Of sisters and other women (IANS Books This Weekend)

Flick through the journey of three sisters are on a magical quest that teaches them that there is magic in the world; bury yourself in the life history of classical musician M. S. Subbulakshmi. Also, read the story of a girl finding her way through the sexist world and wade through the tale of a woman who has a flair for solving problems.

The IANS bookshelf, this weekend, has a lot of interesting and inspiring tales about women.

1. Book: The Great River Magic; Author: Nandini Nayar; Publisher: Scholastic; Pages: 95; Price: Rs 175

The eldest sister, Sangeeta, would rather do mathematics than cook for the family business. Dutta, the youngest, loves nothing better than cooking and Nita, the middle child, has plans of her own. As if that weren't enough, something mysterious is happening to all the families in the village of Rajpur, as letters of complaints pour in about their products.

Can Sangeeta, Nita and Dutta unravel the tangle of magic in their own house? And solve the mystery of why everything made in Rajpur is going bad?

Join the three sisters on a magical quest that teaches them to appreciate magic within and magic in the world around them.

2. Book: M.S. Subbulakshmi: The Definitive Biography; Author: T.J.S. George; Publisher: Aleph; Pages: 262; Price: Rs 399

M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916-2004), who was popularly known as MS, was one of India's greatest classical musicians. Born into a humble devadasi home, her talent and dedication to her art made her one of India's most critically acclaimed classical singers. She was the first Indian musician to receive the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, in addition to numerous other awards.

T.J.S. George traces her journey from her beginnings as a singer in Madurai, through her breakthrough performance at the prestigious Madras Music Academy in 1932, to her carving out a place for herself as a cultural icon. Told with a music connoisseur's passion and understanding, "M. S. Subbulakshmi: The Definitive Biography" is an enthralling portrait of a musical legend.

3. Book: One Indian Girl; Author: Chetan Bhagat; Publisher: Rupa; Pages: 272; Price: Rs 176

This is the story of Radhika Mehta, who is getting married soon. She works at investment bank Goldman Sachs, makes a lot of money and has an opinion on everything. She has had a few boyfriends in the past.

Now if she were a guy, the society would be cool with it. Since she is a girl, these things don't make her likeable. Read the heart-warming story of a modern Indian girl, who makes her own way out of this sexist world.

4. Book: A Meeting on the Andheri Bridge; Author: Ambai; Publisher: Juggernaut; Pages: 216; Price: Rs 299

The protagonist, Sudha Gupta, introduces us to the Indian Miss Marple - a bright and brisk detective with a razor-sharp mind underneath a charming exterior.

With a flair for solving problems and armed with sharp eyes and a keen mind, Sudha Gupta works as a private detective, the only woman in her profession. She assists the police in finding three missing girls, investigates a potential bridegroom and helps an old woman in distress. Full of witty dialogues and cosy settings, read the story of a woman whose work might remind you of "Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency".

--IANS

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