Some more books on my shelf (actually beyond shelf now)

People! Get jealous. I have just acquired a host of great books. In fact, even finished reading 1 of them and in the middle of the second one.



Here’s the enviable list:


A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
Finally! and quite a fat book it is. Friends at work felt that it was too late for me to read “a suitable boy”; while my husband rummaged through the packing to confirm that it actually was 1 book and not a couple of books! The only thing he had to say was, “forget about reading, I don’t understand how anybody can write so much in the first place!”


In the Name of Honour by Mukhtar Mai
Quite a famous book by now, I had first seen this book in Crossword, on the ‘new releases’ shelf. At that time only the hardcover was available and it was too expensive, so I gave it a miss. Got this for just Rs 252 in paperback. Reading it right now.


Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji
My current favourite is Iran and last couple of books have been in and around it. I came across this book, while hunting for some good books based in Tehran / Iran. I have already finished it and posted a review as well. Quite a good book really.


The Invisibles: A Tale of the Eunuchs of India by Zia Jaffrey
I have already read this book 4 years back while I was in Mumbai. It is a well-written and well-researched book. It really opens your eyes to the world where these “invisibles” belong. A lot of things are horrifying and eye opener. I definitely wanted it in my collection and I will surely re-read it.


Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America And American in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni
Another recommendation on Iran. In fact, I have got a long list of recommendations on good books on Tehran which was published on the back pages of ‘Rooftops of Tehran’. I’m all for it!



Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi
Yet another one. Read about the author here. Still awaiting the delivery of the book.


Dreams Die Young by C.V.Raman
I came across this book in The Hindu Book Reviews long time back, but it was ‘out of stock’ on almost all the websites as well as bookstores. I was lucky to re-discover it recently on a1books.co.in

Back with Loads of New Books!

I can’t believe it that the last time I wrote something here was October 2009! But this Blog is very much active.

I am back with a whole lot of Books that are now proudly displayed on my shelf (I must confess, my books are now outgrowing my bookcase. I desperately need a bigger space!)

Here’s the list of my proud acquisitions:

1. Urvashi by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (Hindi) – an award winning epic-poetry which won him Jnanpith Award. I had heard so much about this when we were kids from our hindi teacher. He used to say that though a masterpiece, we were not of the right age then to appreciate the masterpiece that it was. While I had chanced upon some Hindi works on Mahabharata recently, I suddenly remembered about ‘Urvashi’ and got it!
2. Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer – We have heard so much about Kashmir and the various issues around it, but atleast I have always been drawn to knowing about the people of such disturbed places. While searching for some good books, I chanced upon this review on Curfewed Night and got it.
3. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin – Yet another fruit of my online research for good books. Read the review here.
4. Indian Summer by Alex Von Tunzelmann – Quite a difficult book to locate. I searched several online bookshopping sites, but eventually got it in ‘BOOK WORLD’ on F.C.Road in Pune. So I did not even think twice on the discounts (anyways they were giving 10% discount on all books). This book is a “secret history of the end of an empire”. Read the review here.
5. Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie – Well, this book happened to me. I went to Big Bazaar and they were running 60% discount on books! Probably, clearing their whatever book stock is left at their Book corner “DEPOT”. I had heard about Kamila Shamsie and when I read a first few lines and the back cover, the book sounded interesting. Here’s the review.
6. A Princess Remembers: The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur – An autobiography of Maharani Gayatri Devi, I tried hunting for this book also at quite a lot of places, and again found it at BOOK WORLD, in Sagar Arcade, Pune. I bought this with “Indian Summer”. I had read bits and pieces about Maharani Gayatri Devi’s life and was quite intrigued about her life.
7. Size 12 is not Fat by Meg Cabot – Yup, a chicklit! I wanted to buy a chicklit for one of those times when I read very serious stuff and want to read something really light.
8. Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat – Hunting for some books on foreign countries, I chanced upon this one. What hooked me on to this one was “One Woman’s Story of Survival Inside a Torture Jail”. Read the review here.
9. The Great Indian Middle Class by Pavan K. Verma – Picked up at Big Bazaar DEPOT’S 60% off sale. It is quite a popular book and well, I do want to read this one
10. Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali – This international bestseller was on my wishlist for sometime now. Everywhere only the International titles were available which were extremely expensive. But lucky me, I found the Indian edition on Indiaplaza recently and bought it immediately. Read about the book here.
11. The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen – I have heard a lot about this Award-winning book. Another one from BOOK WORLD!
12. Native Son by Richard Wright – I first read about this book when a critic compared Aravinda Adiga’s The White Tiger with this one. I went on to read the review but yet again all the bookshopping sites had very expensive international title to the tune of 600-700 rupees. And guess what? I bought it for Rs 50. There’s this perpetual book sale where a lot of books are for Rs 50 and Rs 100, most are useless but sometimes you could just get lucky. Last time I had picked up a hardbound edition of “Nanny Diaries” for Rs 50!
13. Mira and the Mahatma by Sudhir Kakar – I picked up this book from City Palace, Udaipur. We were touring the grand and fascinating City Palace at Udaipur, and I wanted to capture those moments. So, I went to the small bookshop in the City Palace to pick up story of that palace. I did buy the book on Udaipur, and also bought this one. I am always on the quest to read something beyond what is common knowledge. I did not even know about “Mira” so much, so I was curious to read this. Sudhir Kakar is a well—know psychoanalyst and has written several books. I have another book by him called “The Indians”.
14. Mixed Doubles by Jill Mansell – Picked it at Landmark sale. Read about the book here.
15. Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks - The book is about "the hidden world of Islamic Women". Need I say more? It has got good reviews too.

Books on Mahabharata - all are great literary works

1. Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam - Picked it from a popular bookstore here called POPULAR BOOK STORE
2. The book of Yudhishthir by Buddhadeva Bose (Translation from Bengali) – Really wanted to read Yudhisthir’s story because he never came across as a strong personality. I could never understand how he claimed to be the king!
3. The women of the Mahabharata by Badrinath Chaturvedi
4. Mrityunjaya by Shivaji Sawant (Hindi) – (Translation from Marathi): This book is on Karna. I am having a little trouble reading my first hindi book after school and comics of those years! It is a fat and lengthy book, so my pace is much slower than otherwise.
5. Parva by SL Bhyrappa – (Translation from Kannada): Got hold of this out-of-print book recently through a1books. It is quite a fat book
6. Yayati by V.S. Khandekar – Yayati was an ancestor of Kuru clan. So far, I know this much only. But you may read about the book here.
7. Yugandhar by Shivaji Sawant (Hindi) – (Translation from Marathi)
8. Second Turn by MT Vasudevan Nair – (Translation from Malyalam): This is Bheem’s perspective of the Mahabharata. I had been hunting for this across the country. Finally found it on a1books.co.in. I must say I have got quite a lot of rare books there. And the service is good too.
   
   Phew! I totally got berserk with book shopping. No wonder I don’t save any money. Look at the quantum of books I have bought in last 4 months. My books have crept their way into my dressing table also. But I totally, absolutely and really love my collection. May it increase many times over !