1.    My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, hardbound, published by Penguin Viking, pp 193, Rs 1,118 2.    The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, paperback, published by Two Roads, pp 206, Rs 472 3.    Kill Fear Before Fear Kills You by JP Vaswani, paperback, published by Wisdom Tree, pp 116, Rs 232 4.    Girl Online On Tour by Zoe Sugg, paperback, published by Penguin, pp 400, Rs 798 5.    A Yak in the Fridge: Life and Work in Nepal by John Dickinson and Family, paperback, published by Ekta Books, pp 222, Rs 450 My Name is Lucy Barton A mother comes to visit her daughter in hospital after having not seen her in many years. Her unexpected visit forces Lucy to confront her past, uncovering long-buried memories of a profoundly impoverished childhood; and her present, as the façade of her new life in New York begins to crumble, awakening her to the reality of her faltering marriage and her unsteady journey towards becoming a writer. From Lucy’s hospital bed, we are drawn ever more deeply into the emotional complexity of family life, the inescapable power of the past, and the memories — however painful — that bind a family together. My Name is Lucy Barton is a tender expression of the meaning of familial love from one of America’s finest writers. The Last Lecture A lot of professor give talks called ‘the Last Lecture’ reflecting on what matters most to them and what they’d like to pass on. In September 2007 computer science professor Randy Pausch delivered a last lecture called ‘Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams’. It really was his last lecture, as this youthful, energetic and cheerful man had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had only months to live. Randy’s lecture about the joy of life — his legacy to his three young children — has become a phenomenon, as has this book written on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all try to make a reality. The Last Lecture is an inspirational book about living, not dying. It should change your life. It has sold over five million copies worldwide.   Kill Fear Before Fear Kills You What’s your fear? How did you acquire it? How can you free yourself from its clutches? JP Vaswani affirms that fear was not put into us by God. We acquired it, took it upon ourselves or it was put into us by the environment in which we live. He goes on to assure us that whatever it was, howsoever big it may have become, fear is removable. This practical book, enriched with inspirational stories, helps us understand and recognise our fears, conquer them and live our life fully— fearlessly. Don’t let fear corrode your life! This is Vaswani’s forceful message in yet another of his inspiring life guides: Conquer fear! Face life with confidence, courage and strength of character and come out on the top!     Girl ... On Tour Penny’s bags are packed. When Noah invites Penny on his European music tour, she can’t wait to spend time with boyfriend. But, between Noah’s jam-packed schedule, less-than-welcoming bandmates and threatening messages from jealous fans, Penny wonders whether she’s cut out for life on tour. She can’t help but miss her family, her best friend Elliot and her blog, Girl Online. A modern day Notting Hill for teens, where an ordinary 15-year-old girl’s relationship with an American pop star goes viral when her anonymous blog is exposed to the world. Can Penny learn to balance life and love on the road, or will she lose everything in pursuit of the perfect summer? Find out what happens to your favourite characters in the sequel to Girl Online.     A Yak ... Fridge A Yak in the Fridge is not an autobiography of the ‘I was born at a very very early age…’ sort, but more a series of anecdotes that might or might not be called memoirs. They centre not on John Dickinson, but on the land and people of Nepal. The book is not a complete political, geographical or historical study of Nepal, but there are elements of this. Dickinson has made an attempt to portray society and the practice of medicine as it was in the Nepal of 40-odd years ago and the way it has changed. It also shows how the nation has developed, and contrast the quaint old-fashioned-ness of the 1960s and 70s with the modern state. Dickinson gives the reader an impression of some of the fascinating and colourful people, Nepalis and others.   EKTA BOOKS Ekta Books, Thapathali, Kathmandu, 4245787, 4230729; Ekta Educational Palace, Manbhawan, Lalitpur, 5533862 Ekta Books Pvt Ltd, Lamachaur, Pokhara, 061-440409 ektabook@mos.com.np