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50 Greatest Short Stories
50 Greatest Short Stories is a selection from the best of the world�s short fiction, bringing together writings by great masters such as Anton Chekov, Rudyard Kipling, H. G. Wells, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Saki, O. Henry, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Guy de Maupassant. Each story is a classic, a testimony to the skills of its creator that make it resonate with readers even today. Carefully picked for their timeless quality, readers are sure to be delighted by the inclusion of such favourites as �The Gift of the Magi�, �The Lady with the Dog�, �How the Leopard Got His Spots�, �The Man Who Could Work Miracles�, �The Curious Case of Benjamin Button� and �Mrs Packletide�s Tiger�, to name but a few. This outstanding and wide-ranging anthology of stories by great writers from Britain, America, Canada and Europe is a collector�s item, designed for readers to refresh their acquaintance with some of the world�s finest writing and for newer readers to be introduced to it. Anton Chekov, Charles Dickens, Katherine Mansfield, Guy de Maupassant, F. Scott Fitzgerald, H. Rider Haggard, O. Henry, Rudyard Kipling, W. W. Jacobs, Virginia Woolf, D. H. Lawrence, Saki, Jerome K. Jerome, H. G. Wells, Kate Chopin, Ambrose Bierce, Jack London, Frank Stockton, Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen Leacock, James Joyce, Bram Stoker, Joseph Conrad, M. R. James, W. Somerset Maugham, R. L. Stevenson.
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Let The Reason Be Love
What makes strangers fall in love? This remains a conundrum - one that neither technological breakthroughs, nor the most passionate of lovers has managed to unravel. While some may attribute attraction to shared sensibilities or even a karmic connection, the fact remains that love comes without simple answers, it�s damn complicated! Rishaan and Kiara, both incurable romantics, recovering from their respective heartbreaks, fall in love with one another (or so they think!). Soon, they are in a relationship, their affair is as blissful as it is chaotic. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, the bohemian Kiara proposes marriage. But Rishaan is not so sure, and things get especially problematic when Rishaan realizes that it�s Kiara�s best friend he could be falling for! Written in Tuhin A. Sinha�s impassioned and disturbingly honest narrative-style, Let the Reason Be Love is the author�s second exclusive romantic offering after his 2006 debut bestseller, That Thing Called Love.
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Reckless.
New York Times Bestselling Author Tracy Whitney Sidney Sheldon�s most popular and enduring heroine is back again in the sensational and gripping followup to Chasing Tomorrow. Once upon a time, Tracy Whitney was one of the best thieves in the business. Then she settled down, had a baby, and planned to spend the rest of her days quietly, living anonymously, devoted to her son. But tragic news has forced Tracy to face her greatest nightmare. Now, with nothing left to protect, she returns to the hunt and she's more dangerous than ever. Tracy is not the only woman with a dark and dangerous past. The world faces a new terror threat from a group of global hackers intent on the collapse of capitalism and private wealth and the creation of a new world order. When this group turn to violence, with deadly effect, the mysterious woman pulling their strings becomes the CIA's public enemy number one. Only one clever and ruthless woman is capable of tracking down the terrorist: Tracy. But as Tracy discovers, the truth proves as elusive as her target. Hampered by corruption and enemies masked as allies, Tracy will be pushed to the brink, where she must face her darkest demons. But just how reckless will a person become when she have nothing left to lose?
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The Sinister Silence
When ace software engineer Saahil is found battling for his life on a rainy morning, it looks like a case of attempted suicide. However, Saahil's family strongly denies that possibility and calls in ex-super cop-turned-detective Mili Ray to investigate. While doctors are uncertain about Saahil's survival, the police discover the blood-soaked body of Saahil's colleague Farzad. Why are IT engineers being targeted? Is there a link between these ghastly attacks and Saahil's cutting-edge invention - the PA software? Ray and her team - Advocate Gatha and ex-army officer Anubhav - dive into this case, which is turning murkier by the hour. Unaware that a conniving assassin is stalking her, Ray races towards a dangerous trap while murderous attacks continue to haunt the IT world. Who is behind these assaults - a jealous co-worker, an IT kingpin, an estranged friend, or someone else? With the killer on the loose, Ray's credibility is at stake. Set in Mumbai, The Sinister Silence is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that traces detective Mili Ray's journey through a mysterious case that poses new threats every time she inches closer to her goal.
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LOVE SIDE BY SIDE
Hailing from a middle-class family, Pankaj believes that his life is all sorted - get an engineering degree, marry the love of his life, Riya and settle down for a 'happily-ever-after' in Delhi. But when Riya decides to go abroad for further studies, his plan goes for a toss. Still determined to keep to the plan, he promises to wait for her. After settling in Jamshedpur, though, he becomes close to his boss's daughter, Kajal, and starts assisting in her social work. In the midst of the changing economic and religious environment of India in the 1990s, he undertakes a journey, which not only gives him a peek into rural life but also a new and focused perspective on life and love. Love Side by Side not only gives a glimpse of India in the 90s, but also demonstrates why sometimes the failure of a well-laid-out plan can be the best thing to happen in life.
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You Are The Best Wife
Ajay believes in living for himself, Bhavna teaches him to live for others. Ajay is a planner for life, Bhavna makes him live in every moment. You are the Best Wife is a story of two people with contradictory ideologies who fall in love. It changes them for good. It changes the way they look at the world and the way the world looks at them. Until destiny reveals its plans. This is a true inspiring story of the author and his struggle with life, after his beloved wife left him halfway through their journey. But her last words, 'you are the best husband' gave him the strength to live on, and fulfil his promise of love. Told with frankness and doses of humor, this heartwarming tale of a boy and a girl who never gave up on their love in face of adversities, ends on a bittersweet and poignant note as Ajay comes to terms with the biggest lesson life has to offer.
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Jelly Belly
In the midst of her busy schedule, multiple commitments and looking after others, every woman should read this book for sure. Cutting through all the myths, fads, and noise, Dr Aparna Santhanam shows how to successfully understand, prioritise and look after one's body and mind, and truly live a healthy and happy life. - Anjali & Sachin Tendulkar The belly bulge is not uncommon among women over 30, and it is symptomatic of a much bigger phenomenon: women's neglect and ignorance of their own health and nutrition as they juggle multiple commitments at work and home. Wellness expert and bestselling author Dr Aparna Santhanam distills two decades of experience and wisdom in this groundbreaking book. She provides practical solutions that women can implement to fight the belly and lead healthier, happier lives. So how do you control the effects of fluctuating hormones, like loss of energy, nagging headaches, hot flushes and depression? How do you address heart and bone health once you hit 30? What are the essential screening tests and when should you do them? How do you fight greying hair and sagging skin, or control urinary incontinence? Dr Santhanam's onestop guide reveals everything you need to know to be beautiful, healthy, secure and confident, and to make YOU your priority.
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Why We Love The Way We Do
Is it possible to tell if it is love or lust? How important is sex in a relationship? Why do break-ups hurt so much? How often should you message a person you fancy? How do you tell if someone is too young or too old for you? When it comes to relationships, these are the questions that most of us ponder. No matter how young or old we are, we are all looking for ways to make our relationships better. The best way to do that is to understand what makes us behave the way we do. Why we love the way we do is a collection of essays on relationships based on Preeti Shenoy's hugely popular columns in a national daily, in which the bestselling novelist discusses some of those issues and questions that people in relationships, or those hoping to be in one, face. The topics range from those particular to our modern, technology-filled world: how to move from an online relationship to a real-life one, how to find and keep love online, whether casual sex is worth the effort, to those immortal issues such as how men and women communicate differently, how to deal with a broken heart and how jealousy ruins a relationship. Filled with wonderful insights, sharp observations, humour and real-life examples and written in her trademark lucid style, Preeti Shenoy brings to this book a perceptiveness about love and friendship that has made her the country�s highest-selling woman writer.
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Birds In My Indian Garden
Out of print for three decades, this new, completely reset edition will delight a fresh set of readers. �One of my favourite birds is the white-eye. It is a dapper little creature measuring only four inches long from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail, and its colouring is pleasing. Its upper body is golden-yellow tinged with green, parts of its wings are dark brown, its chin and throat are bright yellow, its breast is light grey, and the yellow motif is repeated on its abdomen. But its most distinguishing mark is a white ring round each eye, which gives it the appearance of wearing a pair of white horn-rimmed spectacles�. Malcolm MacDonald�s description of the bird which appears on the cover of this book is fresh and arresting. These qualities mark his accounts of Delhi�s birds in Birds in my Indian Garden, and made it an instant classic when it was first published. Readers will learn about the drama of the lives of the city�s avian residents and visitors�their quirky courtship and mating rituals, the industriousness and skill with which they build their nests, the hatching and training of their young, their desperate efforts to fend off ruthless predators who hunt their eggs and hatchlings, and much more. The numerous birds described include mynahs, flycatchers, drongos, white-eyes, hoopoes, sunbirds, shikras, crows, sparrows, kites and koels; all of them come gloriously alive in the pages of MacDonald�s masterpiece.
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Kanan Devi
This is the incredible story of Kanan Devi, one of the top stars and singers of the 1930s and 40s. Kanan Devi was not only one of the few stars to have been successful both in silent films and the talkies, she was also one of the few artists to be Internationally recognized in Hollywood magazines as a gifted singer and actor, hobnobbing with the likes of Vivien Leigh. She was a woman of many dimensions: a fashionista, a producer who made many successful films in the fifties and sixties, a philanthropist for women in theatre and film-centred welfare projects, and a feminist before the word gained currency. Mekhala Sengupta�s well-researched account not only brings to life a fearless pioneer who fought stereotypes to live life on her own terms, but is also a loving ode to a lost era of Indian cinema.
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Shakti The Divine Feminine
She is the Mother Goddess, Mahamaya�the enchantress, the supreme consciousness, the pure source from which all creation emerges and to whom all must eventually return. As Usas, the enchanting goddess of the dawn, she is loved passionately and hated fiercely, leading to a horrific tragedy. As Durga, the invincible warrior, she defeats the savage Mahishasura, whom none of the male gods could vanquish. As Kali, the fearsome dark goddess, she delights in chaos. Yet she is also Shakti, beloved of all, who, when united with Shiva, restores balance to the universe. In this captivating narrative, explore the contrasting facets of the sacred feminine; experience her awesome power, forged on the flames of love and hate; and watch her teach the male-dominated pantheon a lesson in compassion. Witty, engaging and thought-provoking, Shakti: The Feminine Divine will force readers to re-evaluate everything they know about the gods and goddesses and inspire all to embrace the Shakti within.
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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Almost a century before A Game of thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros. A Knight of the seven od this Kindoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R.R. Martin's ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naive but courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals in stature if not experience. Tagging along with him is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg, whose true identity must be hidden from all he and Dunk encounter: for in reality he is Aegon Targaryen, and one day he will be king. Improbable heroes though they be, great destinies lay ahead for Dunk and Egg; as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits. A Knight of thr Seven Kingdoms is set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory. Featuring more than 160 illustrations by Gary Gianni, one of the finest fantasy artists of our time, this beautiful volume will transport readers to the world of the Seven Kingdoms in an age of bygone chivalry.
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Chicken Soup for the IITian's Soul
At the first convocation address at IIT Kharagpur, Jawaharlal Nehru said - �Here, stands the fine monument of India, representing India�s urges, India�s future in the making. This picture seems to me symbolical of the changes that are coming to India.� It is not for nothing that a seat in one of the Indian Institutes of Technology is so coveted. Being a graduate of an IIT is a matter of prestige, a sure path to a successful career, and life. In this book, IITians share memories of their time in college, of friendships that defined them, lessons that went beyond the academic, of determination, of failure, of fun times in hostels. There are stories from proud parents of IITians, and from teachers and mentors. Whether you are an IITian yourself, or hope to be one in future, this wonderful collection of stories is sure to hearten and inspire.