allahabad. Though non-political, the position has a high social status, and Ram Mohan quickly takes a shine to it. Meanwhile, the JP movement continues to challenge the Congress regime, surging through large parts of India and setting the stage for Indira Gandhi’s downfall.

A sequel to the critically acclaimed The Politician, this new novel, set in the 1970s to 1980s north India, provides a captivating, vivid view of the political battles of that era, and captures the spirit, manners and social conditions of a transformational phase in Indian history.

 

 

The Scent of Fallen Stars
The Scent of Fallen Stars || Aishwarya Jha

In 1995, thirty-six-year-old Will arrives in newly liberalized India. Smarting from the collapse of his academic dreams, he finds little fulfilment in his well-paying telecommunications job or the social confines of New Delhi’s expat community.

One monsoon night, he encounters young, enigmatic Leela, who blazes into his world and unleashes a storm of passion and devastation that will alter it forever.

Twenty-three years later, Aria lands in the city on a quest to find the mother whom she believed to be dead. Estranged from her convalescing father, her journey leads her to unravel the mysteries of her parents’ story and her mother’s life—from her childhood in an orphanage to a doomed love affair and finally, the remote shores of asceticism.

As she searches for answers and a sense of belonging, Aria stumbles upon lost worlds, haunting memories, and the explosive secret that torpedoed her father’s life, the reverberations of which will be cataclysmic for her own.

The Spoiled Heart
The Spoiled Heart || Sunjeev Sahota

A magnificent and multi-layered account of one man’s inexorable fall, The Spoiled Heart is an explosively contemporary story of secrets and assumptions whose consequences could never have been imagined. It is a stunning achievement from one of our very finest novelists.

 

 

This Land We Call Home
This Land We Call Home || Nusrat F. Jafri

 

In 1871, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act in India, branding numerous tribes and caste groups as criminals. In This Land We Call Home, Nusrat F. Jafri traces the roots of her nomadic forebears, who belonged to one such ‘criminal’ tribe, the Bhantus from Rajasthan, through the lens of caste and religious conversions over the last century.
This Land We Call Home affecting memoir explores religious and multicultural identities and delves into the profound concepts of nation-building and belonging. Nusrat’s family’s conversion to Christianity as a response to Brahmanical gatekeeping highlights their struggle for acceptance.

Beat the heat with these chill May summer reads!

As the temperature outside rises, chill out with this curated collection of new releases, which includes a plethora of genres to satiate every bibliophile’s unique taste!

 

Four Chapters by Rabindranath Tagore

Four Chapters by Rabindranath Tagore
Four Chapters||Rabindranath Tagore

Char Adhyay (1934) was Rabindranath Tagore’s last novel, and perhaps the most controversial. Passion and politics intertwine in this narrative, set in the context of nationalist politics in pre-Independent India. Ela, a young working woman, comes under the spell of Indranath, a charismatic political activist who advocates the use of terror for the nationalist cause. She takes a vow never to marry, and to devote her life to the nationalist struggle. But she falls in love with Atindra, a poet and romantic from a decadent aristocratic family. Through their relationship, she becomes aware of the hollowness of Indranath’s politics. Afraid that she might expose them to the police, the political group gives Atin the task of eliminating Ela. In the dramatic final sequence of the novel, Ela offers herself to Atin, with tragic consequences.

This new translation, intended for twenty-first-century readers, will bring Tagore’s text to life in a contemporary idiom, while evoking the flavour of the story’s historical setting.

 

Head Held High Vishwas Nangre Patil

Head Held High Book Cover
Head Held High||Vishwas Nangre Patil

Whenever decorated officer Vishwas Nangre Patil recalls the memories of Diwali from his childhood days, the sounds of firecrackers often transform into the deafening grenade blasts from the night of 26/11. It was his grit, cultivated over the years from the neck-breaking labour of studying for the UPSC exams, that had enabled him to power on and gun down the terrorists inside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel during the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

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 background, through school, college, long hours of studying for the UPSC examinations to the final selection to the IPS cadre and, eventually, his role in the counterterrorism operations during the Mumbai attacks. This moving and authentic account of the most formative and challenging years of his life is sure to strike a chord with those who aspire to join the Indian civil services.

 

Salt of the Earth by Kalindi Charan Panigrahi

Salt of the Earth
Salt of the Earth||Kalindi Charan Panigrahi

Kalindi Charan Panigrahi was a notable poet and writer in Odia. He is credited for the short but influential movement in Odia literature called the Sabuja Yug which was the age of Romanticism, inspired by Tagore’s writings. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1971. Matira Manisha is his most well-known work. It has been translated into English twice before. Mrinal Sen made a film on this book and it received the National Film Award for Best Odia film in 1967.

The novel is, quite simply, the tale of two brothers, who have very different attitudes towards the land they inherit from their father. It talks about the breaking apart of the joint family and celebrates a Marxist and Gandhian approach to living.

 

Generation XL by Sanjay Borude

Generation XL Book Cover
Generation XL|| Dr. Sanjay Borude

India has a paradox of malnourishment as well as morbid obesity. While children have fewer weight-related health and medical problems than adults, overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults, placing them at risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes later in life. They are also more prone to develop stress, sadness, and low self-esteem.

The contributing factors could be many, besides genetic makeup and medical factors like hypothyroidism and Cushing’s Syndrome. Children today spend far more time on screens than playing games outdoors, more so in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Energy-dense foods and drinks are more readily available now than before. Psychological factors like stress also lead to overeating and increase the risk for obesity in childhood.

The book is a comprehensive roadmap for prevention and management of childhood obesity by one of India’s top bariatric surgeons. With real life case studies and examples, the book helps parents and children chart a roadmap to recovery and a fitter, healthier life. Without corrective action, there could be serious implications for future generations.

 

Anthology of Humorous Sanskrit Verses by A.N.D. Haksar

Anthology of Humorous Sanskrit Verses||A.N.D. Haksar

In recent times, whenever ancient Sanskrit works are discussed or translated into English, the focus is usually on the lofty, religious and dramatic works. Due to the interest created by Western audiences, the Kama Sutra and love poetry has also been in the limelight. But, even though the Hasya Rasa or the humorous sentiment has always been an integral part of our ancient Sanskrit literature, it is little known today.

Anthology of Humorous Sanskrit Verses is a collection of about 200 verse translations drawn from various Sanskrit works or anthologies compiled more than 500 years ago. Several such anthologies are well-known although none of them focus exclusively on humor. A.N.D. Haksar’s translation of these verses is full of wit, earthy humor and cynical satire, and an excellent addition of the canon of Sanskrit literature.

 

MoveMint Medicine by Dr. Rajat Chauhan and Dr Darren Player

MoveMint Medicine book cover
MoveMint Medicine||Dr. Rajat Chauhan, Dr Darren Player

Dr Rajat Chauhan and Dr Darren Player have seen it all. They know what it is like to break real and imaginary obstacles when it comes to exercising, whether it’s for peak performance or getting back from a disease or achieving optimal health. Drawing from a range of experiences, MoveMint Medicine empowers readers to become CEOs of their own bodies and mind-not by pushing one to the limit but by building on small victories.

Dr Chauhan and Dr Player focus on a widely ignored element of exercising: the mind. This book goes against the grain by drawing readers attention to mental health and its importance for one’s physical self. Never preachy and always funny,

MoveMint Medicine is the only book one needs to read to become a better version of oneself.

 

Good Innings by Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan

Good Innings Book Cover
Good Innings|| Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan

Lily Tharoor was born in a small village in Kerala in the mid-1930s. From this humble beginning, she would live around the world, raise three global citizens, and inspire multiple generations with her drive to learn and achieve. Fiercely independent and ambitious, she pushed her children, including her son Shashi, to always think outside the box. The only ground firm enough to stand on, she told them, is the one written into existence by your own hand.

In Good Innings, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan tells her mother Lily’s ‘extraordinary, ordinary’ story through a combination of personal reflections, life lessons, and philosophical insights. The result is a collection of teachable vignettes aimed to galvanize a new generation into growth and action. Every chapter starts with an anecdote which will encourage conversations and transformations in the reader’s life. Good Innings is an intimate account of the life of a beloved matriarch with a modest background and an iron will-a woman who learned from the school of life and now has lessons to share of her own.

 

Unstoppable by Manthan Shah

Unstoppable Book Cover
Unstoppable||Manthan Shah

Unstoppable will take you on a journey with the best and the brightest of young Indians who overcame obstacles to achieve extraordinary success and shaped the community around them.

This new-age story of success is made interesting due to the author’s narrative, stories of young overachievers in business, sports, music, academia and entertainment, research by renowned experts in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, genealogy, social sciences and leadership, and action plans that will help you define and achieve your full potential.

If you have the drive to achieve something, this book will help you become unstoppable.

 

Superpowers on the Shore by Sejal Mehta

Book Cover
Superpowers on the Shore||Sejal Mehta

Our coasts are large, vast wildernesses that witness the mystical pageantry of life. They have given us monsters and myths, they are fathoms deep and full of whispers, home to unknown creatures and sprawling ecosystems. They are chasms of beauty and frontiers of possibility. From the space between land and sea, revealed only at low tide, comes a coruscating kaleidoscope of colours and brilliance: the intertidal zone. And the marine lifeforms of these zones are capable of superpowers. Yes, superpowers! Of the kind that comic book characters can only dream of.

The Indian coastline hosts some magnificent intertidal species: solar-powered slugs, escape artist octopuses, venomous jellies, harpooning conus sea snails, to name just a few. It is as biodiverse as a forest wildlife safari, and twice as secretive. From bioluminescence and advanced sonic capabilities to camouflage and shapeshifting, these cloaked assassins are capable of otherworldly skill. Superpowers on the Shore by Sejal Mehta is a dazzling, assured look at some of the creatures with whom we share our world, our water, our monsoons, our beaches and the sandcastles therein.

Come witness the magic of our intertidal superheroes, their fragile beauty and their iridescent drama. Put on your waterproof shoes, pack a bottle of whimsy, bring your sense of wonder. And prepare to be mesmerized.

 

This Handmade Life by Nandita Iyer

This Handmade Life||Nandita Iyer

This Handmade Life is all about finding a passion and becoming really good at it. Divided into seven sections-baking, fermenting, self-care, kitchen gardening, soap-making, spices and stitching-this book tells us it is all right to slow down and take up simple projects that bring us unadulterated joy.

Written in Iyer’s signature lyrical and friendly style, the book is about hands-on activities that can be meditative and healing for the body, mind and soul. Taking the reader through myriad personal and transformative hobbies, Iyer has managed to serve up a book that is motivational and inspirational at a time when both are in short order.

 

Chemical Khichdi by Aparna Piramal Raje

Book cover
Chemical Khichdi||Aparna Piramal Raje

Some said children were out of the question, but she is a mother of two boys.

Some said she couldn’t handle business life, but she has interviewed over a hundred CEOs, and counting.

Some said she wouldn’t be able to write a book on mental health, but here it is. Aparna Piramal Raje is happy, thriving and bipolar. And this is her story.

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 Whispering Chinar by Ali Rohila

Book cover
The Whispering Chinar|| Ali Rohila

In Charbagh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a short detour from the Grand Trunk Road that leads towards Afghanistan, stands a chinar tree in the garden of Khan Mohammad Usman Khan. Legend has it that it was planted by a saint known to the grandfather of the Khan, who had told him that the family would prosper till this tree survived. The tree has stood for generations, a silent witness to the many stories of Charbagh, its grounds held sacred until the day a bullet fired by the oldest son of the Khan hit one of its branches.

In this debut collection of interlinked stories, the banker author recounts the stories as seen by the chinar tree. In Charbagh, a village where modernity slowly creeps in, there are tales of unrequited love, of family honour and religious persecution, of patriarchy and breaking its shackles, and of what it means to belong to Charbagh in tumultuous times.

Here, Fahad Khan falls in love with Saad Bibi, but it is a dangerous affair that threatens to uproot social norms. An imam competes with another for devotees, and an air-crash survivor-turned-teacher is charged with the crime of blasphemy. In Charbagh, Nazo learns why she has been sent away from her family, and Ali finds out how far friendship and trust can go. A banker struggles to make sense of his misfortunes, while Farid Khan must acquaint himself with a woman’s rejection.

Beginning from the 1970s, when the Indus was dammed near Charbagh, these stories chronicle a time and a place of belonging, of nostalgia, and of relationships and friendships. The Whispering Chinar is an extraordinary debut collection that tells stories from an unknown part of our world.

 

Rohzin by Rahman Abbas

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Rohzin||Rahman Abbas

Mumbai was almost submerged on the fatal noon of 26 July 2005, when the merciless downpour and cloudburst had spread utter darkness and horror in the heart of the city. River Mithi was inundated, and the sea was furious. At this hour of torturous gloom, Rohzin begins declaring in the first line that it was the last day in the life of two lovers, Asrar and Hina.

The novel’s protagonist, Asrar, comes to Mumbai, and through his eyes the author describes the hitherto-unknown aspects of Mumbai, unseen colours and unseen secrets of the city’s underbelly.

The love story of Asar and Hina begins abruptly and ends tragically. It is love at first sight which takes place in the premises of Haji Ali Dargah.

The arc of the novel studies various aspects of human emotions, especially love, longing and sexuality as sublime expressions. The emotions are examined, so is love as well as the absence of it, through a gamut of characters and their interrelated lives: Asrar’s relationship with his teacher, Ms Jamila, a prostitute named Shanti and, later, with Hina; Hina’s classmate Vidhi’s relations with her lover and others; Hina’s father Yusuf’s love for Aymal; Vanu’s indulgence in prostitutes.

Rohzin dwells on the plane of an imagination that takes readers on a unique journey across the city of Mumbai, a highly intriguing character in its own right.

 

The Art of Management by Shiv Shivakumar

Book cover
The Art of Management||Shiv Shivakumar

Careers are changing, and the capabilities required to stay relevant are changing even more rapidly. We seem to have endless choices, at least at the beginning of a career, but these start narrowing after middle management. How does one think about one’s own life and career in this changing decade?

In this book, Shiv Shivakumar points out that today, unlike in the past, all the three elements are your responsibility. With in-depth interviews with top leaders across the spectrum and an insightful foreword by Sachin Tendulkar, The Art of Management is a must-read.

 

Made in Future by Prashant Kumar

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Made in Future||Prashant Kumar

Over the last two decades, the disruption brought about by data and technology has created a wide chasm between marketing strategy and what really works in the marketplace.

Made in Future is a groundbreaking new book that seeks to recast marketing from a white sheet, with an incisive view of how vast changes in media, content, influences and people’s expectations have come together to write a new story of marketing.

The book challenges a lot of the accepted wisdom of the past, yet is brutal where the hype is ahead of substance. In the process, it offers an alternative journey that is conceptually whole, makes you think and helps you follow it all up with pragmatic decisions.

 

Nireeswaran by V.J. James

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Nireeswaran||V.J.James

Is it possible for society to exist without religion? Nireeswaran, the most celebrated of Malayalam novelist V.J. James’ works, uses incisive humour and satire to question blind faith and give an insight into what true spirituality is.

Three atheists, Antony, Sahir, and Bhaskaran, embark on an elaborate prank to establish that God is nothing but a superstition. They instal a mutilated idol of Nireeswaran, literally anti-god, to show people how hollow their religion is. Their plan starts turning awry when miracles start being attributed to Nireeswaran-a man waking up from coma after twenty-four years, a jobless man ineligible for government employment getting a contract, a prostitute turning into a saint-leading hordes to turn up to worship the fake deity.

The trio is put in a quandary. Will they fight their own creation? Is their intractable minds an indication that atheism is a religion in itself? Belief and disbelief, it is possible, are two sides of the same coin.

 

Techproof Me by Siddharth Pai

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Techproof Me||A.Siddharth Pai

Today, we depend on technology for fulfilling almost all our needs. One thing that can be easily predicted about technology is that it is dynamic and the speed of change is intense. This book is about the new roles we need to play in our technology-oriented world. Discussing themes such as AI, machine learning and the Internet

of Things, among others, the book prepares readers for massive technology-led disruption. It provides

them with information and observations on a variety of technology-related subjects so that they can pivot

on a space as small as a coin when they need to. This book is the ultimate guide that can help readers remain relevant in the fast-changing world of technology.

 

The Art of Focus by Gauranga Das

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The Art of Focus||Gauranga Das

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the world we live in, more so than all the recent events put together. The pandemic has made humans question certain assumptions, relook at priorities and adjust life according to the new normal in the twenty-first century. As we take stock of life ahead, beyond this cusp of change, focus emerges as the fulcrum to help ease this transformation.

The Art of Focus, the second book in this three-part series, presents forty-five simple stories filled with revelations to enthral readers with learnings from the experiences of the protagonists and the dynamics of the situations that manifested in their lives.

The first book in the series, The Art of Resilience, presented ingredients to the readers to help them develop resilience in challenging situations that manifested at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Art of Focus builds on the first book and inspires the resilient heart to develop a focused mind. This collective presentation will better equip the readers to take charge of their lives and adapt to the new normal effectively.

 

Beauty Unbottled by Kavita Khosa

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Beauty Unbottled||Kavita Khosa

Can one make sunscreen from saffron? Can hemp oil help heal acne? How does madder root help cure hyperpigmentation? Beauty Unbottled is a unique DIY guide on how to use herbs and plants to turn your kitchen into a beauty lab. Learn how to treat hair loss, frizz, dandruff and premature greying with powerful Ayurvedic kitchen herbs. Create your own masks, moisturizers, serums and shampoos with superfoods like neem, tulsi, jasmine and sandalwood-herbs that are revered in Ayurveda. Explore the alchemy of Ayurveda and its long-lost, forgotten beauty

secrets with simple step-by-step skin and hair recipes (with vegan options) in this definitive guide and self-help book. This book will also guide you to read and understand labels, have a balanced diet for a healthy body and choose ingredients that are super effective yet gentle on you and mother earth.

Kavita Khosa, the founder of the award-winning skincare brand Purearth, brings to this book her years of experience in Ayurveda and expertise as an organic cosmetic science formulator. Beauty Unbottled debunks urban

beauty myths, drawing upon scientific research and time-honoured classic Ayurvedic texts. Rooted in Ayurveda, this book invites you to celebrate the skin you are in!

 

Dhanapatir Char by Amar Mitra

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Dhanapatir Char||Amar Mitra

The island came out of the golden pot of Ma Kamala, which she gave to the pirate Pedru to rule. However, there are mythical and mystical elements to the story about how Dhanapati is not only the village headman but also the giant tortoise of lore that swam in from depths of the oceans and fell asleep here to be seen when the waters recede in the winter months.

Dhanapati was the last Pedru, but he was now old and blind, unable to rule his island for long. He then gifted it to his seventeen-year-old wife, Kunti. Will Dhaneshwari, the new ruler, be able to save the island and its women from the lustful eyes of the administration? Or will the government acquire the island? Or will Kunti be able to cast her spell and get the old tortoise to float away with the island on his back?

The Island of Dhanapatir combines the elements of myth, allegory and magic realism with a folklore of rare beauty.

 

Where the Sun Never Sets by Stuti Changle

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Where the Sun Never Sets||Stuti Changle

If you find someone’s diary, would you dare open it?

Well, if you chance upon your old diary, would you dare read through your past?

Iti is forced to move back to her hometown of Mussoorie amid worldwide lockdown to work on her first movie script. Iti’s chance encounter with her first love, Nishit, reunion with her estranged best friend, Shelly, and nights spent reading her well-kept diary, make her best memories and worst nightmares come to life. She has always run away from her past, but now has no choice.

Will reading her diary prove to be an adventure worth taking for completing the script? Will life be the same? Ever?

Set in the COVID-19 lockdown, from the national bestselling author of On the Open Road and You Only Live Once, Where the Sun Never Sets is a riveting personal account of unforgettable childhood dreams, turbulent teenage years, complicated close relationships, human resilience, and the never-ending journey of growing up.

 

The Wait by Damodar Mauzo

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The Wait||Damodar Mauzo

A cab driver, who assumes the identity of whoever his clients want him to be, finds himself in a tricky situation with a passenger. A late-night call leads a doctor down a path of lust and desire, but with unexpected results. A writer acquaints himself with a thief who had broken into his house. A migrant worker falls in love but wonders how he can present himself as a suitor. A young man, having lost the love of his life, takes it upon himself to resolve another couple’s dilemmas.

Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo’s sometimes bizarre, sometimes tender stories, set largely in Goa, create a world far removed from the sun and sand and the holiday resorts. Here you find villagers facing moral choices, children waking up to the realities of adult lives, men who dwell on remorse, women who live a life of regret and communities whose bonds are growing tenuous in an age of religious polarization. Probing the deepest corners of the human psyche with tongue-in-cheek humour, Mauzo’s stories reveal the many threads that connect us to others and the ease with which they can be broken. Written in simple prose and yet layered in nuances, The Wait is a collection that brings to the anglophone world one of the doyens of Konkani literature.

 

From Stuck-up to Start-up by Neeraj Kapoor 

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From Stuck-up to Start-up||Neeraj Kapoor

Stuck-up to Start-up is a step-by-step guide to launching your start-up without quitting your job and exploring new opportunities in a post-covid-19 world. It is suitable for those millions of professionals who are stuck in their job traps and who have dreams of starting someday but don’t know ‘how’. The book answers the ‘how to’ questions that most people have but don’t know whom to ask.

The book has been carefully crafted to become an essential handbook for students at business schools, and for every professional worth his dreams. Neeraj brings the flavour of sharing from his life that’s vivid and real to the reader, which connects with the reader and has high retention value. This enables readers to enhance their clarity, decision-making and effectiveness at work and in life to launch their start-up and rapidly scale up with ease, grace, power and freedom.

 

Essential Reader: Sarojni Naidu by Sarojni Naidu

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Essential Reader||Sarojni Naidu

Sarojini Naidu was a prolific writer and speaker, publishing three collections of poetry during her life and delivered many rousing speeches throughout the freedom struggle and after India gained Independence. This book compiles her best-known work, as well as letters she wrote throughout her life to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore and others, to provide a glimpse into the kind of person she was and the ideas she believed in.

Through these pages, we can witness her innermost thoughts and feelings, and the important role she played in shaping the country’s freedom struggle and its ideas as a young nation, particularly through rousing speeches on the Education of Indian Women and the Battle of Freedom is Over, which were broadcast over the All India Radio on 15 August 1947.

 

Sing, Dance and Pray by Hindol Sengupta

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Sing, Dance and Pray||Hindol Sengupta

When A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada entered the port of New York City on 17 September 1965, few Americans took notice–but he was not merely another immigrant. He was on a mission to introduce ancient teachings of Vedic India to mainstream America. Before Srila Prabhupada passed away at the age of eighty-one on 14 November 1977, his mission was successful. He had founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), colloquially known as the ‘Hare Krishna Movement’, and saw it grow into a worldwide confederation of more than 100 temples, ashrams and cultural centers.

This is the inspirational story of Srila Prabhupada. As the founder of ISKCON, he ’emerged as a major figure of Western counterculture, initiating thousands of young Americans’.

He has been described as a charismatic leader who was successful in acquiring followers in many countries, including the United States, Europe and India. Srila Prabhupada’s story is bound to put you on a path of self-realization.

This summer, add these refreshing reads to your TBR pile and read the heat away!

Travel the world one book at a time

‘Travel far, pay no fare…A book can take you anywhere.’

– Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The portal to the rest of the world is closer to you than you think. While we advise you to physically stay at home, no one said anything about not travelling!

Penguin Random House India brings to you the #PenguinStayList – a list of books that will inform, educate and entertain you as best as they can during this pandemic. Travel around the Indian coast, up to the greatest city of the Himalayas or even to different corners of the world.

‘That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.’

– Jhumpa Lahiri

Following Fish : Travels around the Indian Coast

 

In a coastline as long and diverse as India’s, fish inhabit the heart of many worlds food of course, but also culture, commerce, sport, history and society. Journeying along the edge of the peninsula, Samanth Subramanian reports upon a kaleidoscope of extraordinary stories. Throughout his travels, Subramanian observes the cosmopolitanism and diverse influences absorbed by India’s coastal societies, the withdrawing of traditional fishermen from their craft, the corresponding growth of fishing as pure and voluminous commerce, and the degradation of waters and beaches from over-fishing.

 

Don’t Ask Any Old Bloke For Directions – A Biker’s Whimsical Journey Across India

 

After twenty years in the Indian Administrative Service, P.G. Tenzing throws off the staid life of a bureaucrat to roar across India on an Enfield Thunderbird, travelling light with his possessions strapped on the back of his bike. On the nine-month motorcycle journey without a pre-planned route or direction, he encounters acquaintances who appear to be from his karmic past: from the roadside barber to numerous waiters and mechanics― fleeting human interactions and connections that seem pre-ordained.

 

If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai: A Conducted Tour Of India

 

This book was first written when author Srinath Perur made the mistake of going on a conducted tour of ten of the most famous sites in India. However, despite being very annoyed at his bovine compatriots and his sonorous tour-guide, he found that there was some merit in traveling in groups, and wrote down his experiences in the form of this book. Witty, Humorous, and insightful, it combines his science-based knowledge and heartfelt experiences to create a tableau of interesting descriptions and adventures.

 

Shooting Star, The: A Girl, Her Backpack and the World

 

 

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears.

 

Travel Gods Must Be Crazy, The: Wacky Encounters in Exotic Lands

 


Dreaming of glorious sunrises and architectural marvels in exotic places, Sudha often landed up in situations that were uproariously bizarre or downright dangerous. Tongue firmly in cheek, she recounts her journeys through the raw wildernesses of Borneo and the African savannah, into the deserts of Iran and Uzbekistan, and up the Annapurna and the Pamirs, revealing the quirky side of solo travel to side-splitting effect. Punctuating her droll stories with breathtaking descriptions and stunning photographs, Sudha invites readers on an unexpected and altogether memorable tour around the world!

 

Kathmandu

 

Kathmandu is the greatest city of the Himalayas a unique survival of cultural practices that died out in India 1000 years ago. It is a carnival of sexual license and hypocrisy, a jewel of world art, a hotbed of communist revolution, a paradigm of failed democracy, a case study in bungled Western intervention and an environmental catastrophe.
Kathmandu follows the author’s story over a decade in the city and unravels the city’s history through successive reinventions of itself. Erudite, entertaining and accessible, this is the distinctive chronicle of a fascinating city.

 

From Heaven Lake

 

Hitch-hiking, walking, slogging through rivers and across leech-ridden hills, Vikram Seth travelled through Sinkiang and Tibet to Nepal: from Heaven Lake to the Himalayas, By breaking away from the reliable routes of organized travel, he transformed his journey into an unusual and intriguing exploration of one of the world’s least-known areas.

 

The Other Side of the Divide

 

Pegged on journalist Sameer Arshad Khatlani’s visit to Pakistan, this book provides insights into the country beyond what we already know about it. These include details on the impact of India’s soft power, thanks to Bollywood, and the remnants of Pakistan’s multireligious past, and how it frittered away advantages of impressive growth in the first three decades of its existence by embracing religious conservatism.
The book attempts to present a contemporary portrait of Pakistan-where prohibition remains only on paper and one of the biggest taxpayers is a Parsee-owned brewery-as a complicated and conflicted country suspended between tradition and modernity.

Well, that’s our list. Where will you travel to first?

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