AMAZE by Cristina Mittermeier (teNeues) A sumptuous, mesmerising book by Mittermeier, who was trained as a marine biologist and photographer. As much an ode to the planet as to the people who strive to live harmoniously with their environment. Whether Mittermeier is capturing people, landscapes or animals, there is such beauty and enlightenment in this book, that its tantamount to taking an unforgettable spiritual journey. $95 www.teneues.com
LOVE IS MY SAVIOR: The Arabic Poems of Rumi (Translated by Nesreen Akhtarkhavari and Anthony A. Lee) (Michigan State University Press) A slim, but important book in Rumi’s repertoire. This is the first ever English translation of his Arabic poems, touching upon spirituality and love, and made even more beautiful by the inclusion of the Arabic text. A must-have for Rumi fans. $19.95 www.amazon.com
INGLORIOUS EMPIRE – What the British Did to India by Shashi Tharoor (Scribe) Listening to Tharoor is addicting enough, and this book, born out of his speech at The Oxford Union (which went viral) is just as captivating. Tharoor compellingly posits why the British Raj in India should never be ennobled or confused as a gift, and exposes the destructive rape of India at the hands of its colonizers. $27.95 www.amazon.com
A PLACE FOR US by Fatima Farheen Mirza (SJP for Hogarth) Mirza’s debut novel about an Indian-Muslim family in America that converges for a wedding and confronts schisms is a welcome addition in a time when readers are hankering for more diverse stories. Told from multiple perspectives, this is an absorbing novel about family, choices, and betrayals. $27 www.amazon.com
CIRCE by Madeline Miller (Little Brown) For those not familiar with Miller’s writing, she has the unique talent of spinning fast-paced, contemporary-feeling yarns out of classical mythology. She follows up her bestseller on Achilles by introducing us to Circe, the sorceress from Homer’s Odyssey, and gives us that “unputdownable” book that you wish would never end. All the big names make a cameo, including Zeus, Medea, and, of course, Odysseus. $27 www.amazon.com
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