Book Rack

From the world of literature

The Shape of Water

Guillermo Del Toro & Daniel Kraus

Pan Macmillan, 2018, Rs 599, pp 314

It’s 1962, Elisa Esposito, who has been mute her whole life and orphaned as a child, is struggling as a janitor working the graveyard shift in a research centre. One fateful night, she sees an amphibious man captured in the Amazon, and he is being studied for the Cold War advancements.

Bengali Culture

Ghulam Murshid, translated by Sarbari Sinha

Niyogi, 2018, Rs 995, pp 644

A non-partisan and holistic discussion of Bengali culture. Written for the general reader, the language is quite simple. It shows how the individual ingredients of Bengali culture have evolved and found expression, in the context of political devolopments.​

Let Me Lie

Clare Mackintosh

Sphere, 2018, Rs 399, pp 390

One year ago, Caroline chose to end her life brutally, a suicide to match that of her husband’s just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since. Now with a baby of her own, she misses her mother more than ever.

Beyond Dharma

Wendy Doniger

Speaking Tiger, 2018, Rs 599, pp 225

Ancient Hindu texts speak of three aims of human life, they are religion, politics and pleasure. The three aspects need to be balanced for a fulfilling life. In this book, Doniger presents groundbreaking interpretations of ancient texts and their influence on subversive resistance over the ages.

You Cannot Have All the Answers

Deepa Agarwal

Niyogi, 2018, Rs 350, pp 186

A collection of 15 short stories that provide a glimpse of conflictiong emotions, and comprise characters that try to seek answers to existentialist questions. It also touches upon issues such as trauma, sexuality, prejudice, family relations and recklessness of the youth.

Rebuild

Ramya Ramamurthy

Hachette, 2018, Rs 599, pp 420

Over the years, prominent brands in India across product categories, both home-grown and multinational, have tackled crises. This book compiles the stories of some of India’s biggest businesses, how they dealt with potential disasters and bounced back.

Gravel heart

Abdulrazak Gurnah

Bloomsbury, 2018, Rs 319, pp 272

Salim is convinced that he is not wanted by his parents. He is fond of his uncle Amir, a senior diplomat, and decides to move to London with him and study there. What follows is a tale woven around the themes of isolation, immigration and displacement.

Lost and Founder

Rand Fishkin

Penguin, 2018, Rs 599, pp 320

The quintessential start-up story has a Harvard dropout who makes it big from his dorm. However, not all start-ups are built that way, and many businessmen would rather talk about the ups than the downs. In this book, the author reveals the truth about the start-up culture with humour and transparency. His hard-learned lessons can help one solve many issues.