AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khalid Hosseini. Published by Riverhead Hardcover.  May 2013. $13.38. 416 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

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An emotionally complex story about the chain of movements that occur after a father sells his daughter to a wealthy, childless couple.


HOW TO GET FILTHY RICH IN RISING ASIA by Mohsin Hamid. Published by Riverhead Hardcover.  March 2013. $19.62. 230 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

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An ingenious tale, formatted like a self-help book, about a rural boy who follows his dreams and becomes a corporate tycoon. The book is clever, satirical with moments of emotional intensity.


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IS EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME? by Mindy Kaling. Published by Three Rivers Press.  Sept 2012. $17.63. 240 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

An inviting, light-hearted glimpse into Mindy Kaling the person. In quirky style, Kaling expounds on love, relationships, friendships and the business of Hollywood.


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MEMORY PALACE by Hari Kunzru. Published by V&A Publications. June 2013. $13.68. 112 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

A clever three-dimension visual exhibition of a dark future with plenty of word-play for readers intrigued by puzzles. The plot revolves around the consideration of a civilization without memory.


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OLEANDER GIRL by Chitra Divakaruni. Published by Simon and Schuster. March 2013. $17.75. 304 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

This is the story of a young woman who goes in search of her lost heritage and is confronted with hard choices. With simple and evocative prose Divakaruni portrays a family at the crossroads of change.


JOSEPH ANTON: A MEMOIR by Salman Rushdie. Published by Random House. Sept 2012. $20.79. 636 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

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A riveting account, written in third person, of how the writer was forced underground after a fatwa was issued on his life. His incredible willpower to continue writing and his private battles make this a compelling personal narrative.


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ANOTHER COUNTRY by Anjali Joseph. Published by Fourth Estate.  May 2012. $19.62. 272 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

With wry humor, and deft prose, Joseph brings to life the disorientation of a young woman who  is searching for acceptance. What is left unsaid is as much part of the narrative as what is said. Another Country was long-listed for the Man-Asian Literary Prize.


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THE ABUNDANCE by Amit Majmudar. Published by Metropolitan Books.  March 2013. $17.58. 272 pages. Hardcover and Kindle editions available.

An immigrant story where cooking becomes a bridging device, connecting people, places and generations. Learning that their mother is dying, the two second-generation immigrant childrenconfront and cope with their own inadequacies.

Jaya Padmanabhan is editor emeritus, contributing writer, and board member of India Currents. She is a veteran journalist, essayist, and fiction writer with over 250 published articles and short stories....