For Pepper And Christ
Keki N. Daruwalla

Penguin

Literary fiction

One of India’s foremost poets takes up the sea trade of the 16th century for his first novel, in which history, geography, fact and fiction jostle each other like the oceans and the coasts. Pleasingly vivid in Daruwalla’s hallmark style, perfect for a muggy Kerala vacation.

Burnt Shadows
Kamila Shamsie

Bloomsbury/Penguin

Literary fiction

World War II Nagasaki spills over into conflict in Pakistan through the tangled webs of love and family histories. Make time for Shamsie’s attempt to expand her art, and our understanding, of a fraught new world.

Cutting For Stone
Abraham Verghese

Knopf

Literary fiction

“Where silk and steel fail, story must succeed.” A sprawling narrative about the interconnectedness of the human body, medicine, loss and love in Ethiopia, the US and India.

études
Aseem Kaul

Tranquebar

Short fiction

Aseem Kaul takes on relationships and communication through different voices. Structured like Chopin’s music, this is a great accompaniment for a road trip. Writer’s notes and book jacket blurbs are as funny as the works are somber. A lesser Murakami, the author could add depth by fleshing out his writing.

Window Seat
Janhavi Acharekar

Harper Collins

Literary fiction

Janhavi Acharekar puts Mumbai and Mumbai dreams under the microscope in her anthology of stories. Recognisable vignettes of city life make it endearing to an urban junkie. Bound to make the most stoic Mumbaikar nostalgic.

Nothing Is Blue
Biman Nath

Harper Collins

Historical fiction

Bimal Nath, the astrophysicist, transports us to life in the seventh century. Worth checking out for a period protagonist dealing with surprisingly modern concerns and its blend of astronomy, religious philosophy and the development of esoteric Buddhism.

Cappuccino Dusk Kankana Basu

Harper Collins

Literary fiction

Idiosyncratic characters from the Banerjee clan are tossed in with a Muslim bard of sorts in Cappuccino Dusk’s episodic narrative. A clash of ideologies makes for a witty, topsy-turvy read. And while it might seem a little over the top reading it with a cup of coffee in hand, it would be the best way to down this book.

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