The Gift of the Magi


O. Henry - 2009
    Henry, originally published in 1906, has become one of the best known and most beloved of Chistmas tales. An exuberant couple urged on by their love, make great sacrifices in order to purchase the perfect Christmas gift for the other. The husband sells his gold watch in order to buy expensive combs for his wife's luxurious locks. While the wife sells her hair to the wigmaker in order to buy a chain suitable for her husband's handsome timepiece. When all is revealed on Christmas Eve, the sweet irony of their dual generosity leaves them, whether they know it or not, as the wisest of gift givers: "But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi."The artist Joel Priddy employs the same twists of reciprocity in his own work and is well suited to adapting and updating this classic for a modern audience.

Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Adventure! Box Set


Shigekatsu Ihara - 2011
    But now he's depressed and hides in his room avoiding everyone—including his best friend Y. An attack on their hometown by Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal, led by Team Flare, forces X outside… Now what?Contains all 8 volumes of the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! series and a collectible poster

Speedpost: Letters to My Children about Living, Loving, Caring and Coping with the World


Shobhaa Dé - 1999
    Series of letters that address a wide range of concerns. Compassionate, loving, witty, and as always, provocative. By a leading best-selling novelist. South Asia Books carries several of De's novels.

PATNA BLUES


Abdullah Khan - 2018
    His once prosperous landowning family has slipped low down the class ladder. Arif ’s sole ambition in life is to crack the civil service examination and become an IAS officer. He believes this will restore the family’s fortunes and works hard at his studies. Until his first glimpse of Sumitra, a voluptuous long-haired beauty. Married, Hindu and several years older than him, she is wrong for him in every way. It is the beginning of an infatuation that will consume his life.‘Reading Patna Blues is like pedalling your way through a littleknown India. It is certain to fill you with inexplicably candid and absolutely stunning tales. Patna Blues marks an impressive debut and brings us an important voice.’ —Anees Salim‘I am familiar not only with the places where this novel is set, the cramped rooms, the names of shops, or the streets, but, it seems to me, even the people, their little joys, their struggles, their often irrational hopes and desires, their guilt, and their beauty. Part literary novel, part-pulp fiction, Patna Blues is a report from a rarely seen world in Indian writing in English, the contemporary lives of provincial Muslims.’ —Amitava Kumar

Collector Bro: The Quixotic 'Thallals' of a Civil Servant


Prasanth Nair - 2021
    An untold one that played out in the district of Kozhikode when a young IAS officer took charge as the District Collector in 2015. Over the next two years, he led the district and transformed the very concept of public administration with the use of social media, public consultation, usage of technology, volunteerism and public participation in governance. The two year tenure of 'Collector Bro' in Kozhikode transformed the landscape and narrative of district administration and communication with the citizens forever.Within a couple of months, 'Collector Kozhikode' Facebook page became a trendsetter in Kerala, and the most followed district administration page in India. It still is. With initiatives like Compassionate Kozhikode, Operation Sulaimani, Savari Giri Giri, Kozhipedia, Freedom Café, Yo Appooppa and Tere Mere Beach Mein, IAS officer Prasanth Nair, who was the District Collector of Kozhikode at that time, ushered in a new language of governance that endeavoured to bridge the gap between the district administration and citizens through the optimal employment of social media. The District Collector descended from the colonial ivory towers and mingled as one amongst the common man, totally dismantling the hierarchical stereotypes that the society was used to.This book traces the story of how exactly this happened and how and why the public responded so overwhelmingly to such an initiative. It also chronicles how these experiences transformed the young officer also - from a hesitant public speaker to a crowd-puller, from an introvert to a seemingly extrovert energetic leader. For the first time, the emotional roller-coaster of events that re-shaped the attitude and language of engagement by District administration is narrated with all the inside-stories. Straight from the horse's mouth. The author however takes pains not to take centre-stage in the book and manages that somewhat with wit and self-deprecating humour. This book has got nothing to do with government; but it is all about governance, life and compassion. At one level it is a collection of case-studies, the most readable and engrossing ones, narrated with fun and illustrations. At another level it is a chronicle of a personal journey of a compassionate administrator. This is not a typical arrogant bureaucratic ‘I did this’ book, but an ‘I went through this’ book. Not a high-horsed motivational ‘you can do it’ book, but a book that makes you think and prioritise what you want to do in life.As Dr. Shashi Tharoor says in the foreword, a must read for all civil servants, civil-service aspirants, students of public administration and all citizens who dream for a better tomorrow.

Journey Of Two Hearts! -will be cherished forever


Anuj Tiwari - 2012
    Just when things get going, as always, life’s plans go against theirs. This story, in its simplicity, shows us the importance of family, trust, dedication and friendship.'Loving someone is not tough; real courage is to be with that person forever.’Bestselling author Anuj Tiwari is a self-confessed mamma’s boy, who draws inspirations for his novel from the love story of his parents, who encourage him to love, live and write... – The Asian Age Myriad shades of romance. – Deccan ChronicleAn unforgettable love story. – Afternoon

Gears of War Book Two


Joshua Ortega - 2010
    Don’t miss a moment in the brutal adventures of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad’s battle against the Locust.From the Hardcover edition.

The Tarzan Collection (8 Books)


Edgar Rice Burroughs - 2012
    Novels Tarzan of the Apes The Return of Tarzan The Beasts of Tarzan The Son of Tarzan Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar Tarzan the Terrible Collections Jungle Tales of Tarzan Tarzan the Untamed

The Turning Point


Nikita SinghNikita Singh - 2014
    The collection explores multiple emotions, ranging from nostalgia to obsession, the feeling of first love to that of delusion, from doubt to self-belief and from resignation to hope.Eight stories, eight spirited young writers--and a must-read book that doesn't just make you smile and think at the same time, but also brings you closer to the joy of reading and the craft of writing.

Skylarks At Sunset


Rita Bradshaw - 2007
    And so when she meets and falls in love with Daniel Fallow, son of a successful businessman, she's quick to accept his proposal of his marriage. His family, though, are against the match, and so the young couple marry in secret. Grudging acceptance follows, and as the Depression worsens Daniel is persuaded to join the family business, unaware of his father's dodgy dealings. Tragedy is just around the corner, and worse is to come when war is declared in 1939: as Daniel leaves to fight and her children are evacuated, Hope wonders if she will ever have all her family around her again...

AS/A-Level Student Text Guide to Atonement, Ian McEwan


Robert Swan - 2006
    The novel itself can be found here: Atonement by Ian McEwan

100 Lyrics


गुलज़ार - 2009
    His sophisticated insights into psychological complexities, his ability to capture the essence of nature's sounds and spoken dialects in written words, and above all his inimitable-and often surprising-imagery have entertained his legions of fans over successive generations. It represents Gulzar's most memorable compositions of all time, and feature anecdotes about the composition of the lyrics as well as sketches by Gulzar.

Soordas


Pushpa Bharati - 2004
    Little did his family realize that Soordas could often see more than anyone else. He could direct a shepherd to his lost goat and a father to his missing son. He could describe exactly how the idol of his beloved Lord Krishna was dressed in the temple each day. The Mughal emperor Akbar personally came to invite him to his court. The poet Tulsidas visited him. The powerful, the wise and the ordinary flocked to him for his all-seeing wisdom and his soul-stirring songs of devotion.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles


John Escott - 2005
    Tess Durbeyfield leaves home on the first of her fateful journeys, and meets the ruthless Alec d'Urberville. Thomas Hardy's impassioned story tells of hope and disappointment, rejection and enduring love.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories


Robert Louis Stevenson - 1969
    Jekyll and Mr. Hyde --The Suicide Club --The bottle imp --The body-snatcher --Olalla.