Mini Reviews: A Couple of Fun Indian Books

So I have a confession: I am obsessed with Indian culture. The food, the clothes, the women, the weddings. UGH. I adore it all. So naturally, if a book crosses my path that is immersed in Indian culture, I am going to want to read it (especially if it’s got a comedic angle). So here are a couple of mini-reviews for books that fit that criteria.

A lively, sexy, and thought-provoking East-meets-West story about community, friendship, and women’s lives at all ages—a spicy and alluring mix of Together Tea and Calendar Girls.

Every woman has a secret life . . .

Nikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she’s spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her father’s death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a "creative writing" course at the community center in the beating heart of London’s close-knit Punjabi community.

Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected—and exciting—kind.

As more women are drawn to the class, Nikki warns her students to keep their work secret from the Brotherhood, a group of highly conservative young men who have appointed themselves the community’s "moral police." But when the widows’ gossip offers shocking insights into the death of a young wife—a modern woman like Nikki—and some of the class erotica is shared among friends, it sparks a scandal that threatens them all.

steamy erotica, Indian widows, and girl power

Fair warning: you’re going to read some intense erotica! (But since it’s told through the words of punjabi widows, it’s pretty hysterical.)

I really enjoyed this story! It’s both heart-warming and hilarious. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy books that are heavy in Indian culture and the stereotypes that surround them.

Don’t read this book if you take things too seriously. You have to be able to laugh at this one!

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
Published by Crown BFYR on May 15, 2018
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 304
Source: Author
Goodreads

Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted.

Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star.

Like an expertly choreographed Bollywood dance scene, Nisha Sharma’s off-beat love story dazzles in the lime light.

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the role of fate, Bollywood romance, and high school woes

This YA novel is absolutely adorable. Even if you’ve never watched a Bollywood movie in your life, you’re going to enjoy this read. it’s light-hearted and gives you all the warm-fuzzies.

It’s definitely predictable, but you don’t really read this one for the tension. You read it because you want to have a happy, quick, and light book that will make you feel good.

I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys Bollywood and/or anyone who wants take a mental vacation from the stresses of life for a while.

I obviously have a thing for Indian books, but what are cultures you enjoy reading about?

A.S. Thornton

A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.