Of technology, poetry, life and magic (IANS Books This Weekend)

New Delhi, Nov 3  Learn the syntax and grammar of the HTML computer language; see how the most exhilarating highs and the heartbreaking lows of life and love come out in a few short lines; know how to conquer difficulties in life from a boy paralysed from the shoulder down; and go into a fast-paced plot and imaginative world that has a fresh new take on magic.
The IANS bookshelf has varied fare this weekend.
1. Book: HTML in a Day; Author: Tushaar Sarin; Publisher: Abhishek Publications; Pages: 72; Price: Rs 200
How fast can one learn the most widely used programming language HTML? In just 24 hours, claims the young author of “HTML in a Day”. With the world of technology ever expanding, HTML is being used more than ever and the writer wants to ensure that even a layman can learn and understand HTML in a short span of time through his book.
The 14-year-old author has written the book in simple language with to-the-point instructions with the required code presented and explained at each step. It presents technical jargon in a simplified manner. The book not only teaches the syntax and grammar of the language but also provides an understanding of how elements and commands should be arranged and utilised.
HTML is the backbone of the Internet as no website, web page or even one of those annoying ads we see online can be designed without HTML. It defines what form of elements exist where, their properties, their limits, their requirements and their correspondence to each other.
2. Book: Love Her Wild; Author: Atticus; Publisher: Atria Books; Pages: 240; Price: Rs 699
“Love Her Wild” is a collection of new and beloved poems from the poet Atticus, who has captured the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of avid followers on his Instagram account, including superstars like Karlie Kloss and Shay Mitchell.
Atticus captures what is both raw and relatable about the smallest and the grandest moments in life: The first glimpse of a new love in Paris, skinny dipping on a summer’s night, the irrepressible exuberance of the female spirit, or drinking whiskey in the desert watching the rising sun.
With honesty, poignancy, and romantic flare, Atticus distills the most exhilarating highs and the heartbreaking lows of life and love into a few short lines, ensuring that his words will become etched in your mind and will awaken your sense of adventure.
3. Book: The Little Big Things; Author: Henry Fraser; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 163; Price: Rs 299
Being challenged in life is inevitable, but being defeated is optional. Henry Fraser was 17 when a tragic accidentseverely crushed his spinal cord. Paralysed from the shoulder down, he has conquered unimaginable difficulty to embrace life and a new way of living. Through challenging adversity, he has found the opportunity to grow and inspire others.
This book combines his wisdom and insight into finding the gifts in life’s challenges, and will resonate with anyone facing an obstacle, no matter how big or small. It includes Henry’s thoughts on how to look at the right things and avoid the wrong, finding progress in whatever you do, and acknowledging and accepting the darkness when it comes. Right at the heart of Henry’s inspiring philosophy is his belief that every day is a good day.
4. Book: Nevermoor; Author: Jessica Townsend; Publisher: Orion; Pages: 374; Price: Rs 399
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks — and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her 11th birthday.
But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.
It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: The Wundrous Society. But she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart — an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests — or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.
Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series and Neil Gaiman, this fast-paced plot and imaginative world has a fresh new take on magic that will appeal to a new generation of readers.
–IANS