There is something uniquely comforting about July. As the monsoon settles in, the world slows down just enough to let us get lost in a good story.
This month’s collection is an eclectic mix designed for exactly that. Grab a warm cup of tea, find a quiet corner, and explore our favorite releases of the month.
Once Elephants Lived Here
Geetanjali Shree, Daisy Rockwell
A captivating preview of Geetanjali Shree’s eleven experimental short stories, translated by Daisy Rockwell. It highlights the iconoclastic, genre-bending narratives that paved the way for her masterpiece, Tomb of Sand.
Dara Shukoh |The Faqir and the Throne of Thorns
Amit Ranjan
An essential re-examination of crown prince Dara Shukoh, the poet-philosopher who sought to bridge Hinduism and Islam. It explores his tragic downfall and ponders how history might have changed.
Everyday Creativity
Pavan Soni
A practical guide to unlocking personal innovation, distilling lessons from world-class creators like A.R. Rahman and Leonardo da Vinci alongside over twenty-five structured methods to elevate everyday problem-solving.
Chand Bibi
Sarah Waheed
A vivid exploration of the 16th-century Deccan ruler and military strategist who defied an empire. Historian Sarah Waheed pieces together palace intrigue and battlefield legends to resurrect an extraordinary queen.
The Blue Book
Siddhesh Gautam
An evocative, anti-caste graphic novel tracking a protagonist’s surreal, dream-sequence conversations with iconic subcontinental activists, drawing inspiration from their tireless fight to carry the movement forward.
Ashes to Light
Priyadarshini Bhattacharya
An nuanced anthology exploring gender-based prejudice and quiet endurance through lived experiences. It features reflective personal essays from prominent figures, offering hope and a conscious commitment to imagining a gender-attuned world.
What Happened to Me? vs What’s Wrong with Me?
Gunjan Y Trivedi, Riri G Trivedi, Hemalatha Ramani
A research-backed guide shifting the conversation from self-blame to self-understanding. Grounded in 3,000+ Indian interviews, it explores childhood trauma within unique family dynamics and offers practical tools for recovery.
Love Jihad
Sameena Dalwai
A bold, irreverent feminist retelling that dissects the “love jihad” narrative as a surveillance tool. Using humor, personal stories, and legal analysis, it fiercely examines interfaith romance and control in modern India.
Air Warriors 2
Arijit Ghosh
A thrilling look inside the Indian Air Force’s most daring operations, including the high-stakes Operation Sindoor. It delivers deeply researched, untold stories of raw bravery and aerial feats to inspire every citizen.
Ghosts on Peepal Trees
Peepal Baba
The quietly transformative memoir of Peepal Baba, one of India’s most respected environmentalists. It traces his journey from childhood folklore in Dehradun to planting millions of trees through simple, faith-driven conservation.
Simple Thinking
Mukesh Sud
A practical guide to cutting through the noise and making smarter decisions. It challenges our obsession with complexity, showing how finding clarity amidst chaos can unlock simpler, highly sophisticated solutions for work and life.
Your Perfect Dream Girl
Sukhnidh Kaur
A generation-defining feminist debut exploring what shapes young women’s lives online. Through real stories and insider interviews, it exposes how technology and AI commodify girlhood, desire, and the digital experience.
A Quest for the Perfect Rice – Biryanis, Khichadis, Teharis & Pulao
Zubin D’souza
A witty, cultural epic framing India’s rich rice traditions as a surreal midnight conversation with the spirit of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. It traces 5,000 years of culinary evolution, flavour, and folklore.
Did You Ever Love Me?
Rithvik Singh
You left ghazals in my bones. I bartered my heart for them.
Life-Changing Maha Mantras
Sakshi Shree
An accessible guide distilling the Bhagavad Gita into ten practical principles for modern life. It translates ancient spiritual wisdom into a compact toolkit for building resilience, finding clarity, and cultivating inner strength.
Uprising
Tahmima Anam
A harrowing, earth-shattering drama of female power and resistance. When an educated city woman is forced onto a desolate island prison, she sparks a ferocious, unforeseen rebellion against a sadistic madam.
Wedding on the Maharaja Express
Prakhar Vishwani
An opulent, week-long destination wedding aboard the Maharaja Express turns into a high-stakes murder mystery. When a guest is found dead, every passenger becomes a suspect in a train full of family drama and betrayal.
Women-O-Pause
Lenaa Kumar
A practical yet reflective guide reframing menopause as a powerful rite of passage. Blending personal memoir, holistic wellness practices, and clinical perspectives, it empowers women to navigate midlife health with vitality and awareness.
The Second Orbit
Shubhanshu Shukla
An inspiring space memoir that strips away the spectacle of space travel to reveal the inner battle of human resolve. Carrying the hopes of 1.4 billion people, it offers a powerful mindset upgrade on discipline and holding on when things get hard.
Days with My Red-Flag Girlfriend
Kajol Aikat
A raw, unfiltered look at modern love and toxic patterns in the digital age. What begins as a college dare and an Instagram DM grows into a whirlwind romance and engagement, until online insecurities and messy red flags force a couple to face reality.
The Heart of Jainism
Kamlesh D. Patel
An accessible exploration bringing ancient Jain wisdom into the modern world. Through stories, reflections, and late-night conversations with a spiritual teacher, it redefines core principles like ahimsa, karma, and dhyana as practical tools for navigating ordinary life, anger, and suffering.
