Every Saturday we discuss Grown Up Reads (GUR) in our kbc facebook group. We are incredibly fortunate that our parent members are voracious readers as well! Here are some of the most ordered and recommended picks of the year…
BESTSELLERS
Mother Mary Comes to Me: From the Booker Prize-Winning Author, Arundhati Roy (376 pages)
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (368 pages)
Exit Strategy: Don’t miss Reacher’s high-octane, gripping new 2025 adventure from the global bestselling authors (Jack Reacher, 30) by Lee Child (352 pages). Payal has shared her review in the kbc fb group here. Excerpts: “This was my first Lee Child book, and it kept me hooked from the start! The short, brisk chapters make it a quick, engaging read, and the pacing rarely dips.
The book follows Jack Reacher as he drifts into a new city and almost immediately gets pulled into a troubling situation involving a missing private investigator. What seems simple at first quickly grows more complicated, as Reacher senses there’s far more going on beneath the surface. As he starts joining the dots, he uncovers a web of secrets, danger, and powerful interests working behind the scenes.
There’s a steady build of tension, and the angle of profiting from conflict feels uncomfortably real in today’s context. It adds a more global and systemic layer to the narrative.
It can feel a tad predictable at times, but it still delivers when it comes to keeping you gripped right till the end. I really enjoyed it, and it has definitely encouraged me to pick up more from the series this summer!”
Ghost-eye: A Novel by Amitav Ghosh
AWARD WINNING BOOKS
Night by Elie Wiesel – Winner of Nobel Peace Prize 1986
INDIAN AUTHORS
The Girls Are Not Fine: The cost of ambition, careers and becoming by Harnidh Kaur (408 pages)
Love, Sex and India: The Agents of Ishq Anthology by Paromita Vohra (Editor). Asha attended the book launch session at Goa Arts and Literature Festival AND WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE CONVERSATIONS, THE BOOK CONTENT AND IT’S ON HER TBR LIST!!
Nautch Boy: A Memoir of My Life in the Kothas by Manish Gaekwad (216 pages). Asha has this.
The Last Courtesan was the first book he wrote based on his mother’s life. (192 pages). Both books are true accounts.
Half Light: by Mahesh Rao – Queer Contemporary Fiction of Forbidden Love, Desire, and Secrets | Indian Literary Fiction on Identity and Hope (288 pages). Asha attended a very engaging session at Goa Arts and Literature Festival where the author talked about his book!
THE TIGER’S SHARE by Keshava Guha (256 pages). Asha attended a very engaging session at Goa Arts and Literature Festival where the author talked about his book!
Railsong by Rahul Bhattacharya (award winning author) – A HINDU, MINT, DECCAN HERALD, FRONTLINE BOOK OF THE YEAR (416 pages)
Illicit Happiness Of Other People by Manu Joseph (354 pages). Other books by this author.
NEW RELEASE – Rebellion in Verse: Resistance and Devotion in the Tamil Bhakti Movement (304 pages)
The Yellow Metaphor: Poems from Assam (232 pages)
Daktarin Jamini Sen: The Extraordinary Life of British India’s First Woman Doctor | A Story of Courage, Faith and Medical Leadership. Sowmya has reviewed this book in the kbc fb group here.
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey (392 pages). This book is part of the PERVEEN MISTRY SERIES. Abha has shared a detailed review here in the kbc fb group. Excerpts:
“Set in 1920s India, it follows Perveen Mistry, a sharp Parsi lawyer hired by the British to navigate a delicate royal feud deep within a palace where two maharanis cannot agree while the British are closely following the succession to the throne. The stakes are high, the setting is lush, and the tension builds beautifully. The first hundred pages take their time — almost deliberately so — drawing you into the world and introducing the characters at a measured pace. But once Perveen arrives at the palace, the story shifts gears entirely. Suddenly you are questioning everything and everyone alongside her, wondering whether the trap being set is meant for her or for the royals she has come to help.
What I loved most is how deeply Indian this story feels. When Massey describes the forests, the winding paths, the push for a railway station — you just know. The image of a woman navigating difficult terrain in a saree, the tension between communities, the caste divide — it is all rendered with a familiarity that makes the historical setting feel surprisingly close to home. My previous read, The Bangalore Detectives Club, was also set in the 1920s, but the two are worlds apart in tone and style, which made this an even more refreshing experience.”
Kaayaa: A Powerful Contemporary Fiction on Beauty, Identity & the MeToo Fallout | A Satirical, Thought-Provoking Story of a Plastic Surgeon Caught in Power & Politics (336 pages)
Love Beyond The Lesson Plan : Stories of Heart, Hope and Humanity from a Teacher’s Life by kbcian Dr Khyati Khoda
FICTION
Theme – Books on books/bookshops
BESTSELLER! Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop: The heart-warming Korean sensation by by Hwang Bo-reum (Author), Shanna Tan (Translator) (320 pages)
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-reum (Author), Shanna Tan (Translator) (240 pages)
SELF HELP
The Atomic Habits Workbook: Official Companion to the #1 Worldwide Bestseller – Simple Exercises for Building the Life You Want by James Clear (304 pages)
Do Epic Sh#t Journal: The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Laziness, Boosting Productivity & Mastering Time Management – Inspired by Ankur Warikoo’s Bestseller
HEARTBREAK UNFILTERED: Things nobody told you about love, loss and letting go by Milan Vohra (304 pages)
HEALTH/WELLNESS
A FOR AYURVEDA by kbcian Puneet Aggarwal (Founder of Nirogam and widely known as The Ayurveda Guy!) – 214 pages. [Disclaimer: Puneet is a close friend of Asha’s]
Fat2Fit: One Promise. One Walk. One Life Transformed by Salma Moosa (164 pages) [Disclaimer: Salma is Asha’s friend]
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green (208 pages) – the author of bestselling book The Fault in Our Stars. This is Sowmya’s first book of the year! Quoting her: “Being a pathologist by training, we used to diagnose TB day in and day out. It amazed me at how prevalent and pernicious this bug was… this fabulous book sheds light on how and why TB refuses to go away.”
NON FICTION
Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life) by Thomas Erikson (400 pages)
TIMELESS BOOKS FOR GIFTING!
Consolations by David Whyte (192 pages) – Asha was gifted this book by her friend and she cherishes it enormously. It’s an uplifting book for word lovers.
[Note from Team Kids Book Café: For your convenience, affiliate links (MARKED IN PINK) to some of the book titles & images have been added to enable you to buy the books from AMAZON, should you wish to! A very small amount of money comes to kidsbookcafe.com when you purchase a book via the amazon affiliate link provided (at absolutely no extra cost to you!). Do let us know if you need information about other children’s books by writing to asha@kidsbookcafe.com.]
