Gauri VijPublished on Apr 11, 202215 books to keep your summer reading going strongFrom thrillers and translated works to literary fiction and anthologies on animals, our seasonal round-up of reads has got you coveredThe season has turned in a not-so-pleasant way. It’s baking hot or muggy at any point in the day–yes, the climate emergency is real. And books are perhaps the final refuge. Ultimately we are going to be saved with words–words that ignite the imagination, initiate change and put fire back in the belly when it feels there is none. At The Established, we take our books very seriously and our list of summer reads is a mix of fun, thought-provoking and entertaining.Feel free to recommend reads that we may have missed by writing to us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @theestablished_All the books listed here are available online but here’s a request–patronise and support your local indie bookstores too–there are plenty in your city, if you just look around.Tomb of Sandby Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy RockwellLonglisted for this year’s International Booker Prize, Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree made history by becoming the first Hindi novel to feature on the list. Originally titled Ret Samadhi, the book has been translated by US-based artist, writer and translator, Daisy Rockwell.It's about an 80-year-old woman depressed at the death of her husband. She resurfaces to gain a new lease of life. Her determination to fly in the face of convention–include befriending a trans woman–confuses her daughter. The duo travel to Pakistan, confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition, and re-thinking what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a woman and a feminist.A funny and original, book that's a protest against all kinds of borders and boundaries, whether between religions, countries or genders.Contemporary artist and iconoclast Pushpamala N began using photography and video in the mid-1990s, creating tableaux and photo-romances in which she casts herself in various roles. Interested in history and the idea of cultural memory, she questions familiar frames in art history, photography, film, theatre and popular culture. Motherland, is a series of photo-performances on the Indian nation personified as woman, mother and goddess. It is indeed a collector’s item.Superpowers on the Shoreby Sejal MehtaExpected in bookstores on 18 April, Sejal Mehta’s obsession with Mumbai’s shorelines well-documented on social media is now in mesmerising book form. Mumbai’s shorelines are host to “some magnificent intertidal species—solar-powered slugs, escape-artist octopuses, venomous jellies, harpooning conus sea snails, to name just a few.” Mehta’s book promises to be replete with fun, surprising facts and serves to enlighten us about the myriad creatures we share the planet with. Mehta’s book is sure to be parallel food for thought and a plea of sorts to help preserve the city’s natural habitats.Cloud Cuckoo Landby Anthony DoerrA blend of sci-fi and historical fiction, Anthony Doerr’s new book follows six unrelated people across multiple continents and spans two millennia. This is a follow-up to Doerr’s wildly successful, All the Light We Cannot See.The characters grapple with war, climate change, epic journeys, mental health issues, an epidemic, sexuality and the complexity of familial ties, each one finding an escape in books and playing a role in the preservation of a single fictional masterwork by the ancient Greek author Antonius Diogenes. It's a love letter to literature.The Blind Matriarchby Namita GokhaleA response to the ongoing pandemic and the lockdowns of the recent past, Namita Gokhale’s twentieth novel centres around blind matriarch, Matangi-Ma, who lives on the top floor of a multi-storeyed home in Old Delhi. She “oversees” the lives of her family with the help of her long-time companion, Lali. Just like a country, the hierarchy of the joint-family home is dysfunctional. Gokhale’s characters make their peace and find solace within the four floors of their home–which is, of course, an allegory for India. An unmissable pandemic novel.To Hell and Back: Humans Of COVIDby Barkha DuttJournalist Barkha Dutt is a compelling storyteller who chased the ongoing pandemic in its early days across the length and breadth of India. Dutt’s extraordinary series of road trips were eye-opening. She would be in Maharashtra one day, and in UP the next. Dutt pens stories that are heart-wrenching and simultaneously highlight glaring faults in India’s development and infrastructure during the pandemic.A gritty reportage of the pandemic that highlights the deep-rooted inequalities across class, caste and gender. Rumours of Spring: A Girlhood in Kashmirby Farah Bashir Farah Bashir, writes an unforgettable account of an adolescence spent in Srinagar in the 1990s. A thought-provoking, coming-of-age memoir, it captures moments of vitality and resilience from her girlhood. As Indian troops and militants battle and violence becomes the new normal, Bashir finds that ordinary tasks–preparing for exams, walking to the bus stop, combing her hair, falling asleep–are marked with anxiety and fear. Amidst the increasing trauma and turmoil, Bashir documents the evocative moments – dancing to pop songs; writing her first love letter; and going to the cinema –with memorable simplicity. Bashir’s voice as a memorist needs to be read a million times over.The Harborby Katrine EngbergWhen 15-year-old Oscar Dreyer-Hoff disappears in this “masterpiece of Nordic noir,” the police assume he’s a runaway. Oscar’s frantic family, though, is convinced that something terrible has happened. Odd-couple detective duo Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner have to solve this Copenhagen-based mystery. The plot pulls together threads of art, class and environmentalism. A twisted crime novel with an engaging detective duo.City of Incident: A Novel in Twelve Partsby Annie ZaidiA slim novel set in an unnamed city, that is most certainly Mumbai–Annie Zaidi’s set of 12 interwoven vignettes are narrated through a dozen characters. The unnamed characters, six men and six women–policeman, salesgirl, bank teller, wood-worker, housewife and beggar, among others, highlight the tedium of urban life. Zaidi’s writing is a keen observation of society, guided by a strong sense of social justice and the obstacles faced by women. In an interview about the book, Zaidi has said, “I wanted to construct a sense of what it means to live in a city, where so many things happen—small and big tragedies.” Zaidi’s prose is bleak, melancholic, elegant and tender. Savi and the Memory Keepersby Bijal VachhrajaniYou can easily mistake this book for one meant for young adults. But with themes of personal loss, the processing of grief and a love for nature–the book is a universal read. A self-described climate champion, Bijal Vachharajani deftly combines the story of Savi who lives in “climate perfect” Shajarpur, and is grieving the loss of a parent along with powerful, restorative powers of nature. With plenty of chuckle-aloud moments, this one is a must-read for all ages.The Book of Dogedited by Hemali SodhiForty-five original pieces in praise of, and extolling the virtues of canines. Edited by Hemali Sodhi, literary agent and editor, the book combines humour, joy and teary moments by an astonishing number of names, all of whom have contributed pro bono. All royalties will go to registered animal welfare charities. Among the contributors, Amitava Kumar, Anuja Chauhan, Arunava Sinha, Ashwin Sanghi, Cyrus Broacha, Devdutt Pattanaik, Gulzar, Jerry Pinto, Maneka Gandhi, Mark Tully, Ruskin Bond, Shobhaa De and Vikas Khanna. Cat Peopleedited by Devapriya Roy“You can’t have cats. Cats have you,” states Devapriya Roy in an interview. Roy puts together an engaging anthology of short stories, personal essays, lists, original art and photographs of the virtual world’s most memed creature–the Felis catus, better known as the house cat. The diverse voices includes Natasha Badhwar, Varun Grover, Vidya Rao, Gurmeher Kaur and Sandip Roy –all of whom are united in their obsession for cats. An anthology that captures the many moods of our feline pets and their humans.Run, Rose, Runby Dolly Parton and James PattersonCountry legend Dolly Parton’s debut mystery novel is a collaboration with James Patterson. While it marks Parton’s first work of fiction, the singer has penned numerous memoirs, inspirational tomes and collections of her songwriting. This is the story of a young country singer named AnnieLee who discovers the music industry can be just as heartbreaking as the secret she's carrying. She finds comfort in retired country music icon, Ruthanna (think Parton), who offers her support. Parton has also released a companion album to the novel.The Book of Cold Casesby Simone St. JamesWarning: do not read at night and when alone. Simone St. James’s latest supernatural thriller is about a true-crime blogger obsessed with solving a series of old murders that may or may not have been committed by a cold, wealthy heiress living in a Gothic cliffside mansion. The gripping read is a mashup of genres with strong female leads.In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writingby Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann GoldsteinDescribed as the world’s greatest living novelist, Elena Ferrante pens a series of essays occupied with the artistic process. Originally conceived as a series of lectures, and translated by Ferrante’s English-language collaborator Ann Goldstein, the four essays–Pain and Pen; Aquamarine; History I and Dante’s Rib–are meditations on how she has evolved as a writer. Ferrante articulates her ideas in a straightforward manner, marking her as a writer in earnest chase of authenticity.Also Read: How can you sustain and strengthen a love for reading? Also Read: How are indie musicians from North-East India pushing the boundaries?Also Read: Has streaming killed the cinema star?Read Next Read the Next Article
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