Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer

Kashmir has been ill-served by India, by Pakistan, by the militants and by its own politicians who have failed to work out a compromise. It has turned the serene valley into the bloodied nose of Asia. “Curfewed Night” is a chronicle from the eyes of a Kashmiri growing up in the valley and watching it transform into a hotbed of violent militancy pitted against state oppression. It is also about people unwilling to lose their identity. What is it about identity that causes people to sacrifice their future in its name? Identity is the most powerful mobilizing force in history. But what happens when identity gets into a perpetual conflict with those who wish to crush it?

Peer tells the story of this valley at peace in the 1980s but also of a people who consciously refused to associate themselves with India. Then- long before the terrorism and violence of that we’ve grown accustomed to- national identity had one litmus test: which side were you on of Miandad’s famous last ball sixer at Sharjah? Peer describes the jubilation that his family, his neighborhood and his valley experienced when Miandad hit Chetan Sharma out of the ground to win Pakistan an impossible victory. Pakistan won and Kashmir jubilated. It wasn’t just Pakistan. Kashmiris supported any and all teams which played against India. They rejected India more than they associate with Pakistan- a point often forgotten by Pakistanis. In subjection Kashmiris held on to their identity and rejected the one imposed on them. For other books on Kashmir and issues in Kashmir click here...

Life is Perfect by Himani Dalmia

Himani Dalmia, the debutant author's attempt at highlighting modern life is interesting and realistic - Himani's characters, like any others in high society metros attending page 3 parties. They are portrayed as matured, thinking individuals, unlike the carefree ones in a typical chick flicks. However, at times, the plot becomes repetitive and the problems seem thrust on the characters. A good read on a lazy Sunday afternoon!

Life is perfect is the tale of Mitali Jaitia, who has what most would most call a perfect life. She has it all - a 20 year old with beauty, intellect, family wealth and even a doting boyfriend. But on the darker side of her , she also has her parent's separation to deal with, come to terms with her cousin's tragic death, accept her dad's bohemian lifestyle and her mother's helplessness.

Mitali's constant struggle at converging her world of abundance and emotional crisis reveals the complexities of her 'perfect world'. Set in the bungalow of an industrial family in Delhi, the story takes shape as Mitali secretly reads her dead cousin's diary and begins to understand herself and her family better. She questions herself that if everything is right then why does it feel so wrong.

The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay by Siddharth Shanghvi

Acerbic and elegiac by turns, and potent in its portrayal of Bombay in all its allure and menace The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay confirms Shanghvi’s prodigious skill and range as a storyteller. The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay is as much a razor-sharp depiction of contemporary urban society and its obscene obsession with celebrity and sensation as it is an affecting tale about love’s betrayals and the redemptive powers of friendship.

As for the story, Karan Seth, star photographer at The India Chronicle, is in Bombay on a private mission: to immortalize the city in a unique photo-record of its hidden faces. In the pursuit of his ambitious dream, Karan finds unlikely allies: Rhea Dalal, whose seductive melancholy born of unfulfilled dreams and a childless marriage draws Karan into a tender but twisted affair; Zaira, whose shy elegance belies her status as the ravishing star of Bombay’s silver screen and Samar Arora, the eccentric pianist who inexplicably spurned limelight at the peak of his career. Then tragedy strikes, unexpected and gruesome, tearing the four lives apart. As a murky murder trial ensues, peeling the layers off the vibrant, pulsating city, Karan is exposed to a Fitzgeraldian world of sex, crime and politics. Utterly disenchanted, his life shorn of love, he abandons his twin passions—the camera and Bombay—and heads to England in search of restitution and normalcy. Yet, like the flamingoes of Sewri, who unfailingly give in to the strange, haunting pull of the great metropolis, almost in defiance of the travails it brings them, Karan too knows that he must return to his old loves .

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer continues the saga of Edward, the vampire, and Bella, his mortal lover (and the narrator of this story). Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. Werewolves and vampires are ancient enemies but since Edward’s family came into existence, an uneasy truce has taken place. Edward’s family are the “vegetarians” of vampire world, feeding off of animals instead of humans. The truce remains in place unless the vampires “turn” a local which is the plan with Bella. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death.

You Are Here by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan

You Are Here by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan is about Arshi, a twenty five year old working in a PR agency in Delhi. A broken family, a dragon lady as a boss, a boyfriend who blows hot or cold based on unexplainable factors, a room-mate who is unsure of her dreams are the people Arshi deals with. Her head spinning wildly with the sheer gravity of her life`s quandaries, Arshi realizes what she needs most now (besides a barrelful of alcohol and some serious postcoital cuddling) are just a few epiphanies of the right kind . . . The narrative is stream of consciousness and is used pretty well. It is also slice of life and deals with a particular phase in Arshi’s life – her break up with her cheating boyfriend, her total frustration with her job and her coming to grips with her new beau’s boorish behavior. And therefore there is no real development of character or plot. The plot, if there is one. is simplistic and does not have any real meat. However, Meenakshi uses humour pretty well, and several passages will have you smiling. Her use of language is pretty good.

What to Expect When You're Expecting by Arlene Einsberg

'What to Expect When You're Expecting' by Arlene Einsberg is a pregnancy bible. Now with over 9 million copies in print, it features an easy-to-follow month-by-month format, this indispensable book reassuringly leads readers through a wealth of information. It includes a step-by-step guide through labor and delivery, postpartum care, and breastfeeding, a full section just for fathers-to-be, and a 24-page "Pregnancy Notes" insert for keeping detailed records of prenatal test results, weight gain, doctorIs visits, observations, and more.

It has every detail of what parents need to know about choosing a caregiver, prenatal diagnosis, exercise, childbirth options... With each new print What to Expect When You're Expecting incorporates the most recent developments in medical science. It provides expectant parents with a wealth of information on month-by-month development which includes preparing for labor and delivery, breastfeeding and bonding afterward, an expanded chapter for fathers and a completely new look at the Best-Odds diet, which is better suited to the needs of busier women with less time.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom’s experience

Tuesdays with Morrie is a biography about journalist Mitch Albom’s experience interviewing his professor from 20 years earlier over a period of 14 weeks. The 14 Tuesday meetings between Mitch Albom and Morrie Shwartz are Morrie’s last as he continues his fight against ALS. Morrie shares his insights into living meaningful life, and brings dignity to the process of dying, which afflicted him, and afflicts many with great suffering, but also brings great learning at the last of life.

Morrie’s insights (those in quotes) and insight about Morrie (by Mitch Albom, not in quotes) are worth repeating and useful for improving quality of life and life philosophy:

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.”

He had created a cocoon of human activities- conversation, interaction, affection- and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl.

“Now that I’m suffering, I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before... I’m almost...drawn to them.”

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” -Henry Adams

“Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently... But there’s a better approach. To know you’re going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That’s better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you’re living... Do what the Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, “Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?’ “

“We are too involved in materialistic things, and they don’t satisfy us. The loving relationships we have, the universe around us, we take these things for granted.”

“Listen. You should know something. All younger people should know something. If you’re always battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.”

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

Books by Anant Pai

Anant Pai, often affectionately called Uncle Pai, is generally considered to be the father of Indian comics. Though he studied chemistry, physics and chemical technology, his passion was comics. He started a career in editing and publishing, finally becoming a junior executive in the Times of India Books Division. There he was at the cradle of Indian comics with the creation of 'Indrajal'. In 1967, the educational comics series Amar Chitra Katha (Immortal Picture Stories) was launched. In 1969, Anant Pai founded Rang Rekha Features, India's first comic and cartoon syndicate, and started the children's magazine Tinkle in 1980.

Each of the comics in the Amar Chitra Katha series was devoted to a person or event in Indian history, religion and mythology. Anant Pai conceptualized of all of these, and wrote the scenarios for most of them. The art was done by artists like Ram Waeerkar, Dilip Kadam, Pratap Mulick, Souren Roy, Jeffrey Fowler, H. S. Chavan, Madhu Powle and Chandrakant D. Rane. The books continue to be an international success.

The Road Less travelled by Scott Peck

Dr.M.Scott Peck revolutionized the way we live our lives with his famous starting line "Life is difficult" and it is no less true today than when it was written twenty years ago. By melding love, science, and religion into a primer on personal growth, M. Scott Peck launched his highly successful writing and lecturing career with this book. Even to this day, Peck remains at the forefront of spiritual psychology as a result of The Road Less Traveled.

In this guide to confronting and resolving our problems - and suffering through the changes - we learn that we can reach a higher level of self-knowledge. Written in a voice that is timeless in its massage of love and understanding, The Road Less Travelled can help us learn the very nature of loving relationships: how to recognize true compatibility; how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become one's own person; how to be a more sensitive parent. The Road Less Travelled, a national bestseller for twenty years, will show you how to embrace reality and achieve serenity and fullness in your life. In this brilliant, groundbreaking book, traditional psychological thought and spirituality are challenged and a new understanding is brought into everyday life.

The monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma

The monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma lists a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. A wonderfully crafted fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to, Develop joyful thoughts, Follow our life's mission and calling, Cultivate self-discipline and act courageously, Value time as our most important commodity and last but not the least Nourish our relationships, and – live fully, one day at a time.

This inspiring tale by Robin Sharma provides the wisdom needed to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Peace

Stay Hungry Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal

Stay Hungry-Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal is about the entrepreneurial experience of 25 entrepreneurs from IIM Ahmedabad the top management institute in India and yes has nothing to do with Steve Jobs. Stay Hungry-Stay Foolish comprises of the interviews by the author- Rashmi Bansal, an IIMA graduate herself as well as a successful entrepreneur. She is the founder,editor and publisher of a popular youth magazine called JAM -Just Another Magazine. Some of these entrepreneurs graduated way back in1970’s, but all had the same dream, faith and vision. Some were erratic, some were eccentric, some were adamant and none of them seemed to me the normal being that we seem to know of. Some quit their jobs as early as three months, some after six months and some after working for 26 years. Some worked for really big companies but they knew that meant to do something else.Some lived on their wife’s income for long times, some worked in a single room for months.But all these things did not stop them from doing "anything", they wanted. No wonder, only this level of faith in one’s own self brings in Naukri.com, Makemytrip.com, Subhiksha and a lot of such great creations. These are all creations indeed by these creators of Life and Vision.

For a good set of books to read, click here...

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel talks about the son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion." Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fable like Life of Pi is such a book.

Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith.

Shantaram by Gregory David Robert

The epic novel Shantaram follows Gregory's entrancing life in India, detailing his involvement with the mafia as a money launderer, forger and street soldier before being thrown in an Indian prison. The novel follows him to Afghanistan where he fought with the Mujahideen.

The groundbreaking novel 'Shantaram' spans the world between fact and fiction seamlessly. Gregory David Roberts, an armed robber and Heroin addict escaped from an Australian prison. He eventually fled to India, a country he fell in love with. He changed his name to Lin. Embracing the wonderful culture Robert's learned Hindi and Marathi, the majority of the latter was learned in a remote village. He returned to Mumbai and began living in a slum, establishing a free health clinic for the slum dwellers.

The novels writing style is clever and descriptive enough to immerse you in a story where you quickly move from adventure to adventure, top of the world to heartache. This novel which Robert's wrote 3 times due to it being repeatedly destroyed in prison is worth the wait. Not only is it an education about India and its culture, it shows the unseen Bombay underworld and takes you on a roller coaster ride of literary brilliance.

Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman

More...Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman it was a novel perspective on what was happening in globalization of trade, communications, entertainment, etc. Half of this new, post-Cold War world is intent on building a better Lexus, on streamlining their societies and economies for the global marketplace, while the other half is locked in elemental struggles over who owns which olive tree, which strip of land.

Friedman argues that the American model of capitalism is the ideal version. Government must play a minimal role. "No one is in charge" simply means no overseer to represent the community's interests. Labour unions are to be quelled. No favours are to be shown to any not meeting the new performance standards.

More...The key question, addressed by Thomas Friedman, is how best to retain national identity and control over our lives while still linking up to the soulless, faceless global institutions in order to survive economically

A Case Of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

A Case Of Exploding Mangoes, Mohammed hanif debut novel is Teasing, provocative, and funny. The novel imagines a connection between the still mysterious plane crash in which the then Pakistani dictator General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq died and the events of 9/11. Intrigue and subterfuge combine with misstep and luck in this darkly comic book about love, betrayal, tyranny, family--and a world that unexpectedly resembles our own.

The story revolves around Ali Shigri a Pakistan Air Force pilot and Silent Drill Commander of Fury Squadron. His father, one of Zia's colonels, has committed suicide under suspicious circumstances. Ali is determined to understand who or what pushed his father to take such a drastic step and avenge his death. What he quickly discovers is a snarl of events: Americans in Pakistan, Soviets in Afghanistan, dollars in every hand. But Ali remains patient, determined, a touch world-weary, and unsurprised at finding Zia at every turn. He mounts an elaborate plot for revenge with an ever-changing crew that includes his silk underwear and cologne wearing roommate; a hash-smoking American lieutenant; the chief of Pakistan's secret police, who mistakenly believes he's in cahoots with the CIA; a blind woman imprisoned for fornication; Uncle Starchy, the squadron's laundryman; and, not least of all, a mango-besotted crow. General Zia a devout Muslim "and" leering admirer of non-Muslim cleavage--begins every day by asking his chief of security: "Who's trying to kill me?" and the answer lies in a conspiracy trying to happen . . .

A Case Of Exploding Mangoes, a novel of the first order, provocative, exuberant, wickedly clever and that reimagines the conspiracies and coincidences the above above event.