13 Indian Books for 13 days of August

 Hello, hello,

We are almost halfway down August! Where is the time flying? For us, Indians, the mid-point of August is extra special because it marks our Independence Day. A day that millions of our countrymen and women died for. A day that makes us teary eyed and so proud of how far we have come and have determination and hope for the future. 

In the spirit of our Independence Day (and month), I always read only Indian Books in August. This is something I have been doing for a few years now and if you scroll down and check on the tags, you can find hundreds of wonderful books written by Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi authors. I include all subcontinental authors as part of the books this month because the struggle for Independence was a collective one and all three countries will forever be linked by our common struggle and heritage. 

This month, as usual, I have been reading some wonderful books written by and based in India and the subcontinent and so, I thought I would share some recommendations here as well. 

1. Four Chapters by Rabindranath Tagore is a collection of short stories about nationalism and blindly following a cause/ leader without thinking. A timely read for the times we are living in! 

2. One Small Voice by Santanu Bhattacharya is split between Lucknow in the 1990s and Mumbai in the early 00s. It is a story about the rise of communal tensions in India and the outcome of lives directly touched by communal hate. 

3. City of Indicent by Annie Zaidi is a collection of twelve inter-connected short stories set in Mumbai from various walks of life. A very stirring collection of stories. 

4. Quarterlife by Devika Rege is about three brothers set in Mumbai. A coming-of-age and the story of India post-2014. Again, a timely, relevant and moving book. 

5. Ambapali by Tanushree Podder is a fictionalised re-telling of the story of Amrapali, the nagarvadhu of Vaishali in ancient India. The story follows Ambapali's rise to fame, her decadent lifestyle and how she became a Buddhist in her later life. A wonderful read. 

6. Not a Disaster After all by Buku Sarkar is a collection of short stories showing vignettes in the lives of various characters. Very well-written and such a lovely book! 

7. Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tells the story of three sisters and the different directions their lives taking in the pre and post-Independence years. Filled with incidents of hope and heartbreak, this is a good book to pick this week. 

8. Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra is an absolute must-read for anyone from the Indian sub-continent. This book contains lived experiences and stories of people from the subcontinent whose lives were torn apart by the Partition. What you choose to take when you leave your home forever takes on so much meaning and has so many associations with it. This is a wonderful, wonderful book and you simply must read it! 

9. In the language of Remembering by Aanchal Malhotra is also another absolutely wonderful collection of stories about the Partition and the impact it had on the lives of families. An absolute must-read. 

10. Where Mayflies live Forever by Anupama Mohan tells the story of the impact of a violent act on a small village. It is not the easiest book to read but a very important story nonetheless. The narrative is brought alive from the perspective of multiple people in the village and is very well-written and engaging. 

11. Soft Animal by Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan is, in many ways, a portrait of a marriage set against the Lockdown of 2020. Very lovely little book and worth reading. 

12. What We Carry by Maya Shanbhag Lang is a memoir about a mother's dementia and the examination of a mother-daughter relationship in the context of the dementia diagnosis. A very interesting book on the parent-child dynamic. 

13. Terminal 3 by Debasmita Dasgupta is a wonderful (and beautifully illustrated) graphic novel about a young athlete from Kashmir. It tells the story of a young woman's dream to compete in international sports and about the ground realities of the people of Kashmir since 2014. A must-read. 

Hope you pick up some of these books and if you do, do tag me on Instagram! 

Have a great week ahead!