Top Ten Best Sellers This Week

Slain Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad`s ‘Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban’ is the new bestseller in the non-fiction category this week while Amitav Ghosh`s ‘River of Smoke’ retains its top berth in the fiction charts.

Non-fiction

1. ‘Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban’

Author: Syed Saleem Shahzad

Publisher: Pluto

2. ‘On China’

Author: Henry Kissinger

Publisher: Allen Lane

3. ‘His Majesty`s Opponent: Subhash Chandra Bose’

Author: Sugata Bose

Publisher: Penguin Books

4. ‘Deadly Embrace’

Author: Bruce Riedel

Publisher: Harper Collins

5. ‘Does the Elephant Dance’

Author: David Malone

Publisher: Oxford University Press

6. ‘The Origins of Political Order’

Author: Francis Fukuyama

Publisher: Profile Books

7. ‘The Emperor of All Maladies’

Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee

Publisher: Fourth Estate

8. ‘2G Spectrum Scam’

Author: Subramanian Swamy

Publisher: HarAnand

9. ‘An Odyssey in War and Peace’

Author: Lt Gen J.F.R. Jacob

Publisher: Lotus Roli

10. ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’

Author: Amy Chua

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Fiction

1. ‘River of Smoke’

Author: Amitav Ghosh

Publisher: Penguin

2. ‘Empire of the Mughals: Ruler of the World’

Author: Alex Rutherford

Publisher: Headline

3. ‘Those in Peril’

Author: Wilbur Smith

Publisher: Pan

Price: Rs.325

4. ‘Only Time Will Tell’

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Publisher: PAN

5. ‘The Abduction’

Author: John Grisham

Publisher: Hodder

6. ‘Private London’

Author: James Patterson

Publisher: Century

7. ‘Chankya`s Chant’

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

Publisher: Westland

8. ‘The Good Musilm’

Author: Tahmina Anam

Publisher: Penguin

9. ‘The Fifth Witness’

Author: Michael Connelly

Publisher: Hachette

10. ‘The Wandering Falcon’

Author: Jamil Ahmad

Publisher: Penguin

Novelist James Rollins thrills readers in ‘The Devil Colony’

James Rollins delivers one of the best thrillers of the year in ‘The Devil Colony,’ an amazing amalgam of history, science and adventure.

The Sigma Force has its hands full when a cave in the Rocky Mountains full of mummified bodies reveals a possible explanation for a strange piece of American history.

A protest at the site becomes explosive when a radical sets off a bomb. The resulting explosion unleashes a powerful substance long buried beneath the Earth and the disaster countdown begins.

Painter Crowe, the director of Sigma Force, is shocked to learn that his niece set off the bomb. She calls him, pleading for his help in proving her innocence. He takes off to rescue her and find out the truth.

The rest of the team tries to deal with the aftermath of the explosion and uncovers evidence of a secret that traces back to the Founding Fathers and the first expedition into the new frontier of the West. Meanwhile, a notorious man named Rafael St. Germaine will do everything in his power to make sure the Sigma Force fails.

Rollins combines science and history with the best qualities of a great page-turner and creates a single-sitting read that wows on every page. He has the gift of creating cinematic ideas with 3-D characters, making the overall experience intense and insightful.

Indian writer wins Betty Trask award for debut novel

New Delhi: Mumbai-based Anjali Joseph has won this year`s Betty Trask Award for her first novel "Saraswati Park". The award carries a cash prize of 10,000 pounds, a statement by her publishers HarperCollins India said Thursday.

The Betty Trask Award is given to a first novel written by authors under the age of 35 who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. The award was established in 1984 by the Society of Authors at the behest of Betty Trask, a reclusive author of 30 romantic novels.

Joseph`s novel narrates the story of Swarasati Park, a housing complex in a suburb somewhere deep in the heart of Mumbai and two of its empty-nesters, Mohan and Laxmi Karekar, whose lives are humdrum.

While Laxmi is a homemaker, Mohan is a letter-writer -- one of those quaint jobs which is non-existent today. From his seat under some tarpaulin near the main post-office, he sits and writes letters for those who are illiterate, anything from heartfelt letters to bureaucratic forms.

`River of Smoke` becomes India's top weekly bestseller

Amitav Ghosh`s `River of Smoke` is the new bestseller in the fiction category this week while former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger`s `On China` continues to rule the non- fiction charts. ‘Booked For Books’ publishes the list of top ten bestsellers in India

Fiction

`River of Smoke`

Author: Amitav Ghosh

Publisher: Penguin

`Only Time Will Tell`

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Publisher: PAN

`Empire of the Mughals: Ruler of the World`

Author: Alex Rutherford

Publisher: Headline

Price: Rs.495

`Those in Peril`

Author: Wilbur Smith

Publisher: Pan

`Private London`

Author: James Patterson

Publisher: Century

`The Fifth Witness`

Author: Michael Connelly

Publisher: Hachette

`Carte Blanche`

Author: Jeffery Deaver

Publisher: Hodder

`Chankya`s Chant`

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

Publisher: Westland

`The Abduction`

Author: John Grisham

Publisher: Hodder

`Silent Monument`

Author: Shobha Nihalani

Publisher: Tara

Non fiction

`On China`

Author: Henry Kissinger

Publisher:

Allen Lane

`Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban`

Author: Syed Saleem Shahzad

Publisher: Pluto

`His Majesty`s Opponent : Subhash Chandra Bose`

Author: Sugata Bose

Publisher: Penguin Books

`Deadly Embrace`

Author: Bruce Riedel

Publisher: Harper Collins

`Does the elephant dance`

Author: David Malone

Publisher: Oxford University Press

`2G Spectrum Scam`

Author: Subramanian Swamy

Publisher: HarAnand

`The Emperor of All Maladies`

Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee

Publisher: Fourth Estate

`Pakistan a hard country`

Author: Anatol Lieven

Publisher:

Allan Lane

`Triumph of the City`

Author: Edward Glaeser

Publisher: Macmillan

`Broken Republic - Three Essays`

Author: Arundhati Roy

Publisher: Penguin

Crime thriller ‘Fallen’ is Karin Slaughter's best to date

Well known writer Karin Slaughter delivers another emotional journey for her characters and readers in her latest novel, ‘Fallen.’ It`s an amazing effort.

Faith Mitchell, an officer of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, is late in picking up her infant daughter at her mother`s house. That delay probably saves her life.

Mitchell frantically calls, but her mother doesn`t answer the phone. When she arrives at the house, she discovers a bloody handprint on the open door. Quickly calling for backup, she enters to find a dead body and two men with weapons. She kills them, which makes her both a witness and a suspect. Her daughter was safely hidden away, but her mother is missing.

Her partner, Will Trent, promises to uncover the truth, but can he overcome his personal demons to be effective?

Every character in ‘Fallen’ has more at stake than just solving the crime. The complexity of Mitchell, Trent and the other characters creates a level of realism and suspense that few writers can attain.

The crime story line of ‘Fallen’ could be ignored and the book would still be great. Adding violence and mystery only intensifies the reading experience.

This is Slaughter`s best book to date, and readers unfamiliar with her work will find this one a perfect place to begin.

JK Rowling has mysterious new Potter website

Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has launched a new website called "Pottermore", but fans of the boy wizard will have to wait to see what it entails as the entry page says simply "Coming Soon...".

The site, www.pottermore.com, was launched a month ahead of the release of the eighth and final Potter movie on July 15.

Some Potter fansites, which have been instrumental in generating a large and loyal fan base for the movies and seven-book series on which they are based, were given a sneak preview of the mysterious new website.

"It is, in a word, breathtaking," wrote Leaky Cauldron, one of the leading Potter sites. "That is all we are permitted to say at the moment."

Rowling and Potter studio Warner Bros. have never shied away from building up the hype ahead of key releases in the series.

The Harry Potter novels have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide, while the seven movies released so far have grossed some $6.4 billion in ticket sales. Rowling has been billed the "world's first billionaire author".

Rowling's spokesman and literary agent did not immediately reply to emailed questions about the website

Serbian-US author Tea Obreht bags Orange Prize for Fiction

Tea Obreht has been awarded the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction for her debut novel ‘The Tiger’s Wife’.

The judges praised the 25-year-old, who is the youngest author to have won the prize, as a “truly exciting new talent” for her “exceptional book”.

“Obreht’s powers of observation and her understanding of the world are remarkable,” the BBC quoted broadcaster Bettany Hughes, chair of the judges as saying.

The judge also said that Serbian-American author brought the Balkan conflict alive as her story of a young doctor who traces the life of her grandfather was set in the Balkans.

“By skillfully spinning a series of magical tales, she has managed to bring the tragedy of chronic Balkan conflict thumping into our front rooms with a bittersweet vivacity.

“Obreht celebrates storytelling and she helps us to remember that it is the stories that we tell about ourselves, and about others, that can make us who we are and the world what it is,” she added.

The 30,000 pounds annual prize recognizes the work of fiction written in the English language by women

The author was also featured in the New Yorker’s Top 20 Writers under 40 Fiction Issue and her debut novel was published in March this year.

The story of Madhubala: By Khatija Akbar

Madhubala – the very name conjures up vivid images of a love goddess possessing bewitching beauty, dazzling radiance, subtle sensuality, and, above all, a tantalizing screen presence. Her 'reel life' histrionic performances held (and continue to hold) audiences/viewers entranced. Her talent was phenomenal, and she could literally glide through a movie, whatever be the role. She could convey an impressive array of emotions with her eloquent eyes and facial expressions without resorting to melodramatic contortions. Tragedy, romance, comedy, drama, and what have you – she could take everything in her stride, exquisitely and flawlessly, as convincingly proved by superhits such as Mahal, Tarana, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and the magnum opus, Mughal-e-Azam. All this she achieved despite a major heart disease, which assumed serious proportions as her career soared. This volume presents a fascinating panorama not only of the 'reel life' Madhubala but also of the 'real life' Madhubala, who was an extremely compassionate and caring human being, but lived in the shadow of her dominant father. The author recounts her captivating saga, right from her first film – Basant (1942), as a child star, up to the magnificent Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and beyond. Enthralling cameos from her masterpieces such as Mahal, Mr & Mrs 55 and Amar, are depicted in graphic detail. Also, all the drama involved in her love affair with Dilip Kumar, which culminated in intense acrimony, has been poignantly portrayed. The last few years of her life were spent in virtual solitude in spite of her being married to Kishore Kumar, and death, in a way, came as a release for her.

Archie goes desi, dances to Bollywood songs

The iconic red-haired Archie, a comic book heartthrob with a perpetually hassled look and two girlfriends, will soon be dancing to Bollywood numbers in the book's Indian avatar published in Hindi and Malayalam. Seventy years after its birth in the US, 12 titles of the popular Archie comics will be published in 2011 by Variety Book Depot and distributed by EuroBooks, a leading publisher of children's books in India, a release by the publisher said late Monday.

Commenting on the launch of the book in Hindi and Malayalam, Jon Goldwater, co-CEO of Archie Comics, said: "Archie Comics have entertained fans for several generations. We wanted to give our fans in India something they could relate to. The move is to bring in some Indian flavour to the comic. It will be the same Archie, the same Veronica and Betty but with a 'desi' twist."

"Fans can now expect Archie and Veronica to dance to the popular Bollywood number 'Aakhon ki gustakhiyaa' or see the gang sing some popular songs like the college classic 'Purani jeans' and oldie 'Kankariya maar ke jagaya' as smart chicks walk past the brood," he added.

The company plans to launch 36 titles by 2012.

The 12 titles in the first phase will include seven titles of the Archie-Betty-Veronica marriage saga. The books have been planned in such a sequence that they will bring to an end the vexed love triangle between Archie, Betty and Veronica.

The remaining five titles will explore the world of Archie and his friends through their funny escapes. Each title will be priced at Rs.30.

The 12 titles in the launch include "Archie Marries Veronica: The Proposal", "Archie Marries Veronica: The Wedding", "Archie Marries Veronica: It's Twins", "Archie Marries Betty: Will You Marry Me?", "Archie Marries Betty: The Wedding", among others.

Archie made his first appearance Dec 22, 1941. Drawn by Bob Montana and written by Vic Bloom, publisher John Goldwater hoped the comic book would appeal to the fans of Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney.

Goldwater promoted Archie as America's newest boyfriend, "Archibald 'Chick' Andrews", modelled on a red-haired friend. He gave Archie two girlfriends, Betty and Veronica.

Eventually, Goldwater felt that Archie needed a good friend. And Jughead was born.

Over the years, Archie's gang grew and even changed with the times. In 2010, the publishers introduced the first gay character Kevin Keller in Archie comics.

Naipaul stirs another controversy, calls female authors 'unequal'

Indian-origin author VS Naipaul has dismissed female authors as "unequal" to him and said women writers demonstrate a lack of ability.

"Women writers are different, they are quite different. I read a piece of writing and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think unequal to me," the 78-year-old Trinidad-born author told a daily.

The Booker Prize-winning author said this was due to women`s "sentimentality, the narrow view of the world".

"And inevitably for a woman, she is not a complete master of a house, so that comes over in her writing too."

"My publisher, who was so good as a taster and editor, when she became a writer, lo and behold, it was all this feminine tosh," Naipaul said.

He, however, added: "I don`t mean this in any unkind way."

On being asked if he considered any woman writer his equal, Naipaul replied: "I don`t think so."

Naipaul`s comments have been not well received by the literary circles.

Alex Clark, a literary journalist, said: "It`s absurd. I suspect VS Naipaul thinks that there isn`t anyone who is his equal. Is he really saying that writers such as Hilary Mantel, A.S Byatt, Iris Murdoch are sentimental or write feminine tosh?"

Helen Brown, literary critic for the Daily Telegraph, said: "It certainly would be difficult to find a woman writer whose ego was equal to that of Naipaul. I`m sure his arrogant, attention-seeking views make many male writers cringe too. He should heed the words of George Eliot - a female writer - whose works have had a far more profound impact on world culture than his."

Naipaul won the Booker Prize in 1971 for `In a Free State`. He was knighted in 1989. He also won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001.

Lucky winners among those who placed Order with B4B in May 2011

1- Mr Anand  Bisht

2- Mr Krishnendra Pratap

3- Mr Subhash

4- Mr Pradeep Singh

5- Ms Puja Jalan

The winners will get a 'B4B' gift voucher worth Rs 100 which they can redeem with 'Booked For Books' on their next purchase.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Meet Kanika Dhillion: A First Time Author

First-time author Kanika Dhillon has portrayed her own life trajectory in her book Bombay Duck Is a Fish, that was recently launched in the city.

An out-and-out satire, the content of her book ‘ Bombay Duck Is a Fish’, starting from the fundamental concept to the quoted incidents, is borrowed from Kanika’s own experience in the city as a newcomer. The protagonist Neki Brar is an outsider in Mumbai, and so was Kanika till a few years back when she first moved into the city from Amritsar.

“Very often, the facts and nuances about the city come to your knowledge only through funny encounters,” says Kanika.

The book is easy to relate to for everyone who has migrated to Mumbai. “When you come to the city, you have to start on your own and go through the pain of finding a place to live in... from sharing pigeon hole apartments in Mumbai to added expenditures — the maid, the cook, etc,” reasons Kanika. “It is like a ritual you have to go through while settling in,” she adds.

And if you wonder where the name came from, Kanika has a justified answer. “You get to learn the little secrets and rules of the city only with time. So if a stranger in the city goes to a restaurant and sees Bombay duck on the menu, he’s very likely to assume that it is a duck not a fish.”

Kanika had assisted filmmaker Farah Khan on her second film Om Shanti Om and is a huge fan actor Shah Rukh Khan. And so is the protagonist of her book Rukh Khan She reacts, “I believe that the ’90s belonged to SRK. He’s not an actor or star any more… he’s become a fable. He’s like a Santa Claus!”

Kanika also plans to make a film on the book. “But I want to first see how people react to the book, before turning it into a film script,” she says.