From sci-fi epics to celebrity memoirs, HELLO! India's books to read this autumn

As the days grow cooler and the pace of life begins to slow, autumn offers the perfect excuse to settle in with a good book. From immersive new worlds and coming-of-age journeys to entrepreneurial memoirs, reflections on grief and stories shaped by political upheaval, this season’s reading list spans genres and generations. Whether you are looking for an escape, a little inspiration or a story that stays with you long after the final page, these books make compelling companions for the months ahead.

(Also Read: HELLO! India peeks into these celebrity bookshelves)

1. MAYA: Seed Takes Root by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon

Blending science fiction, fantasy and philosophy, MAYA: Seed Takes Root introduces a new mythology for the 21st century, set on the planet Neh, where a living forest called Maya functions as a vast neural network. Citizens connect to it through shared dreamscapes, while the immortal Divyas harvest their thoughts and memories to predict futures and control reality. Nineteen-year-old Yachay is the exception: raised in isolation and never tethered to Maya, he remains invisible to its rulers. When his grandfather dies and leaves behind secrets of an ancient resistance, Yachay is drawn into the Divya Trials, a competition in which billions compete for the chance to ascend to godhood. Drawing on South Asian mythology, hard science and social commentary, the first novel in the expansive MAYA universe explores data, freedom, power and who gets to control our stories.

2. The Audacity Of Being by Shefali Shah

The Audacity of Being is Shefali Shah’s candid, witty and deeply personal memoir-in-essays, tracing more than three decades of her life and career in Indian cinema. From navigating the industry as an outsider and finding her way through theatre and television to becoming one of India’s most acclaimed actors, Shah reflects on the roles, experiences and instincts that shaped her journey. Beyond her work on screen, the book explores the more intimate parts of her life, including love, divorce and remarriage, friendships, motherhood, ageing, body image and creative self-doubt. Honest, humorous and often moving, it offers an unfiltered look at the woman behind the performances.

3. Wrong Turns Only by Priyanka Pradhan

For Tashi, the return of her charismatic and unpredictable mother, Anupama, offers a chance to finally confront the abandonment that has shaped much of her life. When the two embark on a three-week road trip along India’s coast, their journey takes them from the beaches and haunted mansions of Goa to Kerala’s backwaters and the surf breaks of Pondicherry. As mother and daughter navigate old wounds, unanswered questions and unexpected connections, Tashi is also forced to reckon with a crisis involving Dhruv, her best friend and almost-love, back home in Nainital. Part road-trip adventure and part coming-of-age story, the novel explores identity, belonging, forgiveness, friendship and the complicated bonds that shape who we become.

(Also Read: Young Indians are logging off to reconnect)

4. The Book of Daily Brilliance by Pamela Puja Kirpalani

Designed to be read over 111 days, The Book of Daily Brilliance offers a daily pause for reflection and reconnection. Exploring themes including relationships, self-worth, love and loss, abundance, surrender and manifestation, each page presents an insight intended to encourage greater self-awareness and a quieter inner world. There is no prescribed way to move through the book: readers can begin, pause, skip days or return whenever they choose. At its heart, the book is an invitation to create a daily practice of reflection and to reconnect with what matters beneath the noise of everyday life.

5. The Product Code: Shoper, Tally and the Making of an Entrepreneur by Shoaib Ahmed

Part entrepreneurial memoir, part sales playbook and part design philosophy, The Product Code traces Shoaib Ahmed’s journey from co-founding Vedha Automations in 1987 to becoming president of Tally Solutions. At a time when India’s technology industry was still in its early stages, Vedha developed Shoper and helped introduce barcodes to Indian retail, eventually growing into a major point-of-sale software company before being acquired by Tally 18 years later. Ahmed draws on that experience to explore two central principles: creating software that solves real human problems and building lasting relationships. For founders, product builders and entrepreneurs, the book offers lessons on creating products that work, scaling businesses and understanding what makes something worth building.

6. Grief Burns Like Fever by Minakshi Thakur

Set during the pandemic-induced lockdown in Delhi, Grief Burns Like Fever brings together interconnected stories of people navigating love, loss, isolation and survival during a period of unprecedented uncertainty. Written by bilingual author and publisher Minakshi Thakur and published under Westland Books’ Tranquebar imprint, the novel explores the emotional landscape of a city and its people as everyday life is transformed by crisis. Through its intersecting lives and stories, the book examines grief, longing, resilience and the unexpected connections that can emerge in moments of profound isolation.

7. The Others by Sheena Kalayil

Set in 1989 in a small Baltic city in East Germany, the story brings together three young people from vastly different backgrounds: Armando, a factory worker from Mozambique; Lolita, a medical student from India; and Theo, an East Berliner aspiring to become a writer. When Armando and Lolita make a disturbing discovery, they become increasingly entangled in the political tensions of Theo’s homeland. As revolution spreads across Eastern Europe and the Berlin Wall approaches its historic turning point, their friendship becomes complicated by a love triangle that threatens to alter all three of their futures. Against the backdrop of a changing world order, the story explores love, fear, loyalty and the forces that can irrevocably reshape lives.

8. Giving Up Is Not An Option by Pawan Raj Kumar

Entrepreneurship is often presented through the lens of growth, strategy and success, but Giving Up Is Not An Option looks at what happens behind the scenes. Drawing on more than three decades of experience building businesses, investing in more than 40 startups and mentoring founders, Pawan Raj Kumar explores the emotional realities of entrepreneurship through personal stories, reflections and poetry. Rather than offering another conventional business playbook, the book focuses on the doubt, setbacks, resilience and quiet determination that shape the journey of building something meaningful. With experiences spanning food, technology and lifestyle, Kumar offers a candid look at the human side of entrepreneurship and a reminder that the challenges behind the ambition are often as important as the wins.

(Also Read: 5 books on HELLO! India's summer reading list)