If you’ve read “Books that deserve to be burned to the ground”. You must’ve indeed wondered then, what books should you read? Are there any books that you can read without some ‘esteemed critique’ slamming your much prized purchase from your nearest bookstore (make that FlipKart if you’re really short on cash, as most of the College going junta is)?
Here are five books that yours truly read this year, and would recommend that readers of this website find time to devour.

The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed

Remember Sunny Deol? Yes! The sole army man who comes just in time to save the ‘pride’ of Indian Nation every time the evil Pakistani backed militants try to dishonour the much beloved ‘Bharat Mata’? All the local Kashmiri residents love him and he gets the beautiful local girl as a souvenir.
Mirza Waheed begs to differ. The debutant novelist paints a haunting picture of people caught in midst of jingoistic harangues by the populations of two Nuclear armed rivals. Of friends lost forever, families torn apart, and love, that is sacrificed.

Everybody loves a good drought by P. Sainath

Arguably, India’s best living Journalist; P. Sainath takes you on a detour of far flung corners of your country and enlightens you on the burning issues that plague the Indian nation. This book is a collection of his articles written in span of his years as a ‘rural reporter’. Complement this book with a brilliant documentary on Farmer’s suicides by Deepa Bhatia and Sainath.

Ghosts By Daylight: A Memoir of War and Love by Janine Di Giovanni

“War is hell!” goes the cliché: We all know what war it does to soldiers (Saving Private Ryan, anyone?) and people who’re left behind to face the consequences (Hotel Rawanda, Blood Diamond, anyone?). Ms. Giovanni tells you a story of the people who bring these wars to your morning newspapers and TV sets. In a deeply personal narrative, she tells you how war brought two of the most courageous war correspondents of our generation together in middle of, some of world’s most dangerous places; and how, a life of peace made them fall apart. And most importantly, what does War do to these often crazy breed of individuals who risk their lives for people and countries you’ve probably never heard about. Ghosts by Daylight is a book you ought to read before you turn 25. Here’s an excerpt from the book.

Hello, Bastar by Rahul Pandita

Arnab Goswami on Times Now is usually found asking the ‘Maoist-terrorist-sympathisers’ on why they support such a callous, colossal breed of ‘blood-sucking-parasites’ hell bent on putting road blocks to the development of India.
Having covered the Maoist movement for years, Rahul Pandita presents you with an alternative view that will shatter some myths about the Maoist movement. A recommended read if you’ve ever wanted to know why a gun touting rebel has declared war on the country.

And once you’re done with it: you will, in all possibilities, understand why students from Stephens and Presidency Colleges left lucrative careers that awaited them, to fight the country they called home.

A Free Man by Aman Sethi

They repair your house when the fall ceiling breaks down. They are the people you’ll notice working on construction sites building towering sky-scrapers. They are people who clean your house. Rings a bell? Yes, most certainly.
‘A Free Man’ is a hilarious dark comedy, but if you look at the fine print: you can’t help but feel moistness in your eyes out of despair and desperation. Those who’ve lived in Delhi at any point of their life may as well find it funny that they didn’t notice something that was in front of them, if at all they do. As for others, it gives you a rare glimpse of the National Capital that you’ll scarcely ever notice. That is, if you notice anything but wide roads, the new metro and the towering sky-scrapers. Aman Sethi paints a vivid picture of Delhi’s often never thought about population. ‘The invisible city of invisible people’, reads the last line of blooper, you will, most certainly, realise why this is the essence of this brilliant piece of reportage.