BOOKS WE RECOMMEND THIS WEEK

From a brilliant feminist mythological fiction, to a book describing ten maps that reveal the future of global power and politics, our book picks this week, curated by Chirdeep Malhotra

MYTHOLOGICAL FICTION

“Ariadne” by Jennifer Saint

This novel is a mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Ariadne and her sister Phaedra are the princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos. The Minotaur – a monster in Crete – demands a sacrifice every year, and Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast. As Ariadne falls in love with Theseus, she tries to help him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything. This beautifully written and completely immersive debut novel gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths.



NON-FICTION/ GEOPOLITICS

“The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World” by Tim Marshall

This book is the sequel to the bestseller book “Prisoners of Geography”. This revelatory book explores ten regions that are set to shape global politics in a new age of great-power rivalry: Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Greece, Turkey, the Sahel, Ethiopia, Spain and Space. Among other geopolitical insights, the book details why the Middle East must look beyond oil and sand to secure its future, and why the eastern Mediterranean is one of the most volatile flashpoints of the twenty-first century. Delivered with Tim Marshall’s trademark wit and insight, this is a lucid and gripping exploration of the power of geography to shape humanity’s past, present – and future.



SELF-HELP

“Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take A Chance On You” by Suneel Gupta, with Carlye Adler

This book draws lessons from hundreds of the world's biggest thinkers, and presents an actionable look at how to make your ideas take flight. It contains insights, from producers of Oscar-winning films, venture capitalists, founders of unicorn-status startups, and executives at iconic companies, that will help readers when they are pitching a brand new startup or an idea for their company's next product. This book reveals how the key to success is not charisma, connections, or even your CV, but rather your ability to persuade others to take a chance on you. This groundbreaking book will show you how.



SUSPENSE THRILLER

“Falling: A Novel” by T. J. Newman

This is T. J. Newman’s debut novel, and is set on a flight to New York which her protagonist has boarded, with 143 other passengers. Thirty minutes before the flight takes off, the pilot’s family has been kidnapped. For the pilot’s family to live, everyone on the flight must die, since the pilot has orders to crash the plane. This novel’s terrific premise has fast-paced action and intense suspense.