Bestselling mytho-fiction author Anand Neelakantan's top 5 reads of 2021

With 2021 coming to an end, this is a time for readers and writers to reflect upon the year that went by. We asked bestselling Indian author Anand Neelakantan, who is best known for his mytho-fictions and Bahubali prequels, to share his top five reads of 2021. Here's what he shared:

Photo: Anand Neelakantan

This sad yet funny story follows Osip Bala Krishna, a young student, who falls in love with Elizabeth, his English teacher. But when Elizabeth disappears, he is determined to find her and in the process, he discovers why his grandfather pretends to forget the past. The story touches upon the themes of gender politics, transgressive relationships, nationalism, individual rights versus Group rights, and fake news. "A raw, deep, and moving book. This was a slow but delightful read. The storytelling is quirky but has a charm that is tough to describe," Neelakanatan said about the book.

Photo: Niyogi Books Pvt. Ltd.

Indian lawyer, Member of Parliament, and Sr. National Spokesperson- Indian National Congress-- Manish Tiwari's new book '10 Flashpoints: 20 Years National Security Situations That Impact India' released in December 2021. Commenting about it, Neelakantan said, "I expected an opposition politician’s rant but the book surprised me with its deep and well-researched analysis. A book that needs to be discussed and argued about more."

Photo: Rupa Publications India

Released in July 2021, 'Savarkar (Part 2): A Contested Legacy, 1924-1966' is historian-author Vikram Sampath's concluding book of the Savarkar series. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is considered one of the 20th century's most contentious Indian political leaders. "Again, I expected a strong right-wing bias but the book surprised me with its deep research and lucid presentation. Most of the prominent historians in India have a leftist bias and this book balances it out by providing a compelling and alternate viewpoint. Read with an open mind," Neelakantan said about the book.

Photo: Penguin Viking

"Ok, an old classic but a delightful re-read. Gaiman is magic," Anand Neelakantan told us. Published in 2001, Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods' is a mix of Americana, fantasy, and a bit of ancient and modern mythology, which centers on the Shadow. Gaiman won the Hugo Award for Best Novel 2002 and the Nebula Award for Best Novel 2002 for the book. 'American Gods' has also been adapted into a popular TV series of the same name.

Photo: Headline

"One of the greatest narrative non-fictions I have ever read, I stumbled upon this after letting it rest unread on my shelf for many years. The delight of buying more books than one can ever read is finding such gems on one’s own shelf and regretting not reading it earlier," Neelakantan said about this book.

Photo: Vintage