Of obituaries, a gangster's love story and a quirky marriage (IANS Books This Weekend)

Get an anthology of 100 obituaries written by journalist Rahul Bedi; wade through the intriguing story of a journalist who falls for a sophisticated gangster named A.T, the recent crime sensation, after an interview; flick through wonderful episodes from the life of a woman who shares a quirky relationship with her husband.

The IANS bookshelf has a varied interest for readers this weekend.

1. Book: The Last Word; Author: Rahul Bedi; Publisher: Roli ; Price: Rs 395; Pages: 318

An anthology of 100 obituaries written by journalist Rahul Bedi. Published between 1990 and 2008 in the Independent and Daily Telegraph, the collection ranges from obits written for people like Harkishan Singh Surjeet to Minoo Masani, and from Morarji Desai to Vijayalakshmi Pandit.

These obituaries celebrate the extraordinary life of people who have changed the idea of India. Many of these were young professionals, politicians, film actors, writers, musicians or scientists when India got Independence and have played a crucial role in their fields of work.

2. Book: Prime Time Crime; Author: Vrushali Telang; Publisher: Vishwakarma; Price: Rs 250; Pages: 240

Within a month of joining City-news, Ritka an intern manages to get an exclusive TV interview with sophisticated gangster A.T., the recent crime sensation. During the interview Ritika and A.T find themselves getting attracted to one another. Soon they share a torrid chemistry and find is difficult to stay away from each other. Does A.T love Ritika, or is he using her as a pawn for a dangerous plot?

Did he manipulate circumstances so that only she could get through to him? Does Ritika love A.T or is she playing along in order to get leads for investigative crime stories? Is she out to catapult her career from an unknown intern with a local network to being a star reporter with a national news channel? Set against the backdrop of Mumbai underworld in 1999, Prime Time Crime is a story about a relationship that is ruthless, passionate and manipulative.

A story that stinks of lies, deceit and death Did they ever, even if it was for a moment truly love each other? Are relationships as honest as we'd like them to be? In the unholy nexus of mafia and news media who can you trust? With vibrant characters, razor sharp plot that moves at breakneck speed, this book is an overpowering love story that will hunt you for long.

3. Book: My Husband and Other Animals; Author: Janaki Lenin; Publisher: Westland; Price: Rs 499; Pages: 342

With this compilation, the author returns with more stories of the quirky and wonderful life she shares with her husband, Rom Whitaker, and an array of wild creatures-from leopards to king cobras.

Janaki's enthusiasm and passion for the wild finds a voice in the pages of her book, while her curiosity about the world she inhabits infuses these lighted-hearted, yet thought-provoking stories with unique insight.

As much a chronicle of Janaki and Rom's unusual life as it is a wild and eventful journey, My Husband and Other Animals 2: Wildlife Adventure Continues is a witty, delightful read.

4. Book: All Doors Opened; Author: Inder Sharma; Publisher: Allied; Price: Rs 500; Pages: 284

"All Doors Opened" is the story of Inder Sharma, the canny creator of SITA World Travel India, the towering giant of India's travel industry and later the Chairman of India's most iconic and celebrated shopping centre, Select CITYWALK, as told in his own words.

--IANS

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