‘Joy of Missing Out’ by Niharika Nigam follows Nanki Mehta’s journey of self-discovery in Delhi and Rishikesh. It explores themes of existentialism, societal expectations, and the transformative power of purpose-driven work, emphasizing the longing for belonging and the meaning of home. Happiness has had quite the rebrand, Amidst a perfectly average life, Nanki Mehta finds herself at a crossroads, torn between a sense of belonging and the quest for authenticity. As she struggles with age-old questions echoing Arjuna’s uncertainties on the battlefield, a chance encounter on Instagram introduces her to River, a fearless Bungy Jump Master from Rishikesh. While Nanki grapples with fears; River sells courage for a living. Together, they navigate through the profound questions which are relevant even today— Who am I? Why am I? How can I be happy? Can Nanki truly rewrite her story?
“Around the World in 80 Trains” by Monisha Rajesh – Monisha’s journey as she circumnavigates the globe using only trains, offering insights into various cultures and landscapes she encounters along the way. Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Never too fast, never too slow, her journey does what trains do best. Getting to the heart of things. Prepare for a very fine ride’ Michael Palin. From the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet’s Qinghai railway to silk-sheeted splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Around the World in 80 Trains is a celebration of the glory of train travel and a witty and irreverent look at the world. Packing up her rucksack – and her fiancé, Jem – Monisha Rajesh embarks on an unforgettable adventure that takes her from London’s St Pancras station to the vast expanses of Russia and Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan, and beyond. The journey is one of constant movement and mayhem, as the pair strike up friendships and swap stories with the hilarious, irksome, and ultimately endearing travellers they meet on board, all while taking in some of the earth’s most breathtaking views.
“Chai, Chai: Travels in Places Where You Stop But Never Get Off” by Bishwanath Ghosh. Some years ago, a book was published that would change the way one looks at travel forever. Bishwanath Ghosh had got down at Itarsi junction to grab a cup of chai while travelling from Kanpur to Chennai. Sipping on the tea, as he heard the recorded voice announcing the arrivals and delays of the many trains that passed through the station, it struck him that while Itarsi junction connects the length and breadth of India on the rail map, almost nothing is known about Itarsi, the town. Thus began Ghosh’s quest to tell the story of all the towns behind some of the country’s biggest junctions: Itarsi, Mughal Sarai, Jhansi, Shoranur, Arakkonam, and Jolarpettai—places that are always a stopover and never a destination; familiar and yet unknown. Chai, Chai, a definitive work on small-town India, went on to become an instant success and continues to draw readers with its abundant wit and charm
“The Shooting Star” by Shivya Nath – Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address sold most of her possessions, and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an Indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learned to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters, and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.
“Butter Chicken in Ludhiana: Travels in Small Town India” by Pankaj Mishra is Full Of Startling Insights And Wit, And A Host Of Entertaining Characters, This Is An Unusual Travel Book About Indian Small Towns That Have Been Transformed By Aggressive Ambition And Self-Confidence Of Their Inhabitants. Traveling From Mandi In Himachal Pradesh To Kottayam In Kerala, Mishra Discovers Why The Once Sleepy, Unremarkable Places Now Threaten To Upstage Metropolitan India.
