5 books that are as real as they are brilliant

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

This one is for all the music enthusiasts. The book, which also won the Man Booker Prize last year tells the story of the attempted assassination of reggae cult legend Bob Marley. It also weaves an action packed narrative of Jamaica of the 1970s and the 80s—of guns and the CIA. It is as real as it is violent, telling the story of a perspective that has been largely over looked in literature.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

If you’re a feminist that has done way too many things that you weren’t supposed to—like watch crappy movies and dance to Honey Singh songs despite your best intentions, you’ll enjoy this book. In her essays Gay explores the real struggle of being an average woman in today’s world. How sometimes you’re confused about your stand on some women’s issues but you still know for certain that you are a feminist.

The Heat and Dust Project: The Pilot, by Devapriya Roy and Saurav Jha

This book is an adventure. An urban couples decides to travel across small town India on a shoe string budget, deciding not to spend more than Rs. 500 per day on room and board. The book is a highly insightful piece on what it is like to live in India and how the majority of the population survives. Definitely an eye opener.

Future Crimes by Marc Goodwin

Science and crime go hand in hand in today’s time. The author, who was a former beat cop in the USA tries to explain how crime works in the murky world of the World Wide Web and hackers. The book has plenty of examples of such technology, including how even the human body is hackable. Completely unputdownable.

H IS FOR HAWK

A memoir like no other. Helen Macdonald’s father died suddenly in London and grief struck, she turned to hawks. Although as a falconer, she was captivated by them, she had never before had the courage to train a goshawk, the most predatory of them all. This is the story of her resolve to purchase and raise the creature as a coping mechanism for loss. It is as heart wrenching, as it is beautiful.