Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani
14 Feb, by in Fiction, Indian, Indian American, Middle Grade Readers, South Asian, South Asian American, Young Adult Readers
Ah, this day of mislaid Hallmark hearts ...
BookDragon South Asian American
Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap, illustrated by Mari Araki
19 Jan, by in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Indian American, Japanese American, South Asian American, Young Adult Readers
"Dear Mr. Jean Paul Sartre, I know that you are dead and old and also a philosopher. So, on an obvious level, you and I do not have a lot in common." Thus begins 15-year-old Tina's class project for her English Honors elective on existential...
The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar + Author Interview [in Bookslut]
03 Jan, by in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Fiction, Indian American, Repost, South Asian American
Here's a moment of literary serendipity: on the morning my Bookslut interview with Luis Alberto Urrea went up, I happened to be finishing the galley of Thrity Umrigar’s latest novel, The World We Found. Amazingly, here's what appears in the penultimate paragraph on the very...
The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh
23 Dec, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Indian, Indian American, South Asian, South Asian American
When Firdous Bamji – a veteran narrator – reads Amitav Ghosh’s haunting novel in his 'normal' voice, he's hardly memorable. But as soon as he 'becomes' the searching Piya, the sophisticated Kanai ("'[s]ay it to rhyme with Hawaii'"), the contemplative Nirmal, the grounded Nilima, and the many, many...
Seasons of Flight by Manjushree Thapa
13 Dec, by in Adult Readers, Fiction, Nepali, Nepali American, South Asian, South Asian American
Nepal-born Manjushree Thapa, herself a peripatetic hybrid of East and West with an American education and Canadian ties, is one of a handful of Nepali authors successfully writing in English. This, her latest novel (and only her second in her almost two-decade writing history with seven titles...
The Submission by Amy Waldman
07 Dec, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Indian American, South Asian American
This is one of those spectacular titles that the less you know about it, the better your read. The amazing levels of meaning contained in the title alone makes it worth your utmost attention. Of course, if you haven't been hiding under a rock (like me),...
The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje
04 Dec, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Canadian, Canadian Asian Pacific American, European, Fiction, South Asian, South Asian American, Sri Lankan, Sri Lankan American
With utter certainty, I can claim that I've never ever been remotely disappointed by a Michael Ondaatje title. Until now, alas. Here's my very best advice to you about this, his long-awaited new title, The Cat's Table: read it page by page for yourself only;...
Hampire! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Howard Fine
31 Oct, by in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, South Asian American
Ever feel like a total beast when you're soooo hungry? Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen surely understands midnight hunger: "the HAMPIRE left his pen / In quite an awful mood. / His belly growled. / 'I need,' he howled, / 'To sink my fangs in food!'" In spite of the danger...
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
13 Sep, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Hapa/Mixed-race, Indian American, Nonethnic-specific, South Asian American
Just after finishing Divisadero, I immediately found myself missing Hope Davis' voice – she who so lullingly narrated Michael Ondaatje's dream-like bifurcated drama. So what a comforting surprise to click on Ann Patchett's Wonder and find Davis' voice gently streaming out of my headset! Serendipity indeed! As the...
Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje
12 Sep, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Canadian, European, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific, South Asian American, Sri Lankan American
Regardless of what is actually happening on the page (even brutality, sometimes tragedy), Michael Ondaatje's writing is something akin to a velvety, soothing dream. In a perfect world, reading (or better yet, listening to ...
Author Interview: Tahmima Anam [in Bookslut]
01 Aug, by in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi American, British Asian, Fiction, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American
In spite of the fierce, wrenching content of her books, Tahmima Anam in real life is a gentle, warm, incredibly youthful presence. We met in livetime a few years ago in Washington, DC, as her debut novel, A Golden Age, was winning major international awards,...
I Am Different! Can You Find Me? by Manjula Padmanabhan
19 Jul, by in Children/Picture Books, Indian American, Nonfiction, South Asian American
Leave it to the Global Fund for Children (and the always innovative small press Charlesbridge) to offer a colorful new book that uses a clever game of hide-and-seek to celebrate our differences, while sharing our universal sameness. And, of course, novelist/playwright/cartoonist Manjula Padmanabhan also deserves...
The Good Muslim [Bengal Trilogy, Book 2] by Tahmima Anam
18 Jul, by in Adult Readers, Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi American, British Asian, Fiction, South Asian, South Asian American
Tahmima Anam continues her outstanding Bengal Trilogy, which began with A Golden Age, her glowing 2008 debut that propelled Anam into a privileged literary circle filled with international accolades. From Rehana Haque, the protagonist mother in Age, Anam shifts her focus to the grown Haque...
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
23 Jun, by in Adult Readers, African, Audio, Fiction, Indian African, Indian American, South Asian American
Truth: if not for Sunil Malhotra, I would never have finished Abraham Verghese's bestselling first novel, Cutting for Stone. Immediately opened upon receipt more than two years ago, for some reason, my bookmark never moved beyond the first few chapters ...
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
09 Jun, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Biography, Indian American, Nonfiction, South Asian American
I won't lie: at almost 600 pages (or almost 21 hours if you choose the audible option), Siddhartha Mukherjee's 2011 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction is a Commitment (yes, capitalization intended!). But commitment can come with vast rewards and, in this case, get ready for a massive infusion of...
The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Abigail Halpin
13 May, by in Fiction, Indian, Indian African, Middle Grade Readers, South Asian, South Asian American
My first reaction a few chapters into Uma Krishnaswami's latest middle-grade romp of a novel was, 'Take me, take me! I wanna move to Swapnagiri, too!' Dini and her family's South Indian adventures hadn't even started yet, and I was ready to pack my bags...
Author Interview: Anjali Banerjee [in Bookslut]
06 Feb, by in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Fiction, Indian American, Middle Grade Readers, Repost, South Asian American
With her past seven published novels – written for audiences that range from middle-grade readers on up – Anjali Banerjee didn’t particularly mention male body parts in any great detail. Maybe a twinkling eye here, capable hands there, but she certainly didn’t dwell. But as...
Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee
12 Jan, by in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian American, South Asian American
What better way to get over a broken heart than moving into a unique, welcoming bookstore, filled not only with fabulous books but a few wise (less than living) writers, too? As long as they can spin a convincing yarn, why quibble with such minor...
Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian American Poetry edited by Neelajana Banerjee, Summi Kaipa, and Pireeni Sundaralingam
11 Nov, by in Adult Readers, Bangladeshi American, Indian American, Nepali American, Pakistani American, Poetry, South Asian American, Sri Lankan American, Young Adult Readers
The title – Indivisible – the editors explain, is "a word taken from the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance." Through the 49 diverse American voices represented here with roots in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and...
Migritude by Shailja Patel
26 Oct, by in Adult Readers, Drama/Theater, Indian African, Indian American, Memoir, Nonfiction, Poetry, South Asian American
Given the sheer number of books that arrive in the mailbox, I rarely pick up a title and start reading immediately. But something about Migritude (debuting from fabulous indie publisher Kaya Press: 'Smokin' Hot Books'!!) demanded 'read me NOW!' Once opened, I could hardly put...