Trained in Delhi, Sumit Kumar is a former writer for Savita Bhabhi, the desi porn comic strip and the author of graphic novel The Itch You Can’t Scratch, published recently by Pop Culture Publishing. bpb gets a peek into his reading list.

Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein

In the near future prison colonies are set up on the moon, where prisoners are shipped. As years pass the population grows bigger, cross breeding occurs between inmates and second and third generation moon people are spawned.

This is a tale of revolution and the story of the disparate people—a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic—who become the movement's leaders.

Jaise Unke Din Fire by Harishankar Parsai

Harishankar Parsai writes in Hindi, which is cool, and he uses a ton of references from almost everywhere. Jaise Unke Din Fire is, like his other works, a collection of short stories, and a book I had a lot of fun reading.

Love, Truth And A Little Malice and Absolute Khushwant by Khushwant Singh

If you think that Khushwant Singh writes only jokes, go buy these now.

Love Truth and a Little Malice is his autobiography, made more interesting with real names and people. In fact, the book is so detailed that Meneka Gandhi took him to court over it in 1998 when it was supposed to be published - it finally hit markets in 2002.

Absolute Khushwant was published eight years later and is a collection of his thoughts on life, writing, age, death, marriage and other things. A peek into the mind of one of the most interesting and honest people ever!

Dororo Vol. 1, 2 & 3 by Osamu Tezuka

By the author of Astro Boy, this Japanese graphic novel is the story of a boy who is born as a lump of mass without any senses, because all of his senses were taken by 48 devil deities of a temple in a deal his father made with them.

As the boy grows up, every time he kills a demon, he gains a sense. This is his story, along with that of a little thief called Dororo and the demons they slay.

Tintin in Tibet -  Herge

I like this one because it’s very different from other Tintin books - there are no gun shots, no suspicious looking people, no scene of Tintin hiding in a hotel room while someone chases after him.

This one is simple and well-researched and some bits are particularly cool, especially the inside title page depicting symbols from a Tibetan Prayer wheel and fun illustrations of Katmandu.