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The Fall Of The Kingdom of The Punjab
A forgotten classic from Indias favourite storyteller. This riveting historical narrative is more full of drama than any fiction. With the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the great Punjab empire he had built was riven by intrigues, betrayals, assassinations and wars until the British finally annexed it, seizing the Kohinoor diamond and sending the young Maharaja Duleep Singh into exile in Britain. Khushwant Singh brings this turbulent period to vivid life in this page-turning account of the collapse of a once-mighty kingdom.
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Zero Hour
Attempting to save a man in a speedboat from a sniper swooping in by helicopter, Kurt Austin lands himself in trouble with the Australian secret service. Though he gives them their only clue - 'Tartarus', the last word of a dying man - Kurt is brusquely warned off. Intrigued and never one to ignore a mystery he is soon on the trail of a crazed scientist hellbent on unleashing a deadly destructive force - machines capable of triggering earthquakes. Now Austin must assemble the Numa team. Their mission? To find and stop this madman before he tears the world apart. About the Author Clive Cussler is the author or co-author of a great number of international bestsellers, including the famous Dirk Pitt adventures, such as Crescent Dawn, the NUMA Files adventures, the Oregon Files, such as The Jungle, the Isaac Bell historical thrillers, which began with The Chase and the Fargo Adventures series, most recently The Mayan Secrets. He lives in Arizona.
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Crushed
Medas back. With a friend. The battle is over, the choice has been made. Meda melange has officially hung up her monstrous mantle and planted her feet firmly on the holy and righteous path of a Crusader-in-training. Or, at least, shes willing to give it a shot. It helps that the Crusaders are the only thing standing between her and the demon hordes who want her dead. The problem is the only people less convinced than Meda of her new-found role as good girl are the very Crusaders shes trying to join. So when a devilishly handsome half-demon boy offers escape, hows a girl supposed to say no? After all, everyone knows a good girls greatest weakness is a bad boy.
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Social 50 Ways to Improve Your Professional Life
Social: 50 Ways to Improve Your Professional Life is a unique and informative guide for professionals by Ankit Fadia, bestselling author of Faster - 100 Ways to Improve Your Digital Life. Summary of the Book In this book, Ankit Fadia provides a deep insight and an incisive look on how to improve your professional life. The author gives away some invaluable and important advice for the readers to be able to create their personal brands. This book also includes applications to help the readers plan, communicate effectively and manage their finances better. Social: 50 Ways to Improve Your Professional Life provides effective ways of getting your resume noticed, de-cluttering your inbox, and getting work done on flights. This book will put the readers on the path that will take them from being just an employee to creating their own personal brand. About Ankit Fadia Ankit Fadia is an Indian independent computer security consultant and author. He is an ethical hacker, and has written several books on the topic of computer security. He attended Delhi Public School, R K Puram. He was gifted a computer when he was 12 and since then he has has a keen interest in hacking. He later joined an undergraduate program in Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University.
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The Return of the Butterfly
he Return of the Butterfly is an amusing political satire in the facade of the diary of an inane, self-centred socialite. Summary of the Book The Return of the Butterfly, just like The Diary of a Social Butterfly, portrays Pakistan through the eyes of a self-centred, party-hopping socialite. It is a peculiar and comical narration of life in Pakistan, as seen by an impulsive and yet eerily charming high society party-hopper, Butterfly Khan. She loves social occasions and parties. And although she loves her husband, Janoo, she hardly understands the things that he is concerned about. Janoo is smart, knowledgeable and refined. On the other hand, Butterfly is only aware of the newest gossips in high society. She has to express her views about everything around her, especially in a language that is a classic sub continental blend, mashing up both English and the vernacular. What’s surprisingly hilarious, are her startlingly colourful expressions! Butterfly lives her life blissfully unaware of the events happening in the country, worrying only about her kitty parties and rumours floating around. The Return of the Butterfly is certainly going to be a laugh riot if you are seeking a hilarious read! About Moni Mohsin Moni Mohsin is a notable Pakistani columnist and author. She was born in the year 1963. She studied at the reputed Cambridge University and started Pakistan’s first environmental magazine. Moni’s columns are frequently published in several newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian, Vogue, The Nation, and Boston Review among others. Her book, The Diary of a Social Butterfly, is a compilation of chosen articles from her column featured in The Friday Times. Some of the other books penned by M
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Shikhandi : And Other Tales They don't Tell You
Patriarchy asserts men are superior to women. Feminism clarifies women and men are equal. Queerness questions what constitutes male and female. Queerness isnt only modern, Western or sexual, says mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik. Take a close look at the vast written and oral traditions in Hinduism, some over two thousand years old, and you will find many overlooked tales, such as those of Shikhandi, who became a man to satisfy her wife; Mahadeva, who became a woman to deliver his devotees child; Chudala, who became a man to enlighten her husband; Samavan, who became the wife of his male friend; and many more. . . Playful and touching - and sometimes disturbing - these stories when compared with their Mesopotamian, Greek, Chinese and Biblical counterparts, reveal the unique Indian way of making sense of queerness. Exclusive Piece written by Devdutt Pattanaik for Flipkart Customers March of Celibate Men Vishnu takes the form of a king, a cowherd, a priest, a fish even an enchantress called Mohini. In this female form, he seduces gods and demons and hermits, all in order to preserve social order. Thus a God who is visualised as male becomes a nymph, bears a child for the sake of social order. This story is remarkable at so many levels. Here, Gods gender is not restricted to the male form. Fertility is not restricted to women. Divinity is associated with enchantment and sensory pleasures. And though woman, Mohini is not a demure wife; she is a dancer who is restricted to no man. Could this possible be a Hindu story? When the Europeans came to India, they saw stories such as these as yet another indicator of Indian effeminacy and Oriental debauchery. Back home, they were themselves exposed to a world where God was avowedly masculine, he sent down a son, not a daughter, to save the world, and that son was conceived without sexual intercourse and had no wife of his own. The priests of this God were all male and celibate. An alternate worldview where the feminine and the queer was appreciated, even venerated, made no sense to them. They naturally mocked Indians. This mockery became intense when the Europeans became rulers of India. So Hindus became defensive and apologetic. Not knowing how to explain their stories in the language of the foreign rulers, they started to reform the stories. They focused on stories that met with European approval: stories where celibacy and self-control was valorised and women were reduced to objects of temptation. The stern celibate monk became the representative of Hinduism, not the dancing mischievous affectionate nymph. The Europeans left. The Americans came. In the 60s, America went through a radical change sexual revolution, hippie revolution, anti-war protests. They wrote books rediscovering Indias sensual heritage. They spoke of how Hindus had bisexual gods and goddesses. Hindus were horrified. Was not Hinduism was all about celibacy and self-control? Was that not what the story books told them? Was that not what their parents and teacher told them? They protested passionately but were gagged with typical Western academic disdain, You are in denial. You dont have the facts; we do. Let us tell you what your culture is! Battle lines were thus drawn. They continue to be drawn. Time for empathy, and expansion of the mind. Appreciate the stories of sensuous men and women, celibate men and women. More importantly, appreciate the different context in which celibacy was celebrated and the different context in which the dance of the enchantress was celebrated. Even more importantly, appreciate the vast volume and diversity of India, where things have never been static, where things are never static, where the past and the present coexist simultaneously, the liberal coexists with the conservative, the wise next to the most unfair. Time to read Shikhandi and other tales they dont tell you. And remember, they who dont tell you these 30 stories are not villains. They probably are unware of their vast heritage themselves.
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The Mother I Never Knew
What secrets lurk in a familys past-and how important are they in the here and now? Sudha Murtys new book comprises two novellas that explore two quests by two different men-both for mothers they never knew they had. Venkatesh, a bank manager, stumbles upon his lookalike one fine day. When he probes further, he discovers his fathers hidden past, which includes an abandoned wife and child. Ventakesh is determined to make amends to his impoverished stepmother-but how can he repay his fathers debt? Mukesh, a young man, is shocked to realise after his fathers death that he was actually adopted. He sets out to find his biological mother, but the deeper he delves, the more confused he is about where his loyalties should lie-with the mother who gave birth to him, or with the mother who brought him up. The mother I never knew is a poignant, dramatic book that reaches deep into the human heart to reveal what we really feel about those closest to us.
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Will Grayson,Will Grayson
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is narrated evenly between two boys of the same name. It is a funny and insightful novel which has won the authors, John Green and David Levithan, loyal fans that thoroughly enjoy the humor in the book. Summary of the Book This is a story about two young boys in an unlikely corner of Chicago who are about to meet. The catch is that both the boys go by the name of Will Grayson. Whether this is coincidence or fate is up to the reader to decide. Both boys find their lives going in a direction that is not expected. They later seem to find that their lives are slowly becoming entwined since the day of their meeting. The story turns out to be a good humored and epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. About the Author John Green John Green’s first novel was looking for Alaska which won him the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award. David Levithan David Levithan is a children's book editor and award winning author. He published his first book Boy Meets Boy in 2003. He is the Founding Editor of PUSH which is a young adult imprint of Scholastic Press.
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In the Shadow of Inheritance : A Haunting Love Sto
A haunting dream. A sinister legend. Mesmerising love. The appearance of a mysterious and attractive stranger in the small town of Adeli changes Taras life forever. Shes now the heiress to the Khanolkar Rajwada in Mahabaleshwar. However, the palatial home that is her ancestral legacy is also full of people with deep, dark secrets and one of them is her fathers murderer. Evil lurks in the shadows, as does love. But Tara cant rely on anyone as someone out there is determined to prove the legend right and to finish the incomplete murderous task of the past. Read on to find out what Taras fate will be.
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On a Prayer
Twenty-two-year-old Yash Birla wakes up at the break of dawn to a phone call that changes his life a plane with his parents and sister has just crashed in Bangalore. Leaving his college in North Carolina on a flight to Mumbai, Yash finds out that they have all passed away. Everything he has known is destroyed and his world is suddenly torn apart. Reeling from the loss, Yash is handed over a vast empire of companies that he is now at the helm of, where he has to fight for his rights and manoeuvre through relatives who have their own agendas. This is the story of a man who overcomes one of lifes toughest hurdles and lives to tell the tale. It is Yash Birlas journey from a state of oblivion to survival, where his deep belief in spirituality and his faith in true love act as a crutch for him to go on. Money, greed, God and an inside view of one of Indias oldest industrial families that is the story of On a Prayer.
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An Abundance of Katherines
A child-prodigy loves girls named Katherine, even after being dumped by them 19 times. An Abundance of Katherines is a story of how he believes his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability should eventually get him the girl. Summary of the Book By the time Colin Singleton was dumped 19 times by girls named Katherine, he should have gotten the idea that it won’t work out for him. But this washed up child prodigy sets out on a roadtrip with his best friend riding shotgun and with ten thousand dollars on him as he rides to prove that his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability should predict the result of any relationship, and get him the girl. About John Green John Green is an American Writer. He has written best-sellers such as: Looking for Alaska, Let It Snow, Paper Towns and The Fault In Our Stars.
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When Only Love Remains
I’ve imagined this in my head so many times. I’ve always thought about what I would say; What I would do and how it would all turn out to be. And every time I would remove some detail … She’s a flight attendant—young, bright and living her dream. He’s a heartbroken singer on his way to becoming big. She’s an ardent fan of his. He can’t imagine why and yet seems to find comfort in her words. It’s the first time they are together and in their hearts both are wishing, hoping and praying that the night would never end. That the time they are spending together lasts and lasts … In the world of imperfection, there is always someone just right for you. Durjoy Datta was born in New Delhi, India, and completed a degree in engineering and business management before embarking on a writing career. His first book—Of Course I Love You!—was published when he was twenty-one years old and was an instant bestseller. His successive novels—Now That You’re Rich!; She Broke Up, I Didn’t!; Ohh Yes, I Am Single!; If It’s Not Forever; Till the Last Breath; Someone Like You; Hold My Hand—have also found prominence on various bestseller lists, making him one of the highest-selling authors in India.
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Quantum Siege
This is the endgame. The terror group Lashkar has directly threatened the prime minister of India with never before consequences, if referendum is not declared in Kashmir immediately. The UN Security Council has called for an emergency session scheduled to meet within two days to discuss the Kashmir crisis. Rudra Pratap Singh and his team at the Anti - Terror cell face their toughest challenge yet. Millions of innocent lives are at stake while India readies itself for war. Time is running out and the terrorists threat is about to actualize. Will they be able to neutralize it, trace the perpetrators and avert war? Set in the heart of a metropolis, this diabolical thriller will consume you in its labyrinthine madness.
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The Striker
1902, and Isaac Bell is investigating sabotage in a West Virginia coal mine. But when he stops a runway train, saving countless lives, Bell discovers that it is part of a conspiracy to frame striking miners. From West Virginia to Pittsburgh, New York City and Cincinnati, Bell is now on the hunt for clues to discover who is behind this murderous scheme. It puts him up against a ruthless agent provocateur allied to a cabal of staggering ambition and cold-bloodedness. Bell must prevent them starting a war which could bring the nation to its knees. Introducing us to Isaac Bell early in his career, The Striker is a pulse-pounding adventure from the world’s favourite writer of non-stop thrillers.
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Love Among the Bookshelves
Ruskin Bond's stories have amazed and inspired. But what are the stories which amazed and inspired him? In this anthology, he presents the stories he grew up on, and the inspiration that he drew from them. In stories by authors such as P. G. Wodehouse, whose Love Among The Chickens is the inspiration for this book's title, H. E. Bates, W. Somerset Maugham, Charles Dickens and Richard Jeffries, learn how young Ruskin Bond became the writer we all know and love. Including immortal stories such as selections from the Pickwick Papers, From Cakes And Ale, Schooldays, Rule Days, and From The Story of My Heart, this collection takes readers back to a time where stories where the sole escape a little boy could afford. In doing so perhaps, we can understand where the muse hides, and where to find her. Ruskin Bond speaks out in this part-memoir, part anthology, and tells readers that his tryst with reading didn't begin in a library or a bookshop or even an old aunt's collection of romance novels. He tells them that it began with a week he spent at a forest rest house in the Rajaji sanctuary, and there he discovered something which set the course for the rest of his life: a wall cupboard with a couple of shelves full of books. In these anecdotes, he draws readers into his past and reveals a process hidden in plain sight, yet one every non-writer wishes to understand. How does a person become a writer? The answer Bond gives is simple. By reading, of course. About Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond is a British-Indian writer. He is known best for his children's stories. Some of his works are: The Room on the Roof, A Flight of Pigeons, The Sensualist, The Blue Umbrella, Angry River, The Parrot Who Wouldn't Talk and The Blue Umbrella. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian literature and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. He now lives in in Landour, near Mussoorie with his adopted family.
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The Fallen-The Enemy Is Closer Than You Think
When the Holloway crew arrives at the Natural History Museum they find anew group of survivors.These kids are different,though.Rather than fighting,they're looking for a cure.All they need are medical supplies.But to get them means a journey down unknown roads - and hiding in the shadows is something they never could have imagined.
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Spot Girl
Jia is living her greatest dream. Shes the manager cum girl Friday of the countrys hottest film star Shezad Khan, She loves her job and she loves her boss. However, her wonderfully stressful life hits a low when Shezad gets romantically involved with an upcoming actress. She soon finds her picture perfect existence clouded with self-doubt, heartbreak, questionable career choices and total disillusionment. In a place where everyone pays a price, how far will she go for her love? From Mumbai to Cannes, Spot Girl is the journey of an ordinary girl who ends up finding something real in this fascinating world of make belief. About the Author Komal Mehta used to be a spot girl-however, she is now an author, story and screenwriter. She discovered she could write at the age of sixteen and went on to write for newspapers, magazines, DVD covers, websites, blogs, etc. She now writes books and scripts for movies and serials. She has an engineering degree in IT and is a postgraduate in management. Her previous work experience includes working for Reliance Big Entertainment, EURO RSCG and Pradeep Guhas Culture Company (Culture Brandz) in the field of film marketing.
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Popular a Memoir : Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Gee
Maya is a fifteen year old girl who feels out of place in school. The social life is strangely vague to her. The volley ball girls, the band children, the jocks, and the outcasts appear to be dwelling in an utterly chaotic world. This makes Maya claim to be a geek herself. On a fateful day, she meets Betty from the 1952 edition of Betty Cornell’s Guide to Teenage Popularity and ventures out on a social experiment. She compiles one chapter at time, with titles like Personality, Hair, Poise and such headers. She recounts all kinds of emotions – poignancy and hilarious – all ending in the grand plan, the prom. About Maya Van Wagenen Maya Van Wagenen was eleven when her family moved to Texas, which served as the backdrop for her book Popular. Apart from writing, Maya is passionate about reading, chocolate and British television. She has two siblings and currently lives with her parents in the rural part of Georgia.
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Eighteen and Wiser (Not Quite!)
Join Rinki and the walf pack in the most exciting year of their lives She has dreamed of it, longed for it, cried for it. And now, she’s it. Rinki Tripathi is finally eighteen! But, as she realizes, being eighteen comes with its own set of troubles: parental expectations (they seem to be obsessed with the ‘F’ word: Future), romantic complications (in the form of the so-gorgeous-it-isn’t-fair Tejas), professional tribulations (don’t even ask). Rinki can’t understand why her male friends prefer her female friends to her. Her college teachers can’t understand why her attendance is so poor. And her parents, poor folks, don’t understand her at all! Rinki has hit the magic number but her life is far from magical. Will the eighteenth year of her life make her feel wiser? Read the last instalment in the Rinki series and find out.
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Alice in Corporate Land : Career Lessons from a Fa
A book is more than complete if it evokes wonder, emotions and provokes thought. If it births new ideas, by sharing its own fresh ones, that book accounts for an engaging read. Alice in Corporate Land attempts to look at the career growth of a young girl in the corporate world, keeping the Alice in Wonderland fairy fable as the fabric or the frame of narration. Just like Alice meets strangers in her journey, this book introduces us to strange but insightful ideas and thoughts about our professional life. The young girl in the book could be any fresher who is looking for some help, advice and a friendly guidance in the corporate world. A must read for focussed professionals who aspire to scale greater heights. About Tulika Tripathi Tulika Tripathi is an Indian writer and author. She is the managing Director of the Asian Operations for an international talent solutions company. She has been into recruitment for the past ten years and has a vast experience in corporate. Alice in Corporate Land holds more gravity as a book, as it is written by an achiever herself.
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Right Here Right Now
Seventeen-year-old Kalindi wakes up in a hospital, little more than a clean slate. She has forgotten everything about her past, and no one knows how this happened. When she meets her parents, her friends and her boyfriend, it feels like she's meeting them for the first time. She doesn't like what she hears about the old life they tell her about, it doesn't feel right. She has no past in her mind, and struggles to come to terms with being a completely new person. Adding to the fire is her fast-approaching final examination, and she remembers nothing of what she studied at school. If she does not regain her memories, she will lose the reward of all her hard work. Even if she does, will she be happy with who she used to be? About Nikita Singh Nikita Singh is a writer. Her books: Love @ Facebook and Accidentally in Love are best-sellers. Nikita has also co-authored two books with Durjoy Datta and has contributed to the The Backbenchers series. A graduate in Pharmacy, she was born in Patna and grew up in Indore. She currently works at a leading publishing house in New Delhi as publishing manager. A voracious reader, she is the recipient of Live India Young Achievers Award in 2013.
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Salt Water
Rish returns home to Mumbai, halfway through his college in the US, unable to deal with the suicide of his friend Sahil a manic depressive with an uncontrollable drug habit. He touches down in a world of careless money and no rules. As he struggles to repair old friendships and rekindle old love, hes quickly sucked into the same old pattern of magic pills, endless parties and random sex. Rishs quest for redemption quickly degenerates into an unstoppable roller coaster into the nights of south Mumbai, tearing through exclusive nightclubs and sea facing penthouses. When it crashes no one will be left standing. Saltwater is the raw, uncut footage of an entire generation losing it, together, one shiny party at a time.