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Archives: Books

Strange Sally Diamond

**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**

**WINNER Crime Novel of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2023**

**SHORTLISTED for The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award**

**LONGLISTED for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2024**

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.

But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .

*****
‘In Sally Diamond, Nugent has given us an astounding creation with a singular voice . . . an absorbing, twisty, compulsive psychological thriller with surprising humour and pathos’ Sunday Independent

‘Strikingly well-observed and consistently surprising’ The Times

‘Incredible’ Sara Cox

‘Strange indeed . . . and smart, too! Shocking, disturbing and utterly original, Strange Sally Diamond will grip you from first page to last’ Paula Hawkins

‘Irresistibly compelling, this dark story is shocking yet endearing. A brilliant read that will suck you in’ Crime Monthly

‘Liz Nugent has outdone herself. Twisted and twisty, dark and gripping, no one is going to forget Sally Diamond in a hurry!’ Graham Norton

‘It creeped me out (in a good way) . . . Terrific’ Ian Rankin

‘Dark, compelling and deeply moving’ Ruth Ware

‘So, so good! Sally gets under your skin and worms her way into your heart. I didn’t want it to end’ Jane Fallon

‘I’m lost in admiration for Liz and her writing . . . vivid, pacy, taut but so very moving’ Marian Keyes

‘Jaw-droppingly clever . . . One of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time. I can’t stop thinking about it’ Lucy Foley

‘An outstanding achievement which transforms the dark psychological thriller map with both bravura and delicacy. One for the ages’ Maxim Jakubowski

Grandpa’s Bag of Stories | An illustrated collection of timeless tales from India’s favourite storyteller, perfect for read along | Ages 8 and up

Join Anoushka, Krishna, Meenu and Raghu along with Ajja-Ajji on their adventure to Mayawati, a beautiful hilly region in Uttarakhand. Little do they know their trip will be filled with unexpected magic as, this time, their dear Ajja becomes their new storyteller. Amidst snow-capped mountains and towering deodar trees, Ajja weaves tales of kings and princesses, mermaids and bitter gourds, imparting wisdom and compassion along the way.

As the children explore the mountains, they make new friends, learn about Pahadi folk traditions, marvel at breathtaking sunsets and travel to various destinations.

From the bestselling author of Grandma’s Bag of Stories and Grandparents’ Bag of Stories, Sudha Murty, comes another collection of immersive, captivating and sensorial tales with an exciting new twist!

Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Diwali

It is Diwali and Peppa and her family are learning all about this very special celebration!

Mummy and Daddy Pig are cooking a feast, and Granny and Grandpa Pig bring everyone special clothes to wear.

Then it’s time for the party to begin!

Join Peppa and her family as they celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, in this beautiful and magical book!

Featuring simple text and gorgeous illustrations, this book explores common Diwali traditions and helps young children understand the importance of this special holiday with their beloved Peppa!

Read along and celebrate Diwali with Peppa and her family!

Sita’s Voice in the Assamese Rāmāyaṇa: Selected Verses from the Rāmāyaṇa of Mādhava Kandalī and the Uttarakāṇḍa of Śaṅkaradeva

Sita’s Voice in the Assamese Rāmāyaṇa is a translation of select verses from the Assamese Saptakāṇḍa Rāmāyaṇa of Mādhava Kandalī, Śaṅkaradeva and Madhavdeva, written between the 14th-15th centuries CE. This vernacular rendition of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa has been translated with a scholarly introduction by Tilottoma Misra. The selected verses represent a distinctive creative rendition of the Vālmīki text from the region of Assam by adding new emotional and philosophic dimensions to it. Especially in the Uttarakāṇḍa ascribed to Śaṅkaradeva, Sita’s voice acquires a unique quality in her final rejection of Rāma thereby expressing her ultimate disillusionment with him, the much-acclaimed paragon of all virtues.

Riverside Stories: Writings from Assam

Stories abound in Assam’s fields, ponds, rivers, forests, hills and cities. Most of its people wear each other’s clothes, eat each other’s food and speak each other’s languages. Diversity and amalgamation are the primarily identifiable elements of people from Assam. Yet, everyday patriarchy and politics of boundaries have resulted in so much confusion and conflict. Thankfully, we are witnessing emerging voices of people who experience life differently because of their own identities and locations and propose an inclusive space for us all. The women and transpeople who have contributed to Riverside Stories come from this diversity and bring their stories of multiple experiences from Assam to the world. This collection of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual stories, puts on record the experiences of the self, the very personal, within homes, in the environment, with politics, and with disappointments, desires, hopes and memories for a future. In putting together this anthology, it is our hope that we have complicated—more than it already is—the notion of whose and which stories can be told.

A Melody in Mysore

Mysore, 1932

The rest of India is ablaze with the fervour of the freedom movement, but Mysore remains tranquil under the maharaja’s benevolent rule. For twelve-year-old Leela, the movement feels distant, just words in the pages of newspapers—until Malathi Akka moves into her neighbourhood, bringing with her thrilling ideas, new perspectives, and . . . a gramophone!

As Leela gets swept up by the winds of change, it dawns on her that participation in the freedom struggle can take on forms she hasn’t even imagined . . .

The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.

Rebellion in Ranchi

Ranchi district, 1915

Sibu’s life is changing as the Oraons who live in the forests of Chota Nagpur, are slowly moving to the Tana Bhagat movement, where they begin to protest the injustices that the zamindars and the British Raj perpetrate on the Adivasis. And by stories of German Baba, who will help defeat the British in the Great War and bring freedom to the Oraons and to India.

Yet, though the Tana Bhagats follow the path of non-violence, violence is rearing its head in the world around them . . .

The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.

Stress to Zest

Stress to Zest takes you on a journey to help you understand how seven common stress factors impact the human mind:

  • Financial Stress: The weight of bills, debts and financial uncertainty.
  • Relationship Stress: The tides of love, conflict and connection.
  • Job Stress: The demands of work, deadlines and ambition.
  • Health Stress: The fragility of our bodies and minds.
  • Competition Pressure: The race against others and ourselves.
  • Social Pressure: The expectations that shape our choices.
  • Parental Pressure: The balancing act of nurturing and self-care.

In this collection of stories set in diverse contexts across the globe, you’ll meet characters from all walks of life grappling with these stressors. Their journeys are not mere survival tales; they’re blueprints for transformation. Witness how they navigate the storm, find resilience and discover a newfound zest for life.

A Millennial Moment

A reputed journalist in the Gulf for over thirty years, Bikram Vohra shadowed BAPS in the months following the month-long birth centenary celebrations of Pramukh Swami Maharaj in January 2023 in Gujarat. Driven by his curiosity as a non-spiritual outsider, he set out to uncover what it was about this organization that had compelled the UAE administration to accept their proposal to build a temple and ‘make sure it looks like a temple’.
Spread across 27 acres and situated midway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this magnificent traditional stone temple was birthed in the prayers of a Hindu swami on a sand dune in 1997; it is now an oasis for global harmony. A prophetic vision come to life, the story of its inception is a captivating account of serendipity, noble intent and clarity of purpose combining to accomplish an impossible feat.
Serious yet light-hearted, A Millennial Moment evokes warm laughter with its gentle leg-pulling, and hope for the future of our world. Its simple message: Good people do good things.

An Eye for the Sky

Dr Suresh K. Pandey is a world-renowned eye surgeon, a passionate author, motivational speaker, cyclist and philanthropist. Born into enfeebling poverty in Mohna, a village in Rajasthan with no electricity, sanitation or roads, he spent his schooling years studying in the dim glow of a lantern. A prodigious academic, his passion to learn microsurgery took him all over the world, from Chandigarh, to the USA, and later, Australia.
He finally returned home to establish SuVi Eye Institute & Lasik Laser Centre, Kota, with his life partner, Dr Vidushi Sharma. Their labour of love is now one of India’s best-known and loved eye hospitals. Driven purely by passion, ingenuity and a deep spirituality, Dr Pandey is set on a lifelong mission to eliminate blindness.
His story is an inspiring account of how the singular pursuit of your dreams despite all the odds being stacked against you can benefit and bring hope to millions.

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