Cult religion, parenting & art on book shelf (IANS Books This Week)

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) The book cart is light and moving this weekend - bringing out the diverse essence of the region. Browse with IANS....

Book: 'Marathon Baba'; Written by Girish Kohli; Published by Prakash Books; Priced Rs.150

A psychedelic spiritual drama about a man who runs through the country for seven years till he miraculously turns red and decides to build a Marathon Ashram. Hundreds of runaways descend on the Ashram and become its residents. 'It's not about the pace, it's about the peace,' says Marathon Baba. Thirty-three Deadly Disciples find their peace in the freedom of the Ashram and devote themselves to their Red Guru. 'For the Ashram to live, Marathon Baba must die,' say the Deadly Disciples. And the baba meets a gory fate. Marathon Baba is a tale about the cult of a man who couldn't stop running.

Book: 'Dad's The Word: The Perils and Pleasure of Fatherhood'; Written by Saumya Bhattacharya; Published by Westland Books; Priced Rs.225

Based on an immensely popular weekly column in The Hindustan Times, the book talks about why we want to have children; how they come to shape our lives; and how every moment of being a parent is evanescent and unrepeatable. With warmth and wit, the writer describes the unconditional love, the anxiety and the self-doubt that colour a father's life. Insightful, funny, tender, intensely honest and moving, this is a memoir in which you will see yourself. If you are a parent, or ever want to be one, here is a book you can't do without.

Book: 'Bollywood Striptease'; Written by Neeta Shah ; Published by Rupa & Co; Priced USD 7 (Rs.356)

The book narrates the story of Nikki, who is bitten by the Bollywood bug early on and who finally realises her silver screen dreams, negotiating the murky world of Bollywood. As a grown-up, Nikki is an attractive and vivacious chartered accountant. However, she suddenly realises that if she doesn't act fast, her dream of being a Bollywood star will soon become history. She quits her corporate job and dives into the world of glamour, to the disappointment of her family and world around her. Only her good friends Shonali and Karan encourage her. Rejections at auditions, casting couch offers, a stormy relationship - Nikki's foray in the film industry is full of sensational surprises. The book follows Nikki's exciting journey through the Bollywood maze offering the reader a glimpse into the realities of a struggling actor's life.

Book: 'Misadventure @ 30'; Written by Bhavna Israni; Published by Cedar Books; Priced Rs.150

Anika, an independent woman, gets upset on the eve of her 30th birthday about her personal status in life. While she has achieved a lot on the professional front, she has nothing to show on the personal side. She drives her car aimlessly around the city and bumps into a stranger whom she decides to give a lift. Vaz the stranger in her car breezes into her life and steers it on an exciting course.

Book: 'Urban Shots: Bright Lights'; Anthology of Short Stories edited by Paritosh Uttam; Published by Grey Oak; Priced Rs.195

The collection of 29 stories by 21 writers brings quirky Indians - the common but unusual man - who hides his idiosyncrasies in a corner of India's multi-coloured urban canvas. This is the third in the Urban Shot series. The stories are deeply personal and emotional looking into lives like those of a 10-year-old afflicted with a terminal illness, a struggling author in love with the city in which he lives, the love of elders, a boy who knows more than he should about his parents' extra-marital affairs, a seven-year-old who wants to get married and a man who buys expensive gift for married women. The book is a racy read.

Book: 'The Power of Sri Lankan Art: 1943-2012'; Written by Juliet Coombe; Published by Shri Serendipity Publishing House; Priced Rs.5,000

The Power of Sri Lankan Art is a probing study of Sri Lankan art, pointing out the potential for change. It tries to create an audience by bringing the new art out of the galleries to the streets to engage and discuss. The book tries to analyse the future of Sri Lankan art and a group of artists, the CoCA (Collective of Contemporary Artists) who are exhibiting alongside the Colombo Art Biennale at the Warehouse. This group of artists believe that art needs space beyond the galleries and has to move out of the confines of the galleries to public spaces.