Bibliofile

Some spine-chilling truths from the author of Sex, Lies and aids. Over 5 million Indians infected with hiv; over two million Indians dead from aids so far, over 3,00,000 since 1999, making aids the largest killer of adult Indians, second only to TB; while Maharashtra and Andhra are in the throes of a full-blown aids epidemic, every city in India has its share of hiv-affected population. Besides, it's no longer a disease limited to sex workers and homosexuals. And yet, pointed out the author, Siddharth Dube, at a book reading: "Indians are still in deep denial, both about their sexual lives as well as aids. They like to think it can't happen to them." Sex or aids? "Both," says Dube, "that's why the title."

IT wouldn't have been a good morning either for publishers HarperCollins, ndtv and its chief Prannoy Roy and their culinary star, Roopa Gulati, if her first cookbook, The Good Morning Cookbook, had not arrived at the launch in the nick of time. Literally rushed from the press, the glossy collection of some of her favourite recipes from her TV show, arrived 45 minutes before Prannoy came to launch it. But the unflappable Roopa, a pro at improvisation, saved the day with the carrot cake and other goodies.