Ten interesting books to look forward to in 2020

The read has interviews with some of the most prominent young politicians in India discussing their brand of youth politics. The average age of the Indian parliamentarian is 57 years and the youth continue to remain grossly underrepresented. This book takes a deep-dive into the current domain of Indian politics and preempts the course the young republic will take in decades to come. In its format, the authors interview 20 young and dynamic politicians in India — below the age of 50 — from across the country and the vast political parties’ spectrum. The exercise taps into their brand of politics; local, national, and global concerns; challenges and goals, as well as the political future each of them imagines for their constituencies and the country.

The product of years of investigative journalism by two brilliant New York Times staffers, this is a stunning expose of the inner workings of Facebook as it faces up to the challenges of scandal, criticism and controversy.

This new thriller from bestselling author John Grisham is the next novel in the bestselling Camino Island series. Set on an idyllic Florida Island with all the classic Grisham ingredients and charm. Camino Winds is the ultimate beach read for book lovers who like thrillers.

Written by some of India’s finest legal luminaries such as Mukul Rohatgi, Justice Madan Lokur, Menaka Guruswamy, Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan and Saurabh Kirpal, the essays in this path-breaking anthology explain the nuances around the cases that led to landmark judgments like the reading down of Section 377, triple talaq, sexual harassment, transgender bill, Sabarimala, love jihad and khap panchayats. Fortifying the book are personal narratives by people directly impacted by these judgments, such as petitioners Ritu Dalmia and Keshav Suri.

Namita Gokhale returns now to combine her two personas in a novel set during the Jaipur Literature Festival. Jaipur Journals is told from multiple perspectives against the backdrop of the vibrant multilingual festival. Partly a love letter to the greatest literary show on earth, partly a satire about the glittery set that throngs towards this literary venue year on year and partly an ode to the millions of aspiring writers who wander the earth with unsubmitted manuscripts in their bags, this is a light-footed romp that showcases in full form Gokhale’s unsparing eye for the pretensions and the pathos of the loneliest tribe of them all: the writers.

Lydia Quixano Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy — two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia-trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el Norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?

Mandira Bedi is a fitness enthusiast 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.

Drawn from personal interviews and told through many voices, Aseem Chhabra traces Irrfan’s personal and artistic life in all its many shades. Rich in detail and peppered with anecdotes, it is a fascinating look at the life and work of the actor that begins in a small household in Rajasthan and culminates in his face gazing down from billboards in Hollywood. It explores some of his greatest performances that have shown India and the world what cinema can do. At the heart of this story, however, is a man, possibly the finest actor of his generation, his passion for the craft of acting and his love for unusual characters.

Alicia Keys grew from a dreamer in Hell’s Kitchen to a 15-time Grammy award winner, but her journey is still ongoing. A twist on the conventional memoir, More Myself — released via Oprah’s publishing imprint — intertwines Keys’ writing with honest stories from the people who know her best.

Sometimes, the difficult thing is not to flee but to return. A love letter to Chile that soars from the Spanish Civil War to the rise and fall of Pinochet, and a stunning return to great storytelling heights, A Long Petal of the Sea is the much-awaited new novel from literary legend Isabel Allende.