Category: Books

Categories
Books Lite Blogs Parenting

Picture books to spark your child’s imagination

A visually captivating story that takes readers on a journey of a day from sunny to stormy and then rainy – unfolding over pages of compelling and bold sketches that will surely grip the young reader’s imagination and heart…reports Asian Lite News

Young children are often very creative and hence constantly seeking new ways to engage their boundless imagination. Picture books play a vital role in this process, taking them on a journey that is both visually and emotionally captivating – transporting them to extraordinary places, igniting unforgettable memories, and imparting valuable lessons with engaging artwork that complements a child’s active curiosity and imagination. Encouraging the ever-curious child to explore the world of words and pictures, these books can be essential tools in encouraging your young ones to express themselves freely and creatively, be it through sketches, stories, or both!

The Parag Honour List, an initiative by Tata Trusts offers a curated collection of engaging picture books for young readers. From whimsical tales of animals in the woods to shared experiences of going to school, these must-read picture books are emotive and explorative – unlocking for young readers a world of new ideas, emotions, and possibilities through the power of visual storytelling.

An engaging wordless picture book that beautifully captures countless stories surrounding a momentous event in every young child’s life: their first day of school. With delightful and immersive illustrations, this enchanting book vividly portrays the experience of stepping into the unknown on that memorable day. Being wordless, it is accessible to several kinds of readers, particularly younger ones, who can experience the essence of school life through these moving illustrations.

This is Where We Live

A visually captivating story that takes readers on a journey of a day from sunny to stormy and then rainy – unfolding over pages of compelling and bold sketches that will surely grip the young reader’s imagination and heart. Instantly relatable, the book evokes memories of any child’s days in the sun, storm, and rain – encouraging them to connect with their experiences through art. Buzzed with beauty and creativity, this picture book might even compel young readers to embrace their inner artist, pick up a pencil and create their own sketches as they explore the wonders of the natural world with this book.

Zakir and His TablaDhaDhin Na

Author: Sandhya Rao, Illustrator: Proiti Roy | Publisher: JugnooPrakashan

A moving portrayal of valuable virtues like solidarity, love, and compassion, this bilingual picture book serves as a gentle guide for young readers, teaching them about the profound interconnectedness of all life. Using captivating imagery and powerful metaphors, this book presents a nuanced understanding of the world as a web of life where everyone needs to support each other –  sparking their imagination around abstract philosophical concepts like the significance of harmony and unity in the world.

Animal Alphabet

Author: Manjula Padmanabhan, Illustrator: Manjula Padmanabhan | Publisher: Tulika Publishers

A thoroughly delightful introduction to the English alphabet, there is more than meets the eye with this enjoyable picture book that brings alive on paper the many lesser-known animals of India in their natural habitats. Placing content in context, the book effortlessly opens up children’s minds to the rich lives of diverse fauna that is thriving across our country through its memorable rhymes, vivid illustrations, and appealing color palette.

Tiger, Tiger, where are you?

A captivating hunt for a tiger lost in the woods, let your child’s imagination run wild (quite literally!) as they imagine the great outdoors with a lost tiger roaming the jungle. The watercolor illustration is gentle, soft, and warm – taking young readers on a picturesque visual journey through the woods. A gripping mystery riddled with clues, this book engages the young reader’s curiosity on where the tiger could be while also giving them a glimpse of pragmatic life skills on how to track wild fauna.

ALSO READ-‘The Magical Mission to Mars’

Categories
Books Lite Blogs Tech Lite

‘The Magical Mission to Mars’

Given this, one may have doubts about the actuality of artificial intelligence, and second thoughts regarding how dependable that really is — especially with regard to creative pursuits…writes Kavya Dubey

Coming from a design background, Ashima Mathur, author of the children’s picture book, ‘The Magical Mission to Mars’, was more than inclined to combine resources at hand, including AI, to put together her book.

Thanks to her husband who works in the AI space, she was introduced to “the fascinating capabilities of generative AI tools.”

An intrigued Ashima decided to put these tools to use for a “fun project”. But it was her nephew Anay’s 10th birthday which was the catalyst for Ashima’s debut book.

“I created a video where Anay was hailed as the world’s best video game player by a news reporter. The sheer joy on Anay’s face was unforgettable. This experience, along with the fun I had during the process, made me realise how these technologies could create happiness for children. That’s when I decided to utilise this potential on a larger scale, leading to the creation of this book,” she said, in conversation.,

Ashima spoke of her reason for opting for a children’s book to present this experiment: “My background in design and a deep love for visual storytelling naturally directed me towards a children’s book. The medium provided a beautiful canvas to blend my capabilities with the intrigue of a narrative. The honest feedback from my two nephews during the drafting process was invaluable. There’s a unique satisfaction in bringing joy to children, and this book allowed me to accomplish that.”

But this accomplishment did not come without its fair share of challenges. Ashima used two AI tools in order to come up with this book — ChatGPT and Midjourney.

“ChatGPT’s plot suggestions lacked depth, so I ended up crafting my own. It also couldn’t maintain continuity over multiple chapters due to its context window limitations. Midjourney had a tendency to generate deformed images, needing rigorous review to ensure appropriateness for children.

“Achieving a perfect image required precision in prompts and constant retries and refinement. Overall, persistence and a clear vision were key to overcoming these challenges,” Ashima explained.

Given this, one may have doubts about the actuality of artificial intelligence, and second thoughts regarding how dependable that really is — especially with regard to creative pursuits.
 
Ashima opines that AI can be an invaluable tool in creative pursuits, however, one must “Picture it as a tireless, always-on-call assistant. It not only ramps up productivity but also gives new ideas when you least expect it!

AI, however, isn’t the master painter, but rather the brush – it lays down the initial strokes, but the finishing touches, the refined edits, especially for children’s stories, need a human hand.

“Despite these hurdles, working with AI is a game-changer, although the ultimate responsibility for the quality of the end product lies with the creator.”

Ashima concluded by noting: “Using AI in my work has been like unlocking a new level of productivity. It’s been very useful during brainstorming sessions, the writing process, and even when I’ve encountered the occasional writer’s block. However, the tools available today aren’t without their rough edges, particularly for unique tasks such as writing a book.

“Yet, I see them as temporary challenges. As technology advances and more specialised tools emerge, I believe we could be on the brink of an exciting revolution in the way we create.”

Ashima Mathur’s ‘The Magical Mission to Mars’ is indeed a one-of-a-kind attempt to create and illustrate a story by means of AI but, as she pointed out, AI is at best an aid and enhancement, not a replacement for human creativity.

ALSO READ-Audio books to regulate your kids screen time

Categories
Books Lite Blogs

Best books for your July reading list

The poems in the collection offer an artistic blend of tender response and thoughtful reaction to social realities, as well as an explosion of powerful emotions from a voice sought to be subdued…reports Asian Lite News

There’s nothing like a good read to get you through the sweltering days of July. Check out these titles:

India’s Secret War By Ushinor Majumdar

There are millions of tiny acts of resistance during any fight for liberation. Some of those result in victories and some in defeats. The Bangladesh Liberation War is full of such stories where India participated in these acts of resistance but till now, it has largely remained a secret, gathering dust in the BSF’ s archives.

India’s Secret War by Ushinor Majumdar is the first detailed, public telling of how India, through the BSF, trained, equipped and fought side-by-side with the regular and irregular forces of Bangladesh. This was above and beyond the paramilitary force’s mandate to guard borders. And the BSF did not fight with only guns-it also reached out to the Awami league leaders, arranged direct meetings with the Indian PM and helped set up the first and exiled democratic government of Bangladesh.

Dreams of a Healthy India | Edited by Syeda Hameed and Ritu Priya

Dreams Of A Healthy India looks at the state of health care in india and the means to democratize it with more pro-people design elements. it features the views of some of the foremost experts in the health field, demystifying the issues of health care systems for the general reader, and simultaneously provokes rethinking on several critical dimensions through writings by policymakers, practitioners and academics. this volume suggests that an indigenously developed health-care system, based on public-community partnerships, and respect for the plurality of needs, experiences and knowledges, can generate such health care for every Indian.

Office Secrets​ by Harish Bhat

Office Secrets offers a selection of fascinating and useful secrets that can help you be far more successful at your workplace. As a bonus, they can make you happier as well. You will find within a range of subjects-whether the best methods of fighting exhaustion, organizing your work desk, the power of listening, why kindness is so important, workplace lessons from Hercule Poirot and what you can learn from the cookies that your colleagues eat.​

Varavara Rao by N. Venugopal and Meena Kandasamy

Varavara Rao: A Life in Poetry is the first-ever collection in English of poems by the Telugu poet, selected and translated from sixteen books that he has published. Having begun to write poetry in his early teens, Varavara Rao, now in his early eighties, continues to be a doyen of Telugu modern poets.

He was a consistent comrade-in-letters to all the social movements from the 1960s to the 2010s, and this volume is a capsule of momentous social history captured in his poetic imagination.

The poems in the collection offer an artistic blend of tender response and thoughtful reaction to social realities, as well as an explosion of powerful emotions from a voice sought to be subdued. Varavara Rao’s poetry, more than anything else, is an offering of solidarity to the voiceless, the underdog and the oppressed.

Goa, 1961: The Complete Story of Nationalism and Integration by Valmiki Faleiro

The subject of the liberation of Goa in 1961 and its integration into the Indian Union in 1962 is sparsely understood at best and misunderstood at worst. Faleiro lucidly outlines the prevailing political atmosphere and its changing character, the part played by indigenous independence movements and freedom fighters leading to the liberation of Goa, and the impact of its consequent assimilation into India. Extensively researched and extremely well-written, Goa, 1961 is a seminal book on an important subject and a must-read for anyone interested in Indian history.

This book starts with the background of occupation of Goa by the Portuguese in the year 1510 – the first foreign occupier in India, older than the Mughals. It deals with history of the resistance put up by natives of Salcete against the colonial occupier barely fifteen years from the time Salcete came under Portuguese rule. It provides a backdrop of life and politics in Goa, in the face of changing political and economic vicissitudes in Portugal, and the birth of local nationalism. From the time Portugal came under a dictatorship in 1928 to after India attained Independence in 1947, it deals with the local aspiration for freedom and India’s diverse non-violent steps for fourteen years (1947-1961), ending finally with a detailed account of India’s military operation that relieved the colonial yoke and its aftermath – locally, in India and across the world (Portugal was an European country, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NATO). It is the first book to shed light on all aspects of a story little understood at best or misunderstood at worst.

ALSO READ-‘Comic books capture the interest of wide audiences’

Categories
Books Lite Blogs

The Broken Script

In the words of Dalrymple, Liddle has “salvaged from the ruins an outstanding new history of a great city suspended between two Empires. A brilliant work of historical scholarship.”…reports Sourish Bhattacharyya

 The chronicler of Delhi, Swapna Liddle, has come out with a new book that, in the words of William Dalrymple, “finally supersedes Percival Spear’s classic, ‘Twilight of the Mughals’.”

Taking a majestic sweep through the years 1803, when the army of the East India Company General, Viscount Gerard Lake, defeated the forces of Daulatrao Scindia led by a French mercenary at the Battle of Patparganj and entered Delhi, to 1857, when the last Mughal emperor involuntarily set off the events of the Revolt, ‘The Broken Script’ explores the forgotten facets of the intervening five decades — or the “hybrid half-century”, as Liddle describes them.

In the words of Dalrymple, Liddle has “salvaged from the ruins an outstanding new history of a great city suspended between two Empires. A brilliant work of historical scholarship.”

Liddle is known for her books ‘Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi’ and ‘Connaught Place and the Making of New Delhi’, apart from her edited and annotated translation of ‘Sair-ul-Manazil’, the first known listing of Delhi’s historical monuments compiled in the 1820s by Mirza Sangin Bayg.

At the start of the 19th century, there was a Mughal emperor on the throne in Delhi, but the Mughal empire, in decline for almost a century, was practically gone, says the book’s promo. A new power had emerged — the East India Company, which captured the Mughal capital in September 1803, becoming its de facto ruler.

As two regimes overlapped, Delhi found itself at the cusp of modernity, changing in profound ways that are scarcely recognised today.

‘The Broken Script’, published by Speaking Tiger, describes in vivid detail the complex tussle between the last two Mughal emperors and the East India Company, one still wielding considerable symbolic authority, the other a fast-growing military and political power.

In this maelstrom of political uncertainty, Delhi saw some of its best moments, exemplified by characters such as the poet Ghalib and the self-taught mathematician Ram Chander, and of course the cultural and intellectual elite, business magnates, the old landed nobility and the exotic new ruling class — the British.

Through their prism, Liddle looks at the economic, social and cultural climate that evolved over six decades.

She examines the great flowering of poetry in Urdu, even as attempts to use the language for scientific education faltered; the fascinating history of the Delhi College, where both Ghalib and Ram Chander taught, and how it represented a radically new model for higher education in India; the rise of modern journalism in Urdu, and various printing presses and publications, represented by papers like the ‘Dehli Urdu Akhbar’; and the founding of institutions such as the Archeological Society.

All of these developments point to a fast-modernising society that was being shaped to a significant extent by Western ideas and institutions, but was also rooted strongly in indigenous systems of thought and learning.

The Revolt of 1857 and its aftermath violently disrupted this distinctive modernity, according to Liddle. Her book draws upon a variety of records — including Urdu poetry written after the revolt was brutally suppressed, proceedings of the trials conducted by the British, private letters and newspaper reports — for a nuanced examination of the events of 1857, challenging many commonly held and often simplistic assumptions.

In the process, ‘The Broken Script’ details not only the destruction wreaked upon Delhi, but also strategies for survival and early attempts to rebuild and revive individual lives and institutions.

ALSO READ-

Categories
Books Lite Blogs London News

War of Lanka

The book promotion of Amish Tripathi’s latest book War of Lanka held at the Manchester Museum.. Swapna Das writes

Asian Lite in collaboration with Harper Collins successfully hosted the book promotion of Amish Tripathi’s latest book War of Lanka. The event was held on 7th June at the Manchester Museum. I attended the event with excitement and inquisitiveness and was pleasantly surprised to witness a good listening crowd.

The author’s presence on the occasion made the Indian diaspora feel proud of his literary achievements. The audience heard him speak about his journey as a writer and his other areas of work. I was interested to note the role of philosophy and religion in all his written works. Amish was generous with his wit and humour and the crowd listened to him in awe and I was one of them.

As an avid reader, I have enjoyed reading War of Lanka and was therefore interested to attend the function and meet the author in person. The enthusiastic crowd asked various questions addressed to the author, to which Amish replied with ease and conviction. When asked about his favourite Avatar, Amish obliged the young boy with a reply and said “Ram is my favourite Avatar”.

Categories
Books Food Lite Blogs

Lessons of management through ‘Biriyani’

Adding that he sees biryani as a wholesome dish, Sokhi remembers approaching publishers with the idea of writing a book on food and management, but always being requested to work on a cookbook…writes Sukant Deepak

Smiling that he has a soul connection with food and lives for it, ‘energy chef’ Harpal Singh Sokhi who is often seen on television, not just giving recipes but entertaining his viewers with a peculiar brand of humour and one-liners, asserts, “Precisely why my audience base is between those aged two and 90. See, I am already preparing the next generation in order to stay relevant for decades to come,” he tells.

The chef, whose latest book ‘The Biryani Leader’ was launched recently, says it is a result of his thought process over the past decade.

Someone who has worked with major five-stars in the country besides launching multiple restaurants, including Karigari, BB Jaan, Dhadoom, Chika Chika, and Twist of Tadka in his three-decade career, he says that while chefs are taught that food is all about art and science, there is another element at play too.

“Why do we forget management — both at the macro and micro level? You keep a vessel on fire and you add spices and all, not realising the oil is so hot that everything will burn. Minute things warrant attention and should become standard practice. I maintain the Japanese principle of 5S pillars of Japanese management — Sort (Seiri), Set in Order (Seiton), Shine (Seiso), Standardise (Seiketsu), and Sustain (Shitsuke) are at play even in the kitchen,” says this IHM Bhubaneswar pass-out.

Adding that he sees biryani as a wholesome dish, Sokhi remembers approaching publishers with the idea of writing a book on food and management, but always being requested to work on a cookbook.

“But why would I do that? There are enough floating around. Moreover, the effort was to bring forth something path-breaking and not walk the road mostly taken.”

Priding himself on wearing “unique chef coats and twin-coloured turbans,” he feels the book is bound to do well.

“Also, biryani is the dish that sells the most in the country. There are more than 50 ingredients but each one has its own taste.”

While he feels that social media has made things interesting for food aficionados, the chef says it wise not to follow everything floating blindly.

“There may be 10 different recipes for a dish. Just see what is common in all of them and evaluate. Also, I strongly believe that it is important to search for knowledge that is being given by locals,” says Sokhi, who would be opening more restaurants and lounge bars across the country this year.

Believing that it is his state of mind that ultimately decides if the dish will come out well, Sokhi says whenever he is disturbed, he makes it a point not to go near the fire.

“I would tell my assistants to take over and go for a walk. Unless I am at peace with myself, the product will not come out well,” concludes the chef whose comfort food is a bowl of biryani cooked by his wife.

ALSO READ-Jadau embedding precious gemstones into semi-solid gold

Categories
Books Lifestyle Lite Blogs

‘Most of what you know addiction is wrong’

Going back to colonial times, Ambekar pointed to the genesis of the prevalent notion that foreign alcohol is urban and elite; native substances such as ‘bhang’ and ‘charas’, which were regularly consumed and not considered an aberration, were regarded as rustic, and socially lowly…writes Kavya Dubey

Rampant addiction to substances may seem like a contemporary problem, but the use of psychotropic intoxicants long predates the awareness of the menace of drug addiction.

Dispelling common myths surrounding addiction, and delving into the new understanding of the issue and the menace it has come to be, Dr Anirudh Kala, a Punjab-based psychiatrist, in his third book ‘Most of What You Know About Addiction Is Wrong’ (published by Speaking Tiger), presents a meticulously detailed, comprehensive and insightful account of the very phenomenon of engaging in psycho-active substances and what leads it to become the menace of addiction.

Speaking at the book launch, Kala opened his address with a reminder: “People took opium and were by and large functional. You could have a four-hour-long discussion with someone on politics and be surprised that he is regularly opiated.”

The difference, though, is that people are dying from overdose, and getting infected with hepatitis and HIV from shared needles, Kala said, pointing out that jails have a significant number of inmates held for drug-related crimes but these are the people who need treatment and rehabilitation.

Dr Atul Ambekar, a fellow psychiatrist who has also written the foreword to Kala’s book, highlighted the “draconian” NDPS Act and how it is not the solution but the major contributor to rampant addiction, which is both a public health concern and a policy matter.

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, prohibits production, manufacturing, cultivation, possession, sale, purchase, transport, storage, and/or consumption of any psychotropic substance or narcotic drug.

Ambekar explained the twin concerns of drug addiction and the NDPS Act with reference to the historical context. Indian society, which may not have celebrated the use of psychoactive substances, but nonetheless had space for their use, granting them social acceptance, which in turn kept in check the problem of addiction and the escalated situation of people dying from it.

“Usage does not mean addiction,” he clarified. “We socialise over drinks but we may not be alcoholics.” Explaining further, he emphasised the fundamental human need for an altered state of mind from time to time.

“It is a common need to periodically want to feel different, as much as a human needs food or sex or sleep. Some people use art, rock climbing, mysticism (for this purpose),” he said, marking a shift from substance to behaviour, both of which could lead to addiction.

“It becomes addiction not from regular use but from its salience — when a lot of mind space is taken up by the intoxicant,” Ambekar emphasised. “Addiction is as much a disease as diabetes or hypertension is.”

The experts also highlighted the predisposing factors for addiction: traumatic experiences and genetics are significant determinants of who gets addicted and who doesn’t.

Contrary to common perception, however, they maintain that mere availability of substances may have an impact on its use, but not on its addiction: “Alcohol is freely available but most Indians are teetotalers.”

The problem of drugs is a problem of policy

Ambekar went on to talk about the legality and policy matters surrounding substance abuse and addiction. “When opium was available, there were fewer addicts,” he said, adding that “most of the problems related to drugs are a problem of policy matters.”

He specifically pointed out three pitfalls of the NDPS Act.

The law puts all psychoactive substances in the same category without any distinction based on effect and intensity upon procurement or consumption.

Further, it criminalises personal consumption, thereby stigmatising it and, in turn, making it challenging to provide suitable treatment on time and addressing the public health concern at large.

Finally, the NDPS Act restricts doctors from prescribing certain drugs, making treatment difficult as they are systemically rendered vulnerable to stand criminalised.

Going back to colonial times, Ambekar pointed to the genesis of the prevalent notion that foreign alcohol is urban and elite; native substances such as ‘bhang’ and ‘charas’, which were regularly consumed and not considered an aberration, were regarded as rustic, and socially lowly.

India’s native intoxicants were vilified, but today, the world has realised that alcohol is much more harmful and cannabis has far greater uses than recreational intoxication.

In India, a drug dealer makes more money from narcotics than from the native bhang, with the same amount of risk and punishment involved.

Hence, it makes business sense to peddle the more harmful and damaging synthetic drugs like heroin and cocaine than selling or consuming the native, natural intoxicants.

Kala is of the view that personal consumption should not be criminalised, and that possession of a certain small amount of psychotropic substances should not make one liable to legal action. Only then can drug addiction be destigmatised and proper treatment be meted out.

He asserted that the awareness of the “responsible use” of any intoxicant is the method of keeping the danger of the “chronic illness” of addiction at bay.

Drawing an analogy and holding colonial schemes responsible to an extent, Kala said: “Homosexuality was not a crime until the British arrived. And they have legalised it now. Likewise for addiction.”

ALSO READ-Women saga against drug abuse & gender discrimination

Categories
Books Lite Blogs

‘BC: AD – Before Children, After Diapers’

Talk to her about how stand-up comic acts have made their presence felt even in small-town India, and she feels that not only are we sick of staying indoors, but also laughing at the dumbness shown on movie screens…writes Sukant Deepak

Fresh off her Edinburgh Fringe run with her show ‘BC: AD – Before Children After Diapers’, and appearances in NYC off-Broadway, London, Paris, Berlin, Prague and three tours in India, Anu Vaidyanathan, may have hit the global comedy circuit, but that cannot be her only introduction.

This engineer, who ‘The Wall Street Journal’ declares to be ‘India’s female Ironman’, and whose memoir ‘Anywhere but Home’ was longlisted for the Mumbai Film Festival’s adaptation market with offers from two major Bollywood studios for options, and scripts finding themselves at Sundance and Rotterdam film festivals, says, “But I think I relate to the avatar of mom-of-two-kids the most.”

And her off-Broadway debut, ‘BC: AD’ was also born out of this identity. Stressing that having children changed everything for her as an individual, Vaidyanathan remembers re-orienting herself, finding meaning in life in different ways, and understanding that children respond most to a colour, a sound, or an image.

“I feel that is what drove me to write a book, which went to a film market but, I was not happy with the Bollywood formula of optioning good stories, forgetting the writers, and appropriating voices. I thought I could make a better film than them so, I studied filmmaking through my second pregnancy. The pandemic shut us down and that made me go to clown school and then standup followed. Within a year, I wrote my first standup hour. I have since fine-tuned it over dozens of performances. BC: AD is very much the story of when I first experienced a shift in identity and made peace with it.”

Interestingly, her stand-up acts touch different layers and bring forth several serious issues — for example the immigrant experience. However, the artist stresses that she does not think of including them consciously all writing is informed by one’s most personal experiences.

“In my case, I have lived in many different parts of the world during my various pursuits and yes, these experiences absolutely figure in my work.”

Talk to her about how stand-up comic acts have made their presence felt even in small-town India, and she feels that not only are we sick of staying indoors, but also laughing at the dumbness shown on movie screens.

“We definitely want to find better ways to entertain ourselves while spending an evening out with family, friends, or lovers. Comedy is very immediate. That is why it is appealing. Believe me, the power of the spoken word never ceases to amaze me.”

In both cases — New York’s SoHo Playhouse and the Stress Factory, she was playing on extraordinary stages, on which people she looks up to in real life have performed — Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, which opened the floodgates at the Edinburgh Fringe to so many women wanting to show up and make work played at the SoHo Playhouse.

“It was a surreal experience. The Stress Factory has housed many greats, like Aziz Ansari and Drew Carrey.”

“I grew up watching ‘Whose line is it anyway’. It was one of those private moments of inexplicable joy when I found myself in the greenroom with these legends on the wall.”

Her process is much derived from real life and she is a one-project person who prides herself in completion, stressing that beginning multiple things and leaving them languishing is a threat to one’s creative life.

“I try to close projects, have a cookie, and then move on to the next thing. I am also a very one-project person and find multi-tasking to be a myth perpetuated by people who have an army of house help or an entourage surrounding them.”

Currently working on a new show, ‘Blimp’, for the Edinburgh Fringe 2023, she also has two feature scripts and trying to raise money with them.

“Whatever gets made this year will be a miracle because I feel like I have been burning the candle at both ends for the first five months. Again, I am telling myself to be patient with myself. It is a new way of life, a new world of people, a new way of working to be an artist,” she concludes.

ALSO READ-Facts related to safe blood donation

Categories
Books Lite Blogs

Must reads for coming summer days

Here’s a list of the top reads for 2023, which will continue surprise and keep you entertained as you stay indoors through the hot summer months:

I Have Some Questions for You (Rebecca Makkai)

A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia’s death and the conviction of the school’s athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers—needs—to let sleeping dogs lie.

But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn’t as much of an outsider at Granby as she’d thought—if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case.

Yours Truly (Abby Jimenez)

A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

The Right Move (Liz Tomforde)

She’s a distraction, that’s what she is.

I’m the newest Captain of the Devils, Chicago’s NBA team, and the last thing I needed this year was for Indy Ivers, my sister’s best friend, to move into my apartment. She’s messy, emotional, and way too tempting.

But when the team’s General Manager vocalizes his blatant disapproval of my promotion to Captain, referring to me as an unapproachable lone wolf with no work-life balance, I can’t think of a better way to convince him otherwise than pretending to date my outgoing roommate.

The only problem? Faking it feels far too natural.

Having a fake girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be messy but having Indy under my roof and in my bed is complicated, especially when she wants all the romantic parts of life that I could never give her.

What Lies in the Woods (Kate Alice Marshall)

Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.

And they were liars.

For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods—no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.

All the Dangerous Things (Stacy Willingham)

One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle’s entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust… including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

Happy Place (Emily Henry)


Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Spare (Prince Harry)

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

ALSO READ-‘Comic books capture the interest of wide audiences’

Categories
Books Lite Blogs

‘Comic books capture the interest of wide audiences’

Preeti Vyas, CEO, Amar Chitra Katha.(photo:instagram)

They were passionate about ‘Make in India’ long before it became a mantra for indigenous manufacturing…writes Vishnu Makhijani

‘Amar Chitra Katha’, which has a legacy of familiarising millions of children with Indian history and mythology through well-illustrated comics, recently launched two books under its ‘The Pioneers of Progress’ series that depicts the lives of Ardeshir & Pirojsha Godrej and Naval Godrej. In an interview, Preeti Vyas, CEO, Amar Chitra Katha tells IANS about their latest outing. Excerpts:

How was the project conceived?

Vyas: Our content team has a long wish list of titles for new content. Based on our bandwidth, certain projects take priority. The story of Ardeshir Godrej had also been on our wish list. When we were approached for this collaboration, we knew that it would make a wonderful biography, especially because it included three people and not just Ardeshir Godrej. The two books in ‘The Pioneers of Progress’ series tell the story of the Godrej family which had a humble beginning in Bharuch in Gujarat before migrating to Bombay to build a multi-billion-dollar empire. We have also published books on the founders of other Indian conglomerates such as Tata and Birla.

Why were only three individuals chosen from the vast variety of Parsis who have contributed to India’s growth?

Vyas: While selecting stories, we do not focus on a particular community but choose to tell tales that would inspire millions. When we started reading the material that was sent by the Godrej & Boyce team, we were thrilled to read the fascinating history of the organisation. They were passionate about ‘Make in India’ long before it became a mantra for indigenous manufacturing. This series focuses on the values of integrity, employee welfare, hard work, trust, and care for the environment which are portrayed very well in the stories.

Amar Chitra Katha.

Tell us about the research that went into it.

Vyas: Malini Sehgal, the author of the series, worked in collaboration with Godrej Archives to put these books together. The content was supported by archival material from the 1900s and included letters, agreements, product history, and advertisements. We delved into the 125-year-long history of the company and its various highlights such as the manufacturing of best-in-class safes, India’s first indigenous typewriter, the launch of Chandrayaan II, and other highlights. The author read the complete five-volume set biography, and a lot more books by various authors about the history of Godrej to verify facts. She mapped the timeline of the Godrej history to the timeline of landmark events such as the industrial exhibitions and the Swadeshi movement. The stories of Ardeshir, Pirojsha, and Naval transport you to a Bombay of a different era. What really helped was that the Godrej Archives Team of Godrej & Boyce provided photographs, transcripts, and letters to narrate the story in a comic-book format. Each founder had a distinct personality, and it was interesting to capture this. The onus of imagining how the pioneers reacted to the historic incidents or movements was an interesting challenge that Malini handled very well.

But doesn’t the comic book style leave a vast number of readers out of the ambit?

Vyas: We always create comics for 8 to 14-year-olds but our readership has been 8 to 80-year-olds. Comic books capture the interest of a wide range of audiences, from children to adults, who enjoy graphics as well as light and reluctant readers. However, the goal of this collaboration was to reach a younger audience.

Any chance of the series being taken forward?

Vyas: We are always looking out for new stories to tell and will continue to carry forward our legacy of familiarising millions of children with Indian history and mythology through our comics. Our content has been translated into various languages and also many formats such as animation, webcomics, web articles, audiobooks, and more. We are open to the possibility of further books in the ‘Pioneers of Progress’ series and its translations for a wider reach.

ALSO READ-Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize winners announced