New on shelves: Four titles to add to your TBR list

‘A Companion to Witticisms’, by Terry O'Brien

AI and chatbots can help write smart emails for you, but impromptu speaking requires more preparedness on your part. If you want to amuse, entertain or make an impression on others, this book gives you a compilation of witticisms you may want to pepper your speech with. Even if you don't end up using them, these statements make for fun reading. Published by Rupa, 168 pages, ₹295

‘The South’, by Tash Aw

Acclaimed writer Tash Aw’s new novel is about the unlikely romance between two boys over the course of one summer. Jay, the scion of an affluent family, is drawn to Chuan, the son of his family farm’s manager, when he visits the property bequeathed to them after the death of his grandfather. As the two boys get to know each other, rifts begin to tear the family apart. The South is supposed to be the first of a quartet of novels by Aw that will examine a family’s tryst with change. Published by HarperCollins India, 288 pages, ₹599

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‘Each Little Bird That Sings’, by Jayantika Dave

How often have you caught a fleeting glimpse of a bird and wished you had known its name? In Each Little Bird That Sings, Jayantika Dave provides a blueprint for the curious reader to identify 250 common Indian birds by size, colour and other characteristics. In addition, she recounts myths and legends associated with these creatures, which is bolstered by photographs and illustration. You don't have to be an avid birder to enjoy the appeal of this compendium. Published by Rupa, 264 pages, ₹495

‘The Rabbit in the Moon: Two Tales from the Panchatantra’, by Meena Arora Nayak

Meena Arora Nayak is well-known for her retelling of stories from classical epics, myths and legends. This volume features two timeless tales from the Panchatantra, illustrated and narrated for readers between the ages of 8 and 12. In one story a bug and a louse are seeking the taste of royal blood, while in another a clever rabbit must devise a way to save his friends from a bunch of marauding elephants—as appealing for kids as for adults. Published by Aleph, 36 pages, ₹250

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