Books of the week: From Brandon Taylor's Filthy Animals to Same-sex Love in India anthology, our picks

We love stories, and even in the age of Netflix-and-chill, there’s nothing like a good book that promises a couple of hours of absorption — whether curled up in bed, in your favourite coffeehouse, or that long (and tiresome) commute to work. Every week, we’ll have a succinct pick of books, across diverse genres, that have been newly made available for your reading pleasure. Get them wherever you get your books — the friendly neighbourhood bookseller, e-retail website, chain store — and in whatever form you prefer. Happy reading! For more of our weekly book recommendations, click  _here_ _._ *** – FICTION Anti-Clock By VJ James; translated by Ministhy S Penguin Random House India | Rs 599 | 304 pages Translated from the Malayalam by Ministhy S is Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author VJ James’ novel. It follows coffin shop owner Hendri whose one goal in life is to see the dead body of his nemesis Satan Loppo lowered into the coffin he’s carved. That’s until he meets Pundit, a 112-year-old watchmaker who is building an ‘anti-clock’ which can turn back time. When Loppo also hears of and desires it, the inevitable battle begins. Read more about the book here. Filthy Animals By Brandon Taylor Daunt Books | Rs 504 | 272 pages Booker Prize shortlisted author Brandon Taylor’s collection of short stories include one about a young man, Lionel, recently discharged from the hospital, who meets two dance students at a party. Another follows a little girl who runs wild. A woman dreads a first date but finds that something has cracked open. And unspoken frictions among a group of teenagers come to a vicious head one night. Read more about the book here. – MEMOIRS and BIOGRAPHIES The Secret to Superhuman Strength By Alison Bechdel Penguin Random House | Rs 656 | 256 pages Writer and cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s third graphic memoir revolves around her search for superhuman strength. She has looked for it in books, the lives of her heroes, activism, therapy, exercise, and more. As she grows older though, her body doesn’t get any stronger. But maybe that all-important secret is not where she expected to find it. Read more about the book here. – NON-FICTION Same-sex Love in India: A Literary History Edited by Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai Penguin Random House India | Rs 499 | 479 pages Revised and updated is a literary history of same-sex love and desire in India, covering 2,000 years, from the Mahabharata to the late 20th century. It contains story excerpts, poems, letters, biographies, and histories in 15 languages. Each period and text has an editor’s introduction tracing depictions and debates around same-sex relations. Read more about the book here. Provincializing Bollywood: Bhojpuri Cinema in the Comparative Media Crucible By Akshay Kumar Oxford University Press India | 256 pages Assistant professor at IIT Indore Akshay Kumar’s book argues that Bhojpuri cinema exemplifies the overflow of a provincial derivative form, defying its given place. It shows how the characteristic ‘disobedience’ is marked by a libidinal excess, addressing inexactly the region’s ‘underdevelopment’. It therefore demands to be assessed within the comparative media crucible. It also discusses language politics and curatorial informalities. Read more about the book here. – YOUNG READERS Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow By Benjamin Dean; illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat Simon & Schuster India | Rs 399 | 352 pages Writer Benjamin Dean’s book tells the story of Archie Albright, who knows two things for certain: ‘my mum and dad kind of hate each other’ and ‘they’re both keeping a secret from me, but I can’t figure out what’. With both acting weird, he just wants everything to go back to normal. He then notices a crumpled flyer fall out of his dad’s pocket, and the answer is an adventure away, at the end of the rainbow. Read more about the book here.