reading habit

Editor’s note

This week, news desk producer, Nikita, curates the latest book releases and a list of delightful literary reads. Also: we’d love to hear your suggestions on what you’d like to see in this section. Please email us at talktous@splainer.in with your comments and suggestions.

Books releasing in November

• The Homecoming and Other Stories: Padma Bhushan awardee Sri M’s latest collection of stories has a little something for everyone—from chilling horror to tales that will shock you to your wits. (5 November)
• The Hidden Habits of Genius: What does ‘genius’ really mean? Craig Wright’s book is a deep-dive into the minds of those dubbed as ‘genius’ over centuries—Picasso, Beethoven, Marie Curie, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, to name a few. (10 November)
• Conversations with RBG: Jeffrey Rosen’s book is a unique take on Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life as he chats with her about her coveted career, Roe v. Wade, the #MeToo movement—all of this leading up to her earning the title of ‘Notorious RBG.’ (12 November)
• Days in the Life of a Sufi: Read about the pursuits of Sufi spirituality in this collection of 101 stories, with each of these tales offering nuggets of wisdom that guide us on becoming better human beings. (12 November)
• Rhythm of War: Brandon Sanderson of The Stormlight Archive brings us the fourth installment in his epic fantasy novel series. With new technologies shaping the ongoing war, the arms race that follows and the unfurling politics will have you at the edge of your seat. (18 November)
• The Kitty Party Murder: A woman bored with the monotonous routine of motherhood is asked to infiltrate a kitty party group and investigate a suicide by unearthing their deepest, darkest secrets. Gossip is the least dangerous thing in Kiran Manral’s latest novel. (20 November)
• A Patchwork Quilt: Director of several critically acclaimed films Sai Paranjpye offers a look into her journey from studying at the National School of Drama to being the genius behind the 1980s cult classic Chashme Baddoor in this heartwarming biography. (26 November)
• There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job: Hopping from one job to another in the pursuit of finding something meaningful? Then you must read Kikuko Tsumura’s comical yet insightful book about the working world. (28 November)
• Food and Faith, a Pilgrim's Journey to Find Meaning through India: Shoba Narayan’s book discusses topics that make most Indians uncomfortable—religion, the need for prayer, Indian mythologies and the relevance of sites of worship. (30 November)

Also this: David Baldacci’s latest thriller in the Atlee Pine series (Daylight), a no-nonsense read on the startup industry (Let’s Build a Company), the joys and sorrows of owning a pet (Lost Cat), an Auschwitz survivor’s hopeful memoir (The Happiest Man on Earth) and Polly Crosby’s coming-of-age debut (The Illustrated Child) are also releasing this month. And all of these are worth adding to your TBR pile!

A fab list of literary reads

• The chilling yet fascinating tale behind Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein.’
• Halloween may be over but there’s no such thing as ‘bad timing’ when it comes to reading a spooky story. Longreads has an excellent post-Halloween reading list.
• Want to start with Agatha Christie books but confused about which title to pick up first? Then this is the list for you.
• Pesian scholar, pianist and cosmopolitan polyglot explorer Bruce Wannell was also William Dalrymple’s translator, and has now been immortalized in this latest book. Read the review here.
• An immersive piece on teaching someone how to write and questioning why students are taught one single “correct” method when there can be none.
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez on why literature must be taught in a way that is not daunting to children in an excerpt from 1981.
• How do you pick the most appealing book cover? Read about the challenging task designers face here.