*Confluences— Indian Women, Indian Goddesses; Nishi Chawla (Indialog, 2007, pp 112, Rs 195) In these 50 odd poems Chawla has tried to use broad brush strokes in order to convey her own raw impressions and experiences of Indian women and Indian Goddesses.

*The Japanese Wife; Kunal Basu (HarperCollins, 2008, pp 202, Rs 395) The twelve stories in this collection are about the unexpected. These are chronicles of memory and dreams born at the crossroads of civilisations.
nIcons— Men and Women who Shaped Today’s India; Edited by Anil Dharkar (Lotus , 2008, pp 274, Rs 395) A fascinating saga spanning several decades, this book unfolds the charisma, exceptional destinies, talents and achievements of 20 men and women who continue to shape India.

*Alex— Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel; Alex Wek (Virago, 2007, pp 214, Pounds 6.99) This is a wonderful insight into the life of a woman who has challenged the stereotypical notions of beauty and now balances work with a dedication to refocus the world’s attention on those she left behind.

*Performing Pasts— Reinventing the Arts in Modern South India; Edited by Indira Viswanathan Peterson and Davesh Soneji (Oxford India, 2008, pp 356, Rs 695) This book discusses the interface of performing arts and modernity in South India.

*The Shattered Thigh and Other Plays; Bhasa (Penguin, First published in 1993. This edition published in 2008, pp 127, Rs 200) Bhasa is one of the most celebrated names in classical Sanskrit literature. He lived and wrote about 2000 years ago.

*Tales of Ten Princes; Dandin (Penguin, First published in 1995, This edition published in 2008, pp 189, Rs 250) Dandin’s work secured for him an important place in classical Sanskrit literature. He lived in AD 650-750 in Kanchi near present-day Chennai.

*Empower Yourself; Ajay Poddar (Penguin, 2007, pp 239, Rs 295) Revitalise yourself and enhance the quality of your life with the simple D-I-Y techniques in this book.

*Culturing Realism— Reflections on Girish Kasaravalli’s Films; N Manu Chakravarthy (NUDI Pustaka, 2007, pp 144, Rs 150) Girish’s films are the outcome of an open engagement and confrontation with the multi-dimensional nature of Indian socio-cultural life.

*Mantras— The Sacred Chants; Swami Veda Bharati (Wisdom Tree, 2008, pp 123, Rs 125) This book written in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, unravels the importance of mantras and their healing effect on us.
nStyle Guide— The bestselling guide to English Usage; The Economist (Profile Books, pp 250, Pounds 16.99) An essential book for anyone who writes reports, articles, books, letters or memoranda.

*U R Ananthamurthy Omnibus; N Manu Chakravarthy (Arvind Kumar Publishers, 2008, pp412, Rs 495) U R Ananthamurthy, the Kannada writer and intellectual is a major figure in the post-independence world of Indian letters.

*Why Mars and Venus Collide; John Gray (HarperCollins, 2008, pp 249, Rs 295) Written with insight, empathy and humour this book proves why John Gray remains the greatest living authority on how men and women relate.

*Speaking Havoc— Social Suffering and South Asian Narratives; Ramu Nagappan (Oxford, 2008, pp 246, Rs 595) This book investigates the possible interventions of literary and cinematic fictions into the politics and reception of social suffering.

*The Funda of Mix-ology— What Bartending teaches that IIM Doesn’t; Mainak Dhar (Srishti, 2008, pp 148, Rs 100) This is the author’s first novel that deals with contemporary issues facing Indian youth.

*Airman; Eoin Colfer (Puffin, 2008, pp 455, Price not mentioned) ‘Swashbuckling adventure, science fiction, betrayal and a bit of romance.