HT Picks; New Reads

This week’s list of interesting reads includes a book on some of the most terrifying places in the country, a history of how male domination became embedded in society, and an excellent introduction to the pleasures of birdwatching

Stories of fear and horror

On the reading list this week is a book on some of the spookiest places in India, a history of how patriarchy became entrenched and a collection of essays on birdwatching (HT Team)

184pp, ₹599; Aleph (On some of the most spooky and terrifying places in the country)

From rumours of ghost sightings to frightening stories exchanged at night, accounts of haunted places have long fascinated human beings around the world. Indian stories of horror, ghosts, and hauntings are often unique given the country’s extraordinary diversity of beliefs and superstitions. In Haunted Places of India, Riksundar Banerjee writes about some of the most spooky and terrifying places in the country. These include the abandoned village of Kuldhara, the deadly NH-33, a portal to the unknown in Hahim, the infamous Khooni Nala, and many more — sites where tragic or bloody events have taken place. The stories that emanate from these sites tell of malevolent and vengeful ghosts, terrifying witches, and spirits who terrorize unsuspecting visitors. Are any of these stories true? Can you really expect to run into a malevolent presence in these places? To answer these and other questions about the country’s best-known haunted places, the author studies them in depth in order to unearth the truth about them. Extensively researched and superbly narrated, Haunted Places of India presents an otherworldly, ghostly side of India.*

The roots of gendered oppression

320pp, ₹ 699; HarperCollins India (A complex history of how male domination became embedded in societies and spread across the globe)

By thinking about gendered inequality as rooted in something unalterable within us, we fail to see it for what it is: something more fragile that has had to be constantly remade and reasserted.In this bold and radical book, award-winning science journalist Angela Saini goes in search of the true roots of gendered oppression, uncovering a complex history of how male domination became embedded in societies and spread across the globe from prehistory into the present.Travelling to the world’s earliest known human settlements, analysing the latest research findings in science and archaeology, and tracing cultural and political histories from the Americas to Asia, she overturns simplistic universal theories to show that what patriarchy is and how far it goes back really depends on where you are.Despite the pushback against sexism and exploitation in our own time, even revolutionary efforts to bring about equality have often ended in failure and backlash. Saini ends by asking what part we all play - women included - in keeping patriarchal structures alive, and why we need to look beyond the old narratives to understand why it persists in the present.*

The Pleasures of Birds and Birdwatching

296pp, ₹599; Juggernaut (An excellent introduction to the transformative pleasures of birdwatching)

If you’re looking for new ways to engage with birds and birdwatching, Aasheesh Pittie’s book of essays, The Living Air is a great place to start.This book will not only make you want to get out and observe your city and surroundings in a whole new light, but it will also offer a fresh perspective into what birdwatching is and the many ways you can benefit from it. Informative yet a joy to read,The Living Air is an excellent introduction to the transformative pleasures of birdwatching.The Living Air is the first book released by Juggernaut and Indian Pitta, India’s first dedicated book imprint for bird lovers, policy makers, and conservationists.*

*All matter from book flap.