Hi all,
Welcome to another round of new books, all done lovingly for your reading pleasure! And as Valentine’s Day is approaching, we have put a rack of all time classic love stories. Do come and check it out!
New Arrivals:
Indian Writing
“The Japanese Wife” by Kunal Basu @ Rs. 395/- (203 pgs)
The twelve stories in this collection are about the unexpected. An Indian man falls in love with his Japanese pen friend and they fall in love and exchange vows of marriage over letters and live as a married couple without ever meeting each other. An American professor visits India with the intention of committing suicide but ends up on a desert journey with the daughter of a snake charmer. A Russian prostitute discovers her roots in the company of Calcutta revolutionaries. These are some of the stories that light up this collection. These stories are chronicles of memory and dreams born at the crossroads of civilizations. They parade a cast of angels and demons rubbing shoulders with those whose lives are never quite as ordinary as they seem.
“Lashkar” by Mukul Dev @Rs. 195/- (363 pgs)
An action packed political thriller, this book moves from Delhi to the rugged mountains in Kashmir-Lahore-Multan and Karachi. A terrorist attack during Diwali shakes the Indian public to demand for justice and only the elite, ultra secret force–22 of the Indian army, can achieve this. Slickly written, Lashkar is a gripping tale of terror and counter terror and the games that governments play.
“Bombay Tiger” by Kamala Markandaya @ Rs. 495/- (327 pgs)
Set in the 1980’s the story narrates the story of Ganguli – who arrives in Bombay penniless and goes on to become the city’s biggest industrialist. It’s a story of guts and nerve and ambition powered by a ruthless thirst to succeed. This sweeping novel is poignant and comic in turn and traces his rise and fall and finally – redemption. This posthumous publication of Kamala Markandaya’s novel is a tribute to her deep understanding of human traits. From the author of the much acclaimed book ‘ Nectar in A Sieve”, this novel makes a wonderful read.
Fiction
“Starbook: A Magical Tale of Love and Regeneration” by Ben Okri @ Rs. 455/- (422 pgs)
From the Booker Prize-winning author Ben Okri, comes a book “A Magical Tale of Love and Regeneration”. On one level this is the story of a prince and a maiden who are both tested by trials in a mythical land where art, initiation and dynamic stillness are supremely important. On another level, this book opens up the nature of reality, where the essence of life is revealed, and where beauty, regeneration and fulfillment are perhaps possible. Ben Okri won the Booker Prize for his previous novel, The Famished Road, and his latest book is a pleasure to read, imaginative and a profound work of literature.
“Duma Key” by Stephen King @Rs. 720/- (579 pgs)
Duma Key is a beautiful, remote stretch of sand, a tangle of banyans, palms and pines. The only inhabitants are a few houses owned by an old lady named Elizabeth. Edgar Freemantle chooses Duma Key as his holiday location after a horrible accident costs him his arm. He discovers a unique talent for painting, encouraged by his youngest daughter. But soon he finds himself experiencing weird phantom pains in his missing arm. And something strange and disturbing is happening with his paintings: they are becoming predictive, even dangerous to those who but them. Freemantle teams up with Wireman, a fellow resident to solve the mystery of Duma Key which leads them to the mystery of Elizabeth’s lost twin sisters. Duma Key is a mesmerizing and compelling story about friendship, the bond between a father and his daughter and the power of memory, and truth, art and nature.
“The Sirens of Baghdad” by Yasmina Khadra @ Rs. 350/- (310 pgs)
Three events transform a student who has been forced to leave the University of Baghdad for his village, after the American invasion. First, American soldiers at a checkpoint kill the beloved village idiot. Then an American plane bombs a wedding nearby. Finally one night, soldiers come to his home and humiliate his father in full view of his terrified family. Consumed by vengeance, he leaves for Baghdad and is taken in by a radical group. After participating in several attacks he is sent to Beirut to undertake a top-secret mission in London. As the time to board the plane nears, he struggles to reconcile his mission with his moral principles. A masterful and chilling look at violence and its effects on ordinary people, The Sirens of Baghdad probes situations few writers dare examine.
“World Without End” by Ken Follett @ Rs. 995/- (1111 pgs)
On the day after Halloween, in the year 1327, four children slip away from the cathedral city of Kingsbridge. They are a thief, a bully, a boy genius and a girl who wants to be a doctor. As adults, their lives will be braided together by ambition, love, greed and revenge. They will see prosperity and famine, plague and war. But always they will live under the long shadow of the unexplained killing they witnessed on that fateful childhood day. A sequel to the best-selling The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End takes us back to the medieval Kingsbridge two centuries later, as the men, women and children of the city once again grapple with the devastating sweep of historical change.
“The Quest” by Wilbur Smith @Rs. 760/- (504 pgs)
Wilbur Smith returns with the eagerly awaited sequel to his thrilling Egyptian series. Following on from River God, The Seventh Scroll and Warlock, The Quest continues the story of the warlock, Taita, wise in the lore of the ancient gods and a master of magic and the supernatural. The Quest is an extraordinary, compelling novel of adventure, proving that, once more, Wilbur Smith is at the height of his storytelling powers.
“The Appeal” by John Grisham @Rs. 245/- (501 pgs)
The Appeal is a powerful and shocking story of manipulation and political and legal intrigue, a story that will leave the readers unable to think about the electoral process or judicial system in quite the same way ever again. When, in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste, the company decides to appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it. Mr. Trudeau, owner of the company, is convinced the jury is against him and decides to buy himself a seat on the Court. His political operatives recruit a young, unsuspecting candidate, finance him, manipulate him, market him and mould him into a potential Supreme Court justice, their Supreme Court justice.
“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak @ Rs. 340/- (554 pgs)
In 1939, the Nazis have taken over Germany and the country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. The novel is narrated by Death. Unsettling, thought provoking, life affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope and masterfully told.
“Antony and Cleopatra” by Colleen McCullough @ Rs. 250/- (594 pgs)
This is the seventh and last volume in the best-selling Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough. Brutus and Cassius, Caesar’s assassins, are dead at Philippi, leaving two men to inherit the world. One is the 21 year-old Octavian, whose brilliance, subtlety and cunning give the lie to his small, sickly appearance. The other is Mark Antony, a man in his prime – proven on the battlefields of war, politics and love. At first glance, it seems no contest: Antony is the clear winner. In Egypt meanwhile Queen Cleopatra mourns the death of Caesar, yet is utterly focused on attaining world power for her son by Caesar, Caesarion. In order to achieve this she must seduce and hold in thrall either Octavian or Antony. She fails with Octavian but succeeds with Antony. Undying love, unquenchable hate, the bitterness of defeat and the exaltation of victory march through the pages as Antony and Cleopatra pit themselves against Octavian and Rome.
“My Mistress Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekhov to Munro” edited by Jeffrey Eugenides @ Rs. 295/- (542 pgs)
Twenty-six great love stories from across the globe and through various cultures, this book is a compilation of missives from the hearts of authors ranging from Chekhov, William Faulkner, Milan Kundera, Maupassant, Eilleen Chang and Malice Munro. Edited by Pulitzer –prize-winning author Jeffrey Eugenides, one ought to read this book ‘not to confirm the brutal realities of love, but to experience its many, variegated, compensatory pleasures’. Good thought to ponder upon…now that Valentine’s Day is closing in!
“At First Sight” by Nicholas Sparks @ Rs. 253/- (342 pgs)
Jeremy Marsh has always vowed he’d never do certain things: leave New York City, give his heart away again after barely surviving one failed marriage and most of all become a parent. Now Jeremy is living in the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Caroline, married to Lexie Darnell, the love of his life and anticipating the birth of their daughter. But just as his life seems to be settling into a blissful pattern, an unsettling and mysterious message re-opens old wounds and sets off a chain of events that will forever change the course of this young couple’s marriage. This new romance by the best-selling author of The Notebook is sure to please many of his fans amongst us.
“Notorious: An It Girl Novel” by Cecily Von Ziegesar @ Rs. 270/- (282 pgs)
Jenny Humphrey arrived at exclusive Waverly Academy with dreams of becoming it. And, rooming with popular, cool girls Callie Vernon and Brett Messerschmidt, as well as having some of the hottest guys after her, it finally seems to be happening! But things get tricky when Callie’s gorgeous, arty boyfriend Easy Walsh starts paying Jenny too much attention. And it really heats up when notorious Tinsley Carmichael, expelled last year, comes back. She’s not impressed to find a perky, rosy-cheeked new girl in her bed. Four beautiful girls, outrageous gossip and more trouble than ever, Notorious is the second book in the It Girl Series.
“Heirs of Ravenscar” by Barbara Taylor Bradford @ Rs. 295/- (563 pgs)
Set in the times just after World War II, this is a compelling story of the proud Deravenel clan of Ravenscar. When jealousies, gossip and irresponsible behaviour tarnish the family’s image, the fortunes of the house of Deravenel begin to suffer. This is when the youngest generation rises to uphold the family’s name and secure the Ravenscar inheritance – by whichever possible means.
“The Fifth Woman” by Henning Mankell @ Rs. 235/- (438 pgs)
Translated from the Swedish by Steven T. Murray, this is a Kurt Wallander murder mystery. In a bid to solve a pair of baffling murders, Wallander has to trace other happenings in Africa where four nuns and an unidentifiable woman were murdered. What ensues is a case which tests Wallander’s strength and patience and goes on to hold the attention of the reader from the beginning to the last page.
“Neither Night nor Day: 13 Stories by Women Writers From Pakistan” Ed. by Rakshanda Jalil @ Rs. 250/- (191 pgs)
The stories in this book present an everydayness of life as it is lived and experienced by Pakistani women. The majority writers chosen actually live in Pakistan and those who live and work abroad have maintained close links with their country. Fantasies, memoirs, near-autobiographical accounts, even a good old-fashioned put-your-hair-on-end ghost story as well as realist storytelling – this collection is a mixed bag, one that will yield something of interest to readers regardless of gender.
Management/ Business
“Dragons At Your Door: How Chinese Cost Innovation Is Disrupting Global Competition” by Ming Zeng and Peter J. Williamson @ Rs. 1249/- (239 pgs)
With awareness that China is indeed a force to reckon with in global business competition, the book examines this new force and exposes the strategies, strengths and limitations of the fast rising competitors and surfaces the logic enabling them to attack high end industries. With critical insights of the nature of companies like Huawei, Lenovo, Haier etc just tells us - how Chinese cost innovation is disrupting global competition.
“Big Think Strategy: How to leverage bold ideas and leave small thinking behind” by Bernd H. Schmitt @ Rs. 1249/- (180 pgs)
Through numerous business case studies and commentaries on cultural phenomena like the Trojan War, the film Fitzcarraldo and the composer Gustav Mahler, Schmitt shows us how to ‘think big’ by sourcing and implementing bold ideas that change markets. He carefully breaks down his ‘think big’ approach to create simple tools that can be adapted and applied within any company. The book provides step-by-step instructions for sourcing innovative ideas, evaluating them, turning them into strategy and executing them.
“Executing Your Strategy: How To Break It Down and Get It Done” by Mark Morgan, Raymond E. Levitt, William Malek @ Rs. 1250/- (290 pgs)
In this book, the authors show the reader how to overcome barriers between strategists and project leaders in your organization. The authors identify the six INVEST imperatives that will enable you to do the right strategic projects and to do these projects right- namely Ideation, Nature, Vision, Engagement, Synthesis, Transition. Filled with practical advice and examples form companies as diverse as AT&T, American Power Conversion, and DPR Construction, this new resource shows you how to make strategies happen in your organization.
“What the Customer Wants You to Know: How Everybody Needs to Think Differently About Sales” by Ram Charan @ Rs. 295/- (178 pgs)
More than ever these days, the sales process often turns into a war about price. In this book, the author says that instead of starting with your product or service, start with your customer’s problems. Focus on becoming your customer’s trusted partner, someone he or she can turn to for creative cost-effective solutions that are based on your deep knowledge of his values, goals, problems and customers. This is the latest book from best-selling author Ram Charan who has written What the CEO Wants You To Know and co-authored Execution.
Personalities
“The Devdasi and the Saint: The Life and Times of Bangalore Nagarathamma” by Sriram V. @ Rs. 275/- (207 pgs)
In this book, the rise and fall of the Devdasi tradition is intertwined with the life and times of Bangalore Nagarathamma. Bangalore Nagarathamma was an icon of that age, highly skilled in arts and well regarded by connoisseurs of music. She was an exceptional woman, much ahead of her times, champion of the rights of the Devdasis and women in general. From small beginnings, Nagarathamma rose to become a stellar figure in the cultural firmament of Madras of the 20s and 30s. This work is a tribute to her indomitable spirit and her unrelenting efforts to perpetuate the memory of her patron saint, Tyagaraja.
“India’s Bismarck: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel” by Balraj Krishna @ Rs. 300/- (281 pgs)
As Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill had ordered the preparation of an imperial strategy with the intention of balkanizing India and tightening Britain’s post-war hold over her. However Sardar Patel foiled Churchill’s imperial strategy. He stood in the way of transfer of power unless Punjab and Bengal were divided amongst India and Pakistan. Fearing the loss of Congress cooperation, Lord Mountbatten was forced to reach an agreement with Patel. Patel’s most significant achievement was to integrate over 560 princely states over a period of 19 months to create a united India. This book examines the extraordinary contribution of ‘the Iron Man of India’, from his unflinching support to Gandhi’s satyagrahas and the Indian freedom struggle, to his farsighted and courageous approach in building a strong and integrated India.
Socio-Eco-Pol-Philo
“Eating India: Exploring a Nation’s Cuisines” by Chitrita Banerji @ Rs. 350/- (329 pgs)
In Eating India, award-winning food writer Chitrita Banerji takes us on an extraordinary journey through a national cuisine formed by generations of arrivals, assimilations and conquests. Travelling across the length and breadth of the country – from Bengal to Goa and Karnataka, via the Grand Trunk Road, then northwards to Amritsar, Lucknow and Varanasi, on to Bombay and Kerala – Banerji discovers a civilization with an insatiable curiosity, one that consumes the old and new with eager voracity. Certain to enchant anyone enamored of Indian food and culture, Eating India is a heavy blend of travelogue and food writing.
“To Uphold the World: The Message of Ashoka and Kautilya for the 21st Century” by Bruce Rich @ Rs. 495/- (326 pgs)
Emperor Ashoka’s name continues to shine even after 2000 years! Mostly because his ideas remain critically pertinent to the problems of our time. Bruce Rich discusses how Ashoka’s ideas on social responsibility and his general diagnosis of the power of behavioral improvement can help to overcome significant drawbacks in contemporary thinking. Supported by Kautilya, who exhorted the effectiveness of social institutions through the force of restraint, punishment and well-devised incentives, the age of Ashoka has an applicability that is timeless and ephemeral.
“The Present as History: Critical Perspectives on Global Power” by Nermeen Shaikh @ Rs. 495/- (276 pgs)
The author has worked at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute at Islamabad, the International Institute for Environment and Development in London and is now at the Asia Society in New York City. She has interwoven enlightening and empowering conversations with thirteen stalwarts like Amartya Sen, Joseph Stglitz, Sanjay Reddy Shirin Ebadi, Talal Asad and Saba Mahmood. These interviews with contemporary intellectuals open surprising vistas of thoughts on secularism, social development, liberal economics and many more issues that are the basic fabric of today’s global society.
Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy by Barbara Ehrenreich @ Rs. 535/- (320 pgs)
In a previous book, entitled Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War, Barbara Ehrenreich studied the ‘dark side of human collective excitement.’ Dancing in the Streets explores the other side…the need for collective joy and ecstasy to cement social ties. Dance, music and physical touch were the main ingredients in the rituals of joy-making…until the stern doctrines of orthodox Christianity stamped them out, terming them ‘hysterical’ forms of worship. Journeying through ancient Greece and Aboriginal Australia to the present-day exhilaration of rock music and football hooliganism, Ehrenreich brings us a mixture of social anthropology and story-telling, bringing to life the age-old struggle between ‘popes and dancing peasants.’
Parenting
“50 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Animals” by Ingrid Newkirk @ Rs. 250/- (266 pgs)
An educative book for children and adults alike, it lists simple and effective means by which people can be sensitized about animal rights/ways in which cruelty to animals can be prevented. It contains simply worded suggestions with quotes from celebrities like Anil Kumble, John Abraham, Madhavan etc. Targeting the young and impressionable phase of childhood, this book is a classic case of spreading awareness at the grass roots level of a population.
“Incredible You” by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer @ Rs. 375/-
From the author of 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace comes a book based on the same principles. Only it’s for children! The author believes that it’s never too early for children to know that they’re unique and powerful beings, and that they have everything they need within themselves to create happy, successful lives. And at the end there are questions that kids can answer to connect these ideas to their lives. The ten concepts are given in small rhyming verses with brilliant illustrations, making it easier for parents to read out to their kids.
Nature
“The Drunken Forest” by Gerald Durrell @ Rs. 150/- (176 pgs)
The Drunken Forest is an account of the trip taken by Gerald Drruell and his wife to South America, to make a collection of the strange animals and birds available in this part of the world and bring them back alive to the zoos. The Argentine Pampas and the little-known Chaco territory of Paraguay provide the setting for The Drunken Forest. With Durrell for interpreter, an orange armadillo, or a horned toad, or a crab-eating raccoon suddenly discovers the ability not merely to set you laughing but to actually endear itself to you.
“Two in the Bush” by Gerald Durrell @ Rs. 150/- (189 pgs)
Two in the Bush is an account of a trip taken by the author, his wife and two cameramen through New Zealand, Australia and Malaya. The objective was to see what was being done about the conservation of wildlife in these countries, and to make a series of television films for the BBC. This account is an absorbing narrative, revealing the ardours, ironies and disappointments, the organizational miracles and the hilarious human mishaps.
Other newer arrivals
“The complete MAD Box set”
“Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath @Rs. 595/- (175 pgs)
“Moro East” by Sam and Sam Clark @ Rs. 1315/- (312 pgs)
“The Story of India” by Michael Wood @Rs. 845/- (225 pgs)
“Freud Along the Ganges: Psychoanalytic Reflections on the People and Culture of India” Ed. by Salman Akhtar @Rs. 395/- (451 pgs)
“Boom: 7 Choices for Blowing the Doors off Business-as-usual” by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg @Rs. 395/- (286 pgs)
“Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country” by Sudeep Chakravarti @ Rs. 495/- (352 pgs)
Drop in and have a look,
From the team at,
twistntales
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