Suspense

Finders Keepers by Stephen King (Hachette India, Rs 699): Morris Bellamy kills writer John Rothstein because he was obsessed with one of Rothstein’s characters. Bellamy discovers an unpublished story but he is locked up for another crime soon after. He is released 35 years later and now Pete Sauberg, who found the treasure, needs protection for himself and his family from the deranged Bellamy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black comedy

35 and Sexless in Ahmedabad by Robin David (Harper Collins India, Rs 325): Anant, a small-time photographer has a recurring nightmare — a three-legged bitch is tied to his leg and she pulls him angrily behind her. He embarks on a journey through Ahmedabad to get the answers he needs.

Pop fiction

The Santangelos by Jackie Collins (Simon and Schuster, Rs 550): Lucky Santangelo has a lot on her plate — her daughter is making it big on the European ramp, her son is being blamed for murder and there is a vengeful enemy on the loose. 

 

 

 

 

Thriller 

Memory Man by David Baldacci (Pan Macmillan India, Rs 599): Amos Decker lost everything when he came home to find his wife and daughter murdered. The only thing that he now has is his unique gift of remembering things (reverse Ghajini anyone?). As 13 kids are killed in a school, only Decker can help solve the crime. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiction

Love May Fail by Matthew Quick (Pan Macmillan India, Rs 650): Portia Kane is back in her hometown after escaping from her porn-addicted, cheating husband. But the more things remain the same in her hometown the more they remind her of her unhappy childhood. To put her life back together, she needs to find her old English teacher, who had retired after an unfortunate incident in the classroom. 

The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens (Simon and Schuster India, Rs 500): Wolf Truly reaches the summit of a mountain on the anniversary of the day his best friend Byrd had a tragic accident up there. He has no intentions of coming back. But he meets three women and as he begins to help them, he gets trapped and not everyone will survive. A story on the beautiful yet terrifying hold a mountain has on a man. 

Children’s books

The Door by Andy Marino  (Scholastic, Rs 395): Hannah never really cared about the closed door in the lighthouse she lives in, until the day an enigmatic boy and his guardian arrived. As things begin to go haywire, Hannah has to step into the world beyond that door. 

Non-fiction

Once Upon a Time in Russia by Ben Mezrich  (William Heinemann, Rs 699): The story of modern Russia told through the eyes of the oligarchs. Beginning in 1990s, the reader is taken through important events like Boris Yeltsin’s resignation and Vladimir Putin’s rise to power.

Unique narrators and the tales they tell us

If you loved Pluto Mehra’s pithy narration in Dil Dhadakne Do, here’s a list of unusual narrators from the library...

Cujo by Stephen King: You think dog is man’s best friend? Stephen King compels you to think otherwise! Cujo, a huge rabid dog that terrorises the town, is also the narrator of this book, though not entirely. But the passages narrated by him are the most chilling. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Not only is Death personified and made the narrator, he is a compassionate being, frustrated by man and the man-made mayhem of World War II, and pained by his job of carrying away human souls. Death is disgusted with death. Now, that is something to ponder!

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk: This book has 20 different narrators, most of whom are rather unique. Apart from the human narrators, tales are told by a gold coin, a dog and even the colour red. Each has its own way of narrating an event.

Shakespeare’s Dog by Leon Rooke: An eccentric tale about how William Shakespeare came to bed and ultimately wed the stunning Anne Hathaway, the plot is intriguing enough and things get even better since the story is told by the bard’s dog. If Cujo was feral, this one is thoughtful, with a wicked sense of humour.

The Famished Road by Ben Okri: This is the tale of Azaro, a Nigerian child, who keenly observes those around him. Pretty normal, huh? But Azaro is no ordinary child. He is a child spirit, an abiku, and he is not ready to leave the realm of the living. A brilliant example of the “magic” of magic realism.

Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams: Have you ever wondered what your cat might think of you? Read this book to find out. Told by a cat, this fantasy novel is set in a world where feline creatures think of themselves as the very first species and of humans as merely their utterly deformed descendants. In fact, according to them, humans cannot even be trusted! So next time your cat stares at you, know that it is anything but love and adoration.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: A young girl is abused and killed but her spirit remains, watching her friends and family mourn her loss and ultimately move on. This is her story, told by her. The part where she describes her own death is sure to give you goosebumps. 

Add to the list of unusual narrators at t2@abp.in