A Biryani Food Book by Andaleeb Wajid you can’t miss
A moment in this food book, More Than Just Biryani: When Tahera asks her mother Ruqayya to make gajar ka halwa for her daughter Zubi’s birthday, Ruqayya insists that Zubi observe and learn. The reluctant nine-year-old finds herself gradually getting drawn into the process as the various ingredients come together in the kadhai. Fascinated by […]
Ponniyin Selvan: History Come Alive
What’s the greatest Tamil language novel? Don’t be surprised if the most common answer to this question is: Ponniyin Selvan. A cult classic in its own right, this novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy was first serialised in the 1950s in the popular magazine Kalki. In the four years of its publication, it not only contributed to […]
The Best Book Subscriptions for a Bibliophile
The last chain bookstore near my house closed down years ago. Every evening, I would walk to the store, sit on their comfortable couches, and read an entire book while the salespeople glared at me. In their defence, I was a broke school kid who rarely bought anything, so I understand their ire. However, times […]
Booker Prize-Winning Rip-Roaring Epic Satire Set in Sri Lanka: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
Published in the subcontinent as Chats with the Dead, Shehan Karunatilaka’s brilliant and damning novel about Sri Lanka of the late 1980s was revised for the Western crowd and published as The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The latter now finds itself in this year’s Booker Prize Shortlist (going on to win the prize!), and […]
We of the Forsaken World… A debut Indian writing in English you must read
The internet is slow to reach among the rubber trees of my mother’s native land. One is forced into communication with fallen barks, orange-coloured dragonflies and the two-tailed drongo in the violet light of evening. In sharp contrast, in the bustling city of Bangalore where home is, the sparrows have disappeared from neighbourhood skies. Although […]
Secrets, Identity, and a Coffee Estate: A Place Called Home by Preeti Shenoy
The latest novel from bestselling author Preeti Shenoy is a story about secrets, family and finding oneself. “There are two kinds of secrets. Some we wear like an invisible cloak, which we don when we need to be shielded from the judging eyes of society, and discard over a few drinks in the company of […]
Punjabi Stories from the Land of Five Rivers
Deriving its name from five full-bodied rivers–Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab–which flow through its vast plains, Punjab is representative of abundant things. Punjab is a land of ethnic and religious diversity, having borne and shaped a number of religious movements that include Sikhism, Buddhism and Sufism. The language of the state, too, finds its […]
Odisha: Odia stories from the Soul of India
Odisha is the land of fields and palm-fringed silver beaches, churches, rivers and waterfalls, and major attractions like the temples of Bhubaneshwar and Puri, distances of unpolluted beaches and also the magnificent Sun Temple of Konark. Odisha has given many seminal contributions to literature, like the Sarala Mahabharata and the Panchasakha’s poetry. Odia stories are […]
Nagaland: Culture of the Falcon Capital of India with these books
Nagaland, adorned with uncountable hills, is a sheer pleasure for those visiting North East India. It has an unworldly vibe that lets every human soul unwind to the core. From dramatic head dresses of the locals to great taste in food, from vibrancy in festivals to some unseen traditions – this state has something for everyone. Nagaland […]
Mizo stories from the Land of Blue Mountains
Mizoram, the land of the Mizos or the Highlanders who belong to the Mongoloid race, exudes an exotic charm of its own. From the lush forests dominated by thick bamboo groves, numerous waterfalls that gush down the narrow gorges to confluence into large meandering streams in the deep valleys, dotted with unique landmarks of myriad Mizo […]
