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Today’s is only a brief post. This is one book I’m yet to actually read!

I picked up this signed copy along with a few others from Midland bookstore, but somehow never got around to starting it. The summary says the story is about how a household changes when fear, illness, and confinement force everyone to look closely at one another.

Well… that’s about all I can say for now. Hopefully someday this book moves from the “signed and admired” shelf to the “finally read” shelf.

After my 350th book, which was also a story from Afghanistan, today’s book takes us back to 1970s Afghanistan once again. But this time, the focus is on something even more forbidden in that society: LGBTQ identity and love.

"The Carpet Weaver" by Nemat Sadat is a deeply emotional story set against the backdrop of a country slowly collapsing into violence and intolerance. Sadat himself is known as one of the first openly gay Afghans to publicly advocate for LGBTQ rights, and that personal connection gives the novel a certain rawness.

The story begins in Kabul in the 1970s, where Kanishka, a teenager from a well connected family, slowly realizes that he is in love with his childhood friend Maihan. Unfortunately, this is Afghanistan, where such feelings are not merely frowned upon but can be life threatening.

As the country becomes increasingly unstable, Kanishka’s life slowly unravels. He loses his father, his family is pushed into displacement, and eventually he is forced to flee through Pakistan. Some of the harshest sections of the book are set there, especially his time working in brutal carpet weaving camps before finally making his way to the United States.

What struck me most was how the book combines personal identity with the tragedy of war and migration. Kanishka is not just escaping conflict; he is escaping a society where he cannot safely exist as himself.

The writing is straightforward and accessible, which actually makes the emotional moments hit harder. There are no elaborate literary gymnastics here just a very human story about love, fear, survival, and exile.

It’s certainly not a light story emotionally, but it is an important one. Readers interested in books dealing with LGBTQ struggles, identity, migration, and life under oppressive social systems will probably find this a very rewarding read.

Overall, a hard hitting and moving novel that stayed with me long after I finished it. And as you can see from the attached sticker, I picked up the signed copy from the Mumbai's Relay bookstore, during my frequent flying days.

In one of my recent reviews, I had mentioned picking up a stack of signed copies at the Mumbai airport terminal bookstore. Well, today’s book is one from that haul.

"Designed to Win" by S. Devarajan tells the story of Tata Elxsi, a company whose stock I held for many years while having only the vaguest understanding of what they actually did. In my mind it was always, “Yes yes… software something.”

This book finally helped clear that mystery to some extent. We get glimpses into the products and innovations the company worked on, “Maya” being one example that stood out for me, but the book is less about technical details and more about how the company itself evolved.

What Devarajan really focuses on is the spirit of the early liberalisation years in India and how a group of forward thinking people, including Ratan Tata, helped shape the company’s identity and growth. There’s a strong sense of experimentation and optimism running through the narrative, which makes the story quite enjoyable.

The book is structured more as a collection of anecdotes and memories rather than a tightly constructed corporate history. It hops between stories, personalities, decisions, and moments that together weave the company’s journey.

And honestly, that works in its favour.

It makes for a very easy and approachable read, I finished it in about three days without much effort. After me, my wife immediately picked it up. She has a particular fondness for business books and management memoirs, and she ended up enjoying it quite a bit too. Though, predictably, she also began offering philosophical reflections on leadership and the CEO afterwards, which apparently was included free with the reading experience.

Overall, a good and engaging read, especially if business history, Indian companies, or entrepreneurship as a genre interests you. Not overly technical, not excessively self congratulatory, and pleasantly readable throughout.

I made my first post in this series on 16th Feb last year and now, almost a year later, here we are at Book No. 350. For this little milestone (and a signed one at that), I thought I’d pick something special, something almost chosen by this sub.

Because let’s be honest, "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini is practically a weekly guest here. Rarely did a week pass without someone posting about it. I had, of course, heard of the book, but the 'ad nauseam' appearances here definitely nudged me from “someday” to “fine, let’s do this.”

So when Kunzum Bookstore featured a few signed copies of the 20th anniversary edition, I didn’t even pause, I just ordered it. Now, I won’t really review the story itself. At this point, it might be one of the most reviewed books out there, and anything I say will probably just echo what’s already been said far more eloquently.

But what I will talk about is the foreword of the 20th edition, which, surprisingly, became my favourite part.

Hosseini writes about how the book came into existence, how more than half the manuscript was lost when a floppy disk crashed (nightmare fuel, honestly), the long string of rejections from publishers, and even criticism from sections of the Afghan community for not portraying the country in a “positive” light especially regarding the depiction of Hazaras.

I couldn’t help but think this would absolutely happen to an Indian author too, if they dared to show anything less than a perfectly shining version of the country.

He also reflects on the success that followed, his foundation, and a few anecdotes from his life post fame. It’s honest, a bit vulnerable, and unexpectedly engaging.

In fact, for me, the foreword was just as compelling as the novel itself.

Overall, a book I truly enjoyed, and more importantly, one I might have continued postponing if not for this sub constantly bringing it up. So here’s to Book No. 350 and a thank you to everyone here for pushing me (gently but persistently) toward a book worth reading.

If you spend any time scrolling through Instagram or Facebook for diet advice (especially in an Indian context), there’s a good chance you’ve come across Amita Gadre and her no nonsense reels. Clear, science based, and refreshingly free of fads.

The last time I shared a book on nutrition here; Book No. 311, I had strongly recommended staying far away from that author’s advice. Well, this one is the exact opposite. "What, How Much and When to Eat" is the kind of sane, sensible guide I wish more people would pick up.

In fact, it’s so accessible that after I finished reading it yesterday, my 80 year old dad and my 13 year old kid have both started reading it, taking turns. (Full disclosure: the kid does have a school assignment on nutrition labels, so there may be some strategic motivation involved… but still, I’ll take the win.)

The book starts with proteins, gives a quick and clear primer, and then moves into practical food choices for both vegetarians and non vegetarians to meet daily needs. The same simple structure follows for fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and other macro and micronutrients, each section breaking down myths and answering common questions without sounding preachy.

There’s also a short and interesting section on new age diets and supplement trends, which makes for a nice, relevant addition without going overboard.

What I really liked is how easy the book is to follow. No jargon, no extreme positions, just practical advice you can actually apply in daily life. It feels like the kind of book you don’t just read once and forget, but refer back to.

Overall, a book I would strongly recommend if you’re looking to make sense of nutrition without getting lost in internet confusion. One small caveat, vegans might feel a bit left out, but otherwise, no real complaints.

Also, I had pre ordered the book on Amazon because the author promised signed copies for all pre orders… and honestly, how could I miss that?

My last Arun Shourie book was way back at Book No. 7, and now, 340 books later, here we are again.

To begin with, I didn’t expect this kind of Shourie. Given his background as a former BJP minister and a fairly strong nationalist voice, I wasn’t exactly bracing myself for a deep dive into rationalism and skepticism. Turns out, I was quite wrong.

"Two Saints" looks at Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharshi, but not in the usual reverential way. Instead, Shourie approaches them with a questioning lens, poking at the very foundation of how we understand saints, miracles, and mystical experiences. We’re talking visions, trances, out of body experiences, near death encounters the whole spiritual catalogue. And Shourie essentially asks, “Alright, but what if there’s another explanation?” He attempts to interpret these phenomena through natural or psychological causes rather than supernatural ones.

Now, this is where the book got interesting for me.

The spiritual discussions and teachings sections? I’ll admit, I speed read through quite a bit of that. It gets dense, and unless you’re deeply into philosophy or mysticism, it can feel like wading through heavy water.

But the parts where he offers alternate explanations for so called miracles; that’s where the book really clicked. There’s something quite refreshing about seeing deeply revered figures examined critically, yet not disrespectfully. Shourie doesn’t try to dismiss them; instead, he argues that they can still be revered without the need for supernatural claims.

That balance is what makes the book feel unusual.

It’s not often you come across a work that is willing to ask uncomfortable questions about belief, miracles, and mysticism, especially topics many consider beyond criticism. Whether one agrees or not, the book certainly nudges you to think a little harder.

Overall, not the easiest read, not always engaging, but definitely an interesting and somewhat unexpected one.

To begin with, I picked up "Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink" by Elvis Costello from my long term pre loved bookseller, @bookhub_01. At that point, I had hardly listened to any Elvis Costello music. In fact, if someone had asked me to name a song, I would probably have smiled politely and changed the subject.

A few months later, I finally started reading this rather intimidating 600+ page memoir and the writing style completely floored me.

This is anything but a conventional rockstar autobiography. There’s no chronological march from childhood to fame to reflection. Instead, the book moves in loops, jumping across time, circling back to memories, songs, relationships, and moments that still linger in Costello’s mind.

We move between his childhood in London and Liverpool, the making of songs, awkward relationships, career highs, and the strange unpredictability of a life spent inside music.

One of the real pleasures of the book is the sheer amount of musical trivia tucked into it. There are wonderful stories about collaborations with Paul McCartney, Allen Toussaint, and The Roots, along with countless behind the scenes moments that shaped his career.

Early in the book I realised that it helps enormously if you actually know Costello’s music. So I did what any slightly obsessive reader would do; I had Alexa continuously playing an Elvis Costello playlist while reading. It turned the memoir into a sort of soundtrack experience, where songs suddenly appeared in context rather than as isolated tracks.

What I especially appreciated was the attention to detail behind songwriting. Costello writes about songs with the same obsession that you find in artists like Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan, where lyrics, phrasing, and tiny musical decisions all matter deeply.

The book is long, meandering, and certainly not for someone looking for a quick celebrity memoir. But I found that part of its charm.

By the end, I had gone from knowing almost nothing about Elvis Costello to at least recognising his songs and confidently producing a few trivia nuggets about his career.

Which, honestly, feels like a fairly successful outcome for a 600 page commitment.

In the company annual forum that I mentioned yesterday, I met a few Ukrainian colleagues and their families. Because of the conflict, many of them are now living across different countries in Europe, building temporary lives far away from home. That stayed with me and somehow led me straight into today’s book.

"Rumours of Spring: A Girlhood in Kashmir" by Farah Bashir is a heart wrenching memoir about growing up in Kashmir during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when violence, curfews, and military presence slowly became part of ordinary life.

Farah Bashir, a Kashmiri photojournalist, writes not as a historian or political commentator, but as someone remembering a disrupted childhood. And that is what gives the book its emotional strength.

This is not a memoir built around major political events. Instead, it lives in small details: school exams, family rituals, bus rides, cinema visits, music, neighbourhood gossip, first crushes, awkward adolescence, and even the quiet embarrassment of growing up. Life continues but always under the shadow of fear.

Normality and tension exist side by side. One moment there is laughter at home, the next there are curfews, disappearances, and uncertainty outside.

At its heart, this is simply the story of a young girl trying to grow up in a place where fear becomes routine.

And for me it made an memorable read. Because the book is not really about politics or explaining the Kashmir conflict. It is about everyday life under terror.

The writing is gentle and reflective. I found myself slowing down while reading. It's one of those books that quietly reminds you that wars and conflicts rarely produce winners only people trying to carry on with ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances.

Well, I went a bit cold here for the last week. Our company’s annual forum took over life for a while, which meant rehearsals, presentations, and the mild anxiety of speaking in front of people while pretending to look completely relaxed. Thankfully, the presentations went well.

The forum also meant airport hopping, and that naturally led to dangerous territory: bookstores. The Bookscetra at Mumbai Airport was particularly tempting and had a delightful pile of signed copies. I picked up six books before my carrying capacity and lung capacity, gave up in protest. Someday they’ll all feature here.

But in the meantime, today’s book takes us into another kind of world: the digital one. Not the harmless internet of cat videos and recipe searches, but the carefully constructed world of political narratives and manufactured realities.

"The Art of Conjuring Alternate Realities" by Shivam Shankar Singh and Anand Venkatanarayanan is one of those books that quietly makes you put it down every few chapters just to stare into space for a minute.

Singh, a former political consultant and author of How to Win an Indian Election, teams up with Venkatanarayanan, known for his cybersecurity work and research into digital threats, to explain how narratives are built, amplified, and made to feel true, even when they are entirely false.

The authors explain how politicians, cybercriminals, godmen, intelligence agencies, and even nation states shape public perception.

A central idea in the book is ON3C, Objective, Narrative, Context, Campaign, Content a surprisingly simple framework for explaining how manipulation campaigns are constructed from the ground up.

The examples are wide ranging and often uncomfortable: online misinformation around “love jihad,” social media outrage cycles, propaganda, protest movements, cyber operations, and the repeated messaging that slowly shapes public anger or belief.

What I appreciated is that the book doesn’t frame disinformation as purely political. It also looks at the technical side bots, surveillance systems, data harvesting, and digital ecosystems that quietly amplify whatever story needs to spread.

Despite the complexity of the subject, the writing remains accessible and not a dry academic study filled with jargon

Overall, I found it an eye opening read. The slightly depressing part, of course, is that the people who most need to read books like this are probably the least likely to pick it up.

After all, digital 'vikas' is a very comfortable world to live in.