Sea Glass
Kavita Ratna
Red River 2020, pp 104, Rs 230
This is the author's first poetry collection that speaks about humane concerns and everyday experiences; poems that seek possibilities of retrieval, recuperation and reform. The author is a child rights activist and has directed several films.
A Son Remembers
Philipose Mathai
Self-Published 2020, Rs 250
This is a book written by the former principal secretary to the government of Karnataka, about his father Mathai Muthalaly, who was a towering personality in central Travancore, during and after the freedom struggle. The book also enumerates about the social and political turbulence prevailing at that time.
The Bitter Half
Simon
Leadstart Publishing 2020, pp 264, Rs 299
A unique narration of alternating timelines, set against the backdrop of Haldia, Rourkela and Mumbai; this is an intriguing tale entwined by fake cases, lies, drugs and crime that provides a poignant view into the dark world of a litigant’s melancholic sufferings.
Vajpayee: The Years That Changed India
Shakti Sinha
Penguin 2020, pp 288, Rs 599
In this book, the author, a close associate of Vajpayee, helps us understand him as a decision-maker. The narrative focuses on the political challenges Vajpayee faced and on his key initiatives in the strategic and economic fields during his first term as prime minister.
I Came Upon A Lighthouse
Shantanu Naidu and Sanjana Desai
HarperCollins 2021, pp 232, Rs 499
It was their shared empathy for homeless dogs that sparked an unlikely friendship. In 2014, the author, Shantanu Naidu, developed an innovation to save the local strays from being run over by speeding cars. Ratan Tata took note. Impressed, he not only decided to invest in the venture, but over the years became a mentor, boss and a dear friend. This book is an honest, light-hearted telling of this uncommon bond.