• KNOT FOR KEEPS: WRITING THE MODERN MARRIAGE (HarperCollins, Rs 299) edited by Sathya Saran is a slim anthology. It is a collection of essays, stories, thoughts and perspectives on marital life by individuals from different walks of life. Quite naturally, the quality of writing varies from chapter to chapter. For instance, "Our Bi-continental Marriage" by Kalyan Ray is an example of elegant writing. In the piece, Ray, who is married to Aparna Sen, the veteran actor and director, talks about the challenges as well as advantages of being in a long-distance relationship. Whereas Abha Iyengar in "A Girl of a Certain Age" tries to draw attention to the plight of unmarried Indian women in their late twenties. She, however, could have been less dramatic.

The best thing about the book is that each story has a distinct take on marriage. The views succinctly portray the evolving attitudes of society towards this age-old institution.

• THE LAST WORD: OBITUARIES OF 100 INDIANS WHO LED UNUSUAL LIVES (Roli, Rs 395) by Rahul Bedi is, unexpectedly, an entertaining volume. While it may be difficult for people to imagine obituaries as being enjoyable, the collection penned by Bedi is indeed a delightful read. The obituarist takes care not to make the pieces heavy with sentiment, rather he focuses on the colourful episodes from the life of the deceased.

The obituaries featured in The Last Word were previously published in two British newspapers between 1989 and 2007. Interestingly, the pieces are not just on celebrities, but also about those who might have been known only to a select few. Famous or not, one thing is for certain, those who made it to the pages of this book did truly lead unusual lives - just as the subtitle claims.