Skip to main content

Recommendations: Best Indian Books in Recent Years

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Indians! 

Here's hoping we continue to enshrine the principles on which our Republic was founded and continue to appreciate our diversity! 

Sharing a list of recent Indian books that are absolute 5-star reads! Each of these is highly recommended. 


 


1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese is an absolute must-read. Easily the best book we've read in years! Full review here

2. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy is a very relevant book to read about the lives of various characters in present-day India. Highly recommend! 

3. Villainy by Upamanyu Chatterjee has been fully reviewed here and is a must-read! 

4. The Blind Matriarch by Namita Gokhale is set during the early months of the pandemic in 2020 and is a wonderful, immersive read. Full review can be found here.

5. The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar is a story of a mother-daughter duo and the trials and tribulations faced by them. A must-read! Full review can be found here.

6. Chronicles of Lost Daughters by Debarati Mukhopadhyay is an interesting, heartbreaking story of the fate of Indian indentured labourers, who were sent to Guyana in the late 19th century. A must-read. 

7. A Burning by Megha Majumdar is based on the events of 2020 and can give you a bit of PTSD but it is an absolute must-read. Highly recommend. 

8. Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors by Aravind Jayan is about the hypocrisy of our society when it comes to romantic relationships between young people. A relevant little book to read. 

9. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappa is a brilliant book about the lives of the invisible (to the police, society) people, who live in our slums. It is an absolute must-read. Full review can be read here

10. Dirty Women by Madhumita Bhattacharya takes on societal prejudices and biases when it comes to women and the choices that they make. Set in Calcutta in 2002, this book is centred around a single (unwed) mother, whose daughter goes missing and the media frenzy that ensues thereafter. Full review can be found here.


Hope you enjoy these recommendations and if you pick up any of these, do tag me on Instagram. 

Have a great day, guys! 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Magic of the Lost Temple by Sudha Murthy.

Book: The Magic of the Lost Temple Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 163 Read On: Paperback How Long it took Me To Read: 1 day Plot Summary:   City girl Nooni is surprised at the pace of life in her grandparents' village in Karnataka. But she quickly gets used to the gentle routine there and involves herself in a flurry of activities, including papad making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a cycle, with her new-found friends. Things get exciting when Nooni stumbles upon an ancient fabled stepwell right in the middle of a forest.Join the intrepid Nooni on an adventure of a lifetime in this much-awaited book by Sudha Murty that is heart-warming, charming and absolutely unputdownable. General Thoughts: Ah! A happy little Children's Book! I wanted it the minute I spotted it in the bookshop. And I started reading it pretty much immediately. :)  I read it after reading a beyond dull and boring and soulless book. This book just cured my bookish blues. I l

Book Review: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.

Some snippets of the stunning art inside the book!  Book: The Room on the Roof Author: Ruskin Bond Illustrator: Ahlawat Gunjan Pages: 171 Read On: Hardback How Long It Took Me To Read: 3 days or so. Plot Summary:   Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy, is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the claustrophobic European part in Dehra Dun. Unhappy with the strict ways of his guardian, Rusty runs away from home to live with his Indian friends. Plunging for the first time into the dream-bright world of the bazaar, Hindu festivals and other aspects of Indian life, Rusty is enchanted … and is lost forever to the prim proprieties of the European community.  General Thoughts: This book is super special. Not only this 60th anniversary edition an absolute beauty. This is also a signed copy I picked up from Mussoorie when I was in Landour earlier in the year. This is perhaps one of Ruskin Bond's most well kn

Review: Grandma's Bag of Stories by Sudha Murthy.

Book: Grandma's Bag of Stories Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 176 Read On: Paperback How Long It Took Me Read: 2 hours Plot Summary:   When Grandma opens her bag of stories, everyone gathers Around. Who can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma? From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals. Grandma tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and provide hours of enjoyment to them. So come, why don’t you too join in the fun? General Thoughts: I've read quite a few Sudha Murthy books this year and really enjoyed them. I find them soothing, simple a