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Catagory: Literature & Fiction

Bride in the Hills

Set in the stately, forest-clad hills of Malnad in the Western Ghats during the late nineteenth century,
Bride in the Hills tells the love stories of young men and women aspiring for a life of freedom, dignity and fulfilment in marriage within a caste-ridden social order. Kuvempu’s multi-centred text, with its organic weave of varied narrative strands, much like the Mahabharata, is epic in substance and style. The novel, which is rooted in the regional realities of Malnad, is yet another example of the diversity of modern Indian literature.

Kuvempu (1904–94) chronicles the emergence of a vibrant and complex rural society caught between manipulative colonial norms and discriminatory native practices. Bringing in the distinct experiences of the Shudra lifeworld, he led Kannada literature to great heights with his profound and poetic writing. Kuvempu’s cosmic vision of vishva manava (universal man), which transcends narrow, sectarian boundaries, constitutes a precious legacy in the ethical traditions of the world.

This epic novel with the sweep of a Tolstoy classic enacts its mission statement: ‘Here, nobody is important; nobody is unimportant; nothing is insignificant!’ with brilliance, energy and imaginative power.

A Touch of Salt

Mahatma Gandhi to Dandi, and become a part of the historic violation of the Salt Act in British India. This is, of course, unrecorded by history. He was an Agariya, one of the salt-harvesters in the Rann of Kutch. Today, the Agariyas working in the salt pans have no water, homes or schools for their children. They are being squeezed out by the law that has identified the entire Rann as reserved forest for wild asses. Tribhuban’s grandson Azad has no choice but to take up the fight for salt against the establishment once more, this time in an independent India.
A Touch of Salt is the story of Tribhuban and Azad, of Mohandas and Kasturba, of Malati and Vishnuram, of the multitude of Agariyas, countless lives lived, lost, and buried in salt and sand.

Thank You, Gandhi

When a bureaucrat who witnessed the Bhopal gas tragedy firsthand passes away from Covid, he leaves behind his oldest friend and an unfinished book.

An impassioned lament, a nostalgic tribute and a poignant ode to boyhood, Thank You, Gandhi is a unique blend of fiction and nonfiction, past and present, memoir and social commentary, and ultimately an uncategorizable book that pays homage to the enduring legacy of the father of our nation. At its epicentre sits the profound bond between K and Munna whose lives are inextricably intertwined with India’s tumultuous history and Gandhi’s teachings.

The ingenious metafictional device of the book inside the book becomes a timely conversation between two nations, one of the past and one of the present. When K pieces together Munna’s manuscript, feeling honour-bound to complete it, he discovers his late comrade all over again. Even as he grapples with India’s complex political landscape and the challenges of upholding Gandhi’s ideals in a rapidly changing world, the bifocal lenses of Munna’s experiences and his own introspections serve as a turbulent reckoning.

A novel unlike any other, Thank You, Gandhi takes readers into a liminal space beyond the confines of genre and invites them to confront the difficult questions of where we are and how we got here through a layered and rare exploration of male camaraderie.

The Book of Exodus

Considered one of the finest works in Malayalam literature, The Book of Exodus is a poignant and, at times, harrowing portrait of a rural community living in the backwaters of Kochi, Kerala. The protagonist, Kunjootty, is struggling to write a book of the same title, aiming to capture the stories of the natives of his village, Potta Thuruthu, the Isle of Reeds, untouched by the forces of modernization.

As the mystery and tragedy of Kunjootty’s own life become clearer, the narrative attains the proportions and complexity of an epic, where myths and legends are intertwined with reality, and where the past and present become indistinguishable from each other. Soon, all the intersecting stories of Kunjootty’s friends and acquaintances start converging into the inexorable flow of time, characterized by the nameless river that runs alongside Potta Thuruthu.

Originally published twenty-fifive years ago, this was V.J. James’s debut novel, which won the DC Books Silver Jubilee Award in 1999 and garnered a wide readership in Malayalam over the years. This lucid and elegant translation by Ministhy S. brings it for the first time to an English readership, opening a window on a timeless classic of modern Malayalam literature that was more than twelve years in the making

Inferno (Hindi) /इन्फर्नो

इन्फर्नो एक उत्तेजक थ्रिलर उपन्यास है, जो डैन ब्राउन द्वारा लिखा गया है। इस किताब में, प्रमुख किरदार रोबर्ट लैंग्डन अपनी रोमांचक यात्रा के दौरान एक गहन रहस्य की खोज करते हैं। यह कहानी गूढ़ प्रकाश, संवेदनशीलता, और उलझन के रहस्यों से भरपूर है, जो पाठकों को एक सोचने-समझने वाली यात्रा पर ले जाती है। 

The Living Legend

Rama is all of sixteen when Sage Viswamithra takes him to the Dandaka forest, with Lakshmana accompanying them. At first, the spirit of adventure fills the two teenage brothers, but when they enter the forest in broad daylight, it is a curtain of pitch darkness. The smell of decaying flesh, flashes of fire, and the gloom of animals, birds and foliage in terror affect Rama deeply. For the first time, he feels fear. He hears derisive laughter—is it from the forest, or is it within him?

The first lesson he recalls from the sage Vashistha is: What is the task at hand? How can he understand the gravity of what is happening? Is the earth calling out for help? He gathers his fragmented thoughts and, feeling for the arrow from his quiver, shoots at a shape-shifting demon who terrorizes the forest.

The Living Legend is packed with twists and reflections and hosts the strength of relationships with nature that Rama, Sita and Lakshmana make to restore balance in life. The forest of inner evolution was transformative in their youth, and it is in our time too.

Ponniyin Selvan 2

Our valiant hero Vallavaraiyan Vandiyatevan has been asked to make his way to Ilankai on Princess Kundavai Devi’s request. With the help of the curious and eccentric Poonkuzhali, he does so, traversing across dangerous land and waters to finally meet ‘Ponniyin Selvan’—the beloved Chozha prince Arulmozhi Varman.
Back home, the plotting to take over the throne of the Chozha empire continues. At the centre of it all, stands the wife of the senior Pazhuvettaraiyar, the beautiful and dangerous Nandini Devi, who will stop at nothing to bring down the Chozas. Will Vandiyatevan and the Chozha princes manage to outplay Nandini and the Pazhuvettaraiyars?
An epic adventure, skilfully written by Kalki and elegantly translated by his granddaughter Gowri Ramnarayan, continues in this, the second in the Ponniyin Selvan series.

Ponniyin Selvan 1

As the emperor of the Chozha kingdom, Sundara Chozha, lies unwell in Tanjavur fort, a sinister plot is being hatched—a plot to wrest the throne from Crown Prince Aditta Karikalan. Senior minister Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar is powerful and could well succeed in his plan to seat Madhurantakan, son of Sundara Chozha’s elder brother, on the throne, after Sundara Chozha’s death.
Aware of the rumblings, Aditta Karikalan entrusts his confidant Vallavaraiyan Vandiyatevan to deliver a message to the emperor and his beloved sister Kundavai Devi. Will the intrepid Vandiyatevan succeed? Or will he fall victim to the machinations? What role does the elder Pazhuvettaiyar’s wife have to play in all this? Will Kundavai Devi be able to protect her brothers’ interests?
Delving into politics, betrayal, desires and ambition in tenth-century Tamil Nadu, Ponniyin Selvan is Kalki’s magnum opus, a gripping tale that has remained popular and beloved for decades. Beautifully translated by Gowri Ramnarayan, Kalki’s granddaughter, Fresh Floods is the first in a series that is unputdownable.

What You Are Looking for is in the Library

THE TWO-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING JAPANESE NOVEL

The Top Ten Times bestseller
A Time Magazine Book of the Year
‘An undeniable page-turner’ New York Times

‘I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ‘ Daily Mail
‘It made me laugh and cry and feel comforted’ 5***** Reader review
‘A tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries‘ Irish Times

An inspirational tale of the love, comfort and growth you can find in the pages of a good book.
_________________
What are you looking for?

So asks Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi.

But she is no ordinary librarian.

Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it.

We meet five visitors to the library, each at a different crossroads:

– The restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills
– The mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave
– The conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store
– The gifted young manga artist in search of motivation
– The recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose

Can she help them find what they are looking for?

Which book will you recommend?
_________________

‘An undeniable page-turner’ New York Times

For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this feel-good Japanese book shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a life.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAPAN BOOKSELLERS’ AWARD

‘I definitely want to visit this library. I feel kinder after this book’ 5***** Reader review
‘A quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone’ Mail on Sunday
‘Wonderful. It made me look for connection in my life’ 5***** Reader review

Times bestseller, August 2023

Happy Place

‘Hilarious and wise… Another knockout’ Taylor Jenkins Reid
‘One of my favourite authors’ Colleen Hoover
‘A must-read book of the year’ Lauren Asher

—–

Two exes. One pact.
Could this holiday change everything?

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple – they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world.

Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven’t told anyone.

But the cottage is for sale so this is the last time they’ll all be here together. They can’t bear to break their best friends’ hearts so they’ll fake it for one more week.

But how can you pretend to be in love – and get away with it – in front of the people who know you best?

Brimming with characters you can’t help but fall for and off-the-charts chemistry, HAPPY PLACE is Emily Henry doing what she does best!

—–

‘Another Emily Henry masterpiece’ Hannah Grace, ICEBREAKER

‘Heartfelt and hilarious. This book is my happy place!’ Lucy Score, THINGS WE NEVER GOT OVER

‘Smart, sunny, sexy and also a gorgeous story of female friendship‘ Beth O’Leary, THE FLATSHARE

‘The master of witty repartee’ Daily Mail

‘A heart-tugging masterpiece from the queen of romance‘ Ali Hazelwood, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS

‘One of the current stars of romantic fiction‘ Independent

‘If I could climb inside any book it would be this one‘ Culturefly

‘Emily Henry’s books should be prescribed. Not only will they make you happy, her latest may just make you fall in love with falling in love again‘ Woman’s Weekly

‘Tender and sexy, bittersweet with Henry’s trademark warmth‘ Bolu Babalola, HONEY & SPICE

Happy Place, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, May 2023

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