I Am An Executioner: Love Stories

I was first drawn to Rajesh Parasmeswaran’s debut, I Am An Executioner: Love Stories, because of its striking cover — in fact, it’s probably my favorite cover so far this year. Then I read a little about the stories and was hooked: I love short story collections, and these quirky love stories sounded like they

And Laughter Fell from the Sky

Jyotsna Sreenivasan’s debut novel, And Laughter Fell from the Sky, takes readers to two continents as her twenty-something protagonists struggle to find their place in the world. As the children of Indian immigrants, Rasika and Abhay often find themselves at odds with what their traditional parents expect of them. When the two old friends reconnect,

Narcopolis

Spanning the course of a few decades, Jeet Thayil’s debut novel, Narcopolis, guides readers through a dreamlike exploration of Bombay’s seedy brothels and opium dens. Opening with a seven-page stream-of-consciousness introduction, the book then unfolds in four parts. Readers are introduced to a colorful cast of drug addicts and sex workers who live and work