*India Since 1947— The Independent Years; Gopa Sabharwal (Penguin Books, 2007, pp 392, Rs 295) A detailed year-by-year account of the making and remaking of India over the past six decades.

*Amber Dusk; Rajat Chaudhuri (Indialog, 2007, pp 352, Rs 250) “Amber Dusk smells of Calcutta streets and resonates with the seductive tunes of Parisian nights.”

*Collected Stories; Khushwant Singh (Viking/Penguin, 2007, pp 461, Rs 495) Khushwant Singh first established his reputation as a writer through the short story. This volume contains all the short stories he has ever written.

*The Elephant Suite; Paul Theroux (Hamish Hamilton, 2007, pp 277, Pounds 4.50) This far-reaching book captures the tumult, ambition, hardship and serenity that mark modern India.