(1) The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy

Actress Diana Quick, famous Julia from Brideshead Revisited, does a great job of reading Arundhati Roy’s masterful book.

(2) Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

Perfect for some holiday listening.

(3) Mark Tully’s India

This compilation of Mark Tully’s acclaimed reports from India includes his specially recorded observations. Sir Mark Tully was the BBC’s Foreign Correspondent in India from 1972 to 1994. He has become familiar to listeners around the world for his incisive and thought-provoking reports. On this special recording, he looks back at a career that coincided with a remarkable period in Indian history. As well as the assassination of two Indian Prime Ministers – Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv – Mark Tully reported the storming of the Sikh Golden Temple, the horrific aftermath of the Bhopal gas disaster, and the conflict between the Hindus and the Muslims after the demolition of a mosque at Ayodhya.

(4) Himalaya – Michael Palin

Nice audio version of this classic TV series, read by the author himself.

(5) The Last Mughal – William Dalrymple

Cold Feet actor Robert Bathhurst reads Dalrymple’s fascinating book about the Indian Mutiny.

(6) The Story of India – Michael Wood

This is a companion to the major six-part BBC TV series, written by Michael Wood and read by Sam Dastor. Michael Wood weaves a spellbinding narrative out of the 10,000-year history of India. Home today to more than a fifth of the world’s population, the subcontinent gave birth to the oldest and most influential civilization on Earth, to four world religions, and to the world’s largest democracy. Now, as India bids to become a global giant, Michael sets out to trace the roots of India’s present in the incredible riches of her past. From the Khyber Pass and the Himalayas to the tropical jungles of India’s Deep South, this original and striking survey of Indian history provides vivid portraits of India’s regions and cultures, and new insights into some of history’s greatest figures: Nehru, Gandhi and the Buddha.It explores the way in which Indian ideas and inventions have shaped the history of the world, and shows how some of ancient India’s conclusions about the nature of civilization have lost none of their relevance for our own times. Michael Wood, one of Britain’s best-loved historians, captures an extraordinary spectrum of landscapes, architectural splendours, customs, rituals and festivals. This is a magical mixture of history and travelogue, and an unforgettable portrait of India’s past, present – and future.

(7) Autobiography of a Yogi – Parahamsa Yogananada (read by Ben Kingsley)

Who better than Ben Kingsley to read this spiritual classic. Selected as ‘One of the 100 Best Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century’ Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography Of A Yogi has been translated into 20 languages and is regarded worldwide as a classic of religious literature. Several million copies have been sold and it continues to appear on best-selling lists after more than fifty years in print. Profoundly inspiring it is at the same time vastly entertaining – warmly humorous and filled with extraordinary personages. Unabridged,

(8) Climbing the Mango Trees – Madhur Jaffrey

The author reads her colourful account of a privileged childhood growing up in India.

(9) India with Sanjeev Bhaskar

Sanjeev Bhaskar, comedian and writer behind ‘The Kumars at No. 42’ embarks on an epic and highly personal journey through modern India. Sanjeev’s characteristic humour and unique perspective form the heart of this audiobook that accompanies his travels for the BBC2 series.

(10) Slumdog Millionaire – Vikas Swarup

Kerry Shale reads the award winning tale of a slum orphan who wina a million.

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