Book picks similar to
Birds in Our Lives by Ashish Kothari


birds
books-for-students
india
a-better-world

Draupadi in a Brothel House


M Kaarthika Santhosh - 2018
    Can you imagine Draupadi in a Brothel house? How did she end there and who is responsible for that? Read this short story to meet her and know about her life.

RED-HANDED: 20 Criminal Cases That Shook India


Souvik Bhadra - 2014
    As the nation watched on in horror, the police uncovered the body parts of fifteen more children in the same location. These grisly killings were found to have been the handiwork of Surinder Koli, a serial killer who lived in a house nearby.In Red-Handed: 20 Criminal Cases That Shook India, lawyers Souvik Bhadra and Pingal Khan narrate the stories behind some of the most sensational criminal cases to have caught the attention of the country in the last few decades. From the murder of Nitish Katara in a case of ‘honour killing’ to the shooting of Jessica Lal; from the Harshad Mehta scam to the Best Bakery arson of 2002; and, from the horrifying ‘tandoor’ case, in which Naina Sahni was killed and then cremated, to the trial and conviction of Sanjay Dutt under TADA, Red-Handed examines the motives behind these crimes even as it aims to lay bare the inner workings of the Indian judicial system. Additionally, the authors illuminate the crucial role that the media has come to play in judicial matters—it shapes public opinion, and often even investigates cases and delivers justice, much before the judges do.

Political Mysteries


K.R. Malkani - 2016
    in Economics & Politics, Bombay University (D.G. National College. Hyderabad, Sindh; Fergusson College, Pune and School of Economics & Sociology, Bombay).Joined RSS in 1941. Lecturer, D.G. National College: 1945-47; sub-editor. Hindustan Times: 1948: Editor, The Motherland daily: 1971-75; MISA detenu: June 1975-March 1977.Nieman Fellow, Harvard University: 1961-62; General Secretary, Editors Guild of India: 1978-79; Member, Press delegation of China: 1978; Vice-Chairman, Deendayal Research Institute, Delhi: 1983-91; Vice-President, BJP: 1991-94; Member, Rajya Sabha: 1994-2000; Lt-Governor of Pondicherry: 2002-03.Death: Pondicherry. October 27,2003.Publications: The Midnight Knock (1977), The RSS Story (1980), The Sindh Story (1984), Ayodhya and Hindu-Muslim Relations (1993), India First (2002).

Bhang Milkha Bhang: Cannabis Saves Lives


Tejaswi Priyadarshi - 2021
    Does not pull punches. Phantom stuff!”Anukriti Pandey (Screenwriter): “Read Bhang Milkha Bhang for a ride through space and time and the narrow, eerie, lanes of the human mind.”BOOK DESCRIPTION:*A millennial trying to break the shackles of caste and sexual orientation**An anxiety-ridden NCB officer advocating CBD and spirituality**An ambitious woman entangled in an abusive marriage**A balding educational consultant playing assassin by the night**An eccentric narco looking for his deal of a lifetime*What brings them together?Chirasthayi Bhang – an unknown species of cannabis which has historically been protected by a lineage of monks has suddenly appeared in Mumbai’s drug underbelly. Rumor has it that it reverses biological processes – and almost everyone wants it.What follows is a high-stakes tussle between a group of highly peculiar but dangerous individuals for the mythical treasure, where each is prepared to put a lot up for gamble to obtain that which was previously considered unobtainable. Before long, things start getting messy – messier than anyone could possibly imagine.To what extent would one go to get something that was already lost forever?

Birds of the Indian Subcontinent


Richard Grimmett - 2011
    

Birds, Beasts, and Bandits: 14 Days with Veerappan


Krupakar - 2011
    Veerappan responded in a soft voice: 'It has been many years since I killed elephants. But no one believes me if I say so.'

Sikhs: The Untold Agony Of 1984


Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay - 2015
    She claimed the police had inserted a stick inside her… Swaranpreet realised that she had been cruelly violated; He spoke a single sentence but repeated it twice in chaste Punjabi: ‘Please give me a turban? I want nothing else…’ These are voices begging for deliverance in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination in October-November 1984 in which 2,733 Sikhs were killed, burnt and exterminated by lumpens in the country. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay walks us through one of the most shameful episodes of sectarian violence in post Independent India and highlights the apathy of subsequent governments towards Sikhs who paid a price for what was clearly a state-sponsored riot. Poignant, raw and most importantly, macabre, the personal histories in the book reveal how even after three decades, a community continues to battle for its identity in its own country.

Operation Triple X: A Real Spy Story


Maloy Krishna Dhar - 2012
    Coming at a time when the specter of state sponsored terror and instability in Pakistan and the prospect of war in the Indian subcontinent regularly occupy news headlines, Operation Triple X is not just a thrilling spy story, but a very timely reminder that many of the issues we see today in the subcontinent have their roots in events that happened dozens of years ago.The fact that it is written by someone who spent more than thirty years in India’s Intelligence Bureau, and was a witness and active participant in many of the events that formed the basis for this novel elevates Operation Triple X from being just another thriller to one that lays bare many of the gritty and dark realities of espionage as practiced in the Indian subcontinent.ABOUT THE AUTHORMaloy Krishna Dhar began life as a journalist and a teacher, but ended up spending more than thirty years as an officer in India’s Intelligence Bureau, retiring as its Joint Director. During his highly decorated career, he handled the sensitive Pakistan and Counter-terror desks, when he got a first-hand exposure to fighting the specter of Islamic terror that many Western readers were to remain blissfully unaware of till the tragic events of 9/11. After his retirement, he went back to his original love, and became a bestselling author and a recognized and highly respected authority on security matters. He passed away in May 2012, and his son, Amazon.com bestselling author Mainak Dhar, is now bringing his work to readers worldwide. Learn more about Maloy’s remarkable life and work at www.maloykrishnadhar.com.

Tainted Love


Hope Daniels - 2014
    In Tainted Love, she brings together the stories of some of the kids who lived with her in children's homes - kids who fought against the odds in their struggle to find love. We meet Robert, who tries to protect his mum from the brutal rages of his drunken father - but he's only eight and is powerless to stop the violence. There's Debbie and her sister, who are placed at the mercy of a paedophile babysitter with their mum's approval, and Abby, who shaves her head, cuts her arms, and rages against the system.These and many other true stories tells of lives fractured, endured and, in most cases, saved and turned around by social workers who fight impossible workloads to bring security and safety to children who live in chaos.

Birdwatchingwatching: One Year, Two Men, Three Rules, Ten Thousand Birds


Alex Horne - 2009
    Alex wasn't so sure. But, determined to get to know his father better, Alex challenged him to a competitive Big Year: from January 1st to December 31st 2006, they would each attempt to see as many species of bird as possible, governed by the basic rules of birdwatching, plus a couple of their own: the birds had to be wild, free and alive; they had to actually see the birds; and they could travel anywhere in the world to do it. The one who saw the most birds over the course of 365 days would be declared the winner. Along the way, Alex would try to finally understand why his dad did what he did, and perhaps even 'get into' birdwatching himself.Following their year-long quest from Alex's first bird sighting at home to birding breaks in Romania, a stag-weekend spent twitching in Wales and a penguin-spotting trip to South Africa, this is the charming and hilarious story of a father and son, of manliness, obsessive behaviour, families and friendship. It's also the story of birdwatching told from the outsider's point of view, celebrating the eccentricities of two very different species.

Nobody Likes An Outsider


Fawaz Jaleel - 2021
    Into that heaven, let my country awake”Ashraf Zain, an outsider and popular leader who breaks into Bihar politics after parting ways with the Bharatiya National Congress (BNC), is killed in a road accident in Begusarai. BNC blames the ruling party, SDP, over the death of Ashraf, an inspirational & visionary “minority” leader.Enter Yohan Tytler, a recently promoted CBI lead investigator, along with his associates - the analytical Sukumar Azhagu, and the “I always play by the books” investigator Ila Qureshi. Before the investigation even begins, and while the state is still trying to grasp what just happened, Ashraf’s PA, Piyali Sharma, is found dead in a hotel room at Begusarai - under mysterious circumstances.Before he knows it, Yohan is thrown into a quagmire of political power play, intellectual mafias, media pressure, religious leaders, increasing suspects, and other powerful people.Under the radar of the media, the young CBI team manoeuvres through the case facts, only to find that the deaths are linked to major events in the modern history of not just Begusarai but of the whole of Bihar.As the events unfold, the entire nation is shocked to see the underlying motive behind the actual motive that reveals a lesser-spoken reality in India.

BYJU's Miracle Journey: from 8 Students to $8 Billion (Indian Unicorns Book 1)


ABHISH B - 2020
    

Chasing Nirvana


Rafaa Dalvi - 2021
    The heady mix of human depravity, humour, satire, tragedy, revenge and drama makes these stories an essential cocktail of emotions.Review:“Breezy, Flippant, Poignant... Tales of pleasurable wickedness.”-Salil Desai, author of Inspector Saralkar Mystery Series“Although not all sugar and sunshine, Dalvi's voice is an important one, because he chooses to tell stories that others would normally shy away from. There's a serene resignation in his tales, one that is completely devoid of both hope as well as regret. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories.”-Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, author of Patang, Penumbra, Here Falls the Shadow, The Disappearance of Sally Sequeira and Best Served Cold“Gripping short-stories by Rafaa Dalvi. I am both intrigued and scared by his plot-twists. Thrilled to have read this book.”-Sanhita Baruah, author of The Art of Letting Go and The Art of Healing“Some of the best stories I have read so far. Rafaa has a gift of telling complex stories in a very intuitive and straightforward and are easy to read. This book is the best thing that has come out during these current circumstances.”-S. G. Kabe, author of Everything is Normal“Rafaa Dalvi is a flash fiction expert.”-T.F. Carthick, author of Carthick’s Unfairy Tales and More Unfairy Tales“Taut, propulsive and riveting, Rafaa’s mesmerising stories pack a big punch. Chasing Nirvana has been carefully crafted for maximum impact. A highly compelling read.”-Vivek Banerjee, author of ‘The Long Road’ and ‘The Other Side’

The Foreigner


Arun Joshi - 1968
    

The Adventures of Akbar


Flora Annie Steel - 2006
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.