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The Vault of Vishnu
A Pallava prince travels to Cambodia to be crowned king, carrying with him secrets that will be the cause of great wars many centuries later. A Buddhist monk in ancient China treks south to India, searching for the missing pieces of a puzzle that could make his emperor all-powerful. A Neolithic tribe fights to preserve their sacred knowledge, oblivious to the war drums on the Indo-China border. Meanwhile, far away in the temple town of Kanchipuram, a reclusive scientist deciphers ancient texts even as a team of secret agents shadows his every move. Caught in the storm is a young investigator with a complex past of her own, who must race against time to maintain the balance of power in the new world. Welcome back to the exciting and shadowy world of Ashwin Sanghi, where myth and history blend into edge-of-the-seat action.
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Broken Stars
A new anthology of Chinese short-fiction by award winning author Ken Liu. Here are sixteen short stories from China's groundbreaking SFF writers, edited and translated by award-winning author Ken Liu. In Hugo award-winner Liu Cixin's 'Moonlight', a man is contacted by three future versions of himself, each trying to save their world from destruction. Hao Jingfang's 'The New Year Train' sees 1,500 passengers go missing on a train that vanishes into space. In the title story by Tang Fei, a young girl is shown how the stars can reveal the future. In addition, three essays explore the history and rise of Chinese SFF publishing, contemporary Chinese fandom, and how the growing interest in Chinese SFF has impacted writers who had long laboured in obscurity. By turns dazzling, melancholy and thought-provoking, Broken Stars celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of SFF voices emerging from China. 'Dreamlike and hypnotic, evocative and inspiring' THE BOOKBAG. 'Ken Liu is a genius' ELIZABETH BEAR. 'An instant classic ... Poetry on every page' HUGH HOWEY.
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Trending in Love
Sanam is a carefree, but headstrong young girl. A spat with a politician's son pushes her take up a big challenge-to become an IAS. At the same time, a small-town boy, Aamir, is nudged into studying for the civil services too. Their hard work pays off when both become rank holders. And soon their lives come together at the IAS Training Academy, Mussoorie. Love blossoms, but when they decide to spend their lives together, all hell breaks loose. Their religious difference become a reason for clashes between the two communities, social media explodes and things take a dangerous turn. It seems hate has triumphed over love. What will be Sanam and Aamir's fate? A heady mix of dreams and desire, this is a story of undying love in the face of our society's most dangerous beliefs.
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Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master
The author Sri 'M' is an extraordinary individual. His uniqueness lies not only in the fact that at the young age of 19 and a half, he travelled to snow clad Himalayas from Kerala, and there he met and lived for several years with a 'real-time' yogi, Babaji, but also that he should undertake such an unusual and adventurous exploration, given his non-Hindu birth and antecedents. The metamorphosis of Mumtaz Ali Khan into Sri 'M', a yogi with profound knowledge of the Upanishads and deep personal insights, born of first hand experiences with higher levels of consciousness is indeed a fascinating story. Sri M was born in Tiruvananthapuram, Kerala. At the age of nineteen and a half, attracted by a strange and irresistible urge to go to the Himalayas, he left home. At the Vyasa Cave, beyond the Himalayan shrine of Badrinath, he met his Master and lived with him for three and a half years, wandering freely, the length and breadth of the snow clad Himalayan region. What he learnt from his Master Maheshwarnath Babaji, transformed his consciousness totally. Back in the plains, he, as instructed by his Master, lived a normal life, working for a living, fulfilling his social commitments and at the same time preparing himself to teach all that he had learnt and experienced. At a signal from his Master he entered the teaching phase of his life. Today, he travels all over the world to share his experiences and knowledge.
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The Endgame
‘A bold and haunting novel’ ANITA NAIR ‘[A] compelling story that reflects upon the human spirit’ RAJDEEP SARDESAI Saddam Hussein is dead, but there’s no end to war in Iraq. Armed with a reputation for daredevilry, reporter Tejaswini Ray arrives from New York to cover the conflict and is immediately enmeshed in a skirmish with Commander Luke of the US Marine Corps. Bound by Luke’s strict censorship rules, Tejaswini – Tejo – revolts, her coverage of the death of American soldiers killed by landmines draws the world’s attention to a futile war and invites the Commander’s ire. Tejo’s uneasy mission is further troubled by her chance encounter with Shabnam – a young woman trafficked from India and sold into slavery at the Marine camp. Drawn together by an unlikely bond, the two find solace amidst the carnage, but their friendship reveals a secret that links them back to the very beginning of their lives. When the war threatens their camp, Tejo and Shabnam abandon the Marines and embark on an audacious journey. But will they escape the dangers, or will their past invade the present, reversing the wheel of time to hasten the end?
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Moral Compass
Saint Ambrose, an elite boarding school in Massachusetts, has been the school of choice for the sons of the great and good for over a hundred years. But in changing times, the school must learn to adapt, admitting girls for the first time in its history. When a terrible incident occurs, it causes a fracture in the school's community. Students, teachers and parents must decide who they believe . . . Moral Compass is a topical, highly-charged story from the world's favourite storyteller, Danielle Steel.
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Happy For No Reason
Mandira Bedi is a fitness icon.But behind the six-pack is also a snotty, complaining, can't-get-out-of-bed-today girl who, in her own way, is still searching for true happiness. Not conditional, materialistic, transactional happiness, but just happiness. So has she cracked it yet? Mandira says 'No'. But she genuinely believes that she's headed in the right direction. In her own chaotic way, she seems to have discovered some kind of non-scientific, non-spiritual and as-yet-non-existent formula for finding peace in everything. Just being happy-for no reason. This book is about that.
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The Good Luck Girls
Aster. Violet. Tansy. Mallow. Clementine. Sold as children. Branded by cursed markings. Trapped in a life they never would have chosen. When Aster's sister Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge - in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by the land's most vicious and powerful forces - both living and dead - their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe. It's going to take more than luck for them all to survive. Content warnings: sexual assault, addiction, violence, references to rape and suicide.
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Sridevi The Eternal Screen Goddess
Hailed as the first pan-Indian female superstar in an era which literally offered actresses crumbs, Sridevi tamed Hindi cinema like no other. Beginning her affair with the camera when she was four, this doe-eyed beauty conquered Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada industries with performances etched in gold. Taking Hindi cinema by storm with Himmatwala in 1983, Sridevi emerged as one of the most iconic screen goddesses of India, playing characters that went on to become cultural touchstones. A supreme artiste who had mastered all the nine rasas, her comedy was peerless, her dances legendary, her histrionics awe-inspiring and her life a study in contrast, electric on screen, strangely reticent off it. Besides reigning as queen bee for the longest spell among Hindi heroines, she also remains the only actress who was No.1 in Tamil and Telugu cinema as well. Such was Sridevi's megastardom that she emerged as the 'hero' at the box office, towering above her male co-actors. Challenging patriarchy in Bollywood like no other, she not only exalted the status of the Hindi film heroine but also empowered a whole generation of audiences. After a hiatus of fifteen years, she shattered the rules again by becoming the only Bollywood diva to make a triumphant comeback in 2012 with the globally acclaimed English Vinglish. If her life played out forever in the limelight, so did her sudden demise in 2018. Charting five decades of her larger-than-life magic, this book celebrates both the phenomenon and the person Sridevi was. This is her journey from child star to one of our greatest movie luminaries who forever changed the narrative of Indian cinema.
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17 Church Row
For fans of J. P. Delaney's The Girl Before comes a thriller that makes us question the lengths we would go to, to keep our family safe. Three years ago, Nikki and Ethan Rhodes suffered a devastating loss when their four-year-old daughter Grace was tragically killed in a road accident. Ethan, a radio personality, escapes into work, leaving Nikki to care for their remaining child, Bella, who hasn't spoken since that day. Seeking a fresh start, the family moves into a revolutionary new house designed by renowned architect, Catriona Fisher. The house features a state-of-the-art security system, along with every amenity you could dream of. For the Rhodes' this is a chance to finally pick up the pieces and get on with their lives in a place where they feel totally safe. But what if 17 Church Row isn't the safe haven that they think it is? Praise for James Carol: 'Chilling, scary and magnificent' Lee Child 'Will hook you from the very first page' Rachel Abbott 'Carol carves out his own menacing canvas with real panache' Independent 'Leaves you desperate for more' Daily Mail
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A Good Wife
At fifteen, Samra Zafar had big dreams for herself. She was going to go to university, and forge her own path. Then with almost no warning, those dreams were pulled away from her when she was suddenly married to a stranger at seventeen and had to leave behind her family in Pakistan to move to Canada. Her new husband and his family promised that the marriage and the move would be a fulfilment of her dream, not a betrayal of it. But as the walls of their home slowly became a prison, Samra realized the promises were empty ones. In the years that followed she suffered her husband's emotional and physical abuse that left her feeling isolated, humiliated and assaulted. Desperate to get out, and refusing to give up, she hatched an escape plan for herself and her two daughters. Somehow she found the strength to not only build a new future, but to walk away from her past, ignoring the pleas of her family and risking cultural isolation by divorcing her husband. But that end was only the beginning for Samra. Through her academic and career achievements, she has gone on to become a mentor and public speaker, connecting with people around the world from isolated women in situations similar to her own, to young schoolgirls in Kenya who never allowed themselves to dream to men making the decisions to save for their daughters' educations instead of their dowries. A Good Wife tells her harrowing and inspiring story, following her from a young girl with big dreams, through finding strength in the face of oppression and then finally battling through to empowerment.
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Boys from Good Families
Thippy, the beautiful ‘girl from the outhouse’. Ashwath, only son of a feudal family of landowners. A love that could never be blessed by Destiny. Disillusioned by his family’s rejection of his love for Thippy, stifled by its traditions and conservative ways, Ashwath leaves Bangalore for a university town in America’s Midwest. It is 1981, and the American economy is booming. Ashwath enjoys the three C’s of success: a condominium, a car and a credit card. But a decade later, when the market crashes, he sees the other side of the American dream—joblessness, dingy one-room tenements, and loneliness Casting its shadow over it all is Neel Kamal, his family’s sprawling bungalow in Bangalore, now a piece of prime real estate. Ashwath is compelled to return after twenty-five years to lay claim to his inheritance. In doing so, he has to once again face tangled relationships—with his sister, Savitri, her ne’er-do-well husband, Keshav, his first love Thippy—and the ghosts of his parents who died without ever seeing him again. He also finds love of a different kind, through his high-spirited niece, Shweta, and his intense, idealistic nephew, Aprameya. Finally, it is Neel Kamal that decides what he must do.
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Love Unexpected
Kaira is an independent girl chasing her ambitions. Aveer is a strong-minded and successful entrepreneur, seeking expansion. When they get together to give wings to her venture, there are fireworks and a strange chemistry between them. But there is something else walking along – Kaira’s past. With Drew’s presence looming large like the devil, Kaira does not know how to accept her emotions for Aveer. Her loved ones protect her from all harm fiercely, but will they succeed this time too? Amidst confusion of a promising future and the demons of the past, in trying to find faith and burying betrayal, and in the battle between Kaira’s heart and her fears will Love Unexpected lead the way to happiness?
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To Bed the Bride An All for Love Novel
New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Ranney’s captivating series concludes with a tale of opposites whose attraction scorches a trail from the Highlands to the glittering halls of London—and courts scandal at every turn . . . Politics has introduced MP Logan McKnight to many fascinating people, but the lady he encounters on the lands bordering his ancestral Scottish home outshines them all. Eleanor Craig of Hearthmere seats a Thoroughbred like a queen, knows as much about world events as any of his colleagues—and is engaged to one of the worst men Logan knows. She also seems lonely, so Logan brings her a friend. Thus should their acquaintance end, yet it’s only just begun. The puppy Logan delivers is every bit as irresistible as the man himself. How could this stranger sense the isolation Eleanor suffers among her scheming, snobbish extended family and fiancé who control her life? It’s even worse in London—until she begins meeting Logan secretly in a secluded park. Their passionate connection frees Eleanor, body and soul. But discovery threatens disgrace—or worse.
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Yugandhar
‘Shivaji Sawant’s deep insights into the stories of our gods and goddesses, and his intriguing interpretations of these, have always been a source of delight to me. A must read for all those who love reading about Indian history and culture.’ Amish, author of the Shiva Trilogy and Ramchandra Series. Struck by Jara’s arrow, Krishna lies prone under a sprawling Kadamba tree. In his last moments, he looks back on his life and begins to speak, not as an incarnation of Vishnu but as a mortal who walked the earth and followed his dharma. As the stories of his childhood in Gokul and his youth in Mathura and Dwaraka unfold, people close to him appear by turns to examine Krishna’s life through the prism of their relationship with him. Rukmini tells the tale of their marriage and of her seven co-wives; Daruk, his charioteer, revisits Krishna’s travels and the many wars he accompanied him on; Draupadi, his confidante, describes his fondness for the Pandavas and his role in the Mahabharata; Satyaki, his commander-in-chief, marvels at his astute military tactics; his pupil Arjun speaks of lessons from the Gita; and Udhdhay, his cousin, reconstructs the breathtaking grandeur of his persona. Shivaji Sawant’s Krishna is an imperfect, flawed human. He is many people at once-a herdsman, a warrior, a statesman, a lover and a seer. He is complex and hides in him a vastness that no one person can entirely fathom. A consistent bestseller in Marathi since its first publication in 2000, Yugandhar goes beyond the familiar tales from the Mahabharata, and probes his life to understand this most beloved of gods.
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My Fake Rake The Union of the Rakes
"[A] feast of female empowerment, positive friendships, feel-good moments, and social satire." — NPR “A jolt of electricity, a blast of fresh air—everything delightful and exciting you could want it to be.” — The New York Times Book Review In the first book in Eva Leigh's new Union of the Rakes series, a bluestocking enlists a faux suitor to help her land an ideal husband only to be blindsided by real desire… Lady Grace Wyatt is content as a wallflower, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than the complications of society matches. But when a handsome, celebrated naturalist returns from abroad, Grace wishes, for once, to be noticed. Her solution: to “build” the perfect man, who will court her publicly and help her catch his eye. Grace’s colleague, anthropologist Sebastian Holloway, is just the blank slate she requires. To further his own research on English society, Sebastian agrees to let Grace transform him from a bespectacled, bookish academic into a dashing—albeit fake—rake. Between secret lessons on how to be a rogue and exaggerated public flirtations, Grace’s feelings for Sebastian grow from friendship into undeniable, inconvenient, real attraction. If only she hadn’t asked him to help her marry someone else... Sebastian is in love with brilliant, beautiful Grace, but their bargain is complete, and she desires another. Yet when he’s faced with losing her forever, Sebastian will do whatever it takes to tell her the truth, even if it means risking his own future—and his heart.
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The Men of Bitter Creek
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joan Johnston comes two classic stories of the unforgettable MEN OF BITTER CREEK. Cale Landry When THE MAN FROM WOLF CREEK leaves his secluded mountain refuge to seek revenge on the thief who robbed him, he never expected he’d end up taking home the wily old bandit’s gorgeous and spirited daughter Raven. But Cale will never get back what he lost, until he learns to trust in love. Conn Benton Conn Benton is shocked at the suggestion he should marry a Winthrop—especially that tall, redheaded Emaline—to end the feud between their families. He might marry her and bed her, but he has no intention of loving her. It takes a Yuletide miracle, THE CHRISTMAS BABY, to heal his vengeful heart.
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Savarkar The True Story Of The Father Of Hindutva
Savarkar is one of the most fascinating men in Indian history. A man who in the first part of his life wanted Hindu–Muslim unity yet later became the father of Hindutva. A man who called for complete independence twenty years before the Congress but didn’t participate in the Quit India movement. A man who in his younger days was friendly with Gandhi but was later seen as the inspiration behind his killing. Based on Savarkar’s original Marathi papers, accounts of his contemporaries, several of them untranslated from Marathi, court and government records, and newspapers of the time, this new biography is packed with fresh details. Written in a lively, page-turning style, this is a riveting and unbiased account of Savarkar’s life, and the only book you will need to truly understand him. ‘Lively, well researched and balanced. It will fascinate and provoke.’ Gurcharan Das ‘Wonderful. Savarkar truly comes alive.’ Bibek Debroy ‘Superbly written and deeply researched, this book is neither hagiographic nor does it suffer from unbalanced criticism.’ Sudheendra Kulkarni
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Restless Rancher Wild Rose Ranch
If you like bad-boy heroes, western settings, and a sexy, sassy heroine you will love Jennifer Ryan's newest Wild Rose Ranch book! Perfect for fans of Diana Palmer, Linda Lael Miller, and Jodi Thomas. One minute down-on-his-luck rancher Austin Hubbard slept soundly, the next, a sassy spitfire dumped a pitcher of water on his head and woke him up—in more ways than one. Hired to help him rebuild his ranch, Sonya Tucker ends up helping him put the tattered pieces of his life back together. The capable, all-business accountant is on a mission to get the ranch up and running, but can he convince the temptingly beautiful woman to take a chance on him? Sonya was dismayed that Austin had lost it all: money, family, respectability. Things she—who’d been raised by her mother at Nevada’s notorious brothel Wild Rose Ranch—only dreamed about. But working with the long, lean cowboy shows her that Austin is honorable to his core. Together they slowly grow to see what the love between them might bring. But then Austin’s powder keg of a family feud explodes, exposing long-buried secrets, and threatening their new-found love…
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The Hero
What makes a hero? Who better to answer that question than Lee child… ‘it’s Lee child. Why would you not read it?’ Karin slaughter ‘I don't know another author so skilled at making me turn the page’ the times in his first work of nonfiction, the creator of the multimillion-selling Jack Reacher series explores the endurance of heroes from Achilles to bond, showing us how this age-old myth is a fundamental part of what makes us human. He demonstrates how hero stories continue to shape our world – arguing that we need them now more than ever. From the Stone Age to the Greek tragedies, from Shakespeare to Robin Hood, we have always had our heroes. The hero is at the centre of formative myths in every culture and persists to this day in world conquering books, films and TV shows. But why do these characters continue to inspire us, and why are they so central to storytelling? Scalpel-sharp on the roots of storytelling and enlightening on the history and Science of myth, the hero is essential reading for anyone trying to write or understand fiction. Child teaches us how these stories still shape our minds and behaviour in an increasingly confusing modern world, and with his trademark concision and wit, demonstrates that however civilised we get, well always need heroes.
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Stories We Never Tell
There are stories we never talk about. Stories we are afraid to share. Simply because they hurt too much or no one wants to listen to them. Such was the story of Jhanvi, who is a budding social media influencer. She appears to have it all together, living her ideal life, but something is missing: Jhanvi has this impossible need that drives her to be more perfect than any person could possibly be. And the story of Ashray, who had a rocky start in life. With hard work and determination, he translates his dreams into reality, but his deep-seated insecurities come to the fore when life throws him a curveball. As their stories intersect, their lives change in ways they never expected. In a world of loss, darkness and destruction, will Jhanvi and Ashray be able to tell a story of hope, light and recovery?
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The 12-Week Fitness Project
Lose inches. Gain health. Sleep better. In just 12 weeks. Want to get fit but don’t know how to start? Let India’s #1 nutritionist and health advocate Rujuta Diwekar help you. In this ground-breaking book, based on the ‘12-week fitness project’, one of the world’s largest and most successful public health projects, she will guide you step by step, giving you one simple guideline to follow each week. By the end of three months you will have transformed your habits in twelve crucial ways. The result? You’ll find you have lost inches and have better sleep and energy levels, lesser acidity, bloating and sweet cravings and reduced PMO and period pain.
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The Andromeda Evolution
Fifty years after The Andromeda Strain made Michael Crichton a household name – and spawned a new genre, the technothriller – the threat returns, in a gripping sequel that is terrifyingly realistic and resonant. THE EVOLUTION IS COMING In 1967, an extraterrestrial microbe—designated the Andromeda Strain—came crashing down to Earth and nearly ended the human race. A team of top scientists assigned to Project Wildfire worked valiantly to save the world from an epidemic of unimaginable proportions. In the ensuing decades, research on the microparticle continued. And the world thought it was safe.… Deep inside Fairchild Air Force Base, Project Eternal Vigilance has continued to watch and wait for the Andromeda Strain to reappear. For years, the project has registered no activity—until now. A Brazilian terrain-mapping drone has detected a bizarre anomaly of otherworldly matter, and, worse yet, the tell-tale chemical signature of the deadly microparticle. With this shocking discovery, the next-generation Project Wildfire is activated, and a diverse team of experts hailing from all over the world is dispatched to investigate the potentially apocalyptic threat.But the microbe is growing—evolving. And if the Wildfire team can’t reach the quarantine zone, enter the anomaly, and figure out how to stop it, this new Andromeda Evolution will annihilate all life as we know it.
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The Fourth Peshwa
The Maratha empire that Chhatrapati Shivaji established in 1680 passed into the hands of the Peshwas in the 18th century. The empire, which spanned across large parts of Western, Central and Northern India, suffered a severe setback when the Marathas lost the third battle of Panipat to Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1761. The then Peshwa, Nanasaheb Balaji Bajirao, could not recover from the humiliation of his defeat and the devastating loss of his eldest son Vishwasrao and younger brother Sadashivrao, and soon passed away. When the sixteen-year-old Madhavrao succeeded Nanasaheb, he was met with empty coffers, a royal court fraught with internal dis- sensions, and an uncle, Raghunathrao, raring to usurp his throne. He set about resurrecting the empire while keeping the Nizam of Hyderabad and the East India Company at bay. Not only did he revive its lost glory and pride, but also widened its boundaries. Ranjit Desai’s The Fourth Peshwa tells the story of a frail young man who was compelled to prematurely step into his father’s shoes, but who rose to the occasion. Now into its 34th edition in Marathi, this is an absolute classic all fans of historical fiction ought to have on their shelves.