Best South Asian Fiction (734 books)

Your favorite fiction from South Asia and the diaspora. Novels, short stories and novellas.

South Asian countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan. Some people also include Burma/Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iran and the Maldives as part of South Asia.

South Asia does NOT include China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam (these last three are part of Southeast Asia), etc.

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1	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 3,481,190 ratings score: 55,318, and 559 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.45 avg rating — 1,728,251 ratings score: 44,132, and 447 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 4.38 avg rating — 159,649 ratings score: 34,906, and 352 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 324,427 ratings score: 27,965, and 284 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri 4.02 avg rating — 283,476 ratings score: 19,429, and 199 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri 4.18 avg rating — 206,052 ratings score: 17,850, and 183 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga 3.77 avg rating — 202,493 ratings score: 16,180, and 167 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie 3.97 avg rating — 132,722 ratings score: 15,771, and 162 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Life of Pi by Yann Martel 3.94 avg rating — 1,750,263 ratings score: 14,874, and 153 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	A Suitable Boy (A Bridge of Leaves, #1) by Vikram Seth 4.11 avg rating — 49,920 ratings score: 12,537, and 129 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 238,877 ratings score: 10,125, and 104 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 425,763 ratings score: 10,016, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai 3.46 avg rating — 55,673 ratings score: 9,285, and 97 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri 4.14 avg rating — 96,625 ratings score: 8,631, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 28,031 ratings score: 7,218, and 76 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid 3.73 avg rating — 84,129 ratings score: 7,017, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Sea of Poppies (Ibis Trilogy, #1) by Amitav Ghosh 3.98 avg rating — 29,766 ratings score: 6,854, and 72 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar 4.03 avg rating — 52,936 ratings score: 5,641, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 65,036 ratings score: 5,574, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 403,159 ratings score: 5,542, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Q & A by Vikas Swarup 4.02 avg rating — 38,476 ratings score: 5,525, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry 4.03 avg rating — 24,577 ratings score: 5,179, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	A Passage to India by E.M. Forster 3.67 avg rating — 85,729 ratings score: 4,734, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Brick Lane by Monica Ali 3.46 avg rating — 35,701 ratings score: 4,533, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 77,629 ratings score: 4,441, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie 3.71 avg rating — 71,665 ratings score: 4,220, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Blue Bar (Blue Mumbai, #1) by Damyanti Biswas (Goodreads Author) 3.71 avg rating — 4,813 ratings score: 4,187, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif 3.77 avg rating — 12,263 ratings score: 3,612, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry 3.96 avg rating — 11,557 ratings score: 3,593, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh 3.94 avg rating — 31,889 ratings score: 3,482, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye 4.20 avg rating — 45,077 ratings score: 3,454, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid 3.86 avg rating — 12,380 ratings score: 3,244, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Khalifa Brothers, #1) by Salman Rushdie 3.98 avg rating — 37,805 ratings score: 3,157, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri 3.62 avg rating — 9,377 ratings score: 3,154, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh 3.99 avg rating — 19,977 ratings score: 2,759, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	2 States: The Story of My Marriage by Chetan Bhagat 3.44 avg rating — 98,482 ratings score: 2,364, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh 3.86 avg rating — 8,982 ratings score: 2,343, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Swami and Friends by R.K. Narayan 4.22 avg rating — 13,631 ratings score: 2,324, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje 3.59 avg rating — 18,875 ratings score: 2,280, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie 3.94 avg rating — 14,689 ratings score: 2,259, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	A Man with A White Shadow by Vikram Suryawanshi (Goodreads Author) 4.62 avg rating — 234 ratings score: 2,200, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh 3.97 avg rating — 11,113 ratings score: 2,198, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Immortals of Meluha (Shiva Trilogy #1) by Amish Tripathi (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 127,387 ratings score: 2,158, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri 3.88 avg rating — 96,444 ratings score: 2,060, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan 4.21 avg rating — 19,114 ratings score: 2,020, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai 3.47 avg rating — 6,463 ratings score: 2,019, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Lamentations of a Sombre Sky by Manan Kapoor (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 69 ratings score: 2,000, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Five Point Someone: What Not to Do at IIT by Chetan Bhagat 3.43 avg rating — 92,795 ratings score: 1,984, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 8,012 ratings score: 1,942, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Zero Defect by Aarohan Atwal (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 201 ratings score: 1,891, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Tales From Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry 3.93 avg rating — 4,582 ratings score: 1,889, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	A Good Indian Wife by Anne Cherian 3.59 avg rating — 4,376 ratings score: 1,788, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, #1) by Jan-Philipp Sendker (Goodreads Author) 4.03 avg rating — 88,830 ratings score: 1,760, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	English, August: An Indian Story by Upamanyu Chatterjee 3.78 avg rating — 6,206 ratings score: 1,672, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 19,715 ratings score: 1,672, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi 3.75 avg rating — 21,015 ratings score: 1,669, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 15,398 ratings score: 1,666, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan (Goodreads Author) 3.47 avg rating — 33,068 ratings score: 1,658, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling 4.01 avg rating — 89,058 ratings score: 1,599, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa 3.85 avg rating — 5,980 ratings score: 1,559, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 21,341 ratings score: 1,557, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin 3.75 avg rating — 7,178 ratings score: 1,541, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Vine Of Desire (Anju and Sudha, #2) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Goodreads Author) 3.53 avg rating — 4,264 ratings score: 1,509, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, #1) by Indu Sundaresan (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 16,807 ratings score: 1,377, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Love and Longing in Bombay by Vikram Chandra 3.57 avg rating — 2,607 ratings score: 1,351, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra 3.93 avg rating — 9,036 ratings score: 1,313, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Siege of Krishnapur (Empire Trilogy, #2) by J.G. Farrell 3.93 avg rating — 8,544 ratings score: 1,299, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	A Golden Age (Bangla Desh, #1) by Tahmima Anam (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 5,888 ratings score: 1,296, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Destiny of Shattered Dreams by Nilesh Rathod (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 170 ratings score: 1,294, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Shame by Salman Rushdie 3.87 avg rating — 13,119 ratings score: 1,262, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami 3.73 avg rating — 4,121 ratings score: 1,261, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Animal's People by Indra Sinha 3.90 avg rating — 5,219 ratings score: 1,245, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie 3.92 avg rating — 14,868 ratings score: 1,220, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie 3.61 avg rating — 19,478 ratings score: 1,206, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The English Teacher by R.K. Narayan 3.82 avg rating — 4,658 ratings score: 1,201, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	My Midnight Sun by John Shors (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 199 ratings score: 1,192, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Jewel in the Crown (The Raj Quartet, #1) by Paul Scott 4.14 avg rating — 6,178 ratings score: 1,185, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 11,337 ratings score: 1,153, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Secret of the Nagas (Shiva Trilogy #2) by Amish Tripathi (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 93,867 ratings score: 1,134, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Burmese Days by George Orwell 3.87 avg rating — 32,290 ratings score: 1,100, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	KISMET - A DESI RHAPSODY IN LONDON by Shaheen Darr (Goodreads Author) 4.53 avg rating — 30 ratings score: 1,096, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	The Quest of the Sparrows: Explore the Joy of Freedom by Kartik Sharma (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 618 ratings score: 1,079, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra 3.69 avg rating — 12,495 ratings score: 1,061, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Goodreads Author) 3.55 avg rating — 38,933 ratings score: 1,042, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The House of Blue Mangoes by David Davidar 3.57 avg rating — 1,516 ratings score: 1,004, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Coinman: An Untold Conspiracy by Pawan Mishra (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 267 ratings score: 976, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Kartography: A Lyrical Literary Romance of Fated Love and Secrets in Pakistan by Kamila Shamsie 3.89 avg rating — 4,041 ratings score: 960, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 3,202 ratings score: 898, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje 3.62 avg rating — 27,394 ratings score: 894, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	KISMET: A DESI RHAPSODY IN LONDON by Shaheen Darr (Goodreads Author) 4.57 avg rating — 7 ratings score: 893, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil 3.44 avg rating — 7,928 ratings score: 888, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 5,896 ratings score: 882, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Girl from Fatehpur by Sarita Varma 3.47 avg rating — 156 ratings score: 846, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Ground Beneath Her Feet by Salman Rushdie 3.80 avg rating — 12,184 ratings score: 828, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Butterfly Season by Natasha Ahmed (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 143 ratings score: 795, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer 3.83 avg rating — 8,439 ratings score: 774, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Cuckold by Kiran Nagarkar 4.19 avg rating — 1,814 ratings score: 765, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Crow Eaters by Bapsi Sidhwa 3.77 avg rating — 1,746 ratings score: 756, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid 3.82 avg rating — 23,792 ratings score: 724, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Raj by Gita Mehta 3.71 avg rating — 813 ratings score: 670, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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734 books · 1,894 voters · list created June 22nd, 2008 by Brimate (votes) .

Tags: adult, adult-fiction, asian, asian-fiction, asian-literature, bangladesh, best, desi, fiction, india, indian, indian-literature, literary-fiction, pakistan, pakistani, short-fiction, short-stories, south-asia, south-asian, south-asian-fiction, sri-lanka, subcontinent

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Comments Showing 1-47 of 47 (47 new)

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message 1: by Parth (new)

Aug 03, 2009 11:45AM

Maximum City Bombay Lost and Found (Export & Airside Only) by Suketu Mehta

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message 2: by Parth (new)

Aug 03, 2009 11:45AM

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message 3: by Barb (new)

Dec 12, 2009 05:01PM

Evening Is the Whole Day A Novel by Preeta Samarasan

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message 4: by Bonnie (new)

Dec 17, 2009 05:58PM

I love Water for Elephants to death, but it has NOTHING to do with Southeast Asia. It is about Depression era America and none of the characters were Southeast Asians. Just because it has elephant in the title does not mean it's about SE Asia, people.

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message 5: by Rukshana (new)

Feb 20, 2010 01:35PM

Um, Amy Tan's book is not about S. Asia. People need to learn their geography.

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message 6: by Melanee (new)

Feb 22, 2010 07:18AM

Rukshana wrote: "Um, Amy Tan's book is not about S. Asia. People need to learn their geography."

tell em Rukshana! =)

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message 7: by E (new)

Nov 15, 2010 07:57AM

Bonnie wrote: "I love Water for Elephants to death, but it has NOTHING to do with Southeast Asia. It is about Depression era America and none of the characters were Southeast Asians. Just because it has elephant ..."

This list is for books on South Asia, which is not the same as Southeast Asia. To clarify, South Asia includes India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and sometimes Tibet.

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message 8: by [deleted user] (new)

Mar 20, 2011 12:08AM

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message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 21, 2011 08:38AM

OK, I'll remove Water for Elephants.

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message 10: by [deleted user] (new)

Mar 21, 2011 10:34PM

Susanna wrote: "OK, I'll remove Water for Elephants."

Thanks Susanna, very kind of you.

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message 11: by marie (new)

Apr 15, 2011 04:14AM

Cutting For Stone takes place in Ethiopia (Africa) and the United States. There is only a small mention of India but it certainly is not about South Asia.

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message 12: by Amina (new)

May 21, 2011 11:50AM

If you're interested in South Asian literature, you should check out the new group I just started! http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4...

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message 13: by Nickelini (new)

Jun 06, 2011 12:09PM

I think people need to pass a geography test before they can add a book to this list. Very disappointing.

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message 14: by Bonnie (new)

Apr 13, 2012 06:50AM

In the Miso Soup should go. (out of the South Asia list)

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message 15: by Ellinor (new)

Aug 01, 2012 12:04AM

What are Wuthering Heights and Gone with the wind doing on this list? They have absolutely nothing to do with South Asia!

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message 16: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Aug 01, 2012 12:19PM

If this list specifically does not include Japan, what is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle doing on it?

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message 17: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Aug 01, 2012 12:21PM

OK, y'all want me to delete anything?

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message 18: by Vazz (new)

Aug 02, 2012 11:01AM

"Veil of Roses" is a book set in Iran. It does NOT belong here. Iran is NOT part of South Asia, and Iranians are NOT South Asian or Desi. Please remove this book from the list.

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message 19: by Vazz (new)

Aug 02, 2012 11:03AM

Susanna wrote: "OK, y'all want me to delete anything?"
yes please remove "Veil of Roses."

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message 20: by Garth (new)

Mar 16, 2013 04:14PM

I voted for A Thousand Splendid Suns. Great historical fiction, even though it's a little slow in the beginning. If you find yourself about to give up on the book, skip to chapter 21 (that's about one third into the book): at that point, the story really starts to pick up.

I wrote a post on the book for Newsworthy Novels, a blog that matches novels to today's headlines (the headline that day was about the Taliban increasingly targeting Afghan women for attacks): http://newsworthynovels.blogspot.com/...

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message 21: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Mar 28, 2013 02:51PM

Unlesss I'm very much mistaken, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet should not be in this list...

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message 22: by K.C. (new)

Apr 30, 2013 08:11PM

And a few more too do not belong here.

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message 23: by K.C. (new)

Apr 30, 2013 08:12PM

Ellinor wrote: "What are Wuthering Heights and Gone with the wind doing on this list? They have absolutely nothing to do with South Asia!"
Who posted them?
It is piracy of another kind.

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message 24: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited May 01, 2013 12:10AM) (new)

May 01, 2013 12:02AM

The Map of Love is set in Egypt (and the States) and has been removed. I've also removed Japanese fairy tales, Japanese fairy tales series and The thousand autumns of Jacob the Zoet, as none of these should be in this list.

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message 25: by Jessica (last edited Jul 26, 2013 02:23AM) (new)

Jul 26, 2013 02:23AM

There are other books which don't belong in this list. Rooftops of Tehran is set in Iran, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is set in Japan, Evening is the Whole Day and The Rice Mother are set in Malaysia.

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message 26: by Jessica (new)

Jul 26, 2013 02:25AM

Oh right. I guess Iran is possibly included...

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message 27: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jul 26, 2013 04:34AM) (new)

Jul 26, 2013 04:16AM

@Brimate
Hermann Hesse is German, still his Siddhartha is on the list. Don't really think it belongs here, as your description clearly says "Your favorite fiction from South Asia and the diaspora". But I haven't removed it (yet) as the story is set in South Asia (even though that doesn't match your description). Let me know how you feel about this book being on the list?

Same goes for E.M. Forster's A passage to India, as Forster is British.

The quiet American by Graham Greene has been removed from the list, as it does not belong here (Saigon is not in South Asia...)

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message 28: by Ellinor (new)

Jul 26, 2013 04:48AM

Booklovinglady wrote: "@Brimate
Hermann Hesse is German, still his Siddhartha is on the list. Don't really think it belongs here, as your description clearly says "Your favorite fiction
from
South Asia and the diaspo..."

The same would be true for "A Son of the Circus". John Irving is American.

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message 29: by Linda (new)

Mar 04, 2014 11:55AM

To List manager: Please clarify the criteria for this list.
I'd like to see:
1) books ABOUT South Asia and South Asians, including those living outside South Asia (the diaspora) regardless of: who wrote them, what language they are written in;
2)books BY South Asian authors, and authors of South Asian heritage, regardless of where they now live.

My question is: does the list include books BY South Asian authors set exclusively in other countries, and not about South Asians or the diaspora or setting?

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message 30: by Linda (new)

Mar 04, 2014 11:58AM

To list manager:
Please clarify the criteria for inclusion; I'd recommend that books that take place in South Asia or are about South Asian diaspora in any location, should be included.
I'd also be happy if all fiction by South Asian authors would be included, even if it does not take place in or relate to South Asia or South Asians; but I could understand if these were limited to those that DO focus on South Asians or countries where people of South Asian heritage reside.

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message 31: by Nivas (new)

Apr 08, 2014 08:44PM

151 The Diary of a Young Girl

i dont think its about South-Asia.

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message 32: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Apr 09, 2014 11:49AM) (new)

Apr 09, 2014 11:45AM

nomad wrote: "151 The Diary of a Young Girl
i dont think its about South-Asia."

Can't find the book in the list, but if you meant Anne Frank's 'Diary of a young girl' then it most certainly is not.. :-)

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message 33: by Nivas (new)

Apr 09, 2014 10:31PM

yes..its in 169th postion

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message 34: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Apr 10, 2014 11:36AM

nomad wrote: "yes..its in 169th postion"

Thanks :-) I have deleted the book, as you are absolutely right: It should not have been added to this list.

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message 35: by Sngta (last edited Sep 21, 2014 12:27PM) (new)

Sep 21, 2014 12:26PM

It's unclear what Like Water for Chocolate is doing on this list! Same for Animal Farm.

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message 36: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Sep 21, 2014 02:16PM) (new)

Sep 21, 2014 02:16PM

Sngta wrote: "It's unclear what Like Water for Chocolate is doing on this list! Same for Animal Farm."

I've removed both Animal Farm and Like water for Chocolate, as they are not South Asian ficton.

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message 37: by Jeff (new)

Jan 28, 2015 09:53PM

"Minaret" takes place in Sudan and England. No South Asian connection.

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message 38: by Akshi (last edited Sep 21, 2015 10:36AM) (new)

Sep 21, 2015 10:33AM

Rahul Pandita's Our Moon Has Blood Clots ( A great book) is a memoir, not fiction.Similarly books like

The Difficulty of Being Good, Maximum City, [even] Khushwant Singh's Delhi are not fiction.

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message 39: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Sep 21, 2015 09:49PM

Jeff wrote: ""Minaret" takes place in Sudan and England. No South Asian connection."

Minaret has been removed.

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message 40: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Sep 21, 2015 09:59PM

Akshi wrote: "Rahul Pandita's Our Moon Has Blood Clots ( A great book) is a memoir, not fiction.Similarly books like

The Difficulty of Being Good, Maximum City, [even] Khushwant Singh's Delhi are not fiction."

Removed for not being fiction:
Our Moon Has Blood Clots: The Exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits
The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art Of Dharma
Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found
Delhi

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message 41: by Luke (new)

Nov 12, 2015 10:02PM

Removed for not being from South Asia:

The Art of War
In the Miso Soup

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message 42: by Kaion (last edited Nov 13, 2015 02:33PM) (new)

Nov 13, 2015 02:12PM

Removed for not being from South Asia/not being fiction:
Wind Up Bird Chronicle
Siddhartha
John Updike
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Publisher spam
Books on Vietnam
John Green
A Brief History of Time
Leo Tolstoy
Karma Cola

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message 43: by Sarai (new)

Apr 24, 2016 10:21PM

Jump to Regional groups of countries - The United Nations Statistics Division's scheme of sub-regions include all eight members of the SAARC as part of Southern Asia, along with Iran only for statistical purposes. Population Information Network (POPIN) includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as part of South Asia

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message 44: by Arpita (new)

Nov 30, 2017 09:29PM

Sad to see Chetan Bhagat on the same list with greats like Khaled Hosseini, Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri, Kipling...

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message 45: by Warrior&King (new)

Sep 18, 2021 10:20PM

The Book Thief needs to be removed.

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message 46: by Cathleen (new)

Jul 28, 2023 07:11AM

Good List

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message 47: by Sue (new)

Aug 25, 2025 04:48PM

Cutting for Stone (#12) takes place in Ethiopia which is Africa. The author's parents are from India so if "Authors of South Asia" is part of the criteria, OK. otherwise, it doesn't belong as not being from that part of the world.

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