some books and an indian summer

first let me note that the title of this entry has nothing, NOTHING to do with the weather. how can we even hope for an indian summer (in the english sense of the word....ie baba leto to use the less ambiguous russian) when the english one has not even started?
by indian summer i was rather referring to the upcoming 60th aniversary of the "the midnight hour while the world slept" (to barrow from nehru) and pakistan and india became two countries, seperate both of each other and of the british empire.
the hype has been fairly impressive. the library has been doing a big exhibit on Gandhi's Quit India now movement, and even the bookshop has been doing displays on indian literature in anticipation of the great event. additionally, a whole cluster of new books has suddenly appeared devoted not only to independance, but also to the events surrounding the partition...something which indian and pakistani historiography seems to have all to often ignored. meanwhile, trafalgar square has been filling up every weekend with all kinds of events aimed at commemerating the events....alll of which seem to feature beautiful young dancers in saris and loads of food and music.
extra indian books have been ordered into the bookshop and i have been stocking up, even though i should be writing my chapter.
i really like indian literature. i wish i knew enough about pakistani books to comment on them or choose them for a display, but alas i am sadly quite ignorant of their literature, music and art. I do, however, have some notions of indian writing, and i have been learning more all the time.
i read kiran desai's booker winning Inheritance of Loss. i liked it well enough, but not on the level of other booker winning indian works (such as the god of small things). i read mistry's a fine balance, which i liked better. and now i am sinking my teeth (or eyes) into the 1,400 epic a suitable boy. so far, i find it mesmerizing and i am absolutely amazed by vikram seth, the writer who managed to produce such an epic. respect.