THE new sunday express MAGAZINE Voices Pushpesh Pant Ravi Shankar Utkarsh Amitabh Anu Aggarwal Sathya Saran mata amritanandamayi Buffet People Wellness Books Food Art & Culture Entertainment january 28 2024 SUNDAY PAGES 12 Fiction House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Maas In the smoldering third instalment in the Crescent City series, Midgard is brought to the brink of collapse, and the fate of the world rests on the hope of rebellion. But the fight for survival, freedom, and love may cost everything. Come and Get It by Kiley Reid A tension-filled story about desire, consumption and bad behaviour told through the story of two women navigating different problems, which bring them together. Reading List 2024 Wordly Pleasures Acts of God by Kanan Gill Blending vivid inventiveness and uproarious storytelling, with an intriguing interrogation of the very nature of existence, this book marks the evolution of one of India’s finest comedic voices, who weaves a story about a Danish policeman who accidentally becomes a clothing-optional leader of a worldwide group of Science Haters. By trisha mukherjee fundamental assumptions about economics, race, appropriation and the tangled ethics of contemporary life. James: The Powerful Reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Percivell Everrett From the Pulitzer Prize Finalist comes a heartbreaking and powerful retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Huck’s friend, the enslaved Jim, who emerges to reclaim his voice, defying the conventions that have consigned him to the margins. Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life by Upamanyu Chatterjee T he pandemic is history The lingering effects of the isolation induced by . the coronavirus that plunged readers into bubbles of fantastical and criminal worlds have begun to disappear. We are back to reality and , raring to go, which means non-fiction will rule the roost in 2024. With important political events—from the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls—a slew of books on the country’s past, present and future have been lined up for release. While Ravan’s Lanka by Sunela Jayawardene, Babur: The Chessboard King by Aabhas Maldahiyar and Anand Neelkanthan’s Many Ramayanas, Many Lessons offer mythological insights to understand the politics behind the Babri Masjid demolition and the subsequent building of the Ram Mandir, books such as The Idea of Democracy by Sam Pitroda, The Indian Reality by Ram Madhav and Shaping of the Bharatiya Renaissance by Bhupender Yadav are likely to shed light on India’s transition to Bharat. There are also engaging biographies of personalities who have lived rich, inspiring lives. Predictable favourites include Enzo Ferrari (by Luca Del Monte), Biju Patnaik (by Bhaskar Parichha), Shivaji (by Uday Mahurkar), Kamal Haasan (Hariharan Krishnan) and Shabana Azmi (Sathyarth Nayak). Now that we have returned to business as usual, the books too have started to reflect our urge to achieve success, and what better to turn to stories of people who have made the impossible, possible? Impossible to Possible: Maruti’s Incredible Success and How It Can Change India by RC Bhargava, Embrace the Future: The Soft Science of Business Transformation by R Gopalakrishnan promise to be the guiding light. There are remnants of the pandemic that have continued to stay on, for the better. The first is the emphasis on wellbeing. Health, with a focus on weight loss and fitness, has reemerged as an important non-negotiable aspect of our lives. Books such as Yuktahaar: The Superfoods by Munmun Ganeriwal, and Magic Pill: How the New Weight Loss Drugs Will Change Our World by Johann Hari only factify the observation. Audiobooks and podcasts, which caught on during the lockdowns, are thriving, with 270 million people worldwide expected to listen to audiobooks in an average month in 2024. Fiction fans, do not lose heart. You will have, albeit less in number compared to the last few years, enough to dig into. Stories of resilience, belonging, sisterhood, and reimagined classics—think Come and Get It by Kiley Reid, Acts of God by Kanan Gill and James: The Powerful Reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Percivell Everrett—will keep bibliophiles busy Even as sci-fi and . murder mysteries seem to have gone down the priority rung, there’s just enough to keep the thrill for the crime buff going. There are the classic international favourites—Camino Ghosts by John Grisham, A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci, as well as the homegrown gems like Ashwin Sanghi’s Razor Sharp: A Kutta Kadam Thriller and S Hussain Zaidi’s The Black Orphan. But 2024 will be the most fruitful year for the young ones, thanks to a diverse range of children’s books slated for release. From stories of nature and mythology to Indian history and religion, it’s a mixed bag. After all, it’s best to start them young. A study of the extraordinary experiences of an ordinary man; a study of both the majesty and the banality of the spiritual path, this novel marks a new phase in the literary journey of one of India’s finest writers. Choice by Neel Mukherjee A scathing, compassionate quarrel with the world, which exposes the myths of individual choice, and confronts our Speaking out for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, about the traumatic events of August 12, 2022, Rushdie answers violence with art, and reminds us of the power of words to make sense of the unthinkable. Knife is a gripping, intimate, and ultimately life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again. Like Being Alive Twice by Dharini Bhaskar This could seem like a regular love story but the times that Poppy and Tariq live in are not ordinary The . city has transformed. Every citizen’s life is now governed by a scorecard, with the degree of access to housing and work dictated by how they have fared. The laws are unforgiving. The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple The historian highlights India’s oft-forgotten position as a crucial economic and civilisational hub at the heart of the ancient and early mediaeval history of Eurasia. From Angkor to Ayutthaya, he traces the cultural flow of Indian religions, languages, artistic and architectural forms. Shashi Tharoor’s Wonderland of Words by Shashi Tharoor In his latest book, the great wordsmith of a politician takes readers on a voyage of discovery through a treasure trove of astounding words, displaying to best effect his mastery of the English language. The Hill of Enchantment: The Story of My Life as a Writer by Ruskin Bond A new memoir by the beloved author, which full of stories he has never told before about Memoirs/Biographies This novel explores what it means to be a young Muslim South Asian woman today through the story of , Sophia, whose reckless but bold journey across her twenties coincides with the rise of religious divisions in 21st-century India, eerily mirrored in the disintegration of her parents’ interfaith marriage. Utpal Dutt: Playwright, Performer, Propagandist, Provocateur edited by Mallarika Sinha Roy and Sayandeb Chowdhury There are few who have left a more remarkable legacy than Utpal Dutt. This book brings the multiple worlds of Dutt, his many lives and varied voices and his thriving legacy under one critical and discursive dome. Kamal Haasan: A Cinematic Journey by Hariharan Krishnan It will look at the legendary actor’s illustrious career through a fascinating study of more than fifty of the superstar’s landmark films across industries. Snakes, Drugs and Rock’n’Roll: My Early Years by Romulus Whitaker with Janaki Lenin Hailed as the ‘Snakeman of India’, the legendary Romulus Whitaker’s fascinating memoir focuses on his lifelong love affair with serpents. The tales are hair-raising and often hilarious, laying bare the secrets of the extraordinary natural world. Biju Patnaik: The Rainmaker of Opposition Politics by Bhaskar Parichha Pilot, freedom fighter, businessman, politician... Biju Patnaik wore multiple hats and with elegance. Parichha follows the journey of this towering regional icon. Navigating triumphs and trials, he forged an unwavering connection with the people of Odisha. Expertly manoeuvring the corridors of power in Delhi, he shaped the state’s destiny and defined Opposition unity . Shankar Mahadevan Live: An Authorized Biography by Ashis Ghatak The first and only definitive authorized biography of the singer. Extensively researched and packed with endearing incidents and enduring accounts from his life, this book captures Shankar at his most multifaceted self: singer, musician, composer, friend, family man, guru and a man beloved by millions. Enzo Ferrari: The Definitive Biography by Luca Del Monte Drawing on years of original research conducted in Italy Shanghailanders by Juli Min An illuminating rendering of family which also paints a , kaleidoscopic portrait of Shanghai itself—from the roads taken by a driver swerving past self-driving cars of the future, to the intimate apartments. Until August by Gabriel Garcia Marquez The final and the “lost” novel by the Nobel Prize-winning author, who had requested that it remain unpublished. Marquez was suffering from dementia. His sons, however, have now decided to release the book 10 years after his death. The Authorized Biography of Shabana Azmi by Satyarth Nayak The biography will look at Shabana the performer as well as the person—from her growing up years in a commune to her life in Janaki Kutir and beyond; from the poetry and communism of Kaifi Azmi to the feminism and theatre of Shaukat Azmi that shaped her worldview. The book will also explore her activism that has made her a champion of social and humanitarian causes. Tilak by Vaibhav Purandare Through the dramatic and controversial life of Lokmanya Tilak, this book throws light not only on an important era of the freedom movement but revisiting a style of mass politics based on religious and cultural regeneration that finds tremendous resonance once again in India today . Ebrahim Alkazi: Holding Time Captive by Amal Allana It’s a daughter’s tribute to her father. From Alkazi’s student years in England, to his theatre movement in Bombay and Delhi, this book charts the theatre giant’s meteoric rise and his The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clark No Place To Call My Own by Alina Gufran his life, his sources of inspiration, people he has loved, people he has lost, and a myriad other absorbing details about his long and successful life as a writer. and abroad, this book lays bare the hidden aspects of Ferrari's career—from his earliest failed business ventures to his political dealings with Italy's fascist government, Allied occupiers, and even Communist leaders. A story of an ageing couple faced with terminal disease. As the wife tries to care for the husband, past quarrels and a harrowing present come together to create a powerful tale of surviving crisis that, despite its despairing theme, is remarkably a vibrant, alive, and eventually a winning story . A bewitching and haunting tale about a 19-year-old girl, who can talk to trees. Her life takes an irreversible turn when on one snowy afternoon, she encounters a blackbird and a fox. Editor’s Choice Knife by Salman Rushdie Letting Go by Amrinder Bajaj Hard by a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili The story of Saba who follows a mysterious trail of clues left behind by his missing father Irakli, which leads him back to their homeland of Georgia, one that they fled 20 years ago. unwavering commitment to put Hindi theatre on the map. Taking on a dysfunctional bureaucracy he , developed his own independent institutions for the promotion of the visual arts. The author’s personal perspective adds veracity and sensitivity . Niti, war strategy and objectives, social reform touching the common man, culture, spiritualism, fort construction and his contribution to the overall history of India. Emperor Shivaji by Uday Mahurkar An examination of why Emperor Shivaji was the greatest Indian of 1,000 years based on his contribution to diverse areas, including diplomacy and administration based on the Chanakya Turn to page 2
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