Bookmarked: What you should read this September

Few things in life can be as comforting, if not more, than books. They can transport you, take you to places you have never been without moving an inch, and on some nights even lull you to sleep with a promise of better dreams. Several writers are churning out stories every day, each striving to look at the world differently, trying to find newer ways to surprise and engage readers.

In order to help you stay abreast with the new novels that come out every month but tend to get lost in the crowd, here’s a list that will help you decide what to read and what not to by telling you what to look forward to every month.

For the month of September, here are the books to keep a lookout for.

International titles

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

A sequel to her 1985 novel, the disturbingly glorious The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments takes place 15 years after Margaret Atwood had drawn curtains on her dystopic fiction. It would be no overstatement to say that Atwood’s latest is one of the most anticipated books of this year. No book has captured public imagination like this or has been this fiercely guarded, in recent years. Except for the Booker judges (the Canadian author has been shortlisted this year), and few of her associates, no one has laid their hands on it.

In a report in The Guardian, literary critic Johanna Thomas-Corr writes, “[t]he hoopla around the launch of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments is more reminiscent of the unveiling of an iPhone or something Pokémon-related than that of a mere book.” On September 9, the author will read out some passages from it in the evening for a select gathering of 400-odd people. They will then read it for themselves. It is published by McClelland & Stewart.

The Institute by Stephen King

There are very few who can make the grotesque look as enchanting and compelling as Stephen King. The Shining author is back with his latest, and he is still fighting the old fight between good and the evil. Except, morals in his universe have ceased to be functional. It is published by Simon and Schuster.

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell

Author of The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw and David and Goliath, Gladwell’s latest Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know is self-help as well as philosophical. He probes deep into our psyche, trying to reason why we do the things we do and explains why those sudden encounters with strangers tend to get awkward. It is published by Penguin books UK.

Indian titles

No Regrets: The Guilt-Free Woman’s Guide to a Good Life by Kaveree Bamzai

For women, guilt is a constant companion in their journey of life. Being often told what to do, any deviance leads to an accumulation of guilt. Thwarting this, journalist Kaveree Bamzai, with advice by Naina Lal Kidwai, Arianna Huffington, Sudha Murty, Smriti Irani, Twinkle Khanna and Sania Mirza, in her novel No Regrets: The Guilt-Free Woman’s Guide to a Good Life outlines what women must not do. And, as the title insists, not feel guilty while not doing it. It is published by HarperCollins India.

So Now You Know: A Memoir of Growing Up Gay in India by Vivek Tejuja

Adolescence can be difficult. And growing up knowing you are gay during the 90s in India can be perplexing and harrowing with hardly any reference point. Vivek Tejuja tries to narrate and deconstruct the experience in his book, as he looks back at his formative years which was spent negotiating with the various stereotypes Bollywood perpetuated about homosexual characters. It is published by HarperCollins India.

Arshia Sattar’s translations

HarperCollins India has acquired the rights of author Arshia Sattar’s translation of the Valmiki Ramayana; Uttara: The Book of Answers; Lost Loves: Exploring Rama’s Anguish, and they will be published this month.

The Indian Pantry: The Very Best of Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi

The seemingly innocuous ingredients in our kitchen are rich with shades of history we often have no idea about. Food columnist and journalist, Vir Sanghvi in his new book tries to decode this for us, by answering questions you always wanted to ask aloud. For instance. Do avocados live up to the craze? Let Sanghvi take that. It will be published by Penguin Random House India.

Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison by Jigni Vohra

In 2011, renowned journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, fondly known as J Dey, was brutally murdered by members of the Chhota Rajan gang. A few months later, Jigna Vora a fellow journalist and crime reporter was arrested in connection with the murder. Seven years later, Vora was acquitted of all charges. Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison is Vora’s story in her words, as she looks back on the time she spent in prison, contemplates on the people she met there (for one, Pragya Thakur) and dishes out a story that promises to be intriguing and compelling. It will be published by Penguin Random House India.

Night of Power by Anar Ali

Anar Ali’s debut novel delineates the hardships of recreating home after being expelled from it. The year is 1998 and Mansoor Visram lives in Canada but dreams of his hastily left life in Uganda. South Asians were banished by Idi Amin, the former President of Uganda and Visram is yet to make peace with the displacement. He hatches a way to go back to his land with this son, except the latter is no longer interested. On the night during Ramadan, an accident changes their lives and Ali goes forth capturing the crisis while posing larger questions regarding identity, the void left behind with the loss of home and and the bittersweet feeling of homecoming. It will be published by Penguin Random House India.

One Hell of a Lover: Stories by Unni R

Unni R’s collection of stories might be set in a real place but he infuses dark humour and a fable-like quality in them. But that must not mislead one into thinking he is narrating stories about people we do not know. His characters are deeply rooted in the ground we are situated in, exhibiting vices we are ashamed of. Belonging to a newer breed of writers, his gaze is scathing as he critiques the male machismo and does not hold his biting criticism when commenting on the society either. This is published by Westland.

You Beneath Your Skin by Damyanti Biswas

Biswas’ novel takes place in the capital and she takes us into a whirlwind tour of moral failings, corruption, misogyny and poverty. In the heart of all this lies a gruesome tale of infidelity, choice and past wounds that refuse to hurt less. It is published by Simon and Schuster India.