I know everyone knows Jhumpa Lahiri, but I just wanted to mention Nutan Phillips as well.  She wrote ZIndaggi (which my MIL gifted me and I enjoyed) -- and it's on my bookshelf if you'd like to take it for a spin.

Has anyone read Jaishree Misra's Ancient Promises?  I'm trying to decide if I want to order it from the UK...

I really enjoyed "A Suitable Boy" by Vikram Seth. It's 1,400 pages long.....set in India. 

Nancy,

before I order the book you mentioned, tell us what you enjoyed about it. 

Pamela

I'd highly recomment Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.  Mistress of Spices, Arranged Marriages (short stories), and Queen of Dreams were my favorites.  I also enjoy the books of Bharti Kirchner.

I am currently reading God of Small Things. So Poetic.

Check out the prize-winning http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9781400030651-A+Fine+Balance

Hi Pamela, Sorry that I didn't see your question till now.  What did I like? Well its been a while since I read it, but its on my keeper shelf so I'll refresh my memory.  I loved the picture that it painted of Indian life by telling the story of several different characters from different walks of life, both Hindu & Muslim, wealthy & poor. The background tells of festivals, ceremonies, politics, history....I learned something while I enjoyed a good read. I like books that are a little different, not cranked out "Jodi Picault" stuff. Reviews are: "A magnificent display of artistic control...A Suitable Boy is a page-turner,,,that pays the reader back and Richly." Los Angeles Times   "(Seth is) passionately concerned to offer his western readers as thick - and as multilayered - a slice of Indian life in the 1950s as this huge novel can hold.  Lavishly detailed...lovingly recounted." New York TimesBook Review    People in my book club who read it liked it also.  I wouldn't have read all of such a long book had it not been excellent. Recently I read Shantaram" (set in India but not by an Indian author) and THAT book was way too long at 900+ pages...

Nancy, 

I ended up ordering a used copy of  A Suitable Boy  from Amazon and it arrived today.  It is in perfect condition and cost $5.00 with the shipping.  What a monster of a book.  Just my kind of novel.   I will do a book report when I finish it.  thanks for the tip.

Pamela

Editied to add:   Greg,   I read A Fine Balance a few years ago, and I can't really say why, but I couldn't put it down.  It isn't an especially "happy" story, but really fascinating, nonetheless. P

Melody, I also liked "Arranged Marriage".  I'm going to look up the others & maybe put them on my wish list.                                                       Pamela, I'm looking forward to hearing what you think.  I hope you like thie book & I didn't steer you wrong....                                                                  I have "The Vine of Desire"  also by  Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni in my pile of book to read someday, has anybody read it?

The Adventures of Feluda by Satyajit Ray

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor

The Glass Palace,The Hungry Tide, Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh

A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S.Naipaul (Nobel Prize Winner)

Madras on Rainy Days by Samina Ali

Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee 

Kartography by Kamila Shamsie

Any work by:

Ruskin Bond

R.K.Narayan esp. Swami and Friends, The Guide.

Mulk Raj Anand.

Suitable Boy, was r eally good. Also Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra. It's sprawling and modern and layered. Very very good. But long.

Thrity Umrigar is another great Indian author.

I just finished "The Sari Shop" by Rupa Bajwa.  She writes well, and the book was interesting at the start.  It ended up being depressing.  Also it should have had a glossary so that the non-Indian reader would understand the references to Indian foods, types of clothing, songs, religion, etc....

 Totally agree about Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.....one of my favorite authors.