"In Custody" by Anita Desai

Novel, 1984

Entertaining and often very funny story about a small town academic, who after being given the chance to interview a literary hero, finds himself exploited and gradually stripped of the means by which he's keeping his life and sanity together. This is a light, relentless tale using occasionally fairly desperate circumstances to make social points but move the story of Deven's downfall with a deft touch. Wonderfully atmospheric in places, but told with good humour and sparkling with a guide to morals and behaviours.

"The Dark Holds No Terrors", by Shashi Deshpande

Novel, 1980

A story of a career woman whose encounters at home, both when growing up and then in marriage, present her with huge emotional issues. This is a story of how aspirations and rising above preassigned social roles aren't purely about breaking barriers, but also about huge toil and pressures on relationships. An easy book to get into with a strong narrative voice, and the suspicion, often peering out of the psychological undergrowth, that perhaps things aren't exactly as they seem.

"Midnight's Children", by Salman Rushdie

Novel, 1981



Towering novel, charting the story of the main narrator, Saleem Sinai and the formation and early history of India and Pakistan following partition in 1948. This is a book which needs a level of immersion, although despite the narrative tricks and freewheeling scenes and relationships between characters, it's not overly smart or tricksy. So, a great balance in a tome which punches a huge emotional and political weight, while taking the reader on a life journey, both of the main character, the other 'children' of the title and the sub-continent. Richly rewarding.

"India" by John Keay

Non fiction, revised 2010

After shopping round to avoid a big, mighty tome listing generals, battles, dates, politicians and treaties, I ended up buying a big, mighty tome listing generals, battles, dates, politicians and treaties. All of which, over 600 pages of quite dense reading, makes for a reading slog and the likelihood of information and having been far from fully and properly absorbed. Still, a worthy book it's hard to criticise even if it wasn't the one I wanted and should have looked harder for. Never mind; I'll know in the future.