Brunch Book Challenge: Five books that writers are reading this month

1. The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History by Manu Pillai

“The blurb of the book says, ‘the essays...open a window into India’s past, and to a world of such astonishing richness that is surprising how much of it has been forgotten or expunged’. That’s what it seems like too. Pillai’s writing is lucid and sophisticated, as was his Rebel Sultans. He is a superb reteller of Indian history, like Shashi Tharoor and William Dalrymple.” —Sunita Kohli

2. The Origin of Others by Toni Morrison

“Toni Morrison is one of the most foremost authors, and I have neglected to read her essays or lectures, so I am looking forward to starting with The Origin of Others. The book addresses race and culture, and origin politics. And, it is non-fiction, which is a genre that I like.” —Annie Zaidi

3. This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta

“I’ve just bought this book and it’s something I’m looking forward to. The story is a powerful declaration of people’s right to migrate across the world, arguing that multiculturalism is the defining human phenomenon of the 21st century. It’s a relevant read!” —Aanchal Malhotra

4. Cari Mora by Thomas Harris

“It’s something I have been wanting to read for a long time. I’ve been a long time fan of Thomas Harris and it would be fun to read a non (Hannibal) Lecter novel from him. The pacing and the thrill in his novels is unmatched and it’s an always incredible to read what he writes. Looking forward to this one.” —Durjoy Datta

5. Blue is like Blue by Vinod Kumar Shukla

“Blue is Like Blue is translated from Hindi by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra and Sara Rai. I’ve loved Shukla’s novel Naukar Ki Kameez, which is able to make something painfully beautiful out of everyday poverty, as well as his very unsettling poems. These stories promise to be as local, as focused on the ordinary sublime as Shukla’s other writing – stories about what his translators call “smaller-than-life people.”—Anjum Hasan

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From HT Brunch, September 1, 2019

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