20 Most talked about Indian books of 2019

A good book masters the art of writing, builds curiosity and beautifully grasps the attention of its readers, but a great book takes its readers through and around an imaginative journey carved out and weaved in by the author, leaving its readers with a lingering thought and a perspective on life.

2019 published and brought in great narratives of Indian fiction, non-fiction, mythological-fiction, biographies and many more. It produced brilliant books that were not only thought-provoking but also left an imprint on the minds of its readers. However, out of the great books that were published, a few exceptional writings stood out as the best of 2019.

Winding up this year with a list of 20 most talked about books of 2019 to help you stack up your library with the books you might have missed out.

Best-selling author Chitra Banerjee Divakurni’s latest mythological-fiction is a powerful retelling of Ramayana from the perspective of Sita and other neglected female characters in the epic. The book successfully opens up a discourse on the role of women in epics and historical storytelling, where men possess all the power and the privilege.
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Nayantara Sahgal’s thought-provoking fiction is the most-relevant piece in today’s time. It is a tragic narrative and a sharp comment on what might happen if and when a country’s ruler aims and tries to diminish an entire community and deprive them of their rights.
Photo Credit: Speaking Tiger Publishing Pvt Ltd

Salman Rushdie’s book Quichotte is inspired by Miguel De Cervantes 'Don Quixote' and depicts an updated version of the classic. It is a story of an aged Indian-American man who travels through America in search for a TV show-host with whom he has fallen in love with. The book is long-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, which makes it more relevant.
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Amitav Ghosh’s new novel 'Gun Island' published by Penguin India is a story of a man named Deen Sutta, who deals in rare books and is used to a private life. However, life takes a turn and he sets out on a journey from India to Los Angeles to Venice. He meets new people, who play a significant role in altering his life.
Photo Credit:Penguin Hamish Hamilton

Write India author Amish Tripathi’s newest book is the third book in the Ram Chandra series after Scion of Ikshvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila. It chronicles the life of Raavan from his childhood until the time he kidnaps Sita.
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Best-selling author and renowned politician Shashi Tharoor gives a detailed and a perfect introduction to one of the world’s oldest, largest and most complex religions in his latest book The Hindu Way: An Introduction to Hinduism.
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Historian and Author, William Dalrymple published his latest book on the rise of the East India Company in India and how it lead to the rule of the British. The book is an account of a great and magnificent empire that came to an end and is then replaced by a dangerous private company.
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Saikat Majumdar’s latest book delves into the themes of love, sexuality and desire. It follows the story of a young boy named Anirvan studying in an elite all-boys’ school run by Hindu monastic order. Although Anirvan seeks to live a life of spirituality, he is drawn to a fellow student and develops an intimate relationship with him.
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One of India’s foremost literary historian and cultural commentator Rakhshanda Jalil gives an account of what it is like to be a Muslim in a country like India in her most recent book. She also weaves in memories of the past and brings in historical narratives that go on to celebrate a nation of diverse cultures.
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'A Gujarat Here, A Gujarat There' is a novel by Krishna Sobti that is translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell. The story is a tragic tale of loss and displacement during the partition and also the story a spirited young girl who is determined to build herself a new identity.
Photo Credit:Penguin Hamish Hamilton

An impressive re-imagination and retelling of the life of Muhammad bin Tughlaq by Anuja Chandramouli. The book gives a detailed account of the man behind the monarch and also a new historical perspective.
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Pushcart Prize-winner Madhuri Vijay's The Far Field explores the troubles and turmoil in Kashmir and examines Indian politics, class prejudice, and sexuality through the lens of an outsider, who is a woman named Shalini. She leaves her home in Bangalore after the death of her mother and escapes into the wilderness of Kashmir. However, she gets caught up in the politics that surrounds Kashmir.
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Actor and now an author Gulshan Grover along with Roshmila Bhattacharya provide an autobiographical account of Gulshan Grover’s life. Through the book he narrates his journey in the film industry, talks about his villainous image of the ‘bad man’, the competition he faced and the challenges that lurked in during his course as an actor.
Photo Credit:Penguin eBury Press

One of India's first supermodels, Actor, Cancer survivor and an author, Lisa Ray describes her life through her book. ‘Close to the Bone’ is Lisa Ray’s brave, inspiring and motivational telling of a life lived on her own terms. She describes every aspect of her life from becoming an actress and a model at a young age to fighting the battle against cancer and surviving through it.

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Shubha Mudgal’s debut fiction is a collection of seven short stories that portrays the reality of classical musicians in our time. With a tinge of humor, she displays hope, despair, longing and loss.

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Saba Dewan’s exquisite novel deals with the history of a tradition long maligned on the Indian subcontinent. It is a history and a chronicle of one family of well-known Tawaifs with their roots in Benaras and Bhabua. Saba Dewan has tried to move away from the conventional narratives and has explored the nuances that were manipulated, erased and framed.

(Photo Credit: Context)

Preeti Shenoy’s inspirational sequel to the iconic bestseller ‘Life is What You Make it’ explores the resilience of the human mind and the immense power of positive thinking. The book posits a chance to direct one’s life to a beautiful and a positive destination.

(Photo Credit: Srishti Publishers & Distributors)

In her debut novel, Avni Doshi examines and explores a young woman’s relationship with her ailing mother. Not only does she have to look after her mother, who had often neglected her as a child, but she also has to balance it with her marriage and aritistic endeavours.

(Photo Credit: Fourth Estate India)

Written in a first person narrative, Sowvendra Shekhar Hansda’s latest book is a bildungsroman divided in three acts, ‘Lover’, ‘Friend’ and ‘Father. The narrative follows all aspects of the narrator’s life, linked closely with one another but differing in its tone and quality.

(Photo Credit: Speaking Tiger Publishing Private Limited )

Perumal Murugan's 2019 book, 'Amma' was originally written in Tamil and later translated by Nandini Murali and Kavitha Muralidharan. Sprinkled with nostalgia and humour, 'Amma', as the title suggests, is about the life of Perumal’s strong, independent and extraordinary mother.

(Photo Credits: Eka)