Monsoon is the season for many good activities – indulging in comfort food served piping hot, having a steaming cup of tea, and curling up by the window with a book. Though reading is beyond all season(al) factors, there is unmatched joy in staying indoors, gripping a book, and allowing yourselves the luxury of undivided attention over the ink swirls on paper or the kerned typefaces on your e-reader.
My Secret Bookshelf recommends these cherrypicked books as the Best Monsoon Reads of 2022.
1) Bombay Hangovers by Rochelle Potkar
Genre: Fiction Short Stories | Format: Paperback, Kindle | MRP: 280rs | Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications | Available: Amazon, Flipkart, My Secret Bookshelf)
The perfect read when you are not in the mood for a long novel. This award-winning bestseller has sixteen stories that leap at you from the folds of Aamchi Mumbai, giving you a chance to look into the lives of people from the city that never sleeps – across caste, class, and religion.
2) You’re Stuck with me for Life! by Venuka Goyal
(Genre: Fiction Romance| Format: Paperback, Kindle | MRP: 199rs | Publisher: Notion Press | Available: Amazon, Flipkart, My Secret Bookshelf)
Neeti and Ronit are stuck in a marriage that happens for all reasons other than love, wanting different things from it. She looks for an escape from a dysfunctional family, and freedom to spread her wings. Fresh from the pain of failed love, he just wants a daughter-in-law for his parents. Then comes the road trip to Ranthambore – will it prove to be the magic infused into their loveless marriage?
3) Mystery of a Crawling Butterfly: Book 1, The Flyborn Series by Roshan Raj Mehta
(Genre: Fiction Young Adult| Format: Paperback, Kindle | MRP: 199rs | Publisher: Notion Press | Available: Amazon, Flipkart, My Secret Bookshelf)
A butterfly with big dreams, who wanted to look beyond the cursed tree and its crawling butterflies, Romi Flyborn always knew that his wings were there to take him to the world that existed beyond. Journey with Romi through the dense leaves, hopping squirrels, hooting owls, magical cotton seeds, giant evil snakes and a legendary cursed tree to unravel the mystery.
4) One Heart – Many Breaks by Sandeep Kumar Mishra
(Genre: Poetry| Format: Paperback, Kindle | MRP: 943rs | Publisher: Indian Poetry Review Press| Available: Amazon, Flipkart)
Poets have always expressed the darkest concepts in deep words, relating with the readers. These poems cover life events spanning 2 decades, dealing with personal emotions in modern times – depression, regrets, and suicidal thoughts. Be it from a 20-something boy, or a wiser old man, these poems transcend language and retain their original flair.
5) Des Vu by Swapna Sanchita
(Genre: Poetry| Format: Paperback, Kindle | MRP: 140rs | Publisher: Damick Publications | Available: Amazon, Flipkart)
When a poet speaks out their thoughts, breaking their reticence in need of appreciation from readers, a brilliant book is born. This collection is the voice of the poet laid bare as she seeks that nod of understanding and that idea that yes, there are others who indeed get what she means.
6) Death by Murder & Other Stories by Asim Jaffri
(Genre: Fiction Short Stories| Format: Paperback, Kindle | MRP: 199rs | Publisher: Notion Press | Available: Amazon, Flipkart, My Secret Bookshelf)
The mystery behind a freak accident that kills a benevolent king, throwing a kingdom in peril. Two people dunked into unchecked horrors and fight their phobias to rise stronger. A ruthless criminal fights his conscience. In the freshly-partitioned Indian Subcontinent, a family’s hopes and dreams clash with reality…The book keeps you guessing, and constantly engaged.
7) The Casket & Besky by Nita Bajoria
(Genre: Fiction Contemporary| Format: Paperback, Kindle | MRP: 299rs | Publisher: Inkstate | Available: Amazon, Flipkart)
The Casket speaks of an archer and an author, and how their chance meeting fuses the past and the future. As they each strive for their careers, how does this affect them?
Besky is a tale from the eyes of a young boy, focusing on a young tea-picker girl whose focus is not on love but on uplifting her society. Two different novellas, each holding in its pages tales of love, rediscovery, freedom, and hope.
8) Ek Akela Ped aur Anya Kavitaein (Hindi) by Chanpreet Singh
(Genre: Poetry| Format: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle | MRP: 225rs | Publisher: Writersgram | Available: Amazon, Flipkart)
Covering life, death and everything in-between with 21 poems, it also has beautiful pictures from the author, perfectly complementing the poems that deal with life’s important issues, lending words to thoughts you had entertained – in dawn, dusk, and twilights.
- Written by Dhivya Balaji on behalf of My Secret Bookshelf. My Secret Bookshelf is an online bookstore that offers the best deals on contemporary literature by Indian authors.
