Here's what Mumbaikars are reading in February 2025

The White Tiger by Aravind AdigaNami Mehta student KandivliThe book was lent to me by my neighbour It contains sarcasm and humour mixed with serious concerns It was very experimental of the author to do something like this The character of the nephew really moved me Although he barely spoke through the novel he was symbolic of the good that everyone has within themRaag Darbari by Shrilal ShuklaPoojan Bhatt data analyst ThaneHow much satire is too much satire The book starts asking this from the very first page along with delivering a scathing critique of postIndependence rural India Some of the power dynamics in the book are also present in corporate IT culture I loved how the author justified the title as the whole village dances to the tune of whoever holds the power symbolising the pervasive influence of power structures Also the word lsquoraagrsquo ensures that corruption is methodically ingrained in the system Reading this in Hindi was super funRed Flags and Rishtas by Radhika AgrawalVidhya Thakkar marketer KandivliThis is a delightful escape for when you need a break from the hustlebustle of life Itrsquos a desi romcom with endless banter love and plenty of drama Itrsquos light and entertaining with its fastpaced narrative and shocking climax that you will not see comingShow Your Work by Austin KleonSeep Chaplot artist AndheriI never believed in the idea of starting an Instagram account for what you wanted to do I always thought that the work would come to me if I just do it but then I read this book It changed my perspective A lot of us donrsquot feel like talking about our work because we feel itrsquos too selfcentred of us to be out there This book helped me think of it in a different perspective One of my favourite quotes was lsquoI like to work when everyone is sleeping and I like to show my work when everyonersquos workingrsquoRadio Free Afghanistan by Saad Mohseni with Jenna KrajeskiNirav Mehta bookseller DadarI picked this up at the Jaipur Literature Festival recently It offers a compelling look at Afghanistanrsquos modern history through the lens of independent media Mohseni a key figure in Afghan broadcasting details how his network navigated political upheavals Taliban rule and the fight for freedom of the press Itrsquos a fascinating account of journalismrsquos resilience in one of the worldrsquos most challenging regionsBefore the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu KawaguchiRohan Charles project manager MaladI picked it because the concept of a timetraveling cafeacute intrigued me mdash especially with its rule that you must return before your coffee cools What I loved most was its emotional depth the stories were bittersweet yet heartwarming reminding me how fleeting yet powerful moments can be in shaping our lives The book is lsquoright where you left mersquo if it were a happy song