Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1978)
481.
The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar EN
IndiaDescription:
Madurai, 1992. Janani, a poor young mother, is told she is useless if she can't produce a son. She is allowed to keep her first baby girl, but the rest are taken away as soon as they are born and murdered. But Janani can't forget the daughters she was never allowed to love. Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret. But before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill and she agrees to join her parents on a trip there. What she learns about her family changes her forever. This is a universal story about the bond between mothers and daughters, the strength of women, and the power of love.
482.
Once Upon an Eid editor S. K. Ali, Aisha Saeed - editors EN
Description:
A joyous short story collection by and about Muslims, edited by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed and Morris finalist S. K. Ali Once Upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid Eid The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it's waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it's the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it's the gift giving and holiday parties to... continue
483.
484.
Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand EN
Description:
The powerful story of an Untouchable in India’s caste system, now with a new introduction With precision, vitality, and a fury that earned him praise as India’s Charles Dickens, Mulk Raj Anand recreates in Untouchable what it was like to live on the fringes of society in pre-independence India. Bakha, an attractive, proud, and strong young man, is also an Untouchable, the lowest of the low in India’s caste system. A sweeper and a toilet-cleaner, he must warn others on the street of his status so that he will not pollute them with his presence. In this urgent 1935 re-creation of one day in the ... continue
485.
Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh EN
Description:
A novel about the suffering of millions during the partition of India.
486.
The Color of Our Sky : A Novel by Amita Trasi EN
Description:
In the spirit of Khaled Hosseini, Nadia Hashimi and Shilpi Somaya Gowda comes this powerful debut from a talented new voice—a sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends in Mumbai, India, whose lives converge only to change forever one fateful night. India, 1986: Mukta, a ten-year-old village girl from the lower caste Yellama cult has come of age and must fulfill her destiny of becoming a temple prostitute, as her mother and grandmother did before her. In an attempt to escape her fate, Mukta is sent to be a house girl for an upper-middle class family in Mumbai. There she discovers a f... continue
487.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr SC by Ram V EN
Description:
Humanity is on the verge of discovering immortality, which means the avatar of Death is out of a job… or is she? Humanity is on the verge of discovering immortality. As a result, the avatar of Death is cast down to Earth to live a mortal life in Mumbai as twenty-something Laila Starr. Struggling with her newfound mortality, Laila has found a way to be placed in the time and place where the creator of immortality will be born. Will Laila take her chance to stop mankind from permanently altering the cycle of life, or will death really become a thing of the past? A powerful new graphic novel from... continue
488.
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai EN
Description:
At the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas lives an embittered old judge who wants nothing more than to retire in peace. With the arrival of his orphaned granddaughter, and his cook's son hopscotching from one New York restaurant to another, trying to stay ahead of the US immigration services, this is far from easy.
489.
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman EN
Description:
In India, a girl who excels at Bharatanatyam dance refuses to give up after losing a leg in an accident.
490.
The Mistress of Spices : A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni EN
Description:
A classic work of magical realism, this bestselling novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tells the story of Tilo, a young woman from another time who has a gift for the mystical art of spices. Now immortal, and living in the gnarled and arthritic body of an old woman, Tilo has set up shop in Oakland, California, where she administers curatives to her customers. But when she's surprised by an unexpected romance with a handsome stranger, she must choose between everlasting life and the vicissitudes of modern society. Spellbinding and hypnotizing, The Mistress of Spices is a tale of joy, sorrow, a... continue