BOOKS WE RECOMMEND THIS WEEK

From an anthology featuring writings from various islands, to a suspense thriller set in Austria, our book picks this week, curated by Chirdeep Malhotra

ROMANTIC FICTION

“It Must've Been Something He Wrote” by Nikita Deshpande

This romantic comedy follows Amruta Adarkar (Ruta), who arrives in Delhi to work as a marketing executive for Parker-Hailey's Publishing. Navigating the world of publishing, she’s stuck being a publicist for Jishnu Guha, protein-shake lover, serial selfie-taker and bestselling author of seven cheesy romance novels, the kind she wouldn’t be caught dead reading. As Ruta struggles between work and life in a new city, she finds, much to her annoyance, that she needs Jishnu’s help more than she cares to admit. But with her own parents getting a divorce, can Ruta dare to fall in love, especially with someone who’s so impossibly different? Pick up this book for a light-hearted and fun read.



NON-FICTION

“Belt and Road: A Chinese World Order” by Bruno Maçães

China's Belt and Road strategy is acknowledged to be the most ambitious geopolitical initiative of the age. Covering almost seventy countries by land and sea, it will affect every element of global society from shipping to agriculture, digital economy to tourism, and politics to culture. Most importantly, it symbolizes a new phase in China's ambitions as a superpower: to remake the world economy and crown Beijing as the new centre of capitalism and globalization.
This book traces this extraordinary initiative's history, highlighting its achievements to date and its staggering complexity. Along with discussing the contours and possibilities of China's Belt and Road Initiative, it also discusses the geopolitical implications for the countries involved.



TRAVEL LITERATURE/ LITERARY FICTION

“So Many Islands: Stories from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans”, edited by Nicholas Laughlin

This book breaks out bold new writing from the distant shores of countries in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. This eclectic collection features authors from and writings about these islands – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, Cyprus, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Malta, Mauritius, Niue, Rotuma (Fiji), Soma, Singapore, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga, and Trinidad and Tobago.
In the introduction, Marlon James, Booker Prize winner, says – ‘This is the real globalism, a glorious cacophony that seeks no common ground other than attitude.’ In this book, readers will find poems about revolution and protest, will be transported to Marakei, 'the women's island', and join the battle to save a beached whale. The writers create a vibrant portrait of what it is like to live and love on the small islands they call home, giving voice to their challenges and triumphs. Alongside family politics, “So Many Islands” tackles nuclear testing and climate change global issues that are close to the heart of these precariously poised communities.



MYSTERY THRILLER

“The Trail of Four” by Manjiri Prabhu

Penned by Manjiri Prabhu, who has been described as the "Desi Agatha Christie", this is a suspense/mystery novel set in Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria. The narrative is similar to Dan Brown novels, and the action takes place in 48 hours, taking Re Parker, an investigative journalist (who gets psychic visions of a case before things happen) on a strange trail set 75 years ago by Max Reinhardt (an Austrian-born American-Jew Director). In the process, not only does Re retrieve the stolen ‘heart’ of an Arch Bishop but also saves the city of Salzburg from destruction.