A little of this and that

1. South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami, published by Vintage, pp 292, Rs 695

2. A Spectacle of Corruption by David Liss, published by Abacus, pp 400, Rs 550

3. True Believer by Nicholas Sparks, published by Warner books, pp 384, Rs 425

4. Bindis and Brides by Nisha Minhas, published by Pocket books, pp 496, Rs 450

What the books are about

South of the border...

Growing up in the suburbs in post-war Japan, it seemed to Hajime that everyone but him had brothers and sisters. His sole companion was Shimamoto, also an only child. Together they spent long afternoons... But when his family moved away, the two lost touch. Now Hajime is in his thirties. He has found happiness with his loving wife and two daughters, and success running a jazz bar. Then Shimamoto reappears. She is beautiful, intense, enveloped in mystery. Hajime is catapulted into the past, putting at risk all he has in the present.

A spectacle of corruption:

Benjamin Weaver is awaiting death in Newgate gaol. Mysteriously convicted for a murder he didn’t commit by a judge determined to see him hang, he is suddenly, and equally mysteriously, offered the means to escape. What, you may well ask, is going on? It’s a question Weaver asks of himself as he slinks out into the London night on a mission to clear his name. In doing so, he steps straight into a labyrinthine plot...

True believer:

Jeremy Marsh, a science journalist and debunker from New York, has set his sights on finding the real reasons behind the mysterious lights that appear in an ancient southern cemetery, and he heads to the tiny town of Boone Creek in search of the truth. Sceptical by nature, he comes face to face with Lexie Darnell, the town’s librarian, and as he slowly finds the answers he’s looking for, he gradually begins to understand that science can only go so far when it comes to unravelling the mysteries of the human heart.

Information courtesy: UNITED BOOKS, Ganesh Man Singh building and Northfield Cafe, Thamel, ph: 4229 512, Bluebird stores in Lazimpat & Tripureshwore, ph: 4245 726, Namaste Supermarket in Pulchowk, ph: 5525 017 & Momo and More, Old Baneshwor