Author: Nilanjana S Roy

This has been the best book I have read this year—a sheer piece of literary brilliance.

In a fictitious sleepy village called Teetarpur lives a humble farmer Chand whose sole reason for survival is his little daughter Munia. However, everything is shattered when Munia is found hanging from the jamun tree. Chand’s world collapses around him even as the author delves into his past in Delhi on the banks of the Yamuna where he lived his past as a squatter.

Parallely, Sub-Inspector Onbir Singh from the lone police thana takes it upon himself to solve the heinous crime despite the numerous setbacks. A local wanderer who belongs to another community (religion ) is blamed for the murder of the little girl.

The author beautifully weaves the plots which appear totally different from each other but the reader is provided a literary treat as she joins the dots and brings the story to a climax. The issues of the case and religious divide seen even today are brought out sensitively. The tough lives of squatters and the poorest of the poor amidst the backdrop of political circus in the garb of religion are brought out superbly by the author.

The reader is taken through a roller coaster of emotions where the lives of the lower socio-economic starts individuals seem to hold barely any value. The gutwrenching reality of the situation in the lesser-known pockets of the country has been vividly put forth. Despite politics of religion threatening to play havoc and destroy their lives, two of Chand’s friends for years, Badshah Miyan and Rabia, stand by him through his sorrow. The book is fast-paced and through police procedurals, it’s a relentless quest for ‘justice’

This book is literary fiction at its best and a treat for literature lovers!

Author: Nithya Sashi

The story is filled with two main parallel tracks. One belongs to a senior journalist of TNN network, Koena, and another to her husband Shom, a celebrity chef.

On the surface, they seem to be a regular career-driven family and active socialites. However, the plot unravels with a blast at the Delhi CM’s bungalow that shakes the foundation of Law and order in the Capital. Especially when the blast suspects are the Naxalites. Koena is touted to cover the story and each layer of the report gives way to another lying underneath. All are pointing to something deep-rooted that questions Koena’s very existence.

The quest for truth takes Koena on a sojourn into the dark lives of the coal-mine workers and to her shock she unearths her connection to that life.

there are many sub-plots where she also realizes her husband isn’t someone she has known in the past two decades.

The author has intricately weaved the plots and with a fast-paced narrative has managed to bind them all together in the end. A very exciting edge-of-the-seat read.

Author: Karan Bhatia

Do you believe in life after death? How does Karma play a role in it all? What exactly determines the inevitable journey in the cycle of life and death? These questions are hard-hitting but the author in this piece of fiction has demonstrated the sojourn heavily basing it on science and conviction.

Roy has been through a lot… he was not even 13 when he lost his only confidante, his older brother in a drowning accident for which he has blamed himself all his life. He thought his Army man father was indifferent to him, eventually losing him in the Kargil war. To escape from it all he ran away figuratively and literally. Parallely, Allison, a UK-based activist comes to India, and Roy and Allison become housemates in Bangalore. Allison carries personal baggage from back home and is seeking answers too…

There is a thread that binds them all. Roy, after many years, confronts reality back home and discovers the truth about his deceased brother and father. Engulfed by guilt, he decides to commemorate his father by penning a memoir. But disaster strikes yet again and Roy finds himself in another realm…

Does this process help him discover the ultimate truth? Can he finish his pending karma? How does his soul eventually attain salvation, which we mortals often speak about?

The author has made a brilliant attempt to explain the entire process in a light-hearted manner. The book gives us food for thought and makes us ponder!

Author: Ashwini Bhatnagar

In a single phrase, if I have to describe the book, it’s, ‘a sheer piece of literary brilliance!‘

The story is a biographical memoir of an artist par excellence, Amrita Sher-Gil. Most of her artwork is iconic and reeks of individualistic perception of the world around her especially India. Amrita loved color, and that’s evident in how the splashes on her canvas took their own form. Despite being unconventional in all her ways, Amrita soon emerged as the most celebrated painter of her time.

What attracts the reader further is the megalomaniac-like personality traits Amrita exhibits. She was a rebel with a larger-than-life personality. Not just with her art but also in her personal life. She didn’t believe in fidelity. Her colourful escapades with both men and experimentation with women have been interspersed throughout the story. Such was her persona that even the then-Indian Congress head Jawaharlal Nehru was left bedazzled.

She was in a relationship with her first cousin Victor and eventually married him despite parental and social opposition, given the blood relationship. Her death under mysterious circumstances remains unresolved to date. Whether it was a botched termination of pregnancy or whether she was intervened late because of Victor, a doctor himself, who dragged his heels instead of seeking another opinion before it was too late, the mystery remains…

The obituary given by Nehru and Sarojini Naidu upon her passing throws light on the kind of impact Amrita had on everyone around her. Her flamboyance was addictive, be it art or person. Her careless approach to pertinent aspects of life may be attributed to her conflicted upbringing in a mixed-racial household. Nonetheless, she was a beauty who stuck to her convictions till her last breath.

The author has brought together an amalgamation of well-researched viewpoints from those close to Amrita. His language is par excellence and as a reader, I am still reeling in the paroxysms of literary delight hours after finishing the book!

Author: Rasika Bhatia

This is a hilarious memoir by the author who happens to be a wedding planner and the book is a collection of her experiences in the business. Every story is different and gives us a takeaway just like the wedding guests! The stories are laced with sarcasm and dark humour; through these anecdotes, the author takes us on a journey. A journey that indirectly tells us the hard work and resilience every wedding planner puts in for an event to be successful. The book talks about the bed of thorns that a planner needs to tread to fulfill (sometimes unreasonable) customer demands. However, she also asserts that ‘alls well that ends well’ and the wedding planner is also a vital element involved in the union of two hearts.

The language is simple and the pace has been maintained throughout. Its a light and breezy read and promises to leave you smiling even hours after you have finished reading!

Author: Kainaz Jussawalla

The memoir is a laugh riot and the author has poured her heart out completely. She has laid her cards open and left them for the reader to form their opinions!

Kai Juicewalla is a born foodie and a self-confessed die-hard SRK fan who lives in the fairytale Bollywood world where she hopes to find her Mr. Perfect someday. She is curvy and absolutely unapologetic about it even going on to make a career as a flight attendant amidst hourglass mannequins. The book is a chronicled journey about Kai’s life so far where she meanders her way to finding her soulmate, the one for her. What follows is a string of bullies, losers, gold diggers, an Italian Adonis (with a mystery of his own), A confused but hot therapist, a narcissist with anger issues, an identity-conflicted individual, and also an unrequited love interest. It appears that she is destined to always crash and burn every time she pursues a potential suitor.

However, Kai realizes eventually that it’s important to love yourself first, and the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.

Kudos to the author for brazenly putting her life out there with the details and though many of us only dream about them, she had the courage to write them down. Those of us who have battled the bulge or have been body-shamed can relate to the memoir. Though it’s infused with humor at every stance, kai has used the camouflage perfectly to hide the underneath agony a woman goes through. Yet it has been subtly tackled.

A breezy read for the weekend over cups of tea!!!

Author: Sushama Kasbekar

The murder mystery begins with finding a dead body in an elite club premises. The charming and suave Rita Bansal, wife of businessman, Rakesh Bansal is found dead in the guest room, and it’s a clear case of murder. It is discovered that she was intimate a little earlier, with business tycoon Manendra a perennial womanizer.

Police Inspector Virendra and his assistant get involved in the investigation that brings up the dirty linen of the rich and the so-called sophisticated elite to the forefront. Things get further murkier when another high-profile socialite is found murdered in the same club.

What is the connection between the two murders? Was it an act of revenge, passion, or jealousy? What were the skeletons hidden in the closets of the club members that resulted in bizarre trysts that ended relationship boundaries? Do politics score over personal bonding?

The story is about how Virendra eventually zeroes in on the Perps.

The author has tactfully handled the investigative process in this light and breezy read. There is no gore or explicit unwanted content. Though the characters are aplenty, she has handled them each deftly. Overall an interesting plot.

Author: Anirban Bhattacharya

This is the author’s second book in my kitty and he doesn’t disappoint.

Chelembra, a small town in Kerala was caught in the eye of a storm when it became the hotspot of India’s largest bank heist. 80 kg of gold and cash amounting to about 8 crores INR were stolen in what seemed to be a perfect crime. However, the commendable efforts of the Kerala Police under the able leadership of P. Vijayan thwarted the criminal intents and not only recovered the loot but also strengthened the belief that crime never pays.

The salient features of the book are:

1. impeccable research where the author worked at the grassroots to gain first-hand information about the investigation process and what transpired.
2. The author has taken us on a journey from both ends, the mastermind’s mind and the Inspector in charge making this nothing short of a movie playing.

A sensational thriller to the core, this is a must-read.

Author: Sagar Makwana

This is a self-help guide written by a life coach.

Personally I am not a fan of non-fiction, however this book got me on the go. The book’s format and the premise set you thinking about the ‘you’ within you.

The author has elaborated on different elements that hinder our path towards ‘success’. At the same time, he has also laid down practical techniques and principles that can help us streamline ourselves to maximise our potential. The author has painstakingly put forth pertinent quizzes at regular intervals and one cannot help but delve into ‘self’.

The icing on the cake is, the book is far from preachy and is interspersed with anecdotes that make it a light read, with a heavy message.

A must-read if you feel bogged down by life pressures, unsure of your true calling in life, or if you are clueless abut the direction your life has taken.

I am still reeling in the ‘you’!