Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) A look at the Telangana movement, a cookbook compiling over 150 original recipes, a critique of India’s consumer-driven economic policy and a tale of an India-born Britain-based 21-year-old, the bookshelf this week serves varied readers.

1. “True Colours of Life”; Written by I.R. Shankar; Published by Swati Malhotra; Priced at Rs.97

The novel is an intriguing account of a young man in love, splendidly written. It is a compelling satirical portrait of a narcissistic protagonist, a flawed personality, hysterical; a perceptive study of the inner workings of his mind and his actions to woo the female, the child wife, Lolita-like, controversial.

Written in the second person, it is a reconstruction of a youthful dalliance with the fairer sex, a fascinating story of first love with all its amusing digressions and abstract matters merged in the form of the story.

2. “Live from London”; Written by Parinda Joshi; Published by Rupa & Co; Priced at Rs.195.

What happens when fate forklifts a fun and fearless 21-year-old from a crazy college costume party and puts her straight onto the stage of “Britain’s Got Talent”?

Nishi Gupta lives in London, loves playing her red beauty (guitar) and has a knack of seamlessly landing up in sticky situations. Unable to battle her humiliation post a stage debacle, she interns at a record label company. Frederick is the godfather she was looking for; influential and hard to impress.

Instead, she finds herself attracted to an international recording artist with a slightly funny name, Nick Navjot Chapman, who is part Indian, part Canadian and entirely sexy. A short-steamy affair, a gig on Nick’s debut album and Nick cheating on her with a pop singer; life changes fast for Nishi. Then the unthinkable happens and she finds herself back in India trying to build a fresh life for herself.

3. “Notes from My Kitchen Table”; Written by Gwyneth Paltrow; Published by Panmacmillan; Priced at Rs.1,450.

The Academy Award-winning actress and foodie lists friendly recipes from her kitchen. She has put her passion for food into her first cook book which has 150 fresh, original recipes - both healthy and indulgent.

Both accessible and inspiring, this beautifully illustrated easy-to-use cook book is full of lavish photographs, featuring Gwyneth’s family and friends. The actress comes forth as a busy working mom, who understands the time pressures on all of us - as well as the desire to cook delicious and original food.

4. “Battleground Telangana: Chronicle of an Agitation”; Written by Kingshuk Nag; Published by Harper-Collins India; Priced at Rs.350.

When the state of Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956, the people of Telangana (the region ruled by the Nizams at the time of independence) did not want to be a part of it, fearing that they would be displaced by the more enterprising and better educated migrants from the Andhra region.

In 1969, massive agitations for a separate Telangana left 400 people dead but the movement petered out. With the creation of new states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal in 2000, the battle for Telangana began once again. This book explores the complex issues, and the underlying causes of the Telangana movement.

5. “Desire Named Development”; Written by Aditya Nigam; Published by Penguin India; Priced at Rs.199

Does the economy exist for the sake of the consumer or does the consumer exist for the sake of the economy? Do we drive the automobile or does the automobile drive us?

A provocative, elegantly argued book critiquing India’s consumer-driven economic policy. The predatory neo-liberal capitalism that has become the norm in India over the last two decades raises many uncomfortable questions. Today, consumption defines what we are. And with the western capitalist model reigning supreme, all of us seem to have been reduced to being just consumers in the eyes of the government.