Of love, memories and letting go (IANS Books This Weekend)

Everyone has life-changing stories to tell. Indulge yourself in soul-stirring short stories that left a mark on some people for ever. There's also an extraordinary tale of a boy who thought life has lost all meaning. Would a connect with a girl he meets in a graveyard make him feel special again? Love and memories haunt a mother after a tragic incident. The IANS Bookshelf has much to offer this weekend. Read on.

1. Book: Tell Me a Story; Author: Ravinder Singh; Publisher: Penguin; Pages: 179; Price: Rs.175

After the highly successful "Love Stories That Touched My Heart", Ravinder Singh edits another collection of heart-warming stories that changed the lives of people in ways they cannot forget.

These 21 short stories are so different, yet so alike - emotional, soul-stirring and innocent. Some will inspire, some will shock, some sadden you - and some will make you happy. These are the stories that have left an indelible mark on people's lives - and hold the gravity of emotions.

2. Book: Me, Mia, Multiple; Author: Debashish Irengbam; Publisher: Harper Collins; Pages: 369; Price: Rs.250

This is a tale of a boy battling an existential crisis who ends up having an extraordinary experience that begins with his failed suicide attempt.

This fast-paced book starts with a bang - a suicide note by the narrator. Jeevan, a young man tired of pretending to be happy, pops a few pills and lies on a railway track to die but meets three girls partying at the gaveyard next door. He is now stuck with bubbly Mia, raging Tanya and sensuous Alisha. Here's the catch - they are all the same person!

Read on for a touching, yet humourous story.3. Book: I Let You Go; Author: Clare Mackintosh; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 373; Price: Rs.399

A psychological thriller by a debut author who spent 12 years in a police force, the book is about a mother who is living every parent's worst nightmare. DI Ray Stevens is tasked with seeking justice and to uncover the truth for Jeena, who is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life for ever.

Would the past ever leave her alone, and let her experience happiness once again?

4. Book: Killing Monica; Author: Candace Bushnell; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 311; Price: Rs.499

P.J. Wallis, after years of struggle, becomes a famous author - after her fictional character Monica (in a series book, and four movies) is everywhere - in the supermarket, on the rack of tabloids, on the cover of fashion magazines, and even on the side of the bus kiosk.

Having had enough of pool clubs, shrieking girlfriends, pink-champagne bottles and men, things start to get crazy and the only way out of the pandemonia for Wallis is to kill her lucrative alter ego, Monica. But would it kill her too? Read on for a humourous and engaging tale of love, fame and foolishness.