Kalki Krishnamurthy, recipient of India's highest literary honour - the Sahitya Akademi Award. Believed by some to be one of the first historical novels in Tamil it was originally serialized in the weekly Kalki magazine for about 12 years. This was later published as a novel. Along with Ponniyin Selvan, this is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written in Tamil Set in 7th century south India against the backdrop of various historical events and figures. The novel created widespread interest in Tamil history when it was being published in the 1940s. Honour, love and friendship form important themes that run through the course of the novel that would be tough to point out who the real hero of the novel is. Mahendravarman I, the Pallava emperor plays an important role in the first half of the story while his son Narasimhavarman comes into his own as the novel progresses. The plot revolves around the historical events of the Chalukya king Pulakesi II playing a siege of Kanchi and Narasimhavarman avenging this by attacking Vatapi the capital of the Chalukyas. The novel is divided into four volumes.

    The immaculately dressed Chowringhee, radiant in her youth, had just stepped on to the floor at the nightclub.’ Set in 1950s Calcutta, Chowringhee is a sprawling saga of the intimate lives of managers, employees and guests at one of Calcutta’s largest hotels, the Shahjahan. Shankar, the newest recruit, recounts the stories of several people whose lives come together in the suites, restaurants, bar and backrooms of the hotel. As both observer and participant in the events, he inadvertently peels off the layers of everyday existence to expose the seamy underbelly of unfulfilled desires, broken dreams, callous manipulation and unbidden tragedy. What unfolds is not just the story of individual lives but also the incredible chronicle of a metropolis. Written by best-selling Bengali author Sankar, Chowringhee was published as a novel in 1962. Predating Arthur Hailey’s Hotel by three years, it became an instant hit, spawning translations in major Indian languages, a film and a play. Its larger-than-life characters—the enigmatic manager Marco Polo, the debonair receptionist Sata Bose, the tragic hostess Karabi Guha, among others—soon attained cult status. With its thinly veiled accounts of the private lives of real-life celebrities, and its sympathetic narrative seamlessly weaving the past and the present, it immediately established itself as a popular classic. Available for the first time in English, Chowringhee is as much a dirge as it is a homage to a city and its people.An excerpt (Chapter 1) from the book :http://arunavasinha.in/2011/05/27/cho...

    Set in politically charged Shillong, this interconnected collection of stories speaks of the coming-of-age of a young woman–and the city and community she calls home.

    In the clash of these two strong personalities, May Sarton explores the different ways that men and women express both anger and love.

    Gone. Finished. Kaput. But on the eve of his seventy-third birthday, his daughter suggests he have his brain downloaded to a microchip for safekeeping, and Jim is forced to consider what it really means to die—and what it might mean to live forever. Recipient of the 2015 Green Book Festival honorable mention in fiction and semi-finalist in the 2015 Kindle Book Awards, Do Not Resuscitate is the firsthand account of Jim Frost, an aging misanthropist who witnessed the rise and fall of the United States as a world power, the digitalization of the planet, the advent of the water wars, and the near collapse of the global economy. Yet he remains impervious to it all. Concerned more with his plasma TV, high-speed Internet, and continual supply of hash, twentysomething Jim takes an under-the-table job off Craigslist delivering mysterious red coolers to strangers in cafés in an effort to pay the bills. But when Jim’s enigmatic employer asks him to fly to North Korea for a delivery, Jim starts to wonder what he’s gotten himself into.

    The Christian Science-Monitor praised his "engaging blend of deadpan humor and genuine empathy"; "Thankfully," said The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Kirn never abandons his theme of uncertainty when observing modern angst." Now Walter Kirn has fashioned She Needed Me, a moving, surprising, and darkly comic novel whose sympathetic portrait of a disillusioned generation is mercifully uncynical. Weaver Walquist and Kim Lindgren first meet outside a St. Paul, Minnesota, abortion clinic. Kim - twenty-three, pregnant, with no money to finish junior college - is about to walk inside. Weaver is lying in front of the door. At twenty-six, he is a Bible-carrying member of the Conscience Squad, a fanatical right-wing protest group...yet readers of all minds will be drawn to this gentle, questing soul as he struggles with his feelings for Kim and his subsequent sexual desire for her; his crumbling devotion to the church; and his waning loyalty to his employer, Sanipure, a Christian soap and cosmetics company that calls sales "fellowship moments." But Weaver was not always devout. The only child of a widowed, highly successful Wisconsin liquor store owner, he tried to ward off teenage isolation with a mixture of pot and pills, vodka, sex and heavy metal music, until born-again Christian Lucas Boone found him half dead on the floor of a Greyhound station men's room. As Weaver tries to persuade Kim to have her baby, they embark upon a journey that brings them into contact with a cast of keenly drawn characters: Chuck and Dixie Lindgren, Kim's parents, who made more money in one hot Las Vegas weekend than they ever earned from their North Dakota farm; charismatic, paranoid Lucas Boone, popping anti-depressant pills like candy; Kim's disaffected brother, Ricky, who makes a modest living burglarizing his relatives' homes; and fin

    enthralling’ BIBEK DEBROY‘A magical and thought-provoking adventure, Ahalya will intrigue and mesmerize readers’ CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI‘An enigmatic tale about purity, chastity, seduction and redemption’ NAMITA GOKHALE‘Brilliant and intriguing’ ANAND NEELAKANTANIt is known that Ahalya was cursed by her husband, Gautam, for indulging in a physical relationship with Indra. But is there another story to Ahalya's truth? Who was Indra anyway? A king? A lover? A philanderer? The first book of the Sati series, Ahalya hinges on these core questions, narrating the course of her life, from innocence to infidelity.In the Sati series, Koral Dasgupta explores the lives of the Pancha Kanyas from Indian mythology, all of whom had partners other than their husbands and yet are revered as the most enlightened women, whose purity of mind precedes over the purity of body. The five books of the Sati series reinvent these women and their men, in the modern context with a feminist consciousness.

    When Ramchand is sent to show his wares to a wealthy family preparing for their daughter's wedding, he is jolted out of the rhythm of his narrow daily life. His glimpse into a different world gives him an urgent sense of possibility. And so he attempts to recapture the hope that his childhood had promised, arming himself with two battered English grammar books, a fresh pair of socks, and a bar of Lifebuoy soap. But soon these efforts turn his life upside down, bringing him face to face with the cruelties on which his very existence depends. Reading group guide included.

    Seeking a divorce and distance, he has moved to the town of Kent, Connecticut, to concentrate on his new electrical contracting business. But at the first meeting of a local amateur theatrical group, he meets Maggie Sorrell, an interior designer who will be working with him on sets and lighting.Charming, attractive, and fifteen years Jake's senior, Maggie has also come to Kent fleeing a broken relationship—cruelly betrayed by her lawyer ex-husband and painfully out of touch with her two grown children. And as they begin renovations on an old farmhouse, Jake and Maggie find themselves drawn together by a powerful emotional need and falling in love—a love that will have to endure many obstacles and tragic circumstances to bloom gloriously in a small town.

    A baby who is born and thrust into the huge sea of humanity called India, rides and steers his destiny ship, as he constantly grapples with the Clown inside him, who meanwhile brings out his own set of funny oars in these troubled waters. The Clown's journey continues on from a Karma-Guru to a trader of special water from Europe (thanks to his Made-in-China friend!), and from a music director (the Bad-Boy theme!) to the founder of a school, and a dirty sock to a sex-crazed, horny bunch of young fellas. The colors of the Clown's comedy are different but he always plays to the circus of life. As Kiriti encounters a wide array of characters from the length and breadth of India, a land as rich as its flavours, the carefree years full of joy and young hopes come to an end, with the sweet smell of Ganja still lingering under the starry nights. The philosophy of Meaning is preached, after a session of holy smokes, on the sides of a dusty highway which sees blood and grime daily. And finally with the Mystical Game which casts a shadow on Kiriti's life having been won, everything is laid to rest under a blanket of white, only to be stumbled upon by a Sherpa on the peaks of the mighty Himalayas that wakes up something inside of his adorable son! Is it a Thief, his Dream or the Clown? And there is a 2000 year old Surprise Gift with the Novel! (Any Guesses?)The Following are Reviews from Amazon India & Amazon (International):http://www.amazon.in/dp/9384439835One Five Star Review"This Novel 'Go Clown'- #AccheDin for Comedy, was sent to one of my colleagues for a possible review and I picked it up as I remember reading the author's words somewhere online (who apparently contributes to Times of India, Faking News & Huffington Post) - 'Life is like a meandering stream, and I am like a free butterfly hovering around it.'Anyway coming to the book 'Go Clown'. It was a blast! Fasten your seat belts and get ready for this hilarious ride! I would especially recommend the train scene (Nirvana in Indian Railways!), the weed/Ganja scene, the College part, the NRI Stuff, the ad and on and on which I could so well relate to. It was reliving my collage days and the fond and the occasional bitter memories. You are going to Laugh and then cry (again with Laughter!)The story and the way the magical realism turns out is plain amazing. And nothing which has ever been written has described the colours of an Indian Life so closely and in such a comedic way. And the free gift in the novel was a pleasant surprise (the Go game)! As someone interested in geopolitics and strategies I took an instant liking for the game.After Amish and Chetan everyone has been trying to directly or indirectly copy a fantasy theme or a love story. They have mass produced thousands of such books killing the Indian Readers taste. I think 'Go Clown", a comedy, has added some new tinge to Indian fiction.Disclaimer: In this generation of authors getting reviews from friends and family I would suggest you better read their free excerpt/Sample chapter on their website so you figure it out on your own!No wonder they proclaim on their website that they got 5000 hits for their sample on the first day it was put up, and 2,50,000 views for their official trailer on Facebook & YouTube."One Four Star Review:"A copy of the novel "GoClown - AccheDin for Comedy" was sent to our college literary club which a friend suggested I read. So I took it on flight to spend time when travelling from Darjeeling to Delhi. On the flight I started laughing hysterically. An elderly woman seated beside me initially gave a stern look as if I was being deliberately loud. I explained to her that it was the book.This book is like the sweet smell of earth after the first rains (a line from GoClown - #AccheDin for Comedy). My #AccheDin did start! The college part left me in tears (with laughter), and not to forget the passion scene (GoClown also explains the body's reaction in a very comedic way!).Above all it is like an ocean of Comedy with islands in it, all of which are in shapes of different letters, that sum up to form a brilliant story! The Game and the strategy was mind-blowing!"One Five Star Review"Go Clown is an hilarious Odyssey spanning across two continents Asia and America.Kiriti the protagonist and The Clown his true "side kick" speak to every human soul , for such is its universality.This blissful tale can be juxtaposed in any setting. Be it Boston, Berlin, Beijing , Bangalore or Bogota.Go Clown is set in the theater of Life where Charles Dickens works with Mark Twain, to present a mirthful narrative to the reader.A must read."

    A potter's assistant by day and dress lodger by night, Gustine sells herself for necessity in a rented gown, scrimping to feed and protect her only love: her fragile baby boy. She holds a glimmer of hope after meeting Dr. Henry Chiver, a prisoner of his own dark past. But in a world where suspicion of medicine runs rampant like a fever, these two lost souls will become irrevocably linked, as each crosses lines between rich and destitute, decorum and abandon, damnation and salvation. By turns tender and horrifying, The Dress Lodger is a captivating historical thriller charged with a distinctly modern voice. . . .

    There could be many reasons for this—issues at work, unhappy family life, financial troubles or embarrassing social situations. Most of us could use a little advice in these circumstances. Chanakya Neeti provides precisely that guidance to face life’s many daunting challenges. Chanakya, the great thinker and teacher, is well-known for his insights into the needs of both the privileged and the masses. The original Chanakya Neeti was written over two thousand years ago, but its brilliant verses are still applicable today because the basic quests of man remain the same—peace, prosperity and happiness. In this volume, Radhakrishnan Pillai offers a modern interpretation of Chanakya’s crisp and practical maxims in his characteristic easy-to-follow and elegant prose. Imbibe Chanakya’s wisdom to break loose from the web of troubles and create the life you desire on your terms.Radhakrishnan Pillai is the bestselling author of Corporate Chanakya, Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership, Chanakya in You, Katha Chanakya and Thus Spoke Chanakya. He has a Master’s degree in Sanskrit and has done his PhD in Kautilya’s Arthashastra. A renowned management consultant and speaker, he is the Deputy Director of the Chanakya International Institute of Leadership Studies (CIILS) at the University of Mumbai. He tweets using the handle @rchanakyapillai and is also active on other major social media platforms.

    has dared to take on a difficult, grief-stricken period of English history, and done so with sensitivity and understanding; EARTH AND HEAVEN is the clever, compelling result' The Times

    Tower A is a relic from a co-operative housing society established in the 1950s. When a property developer offers to buy out the residents for eye-watering sums, the principled yet arrogant teacher is the only one to refuse the offer, determined not to surrender his sentimental attachment to his home and his right to live in it, in the name of greed. His neighbours gradually relinquish any similar qualms they might have and, in a typically blunt satirical premise take matters into their own hands, determined to seize their slice of the new Mumbai as it transforms from stinky slum to silvery skyscrapers at dizzying, almost gravity-defying speed.

    But back on firm ground, their vastly different social strata become clear. Cait is a widow who because of her precarious financial situation is forced to chaperone two wealthy Scottish charges. Émile is expected to take on the bourgeois stability of his family's business and choose a suitable wife. As the Eiffel Tower rises, a marvel of steel and air and light, the subject of extreme controversy and a symbol of the future, Cait and Émile must decide what their love is worth. Seamlessly weaving historical detail and vivid invention, Beatrice Colin evokes the revolutionary time in which Cait and Émile live - one of corsets and secret trysts, duels and Bohemian independence, strict tradition and Impressionist experimentation. To Capture What We Cannot Keep, stylish, provocative, and shimmering, raises probing questions about a woman's place in that world, the overarching reach of class distinctions, and the sacrifices love requires of us all.