Oh, the places you’ll go! Oh, the books you’ll read!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that travel and reading are two of the greatest joys in the world. But where should you travel to? Which destination should you choose? Well, we’ll let the good folks at Lonely Planet help you decide. But books? Yes, we can definitely help you with some recommendations. Ananya Jain spent some time looking up HarperCollins India’s list of recent releases and shortlisted twenty books that would be perfect companions for all holiday plans this summer. Take a look, and pass on these suggestions to your travel buddies too. Here you go:
War Cry marks the return of Wilbur Smith’s much loved Courtney series, and follows the journey of two new characters in the setting of the Second World War.
Saffron Courtney, the daughter of businessman and war veteran Leon Courtney, experiences a transformation when due to sudden unfortunate events she is forced to move away from her sheltered and protected lifestyle. As a young woman she is drawn towards the complex mechanism behind the political situation of the world.
Gerhard Von Meerbach, the brother of staunch National Socialist Party supporter Konrad Von Meerbach, finds it difficult to stay true to his principles in a world headed towards cruelty.
In the course of events, both their paths collide, but only time will tell whether there will be more to unite them than to tear them apart!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2sk24K3
Did Cass Anderson make the biggest mistake of her life when she didn’t stop to help the woman in the car, that night in the woods?
Ever since that incident, nothing in her life has been the same. She always feels the looming presence of someone watching her and consumed by her guilt she’s started to forget things.
‘A psychological page-turner’ as described by Good Housekeeping, this novel with all its twists and turns will keep you surprised till the very end!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2sjRHpm
Follow Nikki, a young woman who takes a creative writing job at her local temple, in her journey to emancipate the women of her community. Even though these women in white have no interest in her ideals, they have multiple hidden secrets and their lives are mysteries, a tangle of untold stories. Through the course of the book, these women, who have spent their entire lives living in the shadows of the patriarchal society, re-discover themselves, re-inventing the notions of womanhood and sexuality. This novel is the perfect example of cross-cultural blends, where culture meets modernity and east meets west!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2rmeLit
Shi-va is a primordial emptiness ‘that which is not’, and this book is an extraordinary tribute to Shiva, the Adiyogi or the first perceiver of this emptiness. It is a symbol of myth, history and living presence, the creator, destroyer, ascetic, cosmic dancer and passionate lover all at once.
From a living yogi, to the first yogi, the wave of words seeks to merge science and philosophy in order to answer unspeakable questions and present ideas that transform individuals.
“Shiva does not spell religion. Shiva spells responsibility — our ability to take our very life process in our hands.”
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s2cWcg
The Portable Veblen, set in and around Palo Alto, is an honest inquiry into what we look for in life. Veblen and Paul, a young and newly engaged couple on the brink of marriage, find their engagement collapsing courtesy of multiple circumstances. Their dysfunctional families, a seductive heiress and a charismatic squirrel build on the humorous narrative into a story with big ideas and multiple thoughts. Throughout the book the author repeatedly asks three questions: Where do our families end and we begin? How do we stay true to our ideals? And what is that squirrel really thinking?
Shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2016, this book is an unforgettable look at the human experience!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s27bvg
A coming of the age mystery revolving around two young girls who learn what it means to belong.
Set in England, 1976, ten-year-olds Grace and Tilly are shocked by the sudden disappearance of Mrs Creasy. Unconvinced by the responses they receive from the neighbours, they take the law into their own hands and go out in search of God, believing that finding Him will mean getting Mrs Creasy home. Going from door to door in search of clues, the amateur detectives uncover secrets and a complicated history that precedes the neighbourhood, unraveling multiple dark mysteries throughout their journey!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s28vhQ
A psychological thriller that follows the journey of Louise, a woman who has done everything to keep herself distracted since her husband walked out on her. Staying occupied in her job and the upbringing of her son, she is getting by all right, until she meets David and Adele, the seemingly perfect couple. However, as her friendship with them blossoms, she is exposed to the multiple secrets and skeletons buried in their closets. Over time she begins doubting everything she thought and eventually she is entangled in the intricate web of their marriage.
A book that keeps the reader guessing right till the end… if suspense is a genre you like, then this is your go-to novel!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2rm5N4w
On the day his wife gave birth to twins, Anthony Doerr received the Rome Prize, an award that gave him a year-long stipend and studio in Rome. In an autobiographical account, he describes his adventures in the most enchanting city in the world. He walks us through his first year of parenthood, his visits to the piazzas, temples and ancient cisterns, the vigil of a dying Pope, his journey to the Pantheon and a bundle of other experiences. This book is an intimate account celebrating Rome; the city, it’s people, and the chroniclers who came before him!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2sTsdwg
Commander Grayson Pierce of the Sigma force has been summoned to uncover the truth behind a brutal murder. A member of a missing expedition of British archaeologists stumbles out of the Egyptian desert, but before he can explain anything, he dies; something had begun mummifying his body while he was still alive.
The crisis grows and the shocking clues connect to unusual mysteries; the travels of Mark Twain, the genius of Nikola Tesla and the journeys of Henry Morgan Stanley. From the burning sands of Egypt, to the frozen fields of the Arctic, the team must confront the danger quick enough, before a series of plagues is unleashed around the globe, ending mankind forever.
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s22GRk
The year is 1926 and the city is Boston.
Joe Coughlin, the youngest song of a prominent police captain, lives his life on the dark side in a career alongside the city’s most fearsome mobsters. An early death seems like a likely fate until Joe’s journey up the organized crime ladder takes him from Jazz Age Boston to the sensual streets of Cuba.
An epic story of friends, enemies, evangelists and women in a battle for survival, New York Times bestseller and now a Warner Brothers movie, Live by Night represents the individual’s quest for ‘The American Dream’.
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2tbLp7x
Aza Ray is finally back on Earth, living a normal life; well, as normal as her life could be after the events of the past year, which included death, a sky ship and discovery of a revelatory truth. Despite being happy with the people on Earth, part of her still yearns for the clouds.
When her boyfriend’s concern over her safety results in a terrible mistake, Aza is forced to go back to Magonia and set things right! A riveting sequel to the successful Magonia, Aza’s journey continues with the same zeal, excitement and action!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2sTdql0
General Khosa, a despicable tyrant, has held Ben Hope hostage in the heart of Africa and things are not looking very good.
The General wants to use Ben’s superior military skills to meet his lust for blood and power and turn his platoon of inexperienced boys in to an army of lethal soldiers. Whether Ben complies or not, he will have blood on his hands. The only alternative is to defeat Khosa, a seemingly impossible task.
An explosive sequel to Star of Africa, ex-SAS Major, Ben Hope is back to make the impossible, possible!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s1XkFC
Follow the trajectory of Rishi Kapoor’s life and career, from the adolescent boy pining for his teacher to the naughty ninety-year-old grandfather. Even today, after 50 years of work in Hindi cinema, he continues to garner more love and respect from the audiences through his groundbreaking work.
This is a candid, up close and personal account of his journey, not only the stardom and success but also the inner encounters and emotions. From growing up in the shadow of a legendary father, to working on the musical hits of the era, his encounter with Dawood Ibrahim, and his relationship with co-actors, Khullam Khulla gives you Rishi Kapoor, fully and honestly.
With a heart-felt afterword by Neetu Singh, this is a real insight into the life of a star across eras!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2rmoK79
Terrorism claims hundreds of innocent lives with each attack and long after the event is gone, it remains in the memories of the victims and their families. The psychological impact of any terrorist attack is painful and almost eternal.
An Association Of Small Bombs explores the inner working of the human brain while presenting both sides of the story. When The Khurana brothers, are victim to a bomb blast in a marketplace in the city of Delhi, nothing remains the same. Their friend Mansoor Ahmed, a witness to the horrific crime and their parents, all are stuck in an unending psychological labyrinth after their deaths.
On the other end of this stands Shockie, the perpetrator. What really goes on in the mind of a terrorist?
The effects of terrorism on the world today from the eyes of the victim and the perpetrator, Karan Mahajan has succeeding in tackling the most pressing issue of the time with absolute empathy!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s2jbwH
Ayurvedic expert, Reenita Malhotra Hora shares her insights on healthy living through the core practices of ancient Ayurvedic Tradition.
She suggests a lifestyle change in three simple steps:
Firstly, understanding the 3 dosha’s (vatta, pitta, kapha) within the body. Secondly, searching for suitable foods, and thirdly consumption in balance with the Ayurvedic seasons.
If you are tired of living an unhealthy lifestyle and are looking for rejuvenation, then this is the book for you!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2sjT07V
Everything seems to fall into place for Rachel, when she marries David, the perfect man. With him she gets everything she’s ever wanted; love, wealth and Jamie, a wonderful stepson. But soon enough things start to change. Jamie’s behaviour awakens suspicion in her mind. He claims to be haunted by the spirit of his late mothers and time and again makes disturbing predictions. Her husband’s apprehensions in discussing these events increase her doubt. As she begins digging into the past, she fears that Jamie’s terrifying predictions might be true; she may be dead by Christmas.
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s1ZbKN
Lily Gullick moves to a brand new apartment with her husband Aiden, and she can’t help but spy on her neighbours.
Things begin to get out of hand when she starts seeing suspicious activity through her binoculars and soon after, her elderly neighbor Jean is found dead. This mystery causes her to probe further into the lives of the community members, but just as she gets closer to the truth, she realizes the threat to her own life.
A riveting thriller with constant twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of your seat!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2s1HFq8
The Mahabharata has been told time and again, passed down generations in different languages and forms, but never like this.
Karthika Nair, retells this age old myth from the eyes of those on the periphery. The story in the form of poetry is sung from the mouths of nameless soldiers, outcast warriors, handmaidens, tribal queens and a gender shifting God. Does the Mahabharata remain the same as we’ve been taught for years, a story of War and Victory? Or do these invisible voices unveil the secrets that lie underneath the façade of heroism and valor?
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2sk3KTJ
Former model Shvetha Jaishankar believes that anyone can be fit and feel great. Gorgeous, is a representation of how she does it. Packed with a number of beautiful images, healthy recipes, meal plans and inspirational ideas, the book provides a simple and comprehensive path to healthy living. It embraces real targets, achievable fitness goals and great food. With inputs from some of India’s top icons including Priyanka Chopra and Malaika Arora Khan, Jaishankar seeks to provide a positive lifestyle to all the women out there.
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2semQtn
Tina Raja’s life is nothing short of absolutely boring. Her routine follows a house full of kids, leaking pipes, sundry relatives and an absentee husband. Lonely, is the only word to describe circumstances, but unfortunately her options to change this are limited. Having an affair seems out of the question, seeing her therapist would be pointless, sharing her tragedies on her blog would be dangerous. Everyone has something going on except her; her best friend is mooning over a guy and her daughter is writing a secret diary. Things seem to be completely awful, until a silver lining in the form of a kissable dentist magically appears to make life interesting!
Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2sdPkUb
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