Top books for 2013- Authors' pick
Anita Nair’s top 5 books of 2013
The author shares her top five reads of 2013...
Anita Nair’s top 5 books of 2013
1. Lone Warrior by M.T.Vasudevan Nair translated by Gita Krishnankutty: a different take on Bhima who has always been thought of as the brawny Pandava. We explore his mind and see his interpretations of the many events that make the Mahabharata what it is.
Anita Nair’s top 5 books of 2013
2. Jump Cut by Krishna Shastri Devulapalli- Looks at how ideas are stolen and thus lives destroyed written with truly droll and wicked wit.
Anita Nair’s top 5 books of 2013
3. The Extras by Kiran Nagarkar: An exuberant novel that covers big and small dreams of two lives Eddie and Ravan set within the world of Bollywood, taxi drivers and a chawl in Mumbai.
Anita Nair’s top 5 books of 2013
4. A Possible Life by Sebastian Faulks: It's precisely that . Of how there could have been another possible life for the protagonists of the 3 stories in the book but eventually it becomes the life they lead.
Anita Nair’s top 5 books of 2013
5. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver: The story of a man pulled in two different directions and of his finding his salvation in the lacuna - the space in between.
Ravi Subramanian's top 5 books of 2013
The author shares his top five reads of 2013...
Ravi Subramanian's top 5 books of 2013
1. The Siege by Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy: A fabulous book by two investigative journalists Adrian and Cathy, who present a bone chilling version of what happened that fateful night in the terrorist attack on Mumbai which the world remembers as 26/11. Built as a thriller, this non-fiction bestseller is their account as gathered through conversations with guests, staff, police, NSG and everyone who was in the war zone. An unputdownable book.
Ravi Subramanian's top 5 books of 2013
2. The Secret of Leadership by Prakash Iyer: Filled with delightful anecdotes and stories about leadership, the book shows how leadership and attitude of wining can be inculcated in each and every individual. Coming from an author who is extremely credible (been there done that), Prakash is able to make the examples vivid and memorable. The book truly inspires you to chase your dreams and live the life you truly desire for yourself.
Ravi Subramanian's top 5 books of 2013
3. Business Sutra by Devdutt Pattnaik : 436 Pages of Pure Delight. It takes the reader on a journey of decoding the business beliefs of the Indians, the Chinese and even the western world. In the process it links them with certain mythological thoughts and beliefs. The Illustrations in each chapter make reading a breeze.
Ravi Subramanian's top 5 books of 2013
4. The Everything Store by Brad Stone : The revealing definitive biography of the man who created Amazon, is a must read for everyone.
Ravi Subramanian's top 5 books of 2013
5. Mistress by James Patterson: One of James Patterson's best thrillers till date, Mistress is the story of an obsessed lover who is a witness to the death of the woman he pines for. Spurred by his love for her, he sets out to figure out what caused her death. In the process he uncovers an elaborate trail of lies deception and murder, which threatens to consume the highest office of the President of the United States of America. One of the best thrillers that I have read this year.
Ashwin Sanghi's top 5 books of 2013
The author tells us about his top five reads of 2013...
Ashwin Sanghi's top 5 books of 2013
1. Inferno by Dan Brown: As usual, Dan Brown manages to craft yet another unputdownable thriller. Centred around Dante’s literary masterpiece "Inferno", the novel is filled with stuff that I adore—secrets, science, suspects, shivers and suspense.
Ashwin Sanghi's top 5 books of 2013
2. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling): It’s difficult to
distinguish JK Rowling from PD James with this particular book. Cautiously paced and beautifully crafted, it gradually peels open the secrets of a model’s sudden and suspicious death.
Ashwin Sanghi's top 5 books of 2013
3. Sycamore Row by John Grisham: I had loved John Grisham’s "A Time to Kill" and this was a must-read given that it is the sequel. Delighted to see Jake Brigance back in action. Perfect twists make the plot absolutely delicious.
Ashwin Sanghi's top 5 books of 2013
4. Hatching Twitter- A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship & Betrayal by Nick Bilton: Although the founders of Twitter may be idealists, this book will reveal to you the vicious fights, jealousies and backstabbing that went into the Twitter story. Loved exploring the journey from Idea to IPO.
Ashwin Sanghi's top 5 books of 2013
5. Gandhi Before India by Ramachandra Guha: Brilliant research by Ramachandra Guha to show that most of Gandhi’s ideas and strategies for the Independence movement were developed during the twenty years that he spent in South Africa. Fascinating read.
Amish Tripathi's top 5 books of 2013
The author shares his top five reads of 2013...
Amish Tripathi's top 5 books of 2013
5. Akhenaten - Dweller in Truth by Naguib Mahfooz: A brilliant insight, told from different perspectives, into the 'heretic pharoah' Akhenaten.
Amish Tripathi's top 5 books of 2013
1. I, Lalla (the poems of Lal Ded): A translation by Ranjit Hoskote of the poems of fourteenth-century Kashmiri mystic Lal Ded.
Amish Tripathi's top 5 books of 2013
2. Anti-Fragile, by Nissim Taleb: A revolutionary perspective that one has come to expect from Nissim Taleb. Apparently, we gain from chaos, we need it in order to survive and flourish. A book to make you think.
Amish Tripathi's top 5 books of 2013
3. Land of the Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal: One of the finest modern Indian thinkers gives us this book. The only way to describe it is that it is the 'history of India's geography!'
Amish Tripathi's top 5 books of 2013
4. Return of a King by William Dalrymple: A well-written narrative non-fiction book on the Anglo-Afghan wars of the 19th century. Surprising and scary parallels to the wars in Afghanistan today.
Preeti Shenoy's top 5 books for 2013
Preeti Shenoy's top 5 books for 2013
1. The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman: A brilliant, dark, haunting tale, written in the trademark, inimitable Gaiman style, this book had me lost in the world of Lettie Hempstock and the narrator's childhood. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down till I finished.
Preeti Shenoy's top 5 books for 2013
2. Every Seventh Wave by Daniel Glattauer: A sequel to the international best seller, ‘Love virtually’ (which I hadn’t read at the time of reading this one) ,I fell in love with the book and devoured it in a couple of hours. An endearing love story told through e-mail exchanges between Emmi and Leo, makes this book a must read for anyone in love with words, romance and most importantly romance through words.
Preeti Shenoy's top 5 books for 2013
3. Nobody Can Love You More by Mayank Austen Soofi: Even though this book released in late 2012, I have included it in this list. The book which is almost like a documentary on the lives of women in Delhi’s red light distict has evocative photographs that leave an impact with their sadness and incisive observations by the author that strike hard, withoutreally making an attempt to do so, made this book an unforgettable read for me. I found it deeply moving.
Preeti Shenoy's top 5 books for 2013
4. Follow Every Rainbow by Rashmi Bansal: Inspiring stories of 20 women entrepreneurs with humble roots and how circumstances as well as their own determination and courage, made a success of their lives, makes this book a great read.
Preeti Shenoy's top 5 books for 2013
5. Diary of Amos Lee (I sit, I write, I flush) by Adeline Foo: This is a children’s book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It is the diary of a young boy called Amos growing up in Singapore, whose mom makes him write a journal, when he sits on the toilet. The attractive illustrations made it a bonus.
Krishna Shastri Devulapalli top 5 books for 2013
Krishna Shastri Devulapalli top 5 books for 2013
1. Savage Harvest: Stories of Partition by Mohinder Singh Sarna (translated by Navtej Sarna) - People have told me they’ve had to endure strange looks on account of bursting into laughter while reading my book in airports and on planes. Whether this is because of my unparalleled prowess as a humourist, or because they are reminded of that one pic of mine on the net where I’m doing the Funky Chicken dressed as a French maid, I’m yet to ascertain. But while on a long flight back from Chandigarh to Chennai, my experience was quite the opposite. When a flight attendant asked me “All okay, sir?” it took me a minute to figure out why. I was reading Sarna’s Savage Harvest: Stories of Partition, translated so beautifully by his son, and didn’t realize that I had been weeping like a Tamil heroine from the ’60s. So my advice: activate those tear ducts, don’t miss this one.
Krishna Shastri Devulapalli top 5 books for 2013
2. How To make Enemies and Offend People by G. Sampath - Just to show you what a large-hearted man I am, for I do hold the position of the second funniest man in India after Arnab Goswami, the next book I fearlessly recommend is a humorous one written by someone other than me. I recommend this for two reasons. One, the blurb, which says: “Ever since the Radia Tapes were leaked, my wife has been terribly upset. I tried to reason with her. “Believe me,” I said. “I did talk to Niira Radia. Is it my fault that my conversation with her has not been leaked?” How can you read that blurb and not buy the book?
And Reason 2, the more important one. However funny its author, G. Sampath, claims to be, however many accolades he may win, I can afford to be generous because he can never have what I have – a full head of hair. But, seriously, get this one.
Krishna Shastri Devulapalli top 5 books for 2013
3. Writing Octopus (poetry) by K. Srilata - When people see me, and think it’s all about my comic timing and my supermodel-like looks, it hurts me. I’m more than just a pretty face with a sense of humour so magnificent that an adult diaper brand has asked me to be their brand ambassador on account of the urinary incontinence my writing causes. I have a sensitive side, too. I love poetry. In fact, my all-time favourite poem is the one by Shelley about the girl from La Plata whose digestive issues at the Argentine sports made her useful as a starter. Such depth, such understanding of the human condition and that, too, all in rhyme!
The next book I recommend, though the poems don’t exactly rhyme, is also full of such tiny gems by poet K. Srilata. Each poem is a lovely compressed version of the poet’s heart and by that I don’t angina. Read it if you’re the sensitive type. Read it if you’re not, too. You may, to your dismay, discover that you are.
Krishna Shastri Devulapalli top 5 books for 2013
4. Adrift: A True Story of Survival at Sea by V. Sudarshan - If you want a rousing sea adventure, an evocative recreation of the Andaman seascape, triumph of the human spirit, sharks, storms, all in a lethal 180-page package that, too, all true – this is the book for you. But this is nothing compared to the author’s own daily life as he risks life and limb navigating the hostile terrain between Thiruvanmiyur and Avadi, self-driving his SUV just so he can edit a newspaper. Sudarshan is the new-age R. L. Stevenson–Hemingway–Hunter S Thompson rolled into one giant doobie. This book should be made recommended reading for schools – even if it means threatening school principals. And, oh, adults will enjoy it, too.
Krishna Shastri Devulapalli top 5 books for 2013
5. Jump Cut by Krishna Shastri Devulapalli - In my humble opinion, this is the pick of the lot. And I’m not saying this just because I wrote it. Ask anyone living in Beach Road, Besant Nagar, and they’ll echo my sentiments. That’s how good the upma at my launch function was. It also helps that my mother-in-law owns a high-powered rifle and can pick off a squirrel’s nuts at a hundred paces.
What does Jump Cut have going for it? Well, everything. There’s father-son sentiment, there’s the film industry, there’s a buddy tale, there’s a love story, there’s sex, there’s revenge, there’s J-Lo (or at least her good parts), and above all, there’s a black Labrador called Dog Raj who saves the day.
Get your copy today. To be on the safe side, get three.
Madhuri Banerjee's top 5 books for 2013
Madhuri Banerjee's top 5 books for 2013
1. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri – Two brothers bound by tragedy, an exotic wife shared by both, a love that lasts beyond the grave, a family torn by revolution, an idealism that lingers through time. Jhumpa Lahiri’s book is by far the most evocative writing I’ve read in ages. The story, characters, and the events will leave an impression long time after you’ve turned the last page. Beautifully interwoven through the eyes of the characters who are trying desperately to overcome grave situations, hold on to their beliefs, and find love. This one definitely deserved to be nominated for the Man Booker Prize. Can be read repeatedly.
Madhuri Banerjee's top 5 books for 2013
2. Faraway Music by Sreemoyee Piu Kundu – The book is about a woman Piya Choudhary who tells her life story to an eager reporter on a plane ride and reveals deep secrets never shared before. The novel is sensuous, lyrical, profound, and extremely moving. Sreemoyee is the author who breaks the boundaries of regular chick lit and takes the reader to the edge of their comfort zones.
Madhuri Banerjee's top 5 books for 2013
3. Sita: An illustrated Retelling of the Ramayan by Devdutt Patnaik - Beautiful stories of a woman who everyone reveres but knows little about. The small illustrations make it easier to imagine what Sita was going through. Am writing a modern day version of Sita and Devdutt has given me plenty to absorb for my own novel.
Madhuri Banerjee's top 5 books for 2013
4. Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto – A semi autobiographical book, it shows a life so different from what you can imagine that it will leave you spell bound. The provocative writing makes you go on a wave of emotions as you read the novel. Can easily be made into a TV series that I would love to watch.
Madhuri Banerjee's top 5 books for 2013
5. Life of Pi by Yann Martel – Re released after Ang Lee’s version came on the silver screen. The most beautiful book you’ll ever read. A simple story of a boy who is the lone survivor of a ship wreck who shares a boat with a tiger and lives to tell the tale. Deeply spiritual story that will touch you and make you understand that life is all about acceptance of who you are and letting go of your fears every single day. Must read for everyone at least once in his or her lifetime!
Faraaz Kazi's top 5 books for 2013
Faraaz Kazi's top 5 books for 2013
1. And the mountains echoed by Khalid Hosseini: Being my favourite author, I always have high expectations from a Hosseini work and he knows that, I'm sure because he never disappoints! This book contains stories within a story, Khalid Hosseini does what he is so good at- convince the reader about his story and make him so involved in it that the reader and the characters become one. The book speaks about the lives of at least three protagonists in various corners of the world and how choices of one impact lives of generations to come. It's not suspense yet it will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Faraaz Kazi's top 5 books for 2013
2. The ocean at the end of the lane by Neil Gaiman: I was considering between Stephen King's 'Doctor Sleep' and this title as they are almost of overlapping genres, i.e. horror and fantasy. I went ahead with this one may be because I have been on an overdose of horror for quite sometime now and I found this refreshing. If it wasn't for that 'treat it as if it isn't there' sex scene, I would have almost considered this book, a teenage YA title. There's an almost ethereal quality to the writing and there are many reasons it's hard to know what's real and what is not. The book opens with a man revisiting the place where he used to live when he was seven. Somehow he ends up at the farm at the end of the lane, a place that starts to bring back a strange series of thoughts as seen through the eyes of a young boy. How real is the magic and monsters of our childhood? When we look back and see ignorant kids believing in the impossible, are we enlightened adults? Or are we the thick skinned ones, blinded by years dedicated to being sensible and not believing? Are the villains we remember monsters from another world? Or is that just how children make sense of the people who brought upheaval into their lives? Gaiman's most mesmerising work till date.
Faraaz Kazi's top 5 books for 2013
3. The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey: The only YA title I loved this year. I preferred it over Veronica Roth's 'Allegiant' purely on the writing. This is dystopical sci-fi and though I'm not a big fan of the genre, I found this book gripping and the entire conflict between last remaining humans and aliens disguised as humans is convincing enough to make you wonder what if the world will end the next day. Every aspect of this book is told incredibly well, from the action to the characters to the love-triangle. Yancey sets the creepy must-keep-looking-over-your-shoulder mood from the start and keeps it going throughout. The story-telling is superb, whether it's the big, fast-paced, life or death scenes, or the small but equally important events that shape how the readers view the characters and their relationships. The best of all are the sarcastic one-liners and the interesting repartees between the protagonists. I am looking forward to the sequel in eager anticipation.
Faraaz Kazi's top 5 books for 2013
4. Inferno by Dan Brown: Again about a 24 hour long mystery. Robert Langdon wakes up at a hospital with no recollection of how he got there and as he starts to figure out what's going on, he starts getting deeper and deeper into a dangerous event that is about to threaten the world. Dan Brown and his brilliance at its best: thought-provoking ideas, packaged in a delightfully consumable plot, told at a breakneck pace, sprinkled with twists and turns, and topped by explosive dénouements. This one educates, informs and drags you right from your seat and into the book. After all, there are not many Robert Langdons in the fictional world, the ones who wear a Mickey mouse watch and solve ancient conspiracy based mysteries.
Faraaz Kazi's top 5 books for 2013
5. The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup: This book makes it to my list of reads purely because of the plot and because of the fact that Mr. Swarup is amongst the handful of Indian writers, whose works I read and adore. A rich old man recruiting a poor middle class sales girl as the heir to his business provided she passes seven tests of life. It's like a fairy tale in reality- an underdog character who must prove her worth in life to her family, her friends and people whom she thinks are friends should fight it out against life and emerge victorious. Pretty similar to what Mr. Swarup's characters are known to be yet pretty unique in terms of how she is a part of the entire scheme of things in the story. The book is fast paced and keeps one involved through the twists and turns throughout.
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