Homing In Books

Author KR Meera’s lockdown reading list for you

Staying home for a while? We have you covered. This week’s Reading list is brought to you by Kendra and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards-winning Malayalam author, KR Meera, who has several novels and collections of short stories to her credit including the masterpiece 'Aarachar' (The Hangwoman). Currently editing the final copy of her new novel 'Ghatankan', Meera says every Indian should be familiar with the works of Saadat Hasan Manto, “more so now than any other time”

Jahangir: An Intimate Portrait Of A Great Mughal by Parvati Sharma

This is a captivating book. As a person living in Kerala, considered a tipplers’ heaven, it amused me to read about his fondness for his goblet.

V Dileep’s collection of 50 short stories

The usual gender tropes that one sees in writing by men does not find a place in his stories. His stories are refreshingly realistic and free of clichés. He sees himself as a human being first and not as a male writer.

The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

It is an excellent work that I read recently. Without losing the magic of fiction, she has painted a picture of Kashmir that has not been depicted before.

There’s Gunpowder in the Air by Manoranjan Byapari

It is written in Bengali, translated by Arunava Sinha, on the Naxal movement of the early seventies is about a jail break and how poverty and hunger can tarnish idealism.

The Big Reverse: How Demonetization Knocked India Out by Meera Sanyal

This is a good book to understand the ripple effect of demonetisation. It is a book that should be widely read for its scholarly but humane approach to the subject.

A Secret History of Compassion by Paul Zachariah

What is interesting is that each chapter in this book is complete in itself. It is a satire that takes a dig at the political system and personalities.

We would love to know how you are keeping busy at home. Tell us what you are reading at metro@thehindu.co.in

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