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…
HARDCOVER BOOKS ON MASSIVE DEALS DURING THE AMAZON GREAT SUMMER SALE!
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)
Guilt: by the million-copy bestselling author of The Devotion of Suspect X Keigo Higashino (416 pages)
A Deadly Episode: A gripping murder mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz (384 pages) – Book 6/6 of the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries.
The Calamity Club: The instant New York Times bestseller from Kathryn Stockett, the author of The Help (656 pages)
A WORLD APPEARS : A JOURNEY INTO CONSCIOUSNESS by Michael Pollan
Ghost-eye: A Novel by Amitav Ghosh
Stoner: A Novel by John Williams (200 pages)
AWARD WINNING BOOKS
WINNER – THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS – BOOK OF THE YEAR! Nobody’s Girl :A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre (400 pages)
Night by Elie Wiesel – Winner of Nobel Peace Prize 1986
The 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist
The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (288 pages)
Kingfisher: by Rozie Kelly (208 pages)
Dominion: A Novel by Addie E. Citchens (198 pages)
Heart the Lover: by Lily King
Flashlight: by Susan Choi (464 pages)
The 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist
Audition: by Katie Kitamura (208 pages)
A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar: Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club Pick | Longlisted for the National Book Award | Finalist for the Kirkus Prize (224 pages)
The Others by Sheena Katayil (330 pages)
A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang (368 pages)
Moderation by Elaine Castillo (320 pages)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (320 pages)
The Best of Everything by Kit de Waal (320 pages)
Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi (320 pages)
Gloria Don’t Speak by Lucy Apps (300 pages)
The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine
MORE FICTION
Murdoku: 80 Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles | A Full-Colour Puzzle Book with Sudoku-Inspired Logic, Detective Challenges & Crime-Solving Fun
Murdoku Volume 2: Back in Time: 80 Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles | A Full-Colour Puzzle Book with Sudoku-Inspired Logic, Detective Challenges & Crime-Solving Fun (224 pages)
Hot Butter Cuttlefish: by Ashok Ferrey – A Quirky Sri Lankan Novel on Love, Karma and Small-Town Life | Romantic Comedy Set During the Pandemic with Politics and Satire (240 pages). Other books by the same author can be found here.
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!”
The Truth About Ruby Cooper: The deliciously dark new suspense novel by Liz Nugent (384 pages) – the bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond [Crime Novel of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2023!] Abha’s detailed review about this dark, twisty, unputdownable book can be found here in the kbc fb group.
The Caretaker: The next mind-bending, twisty horror story from the author of We Used to Live Here (320 pages). Sowmya has reviewed this book in the kbc fb group right here!
Not Quite Dead Yet: The Hardest Murder to Solve is Your Own | The Latest Gripping Murder Mystery from Internationally Bestselling Author Holly Jackson, the Author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (400 pages). Vinay has shared his review of Caller Unknown in the kbc fb group here.
Caller Unknown: The Heart-Stopping New Thriller from the Sunday Times Bestselling Author Gillian McAllister of Wrong Place, Wrong Time (400 pages) Vinay has shared his review of Caller Unknown in the kbc fb group here.
Sycamore Gap: The thrilling detective murder mystery from the bestselling author of Holy Island (The DCI Ryan Mysteries), LJ Ross. Vinay has shared his review of Sycamore Gap in the kbc fb group here.
The Bodyguard Affair: The hottest new fake dating romance from the bestselling author of The Catch, Amy Lea (416 pages). Kiran has shared her review of The Bodyguard Affair here in the kbc fb group.
Dear Debbie: A Twisted Domestic Thriller About Secrets, Revenge and Justice from New York Times Bestselling Author of The Housemaid , Freida McFadden (336 pages)
Hunt The Villain by Rina Kent (520 pages). Umme Aimann has shared her review in the kbc fb group here. Excerpts: “The story follows Vaughn Morozov and Yulian Dimitriev — heirs to two rival Russian mafia families in America who are essentially forced to coexist at what can only be described as the world’s most dangerous summer camp. No phones, no bodyguards, rival bloodlines under one roof. It sounds like a joke, but the book plays it completely straight, and somehow it works beautifully.
What really got me were the two leads. Vaughn is the kind of person who is controlled to the point where you start to feel a little claustrophobic reading him — and that’s the point. Yulian, on the other hand, is pure chaos energy — loud, reckless, and weirdly magnetic. Totally the kind who CANNOT be together. The enemies-to-lovers tension here is slow and genuinely earned. There’s a scene early on — I won’t spoil it — that essentially becomes the emotional spine of the entire book.
The book jumps between a teenage timeline and the present day, which sounds like it might be disorienting but actually adds so much. By the time you’re deep in the present-day conflict, you already understand the full history between them — and that history makes everything hit harder.
If I had one small crib, it’s that the pacing occasionally dips. But on hindsight, those slower moments were doing quiet emotional work I only fully appreciated later.
A word of warning for the group: this book does not shy away from darkness. Violence, difficult family dynamics, and some heavy emotional territory are all present. Go in prepared, not surprised.
Bottom line: I picked this up as a complete genre newcomer and came away genuinely moved. It’s the kind of book that reminds you that romance — real, complicated, inconvenient romance — looks the same regardless of who’s falling for whom. Messy, inevitable, and worth every page.”
A Thousand Perfect Lies by Monica Murphy (352 pages)
The Divorce by Freida McFadden – A Gripping Psychological Thriller of Marriage, Betrayal, Obsession and Revenge (320 pages). Preethi Joseph has reviewed this book in the kbc fb group right here!
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 RELEASES –
Happy Go Funny: The Lighter Moments of Life by Khyrunnisa A (232 pages)
Rebellion in Verse: Resistance and Devotion in the Tamil Bhakti Movement (304 pages)
The Yellow Metaphor: Poems from Assam (232 pages)
I Died Too Early: Written for the ones who kept loving even when it hurt by Sumitra Manda – the bestselling author of In the Silence You Left Behind (224 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.
Burps, Chirps & Cat-Astrophic Turfs by Sonal Singh – perfect for empty nesters.
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)
Register Me As Kulbhushan by Alka Sarogi (456 pages). Sritama has shared her review here in the kbc fb group. Excerpts:
“While traversing the streets of Kolkata, Kulbhushan Jain (also known as Gopal Chandra Das) goes down the memory lane and remembers his days at Kushtia in East Pakistan and the hardships faced by lakhs of refugees like him when they had come to India after partition. Those memories have long been locked up by him by pressing on the button of forgetting, a trick taught by his best friend Shyama. When his family and the society rebuked him for his unattractive looks, it was Shyama who gave him the gift of unconditional friendship.
When Shyama’s parents had prayed for a child, a fakir had dropped him on his parents’ lap. So, like Lalon Fakir of Kushtia, he did not know, who he actually was, a Hindu or a Muslim. In his initial days, he used to assist his father Gobindo Dhobi. However, circumstances turned him into a rickshaw puller. When the Bengalis (both Hindu and Muslim) in East Pakistan were oppressed by West Pakistan, he did not hesitate to join the Mukti Bahini or the resistant group during the Bangladesh Liberation War. However, Shyama is worried that if he loses his life in the war, will Kulbhusan, his best friend, (with whom he had lost contact many years ago when the latter had shifted to India) take care of his wife and child if they go to him seeking for help?
• This book mainly revolves around the problems faced by the refugees after the partition of India. Innumerable people had lost their lives. Those who lived, their condition were also miserable. The people who used to live affluent lives, had to live in a two room rented house in India. The conditions of the impoverished were even worse. They either landed up in the railway platforms or in some refugee colony where they had to suffice on a very meagre ration. When they ran out of space, the government had to shift them to the Dandak Forest of Madhya Pradesh, where there was scarcity of water and fear of wild animals.
• The story also throws light on the Marwari community who had migrated at the end of the 19th century from Rajasthan to set up their business in Bengal.
• It also highlights the fact that when parents have many kids, they often neglect the one who is weak or unattractive. This has a negative psychological impact on that particular kid and also makes the other kids behave with their weaker sibling in the same way.
• The later half of the book focuses on the Bangladesh Liberation War and the challenges faced by the people of East Pakistan (who had neither weapons nor formal training) to fight against the heavily armed and well trained West Pakistani soldiers. The fact that some of their own people acted as spies of Pakistan made the fight even more challenging.
• Though the book had started a bit slow, overall, it was an enjoyable read and I have learnt quite a lot about an important part of my country’s history.”
Love Beyond The Lesson Plan : Stories of Heart, Hope and Humanity from a Teacher’s Life by kbcian Dr Khyati Khoda
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
Problem Solving 101: A simple book for smart people (128 pages)
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
What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative by Jim Collins (416 pages) – bestselling author of Good to Great.
Empty Nesters: 101 Stories About Surviving and Thriving When the Kids Leave Home (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
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]
Let’s Talk About Sex: A Gynaecologist’s Guide to Safe Intimacy for All by Dr Sweta Singh (304 pages)
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
Careless People:A story of where I used to work (memoir) by Sarah Wynn-Williams (416 pages)
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)
What We Ask Google: A surprisingly hopeful picture of humankind by Simon Rogers (288 pages)
The Next Mountain: Notes on Resilience, Leadership and Purpose by Avinash Kaul (244 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.
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