BOOKS WE RECOMMEND THIS WEEK

Compiled by: Chirdeep Malhotra

1) “Here and Hereafter: Nirmal Verma's Life in Literature” by Vineet Gill

(Non-Fiction | Format: Hardcover/Kindle | MRP: 410 INR)

BLURB: How is a writer formed? Yes, through labour, commitment, perseverance, grit and various other things that we keep hearing about. But equally, a writer is formed through the workings of a particular kind of sensibility. As Vineet Gill attempts to understand this writerly sensibility in Nirmal Verma's life and work, he finds that the personal and the literary are, on some level, inseparable.
In this masterly deep dive into the world of one of Hindi literature's pioneers, Gill looks at the scattered elements of Verma's life as ingredients that went into the making of the writer. The places he lived in, the people he knew, the books he read are all reflected, in Gill's view, in Verma's stories and novels. This is a work of intense readerly analysis and considered excavation – a contemplation on Verma's oeuvre and its place in world literature.



2) “Dare to Learn: The Power of an Educated Girl”, edited by Malala Fund

(Non-Fiction | Format: Paperback/Kindle | MRP: 153 INR)

BLURB: Around the world, girls face different threats to their education. The specifics may vary - from early marriage or child labour to conflict, climate change and displacement - but the story of Malala Yousafzai plays out in the life of any girl asserting her right to receive an education in the face of great odds.
“Dare to Learn” documents the journeys of 25 exceptionally brave young girls who fought oppression and defied regressive social norms to go to school. This includes stories such as that of Vandana from India, who studied day and night to excel in her studies to prove to her parents that she was a police inspector in the making and not a child bride; Nibras, a Yazidi refugee who stood up against the ISIS to go to school after her family was forced to flee Iraq; or fifteen-year-old Aisha from Nigeria, who was separated from her family by the Boko Haram but held on to her dream of becoming a nurse one day.
Replete with stories of hope, courage and revolution, and with an Introduction by Malala, these are exceptional profiles of some extraordinary girls who dared to change their world by standing up for their right to learn.



3) “History Hunters: Chandragupta Maurya and the Greek Onslaught” by Shruti Garodia and Archana Garodia Gupta

(Children’s Historical Fiction | Format: Paperback/Kindle | MRP: 260 INR)

BLURB: What would YOU do if you found yourself in a whole new world 2,350 years ago?
All set to enjoy a picnic by a picturesque waterfall in Goa, four friends – Zoya, Noor, Ansh and Rohan – and their super-adorable elephant companion Elfu are suddenly flung back two millennia. Right into a bloody battlefield as Alexander of Macedonia marches into India!
As a young man comes to their rescue and takes them to his teacher's school in Takshashila, the flabbergasted foursome has no choice but to deal with non-stop challenges on the way, including villainous soldiers, deadly snakes and floating buffalo carcasses!
Faced with surprises and dangers, how will the youngsters get away? Can they avoid getting lost forever in another era? Will they beat the ticking clock to return to their own times?
Join the feisty and funny History Hunters on their first adventure in the thrilling – and sometimes chilling – world of Chandragupta Maurya, the future emperor, and Chanakya, the kingmaker.
PLUS! 24-PAGE FACT TRACKER. Must-know information about the Mauryan period!



4) “History Hunters: Akbar and the Agents from the East” by Shruti Garodia and Archana Garodia Gupta

(Children’s Historical Fiction | Format: Paperback/Kindle | MRP: 240 INR)

BLURB: How would YOU feel if you were a prisoner of a mighty ruler 450 years ago?
The feisty foursome – Zoya, Noor, Ansh and Rohan – and their endearing elephant friend Elfu have only just recovered from being flung back thousands of years to a bloody battlefield. Before they know it, they are whirled once again through time, and land in the court of Akbar, the powerful Mughal emperor.
Sent by the mysterious billionaire who lives next door to their Goa resort, the youngsters have a mission to accomplish, but dangers lurk at every turn. They must dodge poisoned robes, outsmart hidden assassins, overcome fierce warriors and even escape execution by elephant!
How will the four friends handle the challenges thrown their way? Can they complete their quest and make it back to their own times safely?
Join the sometimes audacious, sometimes heroic and often plain lucky History Hunters as they brave the dazzling, baffling world of the Mughals in another wild adventure.
PLUS! 20-PAGE FACT TRACKER. Must-know information about the Mughal period!