Books of the week: From Jhumpa Lahiri's Whereabouts to Vinod Kapri's 1232 km, 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 Whereabouts: A Novel By Jhumpa Lahiri Penguin Random House India | Rs 499 | 176 pages Author Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, written in Italian and translated into English, follows the life of a female protagonist, who frequents a pool and a train station that sometimes leads to her mother. Besides work colleagues, she has friends and ‘him’, a shadow that both consoles and unsettles her. But as a year passes, transformation awaits, and her perspective will change. Read more about the book here. What We Know About Her By Krupa Ge Context | Rs 499 | 204 pages Writer Krupa Ge’s debut novel follows Yamuna, adrift after a long-term relationship ended. She’s at loggerheads with her mother about their ancestral home in Chingleput. Her PhD seems to be going nowhere, until it leads her to an unexpected puzzle from the past. She’s soon fascinated by her grandaunt Lalitha, and later chances upon a letter written by her grandmother. She wants to know more, but her family keeps their secrets close. The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer: Arthur Conan Doyle, George Edalji and the Case of the Foreigner in the English Village By Shrabani Basu Bloomsbury Publishing | Rs 699 | 320 pages Author and journalist Shrabani Basu’s novel follows England-based George, a successful barrister who’s prosecuted for crimes of mutilating horses and sending threatening letters to his father, the vicar Shahpur Edalji. When he’s released early, he is interested in clearing his name and turns to the person whose books he devoured in prison – Arthur Conan Doyle, who agrees to meet him. Read more about the book here. The Best Short Stories Ever Edited by Terry O’Brien Westland | Rs 199 | 272 pages Writer and editor Terry O’Brien brings together 41 stories from around the world for this collection. Writers range from Edger Allan Poe to Ernest Hemingway and from Somerset Maugham to Virginia Woolf, Guy de Maupassant, O Henry, MR James, Rudyard Kipling, Anton Chekov, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez among others. – MEMOIRS and BIOGRAPHIES Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life of an Actor By Kabir Bedi Westland | Rs 699 | 324 pages Actor Kabir Bedi’s memoir presents stories of different stages of his life, from his first encounter with the Beatles as a student to his sudden move to Bombay, his years in advertising, relationships with Promita Bedi and Parveen Babi, the trauma of three divorces, how he finally found fulfilment and why his beliefs have changed. He also tells the love story of his parents and the battle to save his schizophrenic son. 1232 km: The Long Journey Home By Vinod Kapri HarperCollins India | Rs 399 | 232 pages Filmmaker Vinod Kapri tells the stories of seven men – Ritesh, Ashish, Ram Babu, Sony, Krishna, Sandeep, and Mukesh – migrants from Bihar, who undertook a journey on their bicycles that lasted seven days and nights during the 2020 lockdown. From Ghaziabad to their hometown Saharsa, they tackled police lathis and insults, and battled hunger, fear, and exhaustion. Read more about the book here. – NON-FICTION The Ventilator Project: How the IIT Kanpur Consortium Built a World-class Product during India’s Covid-19 Lockdown By Srikant Sastri, Amitabha Bandyopadhyay Pan Macmillan India | Rs 599 | 248 pages IIM Calcutta Innovation Park Chairman Srikant Sastri and scientist Amitabha Bandyopadhyay tell the story of how they assisted in building affordable ventilators when the 2020 lockdown was announced. The Noccarc V310 was manufactured in record time, and here the duo record the story of its conception, creation, and success. Read more about the book here and here .