I'd definitely recommend Snakes and Ladders. It's a series of short essays on various things about the modern history of India from the perspective of a woman who's lived both there and abroad. I should have posted right after finishing it since I'd have had examples in my mind. I've since ordered a copy of her novel The River Sutra since I'm guessing I'll quite like it.

Tom Holt's Faust Among Equals was approximately what I expected from a novel from him. This one is an amusing remake of the tale of Faust.

Richard Dawkin's River Out of Eden, like the rest of his books, deals with evolution. It was a pretty quick read, but I think I'd suggest reading his The Selfish Gene instead since this one didn't seem to cover much that was particularly new (and had a much more limited scope).

I'm currently in the middle of John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley and am wondering why I'd never gotten around to reading it before despite having moved it with me unread for probably close to a decade.
posted by kristin at 10:31 AM