The fiery red Krishnochura tree near my house is now in full bloom, a timely reminder to me to quickly put together a list of Spring reads (that I will be taking with me well into summer it seems).
It’s been a hectic first few months of the year, personally and professionally. With everything that’s been happening in the world, a week can carry a lifetime of sorrow, pain and destruction. A month can pass by in the blink of an eye, but also stretch on for years simultaneously.
On top of all of this chaos, my mother has decided to officially put me on the marriage mart, a mad urgency overtaking her as I quickly approach the beautiful, rounded age of 30 this year. God, like me, has a great sense of humour though and no one can beat His timing. Just like the cows being paraded in the bazaars for Badi Eid right now, I too am being polished up in my biodata for prospective grooms and in-laws to check the following: height, colour, weight, and rearing. Of me, I mean. Not the cows at the bazaar.
These days, my mum will disappear for hours, chatting with aunties here and there, attending kitty parties,(who IS she anymore?!), having secret rendezvous calls with matchmakers in the park downstairs, and even playing private PI for prospective suitors—God knows if she is actually hiding in the bushes of posh apartment complexes and country clubs herself. If yes—this is a fantastic idea for a children’s book. More on this new Priyadarshan adventure another time, once I have some space to take a step back and process the hilarity of it. From battling one-word answers and primary school level questions from prospective husbands on Whatsapp to swiping left until my fingers break on 64 year olds pretending to be younger on Muslim marriage apps, there’s no shortage of stories to unpack, and I hope seeing it makes other South Asian girls feel less alone on this ludicrous road.
It is with all of these things occupying my heart and mind this Spring that I come to you with a list of seasonal reads – books I’ve read/ are on my TBR list that I think are perfect for the season.
1. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
Spring is an undeniably romantic season, and with all the hijinks currently going on in my (non-existent romantic) life, I thought it would be the perfect time to crack this one open. According to the book’s blurb, it is the story of ordinary people caught up in a web of love and ambition, humor and sadness, prejudice and reconciliation, the most delicate social etiquette and the most appalling violence. Thinking of listening to it in audiobook format in the evenings with the window cracked open and a cup of chai in hand.
2. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai
With the depressing results of the 2026 Indian State elections out this week, I am in search of something lighthearted that pokes fun at some of the insanity we are seeing in real life right now. This book might be it. It’s about Sampath, an uninspired government worker who becomes unintentionally famous as a holy man after climbing into a guava tree, setting off a series of events that spin out of control. Exactly the right dose of absurdity we all need right now.
3. Paati vs UNCLE: The The Underground Nightly Cooperative League of Elders by Meera Ganapathi
If there is way too much going on and you want a break from the constant barrage of life-altering unprecedented-times news, might I interest you in a small children’s book about small nothings? Well, to us at least. Inju is a precocious 8 year old boy spending the summer holidays with his beloved paati. He’s looking forward to a quiet, boring holiday but it seems God has other plans for him. A thief has been stealing various knick knacks (from jewellery to pet parrots and dried papads) from the elderly residents, and so they band together to try and find the criminal. But rivalries bubble up and the collective soon splits off into two factions. Who will be victorious in nabbing the thief? And will Mrs Desai ever get her dried papads back? There’s only one way to find out! If you love receiving good morning WhatsApp messages from elders, this is for you.
4. Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan
The OG of feel-good reads and wholesome character-driven short stories. Panchayat was directly inspired by Malgudi Days, and you all know how much I love that show. This is a collection of short stories written over the span of 40 years, chronicling the lives of ordinary people in the sleepy fictional town of Malgudi who face ordinary obstacles, yet overcome them with wit, warmth and humour. It’s a colourful tapestry of the essence of India, once upon a time, and the human experience as a whole.
Bonus: If anyone knows of a book that feels exactly like Mausam by Anirudh Verma Collective, do let me know! Enjoy the song below:
Monsoon Season 
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