Books to read if you are looking for an adrenaline rush this season

As we approach the colder months of the year, the weather invites us to savour a warm cup of hot chocolate—or chai, if you prefer—along with these new releases that promise escapism.

First on our list is Haruki Murakami’s upcoming novel The City and Its Uncertain Walls, set to release on November 27. The story follows a young man whose girlfriend mysteriously vanishes. As he becomes determined to find her, his journey leads him to a remote library that is filled with its own enigmas. Upon reaching the walled city, he sees his beloved working in another library, however, she has no recollection of their life together in the real world. As the boundaries between reality and illusion begin to dissolve, he is faced with a profound choice about what he is prepared to sacrifice.

Next is The Rainfall Market by Korean author You Yeong-Gwang, coming out on November 28. It is the first day of monsoon and an old crumbling building, known as the Rainfall Market, filled with magical bookstores, hair salons, and perfumeries appears. Entry requires an invitation, and Serin, who lives with her mother, is thrilled to receive one. Inside, she has one week to find her ideal life and true happiness, but if she fails, she risks being trapped in the market forever.

In Society Girl: A Tale of Sex, Lies, and Scandal, Pakistani journalists Saba Imtiaz and Tooba Masood-Khan investigate the dramatic events of October 1970, when Karachi was rocked by the death of young poet Mustafa Zaidi in his bedroom. Beside him, his lover, the stunning married socialite Shahnaz Gul, was discovered unconscious and seemingly drugged. This scandal gripped Pakistani society and filled them with obsession, revenge, and political intrigue. Over 50 years later, the authors reveal the deeper motives and societal implications of this complex narrative.

Finally, in A Mystery Set to Music, author Sujatha tells the story of Kalyanaraman, a folk music researcher from Madras, who visits Mempatti to collect traditional songs. He stays in a crumbling mansion once owned by a zamindar and meets Snehalatha, the zamindar’s lively granddaughter. As Kalyanaraman is drawn to a local girl named Velli, Snehalatha flirts with Velli’s promised husband, Marudamuthu. The tension escalates with the presence of ghosts and old diaries, ultimately leading to jealousy and a shocking murder.

All images: Penguin Random House India, Bloomsbury Publishing India, and Roli Books

This piece originally appeared in the October-November print edition of Harper's Bazaar India. 

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