The Readers Starting Kit (Volume 2)

The concluding part on all the books you need to begin reading. Love/hate our suggestions? Let us know!
Religious & Spiritual
18 Days: Volume 1, by Grant Morrison

18 Days: The Mahabharata Volume -I

There has always been a belief (which has gained prominence in the last 3 years) that during Vedic times, we Indians were the masters of science; plastic surgery, nuclear sciences, aeroplanes, everything. Whether that idea should be ridiculed or considered, that is your personal opinion, but here, Grant Morrison takes the idea of advanced technology during the Mahabharata and runs away with it; it is like a hyper-stylized version of the epic, but hey, this is what we asked for. For all the others who wondered how Mahabharata would look in Baahubali-style, wonder no more.

Romance
Emma, by Jane Austen

Romance has always had some of the most enduring stories; after all, that language of finding the one, waiting for the time you get to spend with them, that feeling of longing when you cannot, and the elation of finally being together, this language can be understood by every living soul. Jane Austen’s works are famous enough, with her Pride & Prejudice’s hero being the last generation’s Christian Grey; however here, it is indisputably Emma who occupies centre stage. Even normal lives can be very interesting when narrated by the right voice, and Emma & Jane Austen are perfectly matched.
HorrorThe Dark Tower series, by Stephen King

Dark Towers Boxed Set

Horror doesn’t have to be limited to creaking doors and dangerous monsters. It can also be more subtle, like a world dying because of what its people did; it could be unconventional, like a supersonic train which promises to take you to your death unless you come up with an unanswerable riddle. The entire series is filled with horrors like that, and more. It can be a bit morbid at times, but the payoff when you complete it and turn to the (hopefully awesome) coming-soon movie adaptation is just way too good. Plus, this is written by STEPHEN KING!

(again, OUT OF STOCK. But a movie based on it is coming soon, and two other movies based on the author’s works are also coming in this year. Do stock them)

Action & Adventure
Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum
Action & Adventure
Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum

 

 

Before the glut of recent action movies, there was Bourne, Jason Bourne. In many ways, the stories are the predecessors of today’s action movies; the breakneck pace, moving from one country to the other, shadow organizations, and incredible action set pieces. And hey, Jason Bourne has jumped, kicked and outsmarted people on the big screen too!

Suspense & Thriller
The Complete Short Stories of Sherlock Holmes,  by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

 

 

From the frenetic pace of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock to Elementary’s female Watson, everything around Sherlock Holmes (and the man himself) has been tinkered with, and still people are willing to watch. The timelessness of the detective and his companion, as they labor to solve unexplainable cases, does not require explanation. Reading the original work, however, can only make you appreciate it more.

Travel Writing
Barcelona, Lonely Planet
 

When it comes to most of us, travelling to our dream destinations is only possible through second hand experiences. But before Facebook albums and Snapchat filters, there was (and still is) one travel guidebook which could tell you everything you needed to know about the city/country you wanted to visit and virtually transport you there; the detailed descriptions, the rich images, the maps…this is among the best in modern travel writing.  It doesn’t hurt either that Lonely Planet can find all of the awe-striking destinations in the world. 

Essays
Broken Republic, by Arundhati Roy

For someone who won the Booker Prize with her debut fiction attempt, Arundhati Roy doesn’t seem to have a lot of fans in her home country. Courtesy her opinions on the politics played with the poor in our country, she has often been the target of hate online. But what really are her opinions? Among the many non-fiction works she has penned, this is a good place to start; what is Arundhati Roy saying, and is it really relevant? You be the judge. But please, judge only after reading.
IMPORTANT: 

 

 
This book has got its author wrong. The author is Roland Smith/ Roly Smith, not Bill Bryson

National Parks of Britain

 

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Law Books

The law of our country is the Constitutional law of our country. All our rights, all our freedoms and all the security that we have is all within the Constitutional law of our country. Pen mightier than the sword? Definitely.

The most important part about our Constitution is that it is subject to changes. After all, our Constitutional law has to change with the times too. This also means that sometimes some citizens demand a change while some resist. Which provisions of our Constitutional law have provoked passions and dominated debates? Here are some of them:

Article 370

Whenever the conversation turns to Jammu & Kashmir, this Article from our Constitution always pops up. Why? Under Constitutional law, J&K is treated as an unique case, with the State Assembly of J&K deciding whether the provisions of the Constitutional law apply to the state. Except for Finance & Communications, Defence, Foreign Affairs, the state has the final say in the others. Over time however, laws and acts have been applied to the state in many respects, ranging from recovery of loans to inheritance of property by daughters. As of now, the most noteworthy aspect about it is the difficulty for non J&K citizens to buy property and settle there. 

Article 355

Under Article 355, our Constitutional law protects the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Acording to this Act, when a specific state/ union territory is deemed to be 'disturbed' by the Governor of the said place, the Central government can send in armed forces there. Under AFSPA, the forces are empowered to arrest in the absence of warrants, shoot and kill after a mere warning,  and most importantly are provided with legal immunity for their actions. Present in Manipur and J&K, the law has been accused of being 'draconian' and of being abused.

Article 371A

Our Constitutional law has a special entry for Nagaland. Under this article, no law may apply to Nagaland if it interferes with religious & social practices, as well as customary law of the Nagas, and also with respect to ownership and sale of land in the state. This has also meant that the traditional practice of keeping women away from the decision making bodies has been maintained; the recent protests in the state were related with, among other factors, to the proposal of 33% reservation of seats for women in the muncipal bodies.

Article 356

President's Rule? This is that article from our Constitutional law which is responsible for it. Of course, while successive governments at the Centre have nudged here & there and helped to bring about change in the ruling government in a state, the courts have also acted to mak sure that this Constitutional law is not abused.

Engineering Books

Medical Books

Humanities Books

Communication and Journalism Books

Business and Finance Books

Law Books

Language Learning Books

School text Books

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History Books

History. The name itself evokes boredom. Lists of dates and of long-dead people, what good are they for the present day? Alright, maybe history does warn us about the mistakes we have already committed, but how on earth is anyone to read and remember all those lists of dates and long dead people, that too from every part of the globe? How interesting can it be to read about an aspiring Afghan chief who invited members of his family for dinner, excused himself in between and blew up all of his cousins (and rivals for becoming chief) through the hidden sacks of the gunpowder they were sitting on? Or about a certain king in Bukhara who threw a couple of English envoys into a pit full of all sorts of insects, kept them there for more than a year, and then finally killed them?

Nah. Boring History

Thing is, there are countless similar stories in history, all of them more boring than the other. Reading these stories? It's your life after all; so if you're even interested in reading history, you can 'do whatever you want to do'.

India has never been more united than it is now; that's a fact. For almost all of its human history, India has been composed of way too many diverse and divided people; all of these people have such different tales to tell that it's criminal to not know them. Start with this, and get an overview of the different lands of India in almost every main point of history.

Sometimes, the best account of what is happening can be understood from a complete stranger's eyes; this is especially relevant when it comes to history. It is only a person who has never seen the sights before who can give the most detailed description of that specific time in history. Based on this, the book here is a record of what the earliest tourists to India saw. 

I know what you are thinking; why would anyone want to read anymore about an event and about a man, both of whom have been a part of every history textbook we have opened? But what IF the event in question is being narrated by someone who experienced all of it, first-hand? And what IF the narrator went on to become the first ever President of India? This is as good as a slice of history in your hands. Have a look.

Even now, history is being created. Be it Trump or the Manipur elections, all of it will leave behind its records and be remembered, for better or worse. Something like that was what happened in Ayodhya. The narratives vary depending on who you ask, but the day it happened, these people created history. In today's times, where the familiar war of religion vs religion is being seen, this might be a refresher on what happens when both sides lose logic.

Law Exams Books

School Text Books

Engineering Books

Medical Books

Law Books

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