The 24th Delhi Book Fair opened at the Pragati Maidan here on Saturday but it looked a scaled down affair with the stalls occupying just one hall this year.

Minister of State for Human Resources Development Satya Pal Singh inaugurated the event which coincides with the 20th Stationery Fair and 4th Office Automation and Corporate Gift Fair.

The nine-day book fair has been organised by the India Trade Promotion Organization and Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) and will run till September 2.

The fair is expected to garner substantial footfall as entry is free.

The fair, with over 300 stalls, will see the participation of more than 120 publishers and organisations, including The Asiatic Society and Jaico Publishing House.

Additionally, Sahitya Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi, National Centre for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and National Book Trust (NBT) have put up stalls.

While previous editions of Delhi Book Fair spanned across several halls, the current edition occupies just one hall.

Book: The Wind In My Hair; Author: Masih Alinejad; Publisher: Little Brown UK/Hachette India; Price: Rs 699; Pages: 394

A courageous woman, driven by nothing but her insistence on living life the way she wanted to, untied her hair and let the beautiful curls flow over her shoulder. And all hell broke loose — she had defied the local law that stated women must wear a veil or hijab over their hair while in public.

Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad’s incredible story of fighting for what she believed in and how she founded a major movement for women around the world with the simple removal of her hijab, is captured in her aptly titled memoir, “The Wind In My Hair”, out this month in India.

She recalls that as a young girl she travelled from her small village of Ghomikola to the city of Babol to attend high school. Here she saw that most young women did not wear the “chador”, a large cloak that leaves only a woman’s face visible, and thus decided to stop wearing one herself.

But her father became furious. “You make the devil blush with your sinning. You have brought shame on me, brought shame on your mother. You have ruined our reputation,” he said, scolding her. Ironically, when she was being scolded she was clad in a hijab.

Many years later, when Alinejad was a reporter covering the Iranian parliament and was accompanying a commission on a pilgrimage to Mecca, she along with two other female reporters decided not to wear the chador as it was very hot. But she was dressed in a hijab, a dress, trousers, and a long jacket.

“You are shameless — you have no morality. You have brought shame on the Iranian delegation,” a male reporter shouted at her.

Alinejad was very young when the 1979 Islamic Revolution swept across the country. What followed was a diktat that required all women in Iran, including visitors from other countries, to wear the hijab.

“I was taught that women’s bodies encouraged men to commit sin,” Alinejad writes. She also points out that female members of her family even slept wearing the hijab.

In her teens, she was sent behind bars and was subjected to what she calls “intense interrogation” as she had sided with a political group critical of the Iranian government. But the series of unfortunate events had just begun as, several years later, her husband would leave Alinejad for another woman. However, the courts granted him full custody of their three-year-old son.

All of these events, one after the other, sparked anger and outrage and gradually shaped Alinejad into somebody who defied rules and called for freedom. She went on to write scathing articles that exposed corruption and targeted the supporters of the then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. She was forced to leave the country.

First in London and currently in New York, she lives in exile and has little hope of returning to her native Iran. But after her ouster from the country, she has been actively campaigning against the compulsory hijab law and policing of women’s bodies back home.

The turning point came in 2014 when she posted a photograph of herself in London — without a hijab — on Facebook. This was followed by another similar picture, but this one was taken while she was still in Iran. Both the pictures communicated strong messages as her hair was blowing freely in the wind.

She then called on the women from Iran to post similar pictures of themselves without the hijab in public places and this became a movement of sorts. Across Iran, women started posting pictures of their uncovered hair on Alinejad’s page in open defiance of the strict religious beliefs of their country (and often, their families) while also sharing their personal stories about this powerful mode of expression.

She titled her campaign as “My Stealthy Freedom” and states in the memoir that it celebrates “the moments of small rebellion, the tiny acts of defiance that allow us to breathe, the guilty pleasure of breaking unjust rules”. The page now has more than a million followers on Facebook.

She points out that she is not against the hijab but against compulsion, insisting that women in Iran should be allowed to choose what they wear and how they wear it.

In its totality, the memoir tells a compelling story with courage. But the almost-400-page book is often repetitive and could have become a more pleasurable read with some editing.

By Chinmaya Dehury (18:06)
Title: Naveen Patnaik; Author: Ruben Banerjee; Publishers: Juggernaut; Pages: 226; Price: Rs 469

How did a man, spending his early days on Delhi’s cocktail circuit, defy stereotypes to script an enviable success story that has few parallels in the history of modern Indian politics? What led Naveen Patnaik, who had nothing to do with politics for the first fifty years of his life, become one of India’s most enigmatic politicians?

And, how did Patnaik, who remains the most inaccessible Chief Minister in the history of Odisha, rule the state for four consecutive terms and remained undisputed leader even without knowing the mother tongue of the masses? The answers to these and many other questions are unveiled by veteran journalist Ruben Banerjee in his biography of the Odisha Chief Minister.

Having first become the chief minister by virtue of being his father’s son, Naveen Patnaik made a smooth transition to a cunning and consummate politician for becoming the longest serving Chief Minister of Odisha.

The author, who had access to Naveen Patnaik during his early days in politics, has unveiled a mine of information unknown to the world at large in the book.

Since Patnaik is considered a mysterious and unpredictable man for his omissions and commissions, the book, without a doubt, is a fascinating and interesting read for anyone interested in Odisha politics or in just the person who is Naveen Patnaik.

The book also dispels the popular belief that it is Patnaik, not someone else, who calls the shots in the government and the party as well. It, however, does mention about the over dependency of the chief minister on bureaucrats rather than on ministers to run the administration.

Patnaik, the book charts, entered into politics in 1997, founded the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and become the party president, a post that he still holds. He became the Chief Minister of Odisha for the first time in 2000 with the help of alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), riding on the sympathy following the demise of his legendary father and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik and the public’s anger over complete mismanagement by Congress government of relief measures post the 1999 Super Cyclone that had devastated the state.

The author has articulated at his best that how Naveen Patnaik, once a political novice, ruthlessly eliminated every possibility of an opposition consolidating his position as the undisputed leader in the party and the state.

A case in point is the ouster of Bijoy Mohapatra, once a powerful minister in the Biju Patnaik cabinet and chairman of Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of BJD.

Mohapatra had chosen most of the candidates and they were all his men in 2000 elections.
But when he was chairing the PAC meeting in Bhubaneswar, Patnaik, being the president of the party, cancelled Mohapatra’s nomination as the candidate from Patkura and chose another as the party candidate just barely few hours before the completion of nomination process leaving no room to Mohapatra to enter the Assembly.

Patnaik, rather suave yet cunning, has also ensured that Mohapatra did not enter the assembly even till today. As the author rightly pointed out “Naveen the politician had shown the ability to outsmart the smartest of them”.

After he became Chief Minister in 2000, he continued to eliminate his possible challenges within the party starting from Dilip Ray, a businessman-politician, to Nalinikanta Mohanty, then BJD’s working president and second only to Naveen in the party hierarchy.

The book also highlights the protégée-mentor relationship between Naveen Patnaik and Pyari Mohapatra and how Mohapatra had staged an abortive coup on May 29, 2012, when Naveen was in UK.

Even though the author has elaborated on the abortive coup, a few answers remain elusive — including was it really a coup or just a media creation?

The author elaborately describes on how the TINA factor helped him to rule the state for so long and how he remained the darling of the masses, bucking the anti-incumbency factor.
”
“Members of one group, in particular, vouch vociferously for the chief minis’er’s integrity. These are an overwhelming majority of Odi’ha’s 200 lakh women, the chief minis’er’s trusted vote bank. Naveen is a bachelor, but his emotional bonding with the st’te’s womenfolk is remarkab”e,” the book says.

The book also highlights how Patnaik has mastered the art of shifting the blame on someone else to remain Mr. Clean despite the fact that some of the biggest scams –mining, chit funds — in the history of the state took place during his watch. ”

“The key to Na’een’s success is that even though he has indulged in political machinations and subterfuge, he has largely come out of them without blemish, skillfully sidestepping scrutiny and deflecting criticism. He is still viewed by many as innocent and incapable of the vileness of an ordinary politician. And when something goes horribly wrong somewhere in the state, there is always someone else who shoulders the blame, sparing Naveen any taint. That he is single, soft-spoken and always deferential has helped in nurturing Na’een’s im”ge,” the book says.

By rough estimates, Patnaik has so far shown the door to some 46 of his ministers on one pretext or the other, it said.

The book also mentions the possible challenge for Patnaik in the 2019 polls with the rise of BJP and union minister Dharmendra Pradhan. As the author points o”t, “The battle for 2019 promises to be a test of guile, image and stam”na.”

The book is a required read for those who want a balanced telling of the Chief Mini’ter’s journey so far. Also, for those interested in the political journey of Odisha, including the rule of Biju Patnaik and J.B. Patnaik, the book is a great repository.

Renowned historian and author of several bestselling books, including the highly acclaimed “India After Gandhi” and “Gandhi Before India”, Ramachandra Guha has penned a new book on the father of the nation, which has just gone to the press and will be out in September.

Billed as the most definitive new biography of Gandhi, the upcoming book is titled “Gandhi: the years that changed the world (1914-1948)” and will be published by Penguin Random House India.

“This magnificent book,” sources said, “will not only tell the story of Gandhi’s life, from his departure from South Africa to his dramatic assassination in 1948, but also the history of our freedom movement and its many strands”.

It is said to be a book with “a Tolstoyan sweep”, revealing Gandhi to the readers just as he was understood by his contemporaries. The book will also include new readings of his arguments with B.R. Ambedkar, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Subhas Chandra Bose, among others.

Drawing on never-before-seen sources and animated by its author’s unparalleled sense of drama and politics, Guha’s latest work will be marketed as the “most ambitious and integral book” on Bapu.

The book will be relevant, particularly in the context of religious tensions and communal disharmony engulfing the country in contemporary times. At the same time, the 60-year-old historian is known for his profound research and objective portrayal of his subjects, and readers can look forward to drawing lessons from Gandhi’s life in current times.

It is a follow up to “Gandhi Before India” (2013). Further details on the book and a formal announcement is awaited from the publisher.

Guha’s large body of work, covering a range of fields and yielding a number of rational insights has made him a significant figure in Indian historical studies. He is valued as one of the major historians of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Flick through a crime thriller that explores how a woman’s blind trust in her friend leads to the tragic accident of her son; read the story of a woman, perfect as a girlfriend, trying to get a guy back into her life; skim through a complex tale, featuring many ways in which families love, betray, honour and sacrifice for one another; and know how women can identify self-defeating behaviour that holds them back.

The IANS bookshelf has all this on offer this weekend.

1. Book: The Friend; Author: Teresa Driscoll; Publisher: Thomas and Mercer/Westland; Pages: 292; Price: Rs 399
On a train with her husband, miles from home and their four-year-old son, Ben, Sophie receives a phone call. Two boys are in hospital after a tragic accident. One of them is Ben.

She thought she could trust Emma, her new friend, to look after her little boy. After all, Emma is a kindred spirit, someone Sophie was sure she could bare her soul to, despite the village rumours. But Sophie can’t shake the feeling that she has made an unforgivable mistake and now her whole family is in danger.

Because how well does she know Emma, really? Should she have trusted her at all? Time is running out. Powerless to help her child, still hours from home, Sophie is about to discover the truth. And her life will never be the same.

Author Teresa Driscoll is a former BBC TV news presenter. Having covered crime for long, she was deeply moved by the haunting impact on relatives, friends and witnesses and it is those ripples, she explores now in dark fiction.

2. Book: The Perfect Girlfriend; Author: Karen Hamilton; Publisher: Wildfire Books/Hachette India; Pages: 358; Price: Rs 399
Juliette loves Nate. She will follow him anywhere. She has even become a flight attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him. They are meant to be.

The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to get him back. She is the perfect girlfriend. And she’ll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants. True love hurts, but Juliette knows it’s worth all the pain. Read this book to know where her qualities eventually land her.

The author is a recent graduate of the Faber Academy and, having now put down roots in Hampshire to raise her young family with her husband, she satisfies her wanderlust by exploring the world through her writing. “The Perfect Girlfriend” is her first novel.

3. Book: The Storm; Author: Arif Anwar; Publisher: Aleph; Pages: 348; Price: Rs 599
Shahryar, a recent PhD graduate and father of nine-year-old Anna, must leave the US when his visa expires. In their last remaining weeks together, we learn Shahryar’s history, in a village on the Bay of Bengal, where a poor fisherman and his wife are preparing to face a storm of historic proportions.

That story intersects with those of a Japanese pilot, a British doctor stationed in Burma during World War II, and a privileged couple in Calcutta who leave everything behind to move to East Pakistan following the partition.

Inspired by the 1970 Bhola cyclone, in which half a million-people perished overnight, the structure of this novel mimics the storm itself. Building up to a series of revelatory and moving climaxes, it shows the many ways in which families love, betray, honour and sacrifice for one another.

4. Book: How Women Rise; Author: Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith; Publisher: Penguin; Pages: 242; Price: Rs 494
Do you hesitate about putting forward ideas? Are you reluctant to claim credit for your achievements? Do you find it difficult to get the support you need from your boss or the recognition you deserve from your colleagues? If your answer to any of these is “Yes”, then “How Women Rise” will help get you back on track. Inspiring and practical by turns, it identifies 12 common habits that can prove an obstacle to future success and tells you how to overcome them.

In the process, it points the way to a career that will satisfy your ambitions and help you make the difference you want to make in the world.

How women rise is a great read for any woman who wants to identify self-defeating behaviours that are holding her back, gain insight into why she engages in those behaviours and develop skills to confidently achieve her goals.

The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life; Author: Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles; Publisher: Hutchinson/Penguin Random House; Pages: 208; Price: Rs 499

A British businessman once recounted that while holidaying in Asia, he met a Japanese man in the swimming pool, and as soon they found they had common commercial interests, the latter took out a waterproof visiting card to give him. This may speak volumes about their business practices, but there are other lessons we can learn from the Japanese too.

Try to imagine the Japanese and what may come to mind is a polite but focussed and hard-working people that made their country a global economic power, but they also have an old and sophisticated culture and a way of life that sees the country having an exceptionally large number of centenarians — and fairly active ones at that.

Technological expertise and a strong work ethic may not be a sole Japanese trait, but their culture, some of whose enduring expressions are their magnificent gardens, their exquisite cuisine, the arts of bonsai, ikebana and origami, their tea rituals, Zen and concepts like “wabi-sabi”, make them worthy of study — and emulation.

But the most important would be their concept of ikigai, whose essence is expressed in the old Japanese proverb: “Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” And, as this book brings out, it is based on no esoteric secrets or any special regimen of diet or exercise, but living fully and contentedly.

The co-authors — Spanish-born Japanese citizen and author Garcia and bestselling author of lifestyle books and novels Miralles, who met up in a tiny bar during a rainy Tokyo night — say they were discussing the questions that start to worry people (meaning of life, whether the point is just to live longer or have a higher purpose and so on) when “the mysterious word ikigai came up”.

Ikigai, which “translates roughly as ‘the happiness of always being busy’, is like logotherapy (developed by psychologist and Nazi concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl) but goes a step beyond”, they say.

Take the residents of the country’s southern-most island of Okinawa, where there are 24.55 people over the age of 100 for every 100,000 inhabitants — far more than the global average. Along with climate, diet and activity, ikigai is cited as a reason why people of Okinawa live longer than people anywhere else in the world.

However, Garcia and Miralles, who researched ikigai with some heartening interactions with the island’s inhabitants, especially of a town there with the highest life expectancy in the world, also found that there is no single book dedicated to bringing this philosophy to the West, and resolved to remedy the deficiency.

And in this insightful book, they reveal how simple ikigai is to understand and follow.

Beginning with a Venn diagram that shows what it is: At the intersection of personal capability, predilection, profession and the world’s requirements, and how it benefits the residents of Okinawa as well as other Japanese, they explore the importance of both a sound body and mind — and how some stress helps.

They then trace how ikigai developed from Frankl’s logotherapy, predated by Japanese psychotherapist-cum-Zen Buddhist Shoma Morita’s purpose-centred therapy, but transcended both, and its correspondence with psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow” theory.

But Garcia and Miralles’ work is not only about comparing theories — which they do most accessibly with the help of some tables, charts and diagrams. They enliven the account with concrete, real-world examples, like of some Japanese craftsmen who exemplify the flow technique, including one who was Steve Jobs’ favourite.

They continue in this vein with some advice from the centenarians — from the world over, not only Japan — feature traditions and proverbs from Japan, the diet that fuels Okinawa’s ikigai, top it up with simple but highly beneficial eastern exercises spanning tai chi to yoga to qigong before coming back to how to achieve ikigai through its 10 rules — the longest of which is seven words.

All this may seem basic common sense, but in our present, complex world, this is not very common. Try it and see — it doesn’t require much and there is not much to lose for you.

In the times of stories about fake ashrams, flick through an interesting book about a so-called guru and his blinded followers, among whom is one who eventually discovers the truth about criminal charges against him; read a mysterious tale that revolves around a woman who searches for evidence to know the truth about her sister’s death; wade through a story of heartbreak and things left unsaid; and get an access to mouth-watering recipes of traditional dishes from the subcontinent that make for a delightful read.

The IANS bookshelf has a varied interest for readers this weekend.

1. Book: The Guru Who Came Down from the Mountain; Author: Roshen Dalal; Publisher: Tiger; Price: Rs 399; Pages: 286

Dev, charismatic and powerful, a guru with thousands of followers around the world, and a string of ashrams fuelled by a flourishing business in drugs and gun-running. Ashrams that bring him the power and wealth, he craves and fulfils his desire for women.

But of all the women, he knows, there are three who play a pivotal role in his life — his wife, Gita, whose death is shrouded in mystery, and Cynthia and Madge, who unwittingly launch him into his career as a guru.

Nitya is Dev’s complete antithesis — pure of heart and deeply spiritual. He comes to Dev as a disciple, and for years his devotion to his guru makes him blind to his failings. But when the truth can no longer be ignored, he is disillusioned.

Though he escapes charges of rape and murder, Dev does finally receive a death sentence — he is fatally afflicted with AIDS.

As he lies on his deathbed in Rishikesh, Nitya comes to see him, unable to turn away from him completely. Dev tells him his story, and what compelled him to make the choices he did. Nitya also uncovers the truth about Gita’s death.

When the end finally comes, Nitya has a deeper understanding of the man he once loved so blindly, and realizes how, ultimately, the quest for perfection can be marred by human frailty.

2. Book: My Sister’s Grave; Author: Robert Dugoni; Publisher: Thomas and Mercer; Price: Rs 399; Pages: 410

Tracy Crosswhite has spent 20 years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House, a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder, is the guilty party.

Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy becomes a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicates her life to tracking down the killers.

When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking.

As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past — and open the door to deadly danger.

3. Book: Letters to My Ex; Author: Nikita Singh; Publisher: Harper Collins; Price: Rs 199; Pages: 137

“It feels like I’m on autopilot. I have no control over anything. The pain of losing you is so crippling that I can barely hold pieces of myself together. The slightest nudge could break me. But somehow, my possessed brain knows what I need. It’s telling me to stick to my choice, to stay away from you, to open a word document and bleed on paper, try to throw up all my jumbled thoughts in form of words, collect all disconnected facts, try to make sense of it all.”

From the author of “Like a Love Song” and “Every Time It Rains”, a story of heartbreak and things left unsaid…

4. Book: Feast With a Taste of Amir Khusro; Author: Bisma Tirmizi; Publisher: Rupa; Price: Rs 295; Pages: 208

“Stories and food remain the same, only faces change and those too only vaguely. The same faces keep coming back every few generations to eat the same food and live out the same stories.”

When Ayesha understands that her relationship with food has made her obese, she embarks upon a journey of self discovery which leads her to discovering the fascinating journey of regional cuisine — the food she loves.

Interestingly told, the narrative shifts from present to an imagined past and back again, erasing lines that define time and space.

Laced with mouth watering recipes from the subcontinent and details of traditional preparations, this book is as much for the gastronome as it is for one who loves a tale well told.

SSLC (class 10) students shines in primary and secondary education minister Tanveer Sait’s home district – Mysuru in the final board exams, the results were out on Monday, Yashas MC, of city-based school – Sadvidya High School secures out of out, that is he has secured 625 out of 625 and from the same school two other students – Aditihi Rao and Keerthana R have secured 624.

Three students from the city have managed to score 624 marks, another student Shivani M Bhat from Marimallappa’s High School has secured 624 marks. Two other students – Spandana Dev from Saint Thomas High School and Srinandini KR from VVS Pandit Nehru High School have scored 623.

The overall performance of students in SSLC exams in Mysuru, which is also the home district of chief minister Siddaramaiah has improved drastically this year compared to last year. In 2016-17, with a passing percentage of 72.29 Mysuru stood at 21st position, this year (in 2017-18) with a passing percentage of 82.9 it scaled up to 11th position. Compare to last year the pass percentage has increased by 10.61%

But since 2011, Mysuru has failed to secure a position in a scale of one to five. From 2011-12 to present year, the district has managed to be in the top ten position only twice, in 2014-15 with 89.13 pass percentage it stood at 10th position and in the subsequent academic year it stood at 8th position with 85.56 pass percentage.

Thanks to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) of Mysuru district for its new efforts to improve the SSLC results, From November 2017, DPI started providing workbooks for each subjects to all the schools (government, private and aided) across the district. A senior officer in DPI told TNIE that said it seems students thoroughly learnt the questions and answers of these books. “This is one of the main reason, why students have done well in SSLC from the district, we are sure that next year we will be among the top five position,” said officer.

The department started the process of identifying students with low level learning ability at Government schools from July 2017 and it has been completed few months ago, these students were exposed to the special classes for one hour everyday before and after the schools hours.

Apart from this initiative quiz competitions on different subjects on every Saturdays were organized and unique programs like drawing science diagrams and writing maths formulas using Rangoli powder on the floor were made to practice by the students.

Flick through a story of love across races, borders and lifestyles; go through a heart-warming, hilarious and inspiring collection of true anecdotes from the life of writer Preeti Shenoy, telling us to love a little stronger; read a moving saga of a family as well as a commentary on the lives of hundreds who were affected by the Partition; and enjoy 10 free-wheeling articles written in conversational style, verging on the informally careless — all with the flavour of Delhi.

The IANS bookshelf has a good amount of love and romance to offer this weekend.

1. Book: Love Knows No Boundaries; Author: Sujay Kantawala; Publisher: publishing; Price: Rs 195; Pages: 133

As the son of a State Governor in Chad, Sayed Shaquille Ahamat, has little to worry about. However, his family expects him to eventually take over his father’s business, marry a local girl and settle down, and there is a little reason for him not to fulfil their wishes.

Then, a polo accident leaves him nearly paralysed below the hip and turns his life topsy turvy. As he struggles to return to a semblance of normalcy, his efforts bring him into contact with an Ayurvedic centre in Sharjah. The head of the treatment centre is a beautiful ascetic, Ritambhara Devi, and Shaquille falls in love with her. To everyone’s surprise, she reciprocates his feelings.

Meanwhile, Ritambhara’s position and responsibilities elevate constantly at the Swami Samarthanand Ashram where she has lived since childhood. She will not give up her country, her religion and her Guruji to join Shaquille. Neither is Shaquille willing to forsake his way of life. So, what next?

2. Book: Love A Little Stronger; Author: Preeti Shenoy; Publisher: Srishti; Price: Rs 175; Pages: 164

Life is a collection of moments, some memorable and some mundane. Often it is the tiniest thing that brings the greatest joy, even though, at that time, we have no idea that what we are witnessing may be magical, something that we will talk about and laugh over after many years.

Packed with her hilarious narratives, poignant observations and a writing style loved by millions across the world, this book is certain to strike a chord with anybody who has children.

For those who have read “34 Bubble Gums” and “Candies”, this is a new version, with many additional stories. For others, it is a heart-warming, hilarious and inspiring collection of true anecdotes from the author’s life, telling us to love a little stronger, no matter what happens.

3. Book: The Tale of Two Countries; Author: B.K. Karkra; Publisher: Rupa; Price: Rs 295; Pages: 183

“The outside environment seemed to have completely overshadowed his genes. He was getting more and more Anglicised with every passing year and almost felt embarrassed of being the son of his parents. He felt that they were out of tune with life in Britain…”

Having survived the horrors of Partition, young lovers Guru and Sukhi begin a journey of blissful matrimony. Supporting each other through the various ups and downs of life, they migrate to England, start a business and see the birth of their only child, Gursukh, in due course. Everything seems perfect, yet the couple makes one last journey back to India.

What makes them take this journey? Weaving history with fiction, “The Tale of Two Countries” is a moving saga of a family and as well as a commentary on the lives of hundreds like the Grewals who, lured by life abroad, take the plunge, and have to deal with both the pressure to make good in an alien land as well as the longing for the motherland left behind.

4. Book: Earth Republic; Author: V. Shruti Devi; Publisher: Notion Press; Price: Rs 500; Pages: 201

“Earth Republic: Chatter from the Capital’s Cauldron (and Beyond)” is a collection of 10 free-wheeling articles written in conversational style, verging on the informally careless.

The potpourri of commentaries on theatre, sports, food, agriculture, world politics, Bruce Springsteen, Imran Khan, women’s rights, world peace, people’s belief systems, the right to privacy judgement — all with the flavour of New Delhi, right up to the present-day NCR, with tribal India and outer space forming a billowing backdrop for the grand production that is the Republic of Earth.

“Earth Republic” brings to the recliner, as well as to the office-desk-trying-to-look-busy, thoughts from time and space, and last night’s rally at the mantle-piece. It is an invitation to forge reality and rattle the galaxy, all in one pranayama-yoga clarion call.