Entertainment / South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts

South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts

Entertainment Dec 01, 2022

by Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

For the book lover in you, or in your life, there has been such a wonderful assortment of Desi Lit to choose from. Here are our recos with our ANOKHI’s Holiday Gift Guide because it’s such a great idea to spread the love for the written word, and to support of our South Asian authors.

Books may have the stigma of being a bit of a boring gift or a copout, but I’d argue the opposite. Getting a book for someone requires thought to ensure it’s relevant to them and something they’d find interesting.

On that note, while I’m a bit of a bookworm, I’ve noticed that people share that they wish they read more. Oftentimes, many people would like to get into books, but they don’t know where to start or don’t think they have the time (in this respect, audiobooks are truly a blessing).

And so, as the new year creeps closer if you’re looking to help your friends or family finally accomplish their goal of reading more or arm the book lovers in your life with some new reads, we’ve curated a list of South Asian-authored books that would make perfect gifts this holiday season!

Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: Big dreams sometimes require sacrifices. Follow Rakhi as she determines which ones are worth taking.** Photo Credit: www.amazon.ca

Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel follows Rakhi who has already been through a lot in her 23 years. However, after a chance encounter, Rakhi is faced with making some tough decisions that will alter her next steps in life and do what it takes to survive. Patel intertwined some of her own experiences into the book as she is a lawyer in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and had previously “…worked in Mumbai in the youth non-profit sector and in human rights advocacy.” Trust me when I say you’ll be on the edge of your seat as you frantically flip through the pages of this book. But, if you don’t believe me, Penguin Random House Canada notes that Such Big Dreams was selected as “a Loan Stars Top Ten Pick, a CBC Canadian Fiction title to watch, one of Audible’s Best Debuts of 2022, and an Amazon Best Book of 2022.” That said, Patel is no stranger to ANOKHI LIFE having been featured on The ANOKHI UNCENSORED Show where she chatted with our very own editor-in-chief, Hina P. Ansari, about social housing issues in Canada and India, how this influenced her work, and of course, her latest book.

Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: Will you be breaking out the tissues from laughing so hard or crying while reading this book? I’ll never tell!** Photo Credit: www.simonandschuster.ca

Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh is a lighter read, by this debut author, but is packed with important learnings about South Asian culture and traditions. The book follows Manny Dogra, who is the CEO of her company that assists people with ending their relationships. Dogra is Indian, but her parents, who recently passed away, never really taught her about her South Asian roots as they wanted her to embrace life in America. As Dogra gets set for her wedding, she meets a new client, Sammy Patel, who takes her on a journey of learning who she really is (and maybe more, but you’ll have to read to find out). According to Simon and Schuster, the book became an “instant national bestseller.”

You Still Look The Same by Farzana Doctor

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: If you’re ready to explore more about relationships, definitely give this book a read.** Photo Credit: www.chapters.indigo.ca

Farzana Doctor wears a number of hats, including “…activist and psychotherapist.” She has also previously written novels, including Stealing Nasreen (2007) and Seven (2020), and recently made her splash into the world of poetry with You Still Looks The Same. Doctor’s poetry book provides a very raw perspective, with some comedic relief, on heavy issues she’s faced. For example, Doctor’s poems cover “…mid-life breakups and dating, female genital cutting, imprints of racism and misogyny, and the oddness of sex and love.”

Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth by Deepak Chopra

South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: Whether there’s someone in your life looking to make a change or not, this book is filled with nuggets of wisdom that anyone would benefit from tapping into! Photo Credit: www.amazon.ca

The great Deepak Chopra has released another gem. Need I say more? Without even knowing what it’s about, there’s a 10/10 chance that this book will be a hit! But, if you need a little something to entice you, Chopra’s latest publication, Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth, talks about the fact that many of us are likely sabotaging our ability to strive for more. Chopra highlights what folks need to do in order to reach success, in whatever form. As such, Chopra describes “…how to work past self-generated feelings of limitation and fear and” outlines important tools, such as “…meditations to help you focus and direct your attention, energy, and intuition so you can experience stability, prosperity, insight, creativity, love, and true power.”

A Deeper Wellness by Dr. Monica Vermani

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: *A Deeper Wellness* by Dr. Monica Vermani.** Photo Credit: Dr. Monica Vermani

Dr. Monica Vermani is a noted Clinical Psychologist and the founder of Start Living Corporate Wellness (as well as one of our long-standing contributors here at ANOKHI LIFE) released this book which can be seen as a toolkit. Drawing from her 25 years of clinical practice, Dr. Vermani’s latest book, A Deeper Wellness, provides a roadmap, and the tools to create a deep, authentic sense of wellness and wellbeing. Its companion online A Deeper Wellness Life Lessons program provides a roadmap and the tools to create a deep, authentic sense of wellness and wellbeing. A Deeper Wellness is available for purchase on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: If you’re looking for a book that will warm your heart, you’ve hit the jackpot with this one!** Photo Credit: www.amazon.ca

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna follows Mika Moon, who has had a difficult life to date, including the passing of her parents. But, Moon has a little secret: she’s a witch. She knows better than to flaunt her powers in public, but as a joke, she posts online about being a witch as a joke, of course. However, soon enough she catches the eye of Nowhere House, which desperately needs help taming some young witches. Mandanna’s novel highlights that while Moon is uncertain, she makes the trek to Nowhere House and is soon faced with the reality that “…magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for.” Is anyone else immediately hooked? It’s not surprising as Mandanna has been weaving tales since she was four years old, and this latest publication is likely just a drop in the bucket for this talented author!

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: This book will kick the imagination into overdrive while inspiring readers to take charge of their lives.** Photo Credit: www.goodreads.com

In Vaishnavi Patel’s debut novel, readers follow Kaikeyi in the mythical and magical land of Kekaya. While Kaikeyi is surrounded by important figures who do great things, she also sees the bad they do and can’t help but notice that they don’t show up for her. As she seeks autonomy, Amazon notes that Kaikeyi “…transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favoured queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her.” However, Kaikeyi’s efforts to create change conflict with the path that was already laid out for her, and so she must make a difficult decision on how to proceed. As highlighted by Google, with such a fantastic plot, it’s not surprising that Patel’s book was “…an instant New York Times bestseller and Tiktok sensation.” Don’t sleep on this one friends (though, I doubt you’ll get much sleep as you frantically zoom through this book).

Be a Triangle: How I Went from Being Lost to Getting My Life into Shape by Lilly Singh

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: Squares are so yesterday. Be a triangle instead.** Photo Credit: www.amazon.ca

Leave it to Lilly Singh to release such a relatable book. Singh’s latest book highlights the fact that life isn’t always rainbows and sunshine, and if anyone says otherwise, they’re lying and should not be trusted. After experiencing her own issues with who she is and her rise to fame, Singh introduces the concept of being a triangle. Amazon explains what the triangle represents: “you must build a solid foundation for your life, one that can be built upon, but never fundamentally changed or destroyed.” Singh shares tips and tricks that readers should adopt in order to stay true to themselves, even during turbulent times, in a light, honest, and fun way that only she could do. After everything we’ve all been through over the last few years, this book couldn’t be more relevant or timely, whether you need to heal or are looking to add some more tools to your toolbox.

The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar

**South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts: Should I be embarrassed to say that I’d gobble up this book, even though I’m not a young adult?** Photo Credit: www.listening-books.org.uk

If you’re looking for a young adult book that’s jam-packed with fantasy and mythology, look no further as The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar has your back. Thakrar’s novel depicts Tanvi’s journey to Nagalok to join the dream runners. Goodreads explains that “…the dream runners [are] human children freed of all memory and emotion, charged with harvesting mortal dreams for the consumption of the naga court.” Unfortunately, problems ensue after Tanvi begins to remember her life before her stint with the dream runners, which could be detrimental.

With this helpful list of books in hand that covers just about every genre, you’re bound to find a few good reads for your loved ones this holiday season. And with that, we wish you and your gift recipients the happiest and coziest of reads!

Main Image Photo Credit: www.amazon.ca

Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

Author

Devika (@goberdhan.devika) is an MA graduate who specialized in Political Science at York University. Her passion and research throughout her graduate studies pushed her to learn about and unpack hot button issues. Thus, since starting at ANOKHI in 2016, she has written extensively about many challe...

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South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts

by Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

COMMENTS

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