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GQ’s best Indian non-fiction books of 2021: 25 extraordinary books from an extraordinary year

By Arman Khan

The best Indian non-fiction books have never been afraid to venture into uncharted territory. Our writers, using the twin pillars of research and nuance, have shown us existing worlds in newer light, and shed light on the worlds we chose to ignore. At a time when the intersection between the personal and the political seems blurred, these titles acknowledge our many flaring anxieties and address them in the most concentrated writing, cutting the chaff and going straight for the jugular. These writers don’t hold back - whether they are analysing what shame means to us as a society or are simply taking us down pretty Goan lanes.

Best Indian non-fiction books of 2021:

By Swadesh Deepak and translated by Jerry Pinto

Originally published in Hindi, playwright Swadesh Deepak searingly documents his seven-year-long battle with mental illness. There are visions of a woman with white leopards, humiliation, and the utopian promise of recovery.

By Amitav Ghosh

Among India’s most decorated and widely read novelists, in this book Ghosh argues that the roots of the many challenges faced by climate change can be traced back to colonialism and the western idea of development. In a recent interview with GQ , Ghosh had also called out the fashion industry and its consumers for their supremely unsustainable choices.

By Manjima Bhattacharjya

Acutely aware of a heavily globalised world, this sensitively researched work uses Mumbai as a backdrop to spotlight the many shades of the people inhabiting its ambitious lanes. From the interior lives of “massage boys” to how sex workers have embraced technolgy, it truly is an intimate portrait of a city we have all called home at some point.

By Manu S. Pillai

By Saloni Dhruv

By Umaima Saeed

Infamous for treachery, lavishness and unchecked luxury, history has been unfair to Indian Maharajahs during the British Raj – Pillai sheds light on the more patriotic and smart ways in which the Maharajahs challenged English supremacy. In an interview with GQ , he’d also shared how the view that Maharajas were mere puppets of the British was a misguided one.

By Girish Karnad

Translated from Kannada by Karnad himself and Srinath Perur, this memoir is movingly written, with humorous insights too into the life of the multi-hyphenate who truly redefined how culture is perceived and consumed in India.

By Kabir Bedi

A life truly lived, Bedi takes us on a rollercoaster ride from his days as an innocuous student in Delhi to the many adventures in the West and the thrill of falling in love. His account of saving his schizophrenic son is one of the most moving pieces of contemporary memoir writing. In an interview with GQ , he shared his love for all things Italy and Sandkoan, his personal relationship with his co-actors and more.

By Clyde D'Souza

The search for contentment has spurred on many travel memoirs, curated trips and long distance drives. Goans, though, have it all figured out in their laidback philosophy of “Susegad.” Trust D’souza, a proud Goan, to give us a peek into all that makes this Goan way of living the most attractive through its cuisine , history, and architecture.

By Farah Bashir

Life in the valley can often be a picture of many contradictions: picturesque mountains carrying the promise of hope can just as well be marred by flaming tensions. Through her lenses of childhood, Bashir gives us an unflinching portrait of Kashmir minus the romanticisation.

By Shrayana Bhattacharya

Over a research spread across 15 years, Bhattacharya maps the trajectories of the women fans of Shah Rukh Khan and their arduous journey to securing financial independence, battling insensitive patriarchs and breaking away from tradition. From the forests of Jharkhand to the cocktail parties of Jor Bagh - it’s a gamut.

By Sonia Faleiro

Based on the tragic incident of 2014 in a small town where the bodies of two teenage girls were found hanging, this book examines the social and human cost of shame, and how far we can go to protect it.

By Peggy Mohan

Through a first-of-its-kind and incisive study of languages, such as the story of early Sanskrit, the rise of Urdu, language formation in the northeast, Mohan presents the astounding argument that all Indians are of mixed origins.

By Pranay Lal

They will mutate just when you think you’ve cracked them, their origins are mysterious, they can potentially bring superpowers to a standstill - and yet there is so much about viruses we still don’t know. Lal answers these questions and more.

By Rakesh Kumar

The Meta memes just won’t stop, and the data breaches won’t either. Kumar, focus area is specifically tailored to Indian realities. Drawing from religious texts, quantum computing, to Greek mythology and current events - the book tries to find the sweet spot at the intersection of technology, policy and society.

By Vivan Marwaha

Are millennials easily satiated by boomerangs and fuzzy Instagram filters, or are their ambitions deeper, spanning global realities and tinged with personal anxieties? Marwaha answers these questions with a sample size of millennials across 13 Indian states. 

By Ghazala Wahab

Wahab analyses the position of the contemporary Indian Muslim through the lenses of the past and the present, in addition to her own personal experiences with macro events and micro-aggressions.

By Feisal Alkazi

If you have even the slightest interest in the fascinating world of Indian theatre, this family memoir will provide you with a ringside view of the family that shaped and continues to shape Indian theatre as we know it.

By Saumya Roy

A revelation in the most shattering ways, Roy takes us inside the lives of the ragpickers and waste dumpers of Mumbai’s many garbage heaps and toxic dumping grounds. We see their dreams, how they fall in love, and the dangers from both the state and the grounds themselves that threatens to destabilize their precarious lives. As Roy told GQ , the mountains, “are a world that we’ve created, but we’ve never visited,” hoping readers will reflect after reading on their lives, and the people who quite literally, live off their trash.

By Archana Shah

The world of sustainable fashion couldn’t be more disparate and tenuous than it is now. Stories of fashion labels camouflaging their unethical ways under the guise of sustainability are all too common. Shah’s pursuits, here, are noble. She gives us a vivid picture of almost every single region of India and its unique textile heritage, while also emphasizing the importance of sustainable fashion.

By Vir Sanghvi

A journalist’s life, particularly in the pandemic world, has been limited to slack hacks and endless Zoom meets. Sanghvi, though, is emblematic of the time when even a single article had the potential to topple governments, create flutters in high society, and break carefully crafted hierarchies. He writes candidly about his behind-the-scenes interactions with everyone from the Gandhis, the Beatles to the Clintons. With GQ , he also shared his process.

By Kavitha Rao

Medicine and engineering might still be the only options available to the Indian student now, but women in Indian history have had to go against all odds every step of the way to be able to pursue their passion for medicine. Rao unearths the extraordinary stories of six women from the 1860s to the 1930s, who defied the idea that they were unfit for medicine by virtue of their gender.

By Amartya Sen

The memoir of one of India’s tallest intellectuals who shaped not just the economic trajectory of our country but also defined new parameters to measure economic growth, income and development. In his memoir, he shares not just his many inspirations but also a candid account of his childhood in Bengal, his time at Cambridge and more. 

By Pradeep Magazine  

The veteran journalist’s memoir offers a ringside view of India’s beloved sport. From cricketing secrets of dressing rooms, Ganguly’s comeback and desperation, casteism in cricket to cricket’s most famous rivalries, he has covered it all. 

By Shubnum Khan

What happens when you’re asked to shoot during your college days for free only to realise your face is being used to sell fairness creams in Turkey, condos in America, matrimonial websites in India and more? Khan, a journalist, recounts her real-life experiences in the wittiest of ways. 

By Rukmini S.  

In this revealing book, data-journalism pioneer Rukmini S. draws on nearly two decades of on-ground reporting experience to interrogate how data works, and how the push and pull of social and political forces affect it. 

By Sindhu Rajasekaran

The voice of the modern woman, fiercely diverse and bold, is widely dictating our relationship with sex, caste, sexuality, lifestyle, power and the intersection therein. Almost a blueprint to understand the modern Indian woman’s dreams and aspirations, this is a landmark work. 

The 50 best books of literary journalism of the 21st Century

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INDIAN BESTSELLERS

A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.

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12 international bestsellers to read in 2022 that will change your perspective towards life

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12 international bestsellers to read in 2022 that will change you...

Timesofindia.com | last updated on - jan 11, 2022, 12:15 ist share fbshare twshare pinshare comments ( 0 ), 01 /13 12 international bestsellers to read in 2022 that will change your perspective towards life.

New Year signifies a year full of new beginnings and hope. To help one become a better reader, Penguin India has curated a list of 12 international bestsellers as a part of its Penguin Transform program. The 12 books are to be read over 12 months, and each title promises to transform the reader's outlook on life. The books are:

02 /13 'Forty Rules of Love' by Elif Shafak

This beautiful story will make you believe in the power of love and how it can transform you, always for the better.

03 /13 'Zen and the Art of Simple Living' by Shunmyo Masuno

In this book, popular Buddhist monk Shunmyo Masuno writes about 100 easy tips (one for each day) to apply the essence of Zen in everyday life to feel relaxed and fulfilled.

04 /13 'Think Again' by Adam Grant

In this book, organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant explores the idea of how rethinking, unlearning, and relearning can improve our work-life and bring wisdom to life.

05 /13 'Midnight Library' by Matt Haig

Matt Haig's international bestseller 'Midnight Library' will take you on an incredible journey and make you question: What is the best way to live?.

06 /13 'Breath' by James Nestor

'In 'Breath', journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it,' reads the book's blurb.

07 /13 'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine L'Engle

This classic sci-fi adventure for kids and young adults makes for a great read on the list. The story makes one rediscover love and support for their family, and fight for our loved ones no matter what. Madeleine L'Engle's bestselling book is also adapted into a film by Disney.

08 /13 'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernadine Evaristo

Bernadine Evaristo's 2019 Booker-winning novel 'Girl, Woman, Other' follows the stories of 12 characters as they embark on their journeys, set in Britain in the last 100 years.

09 /13 'Normal People' by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney's award-winning novel 'Normal People' will feel relatable to many millennials and adults. This is a beautiful story of self-discovery, modern love, and friendship.

10 /13 'Thinking Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman

'This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking. It will enable you to make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do,' reads the book's blurb.

11 /13 '12 Rules for Life' by Jordan B. Peterson

In this book, clinical psychologist and author Jordan B. Peterson draws lessons from his works and ancient wisdom, and in turn, offers 12 principles to live by which can offer solutions to contemporary problems.

12 /13 'When Breath Becomes Air' by Paul Kalanithi

In this heart-touching book, Paul Kalanithi chronicled his life-- from a medical student to a neurosurgeon, to a lung cancer patient, and a new father. Meanwhile, he questions what makes life meaningful and virtuous.

13 /13 'Educated' by Tara Westover

Tara Westover's memoir 'Educated' will inspire you to have faith and achieve more in life. The book was also recommended by Barack Obama and Bill Gates.

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Best New Books Released in 2022 by Indian Authors

I feel proud to share that Indian Literature is growing by leaps and bounds and there have been some really great releases this year as well. Although I haven’t read all of the books mentioned below, let me assure you I have picked them based on reviews from my other blogger friends, the themes covered, the author and the general popularity of the books pre and post release. So you will be recommended only the best.

Books that did not make it to the list aren’t necessarily bad books, it’s just that they haven’t caught my eye yet and I hope to get to them very soon and come up with an ever bigger list of Indian Books released in 2022, by the end of the year.

I wrote a similar post for the best new books released in 202 1 by Indian authors and it had an overwhelming response, so I decided to write this post in 2 parts for 2022 and I will make this a yearly post on my blog.

On the personal front I have to share I am in my last trimester with my second kid and late August to late September I might be a little invisible on the blog owing to new mommy duties. But I hope to be back soon with some new and exciting recommendations.

Until then stay tuned, keep safe and keep reading!

Here are some more lists you might enjoy!

100 Best Indian Books To Read

The jcb prize for indian literature 2021 - short list, 18 best books by indian authors below 200 pages, unique book recommendations to help you find your next read.

*As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases

Best New Releases in January 2022 by Indian Authors

In An Ideal World By Kunal Basu

GENRE : FICTION

Altaf Hussein, a youthful Muslim pupil, has been abducted from his council hotel. The authorities have washed their hands off the matter and the police are indicted for a cover-up. Rumors claim he has gone to fight the jihad in Iraq. Further minatory rumors have him tortured and boggled for opposing the Nationalist scholars who are in a rage to produce a Hindu motherland in India, driving out Liberal sympathizers like Altaf and their decadent ideals.

The peak between Liberals and Chauvinists invades the Sengupta ménage in Kolkata when Joy, a bank director, and Rohini, his teacher woman - both compassionate humanists- learn the shocking news that their only son Bobby has come to a leader of the Nationalist scholars and is intertwined in Altaf's exposure.

Unbelief turns to anguish when they encounter his truculent testament and his not- too satisfying denial of his part in the Altaf affair. Out to break the riddle of Altaf, Joy and Rohini discover conspiracy and hate, interdicted love and exceptional courage, and come face to face with a world caught between the real and the ideal. But will they succeed in exonerating their son of the heinous crime?

Will Altaf be set up after all? Or will they, and this splintered nation, pay the ultimate price for harboring a cracked heart?

Another work of genius from the author of numerous critically respected novels. A veritably applicable and contemporary book on the state of twenty-first-century India.

Adam By S. Hareesh

GENRE : Fiction - Translation from Malayalam

Four Belgian Malinois puppies, raised by an ex-serviceman, who ends up in four different life situations; two men who play a game made out of death notices cropped from journals; a man who exploits his friend's disability to satisfy his brutish requirements; a government hand who's intoxicated by the taste of wild meat and sinks deeper and deeper into the poisonous world of stalking; two buffaloes who break away from their botcher, leading an entire will to chase after them; an old man who rejoices in the death of a sworn adversary who was formerly his friend.

Hareesh's Adam explores the more delicate of mortal feelings- lust, wrathfulness, covetousness, revenge, and capacity. Restated from Malayalam, the collection presents nine unusual stories about ordinary people, their heartstrings, and their different fates in a world where humans, creatures, and nature collide. Hareesh's unique style of liar, which mixes canny social observation with an impious and sardonic tone, makes these stories amping, and pushes the craft of the short story to new and stimulating realms.

Restatement of brilliant stories by S. Hareesh who won the JCB Prize for Literature in 2020 for his debut new Moustache.

Best New Releases in February 2022 by Indian Authors

Suit By Samarth

GENRE : GRAPHIC NOVEL

S uit is set in a Mumbai of the near future, when Safai Karamcharis have been handed safety outfits, including a full-body safety suit which gives them the moniker of Suitwalas. The story explores smirch, social change, and mobility through the eyes of Vikas, a youthful" Suitwala", as we follow him through a day in his life, darting between incidents at work, moments he catches with his family, and recollections of his father.

The suit is hailed as a great vault in the right direction for the safety and quality of Safai Karamcharis; still, has anything changed in reality, or is the suit just a cover? The book speculates what change could look like in a profession so steeped in exploitation and rejection, where the patient smirch infuses every step towards betterment with a bitter shadow.

Sin: Stories By Wajida Tabassum

GENRE : Fiction - TRANSLATION

Set in Hyderabad's old-world aristocratic society of the 1950s, this astral collection of stories resurrects and explores the work of Wajida Tabassum, one of the most prominent names in Urdu literature, a heretic and non-conformist frequently appertained to as the' womanish Manto'. In her continuance, Tabassum's intrepid depiction of the realities of the society she lived in met with severe review from the so-called custodians of the culture of the time, and she was reviled to the point that mobs set out to arsonist her publishers' services.

Sin showcases Tabassum's boldest short stories, alongside the story of her own life, restated for the first time in English, in which she captures, in engaging prose, the diapason of depravity among Hyderabad's elite, middle-class forces in the mid-twentieth century, and blurred lines of decency and form.

Featuring lascivious nawabs, lecherous begums, cunning retainers, and unfulfilled marriages marked by peculiar rituals and customs, this volume will surprise, intrigue, and entertain compendiums in equal measure.

Best New Releases in March 2022 by Indian Authors

To Hell And Back: Humans Of Covid by Barkha Dutt

GENRE : NON-FICTION

Since 2020, our world has battled a single adversary. In dealing with the epidemic, India has seen its challenges and special tragedies. Two times the epidemic may have formerly claimed anywhere between 3 and 5 million Indian lives.

The lockdown of the first surge caused unknown desolation. And in 2022, Omicron has trigged a new challenge. When India’s lockdown was first blazoned in March 2020, acclaimed intelligencer Barkha Dutt started an extraordinary series of road passages, recording the mortal story of the epidemic, one which she continues indeed moment as we scuffle with the contagion’s rearmost icon.

In this book, she tells India’s epidemic story through the stories of the people she covered – the migratory workers and politicians, businessmen and functionaries, croakers and nursers, plant workers and growers, preceptors and scholars, misters and women, parents and children. And through these accounts, she draws an astounding picture not just of our pest times but the veritable nature of our country with its deep- confirmed inequalities across class, estate, and gender.

Moving, gripping and pictorial, To Hell and Back, is an outstanding work by one of our foremost intelligencers.

The classic book on two times of India’s Covid epidemic.

A Book of New Beginnings By Jerry Pinto

GENRE : SELF-HELP

This shining florilegium is a treasure of contemplations, cheers, and alleviations from a range of voices through history Rabi’ah, Rumi, Tukaram, Emily Dickinson, Tagore, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Muktabai, Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Alice Munro, Shailendra and obscure, everyday people with an extraordinary gift for stopgap, compassion, courage, and perseverance.

Edited and introduced by one of India’s finest and most admired pens, and beautifully designed and produced, this is a dateless book to retain and to gift.

A shining knockout of contemplations, cheers, and alleviations from a range of voices through history.

Best New Releases in April 2022 by Indian Authors

Tomb of Sand (International Booker Prize Winner 2022) by Geetanjali Shree

TRANSLATED BY : Daisy Rockwell

GENRE : Fiction - Translation, Hindi to English

In northern India, an eighty-year-old woman slips into a deep depression after the death of her hubby and also resurfaces to gain a new parcel of life. Her determination to fly in the face of convention- including striking up a fellowship with a bisexual person- confuses her bohemian son, who's used to thinking of herself as the further' ultramodern' of the two.

To her family's consternation, Ma insists on traveling to Pakistan, contemporaneously defying the undetermined trauma of her teenage gests of Partition, and re-evaluating what it means to be a mama, a son, a woman, a positivist.

Rather than respond to tragedy with soberness, Geetanjali Shree's playful tone and buoyant wordplay results in a book that's engaging, funny, and hugely original, at the same time as being a critical and timely kick against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries, whether between persuasions, countries, or genders.

Winner of THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2022.

Inquilab Zindabad: A Graphic Biography Of Bhagat Singh by Ikroop Sandhu

Far from the gun-carrying, swaggering youthful man represented in pop culture, Bhagat Singh was an intrepid pupil leader who spent his time reading, jotting, debating, strategizing, and executing plans while working alongside his comrades. Detailing the life of a public icon, Inquilab Zindabad maps Bhagat Singh’s trip toward revolutionizing the Indian freedom struggle and the people and events that told this hunt.

While Inquilab Zindabad sheds light on his family members, musketeers, comrades, and secret donors, extracts from Bhagat Singh’s revolutionary jottings on religion, estate and freedom are also present throughout the book. Informing the anthology of his canny compliances on politics and revolutionary life, the assignments from his life and jottings are more applicable moment than ever ahead.

Inquilab Zindabad maps Bhagat Singh’s trip toward revolutionizing the Indian freedom struggle and the people and events that told this hunt.

Best New Releases in May 2022 by Indian Authors

The Living Mountain by Amitav Ghosh

GENRE : Fiction

The Living Mountain is an exemplary tale of how we've totally exploited nature, leading to an environmental collapse.

reported as a dream, this is a fable about Mahaparbat, the Living Mountain; the indigenous vale residers who live and prosper in its sanctum; the assault on the mountain for marketable benefit by the Anthropoi, humans whose sole end is to reap the bounty of nature; and the disaster that unfolds as a result.

The Living Mountain is an especially applicable moment when we've been battling an epidemic and are facing a climate catastrophe both of which are products of our inadequate understanding of humanity’s relationship with nature, and our sustained appropriation and abuse of natural coffers. This is a book of our times, for our times, and it'll reverberate explosively with compendiums of all periods.

In The Language Of Remembering: The Inheritance Of Partition by Aanchal Malhotra

GENRE : Non-Fiction

The Language of Flashing back reveals how Partition isn't yet an event in history and its heritage is threaded into the diurnal lives of posterior generations. Bringing together exchanges recorded numerous times with generations of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and their separate diaspora, it looks at how Partition memory is saved and willed, its consequences circulated and manifested within family, community, and nation. With the oldest pollsters in their nineties and the youthful just teenagers, the voices in this living library privately and unfeignedly answer questions similar to Is Partition applicable? Should we still talk about it? Does it define our connections? Does it make our characteristics or compound our fears, without us indeed realizing it?

As the key marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of Partition, In the Language of Flashing back will most importantly serve as a memorial of the price this land formerly paid for not guarding against collaborative strife- and what could be formerly again should we ever choose division over addition.

Best New Releases in June 2022 by Indian Authors

The Wait And Other Stories by Damodar Mauzo

TRANSLATED BY: Xavier Cota from Konkani

GENRE : Fiction - Translation, Konkani to English

A hack automobilist, who assumes the identity of whoever his guests want him to be, finds himself in a tricky situation with a passenger. A late-night call leads a croaker down a path of lust and desire, but with unexpected results. A pen acquaints himself with a stealer who had broken into his house. A migrant worker falls in love but wonders how he can present himself as a suitor. An immature man, having lost the love of his life, takes it upon himself to resolve another couple's dilemmas.

Konkani pen Damodar Mauzo's sometimes crazy, sometimes tender stories, set largely in Goa, produce a world far removed from the sun and sand and the holiday resorts. also, you find townies facing moral choices, children waking up to the realities of adult lives, men who dwell on guilt, women who live a life of guilt, and communities whose bonds are growing tenuous in an age of religious polarization. Probing the deepest corners of the mortal psyche with lingo- in- impertinence humor, Mauzo's stories reveal the multitudinous vestments that connect us to others and the ease with which they can be broken. Written in simple prose and yet concentrated in nuances, The stay is a collection that brings to the Anglophone world one of the doyens of Konkani literature.

" Damodar Mauzo's stories present us with pictorial casts of the richly different, smart reality of contemporary Goa. In these perceptive, keenly observed stories Hindus, Catholics, and Muslims all find ways to co-occur, in defiance of partisanship."

Hope On – an anthology of comics by various authors

EDITED BY : Nithin Mathew and Sanid Asif Ali

GENRE : Graphic Novel

QUICK TAKE:

A feel-good, anthology of comics celebrating the lives of women who overcome trying times to find hope. This collection is bound to bring a smile to your face.

Created by 15 independent artists in the middle of a pandemic.

This post contains affiliate links.  Read my Disclosure Policy .

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Year Ender 2023: 24 best Indian books of the year, fiction and non-fiction

Year ender 2023: 24 books of fiction and non-fiction that evoke contemporary india, from siddhartha mukherjee's song of the cell to deepti kapoor's age of vice..

Amitav Ghosh's Smoke and Ashes is a stunning part-memoir, part-travelogue, part-history book that traces how India became the world’s largest producer of opium during the 18th and 19th centuries.

It’s been a stunning year for books from India—and it will perhaps come as no surprise that a lot of the action is taking place in translation, immigrant writing and non-fiction. There’s substantial millennial perspective on shelves this year—a lot of it deeply political, smartly (and often cynically) reckoning with the monumental shifts that are currently underway in India. They span the spectrum of genre—straightforward thrillers to mind-bending speculative treatises; and deal with big, pulpy themes like power, class, family, corruption as well as tend to universal themes like love, loss and belonging. Between them, these 24 books demonstrate what it means to be Indian today—our preoccupations, paranoias, and persuasions laid bare for the world. As we get set to welcome 2024, a 2023 recap through books:

1. Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

“India’s answer to The Godfather ”, declared The Guardian in a headline about Deepti Kapoor’s sophomore novel , a thriller that scorched bookshelves across the world in January. It follows three young men and one woman from vastly disparate backgrounds, whose lives get entangled forever one fateful night. With superb pace and intrigue, Kapoor paints a cinematic portrait of 21st India, where the filthy rich and dirt-poor spin through a vortex of power, corruption and unbridled avarice.

Related stories

2. Quarterlife by Devika Rege

A jaded Wall Street consultant returns to India. A college acquaintance is eager to escape the drudgery of her New England life to teach in a Muslim-majority slum in Mumbai. His younger brother is using his family’s newfound wealth to climb the social ladder in Mumbai, but feels the need to dig deeper into his roots. Around them, a new India is taking shape, an aggressive political party in power, and the air is rife with a certain kind of optimism. Devika Rege’s stunning debut might just be the definitive “millennial India” book—expertly documenting the conversations and preoccupations of a guinea pig generation.

3. Sakina’s Kiss by Vivek Shanbhag

Eight years after the groundbreaking Ghachar Ghochar , we have a Shanbhag novel translated in English by the equally inimitable Srinath Perur—and what a treat. Our narrator Venkat is stuck in a quagmire of mediocrity, a mid-level executive with tepid relationships with his wife and daughter. Except in a Taken -like spin, his daughter disappears, and he has to go up against a world of men—gangsters, policemen, politicians, tabloid journalists—to find her. Shanbhag is delightfully acidic as usual on caste, class, gender hierarchies and family power dynamics.

4. This Is Salvaged by Vauhini Vara

A new book from Vauhini Vara , the Canadian-American writer of Indian origin whose debut novel The Immortal King Rao was on the Pulitzer shortlist, was always going to be exciting. These 10 short stories deal with women and womanhood, diving into themes like grief and loneliness, climate change and relationships, and selfhood and intimacy. Vara remains fascinated with death, and luxuriates in exploring the nature of being—a child, parent, friend, sibling, lover. It is often morbid, and always gripping.

5. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

American physician-writer Abraham Verghese returns with his first novel since 2009’s Cutting For Stone , and this one is a fascinating, sprawling epic that covers generations of a family living in Kerala. A Christian family that is afflicted by a strange medical condition: They die by drowning in unusual places, in a land where everyone swims. A treatise on families, myth-building, even a portrait of India for a Western audience, Verghese’s latest mines his gift for suspense, and immense knowledge of the human anatomy, with spell-binding results.

6. Assassin by KR Meera

The Kerala literary superstar’s latest is a nailbiter from beginning to end. Translated into English by J Devika, it begins with a close shave with death for a woman living in the big city, who realises the incident is much more complicated than that—she was actually the target of an assassination, and the conspiracy doesn’t stop at her. Believed to invoke Gauri Lankesh’s murder, KR Meera has said that this book is perhaps the most personal fiction she has ever written. As Satyapriya hunts her demons, you come face-to-face with the insidious violence that follows women everywhere.

7. Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan

Winner of the 2023 JCB Prize for Literature , Murugan’s Fire Bird  is about a man called Muthu—an everyman on a quest for permanence in a world where no such thing exists. It’s a question triggered when his father cuts up the family farmland, leaving him with almost nothing and pushing his family into uncharted territory, financially, geographically and figuratively. In Murugan’s hands, this ordinary story acquires spectacular depth that scrapes the bottom of the barrel when it comes to social critique and understanding of the human condition.

8. The Best Possible Experience: Stories by Nishanth Injam

Telangana-origin, US-based Nishanth Injam’s debut book of short stories is an empathetic (and sympathetic) look into immigrant life—green card marriages, loss of parents, reckoning with a sense of displacement, yearning for belonging, and fundamentally, the notion of home. Gently related, but always to the point, Injam’s stories implore us to think about the very human ramifications of the “happily ever after” of achieving the American dream.

9. The Light At the End Of The World by Siddhartha Deb

New Delhi’s AQI might be hitting surreal levels, but Siddhartha Deb’s strangely speculative novel imagines strange plausibilities into being. In his latest, The Beautiful and the Damned  author connects centuries of Indian history and its potentially apocalyptic future, all of it considered in the background of the events of the last decade—demonetisation, online rage, secret detention centres, nationalist violence. The story is told through five inexplicable chapters of Indian history—located in, for example, Calcutta in 1947, Bhopal in 1984, and Delhi in the early 2000s, where the Monkey Man makes an appearance. An ambitious novel, where the past, present and future are intertwined forever.

10. Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

Shortlisted for the 2023 Booker, Chetna Maroo’s smash debut taps into this moment of national obsession with sports. Its protagonist is 11-year-old Gopi who has been playing squash since she was old enough to hold a racket, and then has the game become her entire world after her mother dies—as her father throws her into the deep end of a rigorous training regimen, perhaps as a way to contend with grief for the both of them. A story of sisterhood, families, life in London, and the sacrifices made to get where we sometimes aren’t sure we want to be. Maroo’s novel underlines the difference between winning and triumph.

11. Victory City by Salman Rushdie

In Victory City , the master storyteller of our time delivered a mythology for the zeitgeist. Pampa Kampana, inspired by the 14th century princess-poet Gangadevi, manifests the empire Bisnaga (or Vijayanagar), ruling it as a sort of feminist utopia over 200 years—because she is cursed with such a lifespan. Portuguese colonisers, magic spells that can turn people into animals all figure in this sprawling fable about a kingdom that was finally brought down by political intrigue, warring factions and bigotry.

12. One Small Voice by Santanu Bhattacharya

Ten-year-old Shubhankar’s life is changed forever in 1992, in a Lucknow rife with riots. As a young adult, on the cusp of achieving everything middle class India dreams of in the 21st century—a good education, a good job, shiny new possessions—he begins to question his life choices. As do his friends, Syed and Shruti—in the optimistic freedom of urban life, they wonder if they could do something…bigger. But then comes a wave of nationalism that cannot be quelled, bringing Shabby back in touch with the demons of his tumultuous past. Bhattacharya’s sizzling debut won the Observer award.

Non Fiction

13. Smoke and Ashes: A Writer’s Journey Through Opium’s Hidden Histories by Amitav Ghosh

India’s greatest contemporary novelist pens a stunning part-memoir, part-travelogue, part-history book that traces how India became the world’s largest producer of opium during the 18th and 19th centuries, the macro and micro stories associated with it and how the poppy plant has indeed shaped the modern world.  Amitav Ghosh expertly navigates the immense quantities of research he accumulated while writing his Ibis trilogy, as well as his own personal connection to the plant.

14. H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars by Kunal Purohit

What does popular music and poetry, usually the domain of love, heartbreak and ideological resistance, have to do with contemporary Indian politics? A lot, apparently. Purohit investigates the way that popular music from Haryana and UP has, among other things, used easy verse, an infectious beat and social media to mainstream the agenda of right-wing parties. As Ramachandra Guha writes: “In the country of Bismillah Khan and MS Subbulakshmi, Kishori Amonkar and Kishore Kumar, music has now become an artefact of right-wing propaganda, a vehicle of vindictiveness and violence.”

15. The Day I Became A Runner: A Women’s History of India Through the Lens of Sport by Sohini Chattopadhyay

Journalist and writer Sohini Chattopadhyay’s incredible book is part history, part feminist manifesto, part memoir—diving into the history of some of India’s most famous and promising women athletes to offer surprising insight. She anchors her book in her own story of beginning to run to cope with grief, and through profiles of luminaries like Ila Mitra, the first Indian-origin woman at the 1940 Olympics, to PT Usha who shattered all kinds of barriers in the 1980s, to reckon with why and how women have gone running in the public sphere in a country that has traditionally wanted to keep them indoors.

16. Marginlands: Indian Landscapes on the Brink by Arati Kumar Rao

Environmental photographer and writer Arati Kumar Rao’s beautifully put together book seeks to highlight the subjective experience of climate change, through the under-told stories of people living in zones hit harder by ecological shifts than others. Shepherding tribes in Rajasthan, fishermen tribes in Assam, clans that have settled along the river Ganga—we get a raw look into their lives and the degree to which they have (or not) benefited from modernisation. The black-and-white illustrations add a poetic element to this book—a note of caution.

17. The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Pulitzer winner Siddhartha Mukherjee is back to making science, especially the human body, interesting by going down to the fundamentals in his latest, magnificent book —the human cell. Exploring the works of key figures in history, such as the German scientist Rudolf Virchow who saw the human body as a “citizen state” to the inventors of IVF, the US-based oncologist puts the spotlight on the one building block of all human life, while also considering what ails it. As usual, a fascinating read.

18. Fire on the Ganges by Radhika Iyengar

Writer and journalist Radhika Iyengar’s debut work of non-fiction is an incisive, empathetic and considered exploration of what it really means to be part of the Dom community—a sub-caste that has been tasked with burning dead bodies in Varanasi, in essence for those departed to attain moksha; while also being treated as untouchables. Over eight years, Iyengar traced the lives of 30-odd members of the community to underline the irony of this existence, and the challenges of pushing past these brackets.

19. The Half Known Life by Pico Iyer

In this memoir , the world-famous travel writer expounds on the value of stillness while reflecting on his many journeys around the globe, always in search of paradise. He begins in Iran and also considers Kashmir, his prose poetic and evocative of the beauty he has witnessed wrapped in conflict, state surveillance, politics and occasionally, barbed wire. This is Pico Iyer at his ephemeral best.

20. The Yellow Sparrow by Santa Khurai

Santa Khurai, hailing from Manipur, was born male, but began dressing as a woman at the age of 17. She has experienced heartbreak in a heterosexual relationship, and the joys of adoption. An extraordinary memoi, Khurai’s story is at once relatable and unexpected. In a country that is still coming to terms with the legal framework to ensure equitable existence for transgender people, Khurai’s story needs to be read as a testament of courage and conviction in the face of stacked odds.

21. Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire by Nandini Das

This one’s for the history buffs. Das’ widely acclaimed chronicle of the early days of the British in the Indian subcontinent—still an enterprise, not yet a “rule”—is actually a riveting tale of the magnificence of the Mughal empire, even if it was on its last legs. By studying the diaries and correspondence of an early East India Company employee and other emissaries in the Mughal court, Das underlines the contrast between two cultures—one that spoke and wrote from a place of prejudice and a supremacist attitude, and the other that had survived centuries in a diverse land by accepting and encouraging that very diversity. Plus, who thought emperor Jahangir could be such an alluring character in Indian history?

22. Raw Umber by Sara Rai

This is an extraordinary memoir from the granddaughter of Hindi fiction’s greatest storyteller, Munshi Premchand—and not just because of that. Rai reflects on her life and legacy through this collection of essays built around the people, worlds and life experiences that filled her world. Grandparents, siblings, parents, distant relatives, homes and oral histories suffuse this book—important as much for being an untold account of a family that had immense impact on Hindi literature, but also of families anywhere.

23. The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America by Saket Soni

After Hurricane Katrina, due to a Green Card scam, hundreds of Indian workers ended up in the US, working in what was essentially a labour camp in Mississippi. These workers were then hunted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement department—but who had their own private motivations. Soni, who’d gone to the US years prior to study theatre, but had his own visa waylaid due to an error in paperwork, and now runs the non-profit Resilience Force to advocate for immigrant workers, unearths this story with great precision and a thriller writer’s penchant for a sizzling hook.

24. Courting Hindustan: The Consuming Passions of Iconic Women Performers in India by Madhur Gupta

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121 Best Indian Books Written in English: A List of Must-Read Novels by Indian Authors (2024)

Are you confused about which book to read next? Are you searching for the best Indian books and novels by Indian authors to read? Do you have a particular genre in mind?

Don’t Worry!

Indian English Literature has come a long way – from just a few English books releasing a year previously to thousands of new titles launching every year now.

In 2020, India’s book market is valued at an with an estimated Rs 739 billion . India ranks second, after the US, in English language publishing with over 9000 publishers.

From a humble start in the 20th century, after Independence, India published 21,600 new English titles in 2010.

With so many books releasing and Indian literature developing by leaps and bounds, it can be a daunting task to find the best Indian novels amongst the lot.

To make this easier, we have compiled this list of “Best Indian Books” of all the different categories and genres.

Also Read : 75 Best Indian Authors in English: The Most Definitive List

NOTE : We have not included books by many award-winning authors of Indian-origin like Salman Rushdie (The Satanic Verses, Midnight’s Children), Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake), V.S. Naipaul (A Bend in the River), Rohinton Mistry (A Fine Balance) etc.

Table of Contents

(Click on an genre to navigate to the particular section)

• Literary Fiction
• Religion and Mythology
• Historical Fiction
• Mythological Fiction
• Thriller and Mystery
• Sci-Fi and Fantasy
• Biography and Memoir

Best Indian Classics

The guide by r.k. narayan.

The Guide  is a 1958 novel written in English by the Indian author R. K. Narayan. Like most of his works, the novel is based on Malgudi, the fictional town in South India.

The novel describes the transformation of the protagonist, Raju, from a tour guide to a spiritual guide and then one of the greatest holy men of India.

The novel brought its author the 1960 Sahitya Akademi Award for English.

MALGUDI DAYS BY R.K. NARAYAN

Malgudi Days  is a collection of short stories by  R.K. Narayan  published in 1943.

The book includes 32 stories, all set in the fictional town of Malgudi, located in South India. Each of the stories portrays a facet of life in Malgudi.

THE PRIVATE LIFE OF AN INDIAN PRINCE BY MULK RAJ ANAND

The Private Life of an Indian Prince   is a novel by Mulk Raj Anand first published in 1953. This book deals with the abolition of the princely states system in India.

UNTOUCHABLE BY MULK RAJ ANAND

Untouchable  was inspired by Anand’s aunt’s experience when she had a meal with a Muslim woman and was treated as an outcast by his family.

The plot of this book revolves around the argument for eradicating the caste system.

TRAIN TO PAKISTAN BY KHUSHWANT SINGH

Train to Pakistan  recounts the Partition of India in August 1947.

Instead of depicting the Partition in terms of only the political events surrounding it, Singh digs into a deep local focus, providing a human dimension which brings to the event a sense of reality, horror, and believability.

GODAN BY MUNSHI PREMCHAND, TRANSLATED BY JAI RATAN

Godan  is a Hindi novel by Munshi Premchand, translated into English as  The Gift of a Cow .

It is themed around the socio-economic deprivation as well as the exploitation of the village poor. It was translated into English in 1957 by Jai Ratan.

THE ROOM ON THE ROOF BY RUSKIN BOND

The Room on the Roof  is the story of an orphaned Anglo-Indian boy, Rusty, living in a European colony in Dehradun with his guardian Mr. Harrison, who wants him to stay away from Indians and groom him as a pure Englishman.

Related: A list of Ruskin Bond’s Best Books

THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF FELUDA BY SATYAJIT RAY

Between 1965 and 1992, Satyajit Ray wrote a total of 35 Feluda stories, featuring the master sleuth Pradosh C. Mitter, AKA Feluda.

These stories are now available in 2 volumes of  The Complete Adventures of Feluda . They were translated into English by Gopa Majumdar.

COMBAT OF SHADOWS BY MANOHAR MALGONKAR

Manohar Malgonkar’s  Combat of Shadows  is the tale of an Anglo-Indian woman, Ruby Miranda, who dreams of becoming a pucca memsahib to an Englishman but has to face the reality of racial discrimination prevalent in pre-independence India.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN UNKNOWN INDIAN BY NIRAD C. CHAUDHURI

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian  is an astonishing work of self-discovery. In this book, he mingles the growth and changes of India’s politics, societies, and national feelings with those of his own personality. It is a serious and introspective narrative and historical testimony.

Back to Top

Best Indian Literary Fiction Novels

The god of small things by arundhati roy.

The God of Small Things  by Arundhati Roy is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins Esthappen and Rahel, whose lives are destroyed by the “Love Laws” that are laid down by society.

The book explores how small things affect people’s behaviour and their lives. It won the Booker Prize in 1997.

THE WHITE TIGER BY ARAVIND ADIGA

The White Tiger  provides a darkly humorous perspective of India’s class struggle in a globalized world. The novel has been well-received, making the New York Times bestseller list in addition to winning the Man Booker Prize.

It is a first-person narrative of Balram Halwai, an impoverished young man from a small village who moves to Delhi to work as a chauffeur for the rich.

THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS BY KIRAN DESAI

The Inheritance of Loss  by Kiran Desai follows the journey of Biju, an illegal immigrant in the US who is trying to make a new life; and Sai, an Anglicised Indian girl living with her grandfather in India.

The major theme is colonialism and the effects of post-colonialism.

A SUITABLE BOY BY VIKRAM SETH

A Suitable Boy  by Vikram Seth is set in a newly post-independence, post-partition India.

The novel follows the story of four families over a period of 18 months, and centres on Mrs Rupa Mehra’s efforts to arrange the marriage of her younger daughter, Lata, to a “suitable boy”.

It is one of the longest novels published in a single volume in the English language.

SEA OF POPPIES BY AMITAV GHOSH

At the heart of the story of  Sea of Poppies  is a vast ship, the Ibis.

Her destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean shortly before the outbreak of the Opium Wars in China and onboard are a diverse cast of characters.

Another famous novel by Amitav Ghosh is “The Hungry Tide”.

NARCOPOLIS BY JEET THAYIL

Narcopolis  by Jeet Thayil is about the lives of a few people, bound together by a common passion – Opium, and about Bombay, in a way we have never heard of before.

Bombay is stripped of its glamour, riches, beaches, and skylines and we are taken to Shuklaji Street, to Rashid’s opium den, and are impelled to see the other side of Bombay.

THE GREAT INDIAN NOVEL BY SHASHI THAROOR

The Great Indian Novel  is a satirical novel by Shashi Tharoor which takes the story of the Mahabharata and recasts and resets it in the context of the Indian Independence Movement and the first three decades post-independence.

FASTING, FEASTING BY ANITA DESAI

Fasting, Feasting  by Anita Desai is the story of a family living in a small town in India, where provincial customs and attitudes dictate the future of all children: girls are to be married off and boys are to become as educated as possible.

THE HOUSE OF BLUE MANGOES BY DAVID DAVIDAR

A gripping family chronicle, David Davidar’s  The House of Blue Mangoes  spans nearly half a century and three generations of the Dorai family as they search for their place in a rapidly changing society.

The novel brings vividly to life a small corner of India while offering a stark indictment of colonialism.

VANITY BAGH BY ANEES SALIM

Vanity Bagh  is about the life of a boy from the minority community. The book is not about hope. It is about hopelessness.

More than anything else, it is about distress and religious intolerance that can divide humanity and win elections.

Best Books on Indian History

Related: 53 Best Books on Indian History (The Complete Guide)

EARLY INDIA FROM THE ORIGINS TO AD 1300 BY ROMILA THAPAR

Romila Thapar’s Early India  explores India’s past quite vividly, helping readers to visualize the formation of a nation and how it grew and flourished over generations.

It explores all varieties of hue that India represented from then to now and documents India like it has never been documented before.

HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL INDIA BY SATISH CHANDRA

History of Medieval India provides a comprehensive overview of the history of medieval India.

It covers the thousand-year period between the eighth and the eighteenth century.

It deals with the histories of many known and lesser-known kingdoms. Kingdoms included are the Cholas, Rajputs, Turks, Vijayanagara, Bahmanis, Mughals, Marathas etc.

FROM PLASSEY TO PARTITION: A HISTORY OF MODERN INDIA BY SEKHAR BANDYOPADHYAY

From Plassey to Partition  is an eminently readable account of the emergence of India as a nation.

It covers about two hundred years of political and socio-economic turbulence – 1757 to 1947 – and maps a wide and often complicated terrain of historical happenings.

It presents the entire history of the rise of various Indian freedom fighters. It also talks of the Partition that led to the creation of India and Pakistan.

INDIA’S STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE BY BIPAN CHANDRA

Bipin Chandra’s book,  India’s Struggle for Independence , is a well-documented history of India’s freedom struggle against the British rule.

It is one of the most accurate books which has been painstakingly written after thorough research based on legal and valid verbal and written sources.

The book also explains in detail Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation and the civil disobedience movements.

INDIA’S WAR: WORLD WAR II AND THE MAKING OF MODERN SOUTH ASIA BY SRINATH RAGHAVAN

In  India’s War , historian Srinath Raghavan paints a compelling picture of battles abroad and of life on the home front, arguing that the war is crucial to explaining how and why colonial rule ended in South Asia.

LAND OF THE SEVEN RIVERS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF INDIA’S GEOGRAPHY BY SANJEEV SANYAL

In  Land of the Seven Rivers , Sanjeev Sanyal sets off to explore India and look at how the country’s history was shaped by, among other things, its rivers, mountains and cities.

HIMALAYAN BLUNDER: THE ANGRY TRUTH ABOUT INDIA’S MOST CRUSHING MILITARY DISASTER BY BRIGADIER JOHN DALVI

Himalayan Blunder  dealt with the causes, consequences and aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962, which ended in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army inflicting a defeat on India.

Brigadier Dalvi served in the Indian Army and gives a first-person account of the war.

The book was banned by the Indian Government after its publication.

WHAT HAPPENED TO NETAJI? BY ANUJ DHAR

What Happened to Netaji  talks about the controversy surrounding the death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and lights the factual position with regard to the air crash theory.

It provides three prominent theories of Bose’s death zeroing in on what has come to be known as the Faizabad angle of the Bose mystery.

AN ERA OF DARKNESS: THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN INDIA BY SHASHI THAROOR

In this explosive book,  An Era of Darkness , bestselling author Shashi Tharoor reveals with acuity, impeccable research, and trademark wit, just how disastrous British rule was for India.

Besides examining the many ways in which the colonizers exploited India, he demolishes the arguments of Western and Indian apologists for the Empire on the supposed benefits of British rule.

Best Indian Books on Religion and Mythology

The complete works of swami vivekananda.

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda  is an 8-volume set and contains all the books, lecture, discussions, prose, poetry, and letters written by Swami Vivekananda, a spiritual teacher who introduced Hindu philosophies such as Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.

MAHABHARATA BY C. RAJAGOPALACHARI (Translator)

Originally published in the year 1951, this book is an abridged English retelling of Vyasa’s  Mahabharata .

The Mahabharata is not a mere epic; it is a romance, telling the tale of heroic men and women, and of some who were divine; it is a whole literature in itself, containing a code of life, a philosophy of social and ethical relations, and speculative thought on human problems.

YAJNASENI: THE STORY OF DRAUPADI BY PRATIBHA RAY

Yajnaseni  makes a determined effort for a balanced portrayal of the epic character of Draupadi and brings to the surface the broader and deeper aspects of her mind that lay submerged in the majestic sweep of the grand Mahabharata.

It was translated into English by Pradip Bhattacharya.

RAMAYANA (Series) BY ASHOK K. BANKER

Ashok K. Banker’s  Ramayana Series  is a retelling of Valmiki Ramayanam .

It is a set of 8 books – Prince of Ayodhya, Siege of Mithila, Demons of Chitrakut, Armies of Hanuman, Bridge of Rama, King of Ayodhya, Vengeance of Ravana and Sons of Sita.

MYTH = MITHYA: A HANDBOOK OF HINDU MYTHOLOGY BY DEVDUTT PATTANAIK

In  Myth = Mithya , Devdutt retells sacred Hindu stories and decodes Hindu symbols and rituals, using a unique style of commentary, illustrations and diagrams.

The aim is not to outgrow myth, but to be enriched and empowered by its ancient, potent and still relevant language.

my HANUMAN CHALISA BY DEVDUTT PATTANAIK

In  my Hanuman Chalisa , acclaimed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik demystifies Hinduism’s most popular prayer for the contemporary reader.

His unique approach makes the ancient hymn accessible, combined as it is with his trademark illustrations.

Best Indian Historical Fiction Novels

The devil’s wind by manohar malgonkar.

The Devil’s Wind  by Manohar Malgonkar tells the story of Nana Saheb, who played a leading role in the 1857 War of Independence.

It provides a sympathetic portrait of a man whom the British portrayed as a great villain.

The book is written as an autobiography in which Nana Saheb describes his life in his own words.

CHANAKYA’S CHANT BY ASHWIN SANGHI

In  Chanakya’s Chant , Ashwin Sanghi takes the greatest strategist of Indian History, Chanakya and makes us question –

“What if Chanakya were alive today?”; “What if he were a player in today’s politics?”; “Would his brilliance and principles be relevant even in today’s murky politics?”

TAJ MAHAL TRILOGY BY INDU SUNDARESAN

The Taj Mahal Trilogy  is a woman-centric tale of power, passion and love.

The first part,  The Twentieth Wife , narrates the story of Mehrunnisa, the powerful wife of Jahangir.

The second part,  The Feast of Roses , narrates the story of Mumtaz Mahal.

The third part,  Shadow Princess , is the story of Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan and the sister of Aurangzeb.

HARAPPA: CURSE OF THE BLOOD RIVER BY VINEET BAJPAI

Harappa: Curse of the Blood River  knits 3,700 years of powerful ancient and modern-day characters and a nail-biting conspiracy – all in one literary thriller.

It is the first among a series of four books. A saga of violence and deceit, gods and demons, love and ambition.

EMPIRE BY DEVI YESODHARAN

Devi Yesodharan’s  Empire  is the tale of an archer and warrior in the empire of Rajendra Chola, who ruled a vast empire from 1014-44.

This warrior is not from South India but rather a Greek woman, who has been surrendered in defeat by a raiding party bested by the Cholas.

ZELALDINUS: A MASQUE BY IRWIN ALLAN SEALY

Zelaldinus  is a fictional story which involves the great Mughal Emperor Akbar, and a current-generation tourist Irv. Together they rediscover the gloomy city of Fatehpur Sikri; a city which was abandoned soon after its completion.

Best Mythological Fiction Books by Indian Authors

Shiva trilogy by amish tripathi.

The Shiva Trilogy  by Amish Tripathi is on a radical idea that all Gods were once human beings; it was their deeds in the human life that made them famous as Gods.

The three books of the trilogy are – The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras.

ASURA: TALE OF THE VANQUISHED BY ANAND NEELAKANTAN

Anand Neelakantan’s  Asura: Tale of the Vanquished  depicts the tale of Ramayana from the viewpoint of Ravana and a common Asura, Bhadra.

The book attempts to highlight the voice of the vanquished as opposed to the victor’s version of Ramayana that is commonly known.

THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS BY CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI

The Palace of Illusions  is a rendition of the Hindu epic Mahabharata as told from Draupadi’s viewpoint, namely, that of a woman living in a patriarchal world.

The novel traces Princess Panchaali’s life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom.

THE ARYAVARTA CHRONICLES BY KRISHNA UDAYASANKAR

The Aryavarta Chronicles   (Trilogy)  isn’t the usual tale of Mahabharata.

Rather, it is a completely new myriad of characters woven into the familiar story of the Kauravas and the Pandavas seen through the eyes of Govinda Shauri.

THUNDERGOD: THE ASCENDANCE OF INDRA BY RAJIV G. MENON

Thundergod  by Rajiv G Menon is the story of Indra, born of a prophetic union between the Earth Goddess Gaia and Daeyus, chief of the Devas.

It is a compelling saga, blended by history, spiced by legend and mutated by myth.

KARNA’S WIFE: THE OUTCAST’S QUEEN BY KAVITA KANE

Karna’s Wife: The Outcast’s Queen  tells the extraordinary story of Karna, the unsung hero of the Mahabharata, through the eyes of his wife Uruvi, bringing his story to the reader from a unique perspective.

SARASWATI’S INTELLIGENCE BY VAMSEE JULURI

The Kishkindha Chronicles  re-imagines the ancient prehistory of India from a startlingly new perspective that will make us rethink what it means to be human and animal. 

Saraswati’s Intelligence  is the first book in the trilogy.

Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta by Amish

Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta is worth every minute that you spend reading it.

With the classic combination of action and adventure doused in a generous dose of mythology and fantasy, the book appeals to almost every kind of reader.

That Amish decides to pour in a generous amount of information and detailing is like the icing on top.

Keepers of the Kalachakra by Ashwin Sanghi

Keepers of the Kalachakra  is a historical cum mythological cum science-fiction thriller which revolves around an ancient concept in Vajrayana Buddhism – the  Kalachakra .

The writing makes use of many mystical concepts, scientific theorems & research, historical incidents and, conspiracy theories which Ashwin blends in beautifully with the story.

Best Romance Novels by Indian Writers

Related: Best Indian Romance Novels | A List of 20 Romantic Books

THE ONE YOU CANNOT HAVE BY PREETI SHENOY

Preeti Shenoy’s  The One You Cannot Have  handles the delicate subject of love failure and depression and puts a different spin on things.

It gives us a message that if the situations are handled in a more mature way all these lives can be saved.

I TOO HAD A LOVE STORY BY RAVINDER SINGH

Not all love stories are meant to have a perfect ending.  I Too Had a Love Story  by Ravinder Singh is one such saga.

It is a tender and heartfelt tale of Ravin and Khushi — two people who find each other on a matrimonial site and fall in love until life puts their love to the ultimate test.

THIS IS NOT YOUR STORY BY SAVI SHARMA

This is Not Your Story  follows the story of 4 youngsters – Shaurya, Miraya, Anubhav and Kasturi, and how they tackle their problems and conquer life.

The book explores what it takes to dream fearlessly and giving love a second chance.

Another good book by Savi Sharma is Everyone Has A Story .

THE GIRL OF MY DREAMS BY DURJOY DATTA

The Girl of My Dreams  by Durjoy Datta is the story of Daman who suffers a memory lapse after he wakes up from a coma following a car accident.

All he remembers now is a name — Shreyasi, a girl who was in the same car and whose hazy face now haunts his dreams.

IT’S ALL IN THE PLANETS BY PREETI SHENOY

It’s All in the Planets  is the story of how four people’s lives and their two love stories coincide to bring a permanent change in all their lives.

It is a very fresh and unique love story which transcends age and geographical boundaries and makes you go all gooey in the heart.

SORRY YOU’RE NOT MY TYPE BY SUDEEP NAGARKAR

Sorry, You’re Not My Type  is the story of one of the reputed Delhi-based college music band, VAYU – Vikrant, Anamika and Yuvi, and they will make you believe ‘When your passion and purpose is greater than your fears, you find a way to overcome them’.

THOSE PRICEY THAKUR GIRLS BY ANUJA CHAUHAN

Those Pricey Thakur Girls by Anuja Chauhan , set in 1988, revolves around the Thakur family of Hailey Road, which includes Justice Laxminarayan, his wife and their five daughters who are named alphabetically – Anjini, Binodini, Chandrakanta, Debjani and Eshwari.

2 STATES: THE STORY OF MY MARRIAGE BY CHETAN BHAGAT

2 States: The Story of My Marriage  by Chetan Bhagat is about a couple coming from two different states in India, who face hardships in convincing their parents to approve of their marriage. The book is partly autobiographical.

A HALF-BAKED LOVE STORY BY ANURAG GARG

A Half-Baked Love Story  unfolds a candid narration by a love-struck, dumbstruck and spellbound guy, Aarav, who confesses every last detail of his love story to his drunkard friends on a New Year’s night. The tale of his first love Anamika.

JUST MARRIED, PLEASE EXCUSE BY YASHODHARA LAL

Just Married, Please Excuse  by Yashodhara Lal is the story of a young couple, a quick-tempered big-city girl and a laidback desi boy, who must learn to adjust to married life and to each other with a little help from their idiosyncratic staff, Zarreena and Vinod, their nutty friend Vivi and, of course, their respective families.

Best Indian Thriller and Mystery Novels

Spy in the amber by manohar malgonkar.

Spy in Amber , first published in 1971, is set during the time when tensions between India and China were at their peak.

Hidden away from the world, in the deep belly of the Himalayas lies the Ragyabas monastery which has a treasure worth millions in its possession.

Fearing a Chinese invasion, the head monk decides to hand over the treasure to India for safekeeping. But, the Chinese have different plans.

SACRED GAMES BY VIKRAM CHANDRA

Sacred Games  draws the reader deep into the life of Inspector Sartaj Singh, and into the criminal underworld of Ganesh Gaitonde, the most wanted gangster in India.

It is a story of friendship and betrayal, of terrible violence, of an astonishing modern city and its dark side.

BYOMKESH BAKSHI (SERIES) BY SHARADINDU BANDYOPADHYAY

In the early thirties, a detective by the name of  Byomkesh Bakshi  made an unobtrusive entry into the world of Bengali fiction.

Within days he was a household name, courtesy of his cerebral skills and the exciting situations he found himself in. The English version is translated by Monimala Dhar.

IF GOD WAS A BANKER BY RAVI SUBRAMANIAN

If God Was A Banker  by Ravi Subramanian revolves around two management graduates who are in the rat race for success.

Sundeep is ambitious and selfish, which leads him to achieve his goals through unscrupulous means. Swami is the exact opposite as he sticks to his morals and ethics to ensure success in his career.

MURDER IN A MINUTE BY SHOUVIK BHATTACHARYA

In  Murder in a Minute , when a young woman is found lifeless in a pool of her own blood, everyone is convinced that it is her college sweetheart who murdered her.

The victim’s step-brothers, Rishabh and Arya aren’t so convinced. They embark on a journey to unearth the truth, a journey riddled with fallacies and conspiracies, planted intentionally to trap them.

MARRY ME, STRANGER BY NOVONEEL CHAKRABORTY

Marry Me, Stranger  is the story of Rivanah Bannerjee, a young and independent girl living alone in Mumbai.

Her life is in danger. Someone has been following her around, watching her every move, trying to get control over her life.

PATANG BY BHASKAR CHATTOPADHYAY

In  Patang , a man is found brutally murdered, his body posed like a kite on the tallest cell tower in the city.

As one corpse after another turns up in the unlikeliest of places, maverick investigator Chandrakant Rathod has to pit his sharp instincts against the machinations of the sadistic, ruthless killer.

THE MURDER OF SONIA RAIKKONEN BY SALIL DESAI

In The Murder of Sonia Raikkonen , late one November night, the mutilated corpse of a young Finnish tourist is found in a public garden in Pune.

It looks like a case of brutal rape and murder, but Senior Inspector Saralkar and PSI Motkar find themselves probing further….delving deeper.

DEAD IN A MUMBAI MINUTE BY MADHUMITA BHATTACHARYA

In  Dead in a Mumbai Minute , detective Reema Ray is given the case of the year – the murder of Ashutosh Dhingre, former assistant to fading Bollywood superstar Kimaaya Kapoor.

The location of the crime is Kimaaya’s private island. The suspects – her house guests, and Kimaaya herself!

A CUT LIKE WOUND BY ANITA NAIR

A Cut Like Wound  begins on the first night of Ramadan when a young male prostitute is killed and burnt alive.

As bodies begin to pile up one after the other, and it becomes clear that a serial killer is on the prowl, Inspector Borei Gowda recognizes a pattern in the killings which no one else does.

Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by Indian Writers

Professor shonku by satyajit ray.

Professor Shonku  is a fictional scientist created by Satyajit Ray in a series of Bengali science-fiction books published from 1965.

His full name is Trilokeshwar Shonku, and by occupation, he is an inventor. Professor Shonku was translated into English by Sukanya Jhaveri in 1981.

GAMEWORLD TRILOGY BY SAMIT BASU

Three books, The Simoqin Prophecies, The Manticore’s Secret and The Unwaba Revelations, form the three parts of  The GameWorld Trilogy .

The trilogy narrates the reawakening of the terrible rakshas, Danh-Gem, and the arrival of a hero to face him.

THE RISE OF SIVAGAMI BY ANAND NEELAKANTAN

Anand Neelakantan’s  The Rise of Sivagami  is a prequel to the epic Indian movie Bahubali: The Beginning.

The story revolves around Sivagami, a character of Baahubali. It also tells the readers more about Kattappa, another important character of the story.

THE DEVOURERS BY INDRA DAS

The Devourers  is set during the reign of the Mughal Empire in the seventeenth century and extends to modern India.

It features Shape-shifters, more specifically werewolves, and explores the concepts of love, cannibalism, and what it means to be human.

It is told in a multi-layered manner, alternating between different time periods and perspectives.

DARK THINGS BY SUKANYA VENKATRAGHAVAN

Combining fantasy with the rich tapestry of folklore,  Dark Things  is a strange fairytale wrought of intrigue and enchantment, of shadows and secrets, of evil and those who battle it.

CULT OF CHAOS BY SHWETA TANEJA

Cult of Chaos  is the story of Tantriks, who are now overground. They have their own council, police and justice systems.

It narrates the story of Anantya Tantrik who struggles to stop the madness of White and Red Tantriks who are facing off, and of a Black tantric who is brewing some dangerous shakti.

SAVAGE BLUE BY VIKRAM BALAGOPAL

Savage Blue  by Vikram Balagopal is the story of two people – Akila Raina, who disappeared when she was only ten, and Shyam, who was with her that fateful night.

Now twenty years later, Akila has mysteriously reappeared, grown-up and gorgeous. She tells him of surreal worlds, her travels between them and her encounters with strange creatures.

NINE TRILOGY BY SHOBHA NIHALANI

For thousands of years, the wisdom of the  NINE  has protected mankind from destroying itself.

But a vengeful ancient spirit has returned to shatter the peace. With the help of magical powers, he has possessed a young man and mobilised black yogis to destroy the  NINE .

SKYFIRE BY AROON RAMAN

Skyfire  is set in May 2012 when India is hit by a series of freak weather disturbances and startling epidemics that threaten to bring the country to its knees.

At the same time, children are vanishing from the slums of the capital and nobody seems to care.

Now it is upon journalist Chandrasekhar, historian Meenakshi Pirzada and intelligence operative Syed Ali Hassan to follow the leads and solve the mystery.

ALICE IN DEADLAND (TRILOGY) BY MAINAK DHAR

Civilization as we know it ended more than fifteen years ago, leaving as it’s legacy barren wastelands called the Deadland and a new terror for the humans who survived- hordes of undead Biters. 

Alice in Deadland  is the story of Fifteen-year-old Alice who has spent her entire life in the Deadland learning how best to use guns and knives in the ongoing war for survival against the Biters.

Best Indian Humour Books

Serious men by manu joseph.

Serious Men  tells the story of Ayyan Mani, a middle-aged Dalit, who works as an assistant to a brilliant Brahmin astronomer at a scientific institute in Mumbai.

Furious at his humble situation in life, Ayyan develops an outrageous story that his 10-year-old son is a mathematical genius – a lie which becomes increasingly elaborate and out of control.

DORK TRILOGY BY SIDIN VADUKUT

The three books of  Dork Trilogy  are – Dork: The Incredible Adventures of Robin ‘Einstein’ Varghese , God Save the Dork and Who Let The Dork Out?

It narrates the adventures and misadventures of Robin ‘Einstein’ Varghese; a stupendously naïve but academically gifted young man (he was ranked 41st in his class).

This trilogy is for all of those who’ve ever sat depressed in cubicles…and wanted to kill themselves with office stationery.

MRS FUNNYBONES BY TWINKLE KHANNA

Full of wit and delicious observations,  Mrs Funnybones  captures the life of the modern Indian woman — a woman who organizes dinner each evening, even as she goes to work all day, who runs her own life but has to listen to her Mummyji, who worries about her weight and the state of the country.

GONE WITH THE VINDALOO BY VIKRAM NAIR

Gone with the Vindaloo  is 2 stories running parallel – One is in the Mahadev household, where the cook Pakwaan is trying to learn cooking from his father and yearns to one day make the Vindaloo that his grandfather was most known for.

The parallel story is indeed about Pakwaan’s grandfather, Kalaam.

THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY BY SHOVON CHOWDHURY

The Competent Authority  is a satire on almost all the power circles of our country – the government, the bureaucracy, the police, the army, social workers, spiritual gurus and others.

In the 2030s, India has been nuked by the Chinese and is in a pitiable state. Pakistan ceases to exist after being bombed by the Americans.

With this backdrop, Shovon contrives a humorous story defacing the power mongers.

Best Chick-lit Novels by Indian Writers

Trust me by rajashree.

Set against the backdrop of the Hindi film industry,  Trust Me  is a comic story about love, heartbreak and friendship.

The protagonist, Parvati, decides to go off men when she is dumped by her boyfriend.

PIECE OF CAKE BY SWATI KAUSHAL

Piece of Cake  is the story of Minal who wants it all – a successful career, a lifestyle to match, and a totally cool guy who’ll buy her diamonds, bring her flowers, and laugh at her jokes.

But given the unending record of her life’s embarrassments, it’s not going to be that simple.

THE ZOYA FACTOR BY ANUJA CHAUHAN

The Zoya Factor , written in the first person, is the story of a cricket-hating ad-executive, Zoya, who is forced to become a part of the Indian cricket team, not as a player nor a cheerleader nor a physiotherapist nor a psychiatrist but as a lucky charm.

ALMOST SINGLE BY ADVAITA KALA

Almost Single , a heartfelt and wickedly funny cross-cultural debut novel, introduces a smart, irreverent young woman, Aisha Bhatia, searching for independence and matrimony in a culture-bound by tradition.

CONFESSIONS OF A LISTMANIAC BY MEENAKSHI REDDY MADHAVAN

Confessions of a Listmaniac  is the story of seventeen-year-old Layla who knows that journal writing is way retro but thinks, why not recreate the whole blog thing in a notebook?

Layla’s journal entries often morph into quirky lists that record her observations on her life and times.

I QUIT! NOW WHAT? BY ZARREEN KHAN

I Quit! Now What?  is the story of a marketing professional Nimisha, who after having worked 7 years with her current company, is still not treated the way she deserves to be treated and that makes her upset.

ENCOUNTERS OF A FAT BRIDE BY SAMAH VISARIA

Encounters of a Fat Bride  is the story of Madhurima Pandey, a twenty-five-year-old single girl who is gradually coming to terms with the annoying ‘you’re next’ nudges from family and friends.

But soon they realize that chances of finding a groom for her are slim – mainly because she’s not.

At 93 kilos, she knows she isn’t the ideal weight for marriage, even if her family believes she’s the ideal age.

Best Biographies and Memoirs by Indians

The story of my experiments with truth by mahatma gandhi.

The Story Of My Experiments with Truth  is the autobiography of Mohandas K. Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through to 1921.

It was written in weekly instalments and published in his journal Navjivan from 1925 to 1929. The English translation was done by Mahadev Desai.

PLAYING IT MY WAY BY SACHIN TENDULKAR

Playing It My Way  is the autobiography of the God of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar.

The book summarises Tendulkar’s early days, his 24 years of international career and aspects of his life that have not been shared publicly.

MY DAYS: A MEMOIR BY RK NARAYAN

In My Days: A Memoir , R.K. Narayan in his usual winning, humorous style, shares his life story, beginning in his grandmother’s garden in Madras with his ferocious pet peacock.

LONE FOX DANCING: MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY RUSKIN BOND

In this brilliantly readable autobiography,  Lone Fox Dancing , one of India’s greatest writers shows us the roots of everything he has written.

He begins with a dream and a gentle haunting, before taking us to an idyllic childhood in Jamnagar by the Arabian Sea, where he composed his first poem, and New Delhi in the early 1940s, where he found material for his first short story.

WINGS OF FIRE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY A. P. J. ABDUL KALAM

In  Wings of Fire: An Autobiography , A. P. J. Abdul Kalam examines his early life, effort, hardship, fortitude, luck and chance that eventually led him to lead Indian space research, nuclear and missile programs.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI BY PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA

Autobiography of a Yogi  presents a fascinating portrait of one of the great spiritual figures of our time.

With engaging candour, eloquence, and wit, Paramahansa Yogananda narrates the inspiring chronicle of his life.

Recorded here are his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank, the Catholic stigmatist Therese Neumann, and other celebrated spiritual personalities of East and West.

THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER BY SANJAYA BARU

The Accidental Prime Minister  is a 2014 memoir by Sanjaya Baru, who was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s media advisor from May 2004 to August 2008.

The book alleges that Manmohan was not entirely in control of his cabinet, or even the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Instead, significant power was wielded by the Congress party’s president Sonia Gandhi.

OUR MOON HAS BLOOD CLOTS: THE EXODUS OF THE KASHMIRI PANDITS BY RAHUL PANDITA

The heartbreaking story of Kashmir has so far been told through the prism of the brutality of the Indian state, and the pro-independence demands of separatists.

But there is another part of the story that has remained unrecorded and buried. 

Our Moon Has Blood Clots  is the unspoken chapter in the story of Kashmir, in which it was purged of the Kashmiri Pandit community in a violent ethnic cleansing backed by Islamist militants.

RAJINIKANTH: THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY BY NAMAN RAMACHANDRAN

Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography  recounts Rajini’s career in meticulous detail, tracing his incredible cinematic journey from his very first film, Apoorva Raagangal, in 1975 to memorable forays into Bollywood to the mega-hits.

Along the way, the book provides rare insights into Rajini’s personal life.

VEERAPPAN: CHASING THE BRIGAND BY K. VIJAY KUMAR

No other bandit in recent times has captured the public’s imagination as much as Koose Muniswamy Veerappan.

Be it his trademark moustache, stories of his daring escapades or his ruthless massacre of officers, Veerappan continues to fascinate, even thirteen years after his death. 

Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand  is a lucid and incisive account of the rise and fall of India’s most dreaded forest brigand.

Best Indian Self-Help Books

The monk who sold his ferrari by robin sharma.

A wonderfully crafted fable,  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari  tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life.

On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that give us the wisdom to create a life of passion, purpose, and peace.

WHO WILL CRY WHEN YOU DIE? BY ROBIN SHARMA

In  Who Will Cry When You Die? , Robin Sharma offers 101 simple solutions to life’s most complex problems, ranging from a little-known method for beating stress and worry, to a powerful way to enjoy the journey while you create a legacy that lasts.

YOU CAN WIN BY SHIV KHERA

In  You Can Win , Shiv Khera reveals that all success is deliberate and there is nothing magical about winning.

Using common sense and varying lessons taken from ancient wisdom to modern philosophy, he shows how we can deal with issues of our daily lives, and how we can turn otherwise bad situations into good ones.

INNER ENGINEERING: A YOGI’S GUIDE TO JOY BY SADHGURU

In  Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy , Sadhguru presents readers with a path to achieving absolute well-being through the classical science of yoga.

It is a means to create inner situations exactly the way you want them, turning you into the architect of your own joy.

CHANAKYA’S 7 SECRETS OF LEADERSHIP BY RADHAKRISHNAN PILLAI

Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership  puts forth a model for leadership drawn from the teachings of Chanakya who lived in the 4th Century BC, was prime minister and guru to one of India’s most powerful and successful emperors.

13 STEPS TO BLOODY GOOD LUCK BY ASHWIN SANGHI

In  13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck , Ashwin Sanghi explores that critical, much-longed-for element called luck.

Through entertaining and informative anecdotes, narrations of personal experiences and vignettes of homespun wisdom, Ashwin gives us a whole new insight into how people can work towards being lucky.

THE HABIT OF WINNING BY PRAKASH IYER

In  The Habit of Winning , you’ll find stories that can change the way you think, work, live.

Stories about leadership and teamwork, self-belief and perseverance. Life lessons from cola wars and cricket, Olympic heroes and ordinary folks.

THE WELLNESS SENSE BY OM SWAMI

Expounding on the esoteric aspects of ancient wisdom, in simple terms,  The Wellness Sense  shows you how to take care of yourself better and how to lead a healthier life in our present world — a world where we have all the comforts yet we are restless.

We have organic breakfast on the table but no time to eat it, we have the comfiest mattress but little sleep.

Best Indian Books on Travel and Places

Around india in 80 trains by monisha rajesh.

Taking a page out of Jules Verne’s classic tale, Around the World in 80 Days , Monisha Rajesh embarked on a 40,000km adventure  Around India in 80 trains .

Travelling a distance equivalent to the circumference of the Earth, she lifted the veil on a country that had become a stranger to her.

WHEN THE ROAD BECKONS BY RAVI MANORAM

When the Road Beckons  is an inspiring odyssey that promises to transform a generation.

Caught in the inescapable hurricane of life, the protagonist decides to snap out of the everyday mendacity and go on a 4000 km motorbike journey across Ladakh.

FOLLOWING FISH: TRAVELS AROUND THE INDIAN COAST BY SAMANTH SUBRAMANIAN

In a coastline as long and diverse as India’s, fish inhabit the heart of many worlds — food of course, but also culture, commerce, sport, history and society.

In  Following Fish , journeying along the edge of the peninsula, Samanth Subramanian reports upon a kaleidoscope of extraordinary stories.

HOT TEA ACROSS INDIA BY RISHAD SAAM MEHTA

There’s not a highway, road or dirt track in India where you can’t find a cup of chai whenever you want it.

And with those cuppas come encounters and incidents that make travelling in India a fascinating adventure.

In  Hot Tea Across India , Rishad takes you across the length and breadth of India, from Manali to Munnar, from the Rann of Kutch to Khajuraho, with a wonderful combination of wit, sensitivity and insight.

BATTLEFIELDS & PARADISE BY SABIR HUSSAIN

Battlefields and Paradise  is a travelogue in which the author writes about his trip from Delhi to Turtuk which is India’s northernmost point on the LoC.

On his journey, he rides a very ordinary bike, travels solo, engages in passionate talks with ordinary Kashmiris while learning about their daily lives and a bit or two about the politics of the state.

BUTTER CHICKEN IN LUDHIANA: TRAVELS IN SMALL TOWN INDIA BY PANKAJ MISHRA

In  Butter Chicken in Ludhiana , Pankaj Mishra captures an India which has shrugged off its sleepy, socialist air and has become instead kitschy, clamorous and ostentatious.

Pankaj paints a vivid picture of a people rushing headlong to their tryst with modernity.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO GANGA BY RUSKIN BOND

The Ganges is a river which has held India’s heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history.

In  All Roads Lead to Ganga , Ruskin Bond captures the breathtaking beauty and splendour of Ganga, describing with nostalgia and affection the places and people he has lived with and encountered for over forty years.

THE HEAT AND DUST PROJECT BY DEVAPRIYA ROY

Saurav and Devapriya junk the swivel chairs, gain a couple of backpacks and set out on a transformational journey across India.

On a very, very tight budget: five hundred rupees a day for bed and board. And  The Heat and Dust Project  begins.

IF IT’S MONDAY IT MUST BE MADURAI BY SRINATH PERUR

This entertaining travelogue around ten conducted tours contains myriad riches: of hanging on to a camel in the Thar; rediscovering music on the trail of Kabir; joining an ancient pilgrimage, and hunting for sex in Tashkent.

THE LAND OF FLYING LAMAS BY GAURAV PUNJ

Beyond the hill stations, the mall roads and the ‘points’ is the ‘other Himalaya’ – a Himalaya where flowers bloom in the green rolling meadows, the streams are bubbly, no-pedal boats ply in the lakes, the glaciers can be felt and the passes crossed to more magical lands –  The Land of Flying Lamas .

We hope that you liked this list of the best English Novels by Indian Authors.

Other lists in this series:

75 of the Most Famous Indian Writers

11 Apps and Websites to Read Free Books Online

A Short Quiz on Books by Indian Authors

Rajmohan’s Wife by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay in 1864

The Travels of Dean Mahomet by Sake Dean Mahomed in 1794. It was not a novel but an autobiographical

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

1. The Guide by R.K. Narayan; 2. Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan; 3. The Private Life of an Indian Prince by Mulk Raj Anand; 4. Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand; 5. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh; 6. Godan by Munshi Premchand; 7. The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond; 8. The Complete Adventures of Feluda by Satyajit Ray; 9. Combat of Shadows by Manohar Malgonkar; 10. The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian by Nirad C. Chaudhuri

The Pulitzer Prize is only given to Americans. The Indian-Americans who have won the Pulitzer for writing are: 1. Jhumpa Lahiri for her short story collection Interpreter of Maladies in the year 2000; 2. Siddhartha Mukherjee for his book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer in the year 2011; 3. Vijay Seshadri for his collection of poems 3 Sections in the year 2014

1. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy in 1997; 2. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai in 2006; 3. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga in 2008

Well, it’s not the US. The answer is INDIA. According to the NOP World Culture Score Index, India is the country that reads the most. An average Indian reads for 10 hours 42 minutes per week.

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About the Author

Father to Ahaana. Husband to Mayuri. Co-founder at bookGeeks. Engineer at BMM.

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Spiritual novels: 7 best spiritual fiction books, swami vivekananda books | a list of 28 best books, sudha murty books | a list of 32 books by sudha murty (genre wise), related articles, latest indian novels 2024: discover india’s latest literary treasures.

10 Best Indian Books of 2022 : A Guide to the Must-Reads of the Year

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Indian literature is reaching new heights year by year. This year was no different. We’ve got a range of great books to read from all categories-fiction, non-fiction, historical, you name it! There’s always something for everyone. So if you want to catch up on the new releases of 2022 but don’t know where to begin, we have you covered! Here’s a compilation of the 10 Best Indian Books of 2022 that caught our eye. 

1. The Drop And The Glop By Sanjiv Saran

Three people from different backgrounds are facing upheavals and changes in this personage against the war between India and Pakistan in 1965 and the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. Uncertainty, humor, drama , interesting character development, and a number of the deep questions posed in this book make it a must-read! 

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Sanjiv Saran (@sanjivsaran2803)

2. How To Live Your Life By Ruskin Bond

A wise book, and the life lessons inspired by the author through his experiences, How To Live Your Life applies to individuals of from all spheres of life. This one is surely going to leave a great impact on you after you put it down and will push you to live the most amazing life! 

3. In An Ideal World By Kunal Basu

Another gem from the numerous incredible works by the author, In An Ideal World by Kunal Basu is a genuinely relevant and contemporary novel set in the 21st century that shows us the perfect mirror of the state of current India we’re living in and should be on top of your to-read list! 

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Kunal Basu (@kunalbasu100)

4. Sin: Stories By Wajida Tabassum

Sin is a collection of the boldest short stories by the author and also contains a tinge of some tales inspired by her own life. Set in Hyderabad, this story gives an almost real account of the corruption among Hyderabad’s elite, middle-class forces in the mid-twentieth century, and fuzzy lines of propriety and shape. 

5. To Hell And Back: Humans Of Covid by Barkha Dutt 

In this book, Barkha Duty gives a nuanced account of the Pandemic through the lens of the variety of people she covered, ranging from migratory workers and politicians, businessmen and functionaries, croakers and nurses, plant workers and growers, preceptors and scholars, misters and women, parents and children. And through these stories, she paints a staggering, not only of our time of ravages, but also of the real nature of our country with its deeply entrenched inequalities between classes, succession and genders. 

6. Why Should I Worry When I Can Face The World? By Shibhu Nair

Why should I worry when I can face the world? is a self-help book tailored specifically to tackle the issues of anxiety, worry, depression, fear, and overthinking that we all face in our daily lives at some point or other.  Through real-life experiences of his own life as well as people he knows, readers get simpler, but attainable advice to address situations that we will all understand. 

7. The Living Mountain by Amitav Ghosh 

The Living Mountain is a shining example of how we have fully harnessed nature, leading to an environmental meltdown. It is especially relevant in today’s times when we are combating the pandemic and confronting a climate disaster both of which are the result of our insufficient understanding of humanity’s relationship with nature, and of our sustained ownership and abuse of natural coffers.  

8. Hymns In Blood by Nanak Singh

1987, Chakri – A quiet village on Soan’s shores near Rawalpindi. It is surrounded by celebratory songs and golden wheat rods. Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus look forward to the end of winter and come together to prepare for Lohri’s holiday. In the middle of this cheerful stir, the erudite elder of the village Baba Rhana is worried about his foster daughter, Naseem’s future. Their happy existence was interrupted by the announcement of a possible partition of India. As a result of the ongoing rage of community violence, Baba Rhana’s family has to leave their village. They quickly realize that their lives are never going to be the same. 

Source: amazon

9. City of Incident by Annie Zaidi 

Annie Zaidi from the town of Incident describes the lives of six men and six women. Each of these characters finds it difficult to follow the life of the metropolis which offers them little hope, power, and opportunities for redemption. The stories of these individuals intertwine and provide readers with a disturbing image of life as it unfolds at the edge of our vision. They are people you may have seen at random in your car, in the subway, or in the pages of your everyday life. The kind of person that won’t get your attention for a while until something happens.  

For those who can join us, online conversation pic.twitter.com/hW7QOwMsOb — AnnieZaidi (@anniezaidi) February 14, 2022

10. Suit By Samarth 

Suit explores sully, social change, and progression through the Vikas’ perspective, a young” Suitwala”, as we follow him through a day in his life, hurling between events at work, moments he catches with his family, and his father’s memoirs. 

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Yoda Press (@yodapress)

So here are the 10 Best Indian Books of 2022 which we felt are a must-read for all the book lovers out there! 

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15 Best Indian Books of 2023 That You Must Read

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10 of the best books set in India – that will take you there

Tired of narratives that obsess over spices, colours and cows on the road? These books, all by Indian writers, paint realistic pictures of the country’s geographical, cultural and political landscapes

Share your own suggestions in the comments below

W hen I researched my book Around India in 80 Trains , one of the small joys of my four-month railway adventure was idling on platforms and rummaging through the iconic old Wheeler stalls for paperbacks to keep me company. Sometimes I’d get conned with pirated copies, flicking hungrily to the last few pages only to find they were missing, or the final lines had slid off the photocopied page. But for the most part my rucksack was stacked with stories that shaped the curves of my journey.

Tired of narratives that obsess over spices, colours and cows on the road, I’ve chosen books by Indian writers only; after all, who knows a country better than its own people? Where the authors have used the old names of cities, I’ve done so too, in order to convey the duality of their nature: having spent a couple of years living in Madras as a child, I know the familiar emotions and memories that the name conjures up, whereas Chennai is a completely different city to me.

Small Days and Nights by Tishani Doshi

“Return is never the experience you hope for,” Doshi begins, setting the tone for the story of Grace, a young woman coming back to Madras after her mother’s death, to find she has inherited a pink beach house down the coast – and a sister with Down’s syndrome. Small Days and Nights is a compelling story about family, which follows Grace as she slips between Madras, Kodaikanal and Paramankeni, her needs, wants and urges changing with her surroundings as she tries to reconcile desire with duty. A poet, dancer and novelist, Doshi centres the female body in all her work, and it’s through the weight of Grace’s legs, or the lightness in her bones that we, too, feel the effects of the “womb noise” of the sea in Paramankeni, the whiplash of Kodaikanal rain that “smells of sex”, and the dreamy transitional city of Madras, where the trees look weak and hungover.

Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil

With characteristic brazenness, Thayil opens with a dedication to HCV – the hepatitis C virus that he contracted while sharing needles and injecting government morphine in the 1980s. It’s followed by a languorous six-page sentence that unfurls like smoke from a pipe – a prelude to a powerhouse of a novel about Bombay’s old opium dens. Built from brutality and grouted together with beauty, Narcopolis begins as a homage to a city of harmony and acceptance, celebrating Bombay as the hero of the story – a sanctuary for Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians – then morphs into an epitaph of a city “which obliterated its own history by changing its name and surgically altering its face”.

Shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2012, Thayil refuses to use “Mumbai”, a name that was forced upon its residents by the far-right Hindu Shiv Sena party, and his affection for his former home makes this a potent love letter to the island city and its dead.

Boats on Land by Janice Pariat

Like a succession of quick slaps across the face, the opening lines of each story of this debut collection make you sit up and take full notice. Parachuting the reader straight in through low-hanging quilts of cloud, Pariat drops us between the plump tea bushes in and around the hill station of Shillong, where it’s cold and damp and mists swirl with the supernatural. Here, in the furthest reaches of India’s north-eastern fingertips, we learn about Khasi politics and culture, but always with a sense of unease – where the night is “slashed by lightning”, “knifed with light”, and the sky “the colour of razor blades”. Beginning with the days of British rule and stretching up to a modern-day marital infidelity, each of the 15 stories is written in seamless prose that doesn’t jolt or falter through italics or apologetic explanations of bilati, doh thli and jadoh. If you don’t know their meanings it’s up to you to look them up.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Adiga upset many middle-class Indians when The White Tiger hit their bookshelves like a sledgehammer, winning him the Booker prize. Written from the perspective of Balram, the son of a rickshaw puller, the book is a series of letters that he writes feverishly, but never sends, to the soon-to-be-visiting Chinese premier, documenting his wily ascent from tea boy to wealthy entrepreneur. Through his sharp-eyed, witty and frenzied descriptions, Adiga doesn’t just highlight the brutal injustices and corruption of Indian society but slaps them across the paper in broad, bushy strokes. Although the book was released in 2008, one line stands out for its relevance today: “One fact about India is that you can take almost anything that you hear about the country from the prime minister and turn it upside down and then you will have the truth about that thing.”

The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

Not many novels are set in Bangalore, the more subdued sibling of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. However, here we find Shalini, a 24-year-old numbed by the banality of her privileged life in the Garden City. Since her mother’s death, three years earlier, she’s lived in limbo, unable to commit to anything and plagued by a memory from her childhood of a Kashmiri man appearing twice at their garden gate. In a feverish moment she decides to leave home to find him, swapping her weekend trips to Bali, and beer-sticky house parties, for the blue-grey mountains of Kashmir, where the air is tinged with the “medicinal sharpness of pine sap” and waterfalls churn to a “filigreed white froth”.

Vijay’s beautiful debut leaps back and forth while shining a light on a politically fractious region from the perspective of a civilian – that, too, a single woman traipsing the length of India alone in search of the unknown.

Following Fish by Samanth Subramanian

The only non-fiction on this list, this collection strings together nine stories gathered along the Indian coast, from Bengal to Gujarat. With fish as the starting point, Subramanian examines its role in food, medicine, culture and religion by talking to everyone he meets on his haphazard travels, from Goan fishermen and priests, to Kolkata hotel chefs and a faith-healing family in Hyderabad. Dense and rigorous journalism, the writing ignites when the author sits down to eat: whether he’s tasting raw fish podi made from powdered mackerel that “races to the back of the throat and proceeds to set your tonsils on fire”, or sampling toddy-shop food that is typically “kicked into a high orbit of spice”, it’s hard to resist the urge to follow in his footsteps.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

The first Indian woman to win the Booker, Roy caused a storm in the literary world when her lyrical debut was published in 1997, spurring a number of authors who tried to emulate her style, while others decried her success – the sure sign of a good book.

Set in Kerala – known as God’s Own Country, for its vast backwaters, bent palms and cool greenery – the book opens in the brooding heat of May, when bananas ripen, jackfruits burst and crows devour the mangoes, before the monsoon breaks, tiny fish appear in puddles and “bullfrogs cruise for mates”. Tragedy has destroyed a family, and after many years an estranged pair of twins are reuniting where it all began.

Scattering capital letters and pulling and playing around with language, Roy paints a vivid picture of Indian politics, the cruelty of caste, and the “small things” that keep us afloat.

Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra

A hulking beast of a book, this delicious thriller sinks deep into Bombay’s criminal underworld, as Sikh cop Sartaj Singh goes after the infamous gangster Ganesh Gaitonde. Packed with policemen stroking splendid handlebar moustaches, lapdogs being hurled from balconies, and villains with bulging, bloodshot eyes, Sacred Games is a brilliant exploration of politics, history and corruption. For the unfamiliar, it is also a swift education in the peculiarities of the city’s various districts, like Bandra, Tardeo and Dadar, offering peeks into the homes of Bombay’s rich, “30,000 square feet of Italian marble floors tied together with intercoms”, and the poor – where residents have no choice but to “let their little daughters squat to make a mess exactly where their sons played”.

Published in 2006, the novel is now a wildly popular series on Netflix .

The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee

Few novels begin with the sheer horror of this one: a horror that rises from the belly, making you gasp and catch your breath before turning the page.

It is Calcutta in the 1960s and the wealthy son of a paper-mill owner has abandoned the Ghosh family to join a Maoist rebellion, helping farmers to fight their landlords while his Tolstoyan array of relatives deal with their own multitude of tribulations. Shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2014, this is a tome of extraordinary reach and richness, written by an author whose gift lies not just in his ability to imagine the lives of others but to embody them: he details how those starving outside a luxury hotel will hunt for a “stub of banana” left in a peel, while in the affluent world a whole family is “caught up in a song-and-dance” in an attempt to get food down a fussy toddler.

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

If we’re being technical, this 2006 Booker prize-winner oscillates between the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal and the basement kitchens of New York, following the lives of a judge, his granddaughter, her maths tutor, their cook and his son. But the Indian backdrop could almost be a sixth character, where the trees are “moss-slung giants, bunioned and misshapen”, and Mount Kanchenjunga looms with a “wizard phosphorescence”. Desai takes on a mammoth endeavour in linking these seemingly disparate lives, but does so with panache while also being incredibly funny. She exposes one generation suffering from a crisis of identity owing to colonialism – Judge Jemubhai Patel eating chapatis with a knife and fork – and another generation still looking to the west for a better future… while sharing a bed in shifts.

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10 Best Books to Read in India (2024) - Buyer's Guide

Our Top Picks

Best overall - to kill a mockingbird by harper lee.

Told through the eyes of a child, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is primarily an example of Southern Gothic fiction that combines both dark and comedic elements and uses a perfect blend of thrill and fiction to exude a deep message.

Best Romantic - Wish I Could Tell You by Durjoy Datta

If you have lost a special one in your life, Wish I Could Tell You is a power-packed story that conveys the message of selfless and pure love and will help you find yourself.

Best Crime Fiction - One Arranged Murder by Chetan Bhagat

One Arranged Murder is one of the best thriller mysteries with a good story, interesting plot and unexpected twists.

Best on Mental Health - Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

Want to train your mind to attain inner peace and purpose every day, Think Like a Monk is one of the best books to get your hands on.

Looking For The Best Books To Read?

Books can change the way you think or feel, process information, and reflect your interest. If you are looking for the best books of all time, our list of best books to read in India has you covered. Whether you are looking for a book to increase your vocabulary and form a reading habit or want to learn writing and overcome your doubts, this list of the best books to read is sure to come in handy for you.

It is rightly said that books have healing powers and are great companions for anyone. Whether you are a book lover or just beginning to read, we have included some timeless classics and the latest launches to make this list your ultimate one! If you are as excited as the sun to find the best books of all time listed below, tighten your belt and pick the title that intrigues you the most.

Summary Table: Best Books To Read In India

If you are looking for a quick summary of the different best books to read we’ve picked for you, the table given below is sure to help you find the right one as per your budget and requirements.

Book’s Name

Wish I Could Tell You

One Arranged Murder

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

Wise and Otherwise: A Salute to Life

The Alchemist

A Man Called Ove

Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day

To Kill a Mockingbird

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

List Of Top 10 Books To Read

Here are our top ten recommendations if you are looking for the best books to read. We have made sure our list is diverse to cater to the interests of different types of readers including various genres, writing styles, and publishing years.

1. Wish I Could Tell You - Click here for Amazon deal

Wish I Could Tell You is a romantic novel by Durjoy Datta - India's best romance icon amongst youngsters. The story revolves around Ananth and Anusha - both struggling in their own ways and eventually moving together.

By depicting multiple emotions, Datta beautifully depicts how love can change someone despite the challenges. The book is a perfect blend of different time frames - with pieces jolted together interestingly. Although there are countless romance novels in India, this book has romance at its very core and has a lot more to offer than just a regular cliché romance.

The language is simple but the characters are strong and the emotions are intense - with highly unexpected twists. This is a pleasurable read, especially for beginners looking for a story that packs love and mystery in the most complacent way.

Price : ₹ 133

Type of Book (Genre) : Romance Novel

Language : English

Reading Age : 14 to 30

Writer’s Name : Durjoy Datta

Print Length : 288 pages

2. One Arranged Murder - Click here for Amazon deal

One Arranged Murder is one of the best books by Chetan Bhagat. Its title is intriguing enough to read it - without even thinking twice. The story revolves around two amateur detectives (and best friends) Keshav and Saurabh who find their friendship in a difficult situation while solving a murder case.

The murder mystery affects them personally and the suspense gets bigger and bigger as you reach the end of the book. The writing style is simple and it is almost impossible for readers to figure out who the murderer is until the writer decides to reveal it. The book is well put together with a seamless amalgamation of humour, love, friendship, thrill and confusion.

Price : ₹ 144

Type of Book (Genre) : Crime Fiction, Thriller

Reading Age : 18 and above

Writer’s Name : Chetan Bhagat

Print Length : 312 pages

3. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - Click here for Amazon deal

Search for the best books to read and don't find "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" - impossible! A renowned inspirational fiction, the book is all about how to ditch materialism and find a simple yet profound way to live life.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a revealing story that revolves around Julian Mantle, a successful lawyer whose life is instantly changed by the onset of cardiovascular disease. The book speaks about sages that live in the Himalayas and focuses on self-discipline, setting small goals and having a strong sense of purpose in life.

The book is a great pick for people stuck with their beloved possessions and worldly things - in search of a meaningful existence. Easy to read, this book will take you on a self-help journey reading which you can progress your mental health and inner peace.

Price : ₹ 156

Type of Book (Genre) : Business Fables

Writer’s Name : Robin Sharma

Print Length : 198 pages

4. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind - Click here for Amazon deal

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr Joseph Murphy is an interesting combination of time-honoured spiritual wisdom with cutting-edge scientific research.

The book explains how the subconscious mind influences every single thing that you do and how you can unlock the powers of your mind to get rid of bad habits and open the doors to happiness, success, prosperity and peace for yourself.

Although slightly repetitive at times, the book's idea of subconscious programming has been executed in a simple manner without much light on culture or religion. The book is a great pick for people struggling to change their lives looking for a more positive pathway that leads them to fulfilment and a better quality of life.

Price : ₹ 165

Type of Book (Genre) : Self Help

Writer’s Name: Dr Joseph Murphy

Print Length : 222 pages

5. Wise and Otherwise: A Salute to Life - Click here for Amazon deal

Wise and Otherwise is one of the best books by Sudha Murthy. The book explains how understanding human and human nature is one of the toughest jobs in this world. With an interesting title and content inside, the book shows how things that seem right or good or vice versa can be completely different if explored to the proper depth.

Sudha Murty’s "Wise and Otherwise" will take you through a journey of redefining your thought process through narrations of 51 stories inspired by the extensive travels of the author herself. It is an inspirational book that presents a realistic picture of India with its values, traditions and imperfections - one story at a time.

Price : ₹ 183

Type of Book (Genre) : Fiction

Writer’s Name : Sudha Murty

Print Length : 232 pages

6. The Alchemist - Click here for Amazon deal

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is another timeless classic that is unmissable in almost every "books-to-read" list. Easy to understand and simple to read, the book presents a simple fable and is quite relatable. The story revolves around a boy named Santiago from Andalusia and his adventures through the African desert to find treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt.

The book shows how we all have our goals and must never give up - no matter how many obstacles come our way. The book was originally written in Portuguese and later translated into English. The book is a perfect pick for beginners, inspiring them to take the risk of following their hearts and realizing their dreams.

Price : ₹ 217

Type of Book (Genre) : Fantasy Fiction, Adventure

Reading Age : 14 and up

Writer’s Name : Paulo Coelho

Print Length : 172 pages

7. A Man Called Ove - Click here for Amazon deal

Fredrik Backman's "A Man Called Ove" is one the best picks if you are looking for a humorous book with an uplifting tale of love. Said to "brighten your day", this life-affirming comic tale depicts how kindness, love and happiness can be found in the most unlikely places.

The book takes you to Sweden and will make you laugh and cry and sometimes both. Focused on an old man who wants nothing more than to kill himself in peace, the story is so enchanting that you will instantly relate to it.

The book is an example of a character study where Ove's interaction with everything, his views towards society and his ironclad rules in life are gradually changed. The story focuses on how love and friendship make Ove - a lonely and grumpy old man loved by all.

Although Fredrik Backman's writing style is not something you would be very familiar with, you'll understand it soon and get used to it. The book is a great pick for people dealing with loneliness or the ones who find difficulty in learning new things.

Price : ₹ 258

Type of Book (Genre) : Humorous Fiction, Friendship

Writer’s Name : Fredrik Backman

Print Length : 320 pages

8. Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day - Click here for Amazon deal

Although launched recently, "Think Like a Monk" by Jay Shetty is a bestseller in no time. The book distils the timeless wisdom Jay Shetty learned as a practicing monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less stressful and more meaningful life.

Jay's book is a perfect choice if you want to remove negativity from your life and alleviate anxiety. With its warmth and clarity on a path to greater joy and purpose, the book provides essential guidance for travelling a balanced path to success.

The content is relatable to the modern world and is a great tool to overcome fear, depression, loneliness, addiction, negative thoughts, and relationship struggles. By the end of this book, you will find yourself inspired to meditate, change your lifestyle, and think positively.

Price : ₹ 299

Writer’s Name : Jay Shetty

9. To Kill a Mockingbird - Click here for Amazon deal

"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is the third timeless classic on our list which you must read once in your lifetime. The book features a coming-of-age story and a historical drama of the Great Depression. The book is a perfect blend of exuberant humour and tragedy in a uniquely unsentimental way.

Set in the era of 1930, the book beautifully depicts how a father can influence his child, not by advising but by setting an example. The protagonist of the book is 6 years-old Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch who lives with her widowed father Atticus Finch - a calm man with great wisdom and unbiased behaviour. The book focuses on the gut instinct of right & wrong and distinguishes it from just following the law.

Price : ₹ 317

Type of Book (Genre) : Historical Fiction

Reading Age : 13 and up

Writer’s Name : Harper Lee

10. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life - Click here for Amazon deal

Ikigai is a refreshing read that gives the message of "authentic living" in a bewitching way. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that refers to having a direction or purpose in life. The book weaves science-based studies in a warm and honest manner to gently pull you along your own self-care journey rather than pushing you from behind.

The book also discusses certain other Japanese concepts to help you find your "purpose in life" through Japanese perspectives on living life and persevering. The language is simplistic and easy to understand while the structure is beginner-friendly and cosy.

While giving a message of devoting time to your passion, the book is a great pick if you want to stop chasing materialistic things and stay focused in your life to attain inner peace and happiness.

Price : ₹ 320

Type of Book (Genre) : Self-Help

Reading Age : 16 to 35 years

Writer’s Name : Héctor García

Print Length : 208 pages

Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Books To Read

Here are our answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about purchasing the best books to read in India.

1. How do we decide which books to read?

Finding good books to read is simple if you seek within and discover your reading tastes. Based on your preferences, take a look at best books lists published online and pick the one that intrigues you the most.

2. What are the top 10 must-read books?

If you are looking for the best books to read, the ten books listed above are sure to intrigue you. For some specific recommendations, please refer to our top picks section.

3. What do Indians read the most?

According to some statistics, Indians mostly read adventure fiction, self-help books and romance novels. However, the acclaimed masterpieces listed above should not be missed out on - if you are a beginner or a bookworm.

4. Who is the best author in India?

Chetan Bhagat, Sudha Murty, Durjoy Datta, etc. are some of the best authors in India – inspiring millions of readers in their own way.

Wrapping Up

Reading a book is the healthiest obsession but you don't need to binge read to become a good reader. All that's important is consistency - even if you read just one page a day. We hope we helped you find the best books to read at least once in your lifetime. Which of these books are you ready to include in your reading pile soon?  Whatever you pick, we’re sure you’ll pick the best

To contact the Express Deals team, please drop an email to - [email protected] We will reach out to you in the next 48 business hours.

Disclaimer: At Express Deals, we work with subject matter experts to bring you the latest in product innovations and Indian eCommerce trends. Express Deals participates in various affiliate programs, which means we may earn revenue on purchases made through the links to retailer sites. Please note that prices mentioned on the pages can vary based on retailer promotions on any given day. Also, do note that we will not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the featured products since they aren't directly sold by us.

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The best books of 2023: A preview

By Chloe Schama , Taylor Antrim , Elise Taylor and Lisa Wong Macabasco

The year may have only just begun, but the editors at Vogue have been busy making their way through the best books of 2023 so far. From a new Bret Easton Ellis to a stunning coming-of-age novel from Allegra Goodman, there are captivating works right around the corner. And yes, we included one book on this list that we haven't yet made our way through. Suffice it to say, we are fairly confident that Prince Harry's Spare already ranks as one of the most talked about books of 2023—but hear us out in our specific endorsement! It may not be what you think. We hope it, and many more reading pleasures, continue to surprise and delight. Check back for updates as we read our way through the best books of 2023.

The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis (January)

Bret Easton Ellis’s first novel,  Less Than Zero , published in 1985, is hard to shake—a drifting, menacing story about Los Angeles private school kids with monosyllabic names (Clay, Blair, Trent, Rip) who go to parties, do drugs, have sex and try to feel something about any of it.  The Shards , Ellis’s hypnotic, prodigious and unsettling new novel—his first in 13 years—is a time machine back to that early ’80s milieu. It stars none other than Ellis himself, a prep school senior writing a novel called  Less Than Zero and surrounded by a pack of rich, beautiful friends who are themselves shadowed by a serial killer nicknamed the Trawler. Ellis holds nothing back through these 600 pages: baroque violence, startling eroticism, relentless cataloguing of mood-specific song and movie titles. His gothic predilections are not for everyone (the Trawler’s kills are grotesque) but the evocation of a certain kind of vacant privilege—a buried longing overlaid with studied dissociation—is masterful. –Taylor Antrim

Sam by Allegra Goodman (January)

There are books that assail you with their importance, and then there are those, like Allegra Goodman’s  Sam (The Dial Press), whose modest-seeming ambitions blossom into sweeping works of emotional resonance. Goodman’s novel tells the deceptively simple story of a girl, Sam, growing into a young woman . Her life has many deprivations and few points of brightness—but from these bare contours, a powerful portrait emerges. Goodman’s writing mimics the voice of her subject, with earlier chapters echoing the staccato thought patterns of elementary years and later chapters channelling the tender vulnerabilities of young adulthood .  Sam may investigate the most acute of emotional growing pains, but there is nothing awkward here. — Chloe Schama

The Survivalists: A Novel by Kashana Cauley (January)

By Vogue Staff

By Mélanie Nauche

By Sonakshi Sharma

Community gardeners meet doomsday preppers stockpiling weapons above a trendy coffee shop in The Survivalists (Soft Skull Press), a darkly funny look at how people form communities to care for one another amid institutional failures and scarcity. Set in a mostly Black Central Brooklyn, this debut novel from Kashana Cauley, a former lawyer,  Daily Show with Trevor Noah writer, and  New York Times  contributor, finds humour in our hostile, uncertain present while outlining starkly different visions of the future—and how we might prepare for them. —  Lisa Wong Macabasco

Spare by Prince Harry (January)

It's almost unheard of for a book to dominate public conversation well before even being published. Yet Prince Harry's memoir, Spare , has done just that after several explosive and intimate claims about his life within the royal family came to light. Of course, we haven't read it yet, but the talent of his ghost-writer, J.R. Moehringer, who also wrote the biographies of Nike's Phil Knight and Andre Agassi, has us excited. The Pulitzer Prize-winner has an astonishing ability to plumb the depths of his subjects—crafting a raw, nuanced portrait of a person in the process. “He’s half psychiatrist,” Knight said of Moehringer. “He gets you to say things you really didn’t think you would.” — Elise Taylor

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin (February)

Jen Beagin writes with a zany, overflowing energy, her enthusiasm in stark contrast to the halting, static nature of her protagonist in  Big Swiss.  Set in a very recognisable Hudson, New York brimming with metropolitan expats and locals who have settled into their roles as the native colour, the novel tells the story of a woman running from her past while excavating the emotional pasts of others. She is doing this quite literally, as the transcriber for a local sex therapist, ignoring all professional ethics as she does so by falling for one of the clients. She may be privy to the innermost desires of the client—who she nicknames Big Swiss—but that doesn’t make her more sure-footed when it comes to affairs of the heart.  Big Swiss is a comic novel, but it is one with a very tender core. Already in development as a series set to star Jodie Comer, you are sure to hear more about this one.  — C.S.

Pat in the City by Patricia Field (February)

Patricia Field’s memoir covers the territory you’d expect it to cover: how she got her gig as the costume designer for  Sex In the City  (including a charming anecdote about how she convinced showrunner Darren Star that a tutu was far superior to a shift dress for Carrie’s ensemble in the opening credits), her more recent exploits as the force behind the eyeball-scorching outfits on  Emily In Paris . But it also covers her more tender years growing up in New York City and Long Island, how her early store, Pants Pub, ignited a small revolution in downtown fashion, and how subsequent boutiques became a refuge for fantastic misfits of all stripes. You didn’t need to have a lot of retail experience to work for Patricia Field, it seems, but you did need to have a whole lot of the right kind of attitude. This is a book for the SATC superfans, but it is also for anyone curious about the lived experience of downtons culture in the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond. — C.S

Cold People by Tom Rob Smith (February)

What is the author of a trilogy of elegant historical espionage novels (the bestselling Child 44 books) doing writing a sci-fi monster novel set in Antarctica? I read the summary of Tom Rob Smith’s  Cold People (Scribner)—an alien invasion wipes out Earth’s population driving the lone survivors to Antarctica to set up a new society—with bemusement. Had Smith, who pivoted into TV writing with  The Assassination of Gianni Versace and other shows, lost his way? Nope.  Cold People is a zany, wildly gripping, dark futuristic fantasy that never remotely achieves plausibility but achieves escapist lift-off nonetheless. The alien invasion that begins the book and prompts a desperate evacuation to Antarctica—the only place the aliens will let humans live—is bizarrely cursory, but Smith is getting it out of the way. The bulk of the book, set in the resulting society of human survivalists on the icy continent, tells a story of genetic experimentation that recalls H.P. Lovecraft and Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein . I loved this wild, imaginative, fast-moving book and can’t wait to see the inevitable screen adaptation. –Taylor Antrim

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (March)

Set in modern-day New Zealand,  Birnam Wood (Macmillan) is a multi-layered book that reads, at times like a far-left anti-capitalist manifesto, at times like a techno-futurist manual, at times like suburban ennui-driven domestic fiction—in short, it’s a book of contemporary ideas, somehow woven together into a thriller that is subtly poking fun at the absolutism all those perspectives entail. No matter how assured the characters are that they possess the most righteous framework through which to understand the world, their blindspots lead them into sometimes criminal entanglements that they can’t philosophise their way out of. Catton is not just a master at spinning a web of competing philosophies, though; her characters are deeply flawed but you can’t help but root for them. I was one of the few who missed this young New Zealand novelist’s best-selling and critically acclaimed 2013 novel,  The Luminaries , but this new book has convinced me that I won’t let that happen again. — C.S.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (March)

Jenny Jackson’s new novel  Pineapple Street  (Pamela Dornan) is a delicious new Gilded Age family drama—almost a satire—set in the leafy enclaves of Brooklyn Heights. The book follows three women in the Stockton family, a clan that made their money in real estate and left subsequent generations to alternately indulge in and wring their hands over it, their angst inflected with a very New York 1% class consciousness. Family members make their way from their non-profit jobs and school fundraisers to tennis clubs and private planes. It’s a lighthearted book that captures a slice of New York society, a guilty pleasure that also feels like a sociological text, punctuated with very particular references to restaurants , preschools, nightclubs and other pillars of urban life in 2023. — C.S.

The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew by Maggie Bullock

Maggie Bullock’s cultural history is nominally the story of the rise and fall of one of America’s most iconic retailers, but it’s also a sociological text and a personal one, charting the brand’s influence in popular, commercial and deeply individual terms. Bullock, who has spent a large part of her career working in fashion magazines, is intimately acquainted with this terrain, not just as an editor, but as a former boarding school novice, transplanted to the Northeast from a decidedly unpreppy family in the South, forced to navigate the choppy social dynamics among her rollneck-sweater-wearing peers. Almost everyone is familiar with the Jenna Lyon’s era J. Crew aesthetic, which extended its influence to no less prominent spheres than The White House, but fewer people are familiar with the ups and downs of the brand before its hot pink , sequined phase. Bullock unravels it all in this lively, entertaining book. — C.S.

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane (May)

Keane’s 2019 novel  Ask Again, Yes was a breakthrough: a best-selling portrait of a pair of hard-working Irish-American families in suburban New York whose lives intersect and fall apart. Her deft, satisfying fourth novel,  The Half Moon, returns to a similar milieu and tells a more concentrated story: of Malcolm Gephardt, bar owner, forty-something, as personable as he is emotionally hapless, struggling to save his business and marriage —to an attorney wife who justifiably wants more. Keane writes in a sturdily realist vein–the vivid, domesticated world of Anne Tyler, of William Trevor, of Elizabeth Strout—but her insights into matters of the heart, longing and restlessness especially, have astonishing delicacy.  —T.A.

The Postcard by Anne Berest (May)

Anne Berest’s novel,  The Postcard  (Europa), falls loosely into the category of what we might call, in this country, autofiction. (The French probably have another term!) The protagonist, a Paris -based writer named Anne, receives a postcard from an anonymous sender inscribed only with the names of four relatives who died in Auschwitz. All this happened as well to the author. But what transpires after is a testament to the power of imagination and an investigation of empathy—because far from haunting her, Berest’s murdered relatives were largely absent from her life, in part because she had never fully considered her Jewish heritage.  The Postcard goes on to spin a full and textured rendering of these relatives’ lives before they were cruelly killed, rendering the horrors of the Holocaust horrifically fresh. Once the novel has covered this ground, however, it becomes almost a modern-day thriller, circling in on the mysterious mail at its centre.  The Postcard  is a somewhat strange book, not without the occasional infelicity of translation, almost experimental in its form. But even with all its layered complications, it is undeniably compelling. —C.S.

Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral by Ben Smith (May)

I devoured this gimlet-eyed account of painfully recent history—the dizzy rise of digital media rivals such as Buzzfeed and Gawker, companies fuelled by human attention, rapacious for virality and traffic, a word that has totemic power in this well-paced narrative. Smith, former Politico star, former Buzzfeed News Editor, former New York Times media columnist and now the editor-in-chief of Semafor , is well-placed to tell the stories of ambitious, restless characters such as Buzzfeed’s Jonah Peretti and Gawker’s Nick Denton and the Faustian bargains they made on the way to enormous valuations, and equally precipitous turnabouts in fortune. Smith, of course, is a protagonist here too, having controversially decided to publish the notorious Steele dossier about President Trump at Buzzfeed when other outlets would not (an episode he recounts and reflects on here). I am not sure I wholly bought Smith’s conclusion—that the harnessing of virality by the likes of Buzzfeed led to the ubiquity of an increasingly remorseless right-wing populism. And yet the argument is made with force and gives this book the shape of an irresistibly readable tragedy .  —T.A.

The Guest by Emma Cline (May)

Emma Cline's new novel, her first since her breakthrough debut 2016, The Girls, is a grifter tale for the post-Anna Delvey era, a spellbinding literary rendering told from the perspective of the deceiver herself. Exiled from her quasi-boyfriend’s Hampton’s home, she convinces herself that all will be forgiven if she can simply hang on for the week and make an unbidden appearance at his weekend party. Like The Girls, and several of the stories in Cline’s short story collection, Daddy , Cline is here investigating the power and peril of being female and young, telling a story in which who is being used, and for what, is slippery and ill-defined. Cline is a master of depicting the nefarious and atmospheric menace that often lurks adjacent to our most glittery environments, and she does so here with subdued but no less cutting aplomb. — C.S.

The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z by Tamar Adler

Vogue contributing editor Tamar Adler’s new cookbook is a comprehensive, beautifully illustrated and gracefully written resource for what to do with basically anything in your fridge, larder, or on your chopping board. A kind of spiritual sequel to her 2011 volume, An Everlasting Meal , this hefty, companionable resource suggests new life for, say, overcooked beans, or undercooked ones, discarded crab shells, leftover ramen soup, uneaten waffles (or flat beer, or broken aioli, or pickle brine…seriously, nothing is left unconsidered). There are recipes and strategies for everything you can imagine, and a no-waste ethos permeates these many pages with goodwill, humour and hope. As with all things Adler, the writing is fantastic: expert and unfailingly elegant. —T.A.

This article first appeared on Vogue.com

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